Skip to main content

Private Walking Tour of Hanoi City

Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Hanoi, Vietnam
High interest
Booked 2 times today.
  • 3 to 5 hours (approx.)
  • Pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9
·
· Dean_H ·
Jul 2026
Great walking tour with Kaii he took me to all the main sites and was very knowledgeable on the history also he was a very nice guy I really enjoyed walking around with him just make sure you wear comfy shoes as it’s a long walk but a fantastic day
· Michele_H ·
Apr 2026
My guide was Sao and she went above-and-beyond to make sure I had an amazing experience! She taught me about history, culture, and took me to the spots I really wanted to see. She was absolutely delightful and I'm hoping to connect with her the next time I visit. 5-star service and a truly wonderful day!

Overview

Learn all about Hanoi on this private, student-led walking tour of the city. You’ll visit several places, like Hoan Kiem Lake, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, The Temple of Literature and National University, Hoa Lo Prison, and the Vietnam National Museum of History. Your guide will explain the history of them. Note that you can go at your own pace today, since this is a private tour for you and your party.
  • No tips are expected and there are no hidden charges
  • Entrance fees are an additional fee
  • Learn from your student guides
  • This is a private tour just for you and your group

What's Included

  • Free private tour guide
  • Free Hotel pickup (Hanoi Old Quarter only)
  • No tip expected and no hidden charge during the tours
  • Our email confirmation to guarantee your tour'll take place (you must leave your email)
  • Transport

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Please give us your hotel/hostel address, our guides'll pick you up at there (Hanoi Old Quarter only)

Itinerary

1

Temple Ngoc Son

30 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

2

Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake)

30 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

3

Temple of Literature & National University

1 hour Admission Ticket Not Included

4

Hoa Lo Prison

1 hour Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Please be noted that no tank tops and/or shorts (above the knee) when entering spiritual attractions such as pagodas, temples, The Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Complex, etc.
  • Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum opening time: only morning from 7:30am – 11am
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9
based on 1,393 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Sort by: Most insightful

Awesome tour

Dean_H, Jul 2026
Great walking tour with Kaii he took me to all the main sites and was very knowledgeable on the history also he was a very nice guy I really enjoyed walking around with him just make sure you wear comfy shoes as it’s a long walk but a fantastic day

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Hello from Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide 😊 Thank you so much for your kind review and for choosing our Hanoi tour during your time in Vietnam. We’re truly happy to hear that you enjoyed the local experience with our student guides. At Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide, we always try to create one of the best tour experiences in Hanoi through authentic local stories, cultural interactions, and meaningful connections with local people. Your feedback is a huge motivation for our guides and student community to continue improving every day. We truly hope you had a memorable time in Hanoi and Vietnam, and we would love to welcome you back for another local tour experience in the future 💛 Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Volunteers

Amanda_V, Jul 2026
I honestly love the nonprofit and everything it stands for but keep in mind these tour guides are students and volunteers that want to practice English and meet foreigners. First of all, you’re responsible for all the transportation costs and ticket costs. The people who give the tour are more veteran but there were two students that also tagged along which was confusing because then we had to get transportation for them and pay for their tickets. They were super sweet and tried really hard but I would have appreciated a little more transparency about the cost and how many people were coming when I booked the tour. The tour guide did try his best to go to all the places I wanted to see. He worked her to get it all in a tight timeline, but it felt chaotic with 3 guides. The three took turns giving information about different landmarks and tales. It was decent but felt like rehearsal for them and that’s not exactly the type of walking tour I’m used to. Usually the guides are seasoned but work for tips. I could have misunderstood this entirely but there could be small changes that make this more engaging!

Great

sandyfry2, Jun 2026
Great walking tour with Jessie. She was very knowledgeable and taught us a lot about Vietnamese culture and history. Also Vietnamese coffee lesson to top it off.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Hello from Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide 😊 Thank you so much for your kind review and for choosing our Hanoi tour during your time in Vietnam. We’re truly happy to hear that you enjoyed the local experience with our student guides. At Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide, we always try to create one of the best tour experiences in Hanoi through authentic local stories, cultural interactions, and meaningful connections with local people. Your feedback is a huge motivation for our guides and student community to continue improving every day. We truly hope you had a memorable time in Hanoi and Vietnam, and we would love to welcome you back for another local tour experience in the future 💛 Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Great walking tour. Rosa and Henry were excellent guides!

niral_p, Jun 2026
Very useful tour! Visited main sites. And flexible so we were able to tailor it to our needs. This was useful as it was hot!

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Hello from Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide 😊 Thank you so much for your kind review and for choosing our Hanoi tour during your time in Vietnam. We’re truly happy to hear that you enjoyed the local experience with our student guides. At Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide, we always try to create one of the best tour experiences in Hanoi through authentic local stories, cultural interactions, and meaningful connections with local people. Your feedback is a huge motivation for our guides and student community to continue improving every day. We truly hope you had a memorable time in Hanoi and Vietnam, and we would love to welcome you back for another local tour experience in the future 💛 Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

This was a wonderful...

Stephen_J, May 2026
This was a wonderful experience. It was great to be with two local guys who were excited to show us around their city! We loved it!

Response from Host, May 2026

Hello from Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide 😊 Thank you so much for your kind review and for choosing our Hanoi tour during your time in Vietnam. We’re truly happy to hear that you enjoyed the local experience with our student guides. At Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide, we always try to create one of the best tour experiences in Hanoi through authentic local stories, cultural interactions, and meaningful connections with local people. Your feedback is a huge motivation for our guides and student community to continue improving every day. We truly hope you had a memorable time in Hanoi and Vietnam, and we would love to welcome you back for another local tour experience in the future 💛 Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

A historical walk worth trying 👌

Florence_T, May 2026
I took a walk around historical sights with Emilia and it was such an informative lesson and experience. She was professional and patient. She was in no hurry to finish the tour even with the heat we were faced with. The next time you're in Hanoi please add this to your itinerary.

Response from Host, May 2026

Hello from Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide 😊 Thank you so much for your kind review and for choosing our Hanoi tour during your time in Vietnam. We’re truly happy to hear that you enjoyed the local experience with our student guides. At Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide, we always try to create one of the best tour experiences in Hanoi through authentic local stories, cultural interactions, and meaningful connections with local people. Your feedback is a huge motivation for our guides and student community to continue improving every day. We truly hope you had a memorable time in Hanoi and Vietnam, and we would love to welcome you back for another local tour experience in the future 💛 Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Excellent tour

Stephen_C, May 2026
Andy and Chi had excellent English and were very informative as well as telling stories. It was a delight to do the tour with them.

Response from Host, May 2026

Hello from Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide 😊 Thank you so much for your kind review and for choosing our Hanoi tour during your time in Vietnam. We’re truly happy to hear that you enjoyed the local experience with our student guides. At Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide, we always try to create one of the best tour experiences in Hanoi through authentic local stories, cultural interactions, and meaningful connections with local people. Your feedback is a huge motivation for our guides and student community to continue improving every day. We truly hope you had a memorable time in Hanoi and Vietnam, and we would love to welcome you back for another local tour experience in the future 💛 Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Old quarter walk

richa_a, May 2026
Two lovely young girls taking pride in their country and city, a good 4 hour walk all over Hanoi old quarter , food markets , lake and historical buildings , a different tour through the perspective of the new generation , good fun!

Response from Host, May 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

5-star service and a wonderful day!

Michele_H, Apr 2026
My guide was Sao and she went above-and-beyond to make sure I had an amazing experience! She taught me about history, culture, and took me to the spots I really wanted to see. She was absolutely delightful and I'm hoping to connect with her the next time I visit. 5-star service and a truly wonderful day!

Response from Host, May 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

A must-do!

Ming_T, Apr 2026
Without much ideas of what to see/do on our first day in Hanoi, having a private and customised walking tour by a local is a great way to get to know the city. Our guide Vy, has good English skill and pleasantly showed us Hanoi landmarks to our interests. We were told the small booking fee (about US$5) was for a donation and we're to cover our guide's applicable entry fees and F&B expenses as she accompanies us plus optional tips. Overall, the tour was well worth it. Vy also gave good recommendations on money changing, shopping, and places for good food.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Off the beaten track

Karen_H, Apr 2026
Great tour, went off the beaten track Knowledge of guide ok Interesting food Great memories Gave tip to guide

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Very friendly and well...

Richard_W, Apr 2026
Very friendly and well put together tour. Some good sights, not too much walking and suitable for all ages

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Incredible custom tour and education

Deborah_R, Mar 2026
What a fantastic program to spend time with a local student and gain their knowledge of their city and their culture. Our guide, Ben, was ev Very informative and took great care in helping us learn as much as possible. He customized our itinerary and it was exactly what we had hoped for. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hello Debora, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Great tour over the old quarter

Diego_M, Mar 2026
You walk with a guide that talks about the history and traditions around the city; the guide is very informative and guides you thoroughly over the old quarter to visit different places.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hello Diego, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Maybe can include more activities

Esther_C, Mar 2026
The tour guide (Harley) is very friendly and caring. The way she shares the history about Vietnam is very good.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hello Esther, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Walking tour

Martin_B, Mar 2026
A great 5 hours Lam and Shi were super Very chatty and had some good conversations and very informative. We had lots of laughs and they tailored tour to what we wanted to do Highly recommend 👍👍👍

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

It was an amazing travel...

Gowri_K, Mar 2026
It was an amazing travel experience with Jade. She was able to take us to all the important places and was very flexible and that made the experience sompersinal

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Very personalised and fun tour

Saskia_K, Mar 2026
Really nice local guides who can share a lot about history and local culture! They adapted the tour to our interests. Very recommendable🤗

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Very disappointing tour

Sumal_P, Mar 2026
Bad experience. Wasted our time. Initially the tour guide tried to postponed the tour. Then combined us with another group. at a different time. More than that the guide did not cover the places as per the Itiernery. Very disappointed

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Dear Sumal, First of all, we sincerely apologize for your experience during the Hanoi walking tour on March 6. We truly regret that the tour did not meet your expectations. Please know that we take your feedback very seriously and will review this case carefully with our team to improve our coordination process and guide preparation so similar situations will not happen again. As a gesture of our apology, we would be happy to offer a refund and also invite you to join another tour with us in the future so we can provide you with the experience you originally expected. Thank you very much for your understanding, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again. Best regards, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide Team

Must do in Hanoi

Varshaa_D, Mar 2026
Amazing walking tour of the city Hanoi. Very informative, pleasurable and fun. I got the best out of this tour and an introduction to local culture.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Hanoi city walking tour

Frances_O, Mar 2026
My Husband and I had a fabulous day with our very kind and knowledgeable guide Vy walking around. Hanoi city . Vy crafted an amazingly informative day tailored to our interests, around all the main sights in Hanoi including Hanoi prison, the Temple of literature, and the Ngoc son Temple . Vy’s knowledge and insights was invaluable in helping us understand so much, not only about the sites we visited but also about Vietnamese culture, custom and beliefs more broadly . Vy also knew where to go to get the best coffee in Hanoi !!!!!👍 Thank you Vy. And to top the day off Vy took me shopping which was fantastic. Could not recommend our guide Vy or the tour more highly. We learned so much , Many of the guides are students and whilst you. Pay very little for the tour itself proving the guides with a tip is a way of giving back and offering the guides a wage to support themselves. So a win win for everyone .

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Nice tour but one guide is enough.

Marco_G, Feb 2026
I was expecting one guide so when I saw two guides I did not appreciate it because it means double the tips for no real reason since we did not get a better experience that we would have receive with only one guide.

Wonderful Expeience

Linda_W, Feb 2026
Serena, our student guide, was polite, friendly, and informative. We not only learned about the sights she took us to, but also learned about life of the ordinary Vietnamese. There was also a student-guide-in-training with her, and they were both just lovely to talk to -- very open and welcomed our critique of their English (we asked first to make sure they were OK with it). Overall, it was a wonderful experience meeting and talking to these 2 young Vietnamese.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Great guides

Shemaiah_S, Feb 2026
Great walking tour! We enjoyed our experience. We went to two temples, the prison, and ended at the infamous train street.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Great walking tour!

Kyrsten_B, Feb 2026
A great morning with our guide, Sunny. She took us to The Temple of Literature which was very interesting and worthwhile and then onto a unique little hidden coffee shop where we tried our first delicious egg coffee in Hanoi. A very enjoyable morning and lovely guide.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!!

Joanne_L, Jan 2026
What an amazing trip ! My husband and I had joined this non-profit private walking tour. Hoà and Lily were our tour guides. They were so informative and helpful in walking around Hanoi with us. Since we are over 70 years old, they were slowing down their paces to walk around with us. They held our hands to cross the roads. They took a lot of photos for us. We felt like travelling with our family. We really enjoyed the trip! Thank you Hoà and Lily ! You both have done an excellent job ! Keep it up ! Joanne n Philip From Canada

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Amazing tour!!!

Marina_C, Jan 2026
We loved our guide and it was a great tour. We saw a lot and walked all over the city! Certainly a great value.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Such a great tour experience

Brandon_W, Jan 2026
My tour guide Huyền was incredible and so thoughtful and knowledgeable. It was also great to just ask each other questions about life in both of our countries and the history of Ha Noi. Couldn’t recommend more!

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

Loved Our Hanoi Tour with Student Guides!

Stacey_M, Jan 2026
Absolutely loved our student guides! They were incredibly accommodating — asking about and taking us to all the sites we wanted to see. It was a pleasure interacting with them and learning more about Hanoi while helping them practice their English.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

I had a great time and my...

Mackenzie_B, Dec 2025
I had a great time and my tour guide Tina was amazing. She let me pick what I wanted to do and see and was very knowledgeable about the area.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Hello, this is Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. Thank you for spending time to share your experience with us. We are glad to hear that you had a great time with our tour guides. Your feedback is the motivation for us to continue to develop more in the future. We hope you enjoyed your time in Vietnam and hope we will have more opportunities to accompany you in the future. Wish you all the best, Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide

From $5.00

per group (up to 10)

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 17 days in advance.

Compare Similar Experiences

1 / 3
Current
Private Walking Tour of Hanoi City


5 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$5.00
Private Walking City Tour in Hanoi


2 to 3 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$5.00
Full-Day Private Walking Tour in Hanoi City


3 to 4 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$55.00
Private Hanoi city tour full day


6 to 8 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$95.00