Hanoi: Train Street, Hoa Lo Prison & Pagoda Small Group Tour

4.97

(145 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed was the smell — sharp, smoky incense drifting from Tran Quoc Pagoda while we waited for our guide, Hien. She waved us over with a grin and a “Chào buổi sáng!” that I absolutely butchered trying to repeat (she laughed, thank god). The lake shimmered behind her, all green and restless under the morning haze. I’d seen photos of this place but standing there with the old brick walls at my back and the sound of scooters zipping past… it’s different. You feel Hanoi in your bones.

We stopped outside the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum just long enough for Hien to point out where locals line up early to pay respects — she told us stories about his life that you don’t get from guidebooks. There was something solemn about it, even though we only had a few minutes. Then came Ma May Street, where the houses lean into each other like gossiping neighbors. Inside No.87, the wooden floor creaked under our feet and I swear you could almost hear old conversations echoing off those painted walls.

I didn’t expect Train Street to make me nervous — but when we sat down for egg coffee (which is honestly more dessert than drink), you could feel everyone tense as the train time got close. Locals set out their tiny stools right up against the rails; one guy winked at me as he pulled his laundry in at the last second. The train thundered by so close my shirt fluttered in its wake. Afterward, people laughed and clapped like it was some neighborhood magic trick.

Hoa Lo Prison hit me harder than I thought it would. The air inside felt heavy and still; Hien walked us through stories that made my skin prickle. I kept thinking about how much this city has survived — how people here just keep moving forward, even with all that history pressing in around them. Four hours went fast but left a mark; sometimes you travel for sights, sometimes for stories you carry home.