Hanoi Culture Trip 5 Days
- Culinary
- Culture & Heritage
Overview
Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi
Day 2: Hanoi – Fullday City Tour
Day 3: Hanoi – Duong Lam Ancient Villages
Day 4: Hanoi – Sunrise Tour
Day 5: Hanoi – Departure
Customizable itinerary
From ancient landmarks to bustling markets and timeless crafts, this Hanoi culture trip offers a deep dive into the essence of Hanoi’s captivating culture.
Explore iconic sites such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the serene Temple of Literature, and the historic Old Quarter. Experience the city’s artistic side with a traditional water puppet show and a visit to a local craft village. This tour is the perfect blend of history, art, and daily life, offering a comprehensive look at what makes Hanoi truly unique.
A warm greeting awaits at Hanoi International Airport; your private guide and driver will meet you in the arrivals lounge and drive you directly to your hotel in downtown Hanoi (travel time approximately 1 hour). Your knowledgeable guide will be happy to answer any questions along the way and will assist you with check-in and registration at the hotel.
Tonight, you will enjoy the highly acclaimed “My Village” acrobatic show at the elegant Hanoi Opera House. Mainly using bamboo as stage decoration and performing against the background of traditional music and artistic lighting, the show depicts typical daily activities of rural Vietnamese people, while highlighting the performers’ remarkable acrobatic techniques and skills.
Overnight in Hanoi
Morning
You will begin your day with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Complex including his Mausoleum (Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed every Monday & Friday, all afternoons and from late September until December), the Presidential Palace, the historic Stilt house, and the One Pillar Pagoda. From Ho Chi Minh Complex, you will take a short leisure walk through the small laneways to visit Huu Tiep Lake and the Downed B-52, one of the historical vestiges in Hanoi.
Take a short drive to the outskirt of Hanoi to visit the Museum of Ethnology exhibiting the 54 officially recognized ethnic groups in Vietnam.
Today you will have Pho for lunch, a Vietnamese Noodle shop. Some of the local people call this world-famous Noodle soup “Mac-Noodles” since it is as popular here as MacDonalds is in other parts of the world! At the restaurant, your tour guide will explain the routine during Vietnamese meal times, and also tell you which special ingredients are needed for you.
Afternoon
After lunch, you will visit the Temple of Literature, a Confucius temple and also the first University of Vietnam. Continue on to Hoa Lo (so-called Hanoi Hilton), a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. Prisoners of War during the Vietnam War
Continue onwards to Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple, considered as the heart and soul of Hanoi.
End up your adventure day by commencing a Walking and Food tour through Hanoi’s Old Quarter (in contrast to the French Quarter). During the food tour with the help of your personal tour guide, you will have a chance to experience one of the world’s greatest street food cities and unlock the hidden secrets of the Old Quarter and its cuisine.
Notes: The city tour program is flexible. Our guide would be more than happy to adjust the tour itinerary at your needs. You can skip one site or add another if you so wish.
Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: (B/L/D)
After breakfast, your private guide and driver will collect you from your hotel and transfer to Duong Lam ancient village where you will explore the special architecture through its surviving laterite brick ancient houses built 3 or 4 centuries ago.
Upon arrival, you will take a walking tour through Duong Lam’s narrow alleyways to explore the rural life and Vietnam’s ancient architecture. During the walk, you will stop at Mia Pagoda, built in the 15th century. Admire the 287 statues of all sizes can be seen here, among which are famous sculptures such as the statue of Buddha and the statues of the ‘Eight Vajra Deities’.
Continue to visit Mong Phu commune – the only hamlet whose original village entrance remains intact. After that enjoy lunch at a local style meal in a rustic hundreds-year old house. Following lunch is the visit to the hundreds-year-old Catholic Church where you can learn about local’s beliefs and the changing of religion under different periods in the past. Before returning to Hanoi, you will make a stop at a local family and get hands-on making rice straw puppet and “Che Lam” (rice cake) – a rustic specialty of this home town.
Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: (B/L/_)
Today’s tour will begin at 5:30. It’s an early start but one that will be well worth it! Meet with the local guide to catch the first rays of the sun and to see Hanoi waking up. First, you will head to Long Bien market, the biggest fruit and vegetable wholesale market in North Vietnam. Nowhere else in Hanoi exemplifies Vietnamese life better than Long Bien market. You will witness buyers crowding around open-back trucks, money counters holding court over their stalls, motorbikes weaving down aisles and other mind-boggling scenes of daily life. This is far-and-away one of the most impressive markets in North Vietnam.
Take a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake, the heart of Hanoi. You will pass by groups of Hanoians partaking in daily exercises such as gymnastics, martial arts, and aerobics. Take a moment to look around and see signs of the city coming to life. Enjoy this silent slower pace that occurs before the start of Hanoi’s incessant traffic and honking horns.
Move to a peaceful garden and join in a 45-minute Tai Chi class. Under the guidance of a local teacher discover the slow movements of this popular martial art.
Afterward, you will pass by a primary school and view the interesting scene of parents carrying their kids on motorbikes to start their school day before heading to a popular local restaurant for a typical Vietnamese breakfast of Pho, a traditional noodle soup bursting with flavor.
The last stop will be at a local shop so that you can sample Vietnamese coffee like the way locals do while overlooking the lake. Try a sweet iced coffee or opt for a slow-brewed hot java while enjoying people-watching in this scenic location.
Finish the morning tour and return to your hotel where the balance of the day will be free at your leisure.
Overnight in Hanoi
Meals: (B/_/_)
Your private transfer greets you at the hotel after breakfast and escorts you to Hanoi International Airport where you board your flight home or travel on to more adventures, we will help you with the planning.
Meals: (B/_/_)
Useful Information
This tour is built upon our firsthand knowledge & experience, offering you the best choices available. The price of this trip varies depending on the number of people in your party, dates of departure, and the availability of ground services. Please click on REQUEST A FREE QUOTE (above) and supply the required information, enabling us to send you your personalized quote within 24 hours!
Note: Amendments CAN be made to this tour to suit your requirements.
What’s Included?
- Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels
- Private Vehicles and Drivers
- Private English Speaking Guides (Other languages if available, upon request)
- Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
- Domestic flight
- Airport Taxes and Fuel charges
- Entrance fees for all mentioned sights visited
- Service Charge & Government Taxes
What’s Not Included?
- Your International Flight to and from Vietnam
- Vietnam entry Visa Fees (contact us for further information)
- Personal Expenses (such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc.)
- Any bank fees or charges at your end
- Meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary
- Personal Travel Insurance
- Tips for guides and drivers
Free service. No credit card required
Reviews on Our Service
Simply Perfect!
Simply perfect. We had an amazing three weeks (albeit busy and active – as we requested!) which included a perfectly curated itinerary in Vietnam and Thailand.
From the time I connected with Stella, I knew she’d be able to do exactly as I asked. As for the pre trip/planning portion, I had researched all we wanted to do within the two countries, gave her a budget and advised of the duration of our trip. She mapped all of the logistics: arranging private transportation, English speaking tour guides and enlisted us with specialty activities (some that we joined in with other small groups some of which we did alone). The initial itinerary was “massaged” a couple times to keep everything aligned (us making various decisions) and in line with our initial ideas. Stella ran with every suggestion made! We received a an incredibly detailed itinerary that just made us even more excited for our trip.
Once we arrived, Stella continued with excellent communication by providing us with very specific info communicated on what we could expect, (meeting places, time frame, what to bring for the day, etc). In fact, many people we ran into envied our personalized situation. She left all the guess work out of our trip and we were well prepared in every instance.
Everything was simply wonderful-and we experienced it with a local
flair. I only wish we had a company like this in all countries we want to visit. The experience made it so carefree and we were right at budget. We greatly appreciate all of Stella’s hard work on our behalf, and her company high class, top tier company, Asia Pioneer Travel!
Trip to Cambodia and Vietnam
We just finished an amazing 18-day trip to Cambodia and Vietnam. Winston Dinh was our travel designer. He went above and beyond his duty to make sure that we had a perfect trip. He was always available to respond to our request and/or questions. We could not ask for a better travel designer.
The only one thing we wish that our hotels in Da Nang and Hoi An would-be walking distance to the center of night light activities. Other than that, we were very happy with our hotel arrangement.
We already planned for your next trip in 2025. Winston will be the first person that we will contact to help us with our next trip. Thanks, Winston, for a job well done.
THE BEST OF THE BEST……WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR!
Chloe from Asia Pioneer travel prepared for my friends and I a wonderful trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. The planning of the itinerary was a lot of fun and we felt very much part of the process. Chloe and her team delivered everything as planned. guides, vehicles, hotels were first class and were delivered on time and as promised.
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In Angkor Way my friend jumped off a small ledge and broke her heel. CHLOE, ASIA PIONEER AND OUR LOCAL GUIDE WENT INTO QUICK ACTION HAD HER IN VERY COMPETENT HANDS IN A MODERN HOSPITAL WITHIN MINUTES. SHE WAS WELL TREATED BUT SHE DID END UP IN A WHEELCHAIR FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP..
As they say in Vietnam every thing is possible SO CHLOE and her team went into action modified our itinerary and planned other activities compatible with a person in a wheelchair..
In the blink of an eye they made this all possible. . They ARE A WELL GROOMED MACHINE THANK YOU VERY MUCH CHLOE. for making this the trip into an unforgettable memory. I GIVE CHLOE THE HIGHEST RATING AND GIVE HER MY PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS AS TRAVEL PLANNER FOR VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA.
An incredible Lifetime Adventure in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand – Experience Local Culture – Thank You Asian Pioneer
Special thanks to Lizzie Pham and the Asia Pioneer Travel Team for an incredible experience in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand in November 2024. They were always available from our original booking through our travels, and selected knowledgeable, professional, and friendly guides and drivers. My wife and I had the trip of a lifetime. My sister had made a similar trip, with Asia Pioneer, in February and strongly recommended them. We had considered a large tour group and realized, that for approximately the same price, we could have our own private tour. Our ability to be flexible was an advantage not available to large tour groups. Every day was well planned and full of sights and activities. What made this trip extra special was our experience with the local culture which was an important goal. We will always remember taking a Vespa tour through Hanoi learning about the local religion, tasting fruit in the market, and fully appreciating the significance of the tea culture. Biking around a small island on the Mekong Delta, being rowed in the small waterways, making candy with a local family, and catching our own fish to eat for dinner was a highlight. Exploring a local Cambodian floating village and sipping coconut milk while on a floating restaurant (with caged crocodiles) just added to the adventure. Taking a tuk-tuk around Bangkok walking through the Flower market and watching them make Pad-Thai (my favorite) and eating it was yet another “WOW”. The nighttime was yours and with local car or tuk-tuk service being inexpensive we were able to have drinks, on the rooftop, at the famous Caravelle Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, enjoy Hanoi street food, Pub Street and the Phare Circus in Siem Reap, and eat incredible street food in Bangkok. We are so glad that we had the Asia Pioneer TravelTeam manage this remarkable journey.