Hanoi is one of those cities that never sleeps. There is so much to see and do you can almost get overwhelmed which can lead you to missing some amazing experiences. It’s very much a city that you could spend a few weeks in and still discover amazing experiences and hidden gems. So let’s delve into the all the exciting tours in Hanoi which you can’t miss out on!
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- Tours in the City
- Day Trips from Hanoi
- The Best Hanoi Tours!
- Want help planning your Vietnam adventure?
- Find our Travel Essentials!
Tours in the City
Local Cooking Class with market visit
In Hanoi, it’s very popular for traveller’s to partake in a cooking class to learn how the locals make the delicious local dishes. This tour will give you the full experience starting off with going to a market and gathering your fresh ingredients. You will have the option between 2 set menus which is inclusive for vegetarians.
After this, you will head back and be supported with cooking your meals included a demonstration and step-by-step instructions. They also provide you with homemade rice whisky and seasonal fruits to enjoy during your experience. Once you have cooked your food you are welcomed to relax and delve into your tasty meal.
The experience is topped off with a certificate of completion and a cookbook for when you arrive back home and look to recreate these dishes from scratch.
It’s such an amazing experience with local produce and knowledge to make some of the best and popular Vietnamese foods! This experience is great for all types of people and a great way to learn more about the countries culture. Check out the experience here for more information and to book!
Hanoi Food Tour
This is a must visit tour for all traveller’s in Hanoi. As many already know, Vietnam produce some of the best foods in Asia and this food tour will certainly not disappoint.
Your will be given a local tour guide which will take you round the old quarter to all the best food spots. You will be given recommendations on the best foods to try at each spot and given samples to taste to get your taste buds tingling. The food on this tour is the best way to find the best local spots, as after, the locals do know best!
You will be taken off the beaten path down alleyways that produce some top spots to stop off at which many will accidently skip on their own. The foods on offer is all cooked locally and includes an array of options for any requirements. You will also be taken down to Train street which is a local train which passes through a narrow street where locals sell food. It’s a must see place! Here you will enjoy a complementary drink before moving on to more locations.
The local guide really knows the best places to taste some of the best flavours in Hanoi so be sure to check it out here.
Day Trips from Hanoi
Ha Long Bay Tour
The first and most obvious day trip that is available from Hanoi is east to Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay is a natural wonder of the world and a popular place for tourists to visit and see the natural beauty here!
It has stunning islands that you can meander through with many fun activities! There are different trips to choose from including overnight stays, day trips and 5-star cruises.
The day trips is a full day experiencing the closer islands of Ha Long Bay. There are many activities to do during this trip like kayaking, sightseeing, island hopping, visiting beaches and more! You also get your lunch included in the trip as there is roughly 5-7 stops along the way.
It’s a great experience to see the Bay and it’s beauty on the timescale. The day will be jampacked full of activities and will be totally worth it!! You even get the opportunity to explore some local caves in the Bay. This is the perfect trip for budget-friendly explorers who want to see a large part of the Bay in a day whereas the others are more luxurious. To learn more on the day trips, check it out here.
The above package is a standard trip around Ha Long Bay whereas the package here is more luxurious and offers a premium experience. The transportation between each location has beautiful interior and luxurious seating adding to the overall experience in the Bay. The food provided offers more options and is in a similar setting to a premium restaurant with stunning interior and a dining experience.
Compared to the option above, you will embark on similar excursions but have a luxury experience for meals and between places. This is perfect for luxury travellers or holiday makers who are looking for a premium experience in the Bay. It’s definitely worth it!
The meal you have on this 5 star trip is an all-inclusive buffet with a large selection of local foods to choose from. To see more on this amazing trip, do check it out here.
Now, this is a major step up from the day cruise with the option of a 2 day/1 night or 3 day/2 night stay on a luxury cruise. This cruise will make it’s way through the Bay looking at all the beautiful locations with activity stops including the ones in the day trip.
The main different is that you are on a luxury cruise with many onboard amenities that aren’t included in the other packages. These packages include all meals included (3 meals a day dependant on when you board the cruise), entrance and sightseeing fees, all activities, cooking classes & Tai-Chi on board and squid fishing.
The stays will include a beautiful private room with an en-suite. These rooms are very luxurious and look like they are straight out of a 5 star hotel at the Marriott so you will not be disappointed.
These are the ultimate luxurious experiences that will make your time in Ha Long Bay super memorable for years to come. If you are looking for the best Ha Long Bay experience, check out the 1 night experience here and the 2 night here.
Ha Giang Loop Tour
The Ha Giang Loop is not massively known but is a top experience when visiting Vietnam. Hidden in the northern parts of the Vietnam mountains, the Ha Giang Loop is a route in the mountains that takes anywhere from 2 – 4 days to complete. Before setting off, you can decide whether to have an easyrider which will be a local to join you on this journey or if you feel competent enough, you can ride the motorbike yourself!
The Ha Giang Loop is a collection of roads which elegantly weave in the mountains near the Chinese border with many amazing activities get involved in. Now, the main experience of this trip is a motorbike ride into the mountains with some of the best views we have experienced in our lives. The loop showcases hundreds of mountains stacked behind each other creating a unimaginable view. This is a view you could stay and watch for hours on end.
The loop is designed to have stops along the way where you can get photos, a drink, even go on a quick hike to viewpoints and more! The first day is heading into a small town in the mountains where you will be having your lunch with your group and have some time for a little exploration.
You will have designated stays across the Ha Giang Loop’s route with some amazing local preparing each meal which is super flavourful. So flavourful that the best food we had during the trip across South East Asia was in the Ha Giang Loop eating local vegetable spring rolls. The best food we have EVER had!
Your day’s will be 4-6 hours worth of biking per day with a break ever hour or two so you can stretch out. During the trip you can stop at important places across the Loop including the Chinese border, mountain top stops and so much more. When we visited we stopped off on the way back at a local waterfall where local kids were swimming and we did some cliff jumping into the waterfall below which was a surreal experience.
This experience is seriously a once in a lifetime experience and one we didn’t know much about before going but now is something we would definitely do again.
To learn more about this experience you can check out the 2 day/2 night tour here and the longer 3 night/4 day experience here! The longer you go, the more experiences you will have and of course the more you will see and do. So if you have the time and it sounds like your type of tour, definitely go for the 4 night experience!
Lan Ha Bay Day Trip
This is a great trip around Lan Ha Bay which is local to Hanoi and a great day trip to see a paradisal beach and local activities.
On the trip you will be taken to local ancient villages where you will be given a multitude of activities. This includes massages and visiting local houses and meeting the locals. This is a great way to see how the locals live and get a taste into what their life is like. You will also enjoy your time on Cat Ba Island which is a tropical haven!
After visiting here you are given some fun aquatic activities including swimming, boat jumping, kayaking and more. This is a great opportunity to enjoy your time and soak up the aesthetic views in the beautiful bay.
The luxury cruise includes a rooftop bar, two restaurants and even a water slide floating swimming pool! The cruise offers great enjoyment onboard between locations with some amazing rememberable experiences in the day! To learn more about this amazing day trip, check it out here.
The Best Hanoi Tours!
We hope these top Hanoi Trips have inspired you to book your bucket list experiences when visiting the capital of Vietnam! Hanoi offers some amazing experiences for day trips so be sure not to miss out on these great opportunities!
If you enjoyed this blog do check out our other blogs around travel including the best things to do in Hanoi and the ultimate North Thailand 2 week itinerary!
We also showcase all of our travels on our social media’s including all of our daily adventures so be sure to check that our below! This includes an exciting trip to Thailand in September 2024 so expect all things Thailand coming up!
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