Hanoi City Tour Full Day: 6 stops with guide and lunch included
Six landmarks, one guide, one day: Hanoi's temples, museums and history without the logistics
A full-day Hanoi city tour covering six major sites (temples, museums and historical landmarks) with an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, Vietnamese lunch and all entrance fees included. Small groups travel by shuttle or limousine bus depending on the option chosen. The itinerary moves from Tran Quoc Pagoda (built in the 6th century) through Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and its gardens, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, One-Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, and finishes at Hoa Lo Prison Museum. Eight hours total. Suitable for all fitness levels.
Options for this experience
3 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Explore Hanoi's historic and cultural sites
- Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda and Bodha Tree
- Tour Ho Chi Minh complex and gardens
- Explore Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
- Visit One Pillar Pagoda
- See Temple of Literature
- Tour Hoa Lo Prison Museum
- Return to hotel
- Tran Quoc Pagoda Entry included 30m
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Entry included 1h
- Vietnam Museum of Ethnology Entry included 45m
- One-Pillar Pagoda Entry included 30m
- Temple of Literature Entry included 30m
- Hoa Lo Prison Entry included 45m
What’s included
- English-speaking guide with at least five years of experience in Hanoi.
- hotel pickup and drop-off in the Old Quarter area.
- Vietnamese lunch.
- one bottle of water per person.
- entrance fees to all six sites (Tran Quoc Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and gardens, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, One-Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, and Hoa Lo Prison Museum).
Times
- Every day 07:40 08:00
Before you book
Operated by Vietnam Eco Travel
Prices and times updated 2 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The day starts with pickup from your hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter and heads straight to Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest temple in the city, built in the 6th century. You'll see the Bodhi tree planted by Ho Chi Minh himself. From there the guide takes you to the Ho Chi Minh complex, where you walk through the gardens and see the two houses where he lived and worked between 1954 and 1969. The mausoleum itself is part of the stop, though entry times and viewing are set by the site.
Mid-morning brings the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, which covers all 54 officially recognized ethnic groups across the country: a side of Vietnam most visitors miss. After that comes One-Pillar Pagoda, the most architecturally unusual pagoda in the world, built on a single stone column. The Temple of Literature follows, Vietnam's first university in the feudal period, with courtyards and stone tablets marking centuries of scholarship. Lunch, Vietnamese cuisine, happens during the day, built into the itinerary so you're not eating on the move.
The final stop is Hoa Lo Prison Museum, originally a French colonial jail for political prisoners and later used to hold American POWs during the Vietnam War (known to prisoners as the "Hanoi Hilton"). The tour wraps around 4:30 p.m. with drop-off back at your hotel. Your guide speaks English and has at least five years of experience in the city. Water is provided throughout the day. You choose between a shuttle bus (up to 25 passengers) or a limousine bus (up to 20 passengers) when you book.
Is this one for you?Choose the shuttle bus if you're comfortable in a small group and want the standard option, or the limousine bus if you prefer a bit more space and a slightly smaller group. Both follow the same itinerary and include everything. The difference is just the vehicle and passenger count.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 7 years); Infant (under 5).
What exactly is inside the Ho Chi Minh complex that I get to see?
The Ho Chi Minh complex includes the mausoleum where the embalmed body is displayed, plus two houses in the surrounding gardens where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked from 1954 to 1969. You walk the grounds and see both residences as part of the tour stop.
Is Tran Quoc Pagoda really the oldest temple in Hanoi?
Tran Quoc Pagoda was first built in Hanoi in the 6th century, making it the oldest pagoda in the city. The tour includes a Bodhi tree planted by Ho Chi Minh, which is one of the oldest in Vietnam.
How many people typically go on this tour?
The tour runs as a small group in either a shuttle bus with a maximum of 25 passengers or a limousine bus with a maximum of 20 passengers. You pick which one when you book.
Does the price cover everything, or are there extra costs?
Hotel pickup, the English-speaking guide, Vietnamese lunch and all entrance fees to the six sites are included in the price. Drinks, tips for the guide and driver, and personal expenses are not covered.
What is the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology about?
The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology focuses on the 54 officially recognized ethnic groups across Vietnam, showing their cultures, traditions and ways of life. It's a museum most day-trippers to Hanoi skip, but it's built into this full-day itinerary.
Is this tour physically demanding?
The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You move between six sites by bus, and spend time walking through temples, gardens, museums and the prison complex, but there are no strenuous hikes or climbs required.
Hanoi City Tour Full Day: 6 stops with guide and lunch included
8h · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 40 per person
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.