Come as a guest - Leave as a friend
WHAT IS A GREET?
Our walks of two to three hours are adjusted to the special interests of our guests. We Greeters are volunteers and offer our service when it seems a “good match” and we “feel like it”. We meet our guests at eye level and try to take their background into account. In that way, guests may become friends.
Please note: A Greet is not a guided tour of the city. A Greet cannot simply be “booked”.
START YOUR JOURNEY WITH HANOI-GREETER
WARMLY WELCOME TO HANOI
You would like to see Hanoi through the eyes of a local?
You would like to know what it is like to live in Hanoi?
We Hanoi Greeters accompany single guests and groups of up to 6 people and show them our hometown with all its many facets.
We love our city and offer our guests an insight into Hanoi’s workaday life and into our own living environment – free of any charge as is customary among friends.
ABOUT THE GREETERS
The name, Greeter “derives from the English word “to greet”. Greeters welcome guests and take them on individual Greets through the city – without charge.
The Greeter concept was first initiated and developed in New York by Lynn Brooks in 1992, then it was known as “Big Apple Greeters”. Meanwhile the idea has gained more and more friends – both Greeters and guests.
Hanoi Greeters came into being in 2017. At our Greets, inquisitive guests meet up with dedicated Hanoi folks.
We Greeters love our hometown and we like to give you an insight into our personal lives in Hanoi. We accompany you through the city – entirely free of charge, as is customary among friends. You will experience very personal and individual walkabouts and you will hear about our workaday lives.
We may not offer you a complete sightseeing-tour to tourist-attractions, but we can tell you where you can get those.
OUR IDEA / CORE VALUES
All Greeters and Greeter destinations share the same core values:
Greeters are volunteers, a friendly face for those visiting a city/destination
Greeters welcome individuals and may serve small groups of up to six people
Meeting a Greeter is free of charge
Visitors are welcomed without any kind of discrimination
Greeter programs support sustainable tourism. Programs respect natural and man-made environments, it brings both cultural and economical enrichment to the local communities. Programs aim for a lasting positive image of each destination.
Greeter programs create a mutually enriching opportunity for cultural exchange, create links between people thus creating a better world.
WHAT HAPPENS ON A GREET?
Please contact us at least two weeks before your arrival in Hanoi, preferably even sooner.
We will be glad to find a Greeter for you who meets with your special requirements. It may be even more exciting for you if you let your Greeter surprise you with his or her own ideas.
Each Greeter endeavors to plan your walkabout in an individual manner. You meet at an agreed place and start your two to three hour exploration through Hanoi – either on foot, by motobike or by public transport.
A Greeter will always try to meet your personal wishes. However, particular expectations and “orders” are cases for professional guides.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
HISTORICAL – CULTURAL RELICS
Through times, Hanoi’s culture and history have created a system of cultural values as valuable human tourism natural resources. The Capital’s historical – cultural relics has an ancient, taciturn, elegant beauty which long time has become a destination attracting tourists home and abroad. Until now Hanoi has 5,175 historical – cultural relics, of which 1,050 relics are ranked at national level, making up nearly 20% of total national relics. Especially the City has Imperial Citadel of Thang Long recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage; system of stone stele records of imperial examinations of the Lê and Mạc dynasties in the Temple of Literature has been recognized by UNESCO as documentary heritage of humanity under the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme…
ANCIENT VILLAGE – HANDICRAFT VILLAGE
Hanoi is great potential for travelling in ancient villages and traditional village. According to statistical data, Hanoi has 1,270 villages (having crafts) of which 272 are handicraft village (244 crafts are traditional) where 47 traditional crafts out of 52 crafts have been practiced in the nation. Beside, Hanoi has famous ancient villages such as Duong Lam (Son Tay), Dong Ngac (Tu Liem), Nhi Khe (Thuong Tin), Cu Da (Thanh Oai) … ancient villages. Every village looks like a lively museum of traditional culture with national character attracting tourists.
MUSEUMS IN HANOI
Like other capitals in the world, Hanoi has tens of museums to serve the public. Many museums in Hanoi are attractive destinations such as Vietnam Museum of ethnology; Ho Chi Minh Museum, Vietnam Arts Museum … During development, Hanoi’s system of museums continues to innovate to exploit sources of materials, objects on display for the purpose of Capital’s development.
ENTERTAINMENT PLACES
Beside advantages about relics, historical beauty spots of thousand years of culture, Hanoi is famous for ideal place of ecological, relaxing and entertaining tourism. With diversified and rich terrain, surrounded by many rivers, lakes, hills and mountains, ecological, relax and entertainment tourist areas of the city attract tourists by closeness to pure nature and beautiful landscape. Hanoi has now many ecological, relax and entertainment tourist areas such as Tan Da, Ao Vua, Khoang Xanh-Suoi Tien, Bao Son paradise, Thanh Chuong Viet Palace, Ho Tay water park ... with great size, good quality of relaxing and entertaining demands of tourists.
CULTURE & TOURISM FESTIVALS
Hanoi festivals feature urban characteristics, display charms of villages and show skyline of tradition and roots. Hanoi festivals are abundant, diversified and very attractive. Hanoi Capital is one of the regions has most festivals in Vietnam. Now there are 1,095 festivals organized all year round and most in spring. Many festivals attract millions of tourists (such as Huong pagoda festival), festivals are recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage (such as Giong festival)…
REQUEST A GREET
We are glad that you are interested in a Greet and we are looking forward to getting your request. In case you are not sure what to expect, please look at the “faq” or our "official facebook page" for more detailed information (Please tell us: number of guests, age of guests, gender of persons, preferred date, the language; which part of the city and what kind of activity are you interested in).
Address:
Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
Email:
Phone:
(+84) 985-859-871