Things to do in Northern Vietnam
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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.
Lan Ha Bay Cruise & Viet Hai Village Biking from HanoiOn this Lan Ha Bay cruise with kayaking and biking from Hanoi, you’ll paddle emerald waters, swim at hidden beaches, try your hand at Vietnamese cooking, and cycle through peaceful Viet Hai village with a local guide. Expect real moments—like laughter echoing off cliffs or sunrise over Halong Bay—that’ll stay with you long after you’re home.
Hanoi Morning Bike Tour: Long Bien Bridge & Pho BreakfastYou’ll see Hanoi wake up from a bike seat—crossing Long Bien Bridge at sunrise, joining locals by Hoan Kiem Lake, tasting real pho and egg coffee after exploring lively markets. This tour is all about feeling the city come alive around you.
Hanoi Night Street Food Tour by Motorbike: Opera House, MarketsIf you want to really taste Hanoi after dark, this tour is for you. You’ll ride with a local, eat where the city eats, and see famous spots like Long Bien Bridge and Dong Xuan Market from a whole new angle. It’s not just about food—it’s about feeling Hanoi’s energy up close.
Hanoi Vespa Tour: Old Quarter, Train Street & West LakeA 4.5-hour vespa tour of Hanoi that takes you through narrow alleyways, past the train tracks where locals live in tall houses, around West Lake, and to landmarks like the Long Bien Bridge and Phu Tay Ho temple. Your English-speaking driver picks you up from your hotel, handles the navigation through the Old Quarter and beyond, and brings you back after lunch at a traditional local restaurant. The route reaches places and neighborhoods that walking tours and standard bus routes never access.Is it for me?If you're staying in central Hanoi without a car, this tour solves the transport problem and gets you to places—the train tracks, the Red River islands, the lakeside flower farms—that you can't easily reach on foot or by public transit. The vespa and the local rider do the navigating, so you focus on the stops and the people you meet instead of finding your way.
Sapa 2-Day Tour from Hanoi: Villages, Rice Fields & HomestayIf you want real time with Sapa’s people—not just photos—this trip gets you there: hiking through quiet villages, eating home-cooked meals, learning crafts straight from locals. It’s not rushed or touristy; just honest travel with guides who know every shortcut.
Sapa: Authentic Trekking Tour with Local Guide & LunchYou’ll trek through Sapa’s quiet valleys with a local guide, meet Black Hmong and Red Dzao villagers, try traditional food for lunch, and see rice terraces up close. Expect muddy shoes, friendly faces, and moments that stick with you long after you return.
Hanoi Photography Tour: Train Street & Old Quarter MarketsYou're picked up from your hotel before dawn and guided through train street, Long Bien Bridge's market, and the Old Quarter's trading streets with a professional photographer who adjusts instruction to your skill level. You catch the Reunification Express between houses, photograph vendors at work, and review your morning's images in the heart of the city before returning to your hotel by 9:30am.Is it for me?Book this if you want to photograph the real Hanoi—markets, commuters, layered streets—without spending the morning figuring out where to stand or how to approach strangers with a camera; the early start and local guide handle both the logistics and the access.
Ha Giang Loop: 2-Day Open Air Jeep Tour & Karst PlateauYou spend two days in an open-air jeep crossing the Dong Van Karst Plateau, standing up to see Pac Sum Pass, Heaven Gate, and Ma Pi Leng Pass — the limestone loop's most dramatic stretches. The tour includes all meals, one night in a traditional house in Dong Van, an English-speaking guide, and pickup from Ha Giang city, so you show up at 8:30 am and don't arrange transport, accommodation, or entry fees yourself.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see the Ha Giang Loop's main passes and valleys without arranging your own transport, accommodation, or timing — the fixed schedule and included meals let you focus on the landscape instead of logistics.
Bat Trang Ceramics Village Tour with Factory Visit & Pottery ClassYou’ll get to see real Bat Trang ceramics made up close—visit working factories, step inside an ancient kiln, wander hidden village lanes, and try your hand at pottery with local artisans guiding you every step of the way.
Photo Tour: Fish Trap Making in Hung Yen, VietnamThis 4.5-hour photo tour in Hung Yen, Vietnam lets you photograph elderly craftsmen weaving bamboo fish traps against the backdrop of an old house, with a local English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport and bottled water included. The tour captures a trade that only a handful of workers still practice, preserving images of techniques and designs that are rapidly disappearing from rural Vietnamese life.Is it for me?The guide speaks English, so you follow the explanation of the techniques and the cultural context as you photograph. If you understand spoken English comfortably, you will get the full story behind what you are capturing; if you need a different language, this tour is not the right fit.
Halong Bay 2-day cruise: Kayak, cook, cave-explore on La PandoraLa Pandora Cruise is a two-day overnight cruise departing Hanoi for Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay, where you kayak in protected lagoons, explore a cave by bamboo boat, and join a cooking demonstration led by the ship's chef. Hotel pickup from Hanoi Old Quarter, all meals, activities and an English-speaking guide are included; you choose whether to arrange your own transport to the harbor or add the three-hour bus transfer.Is it for me?Book this cruise if you want a small-ship pace through the bay's quieter corners—the itinerary skips the crowded anchorages larger vessels use, so the kayaking and cave exploration feel less trafficked. The cooking class and hands-on activities suit travelers who want to do something, not just look, and the two-day length gives you time to settle in without the rush of a day trip.
Hanoi: Bai Dinh Pagoda, Mua Cave & Trang An Boat TripYou climb 500 steps at Mua Cave for views of the Ninh Binh landscape, tour Bai Dinh Pagoda with its massive Buddhist statues, and spend three hours on a sampan boat through UNESCO-protected caves at Trang An. Pickup from Hanoi Old Quarter, lunch, and an English-speaking guide are included. The day is long but paced so you're not rushing between stops.Is it for me?Right for travelers based in Hanoi who want to see three major sites in one day without arranging separate transport or timing the stops themselves. The full day out — from early morning until late afternoon — is what makes it possible to climb the cave, tour the pagoda, and spend unhurried time on the water.
Ha Long Bay 3 Day Tour: Sung Sot Cave & KayakingYou board a cruise in one of three bays—Ha Long, Lan Ha, or Bai Tu Long—with meals, a private cabin, and a guide included. Days mix kayaking through caves, swimming, hiking, and optional activities like Tai Chi and squid fishing. Transport from Hanoi is included both ways, and you're back in the city by mid-afternoon on day three.Is it for me?Right for travelers based in Hanoi who want a full bay experience without arranging transport, meals, and lodging separately. The three-day format means you're away from the city for one full night cycle, which is what makes visiting caves, kayaking, and swimming feel unhurried rather than rushed.
Kayaking Lan Ha Bay from Hanoi: Hidden lagoons and cavesA full-day kayaking tour from Hanoi to Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Island, with hotel pickup, boat cruise, guided paddles through hidden lagoons and caves, traditional Vietnamese lunch, and swimming at a remote beach. The tour runs 14 hours door-to-door, departing early morning and returning to your Hanoi hotel by evening, with an English-speaking guide and air-conditioned transport included.Is it for me?Book this tour if you're arriving in Hanoi with a full day free and want to see the limestone karst landscape without the crowds of Ha Long Bay. The early start and 14-hour commitment suit travelers who don't mind a long day on the water in exchange for paddling through caves and lagoons most visitors never reach.
Hanoi Train Street Photo Tour & Morning MarketsYou'll photograph Hanoi's train street at the moment the locomotive passes through a residential alley, then move through early morning markets, backstreets and lakeside parks with a professional photography guide who knows the light and the locals. Hotel pickup takes the logistics off your hands, and the small group size means you're not competing for angles with fifty other photographers.Is it for me?Book this if you want to photograph Hanoi's real morning rhythm — the train, the markets, the streets — without arranging transport or navigating the city before dawn, and with someone who knows where to stand and when to shoot.
Mai Chau, Pu Luong & Ninh Binh tour: 4 days from HanoiA 4-day guided tour from Hanoi explores Mai Chau's White Thai villages, Pu Luong Nature Reserve and Ninh Binh's Trang An UNESCO site with a live English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport, meals and homestay accommodation. The operator specializes in Pu Luong and keeps groups small so you interact with locals rather than move as a crowd. Trekking involves moderate physical fitness; the itinerary includes early starts and mountain paths.Is it for me?Hotel pickup from Hanoi on day one means you don't arrange your own transport to Mai Chau or coordinate timing with other travelers—the van collects you and the small group moves together for four days, which is what lets you interact with locals instead of passing through as part of a larger crowd.
Ma Pi Leng Pass Motorbike Tour: 2 Days Off-Road Dong VanYou ride your own dirt bike through Ha Giang's mountain passes and limestone valleys for two days, staying overnight in a traditional house and eating all meals with the group. The tour hits the loop's main attractions — Pac Sum, Heaven Gate, Ma Pi Leng, Dong Van Karst Plateau, and Hmong villages — without stretching into a third day. Your English-speaking guide handles navigation and village visits, so you focus on the riding and the scenery. Pickup is at the office in Ha Giang City at 8:30 am on day one.Is it for me?This works well if you have two days and want to see the Ha Giang Loop's main passes and valleys without committing to three days — the compressed schedule is what fits everything in, and riding your own bike means you set your own pace through the backroads instead of sitting in a jeep.
Hanoi Jeep Tour: Ba Vi National Park Full DayA full-day Jeep tour from Hanoi to Ba Vi National Park includes hotel pickup, a professional guide, lunch, and trekking to the summit at 1,200 meters. The route passes through rural villages and rice paddies on the way in, then climbs inside the park on a mountain road to reach a loop trail with panoramic views of the city and surrounding countryside. The tour runs 7 hours and suits all fitness levels.Is it for me?You ride in an open-air Jeep the whole way, which means you see the landscape directly instead of through windows—the rice paddies, the forest canopy, the ridge views—and you're not driving yourself or navigating the mountain road. This suits anyone who wants to experience the park and villages without the logistics of renting a vehicle or finding the route alone.
Sapa 2 Day Motorbike Tour: Hidden Villages & Rice TerracesGet off Sapa’s tourist track with this two-day motorbike journey. You’ll meet local families, eat home-cooked meals, ride through secret valleys, and sleep in a real village homestay. If you want to see Sapa beyond the postcards—and don’t mind a little dust—this is your trip.
