Top 3 Historical Discovery Tours in Hanoi

Let's find out these top historical discovery tours in Hanoi to blow away the hustle and bustle on the streets. Take guided tours and quizzes while inquiring about Vietnamese history.

Hanoi is the thousand-year-old cultural capital of Vietnam. This place bears historical traces through the feudal dynasties as well as the colonial war periods. In addition to traditional tours, going to Thang Long Imperial Citadel and Hoa Lo Prison in the evening or cycling to visit four temples (Thang Long Tu Tran) are other special experiences.

If the weekend has no schedule and is bored with essential experiences such as coffee or snacks and walking the street, you and your family or friends can join our Top 3 historical discovery tours in Hanoi. These are new opportunities for those interested in Vietnamese history or simply want to understand more about the Hanoi capital.

Thang Long Imperial Citadel Decoding Tour

If you are an enthusiast of puzzle games and like to have some mysterious and thrilling experiences, the Thang Long Citadel Decoding tour is the right choice.

Thang Long Imperial Citadel is located in the heart of Hanoi, on the two most beautiful streets of the capital, Hoang Dieu and Phan Dinh Phung. This is a world cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO in 2010.

Tour starts at dusk and lasts 90 minutes. To "decode" the Imperial Citadel, visitors will be given a card to print quizzes about relics and antiquities of the Ly, Tran, and Le dynasties. The journey starts from Doan Mon gate, the door leading to the Forbidden City, the king's residence and workplace.

A Small Group decodes Thang Long Imperial Citadel Night Tour

During the puzzle journey, visitors will see scenes re-enacting the king's court ceremony and ancient dances; visit archaeological artifacts; offering incense to commemorate the 12 ancestors at Kinh Thien Palace. The journey's highlight is decoding artifacts by laser light on the ancient river. After that, you can get water from an ancient well of the Tran Dynasty (the 13 - 14th centuries), which used to be a water stream serving kings. Water originally means a source of life, but the ancient well in the Imperial Citadel, even after thousands of years, is still full, symbolizing the inexhaustible cultural source.

The details and suggestions of the night tour Decoding Thang Long Imperial Citadel will be revealed in turn at the last leg of the journey. Correct decoding, visitors have the opportunity to receive many attractive gifts from the Organizing Committee.

Tour departs at 7 pm every Friday and Saturday. The tour price is around $8.63 per person (Costs may vary by exchange rate).

For those who are interested in Vietnamese history, let's refer to the Hanoi War Museum Half-day Tour to get a glimpse of the long-lasting military history in the country.

Hoa Lo Prison Night Tour

Exploring Hoa Lo Prison in the evening is different from the daytime. The air becomes heavier, and you feel the harshness of war and the suffocation of prison. "Just standing there, I feel very suffocated. I can't imagine how the soldiers have overcome in the past," said Mr. Tran Xuan Bach, a visitor to the prison.

Hoa Lo prison's historical site is located on the street of the same name. The French built the prison in 1896. The prison was where the French colonialists imprisoned tens of thousands of patriotic soldiers, ordinary prisoners, and foreigners. The original design of the prison was to hold 450 people, but it actually held up to 2,000 people.

Visitors are provided with headphones to easily follow the instructions. The tour is organized in small groups, led by narrators. The players watch animations based on true stories with modern sound and lighting systems. Following the narrator, the tour group began to enter the prison's main gate and visit hidden places such as mass prisons, dungeons, and prison yards. They get the feeling of prison escape; hear the guillotine, open the cell door hauntingly reappears; watch real-life wartime scenes, and touch scenes about revolutionary Nguyen Phong Sac and his wife, Mrs. Hoang Thi Ai.

The young are watching a play in Hoa Lo Prison Tour

The prison space is dark and stuffy, with the glimmer of light falling down with the sound and music that will make many visitors emotional. With the form of historical exploitation by topic, up to now, the tour program has had two themes serving the public: 

• Sacred Night 1: Shining Vietnamese spirit. 
• Sacred Night 2: Living like flowers.

Night tour takes place every Friday and Saturday night. The ticket price is $12.90 per person (Costs may vary by exchange rate).

Thang Long Tu Tran Cycling Tour

Thang Long Tu Tran is four sacred temples established to guard the four directions of the east, west, south, and north of the ancient Thang Long citadel. By joining a cycling tour, you both learn the history and have the opportunity to go all 4 directions of Hanoi, clearly experience the blend between the ancient features of the monuments and the vibrant and modern city of the bustling city.

The journey will start from Long Bien Bridge. The first destination is Dong Tran (Eastern Temple) - Bach Ma Temple, also known as Bach Ma Dark Linh Tu, worshiping the god Long Do. Now Bach Ma Temple is located on Hang Buom Street, right in Hanoi's Old Quarter. Nam Tran (Southern Temple) or Kim Lien temple, situated in the bustling Dong Da district, is the next destination, worshiping the god Cao Son Dai Vuong. To the west is Voi Phuc temple in Ba Dinh district and to the north is Quan Thanh or Tran Vu Quan temple located near West Lake and Truc Bach, worshiping Huyen Thien Tran Vu.

Travelers visit a temple in Thang Long Tu Tran Tour

After visiting the four temples, you can continue to visit the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long and see water puppetry - a folk art typical for Hanoi tourism. The total travel time takes about 6 hours, and the cycling distance is about 20 km. This is also a travel experience that combines exploring the history and exercising at the weekend.

Get ready for a cultural tour to discover Hanoi in a one-of-the-kind way? Don't hesitate to contact BestPrice Travel for the best deals on Top 10 Hanoi City Tours in 2022. An adventure of historical discovery is calling for you.

Khanh Linh

(Image sources: Internet)