Hai Phong City Historical and Food Tour

Hai Phong rewards the curious eater. This 13-hour private tour from Hanoi combines a train ride, old colonial landmarks, Du Hang Pagoda, local markets, and a long list of Hai Phong specialties. I like the train journey because it turns the trip into part of the experience, and I like the food plan, which includes crab soup, breadsticks, fermented pork rolls, and crab noodle soup. The main drawback is the length: with about five hours on trains and a full day of stops, you need good stamina.

The tour costs $69 per person and includes lunch, entrance fees, and an air-conditioned vehicle. I also like that your group travels privately rather than joining a large coach party. Still, the formal inclusion details name lunch, while the overview describes all meals and food tastings, so I would confirm exactly what is covered before booking.

Key points to know before you book

• Two train rides shape the day: You travel from Hanoi to Hai Phong and return by rail, with the journey taking roughly two hours each way.
• Hai Phong food is the star: Crab soup, Banh My Que breadsticks, fermented pork rolls, and Banh Da Cua give you a useful introduction to local flavors.
• Du Hang Pagoda adds cultural depth: This old pagoda offers a calmer change of pace after lunch and before the market visits.
• The tour is private: Only your group takes part, which makes the pace and guide interaction more personal.
• The city walk covers major landmarks: You see Tam Bac Lake, the Opera House, the statue of female general Le Chan, and Hai Phong Railway Station.
• The day is long but efficient: Pickup, rail travel, meals, sightseeing, market time, and the return trip are all packed into roughly 13 hours.

Why the Hanoi to Hai Phong train ride matters

The day begins with pickup at the Hanoi Opera House, at 1 Trang Tien in the Hoan Kiem area. From there, you go to Long Bien Station for the train to Hai Phong.

The outward journey takes about two hours. That may sound like lost sightseeing time, but I see it as one of the tour’s better features. You are not sealed inside a tour bus for the whole day. The train gives you a different view of the trip and lets you arrive in Hai Phong as part of the local transport rhythm.

The return ride takes about two and a half hours, according to the schedule. That makes the total rail time roughly four and a half hours, before counting hotel pickup and station transfers. Bring water, keep your phone charged, and be ready for a full day away from Hanoi.

The train also gives the guide room to explain Vietnamese culture and daily life. Geni, the guide named in the available feedback, was especially praised for sharing information during the journey. That kind of conversation can make a long ride feel useful rather than merely functional.

One practical point matters here: travel time is included in the 13-hour duration. You should not read the schedule as 13 hours of continuous sightseeing. The day works best if you enjoy the journey as much as the stops.

Crab soup at 195 Cau Dat

After arriving in Hai Phong, the tour goes to 195 Cau Dat for lunch. The featured dish is crab soup, a Hai Phong specialty.

This is a smart first food stop because it gives you a local dish soon after arrival, rather than beginning with a generic restaurant meal. Crab soup is a good introduction to the city’s coastal food culture, and the stop lasts about an hour, long enough for a proper meal rather than a quick tasting.

Lunch is specifically included. The tour also says that food is part of the overall experience, but its detailed inclusion list names lunch and does not spell out every snack or dish. If you are watching your budget closely, ask the operator whether each later tasting is included in the $69 price.

The lunch stop also sets the pattern for the rest of the day. This is not a tour where food appears as an afterthought. You get several chances to try dishes associated with Hai Phong, with sightseeing placed between meals.

Du Hang Pagoda and a quieter side of the city

Du Hang Pagoda is one of the oldest pagodas in Hai Phong, and the visit lasts about an hour. After the noisy energy of transport and lunch, the pagoda provides a slower cultural stop.

The value here depends heavily on the guide. The pagoda is not simply a photo stop. You are there to learn about its history and cultural role, and a guide can explain what you are looking at and why it matters. Geni’s role is important for that reason. The strongest praise connected to this tour focused on the amount of cultural information shared along the way.

You should dress and behave respectfully at a religious site. The supplied details do not specify a dress code, but a modest approach is sensible. Keep your voice low and follow the guide’s instructions about where to walk and what may be photographed.

The entrance fee is included, so there is no extra admission charge at this stop. One hour should give you enough time for an explained visit without allowing the pagoda to take over the whole day.

Banh My Que at Cot Den

Next comes a short food stop, about 20 minutes, for Banh My Que Cot Den. These are Hai Phong’s famous breadsticks, and the brief visit gives you a taste of the city’s everyday snack culture.

Do not expect this to feel like a formal meal. It is a quick bite between larger stops, which is exactly why it works. You can try a local specialty without giving up another hour of sightseeing.

The narrow breadsticks also add variety to the menu. The day begins with crab soup, then moves to a compact baked snack before the lake walk and fermented pork rolls. The food plan is not built around one repeated dish.

Because the stop is short, stay with the group and be ready to move on. A 20-minute tasting can disappear quickly, especially if you want photos or need time to eat.

Tam Bac Lake and fermented pork rolls

The Tam Bac Lake stop lasts about an hour and combines a walk with a tasting of Vietnamese fermented pork rolls. This is one of the more balanced parts of the day, since you are not sitting at a table for every food experience.

A walk beside the lake gives your feet a break from train travel and helps you see Hai Phong at street level. The surrounding city atmosphere matters here. You are not only collecting dishes and entrance tickets. You are also getting a sense of how the central area connects its water, streets, monuments, and public spaces.

The fermented pork rolls have the typical Hai Phong flavor, according to the tour description. Fermented foods can be unfamiliar if you mostly eat Western dishes, so this is a good place to ask the guide about ingredients and preparation before trying one.

The tasting is listed with an included admission ticket, although the ticket wording is not especially clear for a food stop. Again, I would confirm what is included if you want a precise account of every food cost.

Hai Phong’s French-era landmarks and city center

The two-hour sightseeing period covers several central points of interest, including Hai Phong Opera House, the statue of female general Le Chan, Hai Phong Train Station, and other nearby locations.

The Opera House and railway station help explain the city’s French colonial-era appearance. The station is especially useful to see before the return journey because you can appreciate its old architecture with more context. Hai Phong’s past is not presented through a museum visit here. Instead, the guide links buildings, public monuments, and streets during a city walk.

The statue of female general Le Chan adds a distinctly Vietnamese historical figure to the route. The tour calls her a female general, and the stop gives the guide a chance to connect Hai Phong with a figure from Vietnam’s own past rather than focusing only on colonial buildings.

This section is also where the private format has practical value. Your group can listen, ask questions, and move at a reasonable pace without waiting for a large busload of people. The exact number of landmarks is not fixed, since the schedule says other points of interest may be included.

You should expect walking during this portion. The details do not give a total walking distance, so wear comfortable shoes. The two-hour block is long enough to make the city feel like more than a collection of quick photo stops.

Markets, Banh Da Cua, and Hai Phong food culture

The longest stop is three hours at either Sat Market or Cat Bi Market. The exact market depends on the day or the tour arrangement, and both offer a chance to see local food shopping and meet vendors.

A market visit is useful because it puts the dishes from earlier in the day into context. You see where ingredients are sold, how food is displayed, and how local commerce works. The tour encourages interaction with vendors, so this is a good time to ask questions through the guide rather than guessing what you are looking at.

The main dish here is Banh Da Cua, a traditional crab noodle soup. This is one of Hai Phong’s signature foods and gives the tour a strong finish on the culinary side. You have already tried crab soup earlier, but Banh Da Cua is a different preparation and shows how one local ingredient can appear in more than one dish.

Three hours is generous for a market visit. That gives you time to explore without rushing from stall to stall. It may also feel long if you are not interested in food markets or if the weather is uncomfortable. The tour requires good weather, and the outdoor or open-air nature of market time makes that condition worth noting.

The market can be the most intense part of the day. Expect noise, movement, unfamiliar smells, and plenty to look at. That is the point, but it may not suit you if you prefer polished restaurants and quiet sightseeing.

The return through Hai Phong Railway Station

Before returning to Hanoi, you spend about 30 minutes at Hai Phong Railway Station. The station was built during the French colonial period, and the tour highlights its old architecture.

This is a fitting final city stop. You have already seen the station during the central sightseeing period, but a dedicated visit gives you time to notice the building before boarding. It also connects the city’s past with the practical transport that carries you back to Hanoi.

The train to Hanoi then takes about two and a half hours. After arrival, the tour ends back at the meeting point near the Hanoi Opera House. The return is not a hotel drop-off unless separately arranged, so plan for the day to finish at the stated meeting point.

The schedule is tightly organized, but delays can affect a rail-based day. The supplied information does not promise compensation for missed connections or explain how delays are handled. Keep that in mind if you have a fixed evening booking in Hanoi.

What the $69 price really covers

At $69 per person, this tour is priced as a full-day package rather than a simple guided walk. The cost includes the planned tour service, lunch, entrance fees, taxes, and an air-conditioned vehicle. The train transportation is part of the route, and the food stops are built into the experience.

The value is strongest if you want several things handled at once. You do not need to arrange the Hanoi to Hai Phong train, find a Hai Phong guide, plan a market visit, or work out which local dishes to order. You also get a private group rather than a shared tour.

The value is weaker if you only want a short Hai Phong visit. Independent visitors could spend less by arranging transport and meals themselves, but they would need to manage the schedule and research the city’s food stops. This tour charges for convenience, interpretation, and structure.

Pay close attention to the food wording. The overview describes all meals and tastings as included, while the formal inclusion section lists lunch, taxes, and an air-conditioned vehicle. Since the itinerary includes several dishes, I would ask Sondax Travel to confirm whether Banh My Que, fermented pork rolls, and Banh Da Cua are fully covered or if any are purchased separately.

Who should book this long day trip

I would recommend this experience to you if you want to see Hai Phong in one day and care as much about eating as sightseeing. It suits first-time visitors who want local guidance, especially those who would not feel comfortable navigating a market or ordering regional dishes alone.

The private format is also useful for couples, families, and small groups. Only your group participates, so the day should feel more personal than a large coach tour. Group discounts may also improve the value if several people book together.

This is less suitable if you want a slow holiday day. The 13-hour schedule includes long rail rides, several stops, market time, and a return to Hanoi. It is also not ideal if you dislike trains, crowded markets, unfamiliar foods, or walking between city sights.

Most travelers can participate, service animals are allowed, and the tour is near public transportation. Confirmation arrives at booking, and free cancellation is available until 24 hours before the start time. If poor weather cancels the experience, you are offered another date or a full refund.

Should you book the Hai Phong City Historical and Food Tour?

Book it if you want a guided introduction to Hai Phong without spending a night there. The train ride, Du Hang Pagoda, central landmarks, market visit, and local dishes give you a well-rounded day, and the private setup adds comfort.

I especially like the combination of food and city history. The crab soup, breadsticks, fermented pork rolls, and Banh Da Cua are not decorative extras. They are the main way this tour connects you with Hai Phong.

Skip it if you want a relaxed schedule or a carefully defined food budget. The day is long, and the inclusion wording deserves clarification. For an energetic eater who wants structure and local explanation, though, $69 is a fair price for a full day beyond Hanoi.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin?

The tour begins at the Hanoi Opera House, at 1 Trang Tien, Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam.

How long does the experience last?

The experience lasts approximately 13 hours, including travel time.

How do I travel from Hanoi to Hai Phong?

You travel by train from Long Bien Station to Hai Phong, then return by train from Hai Phong Railway Station to Hanoi.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

What food is included during the day?

The tour includes lunch featuring Hai Phong crab soup and visits for Banh My Que breadsticks, Vietnamese fermented pork rolls, and Banh Da Cua. The detailed inclusion information specifically lists lunch, so confirm the payment details for the other tastings before booking.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not refunded or accepted.