Hanoi Motorbike Tour: My Experience & Tips for First Timers

I’ll never forget zipping through the alleyways, backstreets and lantern-lined Old Quarter of Hanoi on the back of a motorbike!

It was the perfect introduction to Hanoi on our very first day in Vietnam as we feasted our eyes on the vibrant, chaotic city while learning about local life from our guide and motorbike driver. And of course, the experience ended with a spread of delicious (vegan friendly!) Vietnamese food that kickstarted our culinary adventures in Vietnam.

If you’re thinking of going on a motorbike tour in Hanoi, this article is for you—I’m sharing my experience with an honest overview of what to expect, what to bring, and most importantly, which tour to choose!

🏍️ Spoiler alert: This is the award-winning Hanoi motorbike tour we went on and we LOVED it! There’s a women-led Hanoi moped tour that’s a great alternative, too… plus a night foodie motorbike tour and a countryside motorbike tour. I’ll share more about each, but you really can’t go wrong here!!

Posing on vintage motorbikes in front of cathedral in Hanoi, Vietnam

Riding beneath flags in the Old Quarter of Hanoi on a motorbike tour

☀️🌺🌿 Article Outline (Jump Ahead)

Hanoi Motorcycle Tour: What to Expect

Motorbike is the local way to get around Hanoi, period. It’s believed that Hanoi is home to 7 million motorbikes and mopeds, and you only need a few moments in the city to know this is true! Every road and alleyway is a chaotic—yet surprisingly efficient—dance of motorbikes and pedestrians, and the occasional car.

Naturally, exploring Hanoi on a motorbike enables you to see the city the way locals do—but I certainly wouldn’t recommend attempting to drive a motorbike in Hanoi unless you really, really know what you’re doing.

That’s where Hanoi motorbike tours come into play—and that’s how we immersed ourselves into Hanoi on our first day in the city! It was the perfect mix of adventure, thrill, and cultural immersion since we were doing it all with a local who knows the city inside and out.

Later in this article I’ll share my thoughts on the overall experience (for example: does it feel safe, comfortable, etc on the back of a motorbike with a stranger?) but for now, here’s a quick overview of the different motorbike tours you can book:

Zipping through alleyway in Hanoi on a motorbike tour

The original award-winning Hanoi vintage motorbike tour

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 5/5 from 6,919+ reviews | includes lunch, hotel pickup, helmets | $55 per person | Book here!

This is the motorbike tour we booked and it was exceptional! Our guide and drivers really treated us like friends they were casually showing around the city—from the famous Train Street to the black markets, with real stories about growing up here along the way.

In addition to riding through the varied, vibrant streets of the Old Quarter and crossing the rickety 1.5-mile-long Long Bien Bridge (built by Gustave Eiffel, same guy who built the Eiffel Tower!), our drivers showed off by zipping through narrow, curvy alleyways.

We learned what it really was like to grow up in a communist country, the lasting effects of the American War on the Vietnamese today, and got to sip fresh coconut and local beer at a little cafe on Train Street at the train rumbled by, just feet from our table!

After a few hours we ended our tour at Hidden Gem Cafe where we were served a beautiful (and delicious) spread of phở, bahn mi, spring rolls, papaya salad, and more! All included in the cost of our tour, and a lovely introduction to Vietnamese food.

Hanoi motorbike tour led by women

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 5/5 from 830+ reviews | includes lunch, hotel pickup, helmets | $59 per person | Book here!

A lovely alternative to that famous motorbike tour, this one prioritizes hiring female drivers only to create more jobs for women—and it’s perfect for ladies who feel more comfortable with female drivers!

While we were comfortable on the vintage motorbikes on the tour I went on, this tour goes a step further to prioritize comfort with modern Honda scooters, so if you’re worried about riding on a vintage scooter, this one is a good option!

On the women-led tour you’ll get to explore many parts of the Old Quarter, ride by the Hanoi Opera House, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and ride across Long Bien Bridge. In addition, you get a glimpse of the quiet side of Hanoi while driving through the farmland of Banana Island.

Riding on the back of a motorbike on a Hanoi motorbike tour

Treat we got on our Hanoi motorbike tour

Hanoi countryside motorbike tour led by women

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 5/5 from 44+ reviews | includes lunch, hotel pickup, helmets | $59 per person | Book here!

If I could go back in time, I wish I would have added this countryside motorbike tour to my Hanoi itinerary! Instead of zipping around the city, this motorbike tour takes you into the lush countryside—rice fields, a 2,300+ year old citadel, and local homes.

The rural landscapes are just a short ride out of the city—which is something that really surprised me when I visited Hanoi for the first time!

The journey takes you across the historic Long Bien Bridge, and for me, the highlight would be sitting in the home with a Vietnamese veteran from the American War, hearing his stories and walking through the bonsai gardens.

Hanoi by night foodie tour led by women

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 5/5 from 1.837+ reviews | includes food, hotel pickup, helmets | $69 per person | Book here!

Another one of the most popular Hanoi motorbike tours, this one takes you on a foodie tour of the city after dark! You’ll get picked up at your hotel around 6pm and immediately head to a local spot for Banh Cuon (steamed rolled cake) where you’ll get to watch the chefs prepare… and then eat!

Riding through the Old Quarter at night is quite special as lanterns are lit and the atmosphere of Hanoi becomes even more charming after dark!

The tour includes plenty more foodie stops (bun cha, pho, banana salad, egg coffee, and more) as you take in the city views from West Lake, ride across Long Bien Bridge, and even watch the nightly guard ceremony outside of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

My Experience & FAQs

Given how notoriously chaotic the street of Hanoi are—with mopeds weaving in and out of traffic, and never stopping for pedestrians, you might wonder if riding on the back of a moped feel safe?!?

In my experience, I felt a lot safer on the back of the motorbike than expected! These drivers really know what they’re doing, and you just have to hold on for the ride! And all motorbike tours should include a helmet, of course.

You might also be wondering about how comfortable it is to hang on the back of a motorbike for several hours. Even though we were on vintage motorbikes, both my husband and I were perfect comfortable! The motorbikes had backrests, hand grips, foot rests, and padded seats, of course. Because of the back rest and hand grips, there was no need to hang onto the driver in front of you like in the movies!

Although we spent a lot of time on the motorbikes, there were also a lot of stops, and my driver/guide continually checked in with me to make sure I was comfortable! I was the only one in our group of three that had our guide as my driver, which was a perk—he shared some extra insights and stories with me while we were riding through the city! There were also times where all three of us would ride close together and he’d talk with all of us—but most of the talking was done at the stops.

Another question I had beforehand was whether I’d feel stable enough to take photos on the back of the motorbike and what type of bag to bring! Let me address all of this:

Surprisingly, I felt quite stable throughout the ride and had my camera out (with just a wrist strap) for a lot of the ride! I brought a medium sized zippered purse that fits like a crossbody sling bag, and it was perfect! My husband also had a sling bag to hold his phone, wallet, and water bottle.

In the end we wished we’d brought a few snacks and extra water. Even though our guide told us to “come hungry,” we didn’t get food until the end of the tour, and our drinks at Train Street were a few hours in. But other than that, it was such a memorable experience and I can’t recommend this enough!

What to Bring With You

🧥 A light jacket: We were in Hanoi in January, and a light jacket was a must to stay warm on the back of the motorbike—if its hotter (and sunny), you’ll probably want something to protect your skin from the sun!
🎒 Sling bag: Both my husband had sling bags like these, which made it easy to grab our phones, camera, etc. on the bike but also keep everything secure!
👟 Secure shoes: I love to travel in sandals, but a motorbike ride is not the time to wear sandals—make sure you have some secure shoes like sneakers.
💦 Water & snacks: We wished we brought a few snacks since we didn’t get food until the very end! Water of course, too!