Private & tailor-made · 1–4 guests · From Hanoi
Private Tours to Duong Lam Ancient Village from Hanoi
Old houses, with the doors open.
Your own licensed local guide, fluent in English. Your own car, on a route built around you. Every ticket covered — from $45 per person.
What is Duong Lam Ancient Village?
Duong Lam is a farming village of laterite houses about 45 km west of Hanoi, the first village in Vietnam protected as a national heritage site. It makes an easy half day from the city, or a full day with Thay Pagoda. With a local guide you get more than the photo: you are asked into family homes and told why two kings came from here.
On our tours the entrance tickets and every other cost are already included — you never open your wallet.
A village built of laterite
Gates, wells and house walls are cut from the rust-brown laterite that lies under the fields here and laid without plaster. No other village near Hanoi looks like it.
Old houses that are still homes
Hundreds of old houses survive and families still live in them, the oldest close to four centuries old. With a guide you are invited in for tea rather than looking over the wall.
Che lam and the land of two kings
Families still make che lam, a sticky rice sweet with ginger and peanuts. The village is also the birthplace of kings Phung Hung and Ngo Quyen, whose shrines stand at its edge.
Shared group tour vs. private tour
Shared group tours suit travellers who are happy to follow a big group on a fixed plan. Here is what actually changes when the day is yours.
Shared group tour
- One guide shared by a coach of 10–15 guests
- Fixed route and timetable — no changes on the day
- Lunch at a restaurant set up for tour groups
- Entrance tickets and fees often paid on the spot
- Drop-off at a set point, and a craft-shop stop on the way back is common
Fixed plan · extras paid on the day
Your private day with us
- Just your group of 1–4, with a licensed local guide fluent in English
- Your route and pace — any itinerary can be changed on request
- Tea inside an old family house on every tour, and a home-cooked lunch on the full day
- Every ticket and every fee pre-paid
- Picked up and returned to your hotel — no shop stops, in writing
Made for your group · everything included
Our promises — in writing
No hidden costs
The group price is final. Tickets, the tea and tastings, and the lunch on the full day are all pre-paid.
No shop stops
We earn from the tour price alone. Your time goes to the village families, not a souvenir showroom.
Door to door
Pickup and drop-off at any central Hanoi hotel — never a coach meeting point you have to find yourself.
Licensed local guides
Locals fluent in English who know the village inside out. They explain the customs, the houses and the story behind each gate and shrine, step by step.
Two sample days in Duong Lam. Each one can be tailored to you.
Book one as it is, or use it as a starting point — tell us what to add, skip or linger over and we will adjust the day. Car, guide, tickets and tastings are always included.
Duong Lam Half-Day Private Tour
About 5.5 hours · 07:45 or 13:15 · The laterite lanes, a 400-year-old house and a che lam kitchen, with your own guide
from · $45 · / person
Book this tour ›
Choose your group size · price is the group total
Solo traveller$165 BOOK →2 guests$170 BOOK →3 guests$175 BOOK →4 guests$180 BOOK →- Mong Phu gate and communal house
- A 400-year-old laterite house, from the inside
- Make che lam with a village family
★ Duong Lam & Thay Pagoda Day Tour
About 9 hours · 08:00 · Duong Lam in depth, lunch cooked in an old house, then the pagoda where water puppetry began
from · $93 · / person
Book this tour ›
Choose your group size · price is the group total
Solo traveller$275 BOOK →2 guests$305 BOOK →3 guests$340 BOOK →4 guests$370 BOOK →- Duong Lam gate, lanes and an old house
- Cook and share lunch in a village home
- Thay Pagoda and its water pavilion
Want a different route, pace or group size? WhatsApp +84 368 938 081 — we will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote.
Questions people ask before booking
Is Duong Lam worth visiting?
Yes, if you like quiet places and old buildings: it is a working village, not a theme park, and its laterite lanes are unlike anywhere else near Hanoi. It is not dramatic scenery, and without someone to open doors and explain what you are seeing, many visitors find it over in an hour.
How far is Duong Lam from Hanoi?
About 45 km west of the Old Quarter, beside the town of Son Tay. By private car it takes around 1 hour 15 minutes each way, a little longer in the evening rush.
What exactly is included in the price?
Private car with driver, a licensed local guide who speaks fluent English, hotel pickup and drop-off anywhere in central Hanoi, all entrance fees, the tea and tastings, and lunch on the full-day tour. The only things not included are personal shopping and optional tips.
Can I cancel or reschedule?
Yes — free cancellation up to 3 days before departure, and free rescheduling subject to availability. Within 3 days of departure, 30% of the tour price is charged because the car and guide are already committed.
Can the tour be tailored for children, older parents or our own interests?
Yes — every itinerary can be adjusted. Tell us who is travelling and what you enjoy, and we will change the stops and the pace to suit. The village is flat and paved; the only climb is the optional path up Sai Son behind Thay Pagoda, which is easy to skip.
How do I pay, and when?
Two ways: pay the full price online by card, or pay a 30% deposit online and the rest in cash on the day of the tour, in US dollars or Vietnamese dong. We can also send a secure payment link on WhatsApp. The booking is confirmed once the online payment goes through, and your pickup time and guide’s name arrive in writing.
How far ahead should I book?
A few days is comfortable in the busy months from October to April; at quieter times next-day requests often work. Message us and we will tell you honestly what is still open.
Your own day in Duong Lam. Everything included.
Every tour tailored on request · licensed local guides · free cancellation up to 3 days before.