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St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi

St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi: Our most recommended tours and activities

Hanoi: Morning or Afternoon City Highlights Tour

1. Hanoi: Morning or Afternoon City Highlights Tour

Explore Hanoi and see its highlights on a morning or afternoon city tour by van. See the Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Complex, Tran Quoc Pagoda, and more. Begin your tour at the Hanoi Opera House in the French Quarter and wonder at one of the city's main architectural landmarks. Then head to the Temple of Literature, the first university of Vietnam built in the 10th century under the Ly Dynasty and greatly influenced by Confucianism. Make your way to the Ho Chi Minh Complex, an important place for the Vietnamese. The complex is a traffic-free area full of botanical gardens, monuments, memorials and pagodas. Stop outside Ba Dinh Square and take a look outside the mausoleum, then continue to explore the One Pillar Pagoda. Go to Tran Quoc Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in Hanoi, before concluding your tour at St. Joseph's Cathedral to learn about religion in Vietnam. The church was one of the first structures built by the French colonial government in Indochina when it opened in December 1886.

Hanoi: Old Quarter Trishaw Cyclo Tour

2. Hanoi: Old Quarter Trishaw Cyclo Tour

Relax as your driver pedals you around the Old Quarter, home to many of Hanoi's highlights and unique architecture from the French colonial times. Enjoy an unobstructed view with your driver behind you so you can take plenty of photos. See the Opera House, Joseph Cathedral Church, and more. After departure from the meeting point or hotel pickup, depending on the option chosen, sit back and relax with your driver pedaling you from behind. Enjoy exploring the heart of Hanoi: the Old Quarter. See the Dong Xuan Wholesale Market, Joseph Cathedral Church, and the Opera House. Take in the beautiful view from Hoan Kiem Lake. Stop at each destination for a short visit or to take photos. Ride at the perfect pace to enjoy some of the 36 shaded streets of this historic district. Admire the products made and sold on each street, such as sugar, bamboo, leather, or silver.

Hanoi: Instagram-Worthy Tour of City’s Most Scenic Spots

3. Hanoi: Instagram-Worthy Tour of City’s Most Scenic Spots

Start the tour while posing at St. Joseph's Cathedral and wandering around the central spots of the Old Quarter. Your professional guide will not only take special and cool shots for you, but also make your picture spectacular and unique. Next to the cathedral, you also can capture a nice shot at the Hanoi House Cafe with its ancient features surrounding you.  After that head on to Hanoi Big Opera House built by the French for 10 years, located near August Revolution Square. And we can't miss out on the Sword Lake with the Temple of Jade Mountain too. The next stop will be the Ceramic Mosaic Mural, the longest and the most colorful street which was built to celebrate 1,000 years of civilization in Hanoi. Keep moving to Long Bien Bridge with its old rustic beauty. Your next scenic spot will be West Lake with the panoramic view of the biggest lake in the city combined with oldest Buddhist temple, the Tran Quoc Pagoda. After that, you will pass by Ho Chi Minh Complex with the noble, sacred mausoleum and the ancient One Pillar Pagoda. Last stop will be the Train street with the train track and coffee shops along the two sides. You can capture some ashtonishing photos here. Some destinations may change or close due to particular reason (weather, holiday,...), but we assure to give you the best photos.

Discover Hanoi's Street Food by Night

4. Discover Hanoi's Street Food by Night

Explore Hanoi’s old quarter on a 3-hour street food tour. As you walk through the neighborhood you'll be introduced to the culture and local night life. Try bo kho (dry beef salad), a local favorite and then enjoy nem ran (spring rolls) at the next stop. Continue your walk to Ma May to taste pho cuon (stuffed pancakes). Stop along Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street and learn how traditional medicine was made and used. Next on the food itinerary is pho, which is Vietnam’s best known dish. Stop at St. Joseph’s Cathedral to admire its architectural style that is said to resemble Notre Dame in Paris. Finish the evening with a Vietnamese coffee.

Hanoi: Traditional Ao Dai Dress and Non La Hat Rental

5. Hanoi: Traditional Ao Dai Dress and Non La Hat Rental

If you are looking for an authentic experience in Hanoi, don't miss out on this Ao Dai rental service. Immerse yourself in the Vietnamese culture wearing a beautiful Ao Dai of your choice strolling through the scenic streets of Hanoi. Wear your Ao Dai along with a Non La conical hat and get ready for a one-of-a-kind experience. The Ao Dai is a deeply ingrained part of Vietnamese culture and mind. Seize the opportunity to wear an Ao Dai that has carried its national identity and spirit since its creation. An outstanding work of art, the Ao Dai is also popular in modern culture and worn by flight attendants, teachers, bankers, and students. Embark on a self-guided photo tour in your Ao Dai and take stunning pictures in front of famous monuments such as the Hoan Kiem Lake, Opera House, Cathedral or the Long Bien Bridge. Make your stay in Vietnam unique and memorable.

Private Hanoi: Crowd-free Morning Highlights of the City

6. Private Hanoi: Crowd-free Morning Highlights of the City

Dive into the sights, sounds, and smells of the bustling city on this Hanoi city tour, a great way to see some of the major Hanoi highlights. Start the city tour with a visit to the Temple of Literature. Originally built in honor of Confucius by King Ly Thai Thong in 1070, a university was added to the grounds six years later. The university provided education to the royal family and children of the aristocracy or "mandarins". The University remained here until King Gia Long moved the country’s administrative capital from Hanoi to Hue at the beginning of the 19th century. Drop into a traditional tea house to taste some of the best Vietnamese flavored green teas and listen to thousand-year-old stories explaining the significance of tea leaves to local cultures. Tea is even better when served with some authentic snacks such as sweetened lotus seeds and green bean cake.  Continuing on the Hanoi tour, head to the Hoa Lo Prison museum. Used by French Colonists for political prisoners till 1954 and later by North Vietnam for American POWs, the prison complex was sarcastically nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton” by American pilots during Vietnam War (1954-1975). Famous ex-prisoners of war include Pete Peterson (the first US ambassador to a unified Vietnam in 1995) and US Senator John McCain. Your next stop will be the largest and oldest church in Hanoi. St Joseph’s Cathedral was built in 1886 with an architectural style often compared to the Notre Dame de Paris, this Gothic Revival church is not only a religious site, but is also a popular photoshoot backdrop for local teenagers.  Continue to the heart of Hanoi - the Hoan Kiem Lake, with its magnificent Huc Bridge and Ngoc Son temple. Experience the spiritual harmony of different religions coexisting in the same place. Then, stop for lunch for a traditional bowl of pho, a definite must-do while you're in Vietnam, before ending the tour. You may then continue your own exploration of the area or your tour guide will assist you in getting a taxi back to your hotel.

Other Sightseeing Options in St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi

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What people are saying about St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 150 reviews

We had a great time with Haley! She is very knowledgeable and kind. During the tour we visited the oldest Pagoda and the Mausoleum. At the end of the tour the egg-coffee was fantastic. I would higly recommend this tour and especially with Haley. Thank you Haley for the wonderful day!

Sehr schön und interessant

I had such an amazing experience. Tony was phenomenal and took so many amazing pictures. He also made several suggestions on places to take a look at Hanoi. He was also on time and knows alot about Hanoi. Highly recommend this experience. You won’t forget it.

Alex was an amazing tour guide. He was super chatty and really good fun. The food was really nice and it was a great way to see the city and markets at night time. Really would recommend.

The tour was great. However, what would make it even more fantastic to go with the "Instagram-worthy" title is to offer professionally taken pictures as an add-on service.

Really nice tour guide. Tony explained to me everything there is to know and took good pictures as well.