18 Cool Things to Do in Hanoi (That Most Guides Won't Tell You)

If you're looking for more than just a meal at a restaurant, this market to table cooking class is the way to go.

Start at a busy wet market and learn how locals pick the freshest ingredients, then head to a beautiful home kitchen to learn how to cook four classic Vietnamese dishes. Your chef hosts are amazing and even if you don’t do much of the cooking yourself, you’re guaranteed a delicious meal.

We also love that there's a mini coffee tasting featuring three iconic Vietnam’s coffees: salted coffee, egg coffee, and coconut coffee. Pick your fave as your dessert of choice!

There’s tofu… And then there’s tofu made the old-school way, by one of the last families in Hanoi still doing it all by hand! This early morning experience takes you on a ferry across the Duong River, into the home of a lovely husband-wife team.

In an era when most have switched to shortcuts, they still choose to continue the full, zero-waste method passed down for generations - clean water, no chemicals, nothing wasted.

By joining, you don’t just learn to grind, stir, and press tofu; you help keep a fading craft alive. We promise you've never tasted tofu so fresh before!

Step away from the busy city and into this cosy tea house. You'll start with a calming meditation to get you in the right headspace to enjoy this wonderful Vietnamese tea ceremony.

Guided by Mr. Hung - winner of the 2016 Tea Master Cup - you’ll discover discover what sets Vietnamese tea ceremonies apart from Japanese and Chinese traditions, the stories of ancient mountain tea trees (100-700 years old!), learn the zen art of traditional brewing.

If you’re a coffee lover, this is for you. Discover six iconic Vietnamese brews - from the classic Phin filter to the famous egg coffee, and taste each one as you go.

You’ll hear fascinating stories about Vietnam’s coffee history and pick up pro tips so you can recreate your favourite brews at home. And if you’re feeling peckish afterwards, you can choose to add on a traditional Vietnamese meal to round off your experience.

Hidden in the heart of Hanoi, this is your backstage pass to Vietnam’s cool cocktail scene. Step through an unmarked door into the hidden Opium Den room. Guided by distiller Quan Nguyen, you’ll sample four artisanal spirits infused with Red River rice, hand-dried Buddha hand, and rare local spices. Then watch master mixologists turn them into boundary-pushing cocktails.

With perfectly paired snacks and intimate storytelling, this secret bar experience gives you a behind-the-scenes taste of Hanoi’s cocktail scene.

You know the food is going to be good when you go through a hidden alley that leads to a family's shopfront and sit on small tables and chairs to enjoy a smoky bowl of Bun Cha. That's the best thing about this hidden food tour - being led to yummy local places you'd never find on your own.

We love that it’s not just a food crawl. Your guide will share the stories behind each stop - from how eel noodles came about to how locals really eat, teaching you the right way to wrap, dip, and slurp. This is Hanoi street food at its most authentic.

This is something really cool you won't find anywhere else - forging your own knife in Da Sy, a 500-year-old village famed for Vietnam’s finest blades.

Guided by master blacksmiths who will teach you traditional techniques passed down for generations, you’ll heat, hammer, and shape raw steel into a blade.

This is so much than a workshop, it’s living history you can hold in your hands, and also makes for the ultimate handmade Hanoi souvenir!

Yes, jars and pots can sing! In this heartfelt performance, humble clay vessels become instruments that carry the voices of Vietnam’s forgotten folk melodies.

These songs have been lovingly brought back after 12 years of research - including songs rescued from archives and translated by elders. The music blends storytelling, heritage, and emotion into a powerful evening that feels like stepping into Vietnam’s past.

Did you know that agarwood is more expensive than gold? It's worth more than gold by weight, and is one of the world’s rarest and most (illegally) coveted scents.

Just outside Hanoi, Buddhist monks are bringing back sustainable, spiritual ways of harvesting it - and you’ll get exclusive behind-the-scenes access to their sanctuary. Learn how resin forms, try trimming agarwood by hand, and smell scents worth thousands of dollars.

With agarwood tea, a vegan lunch, and stories rooted in Buddhist philosophy, this quiet experience shows the soulful side of Vietnam.

Hand-dye your own silk scarf using traditional techniques passed down by generations.

What makes Vietnam special is its ethnic minorities, and this particular way of dyeing is taught by Thai ethnic women in northern Vietnam. Guided by Sam Thi Tinh - a master weaver who has been doing this since the age of 14, you’ll work with natural ingredients to hand-dye a 40x40cm lovely silk piece to take home.

If you're travelling in Vietnam and want to feel more confident navigating local markets, ordering food, or chatting with locals, this Vietnamese language class is perfect!

Unlike basic phrasebooks or translation apps, you'll learn directly from Hanoian natives who will share not just words but also the cultural context behind them. This is a really fun and practical way to connect with people and experience Hanoi more like a local.

If you're into art, you might appreciate this unique mosaic workshop in Hanoi.

You'll visit Bat Trang, a 600-year-old pottery village that’s the heart of northern Vietnam’s ceramic scene. Guided by local artists, you’ll learn the French influence of mosaics, the actual craft of mosaic and design your own framed piece to take home.

Surrounded by centuries of tradition, it’s a hands-on way to connect with Hanoi’s heritage and leave with meaningful art you made yourself.

Bet you didn't know you can paraglide in Hanoi!

Just 40km away from Hanoi, you'll soar above Bu Hill’s rolling slopes, blooming reed fields, and untouched countryside with a professional pilot guiding the way. The 15–20 minute flight is equal parts safe and exhilarating, and you’ll leave with epic photos and videos to prove you’ve flown over Vietnam’s stunning northern landscape.

Hop on a vintage Vespa and see a side of Hanoi that most travellers never see. Just 30 minutes away from the city, you'll find rice fields, village lanes, and the legendary Co Loa Citadel, a fortress that dates back to 280 BC.

Cross the Red River on the iconic Long Bien Bridge, watch farmers and buffalo at work, and hear myths of kings and golden turtles at Vietnam’s oldest fortress. With a home-cooked meal and stories of how rural life is changing, this is the perfect half-day getaway.

Just 2.5 hours from Hanoi, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is on everyone's bucket list - and yes, it can get crowded. Our Seek Sophie tip is to choose a boutique cruise that take less crowded routes and goes to hidden caves and quiet corners of the bay, like Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay.

With limestone karsts rising from emerald waters, Halong Bay remains iconic and amazing when you experience it the right way.

Check out our complete guide on Everything You Need To Know About Visiting Halong Bay!

If you're looking for a less crowded alternative to Halong, Cat Ba is it. It's about 2.5–3 hours from Hanoi, and considered to be Halong’s wilder, more backpacker and adventurous neighbour.

You still cruise along Lan Ha Bay, but you can also kayak hidden lagoons, trek jungle trails, do an abseiling adventure or even try deep-water soloing on limestone cliffs. This one is extra cool: seeing glowing bioluminescent plankton.

Check out our complete guide to Cat Ba Island: Everything You Need to Know!

If you’ve got extra time in Vietnam, we highly recommend heading 6-7 hours north of Hanoi to Ha Giang. It's considered one of Asia’s most epic motorcycle road trips with incredible mountain landscapes, jagged peaks, sky-high passes, and remote ethnic villages.

While most Ha Giang Loop tours lean touristy and party-heavy, this signature Seek Sophie experience goes further: the most beautiful secret campsite ever, kayaking through Tu San Canyon, and cosy homestays with locals.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, so if you can, don’t miss it! Check out our full article: Ha Giang Loop: Ultimate Guide + Less Touristy Routes.

About 5-6 hours from Hanoi, Sapa is famous for its breathtaking rice terraces and misty mountain valleys. While Sapa town itself can feel crowded and touristy, the key is to travel further and stay in a local homestay, in the villages where Hmong and Dao families welcome travellers into their homes.

A local homestay experience usually involves trekking through rice terraces, learning about ethic minority traditions, cooking meals in family kitchens. When done right, Sapa is one of northern Vietnam’s most rewarding gems.