• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• 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

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 6 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

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.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at The entrance of Coffee 28 opposite Dong Xuan market - Hanoi to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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!

6. 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

7. 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

Erin🇺🇸 United States

(About local Trang Chu)

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 Loan)

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 Ngoc Ruby)

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 Lien)

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 Trang Chu)

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 Lien)

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 Lien)

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 Loan)

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 Loan)

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 Lien)

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 Ngoc Ruby)

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 Loan)

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 Lien)

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 Ngoc Ruby)

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 Lien)

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 Jenny (Hoa))

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 Jenny (Hoa))

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 Quynh Anh (ANNE))

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 Ngoc Ruby)

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 Lien)

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 Quynh Anh (ANNE))

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 Loan)

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 Quynh Anh (ANNE))

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 Loan)

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 Quynh Anh (ANNE))

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 Trang Chu)

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 Loan)

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 Hoa)

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 Lien)

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 Jenny (Hoa))

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 Lien)

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

Niels

(About local Quynh Anh (ANNE))

3 January 2025

We loved the tour! Anna provided us with deeper insights into the local lifestyle in Hanoi and guided us to safe and delicious street food spots. She is a very enthusiastic guide, and we highly recommend her!Authentic Hanoi experience

Jennifer🇺🇸 United States

(About local Trang Chu)

1 January 2025

We loved our afternoon with Trang! Our family of 5 saw so many great Hanoi highlights-bustling markets, street vendors, museum, popular train track photo spot, local pub for a beer (or egg coffee) and snack at a sidewalk table just like the locals! Trang guided us through the streets of Hanoi with ease (walking through scooter traffic is an adventure!) Trang is incredibly knowledgable about the region and history of Vietnam—it was a pleasure to spend an afternoon with her! Her warm and funny personality made for a fun experience for our family from Seattle. Thank you Trang! Great tour in Hanoi with Trang Chu!

Paul🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Loan)

29 December 2024

We had the most amazing morning with Loan doing walking tour of the Old Quarter. She was very informative, took us into places that you’d never go into as a foreigner (little back streets and very local places) and it just felt special. An insiders look into Hanoi. Was great to taste the local donuts, we visited a number of temples which were so intriguing to see and then finished at the Hanoi Hilton (the prison). Thank you so much Loan - it was an amazing experience. What a fantastic morning with Loan

Paul🇺🇸 United States

(About local Loan)

27 December 2024

Our guide was knowledgeable, kind, and patient. Wonderful Guide and trip

Stephen🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Trang Chu)

27 December 2024

A good introduction to central Hanoi. Trang Chu is knowledgeable and gave us a very pleasant tour, actually going well into overtime at no additional charge. She is a delight to spend time with. Pleasant and helpful tour.

Rebecca🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Lien)

24 December 2024

We booked the Highlights and Hidden Gems tour with Lien who we liked a lot. She had excellent English although spoke a little quietly at times against the din of the city. That said I wish we'd got to see more of Hanoi's big ticket tourist attractions as this tour more focused on markets/cafes/small temples, which although were very interesting to see, didn't mean we felt we had covered the more important sights Ha Noi has to offer (the exception being the grim prison). This I think is perhaps us not checking exactly what sights were going to be covered - so probably more our expectations being mismatched. We did stop at train street but not at a time a train was due, so we needed to return to experience this.Lovely guide but tour a bit underwhelming

Leon🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Ngoc Ruby)

22 December 2024

We booked a Highlights & Hidden Gems of Hanoi with Ruby and thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Ruby is very knowledgeable of Hanoi, and brought us to places and alleys that we as tourist would not know. She is able to explain all the places very well, including their history. We also tried many street food courtesy of Ruby. Ruby also went above and beyond the tour by helping us to book a restaurant for another day, as well as gave us recommendations of places to go and where to get the best location food. Overall a fantastic experience knowing Hanoi the way that we wouldn't know without Ruby. Highly recommend this tour.Wonderful experience thanks to Ruby!

Alison🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Ngoc Ruby)

17 December 2024

Patrick🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Loan)

12 December 2024

We had a great time with Loan walking around Hanoi and getting a real local’s perspective on the history and culture. Excellent Tour

Sandrine🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Lien)

2 December 2024

We had a fantastic time with Lien, she is such a great guide. I'm super grateful to Lien as she prepared our tour very well, we were a big group and she helped a lot in coordinating with the other tour guides, offering us a smooth and seamless experience. She removed a lot of weight on my shoulders organizing the tour for a group 0f +/- 30 people. The tour was great and she provided a lot of explanations. Even though I have been several times to Hanoi, she took us to some places I have never been. I am definitively recommending a tour with Lien, definitively a super great tour guide.Lien is the best tour guide of Hanoi!

Sandrine🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Quynh Anh (ANNE))

2 December 2024

We had a fantastic time with Anne, she is such a great guide. She did a great job taking us on a tour in the streets of Hanoi and was also very amenable to the special requests of our guests. Also we were a big group split into different teams, Anne together with the other tour guides made it easy by preparing the tour in advance. I am recommending 200% a tour with Loan, definitively a super great tour guide.Amazing tour in Hanoi

Sandrine🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Jenny (Hoa))

2 December 2024

We had a fantastic time with Hoa, she is such a great guide. She did a great job taking us on a tour in the streets of Hanoi and was also very amenable to the special requests of our guests. Also we were a big group split into different teams, Hoa together with the other tour guides made it easy by preparing the tour in advance. I am recommending 200% a tour with Loan, definitively a super great tour guide.Amazing experience in Hanoi

Sandrine🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Loan)

2 December 2024

We had a fantastic time with Loan, she is such a great guide. She did a great job taking us on a tour in the streets of Hanoi and was also very amenable to the special requests of our guests. Also we were a big group split into different teams, Loan together with the other tour guides made it easy by preparing the tour in advance. I am recommending 200% a tour with Loan, definitively a super great tour guide.Amazing tour with Loan

Doris🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Ngoc Ruby)

2 December 2024

Dear Ruby Thank you again for the great tour of Hanoi. It was fun getting to know unknown corners, streets, houses and temples with you. The pace was also perfect for us older people... All the best, Doris and DanyGreat tour, also suitable for older people

Ana🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Ngoc Ruby)

2 December 2024

Desde el primer momento Ruby se adaptó a nosotros. La comunicación con ella fue facilísima, de hecho tuvimos que adelantar el tour y estuvo súper pendiente de que no nos pierdiésemos nada de la ciudad. Cuidando al máximo los horarios y cómo poder llegar a todo. Se nota que disfruta con su trabajo, nos divertimos mucho en el tour. Todo un acierto para conocer Hanoi. Muy muy atenta y flexible

Ian

(About local Jenny (Hoa))

29 November 2024

Katherine🇺🇸 United States

(About local Loan)

25 November 2024

Loan was a knowledgeable, fun and friendly guide. We enjoyed our time with her. Great walk around the Old Quarter

Coco🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Jenny (Hoa))

24 November 2024

It was a very good tour. Jenny is very personable and knowledgeable. The contact and the meeting went smoothly. Very uncomplicated and flexible meeting. I recommend Jenny without reservation.

Cynthia🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Jenny (Hoa))

14 November 2024

We had a wonderful taste of some highlights of Hanoi with Jenny! Her unique itinerary took us through markets, museums, a traditional home, hidden temple and drinks on a rooftop cafe overlooking Hanoi’s lake! We packed a lot into 3 hours but we never felt rushed. Thanks Jenny!Wonderful taste of Hanoi