Hanoi Day Tour: Motorbike Discovery (half day)

Duration: 4 hours Meeting Point: 1:00pm Old Quarter hotel pick-up Finish Point: Hotel drop-off Itinerary: Jump on the back of a motorbike and get ready for the ride of your life through the hidden parts of Hanoi. The tour begins with a brief stop at the towering St Josephs Cathedral to admire the 19th century Gothic architecture. Up next, visit the beautiful Hanoi Opera House, inspired by the famous Opéra Garnier Theater in Paris, where the French architecture still survives almost perfectly. Hopefully you can catch a show while in town. Continue on to Long Bien Bridge, designed by Gustave Eiffel of The Eiffel Tower fame, which connects Hanoi with the main port of Haiphong. This bridge looms over the Red River and sustained significant damage during the Vietnam War. Next, head down hidden trails exploring Red River island farming communities (weather permitting) where corn and bananas grow in the rich river silt and enjoy a fruit snack and tea with the local people. Spin over to West Lake, where the remains of John McCain's downed B52 lay, and admire one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam - the Buddhist Tran Quoc Pagoda. There will be a brief stop over at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum for pictures and to see Uncle Ho's famous stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda. Taking a break from the bike, experience the daily life of Hanoian's living on the train tracks while sipping a famous Vietnamese coffee before returning safely to your hotel.