Hanoi Old Quarter Food Tour + Train Street
Are you looking for a food tour through the Old Quarter in Hanoi, Vietnam?
If you want a guided tour through the Old Quarter, a visit to Hanoi Train Street, and the opportunity to try Vietnamese favorites, you will love this food tour.
My family loves food tours. We have taken food tours in multiple countries, and had taken a food tour in Bangkok just a couple of nights before our Hanoi food tour.
As we knew we didn’t have much time in Hanoi, we booked a food tour to see a lot in a short amount of time.
This food tour had a morning session, which was perfect for us as we had dinner plans. This tour is offered from early morning until dinner time. You can choose the best time for your group.
You can also choose to add on a visit to Train Street, which we did. Another option is to add on an egg coffee class, which I would love to do.
Keep reading to find out more about the Hanoi Old Quarter Food Tour.
We used Cover-More Insurance for our holiday to Thailand.
Purchasing Tickets + Meeting the Tour
Tickets need to be purchased in advance. We booked our tour through Klook. You can book just the food tour, or you can add on Train Street and/or an egg coffee class.
We opted for the first food tour of the day and considered it breakfast.
My son had a friend who was in Hanoi visiting his family, and we had dinner plans with them. We wanted to make sure we were not too full to enjoy dinner with them.
After meeting our tour group at 38 Bat Su Street, we walked a bit to get to our first stop.
Our tour group consisted of the 4 of us along with a group of 3 women traveling together. For some reason, they chose to eat breakfast at their hotel before the tour, so they weren’t hungry.
Pork Noodle Soup + Steamed Eggs in Rice Paper
At the first stop on our Hanoi food tour, we stopped at a small restaurant to try pork noodle soup and steamed eggs in rice paper.
As I do not eat pork, I got a tofu soup instead.
It is common in Vietnam to eat rice paper rolls with a variety of leaves and herbs, often served in a colander.
We found that in Vietnam, they often serve chilis on the side and not in your dish. I am not sure if this is just because we are tourists, but it makes it easier to spice your food to the level you prefer.
After we ate, we watched them cook from the front of the restaurant. This restaurant specializes in Banh Cuon Nong (steamed rice paper rolls), Bun Cha (grilled pork with vermicelli noodles), and Bun Rieu Gan Bo (noodle soup with crab).
Hanoi Train Street
We walked quickly to Hanoi Train Street in the hopes of catching the train. It goes past multiple times each day, and our guide wasn’t planning on us being there for the first train, but we did make it on time.
Seats are lined up outside the shops and restaurants. We got seats outside of Small Station and ordered drinks.
The tour lets you pick out your own drink on Hanoi Train Street. I got an egg coffee, and the kids got smoothies.
I don’t remember egg coffee being a thing the last time I was in Vietnam, but they seem pretty popular now, at least in the touristy areas.
My drink didn’t arrive before the train went by, but we ended up staying to watch the next train as well.
Before the train went by, our guide put bottle tops on the tracks. They were completely flat after the train crushed them.
The train goes really close to you if you sit in the front row, which we did. If our kids were younger, I would probably sit in a row further back to ensure their safety.
They gate off the road before the train goes by so that cars and motorbikes do not interfere with the train. It is fun to watch all the motorbikes ride through when the gate opens.
On the tour, we learned that there are 8.5 million people in Hanoi and 6.7 million motorbikes.
Bahn Mi and Sticky Rice Ice Cream
The third stop on our Hanoi Old Quarter Food Tour was at a bahn mi restaurant. The bahn mi is one of the French-influenced food items in Vietnam.
We love bahn mi and eat them sometimes throughout the year. Our kids had never had bahn mi before. They usually stick to pho and rice paper rolls.
My daughter enjoyed her sandwich, and my son refused to try his.
After we ate our bahn mi, we got a dish of mango sticky rice ice cream, which was delicious.
Rice Paper Rolls and Pho
The fourth and final stop in our Hanoi Old Quarter Food Tour was at a restaurant where we tried rice paper rolls and pho.
We have eaten rice paper rolls and pho before, but of course, they are different in Vietnam. Our version is less authentic.
More Hanoi Food Tours
- Michelin Guide Street Food Walking Tour
- After Dark Street Food Tour on Vintage Vespa
- Hanoi Food + City Motorbike Tour
- Street Food Walking Tour with Cyclo Ride
- Wild Weird Flavors Street Food Tour
Hanoi Food Tour Wrap-Up
We flew to Vietnam the night before our food tour, and it really was a good thing to do immediately upon arrival in Hanoi.
By taking the Old Quarter Food Tour, we were able to explore and see the area while learning about Vietnam and traditional Vietnamese food.
My family eats Vietnamese food regularly, and it was fun to show the kids where it comes from. We also enjoyed trying new things like egg yolk coffee.
I know Hanoi Train Street is a gimmick, but it was really fun.
Though we spent almost 2 weeks in Vietnam, and ate Vietnamese food most of the time, we didn’t eat another bahn mi. At least we got to try all the well-known Vietnamese food items in Vietnam on our first day.
Later that day, we met up with my son’s friend and his family. They are from Hanoi and invited us to a traditional Vietnamese dinner. I don’t remember all the food we ate that night, but we did not have any of the items we tried on the food tour.
Traditional or touristy, I don’t care. We enjoyed the food on the Hanoi Old Quarter Food Tour.
You May Also Like
- Ho Chi Minh Motorbike Tour
- Hue Motorbike Tour
- Hanoi Old Quarter Food Tour
- Thai Farm Cooking School Chiang Mai
- Happy Elephant Farm
- Elephant PooPooPaper Park
- Incredible Bangkok Chinatown Food Tour
- Jamming Bangkok Bike Tour
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