Hanoi Old Quarter: Private Street Food Tour with Local Tastings
Hanoi street food tour with local guide sampling pho banh mi bun cha and more in the old quarter
You’ll follow a local guide through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, sampling steaming pho for breakfast, tearing into crunchy banh mi sandwiches, and pausing for strong Vietnamese coffee above the city streets. Expect laughter over mispronounced words and new flavors you’ll crave long after. It’s not just a food tour. It’s Hanoi in every bite.
Step-by-step itinerary
Hanoi private street food tour
- Meet guide at accommodation
- Introduction to Hanoi street food
- Eat Pho noodle soup
- Try Banh Mi sandwich
- Enjoy Bun Cha grilled pork
- Taste Banh Cuon rice pancake
- Savor Banh Xeo fried pancake
- Relax at Café Pho Co
- Refresh with Nom Bo Kho salad
- Indulge in Nem Ram spring rolls
- Experience Thit Xien Nuong pork skewers
- Finish with Che dessert
What’s included
Your day includes meeting your local guide at your Old Quarter accommodation, all street food tastings from pho to pork skewers to sweet che dessert at each stop along the way, bottled water to keep you cool between bites, plus a coffee break overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake before heading back out into Hanoi’s lively streets.
- Every day 11:30 18:00
Information
Follow a local guide through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, tasting pho, banh mi, and street barbecue. Includes hotel pickup, food tastings, and Vietnamese coffee break.
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Traveler reviews
The experience
I didn’t expect to start my day in Hanoi already sweating over a bowl of pho before 10am. Our guide, Minh, just grinned and said, “This is breakfast here.” The broth was richer than I’d ever tasted back home. You could smell star anise and beef from halfway down the block. There was this old woman at the next table slurping noodles with both hands like she had somewhere to be. It made me laugh. I tried copying her but nearly splashed soup on my shirt.
We wandered deeper into the Old Quarter after that: scooters everywhere, people shouting greetings or bargaining for fruit. Minh kept pointing out little things: how the baguette for banh mi should crackle when you squeeze it (mine did), or why bun cha always comes with that mountain of herbs. He told us about Obama eating bun cha here with Bourdain, which felt surreal as we sat on those tiny plastic stools, dipping grilled pork into fish sauce. I probably butchered every Vietnamese word I tried to say. Minh just laughed and corrected me gently.
The stop at Café Pho Co surprised me most. You slip through a silk shop and up this winding staircase: suddenly you’re above all the noise, looking out over Hoan Kiem Lake with a glass of egg coffee in your hand. Sweet, thick, almost like dessert but not quite. I still think about that view sometimes when I hear scooter horns in other cities. After that there was crispy banh xeo (I never knew pancakes could taste so savory), papaya salad with dried beef, spring rolls so hot they burned my tongue a little, but honestly? That’s half the fun.
Top questions
Can I be picked up at my hotel?
You can choose: pickup at your hotel, or go straight to the meeting point. When you book, you choose your hotel from 542 pickup locations; if yours isn’t listed, you arrange it with the operator after booking. Pickup is about 15 minutes before departure.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (8 to 10 years); Child (4 to 7 years); Infant (under 4): free.
What foods are included on this Hanoi street food tour?
You’ll try pho, banh mi, bun cha, banh cuon, banh xeo, papaya salad with dried beef (nom bo kho), fried spring rolls (nem ram), pork skewers (thit xien nuong), che dessert and more.
Are drinks included during the tour?
Bottled water and coffee or tea are included as part of your experience.
Does this Hanoi food tour use public transportation?
The tour is walkable within the Old Quarter. Public transportation options are nearby if needed.
Is there a dessert included at the end of the tour?
Yes, you’ll finish with che, a traditional Vietnamese dessert made from beans, fruits or coconut milk.
Operated by Vietnam Creative Travel. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 3 days ago
Hanoi Old Quarter: Private Street Food Tour with Local Tastings
2h–3h · EN
from US$ 37 per person
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.