Hanoi City Insights Private Full Day and Guided Tour

What's included

What you'll see and do

1. Old Quarter

   We will pick up guests at hotels around Hanoi City. Please ready at your hotel lobby, our guide will come and check your name at receptionist for city tour.

   Pass by without stopping

2. Start a new day by visiting Ho Chi Minh Complex, an important place of pilgrimage. A traffic-free area of botanical gardens, monuments, memorials and pagodas, it’s usually crowded with groups of all ages, from all over the nation, who has come to pay their respects. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is one of the most significant constructions in Vietnam. Visiting this place will help you enhance your knowledge of Vietnamese history and enjoy a meaningful experience on your vacation. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum has long been considered the first place to come for first-time travelers to Hanoi, as this place has a reputation for its great cultural and historical values. This article will go into great detail about every aspect of this excellent work.

   120 minutes here · Admission included

3. One Pillar Pagoda

   One Pillar Pagoda was recognized as “the pagoda with the most unique architecture in Asia”. The pagoda was built in 1049, during the reign of King Ly Thai Tong. In the center of a pond stands a wooden square pagoda supported by a solitary concrete pillar. It was designed to resemble a lotus flower.

   Pass by without stopping

4. Chua Tran Quoc

   The visit Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest pagoda in the city, originally constructed in the sixth century during the reign of Emperor Ly Nam De, thus giving it an age of 1,400 years. Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest of its kind in Hanoi, dating back to the 6th century during the reign of Emperor Ly Nam De Dynasty (544 – 548). Standing at 15 metres, the main pagoda is made up of eleven levels, while its surrounding buildings include an incense burning house and a museum housing historic relics.You can also see intricately carved statues dating to 1639, each of which bear unique facial feature. After pagoda, we will stop at local restaurant for lunch meal with vietnamese traditional dishes.

   120 minutes here · Admission included

5. Temple of Literature & National University

   After lunch, we continue to visit the Temple of Literature which was built in 1070 in honor of Confucius, his followers and Chu Van An, a moral figure in Vietnamese education. Located to the south of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Temple of Literature was founded in 1070, almost 1000 years ago, by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong as a temple to worship the Chinese philosopher Confucius. In 1076, his son established the Imperial Academy as a royal school for only members of the elite such as princes, nobles, and bureaucrats. The Imperial Academy, which was considered as the first university in Vietnam, opened for about 700 years and educated hundreds of well-known scholars and mandarins. Despite continuous wars and disasters, the Temple of Literature remained its precious architectural and cultural value.

   90 minutes here · Admission included

6. Hoa Lo Prison

   Continue to visit the Hilton Jail or Hoa Lo prison, a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War when it was sarcastically known to American prisoners of war as the "Hanoi Hilton". Hoa Lo Prison, also known as “Hanoi Hilton” and “Maison Centrale”, is a historical site in the French Quarter of Hanoi. Loosely translated as “hell’s hole”, it was originally built by French colonist in 1896 to house and torture revolutionary Vietnam rebels. Under the name “Maison Centrale”, Hoa Lo became one of the largest and the most brutal prison complexes in Indochina. Later, Hoa Lo was used to keep US prisoners of war (POW), who referred to it as the “Hanoi Hilton“. During the 1990s, most of the prison was demolished, but a part has been kept and transformed into a museum, as one of top Hanoi attractions.

   90 minutes here · Admission not included

7. Finally, we wind down with a stop at Hanoi Train Street for sitting at a cafe in line with the railway, watching the lives of local people, though potentially dangerous, still makes many curious visitors want to experience. The special thing that attracts tourists is the residential area along the two sides of Hanoi Train Street, right next to the railway on the doorstep. The streets are so narrow that all residents have to ensure their pets, vehicles and things safety every time the train passes while keeping their daily lives normal on both sides of the road. While discovering this unique train street Hanoi, you will be surprised by the peace, normal attitude of locals here living next to the railways; deeply immersed yourself in the local side of busy and exciting Hanoi. The most active activity here is definitely taking photos of people and the living space by the train street of Hanoi people.

   60 minutes here · Admission included

Where it starts and ends

Before you book

Cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Languages

en

Ticket

Mobile Only

Runs on

Every day

Group size

Up to 15 travelers per booking

Operated by

Local Tours ASIA

Know before you go

• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• We can accommodate dietary restrictions such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc. If you have dietary requirements, please indicate them when booking

Photos