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Hanoi Summer activities

Our most recommended Hanoi Summer activities

Full-Day Perfume Pagoda Private or Small-Group Tour

1. Full-Day Perfume Pagoda Private or Small-Group Tour

Embark on a full-day tour to visit Perfume Pagoda – a vast complex of Buddhist temples and shrines built into the limestone Huong Tich mountains. Glide along scenic waterways and walk up steep mountain paths as you encounter the area's centuries-old pagodas and temples. Around 8:30 AM, the guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter. After pickup, enjoy a scenic 2-hour drive to Perfume Pagoda. Upon arrival, hop aboard your 1-hour row boat trip on the Yen stream to Thien Tru harbor. Once you have arrived in Thien Tru, you will enjoy time for some trekking, visit the main cave where you’ll arrive at Huong Tich Cave on the top of the mountain. Then enjoy a 1-hour trekking back down or take optional cable car instead of trekking (optional). Next, enjoy lunch at the local restaurant at the bottom of the mountain. After lunchtime, you will see the Heaven Kitchen pagoda and learn about Buddhism ancient architectural at Le Dynasty. Re-board your boat and sit back and relax as you head back to the pier, enjoy 2-hour road trip back to Hanoi. Your tour ends with a drop-off at your hotel around 6:00 PM.

Hanoi: Islands, Caves, Kayak & Halong Dragonfly Boat Cruise

2. Hanoi: Islands, Caves, Kayak & Halong Dragonfly Boat Cruise

Discover the beauty of Ha Long Bay on a cruise and a guided kayaking tour. Enjoy a delicious seafood lunch on a voyage to the Thien Cung (Heaven Palace) cave. Get closer to the islands on a leisurely kayaking tour.  After you’re picked up at hotels located in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, head out on the drive to Ha Long Bay, making a short stop halfway to take a short break or restroom. Continue the scenic drive to Halong, reaching Tuan Chau Island pier around midday and board the traditional cruise. Enjoy a fresh seafood lunch onboard and take in the tranquil beauty and breathtaking scenery from the deck. Admire tiny limestone islands with rock arches, sheer cliffs, white sand beaches, peaceful coves, and fanciful names, such as Incense Burner and Fighting Cock (the symbol of Ha Long Bay). Then, head on to Thien Cung (Heavenly Palace Grotto). Explore its vast chambers adorned with stalactites and stalagmites of all kinds. Finally, enjoy 45 minutes of kayaking or paddling a bamboo boat around the islands and water tunnels at the World Natural Area recognized by UNESCO. Return to the Tuan Chau pier and board the bus that will take you back to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi in the evening. Lunch menu:• Tomato/ cucumber salad• Fried potato• Steam shrimp• Fried eggs roll• Fried squid • Deep-fried seafood spring rolls• Fried chicken with mushroom• Steamed fish with tomato sauce• Fried vegetables (when in season)• Steamed rice• Fresh fruit• Afternoon fresh fruit and tea

Hanoi: Small-Group Street Food Walking Tour

3. Hanoi: Small-Group Street Food Walking Tour

Take a walk through Hanoi's old quarter on a tour with a local guide. Learn about the traditions of Vietnam’s food culture while tasting local specialties like Vietnamese sandwiches, traditional desserts, and the iconic egg coffee. First, stop at a local restaurant to try a combination of spring rolls, Pho rolls, pillow cake, shrimp cake, sweet donuts, or deep-fried fermented pork, served with a dish of raw vegetables and fish sauce. Next, continue the walk to try Vietnam's signature dish known as pho, a soup consisting of broth, noodles, herbs, and meat. Taste test a specialty pho mixed with a special sauce. The soup can definitely bring you a whole new outlook on taste. Visit a restaurant to taste bánh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) with its signature pate filling. And you can’t miss out on the traditional dessert chè (any variety of sweet beverages or pudding), which can vary depending on the season. Last but not least, try the infamous egg coffee. This is a must-try when you come to Vietnam. Finish your tour having discovered the taste of about five different dishes of Vietnam.

Hanoi: Guided Street Food Tour

4. Hanoi: Guided Street Food Tour

Benefit from pick-up in the Old Quarter of Hanoi and get an introduction on how to greet someone in Vietnamese! Then, experience everyday life as you brave the traffic and walk the streets. Learn about the history and culture of Vietnam as you sample 10 or more dishes at some of the city's best eateries and small restaurants. Try a variety of foods, such as nộm bò khô (papaya with dried beef salad) bún chả (grilled pork with rice noodles) and an authentic pho (rice noodle soup). Try some nem phở cuốn (fried and fresh spring rolls), bánh cuốn (steamed rice pancake rolls) and bánh mì (sandwich). Indulge your sweet tooth with bánh gối (fried pillow-shaped cake) and bánh rán (donuts). Wash it down with trà đá (ice tea) or bia hơi (beer), and end with dessert tastings such as chè (sweet soup). End at Hoan Kiem Lake or get dropped off at a location suitable to you.  

Hanoi: Hoa Lu, Trang An Caves, & Mua Cave Day Trip and Lunch

5. Hanoi: Hoa Lu, Trang An Caves, & Mua Cave Day Trip and Lunch

Travel in an air-conditioned van from Hanoi to Hoa Lu on this day trip to uncover the ancient temples of Dinh King and Le King. Savor local flavors with a buffet lunch and travel by boat on the Trang An river admire stunning natural scenery and visit the Trang An cave complex. Start your tour with hotel pickup in the early morning and depart for Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam. Visit the Dinh King Temple and Le King Temple from the 10th century, and hear about the heroic histories of these two Kings during the Chinese Wars. At around midday, sit down for a buffet lunch at a local restaurant, before you head to Trang An Wharf to take a boat trip along Trang An Stream. Visit Trang An cave complex, including Sang Cave, Toi Cave, Ba Giot Cave, Nau Ruou, and marvel at the scenery of mountains and rivers.  Then, head back to Trang An wharf to board the luxury limousine, and visit Mua Cave. Climb 500 stone steps to see all the way to Tam Coc, and enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the countryside and Ngo Dong river. Finally, hop back onto the bus to return to Hanoi, arriving back in the early evening.

Hanoi Food Tour with Train Street Visit

6. Hanoi Food Tour with Train Street Visit

Start your tour at the meeting point on No.47 Hàng Bông street, and head to a traditional restaurant specializing in entrees such as pillow cake, shrimp cake, Pho rolls, and spring rolls. Have a taste of some popular and classic Vietnamese dishes. Then head over to the nearby St. Joseph’s and stop for some pictures of the late colonial French architecture. Along the way make sure to stop at a local restaurant to try banh cuon (filled rice noodles) and watch as skilled chefs demonstrate how this tasty dish is created. Next, enjoy pho (noodle soup), which is Vietnam’s most famous dish. Try both the beef and chicken versions. Definitely don't miss out on a Vietnamese traditional dessert called chè. There are both hot and cold versions for each season. After several dishes, you will be full and satisfied. Catch a taxi and go straight to the train street. Although train schedules show them to come daily, sometimes they do and sometimes not, so if you're lucky, you may catch one and experience the huge train passing right in front of your face. While here, enjoy egg coffees at a nice shop trackside and experience the unique ambiance. When you’re done with the drinks, hop in a taxi again to go back to the meeting point where the tour ends. For the disabled and those who simply have sore feet, select the cyclo option where you can sit back and enjoy the tour in quiet comfort.

From Hanoi: Halong Bay Deluxe Full-Day Trip by Boat

7. From Hanoi: Halong Bay Deluxe Full-Day Trip by Boat

Enjoy a full-day cruise on board a classic junk boat and get a unique Vietnamese experience among the stunning limestone karst mountains of legendary Halong Bay. 8:45 AM-9:15 AM: Pick-up from hotel/accommodation in Hanoi Old Quarter Area - Hoan Kiem District and depart for Halong Bay or at the tour provider's office if your accommodation is outside Hanoi. 12:15 PM: Arrive at Tuan Chau Harbor, welcome aboard, and safety briefing – you'll set out on a 5-hour journey via 2 day-sleeper boat cruise route which is renowned for its striking passages. 1:45 PM: Arrive at Bo Hon archipelago, where you will visit Surprising Cave to see many stalagmites and stalactites in different shapes. Enjoy kayaking or a bamboo boat ride in Luon Cave.  Then visit Titov Island with its sandy beaches adjacent to a towering limestone mountain and the excellent backdrop of the bay. Climb up to Titov Peak for a panoramic view of the bay. 4:30 PM: Return to your cruise boat for a traditional cup of tea and then cruise back toward Tuan Chau harbor. Enjoy free time for sunbathing on the upper deck with music or just enjoy the picturesque views.  5:45 PM: Disembark and return to Hanoi via the new highway. 8:30 PM: Arrive at your hotel, other accommodations, or meeting point in Hanoi.

Hanoi: Morning or Afternoon City Highlights Tour

8. Hanoi: Morning or Afternoon City Highlights Tour

Explore Hanoi and see its highlights on a morning or afternoon city tour by van. See the Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Complex, Tran Quoc Pagoda, and more. Begin your tour at the Hanoi Opera House in the French Quarter and wonder at one of the city's main architectural landmarks. Then head to the Temple of Literature, the first university of Vietnam built in the 10th century under the Ly Dynasty and greatly influenced by Confucianism. Make your way to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, an important place for the Vietnamese. The complex is a traffic-free area full of botanical gardens, monuments, memorials and pagodas. Stop outside Ba Dinh Square and take a look outside the mausoleum, then continue to explore the One Pillar Pagoda. Go to Tran Quoc Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in Hanoi, before concluding your tour at St. Joseph's Cathedral to learn about religion in Vietnam. The church was one of the first structures built by the French colonial government in Indochina when it opened in December 1886.

From Hanoi: Ha Long Bay Luxury Cruise & Jacuzzi Day Tour

9. From Hanoi: Ha Long Bay Luxury Cruise & Jacuzzi Day Tour

7:00-7:20 AM Limousine bus will pickup travelers at Hanoi Old Quarter ( if customer book transfer) Get to know Ha Long bay in style with a guided day tour and cruise, with optional transfers by limousine from Hanoi. Relax on board a luxury cruise ship, with stops to kayak and explore Bo Hon Island and Titov Island. Enjoy a buffet lunch and sit back in the boat's jacuzzi before returning to Hanoi. Start the day with a luxurious limousine ride from your hotel in Hanoi to Tuan Chau harbor. Hop on board and settle in with a welcome drink before setting sail across the World Heritage site, Ha Long Bay. Cruise by beautiful limestone islands such as Dog Rock, Duck Rock, and Thumb Rock. For lunch, enjoy a buffet feast of traditional Vietnamese food. Next, stop at Bo Hon Island and take the option to follow the guide through the forest to Sung Sot Cave, the largest in Ha Long Bay. Explore the breathtaking cavern for 45 minutes before returning to the cruise ship. Head to Luon Cave for a 30-minute kayaking adventure through the cave. Your next stop is Titov Island, where you can climb halfway up the mountain to enjoy a panoramic view of Ha Long Bay. Return to the boat for the sunset party, featuring Vietnamese coffee, tea, and snacks. Spend the evening relaxing on the sundeck or in the jacuzzi. On the way back, catch a glimpse of the Hoa Cuong area, one of the most beautiful spots in the bay. Return to Tuan Chau harbor and finish with a drop-off at your hotel. 20:00 PM the end trip at Hanoi Old Quarter

Private Day Tour: Cuc Phuong National Park from Hanoi

10. Private Day Tour: Cuc Phuong National Park from Hanoi

Venture into the heart of the jungle on this full-day tour of Cuc Phuong National Park. Explore the park while on a hike, observing the way the jungle comes alive. Visit the langurs and Endangered Primate Rescue Center as well, witnessing them in their natural environment. In the morning, your private guide will meet you in the lobby of your Hanoi hotel. From there, begin your two-hour ride to the Cuc Phuong National Park in Ninh Binh. Upon your arrival, visit the langurs and Endangered Primate Rescue Center. Here, professional staff protect monkeys and langurs from becoming extinct. The environment is kept as close to their natural habitat as possible. Afterwards, enjoy a typical lunch at a local restaurant, recommended by your guide. Take a trekking trip into the heart of the jungle come the afternoon. As you hike, observe the rare flora and fauna that surrounds you. Listen to the exotic birds as they sing and stand in the middle of the jungle to take in nature in its truest form. From there, continue to walk the trail, taking photos along the way. Late into the day, you will return to the car and transfer back to your Hanoi accommodation.

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Frequently asked questions about Hanoi

What are the best day trips and excursions from Hanoi?

The best day trips and excursions from Hanoi are:

Ha Long Bay

Other Sightseeing Options in Hanoi

Want to discover all there is to do in Hanoi? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Hanoi

Had a great tour with Sarah! She was very friendly and gave us a lot of information about Hanoi history and the local food culture! Definitely would recommend.

Great experience traversing the streets of Hanoi and trying all the wonderful food! Our guide phon was amazing !

Brilliant day, great tour guide and an added bonus was the use of cycles through the rice fields

The views and landscape are wonderful, the food served was good and the boat trip very relaxing.

Very good guide, varied activities and above all a magnificent tour of the bay