Things to do in Northern Vietnam
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Hanoi Old Quarter: Street Food Walking Tour & Train StreetYou’ll taste smoky bún chả in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, squeeze through hidden alleys for bánh mì and phở cuốn, sip egg coffee where locals linger, then watch the train roar by on Train Street — all with stories from your guide and hotel pickup included. Expect laughter, surprises, maybe even some new friends.
Halong & Lan Ha Bay cruise from Hanoi: 2 days with kayakingA two-day cruise from Hanoi visits Lan Ha Bay, Halong Bay and the Tra Bau Area with kayaking, cave rowing and onboard activities; roundtrip shuttle bus transfer from Hanoi Old Quarter, meals, English-speaking guide, and a private balcony cabin are included. The itinerary avoids the crowded main Halong routes, and you choose between kayaking or local bamboo boat rides at each water stop. Drinks at the restaurant and tips are optional.Is it for me?Book this cruise if you're arriving in Hanoi with a free two days and want to skip the main Halong Bay crowds—the route favors Lan Ha Bay and smaller groups, and the shuttle bus means no car rental or separate transport to arrange. The private balcony cabin and onboard meals keep the day simple, so you're free to kayak, cave-row or rest without planning stops.
Ha Long Bay & Lan Ha Bay: 5-Star Overnight Cruise, Balcony CabinYou’ll float through Ha Long & Lan Ha Bay in a private balcony cabin with all meals included—kayak at quiet coves, try Tai Chi at sunrise on deck, join a Vietnamese cooking class and relax with live music after dinner. It’s peaceful but never dull; you’ll remember how it felt to wake up surrounded by water.
2-day Ha Long Bay cruise from Hanoi: Sung Sot Cave & Titop IslandA 2-day, 1-night overnight cruise from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay with cabin accommodation, all meals, activities and cave entry included. The itinerary covers Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island and Luon Cave, plus kayaking, bamboo boat rides, a Vietnamese cooking class and Tai Chi at sunrise. Choose between 4-star or 5-star cruise tiers and decide whether to add round-trip transfer from Hanoi or meet the boat at Tuan Chau port.Is it for me?Book the all-inclusive option with transfer if you're arriving in Hanoi without a car and want the whole trip arranged — pickup, port check-in, meals and activities are handled, so you only show up at your hotel in the morning. Choose the no-transfer option if you're already in the city or prefer to drive yourself to Tuan Chau port and skip the early pickup window.
Ha Long Bay Cruise: Small Group, Kayak & Cave, Cooking ClassYou’ll float through Ha Long Bay’s limestone peaks on a small-group cruise, kayak into quiet corners, wander through Sung Sot Cave’s echoing chambers, and try rolling your own noodles at sunset. With fresh meals onboard and an unexpected herbal foot bath after karaoke, this overnight trip lets you slow down and really feel life on the bay.
Ninh Binh Day Trip from Hanoi: Hoa Lu, Trang An & Mua CaveA full-day tour from Hanoi to Ninh Binh combines cycling through the 10th-century temples of Hoa Lu, a boat ride through the Trang An Landscape Complex, and a hike up Mua Cave to a panoramic viewpoint. The itinerary includes hotel pickup in Hanoi, Vietnamese buffet lunch, entrance fees, and an English-speaking guide; the day runs roughly 11 to 12 hours door-to-door.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want to see the temples and landscape of Ninh Binh without arranging transport, guides or tickets yourself—the pickup from your Hanoi hotel, the fixed itinerary and the English-speaking guide mean the day holds together without you building it.
Halong Bay 2-Day Cruise: Bhaya Caves, Cooking & Overnight CabinYou’ll drift through Halong Bay’s limestone peaks, step into ancient caves like Sung Sot with a local guide, try your hand at Vietnamese cooking on board, and wake up to misty sunrise views from your own cabin. From Tai Chi at dawn to quiet moments on deck after dinner, this tour leaves you with more than photos—it’s a feeling you’ll want to keep.Is it for me?Everything unfolds on the water—caves, kayaking, cooking classes, and meals—so you arrive and simply step aboard without planning logistics.
Halong Bay Day Cruise: Caves, Titop Island & Buffet LunchYou’ll glide past Halong Bay’s limestone towers on a Diamond 5-Star cruise with buffet lunch, kayak through Luon Cave’s lagoon, climb into Surprise Cave’s cool chambers, and soak up sunset from the sundeck before heading back to Hanoi. Expect laughter, local flavors, and moments you’ll replay in your head long after you’re home.
Hanoi Craft Villages Tour: Make Conical Hats & IncenseThis half-day or full-day small-group tour from Hanoi takes you to two or three traditional craft villages where you work alongside local artisans. In Chuong village you craft and paint your own conical hat to take home; in Quang Phu Cau village you watch century-old incense production and receive free incense sticks after making some yourself. The full-day option adds a lacquer village where you paint a piece. Hotel pickup in the Old Quarter is included; a live guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and eight other languages.Is it for me?Book the half-day tour if you have a free morning or afternoon and want to work with artisans without committing a full day. Choose the full-day option if you want to add the lacquer village and sit down for a home-cooked meal—the extra time lets you move at a pace that lets the crafts sink in instead of rushing between stops.
Hanoi: Army Jeep City Tour, Train Street & Egg CoffeeYou’ll ride through Hanoi in a vintage army jeep with a local guide, weaving from grand landmarks to narrow alleys buzzing with daily life. Taste sticky rice at a market stall, watch the train roar past on famous Train Street, then wind down with creamy egg coffee by West Lake. It’s an unfiltered slice of Hanoi you’ll feel long after you leave.
Ha Long Bay 5-Star Day Cruise: Titop Island, Cave & JacuzziYou get picked up from your Hanoi hotel early morning, driven to Tuan Chau Marina, then spend the day on a cruise exploring Ha Long Bay's limestone karsts, caves, and islands. You'll walk through Surprise Cave, kayak or row through Luon Cave, climb or swim at Titop Island, and end with a sunset party in the Jacuzzi before returning to your hotel by evening. The whole day—from pickup to drop-off—runs about 13 hours.Is it for me?Book this if you want the main Ha Long Bay highlights in one full day without arranging your own transport, entrance tickets, and timing—the fixed schedule and included pickup handle all three, which is what makes a 13-hour day feel manageable rather than chaotic.
Ha Long Bay: Luxury Day Cruise, Caves & Titop Island SwimYou’ll find yourself floating past limestone towers on a luxury Ha Long Bay day cruise, picking up micro-moments: cool cave air on your skin, laughter echoing off stone during kayaking at Luon Cave, salt on your lips after swimming at Titop Island. With hotel pickup from Hanoi and lunch included, this trip leaves you quietly changed.
Hanoi Night Food Tour by Motorbike: Women Drivers & Local EatsYou ride a comfortable motorbike through Hanoi's night streets with a trained female driver, stopping at four local food spots to eat Banh Cuon, Bun Cha, grilled seafood, Pho, and Vietnamese egg coffee. Hotel pickup is included, as is all food and drink. The tour lasts around three hours and ends with drop-off back at your hotel.Is it for me?Book this if you want to eat the food Hanoians actually eat at night without figuring out transport, language, or which restaurant is worth your time—the motorbike and the driver take care of all three, and the backrest means you're not exhausted by the time you reach the first stop.
Halong & Lan Ha Bay: 2-Day Aspira Cruise with Balcony SuiteYou’ll wake up to misty views of Halong & Lan Ha Bay from your own balcony suite, kayak into caves with a local guide, learn to roll Vietnamese spring rolls (even if they come out wonky), and join Tai Chi at sunrise on deck. With hotel pickup from Hanoi and all meals included, it’s an easy escape into another world.
Ninh Binh Day Trip from Hanoi: Mua Cave, Tam Coc & Hoa LuYou leave Hanoi early, climb Mua Cave for a panoramic view of the limestone valleys, bike through rice fields and countryside, eat lunch, then boat through the caves at Tam Coc before visiting the temples at Hoa Lu, Vietnam's ancient capital. Pickup from your hotel, all entry fees, lunch and water are included. The group stays under ten people, and you're back in Hanoi by early evening.Is it for me?Choose this if you want to see Ninh Binh's three main attractions — caves, river and temples — in a single day without arranging transport, tickets or timing yourself; the small group size and fixed schedule mean you move through each stop at a pace that lets you actually absorb what you're seeing.
Bai Tu Long Bay Cruise from Hanoi: Kayaking & Cooking ClassYou get picked up from your Hanoi hotel, driven three hours to Bai Tu Long Bay, and spend two days kayaking through karst formations, exploring Thien Canh Son Cave, swimming at Hon Co Island, and learning to cook Vietnamese spring rolls on board. All meals, the guide, and transport back to Hanoi are included; the boat returns you by mid-afternoon on day two.Is it for me?Right for travelers leaving Hanoi who want the Halong Bay experience without the crowds and prefer not to arrange transport, meals, or activities separately—the fixed itinerary and all-inclusive format means you show up at your hotel in the morning and the rest is handled.
Ninh Binh day tour from Hanoi: Hoa Lu, Trang An, Mua CaveA full-day tour from Hanoi to Ninh Binh visits Hoa Lu Ancient Capital's two royal temples, includes a choice of a 2.5-hour sampan boat ride through Trang An or a 1.5-hour ride through Tam Coc (both UNESCO sites with limestone caves), and climbs 500 steps to Mua Cave for panoramic views. Small groups of up to 22 travel by air-conditioned vehicle with hotel pickup, lunch, and all entry fees included; an English-speaking guide leads throughout.Is it for me?Spend your day trip from Hanoi exploring Ninh Binh's UNESCO sites by boat, then climb Mua Cave for panoramic views—choose between the longer Trang An or shorter Tam Coc route depending on your pace.
Hanoi: Heritage City Tour with Limousine & LunchYou’ll ride through Hanoi by luxury limousine with a local guide—feeling incense at Tran Quoc Pagoda, seeing Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house up close, tasting real Vietnamese lunch at Mesdames Linh Cuisine, and hearing stories inside Hoa Lo Prison. Expect small surprises and honest moments that stay with you long after you leave.
Halong Bay & Cat Ba: 3-Day Cruise, Kayak & Village Bike TourYou’ll wake up to sunrise over Halong Bay, kayak beneath towering limestone cliffs, cycle through quiet villages on Cat Ba Island, and share laughs with locals over fresh meals. With all activities included—from Tai Chi at dawn to BBQ lunch on deck—you’ll get just enough adventure mixed with slow moments you might remember long after you’re home.
Ha Long Bay: Overnight Luxury Cruise with Kayak & MealsYou board at noon, swim or kayak in the afternoon, eat three meals on the boat, sleep in your cabin, wake for Tai Chi and cave exploration, then disembark by lunchtime the next day. The cruise handles all activities, meals, and overnight accommodation; the only decision is whether to add the Hanoi transfer or arrange your own transport to the dock.Is it for me?Book this if you want a two-day floating experience with meals, a cave, and water activities all arranged — the fixed itinerary and all-inclusive pricing mean you're not coordinating transport, meals, or activity bookings separately once you step aboard.
