French Quarter Tour: Discover Hanoi's Colonial Past

Explore Hanoi’s French Quarter history and architecture on a free tour, featuring Hoa Lo Prison, Hanoi Opera House, and Indochinese masterpieces.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Statue of King Le Thai To - Discover Vietnam’s long history and the deep cultural and historical roots of Hanoi as the imperial and national capital of Vietnam.
    Understand why a large statue of King Ly Thai To stands at the heart of the city and its significance.
  • State Bank of Vietnam - Hanoi’s history during French colonial rule and the…
What's Included
  • Entrance ticket
  • Guide
  • Bottled water
  • Tea and coffee
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Travel back in time as you explore Hanoi’s historic French Quarter, where colonial elegance blends with the enduring spirit of the Vietnamese people. Discover iconic sites such as the Government Guesthouse, the magnificent Hanoi Opera House, and the evocative Hoa Lo Prison, each narrating a compelling story—from French colonization to the determined…

Location
Ly Thai To Garden
Phố Lê Lai
Please meet us at the Ly Thai To Statue, where you can stand in the spacious square right in front of the monument. From there, you can also see a major street and Hoan Kiem Lake.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(13 Ratings)
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Dinekef2022
Oct 5, 2025
Beautiful tour through the French Quarter with enthusiastic very nice guide - Very good tour, a valuable addition to the hectic old part. The legacy of the French occupation both culturally and socially was expressed by our guide Van. Her enthusiasm made the tour last longer than planned. Highly recommended to do
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kilian1307
Oct 3, 2025
Walkingtour with Van - Van was an excellent guide. She is very cheerful and very communicative with all the guests. The tour had everything from the big must sees, till small and hidden places. The groupsize was perfect.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauraep4975od
Sep 29, 2025
The best tour in Hanoi - This was the best tour we ever had, Nam showed us the French Quarter and taught us a lot about Vietnamese culture, we were so captivated that we asked a thousand questions! Would recommend to everybody.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eric
Sep 19, 2025
Exceptional day in Hanoi - Very nice day passes next to julia and Lisa experience to renew unforgettable stay Hanoi city to visit absolutely
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jb
Sep 19, 2025
2025 Vina Tour. - With my friends we had a great day with our guides. Excellent knowledge of the history of the country and Hanoi. Very good general culture. Exchanges are fluid in English. Very nice discovery...I highly recommend. I'll be back...you quay lai.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thanh
Sep 19, 2025
Hanoi, Never 2 without 3 - We spent a culturally and humanly rewarding day with our guides. The journey through the alleys, ancient buildings and anecdotes brings us back to Hanoi’s past and history. The knowledge, the objective explanations and their humor make this activity a pleasant visit. I learn every trip to Hanoi. Thank you ladies Dictionary!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Josephmcintosh
Aug 4, 2025
Top Tier Tour Guide - Nam is highly knowledgeable and presents local history in a compelling manner that is tailored to your interests.
Review provided by Viator
Patrick
Jul 29, 2025
Highly recommend and a fantastic Tour, Thanks Julia :D - 11/10, Julia had fanatic knowledge and a beautiful Smile. Every question I asked got fully explained and I learnt a lot. Brilliant energy and a brilliant tour. Highly recommended and also got to experience more of Vietnams beauty.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
168bindub
Jul 10, 2025
Hanoi prison tour and French quarter tour - We couldn't have asked for a better guide...Nam was very passionate about culture and history and gave us a great walking tour through the French quarter highlighting all the French architectural elements visible in buildings in Hanoi today. Then he took us to a local favourite icecream place that's been around since 1958, and after that to a very cool bar in a hidden alley where we had a great cocktail. The prison tour was very sobering and moving and Nam gave us a very Vietnamese perspective of the same. I highly recommend him as a guide
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ronald_k
Jul 7, 2025
History of Hanoi with Vân - This was an amazing experience. Unfortunately I was the only person who booked this tour today but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I had an incredible experience. Van was the most amazing tour guide I’ve ever had. She is incredibly knowledgeable about all of the locations listed on this tour. Since I was there only client I had her undivided attention. I learned so much more about Hanoi than I ever thought possible. She is very thorough, very friendly and very professional. I highly recommend taking this tour with her and any of the other tours that she does. I know that the next time that I come to Hanoi I will only look to book my tours with her. I want to thank her for one hell of an education today. I left the tour having been enlightened and edified with the rich history of Hanoi from Van, a proud, true historian of her Vietnamese culture. I can’t say enough great things about the history lesson that she provided me with today. I will definitely be looking for any of your tours on my next visit to Hanoi.
Review provided by Viator
From $45
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).