Hoan Kiem Lake · Ba Dinh · the Temple of Literature · the Old Quarter
Hanoi City Tours
What each tour really includes, which sights are open this month, how to get around and pay,
and the tours, tickets and food walks worth booking, compared honestly before you go.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closed until 2 November 2026 The mausoleum is closed for its yearly maintenance from 4 September to 2 November 2026 and reopens on Tuesday 3 November. Until then every city tour shows it from Ba Dinh Square only; the Presidential Palace grounds, the Stilt House and the One Pillar Pagoda stay open. Closure notice (SGGP)Checked 1 October 2026
Facts checkedOpening days and closures from official notices
Real guest ratingsLive GetYourGuide figures, shown as they are
Refund terms per tourEvery tour here refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead
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Tours
Choose your Hanoi city tour
In the centre, the classic half-day tour by air-conditioned van with the Temple of Literature
and Ba Dinh. On the left, the city and the Red River farms from an open army jeep. On the right, an evening of
street food in the Old Quarter.
An open vintage army jeep with a driver and a guide: the Old Quarter, the Imperial Citadel, West Lake and the farms of Banana Island in the Red River. A longer option adds a meal and egg coffee.
What's included
A vintage army jeep with a driver and an English-speaking guide
Pickup and drop-off at your hotel in the Old Quarter
St Joseph's Cathedral, the Old Quarter and the Imperial Citadel from the road
Banana Island farms, West Lake and Tran Quoc Pagoda
A Vietnamese meal and egg coffee on the four-hour option
The classic Hanoi city tour in four hours by air-conditioned van: the Temple of Literature, Ba Dinh Square, the One Pillar Pagoda and Tran Quoc Pagoda, with a guide and entry fees covered.
What's included
A guide and an air-conditioned van, morning or afternoon
Pickup and drop-off at your hotel in the Old Quarter
Temple of Literature and Tran Quoc Pagoda, entry included
Ba Dinh Square and the mausoleum from outside, then the One Pillar Pagoda
Photo stops at St Joseph's Cathedral and the Opera House, one drink
A small-group walk through the Old Quarter with seven or more dishes at family-run eateries: bun cha, pho, banh cuon, banh mi and sweets, with a guide who explains each one.
What's included
A local guide on foot through the Old Quarter
Seven or more dishes and drinks at family-run eateries
Bun cha, pho, papaya salad, spring rolls, banh cuon and banh mi
The first row is the honest baseline: central Hanoi is easy on your own, and most sights charge a
small fee at the gate or need no ticket at all. A tour adds a guide who tells the stories, transport between
districts in the heat, hotel pickup, an open jeep or a motorbike, or food you would not find alone.
Option
Starts
Best for
Length
Rating
Cancel
On your own, no tour
Your hotel, on foot or by app car
Walkers on a budget: small fees at the gate or no ticket at all, nothing to book
Check each tour's "What's included" box for the mausoleum: it opens on Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings only, and it is closed for maintenance until 2 November 2026. The Opera House
is a photo stop from outside while it is restored.
What the tour pages don't tell you
Easy on your own, richer with a guide.
You do not need a tour to see Hanoi. The centre is compact: the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and the
French Quarter sit side by side, and Ba Dinh and the Temple of Literature are a short app-taxi ride away. The
big sights charge a small fee at the gate or need no ticket at all, and nothing needs booking far ahead.
What a good tour adds is the story behind the temples, one easy route across several districts in the heat,
and food you would never find alone. Two things no tour changes: the mausoleum opens on five mornings a week
only, and it is closed until 2 November 2026; most half-day tours show it from Ba Dinh Square. And the train
street is not a promise: the city has asked tour groups to stay away.
1010
is when King Ly Thai To moved his capital here and named it
Thang Long, the city of the rising dragon. The Temple of Literature followed in 1070.
Small fees at the gateWalkable centreMausoleum mornings onlyTwo to three daysHotel pickup on most tours
Khue Van Cac, the symbol of Hanoi, at the Temple of Literature.
01
Tour or not?
The centre is easy alone; a guide adds the stories and the transport.
02
How long?
Half a day covers the classic sights; two to three days the city.
03
When?
October to December and March to April are the mildest months.
04
Which day?
Not Monday or Friday if you want inside the mausoleum.
How a city tour works
From Ba Dinh to the Old Quarter
Most half-day and full-day tours follow the same order, and so can you on your own. Start early,
when Ba Dinh is cool and the mausoleum is open, and keep the evening for the lake and street food.
01
Ba Dinh
Ba Dinh Square, the mausoleum (inside on open mornings only), the Presidential Palace grounds, the Stilt House and the One Pillar Pagoda.
About 1.5 hours
02
Temple of Literature
Five courtyards, the Khue Van Cac pavilion and the stone stelae of Vietnam's first university, founded in 1070.
About 1 hour
03
West Lake or Hoa Lo
Tran Quoc Pagoda on its little peninsula, or the cells of Hoa Lo Prison, built by the French in 1896.
About 1 hour
04
The lake at dusk
Hoan Kiem Lake and the red The Huc Bridge, then the Old Quarter for street food and a water puppet show.
When the big sights open, what you pay for at the gate, how to move around and how to pay.
The mausoleum: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings only; closed for maintenance until 2 November 2026.
Temple of Literature: open every day from early morning to late afternoon, with a night tour on set evenings.
Hoa Lo Prison: every day, 8 am to 5 pm, holidays included.
Imperial Citadel: daily from 8 am to 5 pm; check before a Monday visit, and expect works areas while Kinh Thien Palace is rebuilt.
Mondays: the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is closed; the Military History Museum, now in west Hanoi, closes on Monday and Friday.
No ticket needed: the mausoleum, the One Pillar Pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda and the lakeside.
A small fee at the gate: the Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo, the Imperial Citadel, the Stilt House and Ngoc Son Temple.
Reduced rate: for students at most sights; bring a valid card.
Book ahead: only the water puppet show at busy evening times, and the night tours.
On a tour: check the "What's included" box; most half-day tours cover the entry fees on their route.
On foot: the Old Quarter, the lake and the French Quarter are close together.
By app: Grab or Xanh SM to Ba Dinh, West Lake and the Temple of Literature, with the fare shown first.
By bus: city buses take cash; the hop-on hop-off bus loops past the main sights every 30 minutes.
By metro: two lines take contactless cards, but neither reaches the Old Quarter yet.
Weekend evenings: the streets around the lake close to traffic on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
Cash: small notes for street food, markets, cyclos and buses.
Cards: hotels, most restaurants, tour desks and the metro.
At ATMs: choose to be charged in dong, not in your home currency.
Tours: book and pay online ahead, so you carry less cash on the day.
Tips: not expected, but guides and drivers appreciate them.
1010Thang LongKing Ly Thai To moves his capital here.
1070Temple of LiteratureBuilt for Confucius; a university from 1076.
1896Hoa LoThe French build the central prison.
1975The mausoleumOpened in Ba Dinh, where independence was declared in 1945.
2010UNESCOThe Imperial Citadel joins the World Heritage list.
2026New worksKinh Thien Palace rebuilt; Opera House restored.
Where tours start
Hoan Kiem Lake, the centre
Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter
Hoan Kiem District, central Hanoi
Almost every tour on this page starts in the Old Quarter, just north of Hoan Kiem Lake, where most visitors
stay. The van, jeep and motorbike tours pick you up at your hotel there; the street food walk meets on Ngo Huyen
Street by St Joseph's Cathedral; water puppet tickets are collected by the lake, and the hop-on hop-off bus
leaves from the Frog Garden on its shore. Ba Dinh and the Temple of Literature are about 15 minutes west by car.
4.8★★★★★ 453 reviews · Half-day city highlights tour GetYourGuide figure
★★★★★
Excellent half day tour with a lovely air conditioned van to retreat to, in between attractions. We covered more sights and places with the half day tour than we could have on our own in a full day.
★★★★★
My husband, teenage son and I all had a great time on this tour. Gina was a wonderful tour guide, who brought the history of the city to life in an interesting way and we learned several new facts that we hadn't heard before.
★★★★★
Really appreciate the care and excitement that Emily put into the organisation. The dishes were carefully selected and incredibly tasty. Would recommend doing it on the first day to find out about the good spots.
★★★★★
Our half day tour of Hanoi was excellent. Our guide was punctual, very knowledgeable and friendly, he was able to answer all our questions. It didn't feel rushed but we covered quite a few landmarks and he explained all the history.
★★★★★
John was very knowledgeable and open to questions about his country's history. The landmarks were interesting but the information he delivered alongside visiting the landmarks brought it to life.
★★★★★
An iconic must do event in Hanoi. So clever and aside from the puppetry, the musicians and singers were also incredible.
★★★★★
Outstanding tour with Lisa who was extremely knowledgeable and engaging. The walking tour around the French quarter was fantastic, weaving in history, culture, food and architecture with stops for a delicious ice cream and coffee.
★★★★★
It is a great way to introduce yourself to the city. We did the whole one hour loop and decided what we wanted to spend more time visiting. We loved the Citadel, the prison, the lake and temple and the church.
★★★★★
Both were excellent drivers and guides. The best way to see the city is on the back of a scooter. Both guides were passionate and knowledgeable about their city and took us to some great spots. I felt safe in the traffic.
After the tour
Cook what you tasted
Hanoi is a food city first: bun cha, pho and fresh spring rolls are the reason many visitors come
back. After a morning of temples, a cooking class with a market visit shows you the herbs and the tricks, and you
sit down to eat what you made.
Hanoi Cooking Class with a Market Visit
★ 5.0 · 999 reviews · GetYourGuide
After a morning of temples, cook the food you have been tasting. An instructor walks you through a local market, then you make five Hanoi dishes, from fresh spring rolls to bun cha, and sit down to eat them with tea and rice wine. Full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead.
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, on the Red River in the north of the country, and one of the oldest
capitals in Asia. Its centre is small enough to walk: a lake with a temple on an island, a maze of old merchant
streets, a French quarter of yellow villas, and to the west the wide avenues of Ba Dinh, where the country's
modern history was made.
The city of the rising dragon
In 1010 King Ly Thai To moved his court to this bend of the Red River and named the city Thang Long, the rising
dragon. For eight centuries it was the seat of Vietnamese dynasties. The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, on the
UNESCO World Heritage list since 2010, keeps the foundations of their palaces, and in September 2026 work began to
rebuild the Kinh Thien Palace on its old base. In 1070 the Temple of Literature was built for Confucius, and in 1076
it became Vietnam's first national university.
The doctors' stelae at the Temple of Literature.
The Old Quarter and the French city
North of Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter grew as a town of craft streets, each named after what it sold: silk,
silver, paper, baskets. Its tall, narrow tube houses still hold shops below and homes above. South of the lake the
French laid out a city of their own from the late 19th century: St Joseph's Cathedral in 1886, Hoa Lo Prison in
1896 and the Opera House in 1911, now closed for restoration and seen from outside.
The honest small print: most "Hanoi city tours" show the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum from Ba Dinh
Square, not inside: the mausoleum opens on five mornings a week, and it is closed until 2 November 2026. The Opera
House is a photo stop, and any Train Street stop depends on local rules on the day. A good tour is still worth it
for the Temple of Literature, the Ba Dinh complex and the stories, all in one cool, easy morning.
Ba Dinh and the independence story
On 2 September 1945 Ho Chi Minh read Vietnam's declaration of independence in Ba Dinh Square. His mausoleum stands
on the square today, and behind it, in the grounds of the old Presidential Palace, are the simple stilt house where
he lived and the One Pillar Pagoda, a tiny temple on a single pillar in a lotus pond. Visitors queue in the morning
for the mausoleum, with no ticket needed, covered shoulders and knees, and no cameras inside.
The One Pillar Pagoda, behind the mausoleum.
The lake, the puppets and the food
Hoan Kiem Lake is where Hanoi goes to walk, meet and exercise at dawn. The red The Huc Bridge leads to Ngoc Son
Temple, and on weekend evenings the streets around the lake close to traffic. Across the road, the Thang Long Water
Puppet Theatre keeps alive an art born in the rice paddies of the Red River delta. Then comes dinner: bun cha, pho,
banh cuon and egg coffee, mostly eaten on low stools on the pavement.
What to know in one line
Start at Ba Dinh on an open morning, give the Temple of Literature an hour, keep the evening for the lake, street
food and the puppets, and dress for the temples; two to three days show you the city well.
Straight answers to what visitors ask most about Hanoi city tours.
How much does a Hanoi city tour cost?
It depends on the format. From the lowest-cost to the dearest: a hop-on hop-off bus pass, a water puppet ticket, a street food walk, a shared half-day tour, a jeep or motorbike tour, a full-day tour with lunch, then a private tour. Check the live price on each listing; it moves with the season. All the formats in Hanoi city tours compared.
Is a Hanoi city tour worth it?
Yes for a first visit or a short stay: one morning covers Ba Dinh, the Temple of Literature and a pagoda with the stories behind them, without the heat and the traffic. If you like to explore on foot, the Old Quarter and the lake are easy alone. More in is a Hanoi city tour worth it.
What is included in a half-day Hanoi city tour?
Usually a guide, transport with hotel pickup in the Old Quarter, and the entry fees for the Temple of Literature and Tran Quoc Pagoda, plus Ba Dinh Square and the One Pillar Pagoda. Museums, the water puppets and meals are usually extra. Check each listing for the mausoleum: most tours only see it from outside.
Is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum open?
Not until 3 November 2026: it is closed for its yearly maintenance from 4 September to 2 November. When open, you can go inside on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings only, with no ticket needed. The grounds around it stay open.
What is the best tour to take in Hanoi?
For a first visit, a half-day highlights tour with a guide; for fun and the countryside on the Red River, the army jeep tour; for food, a small-group street food walk in the evening. A water puppet show fits any evening.
How long should you spend in Hanoi?
Two to three days covers the city well: one day for Ba Dinh and the Temple of Literature, one for the Old Quarter, the lake and the French Quarter, and an evening for street food and the water puppets. Day by day in how many days in Hanoi.
Is Hanoi a walkable city?
The centre is: the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and the French Quarter sit close together. Ba Dinh, West Lake and the Temple of Literature are a short app-taxi ride away. Cross the road at a slow, steady pace and let the traffic flow around you.
How do tourists get around in Hanoi?
On foot in the centre, then Grab or Xanh SM by app, which show the fare before you ride. City buses take cash, and the two metro lines take contactless cards but do not reach the Old Quarter yet. Every option in getting around Hanoi.
How do tourists pay in Vietnam?
With a mix: cash in small notes for street food, markets and buses, and cards in hotels, most restaurants and tour desks. At ATMs and card machines, choose to be charged in dong. Details in how to pay in Hanoi.
Can you still visit Train Street?
Access changes often. The city has limited visits to the railway coffee street, organised tours are not supposed to stop there, and the train service is being reduced. If you go, follow staff and police instructions and stay well back from the tracks.
What should you avoid in Hanoi?
Mostly small things: agree a cyclo price before you ride, book cars through an app, decline unrequested shoe shines, and plan the mausoleum for an open morning. All the tips in what to avoid in Hanoi.
Do you need to book water puppet tickets ahead?
It helps in the evening and at weekends, when the best show times sell out. Booking ahead fixes your seat and time; you collect the ticket near the theatre 30 minutes before the show.
Ready to go
One morning, a thousand years.
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By army jeep
★ 4.92 hours820 reviews
