Shore Excursion Hanoi from Ha Long Bay Port: 9 hours
Nine hours, four landmarks, and the streets where Hanoi's history lives
A nine-hour private shore excursion from Ha Long Bay Port to Hanoi with an English-speaking guide, private transport, and entrance fees included. You visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and its surrounding complex, walk through the Old Quarter's 36 named streets, see Hoan Kiem Lake and the red wooden bridge to Ngoc Son Temple, and stop at Hoa Lo Prison Museum. Lunch is your choice: Bun Cha, Pho, or noodle soup.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Hanoi's historic and cultural sites
- Arrive in Hanoi from HaLong Bay
- Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and complex
- Tour the Temple of Literature
- Explore Hoa Lo Prison Museum
- Walk through Hanoi’s Old Quarter
- Visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Cầu Thê Húc bridge
- Enjoy coffee at Train Street cafe
- Temple of Literature Entry included 45m
- Hoa Lo Prison Entry included 1h 30m
- Hoan Kiem Lake Entry included 15m
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Entry included 30m
What’s included
- Private transportation from Ha Long Bay Port to Hanoi and back.
- English-speaking guide for the full nine hours.
- entrance fees to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, Hoan Kiem Lake sites, Hoa Lo Prison Museum, and Temple of Literature.
- lunch (your choice of Bun Cha, Pho, chicken noodle soup, or eel glass noodle soup).
- bottled water throughout the day.
Times
- Every day 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00
Before you book
Operated by SONDAX TRAVEL
Prices and times updated 3 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The journey starts at Ha Long Bay Port and runs nine hours total, including the drive to Hanoi. Your guide meets you on arrival and takes you straight to the Ho Chi Minh complex, where the Mausoleum sits in Ba Dinh Square: the same spot where Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence in 1945. The stilt house where he lived from 1958 to 1969 stands nearby. Note that the Mausoleum closes on certain days, so your guide will confirm access when you book.
From there you move into the Old Quarter, a maze of narrow streets each historically named for the goods once sold there. The streets themselves are the draw: narrow, crowded, lined with ancient shopfronts and street food stalls. You'll walk through this district with your guide before stopping for lunch. The meal is your choice: Bun Cha (the dish Obama ate here), Pho, noodle soup with shredded chicken and pork cake, or glass noodle soup with eel, and it comes included.
The afternoon takes you to Hoan Kiem Lake in the city center, where you cross the iconic red wooden bridge (Cầu Thê Húc) to reach Ngoc Son Temple on a small island. The lake sits in the heart of Hanoi and offers a quieter moment after the Old Quarter's energy. You also visit Hoa Lo Prison Museum, originally built by the French and later used to hold American POWs during the Vietnam War: a significant but sobering stop. The Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first national university and a complex dedicated to Confucius, rounds out the day. Private transport and bottled water are included throughout.
Is this one for you?At nine hours including the drive from Ha Long Bay, this excursion fits a full port day but leaves no time for a second outing in the city. Book it if you want the major Hanoi landmarks and history in one departure, or choose a shorter city tour if your ship's schedule is tight or you plan to return to Hanoi on a separate trip.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 12 years); Child (3 to 9 years); Infant (under 3): free.
What is inside the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex?
The complex includes Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, his final resting place, and President Ho Chi Minh's stilt house, where he lived from 1958 to 1969. Both sit in Ba Dinh Square, the site where he declared Vietnam's independence on September 2, 1945. The Mausoleum closes on certain days, so your guide will confirm it is open when you book.
How much time do you spend walking in Hanoi's Old Quarter?
The Old Quarter is one of several stops on the nine-hour excursion, so you walk through the historic district but do not spend the entire day there. Your guide leads you through the 36 named streets, each historically tied to a particular trade, before moving on to Hoan Kiem Lake and the other sites.
What are the lunch options on this tour?
Lunch is included and you choose one option: Bun Cha (the dish President Obama ate in Hanoi), Pho, noodle soup with shredded chicken, eggs, and steamed pork cake, or glass noodle soup with eel. Your choice is made at checkout.
Is there time to visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple?
Yes. Hoan Kiem Lake sits in central Hanoi and features the red wooden bridge (Cầu Thê Húc) that leads to Ngoc Son Temple on a small island. Both are included stops on the itinerary, offering a quieter contrast to the busier Old Quarter.
Does the nine-hour duration include travel time from Ha Long Bay?
Yes. The nine-hour total includes the journey from Ha Long Bay Port to Hanoi and back, so the time in the city itself is shorter than the full duration. Your guide is with you for the entire excursion.
Shore Excursion Hanoi from Ha Long Bay Port: 9 hours
9h · EN
from US$ 149 per person
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