Hanoi Old Quarter: Street Food Walking Tour with Pickup

4.96

(470 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I was already running late because I couldn’t figure out how to cross the street near my hotel—seriously, scooters everywhere. Our guide, Linh, just laughed and waved me over like it was nothing. She said everyone gets used to it eventually (I’m still not sure I would). We started at Hoan Kiem Lake, which felt calm compared to the chaos around it. There were old men playing badminton under the trees and a woman selling something that smelled sweet and smoky—I never found out what it was.

The real adventure kicked in once we ducked into the Old Quarter’s maze of alleys. It’s noisy—honking, vendors shouting, someone chopping herbs right on the curb. Linh handed me a bowl of bun cha from a stall where the owner grinned at my clumsy chopstick skills. The broth was tangy and smoky at the same time; honestly, I could’ve eaten two more bowls but there was talk of banh cuon next. My shirt still smells faintly like grilled pork even after washing it twice.

I didn’t expect dessert to be fruit in a plastic cup—mango, jackfruit, something else I can’t name—but it tasted cold and sharp after all those noodles. We ended up in this tiny café for egg coffee (cà phê trứng), which is basically sweet foam on strong coffee. Linh told me how it started during milk shortages; she made me try saying “cà phê trứng” and then burst out laughing at my accent. I still think about that moment sometimes when I smell coffee now.