Australian tourist overcharged $46 for cyclo ride in Hanoi

By Hoang Vu September 22, 2025 | 10:57 pm PT

A tourist takes a cyclo ride on a street in Hanoi, 2022. Photo by Vu Ngoc Thien

An Australian tourist reported to Hanoi police that his family was overcharged VND1.2 million (US$46) by two cyclo drivers for a tour around the Old Quarter.

Phillip Damien said Monday that two men took his family of four—two adults and two children—on a cyclo tour and then demanded VND1.2 million, Vietnam News Agency reported.

The price was six times the normal fare. A 60-minute Old Quarter cyclo tour is advertised on apps like Traveloka for nearly VND200,000.

Police tracked down the two drivers who apologized and returned the full VND1.2 million to Damien.

The tourist accepted the apology, received the refund, and made no further requests.

In the first eight months of the year, Hanoi received 21.58 million visitors, up 13.9% year-on-year. International arrivals were estimated at 4.96 million, up 25.8%.

In July, a group of Filipino tourists in Hanoi was charged VND1.4 million (US$53) for a taxi ride covering less than 1 km, 50 times normal fare.