Hanoi City Full Day Private Tour from Ha Long Bay

A cyclo ride through the Old Quarter shows you Hanoi at street level, not from a car window.

A full-day private tour from Ha Long Bay cruise port to Hanoi includes hotel pickup, a 2.5-hour drive to the city, visits to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, and Hoa Lo Prison, lunch at a local restaurant, a cyclo ride through the Old Quarter, and a stop at Train Street before the return drive to the port. Your English-speaking guide leads the day. The driver handles the transfers.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day Hanoi city tour from Halong

• Pickup at Halong Cruise Port
• Drive 2.5 hours to Hanoi
• Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
• Visit Temple of Literature
• Lunch in Hanoi Old Quarter
• Visit Hoa Lo Prison
• Cyclo ride around Old Quarter
• Visit Train Street for photos and coffee
• Drive 2.5 hours back to Halong Port

Stops and time spent at each 4 stops

1. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Entry included 1h
2. Temple of Literature Entry included 1h
3. Hoa Lo Prison Entry included 1h
4. Hanoi Old Quarter Entry included 30m

What’s included

• Pickup and drop-off at Ha Long Bay International Cruise Port.
• private vehicle with experienced driver.
• English-speaking guide for the day.
• entrance fees to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, and Hoa Lo Prison.
• lunch with Vietnamese dishes at a local restaurant.
• cyclo ride through the Old Quarter.
• bottle of water and coffee or tea during the tour.

Times

• Every day 07:30 08:00

Before you book

Group Private

Live guide English

Meeting point and pickup No hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Book up to 4h before

Ages Adult (9 to 90 years) · Child (4 to 8 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

Cancellation and refunds Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Good to know

Low physical effort Infants must sit on laps

Operated by Authentic Travel VIETNAM

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

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The experience

The day starts with a 2.5-hour drive from Ha Long Bay International Cruise Port to Hanoi on the expressway. Your driver meets you at the port gate with a welcome board and handles the transfer in an air-conditioned vehicle. Once in the city, the guide takes over and leads you through the Ho Chi Minh Complex to the Mausoleum, the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh, then to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, dedicated to Confucius.

Lunch comes at a local restaurant in the city with Vietnamese dishes included in the tour price. After eating, you visit Hoa Lo Prison, originally built by French colonists for political prisoners and later used by North Vietnam during the war: American POWs called it the "Hanoi Hilton." The prison tells a difficult chapter of the country's history through its exhibits and preserved cells.

The afternoon shifts to a slower pace: a cyclo ride through the Old Quarter lets you move through the narrow streets and absorb the sights and sounds without the rush of a car. The last stop is Train Street, a narrow alleyway in the heart of the city where trains pass through buildings just wide enough to let them pass. You can take photos, have coffee or tea, and feel the energy of the place. Then the driver returns you to Ha Long Bay International Cruise Port, arriving before your ship's departure time.

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 8 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

How much time does the drive from Ha Long Bay to Hanoi take?

The drive is 2.5 hours each way on the expressway. Your driver picks you up at Ha Long Bay International Cruise Port and drops you back at the outside gate before your cruise ship departs, so the timing is built around your ship's schedule.

What is Hoa Lo Prison and why is it called the Hanoi Hilton?

Hoa Lo Prison was built by French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners. During the Vietnam War, North Vietnam held American prisoners of war there, and the POWs nicknamed it the "Hanoi Hilton." The site is now a museum where you can see the preserved cells and learn about this period of history.

What does the cyclo ride through the Old Quarter involve?

A cyclo is a three-wheeled taxi pedaled by a driver. The ride takes you through the Old Quarter at a relaxed pace, letting you see the narrow streets, local shops, and daily life of the neighborhood without the speed and noise of a car.

Is lunch included, and can you accommodate dietary restrictions?

Lunch at a local restaurant with Vietnamese dishes is included in the tour price. The operator can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and other dietary requirements if you note them when you book.

What is Train Street and what makes it unusual?

Train Street is a narrow alleyway in central Hanoi where train tracks run between buildings, each just wide enough for a train to pass through. The tracks were built over a hundred years ago. It has become a popular spot to take photos, have coffee or tea, and watch the trains pass through the street.