The Hidden Hanoi Old Quarter Experience
Description
Step into the soul of Hanoi through its Old Quarter, a vibrant maze with over a thousand years of history. Here, time seems to slow down as ancient streets, bustling markets, and timeless traditions transport you to another world entirely. You can expect to see the gorgeous, the good, the bad, and the shocking parts of Hanoi. From the highest skyline bar, you can get an overview and sense of the history of Vietnam. Then, head down to see the small alley, Ta Hien beer corner, a local temple, a family-run doughnut shop, the hidden view of the Dong Xuan market, and the Long Bien bridge to understand how the traffic works (if you are confused about how people can drive here). There will be many stories to take home!
Tour Options
Itinerary
In the middle of the Old Quarter, Bach Ma Temple is one of the oldest and holiest temples in the city, which was originally founded in the 9th century. The translation of Bach Ma is White Horse and this refers to a story behind the construction of the Temple. King Ly Thai To had been struggling to build the temple as its walls kept collapsing. It is said that a white horse delineated the best area to build the temple with its hooves to help the king in constructing the temple. Entering the temple through some ancient wooden doors after which you will be able to see the beautifully decorated interior and a red-lacquered funeral palanquin. Inside the temple, you will find a statue of the white horse, a shrine to Confucius, and a Phoenix Altar for offerings to the four seasons. Bach Ma Temple is still actively used by worshippers who come here to burn incense and pray.
Being an unique architecture everlasting with ups and downs of Hanoi capital, Long Bien Bridge has become one of the symbols of the city. The bridge is not only a traffic construction but also a living historical relic. Undergoing French and American wars, Long Bien Bridge has witnessed many historic moments. Long Bien Bridge was constructed from 1989 to 1902 during French occupation of the country. Not many people know that, with the length of over 2km, Long Bien bridge used to be the second longest bridge in the world, just after Brooklyn Bridge from American. Interestingly, Long Bien Bridge is the only bridge in Hanoi which allows tourists to take a walk along the train track, taste some desserts or buy fresh vegetable or fish from the vendors on the bridge. What is more, visitors coming to Hanoi said that Long Bien Bridge is the best place to look at the sunset and taking some nice photos.
Dong Xuan market was founded in 1889 by the French and named after its location. At that time, the market was a favorable trading place, especially after the French built Long Bien bridge. You might not know, every ancient street in Hanoi was named after their original business, which were then being removed to Dong Xuan market under the French domination. That is the reason why all of the names are started with the word Hang (means Product) and the word following is what they are selling: Hang Ca sells Fish (Ca means Fish) etc.
Explore the highlights and hidden gems of Hanoi’s Old Quarter on this private guided walking tour. Highlights include a visit to the Bach Ma Temple, one of the oldest in Hanoi, the historic Long Bien Bridge, the bustling Dong Xuan Market, and more. Along the way, learn about Hanoi’s history, culture, and food from your local guide.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(66)
Guide was great - Angelina. We explored the authentic part of old quarter and learnt history of the city
Xin chào Diana, Thank you for your kind review. We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed exploring the authentic side of Hanoi’s Old Quarter with Angelina and learning more about the city’s history. We hope to welcome you again in Hanoi. Thân mến, Công, Quang and Kiên.
A great experience wandering the streets of Old Town with a friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. Highly recommend this tour especially for your first visit to Hanoi.
Xin chào Robin, Thank you for your lovely review. We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed exploring the Old Quarter and that the tour felt like a great introduction to Hanoi. Your recommendation truly means a lot to us. Thân mến, Onetrip With Local Travel Company
I had a really nice tour with Jasmine through the old town with lots of interesting info and insights on the history of Hanoi and Vietnam overall. This wasn’t just any Touri Insta photo tour, but a really interesting insight into the history of the city and life there. Thank you!:)
Xin chào Mayer_T, vielen Dank für deine wunderbare Bewertung! Es freut uns sehr, dass dir der Rundgang mit Jasmine so gut gefallen hat und du einen echten Einblick in Geschichte, Alltag und Leben in Hanoi gewinnen konntest – ganz ohne Insta-Klischees 😊 Danke dir! Thân mến, Onetrip With Local Travel Company.
Great tour, got to see a learn from a true local. Our guide was very knowledgeable and took great care of us.
Dear Dan, Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We're so glad you enjoyed learning from a true local and that our knowledgeable guide took such great care of you. We hope to host you again! Best wishes, Onetrip with local team
Kien was an excellent guide! His personal knowledge of Vietnam history and culture mixed well with his time living in USA and Ireland. English was excellent so he understood question right off. We started tour with a beautiful view of the city from a rooftop lounge, then inside for cold iced coffee and history lesson (sitting in the air conditioning!). We walked to a few interesting places including a tiny alley to see how some live in Hanoi. Kien described culture of "shop roads" and "fake paper" -- things that you wouldn't know just by walking the old Quarter. Highest rating for this walking tour and Kien as our guide!!
Xin chào Tim, Thank you so much for your amazing review! We’re delighted to hear how much you enjoyed exploring the Old Quarter with Kien and that his stories, local insights, and personal experiences helped bring Hanoi’s history to life. It sounds like a truly memorable walk! We hope you all the best and look forward to welcoming you again! Thân mến, Onetrip With Local Travel Company.
We had such an interesting and enjoyable tour with Angelina. It was our first day in Hanoi and it gave us a great starting point for understanding the city and history. The tour was a combination of information, history, conversation and trying some local food along the way. Angelina was a wonderful guide, very open, knowledgeable and fun! So interesting to see some places we wouldn’t have gone on our own.
Dear Gail, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are so happy to hear you had such an interesting and enjoyable tour with Angelina. It’s fantastic that it served as a great starting point for your first day in Hanoi—that’s one of the best outcomes we can hope for! We hope to host you again! Best wishes, Onetrip with local team
Learned a lot of Vietnamese history which I didn’t know. Our guide Minji was charming and very informative.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear that you learned so much about Vietnamese history and that Minji made the tour enjoyable and informative. We’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to her. Hope to welcome you again soon!
We had a trip with Dung. She took us around the city and told us plenty about Hanoi. She shown us several interesting things and we loved it. I can highly recommend this tour and Dung especially.
Xin chào Mellissa, Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed exploring Hanoi with Dung. She’ll be thrilled to know you loved the stories and places she shared during your city tour. We truly appreciate your recommendation and are so glad the experience left such a positive impression. We would like to welcome you back to Vietnam anytime soon. All the best, Onetrip with local team
Dung was a great guide. Her English was excellent, and she was very friendly and open. I felt I had the opportunity to learn more about how people reallly live, as well as some history/orientation. My only disappointment was that the sites and markets were closed for the 6pm tour, which was NOT clarified for me. Had I known, I probably would have done a different tour. Still, I enjoyed the chat and opportunity to see the city at night with a local. Plus, Dung bought me a treat of delish donuts! I bet the earlier tours are super.
Dear, Thank you for your kind words about Dung! We're glad you enjoyed the experience and her company. We’re sorry about the closures during the 6 PM tour and appreciate your feedback—we’ll work on making that clearer for future guests. The tour is much better in the morning and the afternoon as the local market is very interesting). We hope you can join us for an earlier tour next time to experience even more. Safe travels! 😊 Onetrip with local team
Nice guide that gave us an ok guide of Vietnam and Hanoi. Recommend tours where they have a microphone, as the guide spoke a little low and there is a lot of noise in the streets of Hanoi.
Dear, Thank you for your feedback! We're glad you enjoyed the tour and appreciated the insights into Vietnam and Hanoi. We appreciate your suggestion about using a microphone as the streets are very busy and noisy during the rush hour; and will consider it to improve the experience. Hope to see you on another tour in the future!
