Hanoi City Tour & Water Puppet Show – Full Day

This packed city tour explores Hanoi City’s rich culture and natural beauty. Throughout the day, we will learn, relax, and have fun with a local guide leading the way to best enjoy Vietnam’s capital.

We begin by joining the thousands of tourists and citizens who pay their respects to Vietnam’s most revered leader at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

Afterwards, we will cross a small causeway to the islet of Ho Tay (West Lake) to see the traditional architecture of the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, the Trấn Quốc Pagoda. This picturesque structure dates back to more than 1,450 years ago; here we burn incense to send well-wishes to the gods and receive good luck in return. 

At the Bat Trang Pottery Village, we continue our tour with sightseeing and shopping for crafted ceramics and artisan-made porcelain products. 

At noon we’ll take a break for traditionalVietnamese lunch at a local restaurant.

Next up is a visit to the Museum of Ethnology, where we learn about the country’s diverse heritage through the displays featuring Vietnam’s 54 different ethnic groups.

Another amazing attraction in our Hanoi Tour is the Temple of Literature, also known as the Temple of Confucius or the Quốc Tử Giám – Vietnam’s first National University. Feel a sense of celebration from the students who frequent the space… and erudition as you rest in this serene scene of lushly landscaped courtyards, with a large pond known as the “Well of Heavenly Clarity,” and stone statues with inscriptions that give us a glimpse into Vietnam’s history. 

While in Hanoi, we won’t miss the must-see Hoan Kiem Lake surrounding the Ngoc Son Temple, a pagoda peacefully tucked away from the frenetic motorcycle-filled city streets.

Finally we’ll catch Asian artistry at the Water Puppet Show featuring lacquered wooden puppets dancing on the surface of a pool, to the accompaniment of live orchestra music acting out Vietnamese folklore, legend, and national history.

We end our tour at the city’s heart, the Hanoi Old Quarter, where the narrow streets are named after the trades and wares the merchants specialize in.