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A print of the lake path under old trees: pink branches leaning out over green water, a pink paved path and a few early walkers.A photograph of the lake path under old trees: pink branches leaning out over green water, a pink paved path and a few early walkers.

Bình minh

The lake pathLotus pink, Lake jade, Shutter green, key blockHoàn Kiếm LakeLine drawn by FLUX.2 [klein] 4B, an image model, after a photograph by Daderot, Photograph by Daderot, CC0. Cropped for this site.

In the city

Before the city wakes

Hoàn Kiếm at dawn, then phở for breakfast.

Length
3 hours
Starts
05:15
Group
Up to 8
From
USD 45 a guest
Book: Before the city wakes

From, per guestUSD 45

1. Day
2. People
2 guests

Up to 8 in a group.

TotalUSD 90

We hold your places for 10 minutes while you add your details and pay. The price is final and charged in USD; other currencies are approximate. Sample company: nothing here is a real booking.

What happens

We meet at 05:15 on the east bank of Hoàn Kiếm, when the light is still grey and the lake is already busy. We walk the whole loop past rows of tai chi, a ballroom class and the first phở carts setting up. Then breakfast: a bowl of phở bò at a stall that opens at six and is usually sold out by nine.

  1. 05:15

    We meet on the east bank. The lake is cooler than the streets, so bring a layer.

  2. 05:30

    We start the loop. It is about 1.7 km and we take an hour over it, because there is a lot to look at.

  3. 06:15

    Tai chi in rows, a dance class with a speaker strapped to a scooter, badminton without a net. Your guide says what each group is doing and where it is polite to stand.

  4. 07:00

    Breakfast at a stall that opened at six: phở bò, and a glass of iced tea.

  5. 08:15

    We finish as the lake turns back into a road.

Included: Breakfast: phở bò and a drink; A guide for up to eight guests.

What you will see

1 of 3

A row of people exercising on the lakeside path at Hoàn Kiếm in the early morning, the Ngọc Sơn temple gate behind them.

Morning exercise on the lake path. Photograph by Rudolph.A.Furtado, CC0. Graded for this site.

Photographs, graded to look like one shoot. Select one to see it larger, with its credit.

Good to know

What to wear

A light layer and shoes you can walk in. Before sunrise in December and January the lake is around 14°C.

Walking

About 3 km on flat, paved path.

Children

Welcome from 6. We walk slowly, and the stall serves small bowls.

Access

Mostly step-free. The paving is uneven in places: tell us when you book and we will plan the route.

The weather, by season

  • Xuân February to April: lows 16 to 22°C, about 53 mm of rain a month.
  • Hạ May to August: lows 25 to 27°C, about 239 mm of rain a month.
  • Thu September to November: lows 20 to 25°C, about 148 mm of rain a month.
  • Đông December and January: lows 14 to 14°C, about 20 mm of rain a month.

Láng station normals, 1991 to 2020. The four seasons

Where we meet

The east bank of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, on Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street, by the entrance to the Ngọc Sơn temple bridge.

Look for a guide with a small paper seal pinned to their bag. We start moving at 05:20.

Open in Google MapsOpen in OpenStreetMap

Hoàn Kiếm, east bank. We link to maps; we do not embed one.

Cancelling

Cancel up to 48 hours before the start for a full refund. Between 48 and 24 hours, half is refunded. Within 24 hours, nothing is, unless we cancel: then you are refunded in full, or moved to another day.

Sample terms. The cancellation policy

Questions

Is it safe to walk at 05:15?

Yes. The path is lit and full of people exercising. We keep the group together and walk on the lake side of the road.

What if it rains?

We walk in light rain, in ponchos. In heavy rain we shorten the loop and have breakfast earlier. We message you by 21:00 the evening before.

I do not eat beef.

Tell us when you book. The stall also makes phở gà, and your guide will order it for you.

More questions

What guests say

Reserved for a guest

Reviews appear here only once real guests have written them. We do not publish sample reviews.

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Length
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Starts
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Group
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From
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Length
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Starts
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Group
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From
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All thirteen experiences