HANOI STREET FOOD TOUR

– Private Walking Tour For Cultural and Foodie Travelers –

TOUR-AT-A-GLANCE

Availability

Suggested 9h00, 16h00

Duration

3,5 Hours

Tour Type

Private tour

Tour Cost

$60 Per Person

Group Size

Maximum 8 travelers

Activity

Walking distance is about 2 to 3 miles (3-5km)

Allergies

Vegans & Allergies are accommodated

Weather

Tour runs shine or rain

HANOI STREET FOOD TOUR DESCRIPTION

Overview

This Hanoi food tour walks visitors on an informative loop that covers both the French Quarter and the Old Quarter of Hanoi, traversing the hidden alleys and backstreets in those two neighborhoods. The route, including a local home visit and food tastings along the way, are carefully chosen to expose the most highlights and the top street eats in Hanoi. Hence, this embracing tour is a great choice for cultural and foodie travelers.

Itinerary

From Hang Dau Street in the northern point of the Hoan Kiem Lake, where there’re tasting choices of Hanoi’s famous egg coffee, streamed sticky rice cake and a mixed broth soften water celery and brown flat noodles, we walk towards the northeast.

Traverse a narrow path, which is privately shared among a community within a block, then walk through another community’s “dark tunnel” to reach Nguyen Sieu Street. Therein comes chances to taste the Vietnamese barguette and freshwater crab noodle soup. Visit a traditional Vietnamese house nested behind the busy shops on the main street, and learn about the Old Quarter through the eyes of an 80-year-old Hanoian.

Stroll the Thanh Ha traditional street market to get a view of most common foods and ingredients purchased by locals. Start heading south of the old town, passing through Dong Xuan wholesale market and its busy food alley with more tastings offered, then visit a state-owned shop on themedicinal Lan Ong Street and sample the traditional medicinal herbs rice liquor.

See how rice noodles are made with an exclusive visit to a place making fresh noodles for the whole area, here we may enjoy one of the most loved beef noodle soups in town (available for breakfast & dinner only). Pass through a hidden alley with a chance to sample grilled pork with home-mixed fish sauce, and also chicken noodle soup at the corner of Chan Cam Street.

Walk through the yard of the National Library of Vietnam to get to the French Quarter, and on Hai Bai Trung Street, sample a rice field anabas soup prepared by sisters from the countryside. Take a backstreet towards the Opera House on the way to a specialty ice cream store on Trang Tien Street, then we end our circular walk where we started.

TOUR PRICES

Prices quoted are on a per person and a private group bases

GROUP SIZE	1 PAX	2 PAX	3 – 5 PAX	6 – 8 PAX
PRICE (USD)	$100	$60	$55	$50

Inclusion

All street food tastings along the way
Bottles of water, coffee, and alcohol drinks
Service of a persinal English speaking foodie guide
Exclusive visits to a Hanoian home and a fresh noodles making place (due to their working time, not all tours include a visit to the noodles making place).

Exclusion

PHOTOS OF THE TOUR

Food tastings vary according to touring time and travelers’ preferences

An Alley on Hang Buom Street

The Street That Was Selling Chinese Junk’s Sails

Gilled Pork In MIxed Fish sauce

The Famous Hanoi’s Bun Cha Dish, Topped With Chopped Garlic and Pickled Kohlrabi, is Served With Rice Noodles and Fresh Vietnamese Herbs

Flat Brown Noodle Salad

Served By A Family From Nam Dinh Province, They’re Proud of Their Special Dressing That Was Cooked from Rice Field Crabs

Ms. Hang By Her Door Steps

She’s Preparing Spring Onions For Her Eatery Serving Beef Pho On Hang Trong Street

A Young Craftsman Steaming The Rice Batter

At A Family That Supplies Fresh Pho Noodles For Restaurants in the Old Quarter

Ms. Chinh At Her Sidewalk Eatery

She’s Known For Making The Best Brown Flat Rice Noodle Dishes in The Old Quarter, Her Broth is Truly Magical

THE NEIGHBORHOODS

INTRODUCTION OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS

* * *

The capital Hanoi is the largest city in Vietnam, with the total population of about 9 million people. The city’s situated in the heart of the Red River Delta in the northern region of the country, and its average height is ranging from 5 to 20 meters (16 to 66 ft.) above the sea level. With the geographic position surrounded by the river, Hanoi was known as the 'city of lakes'

Today, Hanoi’s internationally famous for the delicious street foods, unique Vietnamese culture with a thousand-year-old history in its Old Quarter, and interesting colonial influences with European buildings in the French Quarter. On this Hanoi Street Food Tour, we’ll walk to the most typical street eats found on the narrow streets and along the boulevards of the two neighborhoods.

HISTORY OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS

* * *

Before the 11th century, Vietnam’s capital was in Hoa Lu of Ninh Binh Province. In 1010, the king moved the capital to Dai La (Citadel of Great Dyke), and named it Thang Long Imperial City (City of Soaring Dragon). In 1831, another king renamed Thang Long to Hanoi, which literally means the ‘City Inside the River’.

From the 12th century, the Old Quarter was formed by craftsmen, who were required to come from all over the country to help the king build his palace. After gaining control of Hanoi in 1882, the French started to make the city as a ‘Paris of the East’ with hundreds of European buildings. So, we love to share the rest of the neighborhoods’ history on this Hanoi food tour.

GOOD RESTAURANTS

* * *

Here are 3 good restaurants in the Old Quarter & the French Quarter

Duong’s Restaurant
A restaurant serving traditional Vietnamese foods.
27 Ngo Huyen Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
https://flavorsofhanoi.com/blog/duongs-restaurant/

Quan An Ngon
Serving specialties from regions of Vietnam.
18 Phan Boi Chau Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
https://flavorsofhanoi.com/blog/quan-an-ngon-restaurant/

Ly Club Hanoi
Fine dinning Vietnamese restaurant, serving traditional Vietnamese foods.
12 Le Phung Hieu Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
https://flavorsofhanoi.com/blog/ly-club-hanoi/