Day Tour with a Local Guide in Hanoi, Vietnam

Back in November 2017, me and 3 friends visited Vietnam for 2 weeks.  We spent time in Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long Bay and my birth town of Hanoi.  With 2 friends doing other things on our second day in Hanoi, my one friend and I decided to explore Hanoi on our own in addition to a hired local tour guide named Hung.  He even pushed my wheelchair around so my female friend didn’t have to and showed us some cool local spots and gave us a bit of information on each.

free breakfast buffet

Getting There

All 4 of us were staying at Lotus Boutique Hotel right in the heart of Hanoi’s historic Old Quarter.  After celebrating one of our friends birthday and having our free breakfast buffet, me and the one friend got the concierge of the hotel to recommend us a local tour guide.  When Hung showed up, he assessed what limitations I had and proceeded to take us around the area to see some famous landmarks and agreed to push my wheelchair throughout our day.  He spoke English really well which made it easier to communicate with each other.

birthday celebrations before we all split up

The Huc Bridge

Huc Bridge over Hoan Kiem Lake

The Huc Bridge is a bright red bridge that connects the Ngoc Son Temple in the center of Hoan Kiem Lake (AKA Lake of the Returned Sword) and the lake bank.  Hung told us the name of the bridge means “the place where the light of the morning sun rests”.  He also told us in the middle of the lake is Tortoise Island where a unique tortoise use to live before it died.  Its remains are placed in Ngoc Son Temple as a symbol of the famous lake.  Lots of tourists take photos at this bridge and at night, it is beautifully lit up.

pic on the bridge

Ngoc Son Temple

entrance to Ngoc Son Temple

Ngoc Son Temple means Temple of the Jade Mountain and was built in the 18th century on Jade Island in the centre of Hoan Kiem Lake.  Legend tells us how an Emperor was given a magic sword which helped him defeat the Chinese Ming Dynasty, in doing so they saw the return of the Golden Turtle God to the lake.  There were a few steps to see some of the displays but Hung and my friend helped me around.  There were some statues, flowers, ancient artifacts and the preserved specimen of the famous tortoise from Hoan Kiem Lake.

the famous tortoise

Hanoi Opera House

modeled after Palais Garnier

Hanoi Opera House opened in 1911 and is modeled from Palais Garnier, the older of Paris’s two opera houses.  It is home to the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, Hanoi Philharmonic Orchestra, The National Ballet and several famous singers.  From the front of Hanoi Opera House, there are many stairs to the front entrance but since it was closed, we couldn’t find out if there was an accessible entrance at the back.

so many step to the main front entrance

Thang Long Water Puppet Show

many stairs to the theater

Hung then suggested we go see the world famous Thang Long Water Puppet Show which is one of Hanoi’s most popular attractions.  The theater is upstairs and has about 20 stairs and no elevator.  Hung talked to the staff and 3 guys helped Hung carry me with my wheelchair up.  I was just parked at the front of some seats in the theater as there were no dedicated wheelchair seating.  Cost for the show was 100,000 VND ($5 USD).

front row

The 1 hour show is performed in a pool of water as the stage for the puppets, which are controlled by puppeteers hiding behind a bamboo screen.  The show tells the tale of ancient village life and the Restored Sword of King Le at Hoan Kiem Lake and the giant tortoise. The whole show was very entertaining and the traditional songs and music were great.

fun musical puppet show

St. Joseph’s Cathedral

This really old church opened in 1886 and is located on Nha Chung street.  It was build with stone slabs and consists of two towers, with each tower having 5 bells.  Too bad it wasn’t open for us to have a peek inside but Hung did explain to us how beautiful the interior was.  This church was quite popular as many tourists were taking pictures in front of it.

St. Joseph’s Cathedral

Dinner

great restaurant recommended by Hung

After a long day, my friend and I asked Hung to recommend us a small local restaurant to eat at that was still in the Old Quarter area.  It was easy enough for my wheelchair to get in and the menu had many delicious options.  I had the grilled chicken and rice dish and it was quite cheap and delicious.

small place but it was accessible

grilled chicken was amazing

Having Hung take us around some of the great landmarks and teaching us about Vietnamese history in the Old Quarter area was totally worth it.  Not only did he help with pushing my wheelchair around everywhere for the day, we had a great time hanging out with him.  I highly recommending hiring a local around for a day as it is not expensive as you get to learn more about the city.