Private Crowd Free Hanoi: Morning Highlights of the City Experience

Meeting point

Departure

08:00 daily; scheduled through October 2027 (operator schedule, seats confirmed at checkout)

Pickup

Hotel pickup included

Operator

Intrepid Urban Adventures - Vietnam; booking and payment are completed on Viator

1. 1
   Temple of Literature & National University

   Start the city tour with a visit to the Temple of Literature. Originally built in honour of Confucius by King Ly Thai Thong in 1070, a university was added to the grounds six years later. The university provided education to the royal family and children of the aristocracy or "mandarins". The University remained here until King Gia Long moved the country's administrative capital from Hanoi to Hue at the beginning of the 19th century.

   45 min · Admission included
2. 2
   Drop into a traditional teahouse to taste some of the best Vietnamese flavoured green teas, and listen to thousand-year-oldstories explaining the significance of tea leaves to local cultures

   Tea is even better when served with some authentic snacks such as sweetened lotus seeds and green bean cake.

   30 min · Admission included
3. 3
   Hoa Lo Prison

   We'll head to the Hoa Lo Prison museum. Used by French Colonists for political prisoners till 1954 and later by North Vietnam for American POWs, the prison complex was sarcastically nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton" by American pilots during Vietnam War (1954-1975). Famous ex-prisoners of war include Pete Peterson (the first US ambassador to a unified Vietnam in 1995), and US Senator John McCain.

   45 min · Admission included
4. 4
   St. Joseph's Cathedral

   Our next stop will be the largest and oldest church in Hanoi. St Joseph's Cathedral was built in 1886 with an architectural style often compared to the Notre Dame de Paris, this Gothic Revival church is not only a religious site, but is also a popular photo shoot backdrop for local teenagers.

   15 min · Admission not included
5. 5
   We'll continue to the heart of Hanoi - the Hoan Kiem Lake, with its magnificent The Huc Bridge and Ngoc Son temple

   Experience the spiritual harmony of different religions coexisting in the same place.

   15 min
6. 6
   Hoan Kiem Walking Street

   We stop for lunch with Pho which is one of Vietnam must do before ending the tour.​

   15 min · Admission included

About this tour, from the operator