Hanoi Culture Trip 5 Days

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/_/_)