Hanoi Backstreet Jeep Tour: Highlights & Hidden Gems

I just had a stellar afternoon with a Hanoi Backstreet Tours, traveling through Hanoi in a jeep with my awesome guide Duc. I've been on many a tour all around the world, but this one was exceptional. First, Duc was a great and passionate guide. We discussed well more than just the history of Hanoi and the famous buildings of Hanoi, etc. but it was wonderfully personal as he shared what life is like in Vietnam, living with ones family, housing, family time, and everything to make this feel like way more than a sightseeing tour. He was the kind of guide that you leave feeling not only more knowledgeable about the city but simply enriched by the life experience that you get when you have a caring and passionate guide like Duc. Our first stop was "Giang" for egg cream coffee (Giang is the man who "created it" around 1946) where we got into depth talking about the city. And then we breezily toured around the city (great to be in an open air jeep! some tours can be had on motorbike but it's a LOT easier to be relaxed in the back of a jeep). Then it was later off to a side street market where we stopped and had a beer in a courtyard and checked out all the stalls----from fruit and vegetables to motorcycle parts and live chickens and ducks). From there, we just kept driving around Hanoi by so many of the beautiful buildings and our driver was fun and enthusiastic. Then it was the famous railway tracks as the train sped by as we sat just inches from the train (it came by twice in ten minutes and it was exciting every time---totally---we sipped drinks as the wind hit our faces as you can touch the high speed train passing by extending your arm--I didn't--but it's that close). And then a light meal and conversation at Phoc On 31. With Duc's enthusiasm and knowledge, it made for a great four hour journey and I can highly recommend it.

The half-day jeep city tour was a great experience for us. The tour started with a full meal featuring different famous Vietnamese dishes. We loved the café’s ambience, and the food and coffee were great too. We passed by many landmarks, and our tour guide, Lily, gave us a very informative overview of each place. It was quite hot during our visit, but she came prepared with ice-cold water for everyone. Overall, the trip was definitely worth it.

We had a very informative and enjoyable morning with our guide, Kylie.and Driver. We were picked up promptly at our hotel and briefed about what the tour entailed. Kylie explained the history and significance of the sites we visited fully and animatedly which added to the pleasure we had of the tour. The highlights of the tour for us was the chance to wander through the alleyways of Hanoi and meet and talk to locals about their lives and families. The Hidden Gems restaurant meal was enjoyed by us both. We would recommend the tour to others.

We had the best time with Boo & Two!! So much cultural, historical shared information with passion and pride. They made us feel safe and respected as we asked sooo many questions and answer with a story or history from a vietnam prospective English was excellent. Thank you Boo & Two - highly recommend 🙏🏾🙌🏾🫶🏽

Great tour with Hai. He was entertaining, funny and spoke very good English.