My husband and I decided to join a Hanoi City Day Tour during our visit to Vietnam, provided by a travel agency in Hanoi – Eviva Tour Vietnam. The allure of exploring the vibrant streets, rich history, and cultural treasures of Hanoi beckoned us. Though time was somewhat limited, we still expect to experience authentic local moments and grasp the essence of Hanoi. It is my sincere hope that this review, crafted from our own journey, will be helpful to you as you are considering partaking in a Hanoi City Tour.
Tour Brief
Before we delve into the details, allow me to give you some briefs. Our tour program includes transportation by car at some points, and for the most part, we walk to different destinations. The tour lasts approximately 6 hours, from 9 am to 3 pm. There was me, my husband, and our tour guide Mr. Hanh along the journey.
We book the tour with Eviva Tour Vietnam via their website, Sam – their Travel Consultant contacts us both via email and WhatsApp to chat and customize the itinerary to our schedule in Vietnam.
It was Tuesday on a summer day in Hanoi. I wanna give you some advice as Hanoi summer is quite hot and humid. We don’t mind walking but the hot is disregarded. Pack light, wear comfortable, drink plenty of water, wear a hat, and bring a hand fan will help you a lot. We have heard that the weather from September to April is usually more pleasant, especially during the autumn season in Hanoi.
Our Journey
And below is everything we experienced about Hanoi in a day. It was fun, and genuinely, we enjoyed Hanoi in a rich, diverse, and wonderful way.
Meeting with Mr.Hanh
We agreed to start at 9 in the morning. My husband and I leisurely had breakfast and looked out onto the streets of Hanoi from our hotel. Mr. Hanh arrived punctually and welcomed us with the confident manner of a local guide. We introduced ourselves and got into the car to begin our journey.
Museum of Ethnology
The Communal House of an ethnic group living in Central Highland Vietnam in the Museum outdoor exhibition
Our first destination was the Museum of Ethnology. After purchasing tickets, we initially thought that we would begin exploring by entering the main building. However, Mr. Hanh guided us to the right side, towards a different pathway that resembled a garden.
It turns out that this museum has an outdoor exhibition area where they have constructed life-sized houses representing various ethnic communities living in Vietnam. We visited each house, observe their layouts, and examine the artifacts inside. In addition to the house models, there were also water puppet displays, exhibited boats, tombs of minority ethnic groups, etc. Walking through the premises, exploring each house, and learning about how Vietnamese people used them in their daily lives and work was very fascinating.
After concluding the outdoor tour, we proceeded to explore the indoor exhibition section. This two-story display showcased a rich and vibrant collection of images, objects, costumes, and ceremonial items related to worship, weddings, and other customs of the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam.
I think starting with this museum was a captivating experience as you transition from the rustic traditional living spaces with abundant greenery to the colorful and unique exhibition rooms.
One small note is that you are not allowed to bring soft drinks into the museum (filtered water is allowed). So if you buy beverages from outside, like coffee, you need to finish it before entering.
The Train Street
Hanoi Train Street
We were picked up again by car to go to our next destination – Hanoi Train Street. I had heard about this street before because it had become quite famous on social media with images of trains running close to residential areas. So, I was quite excited to visit.
The street we arrived at was right in front of the train entrance to Hanoi Station, but since it wasn’t the time for trains to run, there were still a lot of vehicles and people crossing the railway tracks that cross the main street.
The railway street indeed had houses built close to the train tracks. We walked and chatted along the railway. There was a hand sign hanging on a café indicating the train schedule.
We waited until around 11:40 am and started to see the first signs of an approaching train – a distant whistle and the crossing barriers separating the railway from the road were pulled down. The café owners kept reminding us to stand close to the café and the sidewalk, and not even sit.
Actually, I didn’t think the train would cover the entire road, but it did pass very close to the buildings. Like a monster with its long and mighty body crawling on the tracks, accompanied by a rumbling sound, the train passed through with an unstoppable force within a matter of minutes. That was a little thrill and amazing at the same time.
Bun Cha for Lunch
Bun Cha Hanoi
About Vietnam cuisine, we tried Pho and Banh Mi, as they are both iconic dishes of the country. We want to try something different on the tour. Sam suggested we try Bun Cha, which is also a famous Vietnamese dish. Mr. Hanh mentioned that this dish became very popular after former US President Obama visited Vietnam in 2016 and ate at a street food stall.
We tried the dish at Bun Cha at a local eatery. While walking around Hanoi, I noticed many street food stalls, which are very common in Vietnam, serving dishes such as Banh Mi, Pho, and Bun.
Bun cha is served with a plate of noodles, a bowl of sweet and sour dipping sauce with grilled meat and minced pork patties soaked in it, along with sliced carrots and green papaya, and a small basket of fresh herbs including cucumbers, lettuce, and other local herbs.
The dish and portion size are quite satisfying, flavorful, and delicious. We also had some Vietnamese iced tea alongside our meal. If you want to add some flavor to your dish, try adding black pepper and chili oil to the dipping sauce for the Bun.
Walking in the Old Quarter
Hanoi Opera House
The afternoon itinerary is a walking tour around the Old Quarter and the French Quarter. These two neighborhoods are close to each other and reflect the historical landmarks of Hanoi. The Old Quarter consists of tube houses and bustling streets with various shops, and the French Quarter showcases architectural structures with a French influence. It was fascinating to compare the different vibes of these two quarters, each evoking a unique sense of nostalgia.
After pausing at Notre Dame Cathedral and Hanoi Opera House, our guide, Hanh, led us along the streets where we encountered women resting to avoid the sun’s heat. Their bicycles and conical hats are placed beside the tree trunk. I noticed that people in Hanoi mostly use motorcycles, bicycles can rarely be seen in the Old Quarter.
Hanh borrowed one of their conical hats to share with us firsthand the uses of these hats in Vietnam’s historical daily life: as protection from rain and sun – indeed, these hats are waterproof; as cooling fans, containers for water, and shields for shy girls!
We continued walking to Sword Lake, which is surrounded by large trees and is famous for the legendary story of a magical turtle once living in the lake. Hanh then took us to Trang Tien ice cream parlor, a notable establishment known for its large-scale ice cream production and sales. We tried both the cone ice cream and the popsicle here. It was a little bit sweet to me, but nice try.
Cau Dong Market
Our guide Hanh led us to visit the Cau Dong market
The car drove us to a local market. While still in the car, Hanh assigned us a small task. He pronounced a few Vietnamese words for us to write down on paper and taught us to say the phrase ‘Cho tôi mua…’ (I want to buy…) along with the names of the items we needed to purchase in the market.
When the car halted at the market, our mission was to visit various stalls along the street and buy the items Hanh had indicated, each with a budget of 20,000 VND per item.
To be honest, even before and even after buying the items, I still didn’t know what those things were. My husband and I needed to purchase ‘Đậu Đen,’ ‘Bồ Kết,’ and ‘Mắm Tôm.’ Fortunately, the first keyword, ‘Đậu Đen,’ was written on a sign beside a basket full of black-colored seeds. It wasn’t difficult for us to recognize the phrase and make the purchase immediately.
However, for ‘Bồ Kết’ and ‘Mắm Tôm,’ there were no signs like that. My husband and I had to visit each vendor under Hanh’s supervision and tell the sellers, ‘I want to buy Bo Ket.’ The vendors at the market were mostly old ladies, and it took about 1-2 minutes for them to understand what we wanted to buy.
Eventually, we succeeded in finding the last two items as well. Hanh explained the significance of the items we had purchased. ‘Đậu Đen’ – Black Beans are cooked for making sweet soups in Vietnam. ‘Bồ Kết’ is called Black Locus, a fruit traditionally used by Vietnamese women to wash their hair, making it shiny and black. ‘Mắm Tôm’ is a condiment widely used in Vietnamese cuisine, known for its distinctive fermented aroma and commonly paired with the dish ‘Bun Dau Mam Tom’ (Vermicelli with Shrimp Paste).
This journey to the market was incredibly exciting and intriguing for us. My husband and I had only tried a few Vietnamese words during interactions with hotel staff, such as ‘Xin Chào’ (hello) and ‘Cảm ơn bạn nhiều’ (thank you very much). Upon arriving at the market, we bought our items and bid farewell to the vendors in the local language.
After completing our task, Hanh bought star apples from a nearby street vendor. The lady held a knife to help us to peel the fruit and we stood on the side of the road to eat them.
Hanh continued to guide us through the market, introducing and explaining various types of fruits, vegetables, and spices that were unique to Vietnam. All of them are neatly and attractively displayed on the roadside stalls. Since arriving in Hanoi, we had never delved so deeply into the alleys of local life.
While at the Old Quarter, we had seen narrow tube houses from the outside, but it was only when we ventured inside that we discovered the elongated and narrow passageways, along with small courtyards where residents and children played. Hanh asked us, ‘How can you tell how many families live in this building?’ We inquired how. Hanh pointed to the external electric boxes and said, ‘You just count how many of these electric boxes there are, as each family has its own. This building has 12 boxes, corresponding to 12 households.
Hanoi Egg Coffee
Siting near the window of Hanoi Egg Coffee shop
We concluded our day tour over cups of Egg coffee. The car brought us back to the Old Quarter, and Hanh led us to an Egg coffee shop. He mentioned that this is a signature drink of Hanoi, combining coffee with egg yolk.
This time, my husband and I stepped into a building in the Old Quarter – the coffee shop. The entrance was narrow, around 28 inches wide, but the interior space was surprisingly spacious, spanning two floors. The first floor was cozy and dimly lit, while the second floor was much brighter and spacious. The staircase and corridors of the building were quite small, with architectural influences reminiscent of French culture. The wooden furniture, including tables and chairs, was small and low. The café’s drink menu was quite diverse, with various egg-based concoctions such as egg cocoa, matcha egg, and other options.
We both agreed to try egg coffee, both hot and cold variations. My husband and I sampled Vietnamese iced milk coffee before, a bold, sweet, and refreshing flavor. Hanh explained that the origin of egg coffee was due to the scarcity and high cost of milk in the past. Mr. Giang, the inventor of the egg coffee recipe, opted for a more common local ingredient, chicken egg, to reduce the bitterness and thickness of the coffee instead of milk. The result was a flavorful, creamy drink with a soft and frothy texture from the egg. We savored this unique beverage and conversed about our trip and various anecdotes.
The car brought us back to the hotel around 3 pm. We bid farewell to Hanh and Mr. Tung, the driver of the day.
Conclusion
For my husband and me, this was a Hanoi Day Tour filled with excitement; we experienced many aspects of Vietnamese culture and got to touch the closest facets of Hanoi. That day was truly splendid. Many thanks to Sam, Hanh, and Tung for accompanying us on this tour!
