Begin your Story of Hanoi with a visit to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. Here, you will hear about the man who led Vietnam’s campaign for independence from French colonial rule.

Next, visit the imperial citadel, the apex of regional political power for more than a millennium. Research and excavation is still underway. After a Vietnamese lunch, head to another 11th century relic, the Temple of Literature, which was built as an homage to the Chinese scholar Confucius. You will then see the iconic Long Bien Bridge. Constructed across Red River between 1899 and 1902, when Vietnam was still ruled by the French, it is now jammed with whizzing motorbikes and an occasional passenger train chugging into nearby Long Bien Station.

The tour continues with a 30-minute cyclo tour through Hanoi’s bustling Old Quarter, a place where Hanoians buy everything from noodles to light fixtures to Buddha statues. The quarter’s 36 streets were named for the products that were sold from their shops. Today, vendors on Tin and Bamboo Streets still sell the same wares.

After exploring the old quarter’s shady alleyways, sip a strong Vietnamese coffee in a café overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake — an important symbol in Vietnamese folklore.

Please note: Portions of Ho Chi Minh City Complex and Imperial Citadel of Thang Long are closed on Mondays and Fridays. On these days the Story of Hanoi will include a visit to the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, where both ancient pottery and contemporary painting and sculpture is on display.