Welcome to Hanoi, food capital (and actual capital) of Vietnam….and by far one the most unique places to visit in Vietnam. While stumbling across hidden gems is a fun way to find food in Vietnam, with a population of almost double that of Ireland, the chances of stumbling into the best street food is slim unless you sign yourself up to the best budget Hanoi food tour – and we have the perfect one in mind!
READ MORE: 50 Unique Things To Do in Vietnam
Hanoi Food Tour on a Budget
If you don’t know your Bánh mì from your Bún chả, and you’re planning on spending a decent amount of time in Vietnam, a street food tour in Hanoi is the best way to orientate yourself with Vietnam’s culinary world. Go on your first day in Hanoi, take note of all the foods you liked (there’s going to be a lot of them!), and go back!
I was invited on a tour with Hanoi Street Food Tour and I’m telling you now, it should be the first thing on your to-do list in Vietnam. Our guide Emily explained everything from how the food is made, to how we should eat it, and even the origins of the dishes.
Our tour group of about 10 people went to 8 different places, and I think I’ll have to let the photos do the talking here!
One reason I loved the tour was the interesting stories that Emily gave us about places we went, like Gordon Ramsey trying and failing to successfully make Bánh cuốn, which are thin rice pancakes that are wrapped around pork, and something I need to have in my life more.
Read next: Unique Things To Do in Hanoi
The great thing about street food is that you don’t just see the end product, you see the whole process, and you can appreciate the skill that it takes to create these delicate dumplings, and it’s also a pretty great photo opportunity!
The tour is finished off with a Hanoian specialty, egg coffee! It’s much creamier and sweet than most coffee, but something that you have to try when you’re here, and it helps that it’s very pretty, and makes for a very instagrammable photo! It also offsets the slight food coma you will be feeling after all the food, and if you’re lucky enough to be in Hanoi at the weekend, the tour finishes at the perfect time to go check out the night market!
The Hanoi food tour itself costs 100,000 Dong, which is about $20, and it lasts for about three hours. Honestly, I can’t think of a better way to be introduced to a new city! You don’t just need to take my word for it, this tour is top of the list on Tripadvisor for not just food tours in Hanoi, but all tours and it’s also listed as one of the top things to do in Vietnam here.
What are you waiting for!? Get to Hanoi!
This post was written by Journalist On The Run writer Conor Phelan. You can read his other articles here and follow his world adventures on Instagram here. While Conor was invited to take part in the tour, all opinions are of course his own.
Last updated on October 13th, 2023 at 01:42 pm
