No visit to Hanoi would be complete without immersing yourself in the hustle and bustle of the city’s French Quarter, an area that perfectly captures the timelessness and nostalgia of Vietnam. With your private driver and English-speaking guide, delve into the stories of dynasties and civilizations past that have left their mark on the neighborhood, mixing Soviet-era post-war reconstruction and French colonial architecture with peaceful Buddhist pagodas.
The streets are closed off to motorized vehicles during evenings and weekends to make way for food stalls and bia hoi beer stations, but even during the weekday the whole French Quarter is very pedestrian-friendly. During your promenade, visit the Buddhist pagoda of Quan Su, the center of Vietnamese Buddhism, and stroll along Tran Hung Dao Street, where cluster of world-class restaurants and shops are located.
Your guide will share with you with stories about the French approach to justice and punishment, including tales of daring Vietnamese resistance to the repressive regime. Conclude your walk over a cup of delicious Vietnamese coffee at a local café – try it with condensed milk on ice for a special treat – as Hanoian dodge motorbikes, bicycles and taxis on the neighborhood’s busy streets.
