Old Quarter Review logoOLD QUARTER REVIEW

Old Quarter Review · Hanoi, Vietnam

Discover Hanoi's secrets with a local friend.

I am Suzy. I walk the Old Quarter with you on camera: the food worth your money, the coffee worth your morning, and the prices you should honestly expect.

Explore experiences

New channel in its pilot season. Real intro video coming with the first films.

Curated experiences

Small, personal routes designed by Suzy and led by a licensed guide. No prices on cards, ever: your written quote from Bao Son Travel holds the price, line by line.

The 4 Tastings of the Old QuarterDesigned by SuzyThe 4 Tastings of the Old QuarterAbout 3 hours, evening4 Guild Streets: Silk, Silver and Festival CraftsDesigned by Suzy4 Guild Streets: Silk, Silver and Festival CraftsAbout 4 hours, morningThe 4 Working Streets of the Old QuarterDesigned by SuzyThe 4 Working Streets of the Old QuarterAbout 3 hours, morningPlan My Hanoi: the 45 Minute ConsultDesigned by SuzyPlan My Hanoi: the 45 Minute ConsultVideo call, about 45 minutes

Prices we actually paid

Shown on screen in every video, with the filming date.

No paid praise, ever

Reviews are never bought, and connections are always disclosed.

Dietary and spice notes

Vegetarian options, allergens and honest spice levels in every food story.

Clear English, with captions

Slow, clear hosting and full English captions on every video.

All our visitor standards, on one page

One quarter, eight areas, every guild street

The famous number 36 began as the 36 guild wards of fifteenth century Thang Long. Today the Old Quarter has around 76 streets. We group the iconic ones into eight walkable areas. Tap an area to open its streets.

N ↑Long Bien Bridge and the Red River, to the north eastDong Xuan& North Gate6 streetsSilver, Paper& Festival Crafts5 streetsNightMarketSpine4 streetsMedicine, Fabric& Old Trades14 streetsTrain Street& West Edge4 streetsSilk& Style4 streetsEat & Drinkin the East7 streetsThe Lake& South Gate5 streetsHoan Kiem LakeTo the Templeof Literatureand the basecamp
C1 · The Lake and the South GateHoan Kiem Lake, the Cathedral and sunset walksC2 · Silk and StyleSilk, tailoring, galleries and quiet cafesC3 · The Night Market SpineThe weekend night market and sweet preserved fruitC4 · Dong Xuan and the North GateThe great market, wholesale streets and the old city gateC5 · Silver, Paper and Festival CraftsSilversmiths, festival paper and Mid Autumn colourC6 · Eat and Drink in the EastBia hoi corner, food streets and late night bowlsC7 · Medicine, Fabric and Old TradesTraditional medicine and the surviving guild craftsC8 · Train Street and the West EdgeTrain street, mural street and the way to the basecamp

What you will watch

Three series, one promise: real portions, real prices, no staged reviews and no paid praise.

Street Food Hanoi

Eat like a local: the dishes, the stalls and the prices, filmed where Hanoians actually eat.

  • Egg Coffee in Hanoi: the Original Cafe and the Tourist Copies
  • A Ten Dollar Street Food Dinner Crawl in the Old Quarter
  • Pho at Dawn: Where Hanoians Actually Eat Breakfast

Honest Hanoi

Fair prices, real expectations and the traps to skip, explained kindly and clearly.

  • Getting Around the Old Quarter: Fair Prices for Taxis and Ride Apps
  • Five Tourist Traps in the Old Quarter and What To Do Instead
  • Train Street Today: What Is Open, What It Costs, How To Visit Safely

A Local Takes You

Walk one street at a time with Suzy, from silk and silver to medicine and murals.

  • Hang Gai, the Silk Street, Told by a Local
  • The Old Quarter at Six in the Morning: Markets, Exercise and First Coffee
  • One Perfect Day in the Old Quarter, Planned by a Local

Or follow a roadmap

Three signature walks, drawn as routes with numbered stops. Tap a stop for its full street story.

12345The Night Market WalkThe weekend spine of the quarter, from the great market to the lake.5 stops · 11 min walking · Friday to Sunday, from 7 PM1234The Craft Streets Morning WalkPaper, silver and silk, while the makers are still at work.4 stops · 16 min walking · Weekday mornings, from 8 AM1234The Eat and Drink East WalkA grazing route through the tastiest corner of the quarter.4 stops · 10 min walking · Every evening, from 6 PM

Staying near the quarter

Hanoi Larosa Hotel area

Our basecamp is the quiet side of the centre: the Van Mieu neighbourhood by the Temple of Literature, about a ten minute ride from the lake. Close enough for dawn walks in the quarter, calm enough for a full night of sleep.

Disclosure: Hanoi Larosa Hotel belongs to Bao Son Group, the group my family works for. I will always flag it when it appears on this channel, and rooms are booked through the hotel and Bao Son Travel, never through this page.