After exploring the market, walk through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, tempting your tastebuds with the famed Hanoi dish banh cuon at a local eatery. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together. Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, we wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago. Your next stop is a stall selling bun cha, a classic Vietnamese dish served with grilled fatty pork (chả) over a plate of white rice noodles (bún) and herbs with a flavoursome dipping sauce. Be sure to save some room as you’ll soon be tucking into grilled nem chua, a fermented pork roll, and a fresh fruit salad, two of the best-known snacks in the city.

Your local guide will then take you to one of Hanoi’s best-kept secrets, a hidden café with stunning views over the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake. This hard-to-find café is one of the few left in the city that still serves egg coffee, a scrumptious local delicacy that we will sample whilst admiring the hustle and bustle of the city centre below. Or, if coffee is not your style, a cold beer awaits! At the end of our Hanoi tour, you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you with directions or a taxi back to your hotel.