Hanoi Half-Day Private Tour: Must-see Attractions & Train Street

based on 17 reviews

Duration:5 hours (approx.)
Location: Hanoi, Northern Vietnam

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The French-colonial era has left a legacy of beautiful buildings, with the Old Quarter a fascinating area to explore on foot.
Hanoi has always been a symbol of culture and a source of pride throughout the history.
This tour is designed aiming to give you an opportunity to enjoy an absolute and adorable Hanoi.
Small streets with old houses, friendly people with typical Vietnamese smiles offer you the true feeling of this capital city.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1.
After you get picked up, the tour guide and the vehicle will take you here for the first place called Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (open only in morning time 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM and close on Monday & Friday weekly). It is the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh, the most iconic and popular leader of Vietnam, known to his people as ‘Uncle Ho’. His body is preserved here in a glass case at the mausoleum (albeit against his wishes). Started in 1973, the construction of the mausoleum was modeled on Lenin's mausoleum in Russia and was first open to the public in 1975. Security is tight and visitors should dress with respect (no shorts, sleeveless shirts and miniskirts) and everyone has to deposit their bags and cameras before getting in. Uncle Ho’s remains are sent yearly to Russia for maintenance therefore the mausoleum is closed usually from October onwards.
2. One Pillar Pagoda
On program we will also visit One Pillar Pagoda where people worship the goddess of Mercy. Legend claims that The One Pillar Pagoda was built following a dream by the fatherless emperor in which the enlightened being Avalokiteshvara gave him a baby son resting on a lotus flower. Emperor Ly Thai Tong commissioned the pagoda to be created in resemblance of this lotus flower which is also the Buddhist symbol of enlightenment. The Emperor remained in gratitude to the bodhisattva and subsequently to to Quan Am, the Goddess of Mercy following the birth of his son. Inside the temple a richly gilded statue of Quan Am takes centre place at the main altar. Today, the concrete pillar that supports the tiny wooden pagoda is a replacement for the original one which was blown up by the departing French, it remains unclear how much of the wooden temple is the original one.
3. Temple of Literature & National University
The Temple of Literature is often cited as one of Hanoi’s most picturesque tourist attractions. Originally built as a university in 1070 dedicated to Confucius, scholars and sages, the building is extremely well preserved and is a superb example of traditional-style Vietnamese architecture. This ancient site offers a lake of literature, the Well of Heavenly Clarity, turtle steles, pavilions, courtyards and passageways that were once used by royalty. Visiting the Temple of Literature you will discover historic buildings from the Ly and Tran dynasties in a revered place that has seen thousands of doctors’ graduate in what has now become a memorial to education and literature. Originally, the university only accepted aristocrats, the elite and royal family members as students before eventually opening its doors to brighter ‘commoners’. Successful graduates had their names engraved on a stone stele which can be found on top of the stone turtles.
4. Hoa Lo Prison
The Hoa Lo Prison was a prison in Hanoi originally built in dates ranging from 1886 to 1901 when Vietnam was still part of French Indochinaand. It was used by the French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. During this later period, it was known to American POWs as the "Hanoi Hilton". Following Operation Homecoming, the prison was used to incarcerate Vietnamese dissidents and other political prisoners, including the poet Nguyen Chi Thien. The prison was demolished during the 1990s, although its gatehouse remains a museum.
5. Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake)
Legend claims that, in the mid-15th century, heaven sent Emperor Le Loi a magical sword, which he used to drive the Chinese from Vietnam. After the war a giant golden turtle grabbed the sword and disappeared into the depths of this lake to restore the sword to its divine owners, inspiring the name Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of the Restored Sword). In its original form, Hoan Kiem Lake was much larger than the lake of today. In the past, especially under the time of the French Colony, many parts of this lake were filled to expand Hanoi City. The lake is also full of tortoises, which is second to none to be found among Vietnamese lakes. If you are lucky, you will catch sight of these giant animals rising out of water. And because the tortoise is considered a sacred animal in Vietnam’s culture (along with dragon, phoenix and unicorn), Hoan Kiem Lake then became a holy place that nurtured the tortoise.
6. Ngoc Son Temple
Situated on the northern shore of the lake, the Temple of the Jade Mountain (Ngoc Son Temple) stands on the Jade Island. Built in the 18th century, it is dedicated to Tran Hung Dao, a national hero who defeated Mongolian invaders 3 times. Inside, you can find the altars, some artifacts and a 250 kg preserved specimen of a giant turtle. Jade Island is connected to the shore by The Huc Bridge.
7. Hanoi Opera House
The Hanoi Opera House (French: Opéra de Hanoï) was erected by the French colonial administration between 1901 and 1911 (you are allowed to visit the outside of the building). It is one of three opera houses that the French built during their time in Indochina, the others are Haiphong Opera House and Municipal Theatre in Ho Chi Minh city. It was modeled on the Palais Garnier, the older of Paris's two opera houses, and is considered to be one of the architectural landmarks of Hanoi. The main architectural style of the Opera House is Neoclassicism. After the departure of the French the opera house became the scene for several political events. as well as the scene of street fighting during the fight for Hanoi.
8.
Visiting Hanoi Train Street in Hanoi is one of the Best Things To Do to learn and explore Hanoi local life. Rather than being a normal road with car or motorbike traffic, it has actual real railway lines running through it. Nestled in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, this narrow alley attracts travelers hoping to snap a picture on the active train track, and even catch a train whizz by! This alley is actually a residential area - many locals have converted their houses into quaint little cafes where you can sip on traditional egg coffee. It is a very wonderful experience once visting Hanoi city.
9.
You will have a chance to taste a very special and famous dish in Hanoi called Pho Bo - Rice Noodle soup with beef (in case you are not eating beef, it will be replaced by chicken or a similar dishes). After that, our vehicle will drop you at the same hotels/address in Hanoi Old Quarter where we picked up in the morning. End of the service!

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Posted By : X6918DWcorinnel
The famous Ngoc Son Temple + Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake) IN THE PHOTO are not included and moreover they are very RUDE... on the part of Paradise Indochina Travel they continue to write to me preventing me from writing the negative review and it is not correct... THE REVIEWS ARE REAL AND FREE!!!! Continuing to write that we don't know how to read leads to nothing... we are 4 graduates and we still know how to read and write... Apologizing could have been the only intelligent solution.... I hope this overbearing attitude ends here otherwise we will also ask for a refund upon our return….
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-03-06 06:27:30

Posted By : 910danieleu
The tour is very well organised, they came to pick me up at the hotel with the minibus and then we saw the first attractions, a typical Vietnamese lunch and in the afternoon we visited again... everything was perfect, the guide was friendly and competent... highly recommended.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-12-02 09:07:53

Posted By : James_J
We had a great day exploring the city of Hanoi. You get to attend some really interesting museums and landmarks and learn about the history of Hanoi. Our tour guide was super informative. Would recommend to anyone looking to do a tour of the city.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-05-21 17:16:51

Posted By : Gerald H
Wednesday April 5th US $ 40 : Too political ! The preformed guide explained to the english speaking group that the 2nd foreign language taught in Vietnam was not french as the group said but english ! ah ah ah .
Our guide who was so proud to have got the possibility to study english thank to communist party told us that at his place a small shrine was dedicated to his ancestors and a second one to uncle Ho who was a bachelor only devoted to the cause of communism.
Of course when visiting the french quarter he did not mention neither the wide tree lined boulevards , nor the opera house, the elegant district surrounding Hoan Kiem lake and the famous street trainwas ignored ...
But everything you wanted to know about the misdeeds performed by the French colonialists during Indochina war you could gazez at " La Maison centrale " . So bad when it was run by VN PC that it was called Hanoi Hilton by John Mac Cain and his US fellows pilots and prisoners. SABENA ( Such a bad experience never again! )
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Posted On : 2023-04-27 12:32:16

Posted By : Joseph_S
Overall, this tour was a lot of fun and went very smoothly. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and explained the history of the sites really well, while also giving us additional context on the bus between stops. Tour went along as planned and was a great way to spend a day seeing some highlights of Hanoi.
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Posted On : 2023-03-19 08:43:45

Posted By : benorepen
I had a wonderful and unforgettable experience. The tour guide explained very well the history and culture of Vietnam. The tour guide is very friendly, and he guided us very well. And I enjoyed the company of other tourist. I am very satisfied. I had a great memories with them(tour guide and co-tourist). Good Job!
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Posted On : 2023-02-10 05:32:42

Posted By : marieEternus1125
Very nice tour of Hanoi! Highly recommended!
These guys are very accomodating, thanks to Lee the tour guide. We came to Hanoi on business and had nothing to do in between so we booked this day tour and it surely met our expectations!
Will certainly be going back to Hanoi!
- With love from the Philippines
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Posted On : 2022-11-04 02:56:58

Posted By : dannymS9536TV
Really enjoyed this tour. Very informative and enjoyed the sites we went to. Favorite was art using lacquer.
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Posted On : 2022-10-16 23:32:33

Posted By : 1217np
We booked this tour online and we had nice time un Hanoi. Our guide was professional, informative. He gave us lots of information about Hanoi, Vietnam culture & people. The lunch was also very good. We were happy and definitely recommend this tour to others
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Posted On : 2022-10-02 06:40:39

Posted By : seerx90
I had a great experience of Hanoi City Day Trip with this travel company. Our small group tour visited most of famous places recommended in guidebook of Hanoi. Our guide was so professional, informative. The lunch was nice. I absolutely recommend this tour for those who have only a short time in Hanoi.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2022-09-09 01:30:26

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Tickets

Hanoi Half-Day Private Tour: Must-see Attractions & Train Street

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1.

2. One Pillar Pagoda

3. Temple of Literature & National University

4. Hoa Lo Prison

5. Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake)

6. Ngoc Son Temple

7. Hanoi Opera House

8.

9.

ADDITIONAL INFO

CANCELLATION POLICY

Partner Resources

How it works

Travel

Insurance

Adventure

Contact

Retrieving available

Tickets

Hanoi Half-Day Private Tour: Must-see Attractions & Train Street

WHAT'S INCLUDED ⟱

WHAT TO EXPECT ⟱

1.

2. One Pillar Pagoda

3. Temple of Literature & National University

4. Hoa Lo Prison

5. Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake)

6. Ngoc Son Temple

7. Hanoi Opera House

8.

9.

ADDITIONAL INFO ⟱

CANCELLATION POLICY ⟱

Partner Resources

How it works

Travel

Insurance

Adventure

Contact

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

ADDITIONAL INFO

CANCELLATION POLICY