Things to do in Northern Vietnam
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Hanoi Old Quarter: Vegan Street Food Tour & Local GuideYou’ll join a local guide in Hanoi’s Old Quarter for three hours of vegan street food — from crispy bánh cuốn to jackfruit salad — winding through markets and lakeside paths most visitors miss. Taste, laugh, and end with strong Vietnamese coffee plus tips for more plant-based eats around town.
Hanoi Sapa Private Transfer: Flexible Pickup & English DriverYou’ll settle into a comfortable car with AC as your English-speaking driver handles everything from hotel pickup in Hanoi or Sapa to smooth navigation through winding mountain roads. Expect local stories along the way, coffee stops if you want them, and drop-off right at your hotel door—leaving you space to just watch Vietnam roll by outside your window.
Hanoi Old Quarter: Street Food Walking Tour & Local DrinksYou walk through Hanoi's Old Quarter stopping at six to seven street food vendors, tasting local specialties with French and Chinese influences, drinking local beer and Vietnamese egg coffee, and finishing with a night view of Hoan Kiem Lake from a cafe your guide knows. The guide handles the ordering and explanations; you handle the eating. No transport to arrange, no vendor negotiations — just walking and eating the way locals do.Is it for me?Book this if you want to eat the way Hanoi residents do — at the actual vendors they use — without figuring out which alleys to walk into or how to order yourself. The small group size and local guide are what make the narrow streets feel like you belong there instead of like you're touring them.
Ha Giang: 3-Day Dirt Bike Tour & Homestay with Ma Pi Leng PassYou ride your own dirt bike through Ha Giang's mountain passes and remote villages for three days, sleeping in a Hmong family's home and eating meals with locals. The tour includes all transport from Hanoi, the motorcycle and fuel, accommodation, every meal, a professional English-speaking guide, and protective gear — leaving you to focus on the riding and the landscape instead of logistics.Is it for me?Pick this tour if you ride or want to learn on a real bike in real terrain, and you'd rather not spend three days arranging your own transport, accommodation, meals, and village access — the fixed itinerary and small group size are what make it possible to cover this much ground and still sleep in a family's home instead of a tourist hotel.
Hanoi City: Private Full-Day Tour with Local Lunch & PickupYou’ll wander ancient pagodas by shimmering lakes, hear personal stories at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, taste fresh local dishes at lunch, and lose yourself in Dong Xuan Market’s wild energy—all with a local guide who brings Hanoi’s history to life. It’s not just sightseeing; you’ll feel each place linger long after you leave.
Hanoi Old Quarter: Food Tour & Banh Mi Class with 10+ DishesYou'll cook banh mi with a local vendor, eat at five family-run restaurants across Hanoi's Old Quarter, browse Dong Xuan Market with snacks, and finish with cocktails at a hidden speakeasy. The guide is English-speaking and knows the owners personally. Over 10 dishes, unlimited local drinks, and a walk that covers the neighborhood from north to south in one evening.Is it for me?Book this if you want to eat the way Hanoi residents do — at family-run spots where the owner's been there for decades — without figuring out which alleys to wander or how to order in Vietnamese. The local guide and fixed stops are what make a real neighborhood walk possible in one evening.
Sapa: Muong Hoa Valley Trek & Bamboo Forest LunchYou’ll hike through Sapa’s lush Muong Hoa valley with a local guide, sharing muddy trails and laughter with villagers along the way. Enjoy a simple lunch in Ta Van village, taste fresh mountain air, and catch glimpses of daily life before your ride back to Sapa center—leaving you with more than just photos.
Hanoi Old Quarter: Full Body Massage & Aromatherapy ComboYou’ll step off Hanoi’s busy streets into calm at Hoang’s Spa for a full body massage with your choice of aromatherapy or deep tissue treatment. Expect gentle local touches—like herbal tea and welcoming staff—plus a mineral sea salt scrub that leaves your skin feeling new. You might walk out lighter than when you came in.
Hanoi: Full-Day City Tour, Limousine Bus & LunchYou’ll join a small group for a full-day city tour of Hanoi with hotel pickup and an experienced local guide. Walk through ancient pagodas, see Ho Chi Minh’s legacy up close, taste real Vietnamese dishes at lunch, and step quietly through Hoa Lo Prison’s history—all with someone who knows every shortcut and story.
Hanoi Night Motorbike Food Tour: Train Street & Egg CoffeeYou’ll zip through Hanoi’s tangled streets on a motorbike with women guides who know every shortcut and snack stall. Taste banh cuon hot off the steamer, watch locals gather along Train Street as a train rumbles past inches away, pause lakeside for night views, and end with egg coffee in a hidden café — all with hotel pickup included.
Snorkeling in Lan Ha Bay from Hanoi: Kayaking and swimmingA day tour from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay on a spacious cruise with hotel pickup, featuring kayaking, swimming, and snorkeling at limestone islands and white-sand beaches. The boat holds under 45 people despite a larger capacity, and a local English-speaking guide leads the activities. Lunch of fresh seafood and Vietnamese dishes is included; the tour runs 15 to 16 hours depending on your pickup location.Is it for me?Choose your pickup location based on where you're staying—Hanoi, Cat Ba, Hai Phong, or Ninh Binh—and the return transfer brings you back to the same point, so you don't arrange separate transport or coordinate drop-offs. The fixed schedule and included guide mean the day holds together without you planning the route, the stops, or the timing.
Ha Giang Loop: 3-Day Motorbike Tour & HomestayYou ride a Japanese motorcycle or sit behind your English-speaking guide through three days of the Ha Giang Loop, staying one night in an ethnic minority homestay and one in a hotel. You visit Heaven's Gate, hike to Lung Khuy Cave, tour the H'mong King Palace, climb to Lung Cu Flag Tower at Vietnam's northern tip, boat through the Nho Que River canyon, and pass through remote villages and mountain passes. All fuel, meals, bike insurance, safety gear and entrance tickets are included; you're back in Ha Giang by late afternoon on day three.Is it for me?Book this if you want to ride the full Ha Giang Loop in the minimum time it deserves—three long days that cover all the main passes, peaks and villages without the option to add on extra activities, which is what keeps the pace tight and the route complete.
Halong Bay Day Tour: Luxury Cruise With Cave & Island StopsA full-day cruise from Hanoi to Halong Bay on a five-star luxury vessel with an English-speaking guide, covering Surprise Cave, Titop Island and a kayaking run through Luon Cave. The itinerary holds six hours on the water, hotel pickup and drop-off, buffet lunch with seafood, and entry to both major stops. Sunset drinks and snacks round out the afternoon before the return drive to Hanoi.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want to see the limestone formations and caves of Halong Bay without arranging transport, timing or entry yourself—the cruise, guide and all stops are coordinated into a single day from Hanoi.
Lan Ha Bay cruise from Hanoi: Kayak, swim and explore Cat BaA day cruise from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay on the Serenity Grandeur with round-trip transfer, lunch, kayaking and swimming included. The boat leaves from Beo Pier on Cat Ba Island after a 3.5-hour journey from Hanoi, so you spend the afternoon in the bay's core rather than traveling to a crowded main port. A guide in English or Vietnamese leads the day, and the itinerary builds around water activities—kayaking, boat-jumping and a water slide—rather than a fixed schedule of stops.Is it for me?Your afternoon unfolds on the water instead of in a crowded harbor—the longer route to Beo Pier delivers you straight to Lan Ha Bay's quieter core, where everything from transfer to meals to activities is already sorted.
Lan Ha Bay & Ha Long Bay Cruise: Infinity Pool, Cooking Class, KayakYou’ll float through Lan Ha Bay & Ha Long Bay on a modern cruise ship with your own balcony suite, kayak hidden lagoons, try Vietnamese cooking classes, swim in an infinity pool overlooking limestone cliffs, and wake up to sunrise Tai Chi on deck—each moment shaped by small gestures from local guides or new friends you meet along the way.
Ha Giang Loop 4-day tour: Ma Pi Leng Pass and Dong Van KarstA four-day guided motorcycle tour of the Ha Giang Loop in northern Vietnam, staying in local homestays and riding through Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark. You travel the Ma Pi Leng Pass—the most scenic stretch of the "Happiness Road"—trek the Ma Pi Leng Sky Walk above Vietnam's deepest canyon, visit the Lung Cu Flag Pole at the China-Vietnam border, and explore Hmong Royal Palace and Khe Lia Canyon. An English-speaking guide leads the group; a trained Red Cross nurse travels with you. The tour prioritizes sustainable practices: locally-owned accommodations, responsible waste management, and respect for local customs.Is it for me?The guide speaks English throughout, so you follow the commentary and ask questions as you ride and trek. Choose this tour if you're comfortable on a motorcycle for several hours a day and want a four-day immersion in the loop rather than a rushed highlight reel—the homestays and the pace give you time to talk with locals and see how the villages actually work.
HaLong Bay Luxury Day Cruise: Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island & BuffetYou’ll ride from Hanoi Old Quarter to HaLong Bay in comfort before boarding a luxury cruise with buffet lunch. Explore Sung Sot Cave’s cool chambers, kayak or take a bamboo boat through Luon Cave’s lagoon, then swim or hike at Ti Top Island for sweeping views. End your day with tea on deck as the sun slips behind limestone cliffs—leaving you with more than just photos.
Ba Na Hills Golden Bridge Day Trip with Lunch & GuideYou’ll ride Southeast Asia’s longest cable car above lush forests, walk across Ba Na Hills’ famous Golden Bridge, explore gardens and French-inspired villages, and enjoy a generous buffet lunch with your local guide. With hotel pickup in Da Nang included, expect sensory moments and unexpected laughs you’ll remember long after you leave.
Hanoi Old Quarter: Street Food Walk & Long Bien BridgeYou walk through Hanoi's Old Quarter stopping at six to seven street food vendors, visit Dong Xuan Market and Long Bien Bridge, and taste egg coffee and local beer along the way. The tour is wheelchair accessible, includes a local guide, and takes you through neighborhoods where the city's history and daily life happen at the same time. No need to arrange your own transport or figure out which vendors are worth stopping at—the guide handles both.Is it for me?Book this if you want to eat where Hanoi eats and understand the Old Quarter's layout and history without planning the route yourself or deciding which vendors are worth your time—the guide does both, and you taste seven different foods in one morning.
