Experience hosted by Hang, Trang Chu & other locals
Private Tour
Carbon Neutral
Want to see the best of Hanoi? We got you covered. But as you can expect from a Withlocals experience, the real excitement is its hidden gems. Join your favorite local and get a feeling of the city's real vibe on a tour that has it all, so you can say: I experienced the real Hanoi!
Destination
Hanoi, Vietnam
Category
City Highlight Tours
Duration
3 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
English, Vietnamese
Included
Private Guide
Entrance ticket prison
1 Local Snack or Drink
All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral
Excluded
Entrance for other attractions than mentioned
6 reasons to book this tour
Explore the best of the city in only 3 hours
Spot classics like St. Joseph's Cathedral & Ta Hien Street
Discover hidden gems away from the tourist paths
Experience the city from a local’s perspective
Can be 100% personalized to your wishes
Privately guided by a local expert
What you can expect
Hanoi, is a magical place! And with the local host of your choice, you are going to experience it all. So get ready; culture, history, and local lifestyle await!
Dive into the origin of Hanoi as you see the city’s main landmarks like St. Joseph's Cathedral, Ta Hien Street and Hoa Lo Prison. And how about the hidden gems? Oh, you’re in for a surprise! Every host has its own story to tell, so pick your favorite, and you’ll discover the city through their eyes. Experience their Hanoi to the max based on their passions and expertise. They’ll make sure you have fun enjoying a unique and local perspective of Hanoi.
Want to take a break? Leave it up to your host! This is the perfect opportunity to visit that special eatery where only the locals come and your chance to enjoy a local treat hand-picked by your host. Feel free to ask your host more about their life in their city or get recommendations about the top things to do in Hanoi. Remember, the locals know best.
The best part of any city tour is definitely the unique stories. Everybody has a story to tell, especially your host. Each one of the local hosts has a different background ranging from arts to history. They can’t wait to share their knowledge with you and exchange ideas and perspectives! Feel like changing the route a bit? No problem, the hosts will be happy to personalize the tour to your wishes and make their Hanoi, your Hanoi!
Choose your local
Get to know these 7 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.
Hang
a friendly & happy Hanoi-an
4.843 reviews
English
Trang Chu
The Energetic Military Journalist
4.993 reviews
English・Vietnamese
Ngoc Ruby
A happy and energetic Hanoian
4.9265 reviews
English・Vietnamese
Lien
Passionate about Art, Cuisine, Animals & Adventure
5.0248 reviews
English・Vietnamese
Jenny (Hoa)
The History Buff
4.952 reviews
English・Vietnamese
Hoa
The Excited Explorer
4.8122 reviews
Vietnamese・English
Loan
The History, Culture & Adventure Connoisseur
4.9188 reviews
English・Vietnamese
This is the plan
Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.
Meeting point
Meet at The entrance of Coffee 28 opposite Dong Xuan market - Hanoi to start your journey
Itinerary
This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.
City Highlights
See from St. Joseph's Cathedral, Ta Hien Street, Hoa Lo Prison and other landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots in town so you can get the perfect overview of what makes Hanoi so unique
Hidden Gems
Along the way, your local host will show you treasures hidden in plain sight that only the locals know about. Get to know the city through a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that not many tourists experience
Magical Storytelling
Behind every landmark and every stop, there’s a story, and your local host is ready to tell it all. Get ready to listen to incredible stories, one-of-a-kind insights, and fun facts only a knowledgeable local would know!
Special Treat
Follow your host to one of their favorite eateries for a snack or a drink beloved by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend and get the answers to all your travel questions
Make it yours
Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.
Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.
Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.
Flexible cancellation policy
Feel confident booking
Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.
Change of plans?
Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.
Loved by travelers worldwide
Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.
Reviews from guests
Maddy
(About local )
30 May 2025
We really enjoyed our private tour with Loan. She was so friendly and welcoming. We saw all the must see sites and got lots of background information on what it’s like being a Hanoi local. Was an excellent introduction to this amazing city. Thanks for sharing your hometown with us Loan! Excellent intro to Hanoi
Chris🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
26 May 2025
Ruby was a great guide. She adjusted the itinerary to meet all of our needs and showed us many things we would never have discovered on our own. I highly recommend her to other visitors.Great knowledge and a genuine Local
Mark
(About local )
21 May 2025
Loan is an excellent guide. Showing us the highlights of Hanoi and telling stories as we went around. We had a great time. Highly recommended. Excellent Guide
Moira🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
16 May 2025
Loan was very friendly, knowledgeable and definitely knows her subject. She answered all of our questions about the history of Hanoi and life in Hanoi and Vietnam in general. She took us to places we would never have found by ourselves including the markets and temples. We thoroughly enjoyed our morning with Loan and would book her if we were in Hanoi again and would recommend. A great morning in Hanoi with Loan
Amy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
6 May 2025
Loan was very knowledgeable about the history and culture of Hanoi. Having grown up in North Vietnam and matched with her love of history, we learned so much.
I provided her some ideas for what we would like to see and she created a plan for us that fulfilled everything! The Hidden Gems and cultural sites tour was a perfect combination of the traditional sites around the city AND hidden areas we would never have found on our own.
I highly recommend you book an afternoon with Loan when in HanoiAmazing afternoon in Hanoi
Krystyna
(About local )
26 April 2025
Had a lovely tour with Ngọc who showed us the hidden side to Hanoi. She was well informed and had a very pleasant and easy going manner which made the time past very quickly. Would recommend Lovely lady and interesting tour
George🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
19 April 2025
This was our first trip to Ha Noi so we wanted to do a walking tour with someone who knew the city. Lien was definitely that!
She took us to over 15 stops (some gems we never would have known about), gladly taking the time to answer any and all questions. Our tour was scheduled for three hours, but it ended up being almost five hours.
Lien is a good communicator and patient, with a sense of humour. We would highly recommend her to anyone who wants to learn more about Ha Noi from a true local.A true Local!
FINN🇩🇰 Denmark
(About local )
18 April 2025
Dear Lien! Thank you so much for a delightful tour professionally guided by you! It was a highly motivating tour for both of us, and it was only med even better thanks to your competent and insightful knowledge of the period when the French ruled and later when the Americans waged their bombing campings. We took it all in!👏👏👏 and can only give your our best recommendations. 10/10!Lien made our day!
Karen🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
13 April 2025
Loved our tour with Trang. Saw some excellent things that we would definitely not have found had we been on our own. Loved the egg coffee, the eating tips and the inspiring knowledge and love of Hanoi.Fabulous time with Trang
Simon🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
8 April 2025
our guide took us to some great locations we would never have found without her. we loved the old city gate and the train bridge. The style was engaging and positive and always interesting behind the scenes in Hanoi
Piper🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
6 April 2025
My husband and I went on a 3-hour tour around the French quarter and old town in Hanoi with Lien. She took us to some of the major sites as well as a handful of “hidden gems”. We had a great time! We learned so much from Lien and got to see some areas and witness experiences we wouldn’t have ever found on our own. I would highly recommend Lien for your Hanoi tour. Thanks again!Unique and educational tour of Hanoi
Mark
(About local )
4 April 2025
Really interesting and informative morning with Ngoc Ruby in Hà Nội . We saw lots of off the beaten track sights as well as the more popular most do visits . Great secret coffee stop overlooking the Lake . Ngoc Ruby communicated well in advance and gave good clear meeting instructions. Thank you a great first morning in Hà Nội . Great introduction to Ha Noi
Bernd
(About local )
3 April 2025
We had a great day visiting Hanoi together with Ruby. She‘s really experienced and friendly and she adjusted the Tour to our wishes. It was a great experience seeing the train in train street and visiting old Hanoi.A tour with Ruby
Anna
(About local )
28 March 2025
We had a very interesting tour of the old quarter with Lien. This was our first time in Hanoi (and in Vietnam) and the walking tour helped to orient us. Lien had lots of information to share and covered a lot of ground in the three-hour tour. We definitely recommend both her and the tour.Great introduction to Hanoi
Marianne🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
27 March 2025
Our afternoon with Lien was the highlight of our stay in Hanoi! We booked our tour at the last minute and two hours later were enjoying a lovely afternoon with Lien. She is an engaging and incredibly knowledgeable guide, as well as being an excellent conversationalist. We learned about Vietnamese culture, food, history, and so much more, and were even treated to a special performance in a hidden temple. Lien customized our tour to fit our timing and interests and we left feeling like we have a new friend in Hanoi.
Bernd
(About local )
26 March 2025
I here with overwrite my Review of the guide Tour with the guide HangWrong duration
Unknown
(About local )
20 March 2025
Loan gave us a really great 3 hour tour and took us to places that we’d never have found on our own. She managed to get us into a temple during a ceremony and explained everything to us. That was a real highlight and probably unique.Loan you were fab. 10/10.
melanie🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
18 March 2025
Seeing that we had already done a driving tour of Hanoi’s main tourist sites, this was the perfect option for a second day of touring. Our guide, Trang, was extremely accommodating in developing the tour just for us. She showed us many hidden gems we hadn’t yet seen and our lunch stop was truly a local experience. I highly recommend this type of tour. Walking tour of Hanoi’s hidden gems
Rick
(About local )
15 March 2025
A comfortable private tour and getting to know Hanoi was definitely one of the highlight of our trip. Thank you Ruby! Amazing Tour
Erin🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
28 February 2025
Trang was a delight! My husband and I learned so much about Hanoi. Trang stopped at two local food shops and we tried the best donuts and rice treat we have ever had. Trang helped us shop local stores and answered all of our many questions. She was a delight!Great way to spend my 50th birthday!
Camilla🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
26 February 2025
Loan made a real effort to show me the artistic highlights of Hanoi. We had a great afternoon together. She even made other suggestions of places for me to see later. I highly recommend her. A great tour guide
James🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
25 February 2025
Ngoc was a great guide. I had been in Hanoi for a week and worked very hard to see everything. Ngoc tailored the trip specifically to where I had been. She is an experience guide and showed me spots I wouldn't have found on my own with great history about the city. I highly recommend taking a tour with her.Ngoc was a great guide
Yasmin🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
25 February 2025
Lien was a wonderful guide - friendly, knowledgeable and really engaging. Appreciated the itinerary she sent beforehand, allowing us to tailor it to meet our specific needs. She gave us alot of cultural and historical insight into the city of Hanoi and we felt like we were on a tour with a friend. Highly recommend. Insightful tour into the wonders of Hanoi
JACQUI🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
23 February 2025
Trang was a delightful tour guide who showed us all around the Old Quarter of Hanoi. She knew the history and the customs and took us to some of her favourite eateries and cafes which we would never have tried or even found on our own. She was thoroughly engaging and certainly knew her stuff. 10 out of 10 for Trang Interesting and fun
Alessia
(About local )
23 February 2025
Lien was an amazing guide who tailored the tour perfectly to our interests. She was knowledgeable, flexible, and made sure we had a great experience, adjusting the itinerary to suit our interests. Thanks to her, we discovered hidden gems, enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere, and learned so much about Hanoi and its history. Highly recommend!Fantastic tour
Harold🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
23 February 2025
Lien was fantastic, I would highly recommend her as a guide. Lien kept us updated prior to the day, providing a round up what we were doing, where to meet etc. She was so easy to get along with on our tour. She made adjustments to what we like (food) and provided useful hints and tips. Lien also got in touch the following day to see how we were and send through some of the photos we took on the tour. Introduction to Vietnam and Hanoi.
Christoph
(About local )
22 February 2025
Thanks to Loan, I had wistful hours in Hanoi exploring the rich history and culture. I can strongly recommend Loan if you are licking for an experienced guide with a lot of knowledge. Fantastic sneak prewiev of Hanoi
Sarah
(About local )
22 February 2025
Loan led us on an informative and insightful tour, taking us to corners of Hanoi we otherwise would have missed, like certain colourful streets around the market, and aspects of peoples' lives. She is very sweet and polite, and was very good at sharing her knowledge of her city and its history. We would definitely recommend Loan.a highlight of our Hanoi stay
Bob
(About local )
19 February 2025
We only had a short time in Hanoi, and Lien gave us an exceptional experience there. My wife and I felt we saw all the important sights, plus some real "hidden gems." Lein spoke excellent English. I highly recommend her.Knows her stuff
Jose M🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
(About local )
18 February 2025
Ruby excelled in leading our private tour into the hidden gems of Hanoi. We enjoyed it immensely!Excellent guide!
Matteo🇮🇹 Italy
(About local )
13 February 2025
We had an amazing tour with Loan, very informative, interesting, with so many little gems to discover and she was also very empathic and understanding, moreover she was also very curious of our culture. It was really worth it!Loan you are really good!
Frank
(About local )
13 February 2025
We did a Highlights & Hidden Gems tour and a 10 Tastings food tour with Lien.
We enjoyed them both and Lien is a delightful warm and friendly person. We learned more about Vietnamese customs and culture from her and the tours were excellent. There is a lot of food on the 10 Tastings tour so make sure you are hungry. The final savoury dish of grilled catfish was our favourite.Lien is great
Lee🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
11 February 2025
Ruby was so ca and gracious and gave us lots of information about Hanoi history and the nuisances of the old time. She was calm, patient and a pleasure to be with. We enjoy the experience and knowing of Ruby. We would definitely recommend her. Gentle Stroll Through Hanoi Old Town
peter🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
7 February 2025
We did a food tour with Lien before and loved it.
This time we did the hidden gems and we saw some backstreets and cool areas. Also great food.
We feel like family friends. A fantastic walk in Hanoi
mirwan
(About local )
1 February 2025
Jenny is a knowledgeable, fun energetic and most importantly a flexible guide. We had an amazing 3-4 tour with her. She explained the Vietnamese culture, took us to an amazing local food court,..
i would 10000% highly recommended herAmazing Guide
Anthony
(About local )
31 January 2025
I booked Jenny as I had a short stay in Hanoi. We hit lots of the main attractions and some others that were interesring. She knows the city and the culture well
Would definitely recommend her as your guide for the day
If you in Hanoi and need a guide then I recommend, you can see more in a day with a guide than wondering around on your own...
Great day out
Jill🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
29 January 2025
Highlights and hidden gems were expertly and interestingly revealed by Anne in a tour that took us into places that you would never find in a guide book! She explained how many different aspects of Hanoi worked-including housing, shopping, and temples.
Our Food tour with Anne was equally interesting, finding authentic Hanoi foods in unexpected place. She was great at explaining the street food culture and how to do it right!
Anne is very sociable and great to spend time with.I would definitely recommend her - she is an excellent with locals guide! Hanoi hidden gems and Food tours!
CARL🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
26 January 2025
We spent a lovely 3 hours being shown around the city by Ruby who was very informative about Hanoi past and present.
We certainly recommend this tour and in particular the visit to the old prison which is now a museum.Hanoi hidden gems tour
Jaime🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
25 January 2025
Our tour with Lien was truly amazing. Truly our favorite day in Hanoi. She was so knowledgeable and took us to truly amazing places. We requested to do the Mausoleum as well as a Pagoda in West Lake along with the hidden gems, she made our requests happen. We was very warm and easy to talk to- answered amazing questions. My favorite part was getting to see secret temples and shrines as well as an amazing cafe for egg coffee at the Hanoi Cafe and a great cocktail bar- circle. Truly an amazing day, we wish we could have spent more time with her exploring. Book with Lien- you will not be disappointed. Lien is a hidden gem.
Anders
(About local )
21 January 2025
We had a great time with Anh! It was truly like having a good friend show you around. Anh was so nice and funny, very easy to be with, and also very knowledgeable about the history and culture of her home city Hanoi. We could not have had a better guide, and we feel like we got to know the city better, and we were taken to places, we could not have found ourselves. A perfect local experience with our new friend Anh! Thank you for showing us your city.Like having a good friend show you around
Mick
(About local )
20 January 2025
Loan was an excellent guide for our tour of the old town and hidden gems of Hanoi. She tailored the tour to our interests and what we had already seen. She has an excellent knowledge of the area and interesting local facts. She speaks English very well and was even able to joke with us a bit. The tour was very informative and enjoyable.Loan was an excellent!
Sunita
(About local )
14 January 2025
Quynh Anh was a fun and knowledgeable guide who took us on tour through the old quarter. We got a taste of history, traditions and food all woven together in an enjoyable tour. Will definitely recommend her to anyone looking to explore Hanoi.Engaging tour
Lesley🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
14 January 2025
Loan has a deep understanding of the history and culture of Hanoi through her own and her family's experience, which she shared generously. Loan is kind and thoughtful. I recommend this tour with her. Brilliant insightful tour
Andrea🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
13 January 2025
She's funny, knowlegable, flexible. Really, you can;t go wrong booking Anne for a walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City.Book Anne immediately
Andreas
(About local )
11 January 2025
We had a great time with Trang Chu - lots of interesting places, with countless background info about the city and its people... history mastermind Trang Chu gave us a flash through history in an unforgettable way!
Best way to get an idea of the vibrant Hanoi
Thx Trang ChuBest time with Trang Chu throughout Hanoi
Rafael🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
8 January 2025
Loan was an incredible guide, making my introduction to Hanoi truly memorable. Her deep knowledge of the country’s history and her knack for uncovering hidden gems in the Old Quarter added so much charm to the experience. She pointed out details I would have completely missed on my own, giving the tour an extra layer of magic.
One standout moment was when she took us to the famous doughnut stand tucked away in the Old Quarter—it was absolutely delicious and something I never would have found without her. Loan also recommended a street food tour with another guide, which sounded amazing, though sadly, we ran out of time to try it.
Loan, thank you for an unforgettable experience! Your expertise and warmth made our time in Hanoi so much more special.Knowledgeable Guide
Martin🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
8 January 2025
Wir erlebten mit Hoa eine schöne Führung durch die Altstadt, erfuhren Details zur vietnamesischen Kultur, genossen Egg-coffee und erhielten viele Tipps zur weiteren Erkundung! Vielen Dank 🙏 Hidden Places
Unknown
(About local )
6 January 2025
We booked the tour as our first thing on the ground in Hanoi and did it at quite short notice.
Lien was great at communicating, gave clear instructions on where to meet and was on time, even a little early.
She suggested an itinerary upfront which we loved and when she realised we were starving and had a keen interested on the local food she modified the itinerary to make sure we get to eat and learn as much about Hanoi, the city as about the best food we could get. She also sent us her top 10 places to eat afterwards - we tried half of them and they were all great!
Lien was professional, engaging, with great English and a wonderful sense of humour. We walked a lot, we ate a lot and we learned a lot.
The hours flew by and it felt like we could have hung out for longer :).
The 'hidden gems' were definitely worth the visit and the little tips on how to get the most out of busy tourist spots (e.g. train street) were fab!
Highly recommended! I'd do it all over again.
(and I am dreaming of those donuts...)Perfect way to get a first taste of Hanoi
Susan Sheko🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
5 January 2025
We had a great time with Jenny. She went out of her way to make sure that we visited the places of interest to us. She was insightful and really helped us to enjoy the city b oth on the tour and with recommendations for after the tour. Fantastic! Fantastic Introduction to Hanoi!!
SALLY
(About local )
5 January 2025
We really enjoyed the city tour with Lien. It was fabulous getting an insight into how the city has evolved over time, the history, the culture and hearing stories that reflect the energy of the place. Really worth doing. Awesome insight into Hanoi
Withlocals experiences
are always
Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.