Northern Vietnam · GUIDED
Good guided tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Taste Hanoi classics, sip egg coffee, and watch a train pass close by on this flexible Old Quarter food tour for $19.
“This tour was awesome! Food was delicious and our guide Lee was so knowledgeable and taught us so much about the culture and history of Vietnam. Definitely book this!”
Taste Hanoi’s local street food, learn from an English-speaking guide, and watch a train pass close by on this three-hour Old Quarter walk.
“Thomas was a fantastic guide. We did this tour the first day we arrived in Hanoi and it was a great introduction to all the street food you can eat. The food was all delicious and Thomas was friendly and really helpful. Loved finishing the tour on Train Street. Can't recommend this enough.”
Review of a Ninh Binh day tour from Hanoi with Mua Cave views, Tam Coc boat ride, cycling, Hoa Lu temples, lunch, and a small group.
“Great experience - our guide Bruce Lee was one of the best I’ve had. This trip had it all from hiking and biking to great food and more.”
Taste Hanoi’s Michelin-mentioned street food, egg coffee, and Old Quarter culture on a friendly three-hour walking tour for $19.
“3 food stops, all good, and a hidden bar that served amazing coconut coffee with views over the lake”
Taste seven Vietnamese dishes, egg coffee, beer, and Hanoi stories on a four-hour Old Quarter walking tour for up to six people.
“Ha took us to some delicious street food places and explained everything perfectly! We learned so much about the local food, but also about other topics we were interested in. Still it felt more like going out with a friend than participating in a guided tour! Thanks again for the great evening!”
Review of a 3-day Ha Giang Loop tour with English guide, easy riders, small groups, Ma Pi Leng Pass, Nho Que River, and local meals.
“Disappointing. We booked through odyssey as they had great reviews. Our trip was actually operated by a company called lotus and they were poor. The company were unaware of our booking so never received confirmation of booking. Tried 3times to get hold of the tRead more”
Explore Hanoi’s Old Quarter with a student guide, visiting Hoan Kiem Lake, an ancient house, Kim Ngan Temple, and water puppets.
“We had so much fun on this tour! Our guides were upbeat and were able to share great facts and stories about each stop. We felt like we were spending the day with some friends! We booked this tour for our first day in Hanoi and we werRead more”
Ride Ha Giang’s mountain loop with an English-speaking guide, easy riders, local meals, caves, passes, villages, and small-group support.
“I had a great loop with Tom and Tien. They had lots of activities planned along the way and made the loop enjoyable for our small group. The home stays were great as well as lunches and dinners. This will be one of the heights of my trip and something you don’t want to miss out on.”
Taste eight Hanoi street foods, sip egg coffee and local beer, then watch the famous Train Street with an English-speaking guide.
“Amazing our guide was Apple so friendly talking all about culture and food incredibly love it all well worth it.”
Trek 12 km from Sapa through Hmong rice terraces and Zay villages, with a local lunch, mountain views, and traditional incense making.
“Giang was an amazing guide. She was very funny but also informative and answered all our questions. The trek itself had amazing views and was not too challenging. Lunch was delicious and very generous. Overall we had a great time and highly recommend!”
Explore Hanoi with a student guide on a private Old Quarter tour covering Ho Chi Minh sites, the Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison, and Hoan Kiem Lake.
“I have coeliac disease and other food intolerance. I am nervous about ordering food when I travel and the knowledge about my condition. I have to eat gluten free to have good health and not be in crippling sickness. During our discussions I sent a travel document for people with coeliac disease. Our guides Anna and Jackie selected a restaurant which I can freely eat without worrying about my condition. Also the restaurant was authentic Vietnamese food. It was one of the best places we ate at since our visit at Hanoi. I also enjoyed Anna teaching us the correct way to prepare the food before eating. We also visited…”
Hike Cat Ba National Park, explore war-era Hospital Cave and Trung Trang Cave, then visit a local pagoda on this active half-day tour.
“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had an amazing hike today in Cát Bà! The scenery was absolutely beautiful, and the whole experience was so much fun. Our guide was fantastic — super friendly, knowledgeable, and made the hike even more enjoyable. Everything was really well organized and totally worth the price. I’d 100% recommend this tour to anyone visiting Cát Bà!”
Visit Hanoi’s incense and conical-hat villages, Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison, and Train Street on an eight-hour guided tour.
“BAD, I made reservations the tour guide supposed pick up us at 8:00 am our hotel lobby.I was texting message for hour until someone responded. My family waited for 1 1/2 hours for tour guide to pick us up. We missed the first attractive. I texting message to the agent asking for $5:00 USA dollars refund for each person but no one responded”
Ride Sapa’s mountain roads to Silver and Love Waterfalls, Muong Hoa villages, rice terraces, and local lunch with an English-speaking guide.
“The motorbike tour was very complete and fun to do! Both the guide and the motorbike drivers (we booked it with local driver option) were very good and made the day very enjoyable!”
Ride, hike, and sleep in a Lao Chai homestay on this two-day Sapa tour from Hanoi, with waterfalls, rice terraces, village visits, meals, and guides.
“Fantastic Sapa adventure! Exploring Lao Chai, Ta Van, an waterfalls on foot and by motorbike was magical. The bus transfer from Hanoi was on time and cozy. The guide explained a lot about local life. Minor note: WiFi at the homestay was spotty but manageable.”
Pick a bay, a valley or a bowl of noodles.
