Unmissable Incense Village Hanoi Tour: Hanoi’s Most Photographed Stop

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Overview

An hour outside Hanoi, the village of Quang Phu Cau has been making incense by hand for more than a century, and the drying yards where the sticks are set out to dry, thousands of them fanned out in dense circles of red, yellow, and pink, have become one of the most photographed scenes in northern Vietnam.

This incense village Hanoi tour pairs a morning at the village with an afternoon back in the city at two of Hanoi’s more substantial historical sites, the Temple of Literature and Hoa Lo Prison, giving travelers a full day that moves from rural craft tradition to national history without feeling rushed on either end.

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TICKET TYPE

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Adult- 100 left

$45

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Child- 100 left

$33

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Highlights

Walk through Quang Phu Cau‘s incense-drying yards, where thousands of dyed sticks are arranged in vivid color-blocked circles
Meet a local family specializing in incense dyeing and learn the hand production process from artisans themselves
Visit Chuong Village, a traditional conical hat-making village, and discover the rich culture and traditions behind Vietnam’s iconic nón lá. Learn about craftsmanship and explore the traditional process of making these beautiful handmade hats.
Explore the Temple of Literature, Vietnam‘s first national university, founded in 1070
Walk through Hoa Lo Prison, used for political prisoners under French colonial rule and later for American POWs
Travel in a comfortable shuttle bus with a set-menu Vietnamese lunch included

Places You'll See

What's Included?

Shuttle bus transport throughout the day (29-seat coach, or 16-seat mini bus)
One bottle of water per person
Entrance tickets to all listed sites
English-speaking guide with at least five years of experience
Vietnamese lunch at local restaurant

What's Excluded?

Visa entry & Flights fares
Accommodations & Other personal expenses.
VAT (10%) and bank service
Drinks during lunch.
Tips for the tour guide and driver (optional but appreciated).
Anything not specifically mentioned in the “Tour Included” section.

What to Expect?

7:45 AM – Hotel Pickup in the Old Quarter

Pickup runs between 7:45 and 8:15 AM, followed by departure toward Quang Phu Cau Village around 8:30 AM. The drive gives the guide time to walk through the village’s history, more than a hundred years of incense-making passed down through local families, before the group arrives.

9:00 AM – Quang Phu Cau Incense Village

At the village, a walking tour moves through household workshops where artisans still produce incense largely by hand. The highlight is meeting a family that specializes in dyeing the sticks, watching plain bamboo cores turned into the saturated reds and yellows that make the drying yards so distinctive in photos. Beyond the visual, there’s real craft on display here, the color, the drying angle, and the incense’s eventual scent all depend on techniques refined over generations. Guests have time to browse and purchase incense souvenirs directly from the artisans before heading back.

10:00 AM – Chuong Hat Making Village

Visit Chuong Village, a traditional Vietnamese conical hat-making village. Discover the local culture and traditions while learning about the traditional craftsmanship and step-by-step process of making the iconic Vietnamese nón lá.

11:30 AM – Return to Hanoi

The group departs the village around 11:30 AM for the drive back into the city by shuttle bus.

12:30 PM – Lunch

Lunch is served at a restaurant known for its set-menu Vietnamese fare, a comfortable pause between the rural morning and the more historically dense afternoon ahead.

1:45 PM – Temple of Literature

The afternoon opens at the Temple of Literature, founded in 1070 as Vietnam’s first national university. Its courtyards and stone stelae, mounted on carved turtles and inscribed with the names of doctoral graduates going back centuries, connect directly to the country’s long-standing emphasis on scholarship. For a fuller account of the site’s history and layout, see our dedicated Hanoi afternoon city tour guide, which covers this stop and Hoa Lo Prison in more depth.

3:00 PM – Hoa Lo Prison

From there, the group visits Hoa Lo Prison, built by French colonial authorities between 1886 and 1901 and later used to hold American prisoners of war during the Vietnam War, who nicknamed it the “Hanoi Hilton.” The exhibits span both periods, giving context to a site that carries two distinct, difficult chapters of history.

4:30 PM – Return to Hotel

The tour concludes with drop-off at your hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter between 4:00 and 4:30 PM.

Additional Info

Child policy

Children under 4 travel free and share a seat with a parent. A second child in this age range is charged 75% of the adult rate.
Ages 5 to 8 are charged 75% of the adult rate.
Ages 9 and up are charged the full adult rate.
All children must be accompanied by an adult throughout the boat tour.
Valid ID may be requested for age verification.
If children require extra seats, there is a surcharge: 150,000 VND/seat for regular cars, 200,000 VND/seat for limousines.

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure
Cancellations within 24 hours or no-shows are charged in full.
If the tour is suspended due to severe weather or government regulation, guests can reschedule or receive a full refund.

Good to know

Dress modestly, shoulders and knees covered, when visiting the Temple of Literature.
Bring cash, a camera, sunscreen, and a raincoat or umbrella depending on the season.
Itinerary timing may shift slightly for weather or unforeseen circumstances.
On weekends, some Old Quarter streets are pedestrian-only; the shuttle bus will drop off at the nearest accessible point to your hotel.

What to bring

Comfortable walking shoes
Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat
Camera or smartphone
Light jacket (winter months)
Bottled water
Cash for personal purchases or temple offerings

Price from

Original price was: 65 $.Current price is: 45 $.

Unmissable Incense Village Hanoi Tour: Hanoi’s Most Photographed Stop