Your shared or private tour will begin as you are picked up from your hotel before being to the historic complex of Ba Dinh. You will visit Ba Dinh Square, where the former President Ho Chi Minh read Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945. You will visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and One-Pillar Pagoda, a must-see monument in Ha Noi. The One-Pillar Pagoda is an ancient Buddhist pagoda which is supported by only one pillar and resembles a lotus blossom. You will also visit Van Mieu and Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature), the first imperial school in Vietnam. Lunch will later be served at a local restaurant, after which you will pay a visit to the Women’s Museum (which is listed among Asia’s top 25 museums (closed on Mondays). The museum honors Vietnamese women throughout history, and includes displays of the country's recent history as well. Exhibits include: “Women and Ethnicity”, “Women and the National Struggle”, "Vietnam Women’s Association and Feminism”, “Women and Traditional Costumes” and “Women’s Cultural Traits Expressed Through Handicrafts”. Following the museum, you will take a cyclo (pedicab) ride around the “the 36 meandering streets” of Ha Noi’s historic Old Quarter and visit Tran Quoc Pagoda as well as Quan Thanh Temple. At the conclusion of your cultural experience, you will be returned to your point of origin.

Enjoy a full-day tour of Hanoi with a private guide and get a local's insight into Vietnam’s mythology, traditions and customs. Visit cultural and historical sites, such as the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, as well as everyday locales such as the houses of the Old Quarter. Following a pick-up at your hotel by your guide and driver, go to the Ho Chi Minh Complex to discover the heart of Viernam at “Uncle Ho’s” Mausoleum. Standing before the mausoleum are 79 cycad trees, symbolizing Ho Chi Minh’s 79 springs of life, while 2 bamboo ranges whistle in the wind to commemorate the former president and Father of the Nation. See the nearby house-on-stilts and quaint One-Pillar Pagoda, built out of wood for the 11th-century Emperor Lý Thái Tông. Continue to the Quan Thanh Taoist Temple, one of the Four Sacred Temples of Hanoi. Journey by eco car (optional) into the Old Quarter and mingle with the locals as they go about their hectic lives. In the afternoon, explore the vibrant eastern sector of Hanoi, including the Museum of History, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, and Huc Bridge. Journey by eco car into the Old Quarter and mingle with the locals as they go about their hectic lives. End with a unique water puppet show and experience an art form conceived by Vietnamese peasants hundreds of years ago.

Dive into the sights, sounds, and smells of the bustling city on this Hanoi city tour, a great way to see some of the major Hanoi highlights. Start the city tour with a visit to the Temple of Literature. Originally built in honor 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. Drop into a traditional tea house to taste some of the best Vietnamese flavored green teas and listen to thousand-year-old stories 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.  Continuing on the Hanoi tour, 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. Your 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 photoshoot backdrop for local teenagers.  Continue to the heart of Hanoi - the Hoan Kiem Lake, with its magnificent Huc Bridge and Ngoc Son temple. Experience the spiritual harmony of different religions coexisting in the same place. Then, stop for lunch for a traditional bowl of pho, a definite must-do while you're in Vietnam, before ending the tour. You may then continue your own exploration of the area or your tour guide will assist you in getting a taxi back to your hotel.