Hanoi 3-Hour Vietnam War Untold Stories Tour

We spent our morning with Dung who started the tour by offering us a coffee and information, then we started walking through the black market as she shared stories and anecdotes about the place, the city etc during the Resistance War years. We were 7 participants in the group which was a good size as the alleys were narrow and we were aware of the effort the organisers had to make to bring us through the neighbourhood whose inhabitants could choose to be unfriendly. We took a taxi to the street that was heavily bombed and ended the tour with a drink by the Southern Railway track. This allowed us to understand Hanoi and its inhabitants a bit more and to admire their resilience and courage. Dung is young, keen to learn and passionate about her work. We were glad we joined the tour.

I joined this walking tour with Kien, and it was honestly a highlight! Kien speaks excellent English. he shared personal stories about the places we visited so it wasn’t just a list of facts. We went to local neighborhoods I’d never have found on my own. He knows some of the people in those areas, which made everything feel welcoming. Even when covering heavier topics like the war, Kien kept things engaging and easy to follow with a few well-timed laughs. Nothing felt rushed or touristy—it all felt personal. I walked away with a deeper appreciation of Vietnam.

Our tour guide Kien is fully prepared with important history about Hanoi and Vietnam and the walk thru black market and communal living truly shines the light on how locals live in then harsh now hormonal ways. It’s a rare Airbnb experience to walk among the locals and pay respect to the fallen. Thank you Kien for your patient explanation and kindness toward me an ignorant tourist. You epitomize the welcoming and resilient spirit of Vietnam people. Thank you!

Kien was super knowledgeable. I learnt so much about the Vietnam War in such a short amount of time, not just through storytelling, but also through walking through the neighbourhood and seeing the buildings myself. Kien was very friendly and answered all questions during the tour. I highly recommend this tour if you want to have inside knowledge of how the locals live and the history of Vietnam War from a local.

Kien was our tour guide. He was very friendly and personable throughout the experience. Our conversations felt more like friends talking. I learned so much about the history of Vietnam. I really recommend taking this tour.

A highly recommended tour. I learned a lot about the Vietnam war and its history, thanks to Kien, our guide. He’s knowledgeable and speaks English very well.

Kien was great and took the time to explain to us the history and context of the various places we toured, while also weaving it with his own personal stories and observations. I appreciated how we were able to see a part of the city most tourists don’t frequent and understand how Hanoians have banded together to support each other as a community during the ups and downs of the past few decades.

The tour was very interesting and insightful. We loved learning about the history of the Vietnamese war and how it contributed to life in Hanoi today. Kiên was a wonderful tourguide and storyteller. He answered all our questions with enthusiasm and took us to some interesting hidden gems. We also loved the coffee!

If you had to do one tour in Vietnam. This is the one! I really enjoyed the walking experience along with all the knowledge and stories our guide Kien shared! It was very eye opening!

Absolutely fantastic, highly recommended for travelers with good English listening skills (the speaking pace is about 1-1.25 times that of an American TV show, with no accent) who also want to understand the causes and effects of the Vietnam War, as well as the insights it brought to the Vietnamese people and their true attitudes! The introduction to Train Street was very in-depth and included local perspectives and insights into their way of life, which was very interesting and hard to find online. The guide was a young person who returned after studying in Europe and America; they were very detailed, friendly, and answered all questions. The tour included two cups of coffee and the taxi fare during the trip; there were about 10 people in our group. However, our tour on that day lasted from 9 AM to 1 PM (not counting the time for coffee at the end), which was longer than described in the itinerary, so be mindful of the time commitment.