Private touring in Hanoi

We will be on the Volendam in January 2015 and will be docking in Halong Bay from 7 am to 11 pm. We have previously visited Halong Bay and now want to visit Hanoi which I understand is 3 1/2 hours by road from where the ship docks.

If any one has done this tour privately and can recommend a good tour operator, it would be very appreciated.

IMPORTANT: We were on the Volendam last December and took a ship excursion to Jakarta, primarily because of the horrendous traffic. We had a police escort throughout our stay. I was in Hanoi 17 years ago and therefore cannot compare the traffic then and now. If the traffic is similar, then we will not consider a private tour.

Lynne

We did a private tour in Hanoi recently with Custom Vietnam Travel and I was very pleased with their responsiveness and willingness to customize the tour to our needs and schedule. Their website is: http://customvietnamtravel.com

We were in Hanoi a couple of years ago and, yes, the traffic can be quite heavy and hectic. We traveled from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay and the path is on two lane country roads for most of the way. I would be a bit concerned about timing.

While in Hanoi, we used university students from Hanoi Kids. This was a great experience for us - an opportunity to exchange cultural information with Hanoi youth, and see major city highlights. The cost was just city transportation and snacks/lunch incurred during the day.

We were in Hanoi a couple of years ago and, yes, the traffic can be quite heavy and hectic. We traveled from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay and the path is on two lane country roads for most of the way. I would be a bit concerned about timing.

I think the roads have gotten better in the last few years (we were travelling from Hanoi to Halong this May), but there is still quite a few stretches that have not been completed. Allow yourself 4 hours transit time each way to get to the 'old quarter' of Hanoi.

Thank you both for your replies - I was beginning to think no one was going to respond.

After discussing with dh, we decided to take the ship excursion primarily because of traffic and road conditions. We would have opted for a private tour if the ship was overnighting in Halong Bay. The ship excursion is 3 1/2 hours each way.

Lynne