Hanoi Highlights & West Lake Tour 4.5 Hours by Vintage Vespa

The Hanoi Highlights & West Lake Tour 4.5 Hours by Vintage Vespa is a half-day ride through Hanoi on the back of a classic Vespa with a professional driver and an English-speaking guide. It combines the city’s highlights – the Opera House, Ba Dinh, the B-52 wreck in Huu Tiep Lake and the John McCain memorial – with a full loop of West Lake, where you visit Phu Tay Ho temple and the 11th-century Van Nien Pagoda, before egg coffee, Long Bien Bridge and a local lunch. US$73 per person in a small group, or US$96 per person private.

Status (checked October 2026): the route below is the standard loop. Stops can change with traffic, weather, festival days and the season. Hanoi authorities ask tour operators not to take visitors to Train Street, so this tour rides through Old Quarter backstreets instead and shows you the railway from Long Bien Bridge.

Tour at a Glance

Which Half-Day Vespa Tour Should I Choose?

Choose this tour if you want temples and lake views; choose The Insider’s Hanoi Tour by Vintage Vespa if you want to see rural life on the Red River. Both last 4.5 hours, cost the same and share the city stops: the Opera House, Ba Dinh, the B-52 Lake, the McCain memorial, egg coffee and Long Bien Bridge. The difference is the second half of the ride.

Tour Highlights

1. Old Quarter Backstreets and the Opera House

Your driver collects you at your hotel and rides through lanes too narrow for a car. The first stop is the Hanoi Opera House (map), completed in 1911, where your guide explains how the French built this quarter and how Hanoi changed in the 20th century.

2. Ba Dinh, the B-52 Lake and Truc Bach Lake

From a viewpoint near the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum you see the Presidential Palace and the National Assembly. You then ride past the Botanical Garden to Huu Tiep Lake, where the wreck of a US B-52 shot down on the night of 27 December 1972 still lies in the water. The next stop is Truc Bach Lake, where a memorial marks the place US Navy pilot John McCain was shot down in 1967.

3. A Loop of West Lake

West Lake is the largest lake in Hanoi, about 17 km around. You ride along the shore past villas, cafés and viewpoints over the city.

4. Phu Tay Ho Temple

Phu Tay Ho sits on a small peninsula in West Lake and is dedicated to Mother Goddess Lieu Hanh, one of the most venerated figures in Vietnamese folk belief. Locals come here to pray for luck, especially on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month.

5. Flower Gardens and Dragon Sculptures

Along the lakeside you pass flower gardens that change with the season – lotus in summer, and peach blossom and other flowers in winter before Tet. You stop for photos by the large dragon sculptures on the shore, a symbol of Thang Long, the old name of Hanoi meaning “Rising Dragon”.

6. Van Nien Pagoda

Van Nien Pagoda on the West Lake shore was founded in the early 11th century under King Ly Thai To and has been a national heritage site since 1996. Your guide explains its history and Buddhist architecture.

7. Egg Coffee, Long Bien Bridge and Lunch

After a break for Hanoi egg coffee, you ride across Long Bien Bridge, the steel bridge over the Red River that opened in 1902 and today carries trains, motorbikes and bicycles. The tour ends with a Vietnamese meal at a local restaurant.

Who This Tour Is For – and Who Should Choose Another

Ideal for: first-time visitors, couples and friends who want Hanoi’s main sights, its war history and West Lake’s temples in one half day, without the effort of walking or the traffic of a car.

Consider another option if:

• You want to see village and farm life – choose The Insider’s Hanoi Tour by Vintage Vespa.
• You are not comfortable riding as a passenger in Hanoi traffic – choose the Hanoi City Tour 1 Day by car.
• You are pregnant or have back or neck problems – a scooter ride is not recommended.
• Food is your main interest – choose the Hanoi After Dark Street Food Tour by Vintage Vespa.

Hanoi Highlights & West Lake Vespa Tour Price

Prices are per person in US dollars, with the Vespa, driver, guide, entrance fees, coffee and a meal included.

• Prices are per person in US dollars (USD) for the 2026–2027 season.
• Included: hotel pick-up and drop-off in central Hanoi, vintage Vespa with fuel and professional driver, full-face helmet, rain poncho, English-speaking guide, entrance fees, cold water, coffee or egg coffee, a meal with a drink, and insurance for all passengers.
• Travelling with children? Ask us about child prices and minimum age when you enquire.

Send us your date, preferred time and number of travellers to check availability and book.

Why Book Direct with Vietnam Tour Expert

• Local team in Hanoi: we confirm your date, pick-up time and dietary needs with the Vespa team before the day.
• Local price, best price guarantee: no online-agency commission. If you find the same tour with the same services for less, send us the quote and we will review it and match the price.
• Easy to combine: add it to a Hanoi stay or a multi-day Vietnam itinerary with one booking.
• Fast replies: we usually answer within 24 hours, and you can reach us on WhatsApp on +84 88 626 1368.

Customise This Tour

• Morning or afternoon: the morning is cooler from May to September; the afternoon brings softer light on West Lake.
• Private tour: add Tran Quoc Pagoda or spend longer at the temples.
• Vegetarian meal: tell us in advance and we arrange a vegetarian lunch.
• Make it a full day: add the Hanoi After Dark Street Food Tour in the evening.

Tell us what you would like to change and we will send a tailored plan.

Compare Similar Tours

Local Expert Notes by Jimmy

• Temple dress code: bring a light scarf or wear clothes that cover shoulders and knees for Phu Tay Ho and Van Nien Pagoda.
• Lunar 1st and 15th: Phu Tay Ho is very busy on these days and around Tet; we adjust the time spent there.
• Lotus season: from late May to July the lotus ponds around West Lake are in bloom – the morning tour is best for photos.
• Closed shoes and long trousers or a long skirt are safer on a scooter; bring a light jacket from November to March.
• Rain: the tour runs in light rain and ponchos are provided; in a storm we may change the time.
• Tipping: not required, but tips for drivers and the guide are appreciated.

More planning help: Hanoi travel guide, West Lake guide, Tran Quoc Pagoda and Hanoi travel tips.

Ready to ride? Send us an inquiry with your date, morning or afternoon, and number of travellers – we usually reply within 24 hours.

Updated 23 October 2026 · By Jimmy, Vietnam Tour Expert

About the Hanoi Highlights & West Lake Tour by Vintage Vespa

This 4.5-hour tour covers Hanoi’s main sights and the temples of West Lake in one morning or afternoon. You ride on a vintage Vespa with a professional driver, and an English-speaking guide explains each stop. The tour runs daily, from 8:00 to 12:30 or from 12:00 to 16:30, with pick-up from hotels in central Hanoi.

Brief itinerary

• Hotel pick-up – Old Quarter backstreets – Hanoi Opera House – Ba Dinh and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum area
• B-52 wreck at Huu Tiep Lake – John McCain memorial at Truc Bach Lake
• West Lake loop – Phu Tay Ho temple – flower gardens and dragon sculptures – Van Nien Pagoda
• Egg coffee – Long Bien Bridge – lunch at a local restaurant – back to your hotel

Tour code: VTE-HNMT01

• Prices are per person in US dollars (USD) for the 2026–2027 season.
• Included: hotel pick-up and drop-off, vintage Vespa with fuel and driver, full-face helmet, rain poncho, English-speaking guide, entrance fees, cold water, coffee, a local meal with a drink and passenger insurance.
• Private tour: your party only, with stops and pace adjusted to you.
• Travelling with children? Ask us about child prices when you enquire.

Ready to book? Send us your date and number of travellers to confirm availability.