Booking a tour in advance is a good shout. Me and the better half only have 2 nights in Hanoi city itself and didn’t want to waste time when we got there. It’s a busy and almost chaotic city and even if time isn’t a factor Brian and his Taste of Hanoi were fab
Great knowledge and took us to some cool and very local places. Great food stops along the way. Fun and informative. Craft beers, cocktails and the highest Sky Bar ( there are many ) with great views
If had a few more days, would def book another tour with Brian
We did the morning walking tour on our first day Hanoi and it was amazing! Great introduction to the Old Quarter and we got to try sooo many amazing dishes that we never would have found on our own. Our guide Nikita was super helpful and fun. I would definitely recommend to anyone who visits the city. My favorite thing to try was the Bun Cha!
Booked a last minute tour with Brian. He spent the whole morning showing us the food markets and sampling food. It was a great experience and helped us figure out what and how to eat for the rest of our time in Vietnam.
I’ll confess - my reason for taking the tour was to get sunset pictures, but the rain started falling an hour before and it turned into a rainy adventure. I’m so glad I had Công to guide me around Hanoi via motorbike! Bourdain said in his Hanoi episode that the one thing you HAVE to do is see Hanoi by motorbike ... I’d add, “in the rain.”
The combination of art, history, culture, and food was unbeatable. As a solo traveler who doesn’t speak the language, one of my biggest worries is that I won’t truly experience a place, but getting the chance to spend the evening chatting with Công about his life and the deep history of Vietnam was an absolute pleasure! We saw the Ho Chi Minh flag lowering ceremony at 9p, and before that spent hours looking at a variety of sights, and eating snacks along the way. Dinner was absolutely delicious and in a place I never would have found on my own — let alone would I have known what to order. All five dishes were completely new to me, which was amazing.
In summary, if you’re looking to experience Hanoi beyond the guidebook, this is the tour for you. I would add that I loved supporting a local company (run by an expat American) that hires young people like Công. His love of learning is infectious - thanks for a great time, Công!
My husband and I met up with Brian for an afternoon/evening walking food tour in Hanoi. It was incredible! Brian took us to all delicious places, each packed with locals, and taught us about local foods and flavors and how to order! It was the perfect thing to do on our first night to get us acclimated to the food and culture. Brian is very knowledgeable about Hanoi and its food and gave us great recommendations to continue our trip. He also organizes the tour so as to maximize your time and try the most food. We must have had 30 different items, large and small, so try not to overindulge on one thing! We’re still on our trip and have already revisited a few of the places he’s brought us too. Brian is a great guy and I would recommend a tour with taste of Hanoi to everyone!
