Home > Hanoi > Ho Chi Minh's Hanoi Small Group Adventure Tour
USD $48.00
Ho Chi Minh's Hanoi Small Group Adventure Tour
Hanoi, Vietnam
Walk in the footsteps of Ho Chi Minh and discover the sights of Hanoi on this half day tour. Visit the Temple of Literature, the world famous Hanoi Hilton prison and enjoy a walking tour of the Old Quarter.
Start your city tour with a visit to the Temple of Literature. Originally built in honor of Confucius by King Ly Thai Thong in 1070, a university was added to the grounds six years later. The university provided education to the royal family and children of the aristocracy or "mandarins". The University remained here until King Gia Long moved the country’s administrative capital from Hanoi to Hue at the beginning of the 19th century.
Drop in to a traditional teahouse to taste some of the best Vietnamese flavored green teas, and listen to thousand-year-old stories explaining the significance of tea leaves to local cultures. Tea is even better when served with some authentic snacks such as sweetened lotus seeds and green bean cake.
Continuing on our Hanoi tour, we’ll head to the Hoa Lo Prison museum. Used by French Colonists for political prisoners till 1954 and later by North Vietnam for American POWs, the prison complex was nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton” by American pilots during Vietnam War.
Our next stop will be the largest and oldest church in Hanoi. St Joseph’s Cathedral was built in 1886 with an architectural style often compared to the Notre Dame in Paris, this Gothic Revival church is not only a religious site, but is also a popular photo shoot backdrop for local teenagers.
We’ll continue to the heart of Hanoi - the Hoan Kiem Lake, with its magnificent The Huc Bridge and Ngoc Son temple. Experience the spiritual harmony of different religions coexisting in the same place. You may then continue your own exploration of the area or our tour guide will assist you in getting a taxi back to your hotel.
Small group tour in a comfortable bus with a good guide, eager to answer questions and knowledgeable. Great way to experience Hanoi which at times can be overwhelming.
Review by: Tze Tze L, April 2018
Waste of money. Do this one yourself!_br/_ We had a temperamental tour guide who got annoyed when we didn't remember historical facts she'd told us. We didn't get to try the lotus seed cake which was mentioned in the tour. Note that lunch included means only food. You have to buy your own drinks.
Review by: david n, March 2018
This was a very informative tour, guide was excellent. Prison tour was good as was lunch and tea.
Review by: Michael T, January 2018
Tham was our tour guide again for this tour. As in the previous walking city and food tour, she continued her excellent presentation. There was just myself and another tourist from England. The small group was prefect. She was knowledgeable in the historical facts and the tea presentation was fun!
Review by: Lilly, December 2017
This tour was quite wonderful. It was a very quick synopsis of some of Hanoi's main highlights. Learning the Vietnamese tea drinking ritual and eating pho at family run restaurant were the particular highlights. Our guide was pretty funny and nice.
Review by: christineshaw.313, December 2017
Wong our guide was lovely, and a very interesting sense of humour, showed us all the sights as detailed and we had lunch in a little side restaurant that you would never venture into by yourself, but lovely food and every now and then a moto would wizz past behind your table. Was a really great day.
Review by: dj10187, December 2017
Our tour guide, Tham, was fun and knowledgeable she took her time to answer our questions. I would highly recommend this if you want to know more about Hanoi and its history. The tea break and lunch were excellent. Great job!
Review by: LizS, November 2017
Excellent tour and introduction to Hanoi.
Review by: Stephen B, October 2017
The tour was very informative and our guide was knowledgeable. The lunch was very primitive. The only other concern was about the timing. Everything just seemed rushed.
Review by: cristiemac28, September 2017
This was an interesting tour! We really like going to the temples and learning about the perspectives of the Vietnamese and what they honor. The lunch at the local establishment was GREAT - beef pho! It was better than any we had the entire time we stayed in Vietnam and we were there for 10 days! The only thing I didn't like is having to travel around for such a long time at the beginning to pick up all of th people on the tour. That took about an hour or a little more. The starting and stopping made me a little car sick. Also, in waiting in the VERY long line to see Ho Chi Minh, that was a bit of a bummer because it was sooooo hot! But , I don't fault the tour company for either of these things. They do a great job so they have lots of return visitors and Ho Chi Minh's mausoluem is a favorite tour spot and well worth the wait, but it was hot! Whew! Make sure you always have a hat, good walking shoes and comfortable clothing and a shaw for the temples. All things I learned while on the tour.
Review by: Joe L, July 2017
The guide's personality made the trip! He was knowledgeable and entertaining. The pho lunch included was delicious and the tea house was enjoyable. It was an afternoon well spent.
Review by: Susan A, April 2017
Fantastic tour with a simply outstanding guide.....Mr Cuong. WOW. We absolutely loved our morning together, it was a highlight of our Hanoi stay. Collected from our hotel lobby promptly in a comfy 16 seater, there were 5 of us altogether..and Mr Cuong kept us entertained and informed every step of the way with such interesting ongoing information and anecdotes and his fabulous humour. Visited the spectacular Temple of Literature, enjoyed a wonderful Tea Ceremony altogether with rare lotus tea, then a real highlight...a well guided visit to the 'Hanoi Hilton, the prison, just amazing .After a brief stop at the Cathedral, we enjoyed a walk along the gorgeous Hoan Kiem Lake which was followed by lunch, delicious 'beef pho' and then over the beautiful red bridge to a stunning temple and for glorious views. Then before it was time to say goodbye Coung sat with us providing us all with individual information and maps of special Hanoi places to visit Egg Coffee!!! with directions etc. We were sad to say goodbye to him and end the tour! He was wonderful, we are so happy to have met him and he does his company, Urban Adventures proud, he is a fine young man. We highly recommend this tour it covers important spots in Hanoi and with luck one could get Mr Cuong as a guide! Thank you so much Urban Adventures and Mr Cuong.
Review by: Susan T, April 2017
Not quite as itinerary stated but never the less great tour.
Review by: rose l, March 2017
great- reccommended
Review by: Jim H, November 2016
Interesting trip, recommended
Review by: Elisabetta V, May 2016
Hong Anh was our guide. Extremely knowledgeable, cordial and eager to show the history of her native Vietnam. Beside the sites, which were simply amazing, we had a delicious lunch at a place where locals eat, followed by tea at a tea house where Anh proceeded to show us the proper way to serve and drink tea. Her English was very good as well.
Review by: Jim H, April 2016
Good whistle stop tour around Hanoi - with experienced local guide. Although the tour is only half a day it did not feel rushed and the guide Anh was excellent
Review by: kevin m, March 2016
there were only two us on this tour which made it a bit more personal , are guide arrived on time , and gave us a tour of the old quarter of Hanoi , pointing out some interesting buildings and telling us about the history of Hanoi ._br/_ the tour took us to the temple of literature which was very interesting, then onto the infamous Hanoi Hilton , the tour concluded with lunch at a small local cafe ._br/_ i would recommend doing this tour while in Hanoi
Review by: Alexandra L, January 2016
This tour was a brilliant way to see Hanoi and it and #39;s main sites as well as learn about the city and talk to a local guide about their beautiful country. _br/_ You are rushed through a little bit, but you can always revisit any sites yourself and the guide always had a lot of information.
Review by: Alwaleed A, December 2015
Trip was informative and fun. we enjoyed walking in the city and visiting all temples and museums. The food was so good :
Review by: Matthew H, November 2015
Was a fun time for sure. The guide's english was good but not great, so didn't get as much detail as I wanted. Still a fun tour.
Review by: Maureen M, November 2015
Enjoyed this tour. Guide was knowledgeable and Hanoi Hilton prison was worth visiting.
Review by: Natalia L, November 2015
I expected to visit Ho Chi Minh museum based on the tour front page photo._br/_ It was nothing about Ho Chi Minh. I found the advertisement misleading.
Review by: ANTHONY DAVID B, October 2015
Mr. Lee was how we addressed our tour guide who was very knowledgeable in topics relating to this tour. At the end, we had a good pho which was unassuming and really delightful. He went out of his way to show us where to buy local fruits despite the tour has ended._br/_ Good person.
Review by: Doreenda, September 2015
Our guide was very knowledgeable and answered all of the questions we threw his way. The Pho we ate, too, was amazing!
Review by: C J F, June 2015
This was our second tour with Taylor and he is a very good English speaking Vietnamese guide who obviously loves his Hanoi. His enthusiasm for the place is infectious and he does not rush you through anything and allowed time for questions and to stop longer at places if you wish. Each tour we did ended over the stated time with him going the extra mile so we reckon we got good value. I would recommend either this tour or the night food tour early in your stay in Hanoi to get a reasonable understanding of the history and culture of the city.
Review by: Natalie K, March 2015
The guide was excellent in his historical and cultural information, conduct, hospitality in taking guests to local Pho bo eatery. Could not recommend him highly enough- thanks Cong. The behaviour conduct and what could be taken in (rules) were quite strict at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and a little confusing but Cong navigated us through. We had a nice and friendly group of Aussies and a Brit lady. Would recommend to others.
Review by: Patrick, February 2015
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Valerie d, December 2014
Excellent tour and well worth taking. Very knowledgeable guide whose English was excellent. Small numbers so easy to get around quickly, and ask lots of questions.
Review by: DONALD C, November 2014
Guide was very knowledgeable and informative. Authentic Vietnamese lunch was good. If it looks like it'll rain, bring an umbrella or raincoat as tour involves walking a bit out in the open.
Review by: Nancy O, November 2014
Very good, included attractions not walking distance from old quarter, good craft store stop and very good guide
Review by: Susan M, October 2014
A great introduction to the history of Hanoi. A little disappointed that we weren't told that Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum was not open, but other points of interest made up for it.
Review by: Irene B, April 2014
My husband and I were the only people on the tour and we had a great day with our fabulous guide Trois. He gave a great mini history lesson of Ho Chi Minh's life and work. Lunch was good but it is a LOCAL restaurant so be prepared - no fancy tables and chairs, no a/c. It was fine and the food was good. Ladies make sure your shoulders are covered and your top is not revealing when visiting the mausoleum, as this will be considered disrespectful. Highly recommend this tour (base company is Intrepid Travel).
Review by: Christine S, March 2014
There were just 2 of us on this tour so it felt like a personal tour. Everything was carefully explained to us and we were able to move at our own pace. The guide was very good. Each of the locations we visited were interesting and significant locations in Hanoi. The guide was a delight.
Review by: Linette W, February 2014
Unfortunately I was not feeling well on the day of this trip and had to cut it short. However, both the driver and tour guide were excellent and I enjoyed what time I spent with them.
Review by: Susan P, September 2013
Excellent overview of Hanoi. Our guide was excellent. He was able to work seamlessly through the logistics and he provided enlightening and highly interesting information throughout. A very memorable day.
Review by: Bill, September 2013
Excellent overview of Hanoi. Our guide was excellent. He was able to work seamlessly through the logistics and he provided enlightening and highly interesting information throughout. A very memorable day.
Review by: SHASHI KANT M, August 2013
In spite of the rain, our guide ensured that we got the maximum out of our tour. The line to enter Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum was miles long and we decided to skip it. But we saw the museum, the houses he lived in, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature. We had a great lunch of Pho at a small restaurant. In the afternoon, we visited the Museum of Ethnography. We had asked to be directed to a water puppet show but in spite of his best efforts, our guide couldn't get us tickets for that day. Fortunately, there was a water puppet show on at the museum and we got a taste. Our guide was knowledgeable and shared some interesting details I had not found in guide books.
Review by: Charles F, September 2011
I was disappointed with this tour. We hit the main sights, but the guide was pretty low energy and didn't provide much background for us. The place we stopped for lunch was indeed a local spot, but there are better local spots. Hanoi is an interesting city, I'm glad that I continued to explore on my own.
Review by: Jason H, August 2011
There ended up only the two of us, so it became a private tour...even better!!! Very good tour.
Review by: Charles F, June 2011
I was disappointed with this tour. We hit the main sights, but the guide was pretty low energy and didn't provide much background for us. The place we stopped for lunch was indeed a local spot, but there are better local spots. Hanoi is an interesting city, I'm glad that I continued to explore on my own.
Review by: MARY P, January 2011
A slight misnomer as only the first part of the tour was related to Ho Chi Minh. Not as informative or interesting as a similar trip in HCM and guide was inexperienced and might still be waiting for us in the hotel reception had we not, after 30 minutes waiting in the reception, tried to locate her.
Review by: MARY P, December 2010
A slight misnomer as only the first part of the tour was related to Ho Chi Minh. Not as informative or interesting as a similar trip in HCM and guide was inexperienced and might still be waiting for us in the hotel reception had we not, after 30 minutes waiting in the reception, tried to locate her.
Review by: Kenneth B, December 2010
Well done. I was the only person signed up for this tour, but they operate it anyway. Both the driver and the guide were great. The guide was very well informed and went out of his way to ensure the tour was a good one. He even carried my camera past security for me at the mausoleum to make sure I could take pictures from inside the security zone.
The only thing I would have liked was a slightly longer day. But then again, if there had been more people on the tour, it probably would have been longer.
Review by: Mark W, June 2010
We were picked up on time however, the guide did not know what the itinerary of the tour was and looked to us for guidance. He called the office who advised him of the locations we would be visiting. The Mausoleum is worth seeing and although the queue looks endless, the wait doesn't take long. The Ho Chi Minh complex was interesting but elbow room only. Temple of Literature wasnt that interesting for us.
Review by: Anonymous, United Kingdom, May 2010
As with all arrangements in Vietnam, the driver was punctual and the guide was very knowledgeable. The small tour was just our party of 2. The guide's English was very good and he was willing to talk about his life in Vietnam.
Review by: Mark W, Australia, May 2010
We were picked up on time however, the guide did not know what the itinerary of the tour was and looked to us for guidance. He called the office who advised him of the locations we would be visiting. The Mausoleum is worth seeing and although the queue looks endless, the wait doesn't take long. The Ho Chi Minh complex was interesting but elbow room only. Temple of Literature wasnt that interesting for us.
Review by: Anthony C, May 2010
As with all arrangements in Vietnam, the driver was punctual and the guide was very knowledgeable. The small tour was just our party of 2. The guide's English was very good and he was willing to talk about his life in Vietnam.
Review by: , May 2010
As with all arrangements in Vietnam, the driver was punctual and the guide was very knowledgeable. The small tour was just our party of 2. The guide's English was very good and he was willing to talk about his life in Vietnam.
Review by: Susan M, Australia, March 2010
Good day, small group, very small car was organised which made the trip a little tight to travel. Very informative guide.
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