Things to do in Northern Vietnam
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Quang Phu Cau Incense Village Tour: Train Street & ArtisansThis half-day walking tour from Hanoi takes you to Quang Phu Cau, an ancient incense-making village, with a stop at Hanoi Train Street on the way. A professional English-speaking guide leads you through the artisans' process—from splitting bamboo to mixing aromatic paste to tying finished sticks—while you photograph the work and hear the stories behind the craft. Hotel pickup and drop-off within the Old Quarter, entrance fees and guide are included; the tour runs about five hours and returns you by early afternoon.Is it for me?Book the group tour to meet other travelers and share costs; choose private if your hotel is outside the Old Quarter and needs a custom pickup arrangement.
Halong Bay Day Trip from Hanoi: Surprise Cave & Ti Top IslandYou're picked up from your Hanoi hotel and driven to Halong Bay, where you board a cruise that includes lunch, entry to Surprise Cave and Ti Top Island, a choice of kayaking or bamboo boat through Luon Cave, and a sunset gathering on deck. The full day—pickup to drop-off—runs 12 hours, with most of that time on the water or exploring the UNESCO site itself. Hotel return is included.Is it for me?Right for travelers based in Hanoi without a car who want to see Halong Bay's main sights in a single day—hotel pickup and all entry fees are handled, which saves arranging transport and tickets yourself. Expect a full 12 hours out, with early pickup and late return, but that's what fits the cave, the island, the water and the sunset into one trip.
Halong Bay 3-Day Cruise: Caves, Kayaking & Private CabinYou’ll drift through Halong Bay’s limestone maze by luxury cruise, kayak silent coves, visit floating villages, and wake up to sunrise views from your private cabin. Try your hand at Vietnamese cooking or night squid fishing — or just let yourself be carried along by the rhythm of the bay.
Ha Giang Loop: Open Air Jeep Tour with Homestays & WaterfallYou’ll ride an open air jeep through Ha Giang’s wild mountain roads with a local guide, stop at villages like Du Gia for home-cooked meals and private rooms, walk along Ma Pi Leng Pass above the Nho Que River, and cool off in a hidden waterfall. It’s not always comfortable but it’s real—and you’ll carry those views home with you.
Hanoi: Private Half-Day City Tour with Train Street & HighlightsYou’ll slip through Hanoi’s tangled streets with a local guide who knows every shortcut and story—from quiet moments at ancient temples to sipping egg coffee right beside Train Street’s rails. Expect laughter, unexpected flavors, and glimpses of daily life that linger long after you leave.
Hanoi to Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu, Tam Coc & Mua Cave HikeYou climb Mua Cave for panoramic views of karst peaks and rice fields, explore the 10th-century temples of Hoa Lu, and drift through three limestone caves by bamboo boat on the Hoang Long River. Pickup from your Hanoi hotel is included, as are all entry fees, lunch, and air-conditioned transport. Plan for a full day out — roughly 12 hours from pickup to return — which is exactly what lets you fit all three sites into one trip.Is it for me?A good fit if you want to see Ninh Binh's three main attractions in a single day without arranging transport or tickets yourself. The 12-hour day is full — hiking, temples, and a boat ride back-to-back — which is what makes fitting all three sites possible in one trip from Hanoi.
Sapa: Muong Hoa Valley & Ta Van with Foot Spa or CafeYou travel by van through Muong Hoa Valley with photo stops, walk five kilometers through rice paddies and Giay and H'Mong villages to Tả Van, then choose between a Dao herbal foot soak at Lá Dao Spa or coffee with valley views at Phansi Café. An English-speaking local guide handles the logistics and cultural context, so you just move and absorb.Is it for me?Pick this if you want to see Sapa's rice terraces and meet the communities that farm them, but don't have the time or energy for a full-day trek — the van and the short walk give you the real landscape without the exhaustion.
Lan Ha Bay Cruise: Kayaking, Viet Hai Village & Cooking ClassYou’ll drift through Lan Ha Bay’s peaceful waters with a small group, kayak hidden coves, join a Vietnamese cooking class on deck, and cycle into Viet Hai village for real glimpses of daily life. With all meals included and hotel pickup from Hanoi, it’s an easy way to sink into local rhythms—just don’t blame me if you keep thinking about that sunrise view later.
Ha Giang Loop motorbike tour: 3 days on the Dong Van PlateauA 3-day motorbike tour of Ha Giang's loop route in northern Vietnam, riding through the Dong Van Karst Plateau with a local English-speaking guide. You ride your own bike or travel as a passenger on an Easy-Rider's motorcycle, staying overnight in Yen Minh and Meo Vac, visiting the Lung Cu Flag Tower at the Chinese border, and crossing the Ma Pi Leng Pass. The tour includes cave hikes, river boat rides, and meals with local ethnic minorities.Is it for me?Choose self-riding if you have an international driving permit and want to handle the bike yourself through the mountain passes; pick Easy-Rider if you'd rather sit back and let a local driver navigate the Ma Pi Leng Pass while you focus on the views and the road ahead.
Halong Bay Day Cruise from Hanoi: 5-Star Boat & Surprise CaveYou get picked up from your Hanoi hotel at 8am, driven to Halong Bay by expressway, and spend the afternoon on a 5-star cruise visiting Surprise Cave, climbing Titop Island, and kayaking through a limestone lagoon. Lunch and a sunset party with wine and fruit are included. The shuttle bus brings you back to Hanoi by late evening, so you don't arrange transport, buy tickets separately, or worry about timing the cave visits and island stops yourself.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see Halong Bay's main attractions — the cave, the island, the lagoon — in a single day without arranging your own transport, buying separate tickets, or figuring out the timing between stops. The fixed schedule and included shuttle bus mean you leave your hotel in the morning and return in the evening without logistics in between.
Sapa: Glass Bridge, Cat Cat Village & Moana Day TourYou visit three distinct Sapa landmarks in one day: the Glass Bridge for mountain views from a transparent skywalk, Cat Cat Village to walk among Black H'mong houses and rice terraces, and Moana Sapa for artistic photo installations. Transport, a refreshment, and a guide are included. The pace is steady but not strenuous, and you're back by late afternoon.Is it for me?Book this if you want Sapa's most famous viewpoints and cultural stops in one day without committing to serious trekking — the fixed itinerary and vehicle transport mean you see the highlights without arranging logistics yourself.
Hanoi Coffee Workshop: Master 6 Signature Vietnamese CoffeeA hands-on Vietnamese coffee workshop in Hanoi where you make 4–6 signature coffees under guidance from locals raised in coffee culture. Small groups keep the pace unhurried; you brew, whisk, taste and adjust recipes to your taste while learning practical tips that work at home. Fresh ingredients arrive daily, and the instructor shares stories about the city and the culture behind each coffee style.Is it for me?Choose the six-coffee option if you want the full range of Hanoi coffee styles and the time to adjust each one to your taste; the four-coffee version works if you prefer a tighter focus or are new to Vietnamese coffee and want to build confidence with fewer variations at once.
Hanoi: Vespa City Tour, Train Street & Ao Dai Female RidersYou’ll hop behind an Ao Dai-clad female rider for a Vespa city tour Hanoi style—threading through secret alleys, pausing for street food and stories at Long Bien Bridge, sipping egg coffee along Train Street. Expect laughter, local encounters, and glimpses of daily life that linger long after you’ve left.
Ha Giang Loop 4D3N Tour: Easyrider through mountain villagesA 4-day guided tour of the Ha Giang Loop in Northern Vietnam with a small group (2–10 travelers) and an English-speaking local guide. The route passes through Red Dao, Hmong and Tay villages, stops at the Hmong King Palace and the Lung Cu flag tower on Dragon Mountain—Vietnam's northernmost point—and crosses Ma Pi Leng pass. Private transportation, all meals and bottled water are included; you travel by motorbike with a driver or ride your own if you prefer.Is it for me?The guide speaks English and travels with the group the entire 4 days, so you follow the commentary and ask questions as you go. This works well if you want to understand the places you're passing through—the villages, the cultures, the landmarks—rather than just see them from a window.
Hanoi: Vespa Food & Culture Tour with Train Street & Long Bien BridgeYou’ll ride pillion on a classic Vespa through Hanoi’s tangled backstreets and French boulevards, sip egg coffee as trains thunder by on Train Street, cross Long Bien Bridge with sweeping Red River views, and taste street food favorites with locals—all with pickup included. Expect moments that stick with you long after you leave.
Hanoi Old Quarter: Cooking Class & Market Tour with Egg CoffeeYou’ll wander through Hanoi’s lively Old Quarter market with a local guide before learning to cook classic Vietnamese dishes—like crispy spring rolls and papaya salad—then try your hand at making rich egg coffee. Expect laughter in the kitchen, new flavors on your tongue, and a meal you’ll remember every time you smell fresh herbs back home.
Hanoi: City Highlights Half-Day Tour with Old Quarter PickupYou’ll step into Hanoi’s layered story: from hushed moments at Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum to tracing your fingers along ancient walls at the Temple of Literature. With an English-speaking guide and Old Quarter pickup included, you’ll catch glimpses of student rituals, lakeside pagodas, and maybe even taste lotus tea if you’re lucky.
Halong Bay Day Trip from Hanoi: 6-Hour Cruise, Caves & KayakingYou’ll start your Halong Bay day trip from Hanoi with hotel pickup and join a small group for six hours cruising past limestone islands, exploring Surprise Cave, paddling by Luon Cave, and swimming or hiking on Titop Island. Expect real Vietnamese food for lunch, friendly guides, and moments of quiet beauty between activities. It’s busy but never boring — you might leave saltier but also lighter somehow.Is it for me?Leave Hanoi in the morning and return by evening with caves, kayaking, beach swimming, and lunch included—hotel pickup and all tickets handled for you.
Hanoi City Full Day Tour: 5 Landmarks with LunchA full-day guided tour of Hanoi visiting five major landmarks—Tran Quoc Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Temple of Literature and Hoa Lo Prison—with an English-speaking guide, air-conditioned vehicle and hotel pickup. The tour runs 8 hours and includes a Hanoi-style lunch. On Mondays, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is replaced with the Women Museum.Is it for me?This is a shared group tour with a fixed itinerary and schedule, so you move as one group through all five stops without building the day yourself. Choose it if you want the major landmarks connected in a logical route and explained by someone who knows their history, without the planning work of getting between them.
Halong Bay: Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island & Kayak Day TripYou’ll float through Halong Bay’s wild shapes, share a seafood lunch on deck, walk through Sung Sot Cave’s cool chambers, kayak calm waters or ride a bamboo boat, and climb Titop Island for views that linger long after you’re home.
