What an awesome tour! Definitely for those visitors looking for something off of the beaten track. Kien gave us insight into a neighbourhood that foreigners would otherwise never get to see. The first 45 minutes were in a local cafe getting acquainted and learning 2000 years of history! This may sound like a lot, but it is key in contextualising and understanding the tour that follows. Plenty more to say and I will leave it there for others to discover. Very highly recommend.

I am very glad we booked this tour. Mina was an excellent guide, charismatic and informative. The pace of the tour is great for admiring the area without getting too tired from all the walking. This is a great way to learn more about the city's history (and Vietnam as a whole) from a local, with a few goodies included.

As many other reviewers have mentioned, this is such a unique experience. Kien is able to run this tour solely because of his personal relationships with the locals in the black market. You get to see a unique glimpse into the life of locals in Hanoi. Great storyteller. Amazing learnings about the history of Hanoi and Vietnam. Must do!

I’d highly recommend this tour for people wanting and authentic and eye opening tour of the real Hanoi. Kien shared stories about the history of Hanoi, his own family, and local communities. Kien has built relationships with the locals which meant we had access to areas not frequented by tourists including black market shops and local residential buildings. Kien himself is a fascinating individual and talking to him was insightful and an absolute pleasure. I’d definitely put this tour at the top of your list.

This tour was the perfect way to learn background and below-the-surface history of Vietnam and Hanoi. Kien was a fantastic and knowledgeable guide, taking us through the Cho Gioi market and explaining the subsidy era that led to its creation. He also gave us extensive history on local commerce, living situations and talked about Vietnam’s many conflicts with large powers and its neighbours. Highly recommend this tour for visitors to Hanoi who are interested in getting a bit off the beaten track and learning about Hanoi’s rich history!

Kien Pham met us at the meeting point on time. He took us around the old quarter as per the itinerary and explained to us everything in great detail. His grasp of English, knowledge of history and sense of humor was excellent. We were offered complimentary refreshments during breaks throughout the tour. Overall an excellent experience.

My sons and really enjoyed our afternoon walking tour with Mina. We saw and experienced things that you would never find without a guide. She was very informative and friendly. This was recommended to us by a tour guide we met in Ho Chi Minh City. Would highly recommend this tour.

It’s our first time going to Vietnam and we can only explore Hanoi due to the limited time we have. So my sister booked us a walking tour in the One Trip by Local website. The tour company made sure we understood where to meet our guide, photos and all and our guide was Mina contacted us the day before the tour to confirm everything. So communication was great! We met Mina and we already know the vibes was going to be great just by meeting her, I think it helped that we’re somewhat in the same age group. She was more than punctual, we got there early and she was already there! We started off the tour with the view of the city on the rooftop of a hotel and got some amazing coffee afterwards and we learned and discussed Vietnam’s history. Mina’s storytelling was clear, you can see she’s so passionate about her country and history. But what really stood out for us was the honesty she presented, learning about the horrors Vietnam has suffered at the hands of colonizers and invaders. After having the eye-opening history lesson with our coffee, we headed to explore the city. She brought us to different places, from historical buildings to narrow alleyways! Giving us the background and history of each place and how it functions now in the present. And she offered to take our photos multiple times as well. She may not be everyone’s cup of tea but she certainly was ours! To hear it from a local’s point of view is both educational and fascinating. We learned so much from the short time we had with her!

Mina was the best guide I've had in a long time. Knowledgeable and fun and organised and good to chat with all at once. Strongly recommend this tour.

Very good and insightful tour about life in Vietnam around the Vietnam War period. Soft drinks included, knowledgeable and entertaining guide, saw areas that we would not otherwise have seen.

Mina was a wonderful guide! I had a fantastic morning with her learning about Vietnam’s coffee culture, history and the architecture of the Old Quarter. I highly recommend this tour if you enjoy coffee and want to learn about the different influences that have shaped Vietnam's culture!

Mina is a cheerful and eloquent guide with great knowledge and good stories. Interesting and insightful. Recommend it!

Had a great tour with Mina. She was very knowledgeable, candid and did a great job of weaving a narrative about the architecture, political history and changes in Vietnam. Would highly recommend.

I really enjoyed my tour with Mina. Her English was fantastic and she shared her extensive knowledge of coffee and Vietnamese history with an infectious enthusiasm. My basic knowledge both was limited and I felt she gauged this well so as not to overwhelm us with too much detail. The tour was topped off with a lovely coffee and tasty ice cream! 10/10 recommend.

Our host Mina, was splendid in sharing the history of Vietnam while sprinkling her own personal stories. She’s fantastic as a guide, keeping us all engaged and recommending really yummy coffee and coconut milk ice cream. I tried the yogurt coffee for my sensitive tummy while my friends tried the coconut coffee and lime coffee!:) I would recommend this tour to anyone interested in having a fuller experience of Hanoi and how they are such resilient people.