Things to do in Northern Vietnam
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Tam Coc boat ride Ninh Binh: 2-hour river tour with 3 grottosYou’ll start your Ninh Binh adventure with hotel pickup in Hanoi before exploring ancient Hoa Lu temples, sharing a local buffet lunch in Tam Coc, then gliding by boat through limestone caves rowed by locals. Cycle along rice fields and finish with a climb to Mua Cave’s lookout — expect sweat, laughter, and views that linger long after you’re home.
Hanoi Foodie Jeep Tours: Street Food & Night Markets Led By WomenA four-hour evening jeep tour through Hanoi's Old Quarter and West Lake, led by a guide in English, where you taste street food at four family-run spots and watch a chef prepare banh cuon. Hotel pickup is included for guests staying in the Old Quarter or you can meet at the Hanoi Opera House. The tour moves between neighborhoods by jeep, stopping to eat and explore on foot.Is it for me?You taste four different late-night dishes across neighborhoods in one evening, stopping where locals actually eat after dark rather than tourist-listed spots.
Hanoi Old Quarter: Walking tour with local guideExperience Hanoi’s Old Quarter through its winding alleys, ancient temples, lively markets and legendary bridges alongside a local guide. Taste fresh doughnuts from a family stall, hear stories behind Bach Ma Temple and watch city life unfold from Long Bien Bridge — moments you’ll remember long after leaving Hanoi.
Hanoi Airport Transfer: Private Car to City Center & HotelsYou get picked up at arrivals with a name sign, driven directly to your Hanoi hotel or destination in a private four-seat car, with the driver tracking your flight so delays don't leave you waiting. Fuel and tolls are included in the fixed price. Book at least five hours ahead, and you avoid the taxi queue entirely.Is it for me?Book this if you land with luggage and want to avoid negotiating with taxis or waiting for shared shuttles — the driver knows your flight number and arrival time, so the transfer starts the moment you clear customs.
Hanoi: Bike tour Red River island, Train Street & Old QuarterYou’ll pedal from Hanoi’s buzzing Old Quarter over Long Bien Bridge to quiet river islands and banana farms, meet locals over tea, then finish with coffee on Train Street as the train rushes past — moments you’ll remember long after your ride ends.
Hanoi Old Quarter: Food Tour & Coffee Class Small GroupYou’ll taste your way through Hanoi’s Old Quarter with a local guide, sampling street food from papaya salad to banh mi, then learn how to make traditional egg coffee in a cozy café. With pickup included and only four people per group, you’ll get real stories and flavors you’ll remember long after heading home.
Halong Bay & Bai Tu Long: 2-Day La Regina Luxury CruiseYou board La Regina at Halong Harbour, spend two days cruising Bai Tu Long Bay with stops at Thien Canh Son Cave and Vung Vieng fishing village, take a cooking class, kayak or bamboo-boat through local waters, and sleep one night in a cabin with meals included. The fixed itinerary and small-group format mean you don't arrange transport, book activities separately, or worry about timing—the ship handles all of it, and you arrive back at the harbor by late morning on day two.Is it for me?This cruise works well if you want the main Halong Bay experience without arranging separate transport, guides, and meals—the ship handles all of it, and the two-day format fits neatly between other plans in Northern Vietnam.
Hanoi to Halong & Ninh Binh cruise: 3 days, 10-cabin ship, bamboo boatsYou spend two nights traveling from Hanoi — one aboard a small cruise ship in Lan Ha Bay with kayaking, swimming and a cooking class, the second in a Ninh Binh bungalow. Day three takes you through ancient temples, up a cave peak and by boat through a limestone landscape. All entrance fees, meals, guide and transport are included; you arrange only your arrival in Hanoi and your departure afterward.Is it for me?Right for travelers who want to see both Halong's limestone landscape and Ninh Binh's countryside in one trip without arranging separate transport, bookings and timing — the fixed itinerary handles all three, and the small ship size keeps the bay experience intimate rather than crowded.
Hanoi Airport Transfer: Private Car & Meet-and-GreetYou get a named driver waiting at arrivals with a sign, a private air-conditioned car, and WiFi on board. The driver waits up to two hours if your flight is delayed and handles your luggage at both ends. You pay a fixed price agreed before arrival, so there's no negotiation at the curb. The service works both ways — airport to hotel or hotel to airport — and covers any address in Hanoi.Is it for me?Book this if you land at Hanoi Noi Bai and want to skip the taxi queue and arrive at your hotel knowing exactly what you paid — the fixed price and named driver remove both the negotiation and the uncertainty of ground transport in a new city.
Honeymoon Spa Package for Couples in Hanoi – 270 MinutesIf you’re looking for a quiet spot to unwind together in Hanoi, this couples spa package is worth it. You’ll get hours of treatments—from scrubs to facials—and leave feeling recharged and closer than before.
Perfume Pagoda Hanoi: Full-Day Boat & Cave Trek with LunchYou're picked up from your Hanoi hotel and driven to a rural boat dock, then rowed upstream to a mountain cave pagoda that can only be reached by water. You trek up limestone paths to explore the main Huong Tich cave and Thien Tru Pagoda, learn about Buddhist architecture from a guide, eat lunch at the base, and return by rowboat and bus. The whole day runs about ten hours and includes all entry fees, boat rides, transport and an English-speaking guide.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see a major Buddhist pilgrimage site without arranging transport, boat hire or entry fees yourself — the full-day structure and included guide handle the logistics, which is what makes a steep mountain trek feel manageable instead of stressful.
Hanoi to Ninh Binh: Open Bus & Hoa Lu Temple StopYou board at your hotel or at Hanoi Opera House, ride south through countryside for two hours, stop at Hoa Lu's ancient temples for an hour, then arrive in Tam Coc by midday. The bus is shared but not crowded, includes an English-speaking guide and pickup, and the fixed schedule means you don't have to negotiate transport or timing yourself.Is it for me?Book this if you want to reach Ninh Binh without renting a motorbike or hiring a private driver, and you're happy to see Hoa Lu's temples on the way — the shared bus keeps the cost low, and the fixed schedule means the temples are already built into your day instead of being an extra stop you have to arrange.
Hanoi: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater Skip-the-Line TicketsYou book a timed ticket to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater in Hanoi and skip the entry queue with priority seating in your chosen section. The performance lasts about an hour and features wooden puppets moving across water to live traditional music, telling stories without dialogue. All fees are included, and you pick a showtime that fits your schedule—no arrangements needed beyond showing up.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see a unique Vietnamese art form without spending time in the entry line—the skip-the-line ticket and timed entry mean you arrive, sit down, and watch, leaving the logistics to the booking.
Ninh Binh Hoa Lu, Tam Coc & Mua Cave day from HanoiSpend your day exploring Ninh Binh’s ancient capital Hoa Lu, cycling village roads, drifting by bamboo boat through Tam Coc’s caves and rice paddies, then hiking up Mua Cave for sweeping views. With hotel pickup from Hanoi and a local guide sharing stories along the way, you’ll feel both welcomed and challenged — these are moments you’ll remember long after heading home.
Sapa Private Trekking Tour & Minority Villages Day TripExperience Sapa’s quieter side as you trek through peaceful valleys, meet Hmong and Dzao villagers in their homes, and enjoy a picnic lunch with mountain views. This tour skips crowded spots for real moments—think muddy trails, handwoven fabrics, and warm smiles that stay with you long after you leave.
Hanoi Full Day Private Tour: History, Cyclo Ride & Water PuppetsA private full-day tour of Hanoi with an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup and Vietnamese lunch included. The itinerary strings together the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and its gardens, the 11th-century One Pillar Pagoda, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (or Temple of Literature on Mondays and Fridays), and a lacquer workshop where artisans work in front of you. After lunch, you board a cyclo to circle the French Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake, stop for coffee at train street, and finish with a water puppet show—a folk art form invented in the 11th century. The tour runs 8 to 10 hours and returns you to your hotel by 5pm.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want a private guide and vehicle so the pace stays yours—you move between monuments, workshops and performances without coordinating with other travelers or managing your own transport. The itinerary mixes major historical sites with hands-on moments: watching artisans work, riding a cyclo through narrow streets, and sitting for a folk art performance, so the day holds both learning and movement.
Hanoi City Tour: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Pagodas & MuseumsA full-day guided tour of Hanoi covering five major sites: Tran Quoc Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and its surrounding complex, One Pillar Pagoda, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, the Literature Temple and Quoc Tu Giam university, and Hoa Lo Prison Museum. The tour includes hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide with at least five years of experience, lunch, entrance tickets, transport by shuttle bus, and bottled water. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closes Mondays and Fridays, and shuts for maintenance mid-June through mid-August, though you can still photograph the exterior and visit the surrounding area during that period. The museum stop applies on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.Is it for me?Book this if you prefer a structured itinerary hitting five major sites in one day rather than piecing together your own route; note that the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is only open Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, so choose your date accordingly.
Ha Long Bay: Luxury Catamaran Cruise & Kayaking from HanoiYou're picked up from Hanoi, driven to Ha Long Bay, and board a luxury catamaran for six hours of cruising, kayaking, and swimming in Lan Ha Bay. Lunch, a cooking demonstration, and a sunset tea ceremony are included, along with entrance fees and the return drive to Hanoi. The whole day, door to door, runs from early morning until around 9 PM.Is it for me?Book this if you're staying in Hanoi and want to see Ha Long Bay without renting a car or coordinating multiple bookings — the catamaran, lunch, activities, and round-trip transport are all arranged, and the small-group format means you move at a pace that lets you actually swim and kayak instead of just passing through.
Bai Tu Long Bay Overnight Cruise from Hanoi & KayakingYou get picked up from your Hanoi hotel, driven to the wharf, and board a private cruise into Bai Tu Long Bay for two nights. Your days include kayaking through limestone formations, swimming, a visit to either Thien Canh Son Cave or a fishing village, tai chi at sunrise, a cooking class, and meals on board. The boat returns you to Hanoi by late afternoon on day three, with cabin, guide, and all food included in the price.Is it for me?Right for travelers leaving Hanoi who want the bay without arranging a dozen separate bookings — the pickup, the boat, the meals, and the guide all move together, which is what makes two nights away from the city actually restful instead of logistically exhausting.
Ha Long Bay Day Trip from Hanoi: Sung Sot Cave & KayakingYou're picked up from your Hanoi hotel at 7:30am and driven 2.5 hours to Ha Long Bay, where you board a cruise boat and spend five hours visiting Sung Sot Cave, kayaking around limestone karsts, swimming at Titop Island, and eating lunch on the water. Afternoon tea and a return bus ride get you back to Hanoi by 9:30pm. All entrance fees, transport, meals, and an English guide are included.Is it for me?Choose this tour if you want to see Ha Long Bay's main highlights—caves, islands, kayaking—in one day without arranging your own transport, tickets, or timing. The fixed schedule and included meals mean you show up at your hotel, and the rest is handled.
