This one-day Hanoi eco walking tour explores Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter and the French Quarter entirely on foot. Combining leafy public spaces, historic architecture and everyday local life, the experience introduces travellers to Hanoi’s living heritage through a guided walk and seasonal Vietnamese cuisine.
Walk beneath mature trees around Hoan Kiem Lake, discover the traditional streets of the Old Quarter, and admire the architecture of the French Quarter. Your local guide shares stories about Hanoi’s history, urban green spaces and cultural traditions, with time to appreciate the details often missed when travelling by vehicle.
Responsible travel is built into the day through practical choices: walking between sightseeing stops, bringing a reusable water bottle, limiting single-use plastic and supporting locally owned restaurants and small businesses. Enjoy a seasonal Vietnamese meal while discovering how food, community and heritage shape the capital.
Explore EcoWay Travel’s Hanoi Eco Tours for more walking, cycling, village and nature experiences in Hanoi and the surrounding region. This heritage walk offers a thoughtful introduction to the city for travellers who enjoy cultural discovery at a slower pace.
You will meet our tour guide at your hotel in the Old Quarter or at an agreed central location. After a short introduction, you will receive a briefing on the walking route, local customs and the tour’s low-waste practices.
Besides, you are encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle and avoid unnecessary disposable packaging throughout the day.
In the morning, you will begin with a gentle walk beneath the trees surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake, the green and cultural heart of central Hanoi. From here, you will learn about the lake’s legendary sword story and its importance in the daily life of local residents.
Next, you will cross the iconic red bridge to Ngoc Son Temple, a historic place of worship set on a peaceful island. Moreover, our tour guide will explain its traditional architecture, spiritual symbolism and connection with Vietnamese history.
Then, you will continue traveling into the Hanoi Old Quarter. Where narrow streets preserve traces of the city’s historic craft and trading communities. Here, you can explore selected guild streets, local markets, communal houses and quiet lanes away from the busiest tourist routes.
In addition, you will meet neighborhood vendors and learn how family businesses continue traditional practices. Our tour guide will also discuss waste reduction, heritage preservation and the pressures facing Hanoi’s historic center.
Afterward, you will visit a traditional heritage house or another suitable community cultural space, depending on opening conditions. And discovering how natural ventilation, inner courtyards and compact architecture helped residents adapt to Hanoi’s climate before modern air-conditioning.
Later, you will pause at a locally owned café or tea shop for a Vietnamese drink served with minimal disposable packaging.
In the noon, you will enjoy lunch at a carefully selected local restaurant. The meal features fresh, seasonal ingredients and familiar Hanoi flavours. With vegetarian or plant-forward dishes available upon request.
Rather than using a large tourist buffet, the tour prioritizes an appropriately sized meal to help reduce food waste.
Meal: Lunch
In the early afternoon, you will walk toward the French Quarter. It is known for its broad pavements, shaded boulevards and historic European-influenced buildings. Here, you can see landmarks such as the Hanoi Opera House, nearby colonial-era buildings and peaceful streets lined with mature trees.
Furthermore, our tour guide will explain how Hanoi’s architecture evolved through different historical periods. As well as how public trees and lakes contribute to the city’s character and urban environment.
Next, you will continue to visit St. Joseph’s Cathedral, one of Hanoi’s best-known architectural landmarks. Besides, you will explore the surrounding lanes, small courtyards and independent shops. While learning about the coexistence of different cultural and religious influences in the capital.
Whenever possible, the guide will introduce locally made products rather than mass-produced souvenirs.
In the afternoon, you will join a simple responsible-travel activity. Which may include learning about traditional reusable household products, visiting a low-waste local shop. Or discussing practical ways to reduce plastic consumption while traveling in Vietnam.
The exact activity may change according to local availability, allowing the tour to support authentic community initiatives.
Later, you will return to the Hoan Kiem Lake area for a final walk and short reflection. Our tour guide will share recommendations for responsible dining, local shopping and independent cultural experiences in Hanoi.
The tour concludes at approximately 4:30 PM. You may walk back to their nearby hotel or continue exploring the Old Quarter independently.
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Category |
Details |
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Tour duration: |
Full day, approximately 8:00 AM–4:30 PM |
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Tour type: |
Private or small-group eco walking tour |
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Starting point: |
Hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter or an agreed central meeting point |
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Ending point: |
Hoan Kiem Lake or Hanoi Old Quarter |
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Walking distance: |
Approximately 6–8 kilometres |
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Difficulty: |
Easy to moderate |
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Meals: |
Lunch |
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Transportation: |
None during the main tour; the route is explored on foot |
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Recommended items: |
Reusable water bottle, comfortable shoes, hat and rain protection |
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Suitable for: |
Couples, families, small groups and responsible travellers |
I first traveled with Impress a few years ago when i visited Sapa and naturally it had to be Impress when i decide to visit Vietnam again.
They are very professional and have good English speaking guides which makes our tour so much convenient and comfortable.
Their local guides are very knowledgeable and gives excellent service.
I will gladly recommend to Impress Travel to my family and friends if they are visiting Vietnam.
Impress travel were amazing. Did my bookings with Daniel for our tour of Vietnam and I must say Daniel was very professional and prompt with his services. All the arrangement, plans, pick-up & drop-off services, hotels, vehicles, sightseeing tours and guides were spot on and excellent. Did 4 nights Hanoi, 1 night Hà Long Bay cruise, 3 nights Hoian, 4 nights Saigon and 1 night in Can Tho. It was totally awesome. Every part of the journey was superbly arranged and planned. I will highly recommend Impress Travel for anyone interested in visiting Vietnam. Very organized and reliable!
I first traveled with Impress a few years ago when i visited Sapa and naturally it had to be Impress when i decide to visit Vietnam again.
They are very professional and have good English speaking guides which makes our tour so much convenient and comfortable.
Their local guides are very knowledgeable and gives excellent service.
I will gladly recommend to Impress Travel to my family and friends if they are visiting Vietnam.
This was my 2nd visit to Vietnam in the last 3 years and i decided to come back again with Impress Travel with my friends beacause you have been very professional in order to organizer my first trip with my Family.
My sincere thanks to you Mr Tommy and extended the same to Mr Truong , our guide in SA PA.
My Friends and me are very happy withs this trip to Vietnam and we find very satisfactory your services all.
Spanish Guide in SAPA, Hotel, Meals , Organization and all was perfect.
Marcos
Great value for money with 4 stars hotel accommodation for 4 couples. The tour guide has been very helpful and brought us to amazing places in Sapa. We want to thanks Thuy the tour guide and especially Mark from Impress Travel for his great service and assurance throughout our trip. We’ll definitely use his service for other tour packages in other parts of Vietnam.
I booked with Impress Travel in July. My contact person was Tommy Thang. He is an amazing person. He was very helpful. He changed my program twice for me. Very accommodating!
We started our holiday in the north (Sapa)of Vietnam and travelled down to HCMC.
The tour was fantastic, Tommy's arrangements were to the"T".
I will always use them if I have to visit the area again and recommend them to one and all.
Thank you once again Mr.Tommy and the Impress Team.
Sulaiman Pochee
South Africa
Impress travel were amazing. Did my bookings with Daniel for our tour of Vietnam and I must say Daniel was very professional and prompt with his services. All the arrangement, plans, pick-up & drop-off services, hotels, vehicles, sightseeing tours and guides were spot on and excellent. Did 4 nights Hanoi, 1 night Hà Long Bay cruise, 3 nights Hoian, 4 nights Saigon and 1 night in Can Tho. It was totally awesome. Every part of the journey was superbly arranged and planned. I will highly recommend Impress Travel for anyone interested in visiting Vietnam. Very organized and reliable!
At first, I was just planning a trip to Hanoi, Halong Bay, and Ninh Binh for my small family.
Some close friends heard about our plans and wanted to join the trip. Eventually the group grew to be 7 families, with 25 adults and children of varying interests and expectations.
While I was excited at the prospect of touring Vietnam with good friends, I felt anxiously responsible to ascertain that everything must be well organized and everyone satisfied. This is why I am so very, very glad to have found Impress Travel. Mr. Mark responded quickly to all my inquiries, customized a wonderful trip according to the group's preferences, tirelessly worked out every detail for our 7-day trip, all at a reasonable price. Our guide, Trung, is knowledgeable, helpful, quick to respond to any need, and well-loved by everyone in the group. All my friends found this a marvelous trip, filled with beautiful memories, very much to my delight and relief!
Mr Tommy, on behalf of our group, we thank you for your efforts in putting together such a memorable vacation and experience of Sapa, overnight train, Halong Bay, Hanoi + Bai Dinh, your tour guides are so knowledgeable, passionate + helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and we will certainly recommend your tour agency to our friends and share our experiences in social media.
Thumbs up, best regards,
David
It was amazing place to visit in the north of vietnam , we really enjoy all the trip especially their foods , culture, beautiful view and so on.
Accommodations were good especially Thang Long Espana Hotel (the Hotel Management automated upgraded us to VIP rooms.Is really unexpected). Overalled tours n places visited very well but only local guides r not good organizing the itineraries. Especially at Sapa Lao Cai and Cat Cat Villages walking tours push to the same day about 8hours for 7km (which is on 1st&2nd days arrival) so tiring. Lunch not good enough 4 so many hours of walking. In Danang Bana Hill the local guide shd arrange 2 visit Bana Hill 1st n not last coz' spend a short time n not nice photos taken due to rain (went in morning time no rain).
Overall tours, hotels, transportation, prices are strongly recommended. Especially Daniel Dang Impress Travel for welcoming and bye-bye wishes.
Daniel Dang tks from 8 of us having a wonderful time n memorable trip for 8D7N Sapa, Hanoi, Danang with Impress Travel. Meet u all again.
We are family of 6 from Singapore and Malaysia joining Hanoi Impress Travel on 30 October-04 November 2019. We are really impressed with the company and tour guides with their professionalism and well organised arrangement. Lily is our guide for Hanoi, Tam Coc and Ninh Binh. She is excellent and very informative. She even taking care of us until late night. We walk us from Old Quarters to the hotel and brought us to try the famous road side foods. She even helped us to pay for our order to avoid overcharge by the stall. Another guide, David BK (Swan Cruise) brought us to Halong Bay cruise. He is excellent and humorous. He handles everything throughout the trip. He served meals for guests on the cruise, organised happy hour, guiding us for Kayaking, teaching Taiji and cooking class on cruise. The cruise ship is ok and the hotel in Hanoi-Adamas Hotel is small but new and clean with reasonable ok breakfast. Anyway thank you for the wonderful arrangement.
We booked a 8 day private tour package for 9 persons for Northern and Central Vietnam . We experienced great and very professional service from the Impress travel team. Tommy was very easy to contact and accommodated our requests.
All the tour guides were very good, spoke good English, friendly and patient. All the vehicles were very clean , spacious enough for our group of 6 adults and 3 children. The drivers were extremely safe and ontime.
Meals were served in clean restaurants.
Overall we had a good holiday .Thank you Tommy and Impress travel for a great experience.
We booked package for 9 persons in Hanoi and i was experienced great service during my stay! the PIC (Mr. Mark) was very pleasant and so easily to contact, i was communicated so easily for trip preparation..the tour guide for Trang An was good, Mr Hiep was helped us very well, and he was so patient on witing us shopping! Thank you Hiep!!
during in Hanoi we were stayed in great hotel with nice service also, and during in Halong Bay, they also choosen the best cruise for us! Swan cruise and also the Mr Cong was great!! thank you!!
for transporation, the car was good and driver are pleasant, but only a little bit communication since the driver less good in english. but overall great!!
all the choosen food for lunch and dinner was delicious
Thank you so much Impress travel
Impress Travels has been very helpful in making our vietnam travel amazing. We were a bunch of 7 friends wanting to go on a budget trip covering most locations. Hence, this subjected to a lot of changes during our discussion with the tour guide Daniel.
However, he has been patient enough in hearing out our needs - be it itienary , hotel bookings or even the mode of payment.
They really understand your needs. And needless to say our experience was amazing. All of this support and help has really made our vietnam trip the most memorable as far ❤️
I was searching for a reliable travel agent and come across Impress Travel and the many reviews of them. I booked 5D/4N, Hanoi-Trang An-Halong Bay private trip for a party of 6. I communicated with Mr Daniel Dang throughout the time until the day we arrived. Mr Daniel is very patient, helpful, and accommodating to our requirements despite many changes made to the itinerary. The price is very reasonable unlike other travel agents.
Our tour guide, Lily was very friendly and efficientknowledgeable and speak good English.
Highly recommend “Trang An Boat Tour”. The caves was spectacular and beautifully.
2D/1N Halong Bay – Swan Cruise was awesome with amazing view of the cave. Our guide Mr David was hilarious, helpful, accommodating, and everything was well organized. Beside the normal
activities of kayaking, swimming, Tai Chi, culinary lesson, we are indeed very very fortunate to have
the chance to celebrate the “Mooncake Festival” while cruising and admiring the full moon.
Spread of mooncake, dessert, sweet snack, fruits, cocktail, beer and mini dragon dance complete the celebration. Tourists from all over the world party all night long.
Although we paid for a 3-star package, the hotel (Thang Long Espana Hotel), meals and transport provided were also above average. Our gang have a very enjoyable and memorable trip in Hanoi.
Impress Travel really impressed us with their service and will engage their service in future.
P/S:- Don’t worry, Impress Travel CAN be trusted.
Hanoi – Duong Lam - Halong Bay – Hue – Danang – Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh city – Mekong Delta – Cai Be – Vinh Long – Can Tho – Phu Quoc Island - Ho Chi Minh city.
It is worth talking about details, say what you want to see, watch the hotels, indicate which rooms you want, the office will organize everything for you. I highly recommend!
The whole trip was arranged with the active help of Mr. Daniel Dang.
Thanks to Mr Tommy and staff for putting together an active and interesting tour in all 3 countries. In every city or town we had we met by very nice, friendly and knowledgeable guides. We went in June which was HOT HOT HOT and were always so happy to have an air conditioned vehicle with cold water waiting for us. We traveled by planes, trains, automobiles and boats and all were fabulously coordinated by Mr Tommy without fail. The selection of sites helped us enjoy so many aspects of all 3 countries!
