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The Perfect Hanoi Itinerary (2024) Travel Guide for Vietnam’s Capital

August 1, 2023 by Bino 1 Comment

Vietnam’s capital may be known more than anything for its chaotic and motorbike-filled streets but I have to say that Hanoi remains to be one of my favorite Southeast Asian capitals. There is something about the city that always puts it at the back of my mind as a destination I’d want to visit again and again, with a different Hanoi itinerary each time. It may be the excellent food or the fascinating history or simply the pulsating and distinctively Vietnamese energy. Whatever it is, each visit to Hanoi always leaves me with new finds and restaurants that I won’t hesitate recommending to friends.

For those looking to visit, I have come up with this suggested Hanoi itinerary. Depending on whether you intend to visit Ha Long Bay and Tam Coc, this itinerary is something you can execute in as little as 2 days if you’re coming here only for the weekend or up to 4 days if you intend to make it a short getaway.

the pulsating energy of hanoi

General Tip: In Hanoi, a common scam occurs with some taxi drivers at the airport where they claim the hotel you booked has closed. This is a trick to get you to stay in another hotel where they can get commission. To avoid this, you can ask your hotel to pre-book your transport or you can book one yourself here .

Heading to Central Vietnam? Check out this suggested itinerary for Hue, Hoi An and Da Nang

Table of Contents

Day 1 – Old Hanoi

Hoan kiem lake.

hoan kiem lake

Start your Hanoi itinerary by obtaining your bearings at the Lake of the Returned Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake), the focal point where touristic activities in Hanoi are concerned. How the lake came about is the stuff of legends. In the morning, you will find locals doing tai-chi at the park encircling the lake. There is a pagoda in the middle of the lake – an often photographed structure – as well as the Ngoc Son Temple in the northern side which you can cross over to via a red bridge. Opening hours: 8:00 to 18:00, daily / Admission: 30,000 dong (adult)

French Quarter

french quarter of hanoi

Afterwards, head east towards the French Quarter . You will find this area of Hanoi calmer, with plenty of small parks, charming turn-of-the-century hotels as well as buildings dating from the French period such as the post office. The neoclassical Hanoi Opera House in particular, is a fine example of the French influence. The building was modeled after the Palais Garnier in Paris.

Old Quarter

hanoi old quarter

By early afternoon, the cramped streets of the Old Quarter starts to buzz with life and that’s a great time to head there to see how local commerce is done. The area offers a beguiling mix of stores housed in old shophouses. The streets are named according to the types of shops found there – there is a street for jewelry (Hang Bac); a street for shoes (Hang Dau) and so on. You can easily spend the entire afternoon here, which is not a bad idea. Bach Ma Temple , said to be the oldest in Hanoi, is located here. Make sure to stop by Cha Ca La Vong (daily 11AM to 2PM, 5PM to 9:30PM) for lunch.

souvenirs along the old quarter of hanoi

For cheap souvenirs, head to Dong Xuan Market or head to Tired City for some cool and totally non-kitschy t-shirts, scarves, postcards and art prints made by local artists. They have a few outlets but the biggest one is in Hang Gai. 

If shopping is not your thing, you can check out some really local experiences such as conical hat making, calligraphy, pottery and even coffee appreciation with Backstreet Academy . For foodies, you can go on a 3-hour food tour of the Old Quarter where you get to visit various eateries specializing in different dishes.

egg coffee from loading t cafe

In the late afternoon, you can head out of the Old Quarter and head southwest to see the imposing St. Joseph’s Cathedral with its neo-gothic façade. Within its vicinity are a number of charming cafes. Loading T Cafe (daily 8AM to 6PM), set in a crumbling mansion, is particularly atmospheric for its vintage interiors as well as semi-open balcony that overlooks the street. Go for a cup of Hanoi’s famous egg coffee which is made with whisked egg white, condensed milk and a little bit of sugar for a truly frothy coffee experience!

Day 2 – Monumental Hanoi

Imperial citadel.

hanoi citadel

The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long (daily except Monday, 8AM to 5PM) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is open to the public. There isn’t much to see here these days so I would only rate it as an optional stop. But if you ever decide to make a visit, try to combine it with the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum as it’s within the same area.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

ho chi minh mausoleum

Try to beat the queues and venture to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum in the morning (weekdays are better). It’s free to enter. Do note that the venue is closed on Mondays and Fridays. Opening hours: 7:30 to 10:30 / Admission: Free

Presidential Palace and One Pillar Pagoda

presidential palace of hanoi

From here, it’s a short walk to the Presidential Palace , Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House  as well as the One-Pillar Pagoda . The latter’s exceptionally small size makes it one of the most iconic tourist attractions in Vietnam. As there is a good number of tourist attractions within the area, it’s often crowded here so try to avoid the weekend and public holidays if possible. Opening hours: 8:00 to 17:00, daily

Lunch at Quan An Ngon

quan an ngon

It would be midday by the time you finish, just in time to take a cab ride to Quan An Ngon (daily, 7AM to 9:30PM) for lunch. The venue takes you on a quick culinary tour of Vietnam. While it’s possible to order from the menu, there are stalls that allow you to have a peek at various dishes before you order. If you have a limited amount of time to spend in Vietnam, I’d recommend coming here to allow you to quickly sample the country’s varied specialties in one sitting.

Temple of Literature

temple of literature

From Quan an Ngon, it’s around a 10 minute walk to the Temple of Literature . The spread of Confucianism in Vietnam is perhaps never more apparent than here. During imperial times, only the most gifted scholars were able to study here and the venue offers a good peek of life in the imperial era. The sprawling complex is filled with courtyards, pavilions and ponds and showcases the extent of Chinese influence in Vietnam. Opening hours: 8:00 to 17:00, daily / Admission: 30,000 dong (adult)

Shopping and Cafes at Tay Ho

tran quoc pagoda

Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the chic district of Tay Ho or West Lake, one of the up and coming neighborhoods of Hanoi filled with plenty of local designer boutiques, some of the city’s best international restaurants as well as hipster cafes. Aside from being Hanoi’s expat enclave, many dining and drinking establishments also choose to set up shop here due to the lakeside views. The Tran Quoc Pagoda which is found in a small peninsula jutting out from the narrow strip of land separating West Lake and Truc Bach Lake, makes for a picturesque sight early in the morning or towards sunset when the calm waters create a mirror reflection. Otherwise, for a great bird’s eye view of the twin lakes, Summit Lounge – the rooftop bar of the Pan Pacific Hanoi – is the place to go.

Sky High Views at Sky Lotte Observation Deck

sky lotte observation deck

For a bird’s eye view over Hanoi, you can head to Lotte Center for the Sky Lotte Observation Deck . At 65 floors up, you can spot some of the city’s landmarks from the viewing gallery. A highlight here is the Skywalk where visitors get to walk on the floor is made of glass. Best time to visit is around 5 to 6PM – it’s a great place to catch the sunset. You can get discounted tickets here .

Home-style Dinner at Tam Vi

When the Michelin Guide did its inaugural awarding of Michelin stars in 2023, one of the first establishment to earn the accolade in Hanoi was Tam Vi (11AM to 2:30PM/5PM to 9:30PM) – a traditional restaurant serving home-style meals hidden in an alley off Nguyen Thai Hoc. Star dishes here include Crab Soup with Spinach, Vietnamese Ham with Periwinkle Snails as well as the Caramelized Pork with Egg. This is a worthwhile dinner venue as the cuisine is decidedly Northern Vietnamese and quite different from what you’ll get in Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang. Reservations are recommended. I tried reserving for a same-day table and could only get a slot at 8PM. 

Day 3 – Ha Long Bay & Other Excursions

Ha long bay (day trip or overnight option).

ha long bay

Most people who visit Hanoi also make their way to Ha Long Bay . For booking of these tours, you can check out Vietnam tours which offers various excursions from Hanoi. While going to Ha Long Bay is practically a “yes” for most, the main decision you’d likely be facing is whether you should stay overnight in Ha Long Bay or just make it a day trip?

An overnight stay in Ha Long Bay will definitely enable you to visit more spots and you can climb the jagged peaks of some of the islands as well on a longer cruise to get a bird’s eye view of the bay (for example, in Titop Island). This is something you would not be able to do on a day trip though if you are really lacking in time, there’s little other choice.

If you decide to go for a day trip, you can expect a few hours’ cruise along the bay, a seafood lunch, some time for kayaking and exploring a cave called Thien Cung Cave. You can book the Ha Long Bay day tour here .

If you decide to go for an overnight cruise, you can expect the same highlights from the day tour plus around 2 more caves, a nice view point from Titop Island, an additional dinner and breakfast plus a likely cooking class.

Tam Coc / Hoa Lu

If you have already been to Hanoi before and are looking for a different day trip option, a journey through the river valleys of Tam Coc / Hoa Lu is also worthwhile. The landscape is lush and the experience is quite fun as you ride a small bamboo boat down the river surrounded by limestone rock formations. Aside from the boat ride, a typical day tour includes climbing up Mua Cave for a scenic view of the river, surrounding rice fields and mountains.

Perfume Pagoda

A third option for excursions originating from Hanoi is the Perfume Pagoda . Situated some 60km away from Hanoi, the Perfume Pagoda is one of the country’s most important religious sites. To get here from Hanoi, travelers will need to take a roughly 70 minute car ride to a village followed by a 45 minute or so boat ride down the Yen River to a temple complex. From here, a path leads to another temple as well as a cable car station.

perfume pagoda

Visitors can either take the cable car or hike up to the Perfume Pagoda itself which is situated in a cave. The entrance to the cave is rather dramatic – it is said to resemble a dragon’s mouth and is decorated with Chinese text.

A typical Perfume Pagoda day tour includes round trip transport from Hanoi, a guide and lunch but not the cable car ticket as it is up to the visitor’s discretion whether they’d want to hike or take the cable car. You can book this tour here .

Travel Tips for Hanoi

• In this age of uncertainty, you might wish to get travel insurance. If you reside in Singapore, check out Starr Travelead , one of the cheapest travel insurance. They have a promotion that comes with S$10 cash rebate that helps to offset the insurance cost.
• Do note that Hanoi has a pronounced winter season from November to February. A jacket would come in handy. If you visit during these months, there’s a possibility you might not even see any sunshine. On the other hand, July and August is a very humid time in Hanoi. Even if it just says 30 to 32 degrees celsius in the thermometer, you’ll sweat buckets.
• You can pay in USD in some places including shops, restaurants and other tourist-oriented establishments. This does not apply to the small eateries or groceries. Most hotels will be able to change USD to Vietnamese Dong at competitive rates. 
• For those who constantly need to be online, you can purchase local sim cards upon arrival at the airport.

Where to Stay in Hanoi

I’ve been to Hanoi twice and a hotel I can personally recommend is the La Sinfonia del Rey Hotel which conveniently overlooks Hoan Kiem Lake. Rooms are incredibly sleek and I found the clouds painted on the room’s ceilings to be quite relaxing. For a slightly cheaper option,  you can check out La Mejor Hotel located in the Old Quarter. Alternatively, you can use this aggregator HERE to compare for the best prices for hotels in Hanoi with just one look.

Getting Around: GRAB is a cheap, safe and reliable way to get from point to point within Hanoi. Most trips between the various city attractions should not cost more than $5.

Entry Requirements: Certain nationalities may require a visa to enter Vietnam. It’s better to check beforehand. For visa services, you can try Vietnam Visa .

You May Also Like

Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below. Alternatively, you can also email me at b i n o (at) iwandered.net. You can follow I Wander on Facebook , Telegram , or Instagram . Also, if you liked this article, please feel free to SHARE or RETWEET

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November 4, 2017 at 8:35 pm

Thanks for sharing the good travel blog about two days itinerary for Vietnam. It is really beautiful country, You must visit one time in your lifetime.

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Things To Do in Hanoi Itinerary: A Travel Guide Blog

Last updated on April 5th, 2024

Here’s our Hanoi itinerary for how to spend 1, 2, or 3 days in this charming historical city. We will share with you our tips, must-visit attractions, and what to do in this Hanoi travel guide blog.

Dotted with centuries-old architecture, beautiful lakes, and tranquil Buddhist pagodas, Hanoi is one of the most popular cities to visit. It is a vibrant city that you either love or hate. Although Hanoi is rapidly developing with many shopping malls and luxury hotels, the downtown area is still keeping its traditional culture. It is loud, chaotic, overwhelming with motorbike-packed streets, and unique with its own culture. A true tourist destination.

When visiting Hanoi , it is best to just spend a day wandering around the area and getting lost in the small streets and alleys. You can just stroll around the French colonial Old Quarter, browse through outdoor markets and shops, try local food from the street food vendor, or have a cup of Vietnamese coffee at a local coffee shop. It is an experience to be taken slowly and enjoyed.

If it’s your first time visiting Hanoi , then I hope this Hanoi travel guide blog helps you make the most of your time in this lively city. We will cover how to get to Hanoi, the transport options from the airport to downtown, where to stay, and useful travel tips and information. Let’s check out this awesome Hanoi itinerary for 1, 2, or even 3 days in Hanoi.

Table of Contents

Hanoi Travel Guide

This Hanoi travel guide is comprehensive and long. As always, let’s break things up into sections by section to make things easy in this handy Hanoi travel blog!

Hanoi, also written as Ha Noi is the capital of the Vietnam and second largest city in the country. It is a rich culture with influences of French, Chinese, and Southeast Asian. Being the major hub for Northern Vietnam, Hanoi is the ideal place to set up your base when visiting the attractions such as Sapa, Ninh Binh, and UNESCO heritage site Halong bay.

The Vietnam currency is VND and popularly called “Dong”. Though USD is acceptable in Vietnam, it is advisable carrying the VND especially if you want to buy stuff or food from small shops and street vendors. Besides, hotels mostly can accept credit cards but many cafes only cash.

The majority of people in Hanoi are sincerely friendly , enthusiastic, and with a great sense of humor. In the service industry, you will be impressed by how the customer service did their job and cares for you. They can speak English even though some may not fluently. However, many people on the roads don’t know how to speak English, but communication is not an issue (hand and sign) as tourists are very common in Hanoi.

How Many Days Should I Plan to Stay in Hanoi

You can plan a one-day stay in Hanoi or can even set aside a couple of days to properly explore this city. But generally, we recommend staying at least two days. That way you have enough time to see the main attractions in Hanoi and continue to explore some of the beautiful attractions nearby.

Spend three days in Hanoi if time is permitted. There are plenty of tourist attractions, cool bars, nice restaurants, and great cafes offering panoramic views over the city.

We spent totally 3 days and 2 nights in Hanoi. Firstly, we arrived at Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport and arrange our transportation by taking the overnight train to Sapa. After this, we came back to Hanoi for another 3 days of visit in this charming city. We also have a day trip to Halong Bay to end our Northern Vietnam trip before flying back to our home country.

Best Time To Visit Hanoi

The best time to visit Hanoi is in the Fall, from around the end of September till November, followed by Spring (March to May). During this time, the temperatures are ideal and pleasant. It is best to walk around in the vibrant city. Expect more tourists and higher hotel prices around that time.

Summer (from June to August) is the hottest and most humid time of the year. Not only that, the middle of the year is considered the rainy season in Hanoi. So it is not the best time to visit Hanoi and avoid these months if you can.

While December is still a great time as the weather is cool. However, the temperatures can fall to around 10ºC in January and February.

Traveling To Hanoi

For international visitors, most likely Hanoi will be the point of arrival if you are visiting Northern Vietnam. The Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) is one of Vietnam’s 2 major international airports. It is extremely busy, serving thousands of travelers everyday, from both internationally and domestically flying to Hanoi.

Many domestic flights are well connected with other cities within Vietnam. There are countless daily flight connections between Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh, and Hanoi. Those domestic flights are very frequent and extremely affordable. Remember to check baggage allowances as this may increase the cost with the hefty luggage cost included.

Besides, there are many low-cost carriers within South East Asia. Flying internally or from nearby countries is an incredibly good value. Be sure to research flights and prices for a great deal especially if you are on a tight budget. You can search for cheap flights from Skyscanner .

Getting To Hanoi Downtown from Airport

You’ll need to arrange for transfers to your hotel from Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport. The airport is about 25 km from downtown Hanoi. Listed below are the different ways you can get to your hotel from Noi Bai airport:

Airport Taxi – This will be the most expensive option and easy to get scam. Make sure to look for a meter taxi or agreed with a good price before you depart. It will take you around 30 minutes to reach.

Private/Shared Transfer – This is the most convenient way of getting to your hotel from the airport but it’s also one of the most expensive. Klook offers airport transfers from Noi Bai to your hotel in downtown Hanoi. You can pre-book a private comfortable air-conditioned car with hotel drop-off ahead of time for around – Best Offer.

Public Bus – You can take Public Bus Number 17 or the Hanoi Airport Bus Express (Bus Number 86) to get downtown. It is the cheapest option but you will need to get a taxi from the bus stop to the hotel. Not a good option for visitors to Hanoi.

Grab Car – When it comes to South East Asia, we highly recommend using the e-hailing service, Grab. Similar to Uber, you just need the app and internet inside Hanoi Airport to book a ride. Grab also support Grab motor in Hanoi but this option is only suitable for the light traveler.

Getting Around in Hanoi

Hanoi is a very walkable city. Rather, we would say that you need to walk around to experience the vibe of this vibrant city. The city’s packed streets, local market, and beautiful architecture can best be seen while walking.

The majority of the attractions are located in the downtown area and within walking distance. On this suggested Hanoi itinerary, you can easily walk around for the whole day. You can also spend an additional one more day in if you prefer to slow down the pace. A better way to get around Hanoi is to get a cyclo ride tour as you will be directly in the street life.

Alternatively, get the ride on Hanoi Hop-on Hop-off Bus to see the best sights in the city! The easiest way to get around and see the major attractions in Hanoi.

If you need to travel farther away, just use the Grab or Grab Motor. It’s the Southeast Asia version of Uber and super easy to use!

Best Place To Stay

Hanoi is a travelers paradise. There is an enormous amount of great hotels and hostels all over the city. We recommended base yourself centrally in old quarter to ease on your Hanoi itinerary planning. Staying in qol quarter is easy to get around for attractions, food, and entertainment.

Here is few option with different budget range for staying in Hanoi Old Quarter:

Luxury : Peridot Grand Luxury Boutique Hotel is the best luxury hotel in Hanoi. But rest assured, even the most luxurious accommodation in Hanoi is affordable! The hotel is centrally located with beautiful rooms and comfy beds. Most importantly, the price is reasonable.

High-range : Acoustic Hotel & Spa  is the  popular affordable luxury Hotel in Hanoi . The location is pretty convenient and right on the border of the Old Quarter. It is walking distance to the train street and weekend market with lots of eateries along the way.

Mid-Budget :  Ja Cosmo Hotel and Spa is a surprisingly affordable boutique hotel. Located in the heart of Hanoi Old Quarter, it is easy walking distance to visit the attractions nearby and find food even at night.

For more accommodation option, be sure to read our Ultimate Guide for Where To Stay in Hanoi .

Things To Do in Hanoi itinerary

Hanoi is highly dense with people and full of motorcycles . You can easily explore the city on foot or try a cyclo tour to travel around all the streets with famous attractions. It is a real treat by wandering around and watching the locals and activities. Be careful or you can get lost!

The following Hanoi itinerary is action packed if you are only have limited one day in Hanoi. You are freely to adjust based on your interest and available in the city.

Things To Do in Hanoi Itinerary :

• Start with relaxing stroll at Hoan Kiem Lake

Ngoc Son Temple and Turtle Island

Wandering in hanoi old quarter, hang bac street, train street, have a cup of vietnamese coffee, try local vietnamese street food, enjoy nightlife at ta hien street, hanoi night market.

Hanoi Travel Guide : For excursions, I would recommend the Hanoi Sightseeing Motorbike Tour as you will be directly in the street life. Your driver will stop at the most interesting spots or on demand to save your steps. Most importantly, you can enjoy the picturesque and beautiful chaos. A fun and non-forgettable experience.

Relaxing Stroll at Hoan Kiem Lake

Centrally located in the middle of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake is literary the oasis in the heart of the city . The lake is located in a lovely setting and is strangely peaceful. It is a nice place to relax, run around, or have your coffee to get some break from the hustle-bustle of the city.

Every morning, locals love spending their time here doing exercise, taking aerobic or tai-chi lessons, jogging around the lake, or just enjoying nature in calm and serene surroundings. While in the nighttime, the lake looks stunning with the bridge illuminated in flaming red. You must take your camera here to capture the astounding beauty of the lake and the activities around the lake.

There are many hotels, restaurants, and bars surrounding the lake. From Old Quarter it is an easy walk to Hoan Kiem Lake. Worth a quick 30 minutes stop and have a drink during your visit to Hanoi.

There are a few historical temples and buildings around the lake that are worth coupled during your visit to Hoan Kiem Lake.

At the north end of the Hoan Kiem Lake is an arched red wooden pedestrian bridge leading to Jade Island which houses the Ngoc Son temple . It was an 18th-century pagoda that was originally built during the Tran dynasty (1225-1400) but was last restored in 1865. It venerates Van Xuong, the god of literature, as well as La To (a physician) and Tran Hung Dao, a 13th-century leader who fought successful wars against the Nguyen.

While at the northern end of the Lake is a small island where a small tower called Turtle Tower is located. According to legend, Hoan Kiem Lake is the home to a mythical turtle who is a Vietnamese legend’s hero. The tower was built to honor the magic turtle that still guards the sword. Enormous turtles still lived in the lake until now.

Walk the lush trail surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake and visit its Ngoc Son Temple. There is a small entry fee but worth paying it to cross the picturesque red bridge and enter the temple.

Next on the Hanoi itinerary is the infamous Hanoi Old Quarter . Basically, you’re not coming to Hanoi if you didn’t visit the old quarter! The Hanoi Old Quarter is the main attraction of the city and it is one of the top places to visit on your Hanoi itinerary. As a first-time tourist, you can truly enjoy Vietnam culture in this old and quaint part of Hanoi. It does give a very nostalgic feeling of how life could be those days.

Hanoi Old Quarter is quaint, historically interesting, and chaotic! There’re 36 dense streets in the area and every square meter is turned into a little business or shop and the energy pumps are non-stop. Each street name begins with “Hang” for Street, followed by the specific business or item located on the street for purchase, such as Hang Can for stationery or Hang Dau for shoes.

There have too many amazing things and you can find practically everything here with all types of products selling in the old quarter. It is very chaotic but very well-organized. From local produces, fruits, vegetables, silver jewelry, shoes, wallets, and clothes, up to shoe repair, you’ve got everything in the Old Quarter.  If you wish to buy souvenirs for home, then this is the perfect place for that. Remember to bargain for a good price!

Among all the streets in the area, The vibrant Hang Bac Street is an excellent introduction to the Old Quarter. Like all the streets in Hanoi, Hang Bac is cluttered and chaotic. It is the busiest street situated in Hanoi downtown packed with shops, restaurants, bars, people, and lots of motorcycles.

In fact, Hang Bac means “Silver Street” but these days you can find all kinds of things and all kinds of shops. The street offers something for everyone from fine high-end fashion and home boutiques, to jewelry, to convenience stores. A great place to meet with locals from all walks of life and a great way to get to know the people. Be careful and watch out for the motorcycles while you are walking on this street.

Situated in Old Hanoi Quarter, between Le Duan and Kham Tien street is the famous Hanoi Train Street . The train street is a unique attraction where visitors can watch a train speeding through the street on both sides of houses at a meter distance. People will shut down their homes and activity paused while the train went by but then back to business as usual. One of the most popular spots in the city and should not miss when coming to Hanoi.

If you wanted to catch the train passing by , make sure to do some research before getting here. Still, the train schedule is hit-and-miss and not a train was as per the timetable. But you can still roughly rely on the train schedule we got from the official website:

• Weekday: 19:00, 19.45, 21.30, and 22:00.
• Weekend: 6:00, 9:00, 11.20, 15.20, 17.30, 18:00 pm, 19:00, 19.45, 20.30, 21:00, and 23:00

When visiting Hanoi train street, it is best to find a place to sit down and take a drink at one of the cozy places along the train lane. All the cafes have great views so any place would be great. Just chose one, sat down, ordered some coffee, and waited for the train came.

It is fun when the train finally passes by. During this time, all the owners shouted to warn all tourists to stand within the safe zone. Listening to the last-minute scramble and loud whistler to clear the tables and chairs to make sure the train line gets empty. Truly a unique experience when the train passes very close, only a few inches away by while drinking fantastic Vietnamese coffee.

Definitely worth seeing this once and make sure to pack this spot into your Hanoi itinerary.

For a coffee lover, don’t miss the Vietnamese coffee in Hanoi. The charming Hanoi has some of the best tastier cafes and coffee shops. It is worth wandering around and getting lost in the city while ending with a cup of Vietnamese coffee in one of the authentic coffee shops.

We highly recommended sampled delicious egg coffee . It is an egg custard densely foamed up and served on top of black coffee. It may sound disgusting but it tasted extremely delicious.

The walking tour of the Old Quarter was an enlightening experience especially coupled together with the local food that you can indulge in. Along your Hanoi itinerary, you can check out one of the many western cafes and restaurants or try some food from the local street food dealers.

Find out on a fun food tour in Hanoi’s Old Quarter

Most of the famous Hanoi local foods are located in Hanoi Old Quarter such as Pho Bat Dan, Tao Pho, Bun Cha, salted apricot, Braised fish, Squid cake, and many more. It is truly an adventure to try street foods. The street food is very good and diverse but the price is very different from shops so remember to ask the price before ordering. Eat till you drop!

Related Read : Hanoi Food Guide – What To Eat and Drink in Hanoi .

Ta Hien Street, which literally means beer street is the best street for enjoying the complete nightlife of Hanoi. The street is just only 200 meters long, Ta Hien Street is one of the most crowded streets I have been to in Hanoi filled with tourists and locals alike. There are many bars and street vendors where you can find a variety of Hanoi street foods with an ice-cold beer.

Most drinking is just done outside sitting on a small-sized plastic chair right on the street, having beer and food while people watching. The food and drink are slightly more expensive than in other places in the old quarter.

We had the authentic Vietnamese hotpot in one of the BBQ setup restaurants here. The food was delicious and the price is also reasonable. Most importantly, we enjoyed the atmosphere here. A perfect place where you can come and enjoy the atmosphere as well as the food and the drinks.

During the nighttime, the Hanoi Old quarter will be limited to motorcycles and cars so it becomes a good place to walk around. It’s very interesting to explore Hanoi at night with a lined of street foods scattered around the area.

Apart from that, don’t miss the Hanoi night market if you are visiting Hanoi during the weekend. The night market near the north side of the lake is a must-visit attraction with hundreds of vendors and street artists. You can walk around and enjoy a stroll in the street. There is often live music and performances make it very happening. Highly recommend you come to Hanoi on the weekend to take part in the atmosphere of the night market and walking street.

Other Attractions in Hanoi Downtown

There are a lot of attractions and small temples everywhere in the city which is really interesting. We didn’t have enough time to explore those attractions. You can plan it if you are interested.

St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hanoi – A late 19th-century neo-Gothic Revival church with 31-meter-high twin bell towers. The cathedral is the oldest church in Hanoi and was constructed by the French government in 1886. It not only serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hanoi but welcomes everyone to come, attend and experience.

Temple of Literature is an amazing place with precious history, culture, and structure. Dedicated to Confucius, the temple was built in 1070 and was reconstructed during the Trần dynasty (1225–1400) and in the subsequent dynasties. It hosts the Imperial Academy where royal members studied in the past. This is also considered the first national university in Vietnam. Best place to learn about the history and culture of Vietnam since the 10th century.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is the dominating structure dedicated to the hero of the nation. It serves as the final resting place for this revolutionary leader. A place to understand more about the History of Vietnam and what the people have gone through.

The famous Thong Long Water Puppet show is located in Old Quarter area right next to the Hoan Kiem Lake. The puppets are moved from under the water in a show that showcases the pillars of Vietnamese way of life, culture and even religion. There are several shows daily, make sure to reserve your Water Puppet Show Ticket in advanced.

How To Plan Hanoi Itinerary

There are so many things to do in Hanoi that it is hard to decide where to begin. Hanoi is a great base when traveling around Northern Vietnam. With 1, 2, or 3 days in the city, you can explore it beyond the typical tourist attractions.

On your Hanoi itinerary, we recommended spending at least one full day exploring the Hanoi downtown area at Old Quarter.

Started the day with great Vietnamese egg coffee at a local coffee shop in the Old Quarter. Spend some time touring around Hoan Kiem lake, Ngoc Son Temple, and Turtle Island. Followed by wandering around the areas and other interesting attractions in Old Quarter such as St Joseph Cathedral. If you are feeling hungry, stop by for a great lunch at one of the restaurants selling local cuisines. Continued with wandering around the area such as train street, Hang Bac Street, and other vibrant streets in the old quarter. A great day in Hanoi!

If you’d like to explore the ancient city, you can easily slow down your pace and explore Hanoi for more days. Alternatively, you can have a tour of Halong Bay which is about 3 hours from Hanoi. Spent at least one day to enjoy the serene and picturesque of Halong Bay.

Tour Depart from Hanoi

The stunning Halong Bay is a major tourist attraction and a must-see stop on your Hanoi itinerary. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to emerald waters and infinite towering limestone isles, islets, and caves topped by lush rainforests.

We recommended getting to Halong bay by joining a tour as the transportation is not well-connected. This is the most popular day trip from Hanoi with many people departing to Halong Bay every day. A not to be missed attraction if you are visiting Hanoi!

Related Read : A Trip To Halong Bay: Ultimate Travel Guide Blog

For a day trip to Halong Bay from Hanoi, here is our recommendation:

• Small Group Halong Bay Day Tour from Hanoi [Route 1]  –  Most Popular!
• Halong Bay Deluxe Cruise from Hanoi [Route 2]

Consider to enjoy the serene Halong Bay with multiple-days tour:

• All-Inclusive 2 Day/1 Night Cruise in Halong Bay  –  Reputation Customer Review in TripAdvisor !
• 5 Stars Halong Bay Cruise with private balcony and bathtub .

Some other popular day trips departed from Hanoi for consideration:

• Day trip to an ancient capital: Hoa Lu – Tam Coc Day Trip
• Experience beauty of nature: Bai Dinh – Trang An – Mua Cave Tour

Final Hanoi Travel Tips

Hopefully you don’t feel too overwhelmed by all of the things we have discussed above.

The traffic and humanity are overwhelmingly congested . The sound of car and motorcycle horns every few seconds adds to the hustle and bustle of the place. It’s very challenging crossing the roads as cars and motorcycles can appear from any direction. Stay alert and enjoy the charm.

Food and drinks are cheap overall . You can indulge and learn more about Vietnam’s local cuisine in Hanoi. No matter your dietary requirements, you’ll be able to enjoy the food very much.

If you plan to do a tour, we recommend you compare prices on Klook and   Viator – a TripAdvisor company . Both are reputation companies I can vouch for!

How many days should I spend in Hanoi? If possible, try to allocated at least one day to discover the bustling Hanoi downtown area.

Is Hanoi safe for tourists? Hanoi is a relatively safe city to travel to. The city is generally safe but some areas should be avoided, such as parts of Hanoi filled with clubs and bars that are usually filled with suspicious individuals. Be cautious and avoid these places late at night.

Is Hanoi worth the visit? I must say, you wouldn’t be disappointed at all by visiting Hanoi! From beautiful centuries-old architecture, and delicious Vietnamese food to smiling locals, you’ll find no lack of things to do in Hanoi.

Overview: A Visit To Hanoi

All in all, Hanoi is an amazing destination for all types of travelers, regardless if you’re interested in sightseeing, temples, gastronomy, a great night market scene, art, and everything else in-between.

We hope our suggestions help you plan your Hanoi itinerary. I’m hardly an expert on Hanoi but I do hope that you find this Hanoi travel guide useful. Hanoi is truly amazing and around every corner is something new.

On our Hanoi itinerary, we sampled delicious street food, tried the disgusting yet tasty egg coffee, and enjoyed strolling around the streets absorbing the hustle and bustle. We stayed at the  Acoustic Hotel & Spa  and fell in love with the convenient and all that it has to offer. Many great restaurants and interesting attractions are within walking distance. Highly recommended.

Lastly, if you need more travel inspiration for Northern Vietnam, here you can find the best articles to plan your trip including Sapa, Hanoi, and Ha Long Bay.

• A Trip To Halong Bay: Ultimate Travel Guide Blog

Where To Stay in Hanoi: Best Areas and Hotels

• Hanoi Food Guide: Where and What To Eat

Traveling to Sapa:

• Things To Do in Sapa Itinerary: A Travel Guide Blog

Where To Stay in Sapa: Best Hotels and Homestays

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Home » Southeast Asia » Vietnam » Hanoi

INSIDER HANOI ITINERARY for 2024

Hanoi is alive with energy. The vibrant streets emanate with the constant hustle and bustle of motorists and loud traffic. The Vietnamese capital is popular amongst backpackers and offers an incredible cultural immersion created through decades of change, with many dark times and social adversity.

The capital of Vietnam is considered as one of the oldest capitals in the world with has a history dating back over a thousand years ago. Emperor Ly Thai To moved the capital here in 1010 with the name of Thang Long, meaning rising dragon.

Hanoi is now home to over 7 million people, making it the second largest city in Vietnam. With so many sights and sounds at every moment, this city can feel like a lot to take in. There are countless museums, temples, pagodas, and parks to discover.

If you’re wondering what to do in Hanoi, you’ve come to the right place. I have put together this Hanoi trip Itinerary to help you navigate the overwhelming senses of this fast-paced and fascinating cluttered yet functioning city in order to make the most of each Hanoi attraction.

A Little Bit about this 3-Day Hanoi Itinerary

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Hanoi is a city of incredible history, cute architecture, amazing food, and the warmest hospitality you will find in South East Asia. It has something for every traveler, from relaxing lakes, ornate temples, incredible museums, and some pretty weird and unique theatre…which I’ll get on to later. Whatever you do for fun, you’ll never run out of things to do in Hanoi!

Whether you’re spending one day in Hanoi or planning an unforgettable 3 day Hanoi itinerary, there are some phenomenal options jostling for a spot on your list! I’d personally suggest taking at least three full days to explore the city, and if you have more time, you can certainly stay a week and not get bored.

If you want to see all of the important landmarks you will be hard-pressed to fit it all in within 24 hours, but if you pay a private driver you could manage, but that’s expensive and stressful. So do yourself a favour and set more time aside.

In this 3 day Hanoi itinerary, you’ll find three days packed with history, culture, and adventure. But don’t worry, you won’t have to rush from A to B, trying to fit everything in.

I’ve chosen the ideal daily structure, added times, routes to get there and suggestions on how long you should spend at each spot. Of course, you can add your own spots in, swap things around, or even skip some places. Use this itinerary as inspiration instead of a fixed plan to get the most out of your trip!

3 Day Hanoi Itinerary Overview

• Day One: Old Quarter |  Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple | Ancient House | Bach Ma Temple | Dong Xuan Market | O Quan Chuong | Long Bien Bridge
• Day Two: Mausoleum | Military History Museum | House on Stilts | One Pillar Pagoda | Museum of Ethnology | West Lake & Tran Quoc Pagoda | Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
• Day Three: St Joseph’s Cathedral | Hoa Lo Prison | Hanoi Opera House | Ta Hein Night Market | Perfume Pagoda

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Hanoi is a large and busy city so finding somewhere to stay can be a difficult task when you don’t know where you’re going. Depending on what you’re looking for, there are many options.

From centrally-located hostels for backpackers visiting Hanoi to hotels and Airbnbs further afield that offer a bit more peace, there are heaps of amazing places to stay. I’ve outlined the general areas to give you more insight into where you’d like to base yourself for your holiday in Hanoi.

The Old Quarter (Hoan Kiem) is probably the area to stay in Hanoi, as it is right in the middle of the action. It’s the ideal place if you can handle the noisy streets and enjoy the constant hustle and bustle of city living.

The nightlife is thriving all around this area, and there are plenty of street food stalls to delve into some great authentic Vietnamese food with ease. You’ll be able to find something around this area for any budget.

Ba Dinh is Hanoi’s downtown.  It is a bit further away from the madness, offering a more peaceful base but is still close to attractions like Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature and the One Pillar Pagoda.

This area is ideal for travelers who’d like somewhere they can escape the crowds who don’t mind having fewer restaurants and nightlife options. You’ll need a slightly higher budget for staying around Ba Dinh on your Hanoi holiday.

Tay Ho, or Hanoi West Lake, is another more peaceful area than the Old Quarter. This area is great for foodies and peace-seekers. It’s packed with great restaurants and a few Buddhist temples and offers a more romantic atmosphere with the best sunset views in Hanoi. You’ll need a higher budget to stay in this area and there are fewer accommodation options.

Hai Ba Trung and Dong Da districts are two other less popular options. They are near Hoan Kiem district which is the center of the city so it’s still easy to get around and they have the added bonus of being cheaper areas of Hanoi to stay in than the other 3 areas mentioned above.

Best Hostel in Hanoi – Old Quarter View Hanoi Hostel

This hostel is conveniently located in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. It’s the perfect place for Hanoi backpackers to explore from and has a common terrace and free beers every day from 6 pm to 6.30 pm!

Best Airbnb in Hanoi – Central space with a great atmosphere

This beautiful flat combines a modern western vibe with an old-school Vietnamese class, just like Ba Dinh itself. The place is a stone’s throw from a number of museums, and the Imperial Palace. Getting to and from the city center will be a breeze from this place, and it’s only a short walk to the old quarter

Best Budget Hotel in Hanoi – Classic Street Hotel

This traditionally Vietnamese decorated hotel is affordable and boasts a great location just 5 minutes walk from Hoan Kiem Lake. They also offer free Wi-Fi and an on-site Vietnamese restaurant!

Best Luxury Hotel in Hanoi – Acoustic Hotel & Spa

Acoustic Hotel is a superb centrally located hotel with a fitness center and free bikes! The property also has a bar and restaurant serving local cuisine, and all rooms include a desk and Wi-Fi and a flat-screen TV. Free buffet-style breakfast is served daily.

Your first day of this 2-day itinerary in Hanoi will be spent getting to know your surroundings and the general geography of the city, with a couple of the most memorable and exciting sites to see in Hanoi.

9:00 AM – Explore the Old Quarter

The starting point in this Hanoi guide is the Old Quarter; the soul of Hanoi and the rhythm of local modern life in the city. It can seem like a bit of a maze with around 36 streets of the market and food stalls in a labyrinth of ancient streets, once inhabited by traders serving the nearby citadel.

The best way to explore The Old Quarter is by following a Hanoi guide along with the Medicine, Headstone, Tin, and Silk streets on foot. The area is always humming with life, so be ready to dodge scooters and prepare yourself for a bit of a sensory overload! This really is the quintessential Hanoi.

The Old Quarter is the immersion point of Hanoi. Taste the local dishes like Bat dan or Pho (Noodle soup) or specialty coffees like ca phe sua da (iced coffee) on “Coffee street”. Head to “Silk street” to peruse the boutiques, ceramics, and silk prints, or take a break Hanoian style on the low-slung plastic stools along the pavement, watching the daily maelstrom.

Insider Tip: Haggle, bargain, and battle for anything you’re interested in buying! Don’t just accept the first price.

• Cost – Adults: Free!
• Getting there: Take a Grab bike to the Hoan Kiem Lake and walk from there.
• How long should I spend there: You could spend 1-2 hours walking the streets, trying a Vietnamese coffee or Bahn Mi…or 2.

10:00AM – Stroll Through Dong Xuan Market

The French government first opened the Dong Xuan Market in 1889, centrally located in the Old Quarter as the place for locals and tourists to visit and to purchase goods.

It offers the perfect place to go in Hanoi to experience everyday life, browsing everything from groceries to clothing. If you aren’t looking to buy anything you can simply walk around having a look at all the different items.

The Dong Xuan Market is also a great outing for a weekend in Hanoi.

• Cost – Free, with lots of goodies to purchase.
• Getting there: it’s in the Old Quarter
• How long should I spend there: 1-2 hours should be enough time.

12:00PM – Visit Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple

Hoan Kiem Lake, or The Lake of the Returned Sword, is one of the Hanoi landmarks and is the scenic centre part and greatest tourist attraction in Hanoi. It provides the perfect place to get away from the frantic pace of the city and spend some time in peace and quiet with beautiful natural surroundings.

The Lake surrounds the Ngoc Son Temple, which was built in commemoration of the 13th Century leader Tran Hung Dao. He was renowned for his bravery in the battle against the Yung Dynasty along with scholar Van Xuong and Confucian master Nguyen Van Sieu.

The island that the temple is built on is known as Jade Island, and so the temple is known as “The Temple of the Jade Mountain”. It’s connected to the mainland by the iconic Huc Bridge or the Rising Sun Bridge (a charming Vietnamese scarlet painted wooden bridge that makes a great place to photograph at night).

Legend has it that the emperor was once given a magical sword that helped him to defeat the Chinese Ming Dynasty which brought about the return of the Golden Turtle God to the Lake. The temple houses ancient artifacts including ceramics and a preserved 250kg giant turtle found in the Lake.

• Cost – Free to explore the Lake
• Getting there: It’s in the Old Quarter.
• How long should I spend there: It will take less than an hour to walk around it.

2:00PM – Walk Through the Ma May Ancient House

This Hanoi itinerary takes you to this ancient Hanoian house – a step back in time. Come and discover the history of Hanoi and see pictures dating back to the late 19th Century. The ancient house has been restored many times but still maintains most of its old features.

The two main parts of the house are connected by a square in the middle of the yard that was designed to moderate the air and provide a cool breeze and sunlight into the house. The street-facing room was originally used for selling goods, with the rooms on the next floor used for hosting guests and worshipping ancestors.

You’ll discover the typically yellow-colored walls, like most Hanoi houses, with all the furniture and decor in good condition. The ancient house is a must-see in Hanoi and a fascinating walk through history to experience the ancient beauty of Hanoi life. There are also some traditional Vietnamese decor items and souvenirs to purchase.

• Cost – USD $1
• Getting there: it’s a 7 minute walk from the Ngoc Son Temple.
• How long should I spend there: Around 1 hour should be enough time.

3:00PM – Visit Bach Ma Temple

This 19th Century temple is one of the four royal palaces of Hanoi. Believed to be sacred and commonly used by locals and tourists as a place of worship to pray. The temple was built by King Ly Thai to honour Bach Ma.

The temple was moved to its location in the Old Quarter from Long Do Mountain in order to guard the east side of Thang Long. Legend has it that the name ‘Bach Ma’, translated to the White horse, refers to the construction of the temple.

The story goes that the King had been struggling with the construction of the temple as the walls kept collapsing. A white horse then outlined with its hooves the area that the King should build the temple, and so it was built.

The architecture is incredible, starting from the ancient wooden doors that open up to a beautifully decorated interior with a red-lacquered funeral palanquin. The temple houses a statue of the White Horse and a shrine dedicated to Confucius, as well as a Phoenix Altar for offerings to the four seasons.

Visiting the temple on this itinerary for Hanoi offers a great insight into the worshippers who come to burn incense and pray and the practice of the Hanoian beliefs.

• Cost – Free!
• Getting there: it’s a 5 minute walk from the last stop.
• How long should I spend there: Around 45-minutes to 1 hour should be enough time.

4:00PM – See O Quan Chuong – An Old Gate

The incredible O Quan Chuong Gate is the only original city gate from the citadel on Thang Long to remain. It is an incredible place to photograph the elaborate Asian architecture and learn more about Vietnamese history.

The gate was originally built in 1749 and has withstood thousands of years of war and conflict. This ancient representation of architecture in Hanoi was originally used to open the east side of the city during the day and close it off to protect the citadel from theft and fire at night.

The O Quan Chuong gate was named after a chief of the army. It is a memorial to the Nguyen soldiers who fought against the French when they attacked Hanoi. The gate consists of the original architecture from the Nguyen Dynasty and has two floors and a watchtower.

The only remaining old gate of Hanoi is a fascinating and historical site to see as part of your itinerary for Hanoi. It features the inscription from O Quan Chuong marking the Thang Long capital, as well as proof of the struggle of the indomitable civilians against the foreign invaders.

• How long should I spend there: Around 30-45-minutes.

6:00PM – Walk Across Long Bien Bridge

The Long Bien Bridge was constructed between 1899 and 1902, designed by the French but built by Vietnamese workers. It was heavily bombed by the Americans but remained intact with many of its original parts still intact. The bridge is maintained for its memory and historical significance as well as a crossing for trains and motor vehicles.

The bridge is a great historic place for tourists to explore, and with locals coming to shop at the open-air markets in the afternoons. Walk along the 2290m span across the river and experience the unique architectural, historic and cultural value. It’s also a great place to watch the sunrise or sunset, or just to admire the scenery.

• Cost – Free
• Getting there: it’s across the road from the last stop.
• How long should I spend there: about 20 minutes to 30 minutes.

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The second day of your 2 days in Hanoi will be spent getting to know more about the history of the city.

9:00AM – Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is located in Ba Dinh Square and is one of the most visited attractions in Hanoi. This unique historical experience is a must when visiting Hanoi. The iconic and famous leader of Vietnam, also known as ‘Uncle Ho’, is preserved here in a glass case (albeit against his wishes). This makes for a fascinating and unique historical visit as part of your Hanoi itinerary.

There is a lot of security at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and tourists are expected to hand over their bags before entering. In the inner sanctum, you’ll find Uncle Ho’s preserved body under a glass sarcophagus that is guarded by four sentries at each corner of the post. The embalmed body is a fascinating sight and is extremely well preserved and donned in a khaki suit.

Visitors are expected to show respect upon entry into the Mausoleum, and any chattering or indecent movements and actions will be closely monitored by the guards. You’re also expected to dress respectfully, covering shoulders and legs and not wearing any indecent attire.

If you’re interested in learning more about Ho Chi Minh, you can visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum. The Ho Chi Minh Museum is located just around the corner from the Mausoleum and will take only a short while to visit, but I only recommend those with more time than 3 days in Hanoi because there are a lot cooler places and museums to see.

Insider Tip: Try to visit as early as possible because the crowds will invade the square around noon.

• Getting there: it’s located in Ba Dinh, make your way here from your accommodation.
• How long should I spend there: Around 30-45-minutes should be enough time.

10:00AM – See the House on Stilts

Uncle Ho commissioned this stilt house to be built for him to dissociate himself from the hated French Governor Generals who lived in the Palace. At this stop, you’ll walk from the Presidential Palace visitors entrance along with the gardens and fruit-bearing trees lining Mango Alley, to get to this very simple stilt house.

Uncle Ho lived a very modest and simple life. Propaganda often shows him wearing brown cotton clothes and sandals crafted from the same materials as his fellow countrymen. This is said to be to show empathy with the people and their struggles with the American bomb attacks.

The house on stilts is an interesting visit and is a fascinating historical exploration for your Hanoi itinerary.

• Cost – USD $1.5

11:00 AM – Visit the One Pillar Pagoda

This Pagoda is said to represent a lotus flower rising up out of the water from an elegantly square-shaped lotus pond. This stop at one of Vietnam’s most iconic temples is a fascinating one and costs nothing which is perfect for the budget travellers exploring Vietnam !

It was built between the years 1028 and 1054 during the reign of Emperor Ly Thai Tong. The temple is constructed from a wooden base that supports a single stone pillar crafted into the shape of a lotus blossom. It is a symbol of Hanoi and is one of the most revered sights in the city.

Explore the surrounding tranquil gardens with benches to relax and absorb the scenery in perfect contemplation. Inside the pagoda, you’ll find a shrine dedicated to the Vietnamese Buddhist deity Quan Am.

The One Pillar Pagoda is said to have been built following a dream by a childless emperor. The temple stands in gratitude for the Goddess of Mercy following the birth of his son and is where the locals come to pray for blessings of fertility and health.

Insider Tip: the Dien Huu Pagoda is located close by and boasts a courtyard full of exquisite Bonsai trees.

• Getting there: it’s around the corner from the last stop.

12:00 PM – Admire Artifacts at the Vietnam Military History Museum

This is probably one of the best museums in Hanoi and is an interesting step into history. Come and discover the museum full of Vietnam war artifacts and military paraphernalia. The actual building is built in the shape of a white lotus flower and built around the remains of a crashed jet plane!

Walk around the museum looking at the impressive collection of military orders, mementos, and photos of the communist party’s earlier achievements. It also houses the great revolutions and exhibits related to Ho Chi Minh’s political activities, and is one of the most fascinating Hanoi points of interest for all history buffs!

• Getting there: it’s a 10 minute walk from the last stop.
• How long should I spend there: Around 1-2 hours should be enough time.

2:00PM – Visit West Lake & Tran Quoc Pagoda

Spend your time at this stop walking around the scenic West Lake and visiting the oldest Pagoda of Hanoi. Come inside to discover the main temple some beautiful Buddhas and Bodhisattvas statues.

The Tran Quoc Pagoda is located on the East side of West Lake on a small peninsula. It is regarded as the most ancient pagoda in Hanoi, existing for more than 1500 years.

Discover the history and architecture of this Buddhist center that is representative of the beautiful landscape and the peaceful Lake. This temple has great historic value and has changed names many times as representations of the different milestones of the country, now meaning “Protecting the country”.

• Getting there: it’s a 30 minute walk from the last stop, or you can take a Grab bike.

4:00PM – Enjoy the Museum of Ethnology

There are 54 different ethnic groups in Vietnam, and this museum plays a major role in preserving cultural heritage and promoting socio-cultural diversity. It’s also a center for important ethnographic research and highlights the traditional Vietnamese ways of life.

Visitors are welcome to come and browse the vast research that’s on display here, and learn more about the incredible diversity in the city. From religious events to different symbolic rituals of varying Vietnamese ethnic groups, there is a great deal to learn from a visit to the Museum of Ethnology as part of your Hanoi itinerary.

Insider tip: on your way to the Museum of Ethnology from the last stop, you could swing by the Vietnamese Women’s Museum which tells a history of all the incredible women who have contributed to Vietnam’s history and culture. The Vietnamese Women’s Museum is not huge and takes a short while to see, so I would only recommend visiting if you have time.

• Getting there: Take a Grab bike to the next stop, it’s a 1.5 hour walk.
• How long should I spend there: Around 1-1.5 hours should be enough time.

7:00PM – Watch a Performance at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

The water puppet show is the ideal cultural destination for your Hanoi itinerary as it is the traditional performance of Vietnamese people and runs multiple shows daily. This world-famous Thang Long Water puppet show originates from an art form that dates back to the 11th century.

The tradition stems from a time when rice paddy fields were all flooded and the villagers would provide entertainment for themselves by standing in the waist-deep waters with puppets, and create a show.

The performances are accompanied by a Vietnamese orchestra playing traditional music and telling tales with operatic songs. The puppet show is a great way to learn about some interesting Vietnamese folk tales in a humorous way.

• Cost – USD $4/$5
• Getting there: Take a Grab bike back to the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake. The theatre is by the lake.
• How long should I spend there: The show is approximately 1 hour long.

Old Quarter View Hanoi Hostel

This hostel is conveniently located in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

• Free Breakfast
• 24 Hour Reception

Three days is hardly enough! If you’re going to be staying longer, then here are some more ideas on what to do in Hanoi.

Temple of Literature

• A beautiful and ornately decorated temple.
• Has some stunning gardens surrounding it.
• One of the most important historical landmarks in Hanoi.

The Temple of Literature is a temple dedicated to Confucious, sages, and scholars from the Lý Thánh Tông era. It also houses the Imperial Academy, Hanoi’s first National University. This stunning temple was built in 1070 and has a variety of pavilions, halls, statues, and stelae of doctors who offered ceremonies, study sessions, and exams.

The Temple of Literature is an important historical landmark in Hanoi. In fact, it is featured on the back of the 100,000 Vietnamese ??ng banknote. It is also the place of celebration just before the Vietnamese New Year where calligraphists will write wishes in Ch? Hán.

See St Joseph’s Cathedral

• The oldest church in Hanoi
• Built in gothic revival style, it’s one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Southeast Asia
• The cathedral has 2 bell towers more than 100ft tall

St Joseph’s church was built in 1886 in a medieval gothic style that is said to resemble the Notre Dame of Paris. The whole building is about 5 stories high, with the most noteworthy features being the bell towers, elaborate altar, and stained glass windows.

This is the oldest Roman Catholic church in Hanoi. In order to erect the site, the French demolished Bao Thien Pagoda which stood in its place. This pagoda was an important one that dates back to the 12th century.

On the little plaza in front of the cathedral, you’ll find a statue of a figure holding a child in one hand with a long cross in his right hand. Entry via the main gate is only allowed during mass, and at other times can only be entered through the left side door of the church.

It is recommended that you check the opening times of the church before you go as they close during lunchtime. This is definitely one of the best places to visit in Hanoi if you have the time.

Explore Hoa Lo Prison

• Learn about the sufferings of the Vietnamese revolutionaries who were confined in Hoa Lo Prison
• Intended to make an example of Vietnamese agitators for independence by the French colonial administrators
• An interesting insight into the colonial history of Hanoi

Visiting the Hoa Lo Prison is an eye-opening and fairly daunting experience. You’ll see the shackles on the walls and floors that held the prisoners down, where they were often beaten by the guards.

The prison was nicknamed the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ by US prisoners of war during the American war – the name was intended ironically as it was squalid and overcrowded (so the ‘Hanoi Travelodge’ would be more befitting!).

The prison was built by the French between 1886 and 1901, with an additional renovation in 1913. Executions were often carried out at the prison with a mobile guillotine, which is still on display at the prison near the prison’s death row.

Visit Hanoi Opera House

• An incredible historical and artistic building
• See some amazing performing arts at an exciting show
• Discover Vietnamese artists at this great venue!

The Hanoi Opera House is one of the most fascinating examples of colonial architecture in Vietnam. It is a great addition to any Hanoi itinerary. It was built from 1901 to 19011 and was inspired by ancient Greek architecture and the Paris opera house.

Visiting the Hanoi Opera House is a wonderful way to observe the flourishing art in Hanoi. From Vietnamese artists who are living their dreams by performing at this opera house that is the oldest and most representative form of artistic expression in Hanoi.

The building itself is so impressive that it’s worth going to see even if you don’t plan on watching one of the performances! If you do, shows cost USD $17 and host high-quality art programs that live up to international standards.

Browse Ta Hein Night Market

• Vibey night market
• Great street food and restaurants
• A lovely place to visit in the evenings with loads of people visiting every day!

Whilst staying in Hanoi, it would be a pity to miss out on this awesome night market that attracts a huge number of people to shop and eat every night. The crowds are often mostly made up of young people and it’s a great place to socialize and experience Hanoi at night time.

There are plenty of restaurants and food stalls to choose from and bars that serve guests with a variety of different drinks. This is the perfect place to gather with friends in the evening and enjoy the vibrant lifestyle of Hanoians.

Perfume Pagoda

• One of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam!
• The place where locals go to pray for wishes to come true
• Discover the stalactites and stalagmites that have been named after the different blessings they can bestow

The Perfume Pagoda is located 60km outside of Hanoi, but if you have the time it is definitely worth the visit. This pagoda is a sacred site that is highly revered by Vietnamese people who come to pray for their wishes to come true!

Surrounding the pagoda and cave is a maze of incredible Buddhist temples that have been built into the limestone cliffs of Huong Tich and are an incredible sight to see.

The surrounding area is just as beautiful with a spiritual kind of beauty filled with streams and tropical plants, as well as temples. There are many pagodas here to visit, each offering a different shrine and individual blessings of good luck!

Be sure to come and make your wishes come true by receiving good luck from the stalagmites and stalactites found in these scenic caves with incredible natural surrounds. From January to April, the pagoda is particularly busy due to the Chua Hunong festival, which is great to check out if you are around during those times.

Train Street

• A great place to get some unique photos.
• A good spot to try Vietnamese coffee.
• One of the most unusual places to visit in Hanoi.

Train Street is one of the more unusual places to visit in the city. It’s a small, narrow street lined with cafes, boutique stores, and bars. Through the middle of the street is a railway line, which is often used by trains.

When visiting train street, you can sit on a small fold-up chair and sip a Vietnamese coffee and watch as the locals and tourists occupy the train line, only to rush to move it to one side when a train comes by.

There isn’t much to see and do there other than drink coffee and take photos, but it is certainly one of the most unique attractions in the city.

You can find train street in the C?a ?ông, Hoàn Ki?m district.

It’s important to consider the weather when planning a trip to Hanoi. Hanoi is located in the North of Vietnam and doesn’t have the typical tropical weather system. They have 4 seasons in one year – Spring (February to April), Summer (May to August), Autumn (September to October), and winter (November to January). I have gathered all this information so you know what to pack for your holiday in Vietnam’s capital.

The best time to be looking to travel to Hanoi is generally in Autumn or Spring when the weather is more pleasant with milder temperatures but not too cold or rainy. The rainy season is from about May to September when there is fairly consistent rainfall that may affect your holiday in Hanoi.

The winter months are colder than the typical tropical climates with temperatures sometimes falling below 10ºC (50ºF) with dark and foggy conditions to be expected. Hanoi has high humidity year-round. Use these Hanoi travel tips to plan when to visit Hanoi!

Hanoi travel is relatively easy on foot when exploring the Old Quarter and sights and landmarks around the Lake and central Hanoi. There are some beautiful walking routes that you can take to see the best of Hanoi and to take in all the sights and smells of the city.

If you’re heading to a destination a bit further afield, there are a couple of options. If you are comfortable driving a scooter on busy roads, this is the easiest and cheapest way to get from point A to point B.

Grab is the local taxi service, similar to Uber, that is easily accessible by downloading the app on your phone and can be used from anywhere. It’s relatively cheap and avoids major taxi scams.

If you’d like to take public transport, the bus system is a great affordable option and goes to most major landmarks or parts of the city. Cycling is another great option for an active and cheap way of seeing Hanoi. You can also join a Hanoi walking tour to see the best of the city on foot.

I’ve compiled a useful 2-day itinerary for Hanoi to help you start off your stay exploring the best places and seeing the coolest things. If you’ll be backpacking around the city for longer and are looking for suggestions for a 3-day itinerary for Hanoi and beyond, there are some more ideas listed on how to spend your time.

Vietnam is safe for tourists , and Hanoi is considered a very safe place to visit on your trip.  Generally, the biggest danger you’ll face in Hanoi is crossing the street and dodging scooters on the busy streets on a daily basis!

Violent crimes are uncommon, and although occasionally petty theft like pick-pocketing may occur when the opportunity arises. This can often be avoided by being aware of yourself and your surroundings.

If you’re going to ride a motorbike around Hanoi, just be sure to wear a helmet and drive with caution. Don’t jump on the bike after a night out drinking, and be sure to lock up your scooter or pay to park it with an attendant to avoid theft.

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing .

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

Find out what people want to know when planning their Hanoi itinerary.

How many days in Hanoi is enough?

2-3 days in Hanoi is the ideal amount of time to see the highlights of the city.

Is 5 days in Hanoi too long?

If you are in Hanoi for longer take the time to visit places like Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh.

Is Hanoi worth visiting?

For sure, it’s the bustling, historic and endlessly fascinating capital of the country with epic street food and amazing architecture.

Is Hanoi better than Saigon?

It’s personal choice, but Hanoi is more charming in many ways than Saigon which is a lot busier and more built up.

Hanoi offers the perfect combination of tradition and modernity. Now, you’ll be able to really get to know Hanoi armed with this valuable Hanoi travel guide. Thanks to us you’ll really experience the authentic way of Vietnamese life along with the history that has shaped their culture, beliefs, and fascinating architecture.

Now you know what to do as a 3-day itinerary in Hanoi, you’ll enjoy spending your time exploring ancient temples or pagodas and experiencing the peaceful and calm feeling that exists amongst the busy and noisy streets of Hanoi. At war sites or museums, you’ll get to learn about the long yet tragic history of Vietnam and how this has shaped the lives of the people.

Hanoi is a frantic city of hustle and bustle, yet has so much to offer in the way of spirituality and traditional beliefs from the kind and giving people who live there. Enjoy hearing the sounds, tasting the foods, and making the most of your trip to Hanoi, this incredible capital of Vietnam!

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

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Hanoi Travel Blog and 3 Day Itinerary

Hanoi travel blog: “Hanoi is the closest city across the bridge. It’s an hour away from Bắc Ninh.”

My childhood friend had brought it up on various occasions before landing at the Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi). His family stayed in Bắc Ninh, Vietnam.

We landed in Hanoi at midnight and drove straight to Bắc Ninh. While this Hanoi travel blog is also a Hanoi 3 Day itinerary, we didn’t visit one day after another. We stayed at Bắc Ninh and would rush after public buses early in the morning to Hanoi.

Some days were day trips we had booked like Halong Bay. Other days were touring the city itself. Call it a juxtaposition but the city had a soothing bustling liveliness to it. The river through Long Biên, Hoan Kiem Lake, and Ho Chi Minh’s home itself.

Table of Contents

Hanoi Travel Blog: A Sketch in Words

Hanoi, like many parts of Vietnam, is prosperous with its history, retail markets, and cafes. While Ho Chi Minh city is inevitably bigger than Hanoi – in size and diversity, there are some things unique only to Hanoi that make it a must-visit in Vietnam. With the plentiful things to do, at least spend 3 days to get around.

Unless you’re on a package trip, you’ll see that unlike even in the capital city, most don’t speak English. Saigon says otherwise in Southern Vietnam.

Like Chinatown in Singapore or Old Manali street , most travelers’ eyes run along the crowded uneven lanes of Old Quarters when in Hanoi. The alleys open down to Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square and then the Hoan Kiem Lake.

During the day, modern Vietnam’s light shines with cars zooming through 4 adjacent road lanes passing by the lake. Vietnam’s ever-popular places like the Water Puppet show and Ngoc Son temple stand here. And then the age-old Quarters for local eateries and endless coffee cafes.

The nights, however, look different in the very same spot. As dusk sets in, locals begin to pop out on to the streets. Those 4 road lanes get shut for vehicles and the whole city’s residents flock in night after night to get a breath of fresh air.

Acoustic guitar shows, boys’ dance crews and fangirl phones’ held up, old people simply taking a stroll, families dancing to music in the rooms between the crowd, ice cream stalls, and the list goes on. It’s quite a sight to experience.

Hanoi Travel Blog: Budget Accommodation Guide

The only mistake we made in Vietnam was booking private rooms on popular booking sites that cost a good deal. Undeniably, they were comfortable but cost too much for a backpacker.

Hanoi is the capital of the country and a major travel destination, there are dozens of compact backpackers hostels to pick from. For a people person, a party-goer, a backpacker hostel on Old Quarters is a paradise. It was for us too.

We stayed at the Old Town Backpackers Hostel that connected straight to a noisy local street. It was a decent stay for the price.

A reasonable average bed per night costs anywhere between VND 130, 000 and 170,000. For those new to backpacking, most Old Quarters hostel entrances’ are on narrower alleys between buildings. While hotels are expensive, they’re also troublesome to communicate as most who stay here are Vietnamese.

With backpackers hostel, you’re bound to meet staff and other travelers that finally speak English here – thus making these hostels a safe haven for the evening. I highly recommend using HostelWorld for booking your Hanoi stay.

Make sure to book your hostel in advance as Hanoi is always a busy hub. So check out HostelWorld below and don’t miss out on deals today!

Check out hostels on HostelWorld!

Hanoi 3 Day Itinerary

Places like the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and his house are must-visits. But when it comes to trying coffee, and exploring Old Quarter streets, feel free to be versatile. Here’s a bit of how we spent our 3 days in Hanoi, and a view of what a Hanoi 3 day itinerary looks like:

Day 1: Land at Noi Bai International Airport

Like most airports, the Noi Bai International Airport lies on the outskirts of the city. The most comfortable way to get to Hanoi (or directly to your accommodation) is with a taxi. No doubt, it’s expensive, but language becomes a huge barrier.

Since we landed in Hanoi over midnight, it was our only option. It costs anywhere between 350,000 and 450,000 VND depending on your destination in Hanoi. Download Grab for taxis when in Vietnam as local taxis get extremely expensive. Moreover, language becomes a huge barrier for non-native speakers.

Be ready to get your phones out for translation anywhere you go from here.

The cheapest option, however, is a bus shuttle. One is an Express Airport Shuttle (Bus no. 86) operating between 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. with the Hanoi Railway station as its last stop. Costing around 45,000 VND, they’re cheap and reliable. Keep in mind they only accept cash here.

For those aware of the routes in Hanoi (or those more adventurous), public city buses from the airport are another option. It is much cheaper than the shuttle and there are multiple buses from the airport to different parts of the city.

Hanoi travel blog : Since my friend had lived around Hanoi for quite a while while going to the airport, we inevitably took the local bus 17 from Long Bien straight to the airport. Surprising to me, it cost us only 10,000 VND per person! You should know that local city buses are quite spacious. air-conditioned and comfortable in Vietnam today.

How to Get around Hanoi

Public buses are the most budget-friendly option to get around Hanoi. Not to mention, the buses are air-conditioned and comfortable. But understanding the routes and communicating is a bit of a hustle.

Hanoi is a tourist-friendly city, there are multiple ways to get around to places. Grab taxis are an affordable option as local taxis can get unreasonably expensive. Another option, especially for small groups, is making use of the infinite city day tour options.

Like the Singapore City Tour Hippo Bus, Hanoi has its own traveler-friendly city tour buses at pretty good prices. Unfortunately, I wasn’t aware of these tours earlier. Having visited the city already, here are some of my favorite picks of day tours that cover the must-visits of Hanoi. I personally use Klook.com for the best deals.

Insider Travel Tip: Klook.com is a trusted site for booking attractions in most parts of Southeast Asia and personally my favorite. As partners of Klook, our readers get better deals and you get to book all attractions for travel in one place.

Pay a Visit to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum

The capital city is most popular for its historical sites. There are simply so many to visit that we couldn’t visit some popular ones as well. But to begin with, I’d highly recommend beginning with Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum.

As the name suggests, it preserves Ho Chi Minh’s real body and it’s quite fascinating to visit. The only downside when I visited was that it was closed for maintenance for the months of June and August. What we weren’t aware of, was that the Mausoleum is closed for two months every year in order to preserve the remains of the body.

Anyhow, my friend suggested it to be a must-visit in Hanoi. We had even left Bắc Ninh early to adhere to the strict visiting schedule of the Mausoleum. It is usually open only in the mornings like 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on selected days of the week.

Please refer to updated sites like VinWonders for timing details before you go.

Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh Museum

Luckily, amidst the same compound walls housing the Mausoleum were the Presidential Palace (a French Colonial Palace), the Ho Chi Minh Museum, and a Buddhist Temple popularized as One Pillar Pagoda.

While the Mausoleum was free, the Presidential Palace where Ho Chi Minh himself resided (between 1954 to 1969) cost VND 25,000 for foreigners. Being free for locals to enter, a staff lady stood at its entrance judging other ethnicities.

Our brown skin didn’t help much. But the building, antique cars Ho Chi Minh drove in, and the stilt houses beyond the lake, and glass panes to let peek into the comforts of Vietnam’s beloved leader back then were worth it. Unfortunately, the Presidential Palace isn’t open to walk in.

Our next stop was the Ho Chi Minh Museum to which we had already bought tickets (VND 30,000 for foreigners). But we took a step detour to the One Pillar Pagoda temple (Diên Hựu tự). People flocked around here taking pictures of the structure rising amidst an average-sized square pond.

I took a couple of pictures yet we didn’t realize its importance. There were concrete stairs built up to its entrance but that was it. Now writing this article I realize that the pagoda – Pagoda of Extended Blessings – was built on a single pillar back in 1049!

Hanoi 3 Day Itinerary Travel tip: For those interested in Vietnam’s war history, I recommend getting a guide. If not all, most artifacts, writings, and labels in the Ho Chi Minh Museum are in Vietnamese. Most of the time, we guessed through pictures and artifacts without an idea of what they meant.

Feast at Hanoi Train Street

Most already know of this infamous Hanoi street. To those who don’t, remember that narrow alley street with a track between the colorful cafes? It’s this one!

Fun fact, it was never intended for tourism. It’s a full-fledged train passing just steps from resident’s homes after all. While it’s dangerous, it is equally a wonder-striking sight to see when the train passes.

Hanoi travel blog : We sat at one cafe for coffee and couldn’t help getting tons of pictures while at it. It’s exactly how it appears in the pictures – picturesue. Unfortunately, we couldn’t catch sight of a train while here, and apparently the next train was due hours later.

A heads-up for the train street – go along with one of the local vendors around this area that are looking to take you to the train street. If you go without company as a tourist, you’re mostly bound to be pushed off the street.

Yep, you heard that right. You see, local citizens with the cute shops here own these areas around the train street. Walking on a railway track is illegal, the shop vendors here run a monopoly. Thus, it isn’t free to visit – it’s best to get coffee or a meal at some place here.

Expect yourself to spend anywhere around 2 hours here.

Check out the Hoa Lo Prison Relic

Among the historic places, Hoa Lo Prison is the last stop for the day. The Hoa Lo Prison which once was the functional Hanoi Hilton today stands as a museum preserving the hallways and corridors with figures of how people lived in these dark rooms.

With the figures with melancholic expressions, the tales of brutal torture of the prisoners, and execution tools on the exhibit the place does get eerie. But it portrays the dark days of French Colonization until 1954 and the Vietnam war where Americans war prisoners were held here.

As the etymology goes, the French Colony prison turned into a torture prison for American pilots shot down in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Ultimately being named the Hanoi Hilton by the American Navy.

We didn’t have the time to visit it but it’s no more than 10 minutes walk from the Hanoi Train Street (700 meters).

Experience the Thang Long Water Puppet Show

For the evening, a water puppet show in Vietnam is a must-visit, an ancient tradition that began in the 11th century here. Yes, the whole term water puppetry originated in Vietnam.

Though I experienced a glamourous theatre show in the capital city of Vietnam with comfortable seating, authentic water puppetry wasn’t like this. It dates way back and was started by local farmers to celebrate paddy harvests. The only difference is the puppeteers performing in waist-high waters.

Hanoi travel blog : The harmony of the traditional musical instruments, the voices, and the puppets setup with fireworks at times were nothing short of perfection. The only downside was we didn’t understand a single word – the whole one-hour show was in Vietnamese.

The stories depicted here, like any puppet show, are folk tales and have morals. Though it cost a good VND 100,000 to 200,000 depending on seating, every penny was worth it. Regardless of language, it’s an amazing show but I do recommend getting the translation headphones at the reception.

Make sure to prebook your show. When we booked, only 2 seats were left out and we didn’t have much choice for availability. Instead of offline booking, one way to save time is to reserve your tickets online. Use our recommended partner Klook.com for ticket booking.

Insider Travel Tip: Klook.com is a trusted site for booking attractions in most parts of Southeast Asia and personally my favorite. As partners of Klook, our readers get better deals and you get to book all attractions for travel in one place. So don’t miss out and book your tickets below!

Spend the Evening at Ta Hien Beer Street

Ta Hien Beer Street, simply known as Hanoi/Old Quarter Beer Street makes for the night life of Hanoi. Be it the locals or tourists, everyone ends up here for a beverage and an evening luncheon.

The very same streets of Old Quarters that remain calm during the day become a cheery crowded place with portable karaokes, bars, restaurants laid out on the street, and massage parlors.

From one of the crossroads, you’ll see the bustle following down all four narrow lanes. Even the little restaurants that were hidden way between alleys were busy. Alcohol’s pretty affordable, the vibe is there if not the language – what else could one ask for on a holiday evening?

Exploring and walking through the streets, we too settled down to a road vendor trying to get us to sit at his restaurant.

Day 2: Have Egg coffee at Old Quarters

Sorry for not mentioning coffee earlier, Vietnam’s known for coffee! It wouldn’t hurt to spend a little on coffee wherever you go. There are tons of coffee spots in Hanoi if not Old Quarters.

I’d be only a nuisance if I recommended my favorite coffee shop here, as there are tons to try out there. And trust me, any traveler you meet is bound to tell you theirs too. So it’s best you take a walk out there and see where it takes you.

But being human myself and for this Hanoi travel blog, here’s my favorite – the Hanoi Coffee Station. It’s a little hard to find – it lies above another store by the road towards Hoan Kiem Lake. The egg coffee here is a must-try here.

For day 2 of the Hanoi 3 Day itinerary, have a heavy breakfast before you begin your day. Hanoi Coffee Station, popular among the backpackers community, has amazing breakfast options to try. Everything we ordered was simply finger-licking good and satisfying!

Hop on a Cyclo Tour

Remember those 3-wheeled pedal cycles? The French Colony introduced them as cyclos and they became popular among foreigners as well as locals. However, the rickshaws were a failed attempt.

While the cyclos aren’t really needed today with Vietnam’s development, it’s preserved for tourism. Various vehicle brands cruise 4-lane roads today. While it’s no more than a slow tour around the heart of the city, it covers a great area which would otherwise take a long while by walk.

They’re quite fun to look out at, but we didn’t hop into any. We preferred walking on instead. It isn’t a must – when you’re here, you might as well hop on.

Here’s another article for you to read: Perfect Batam Travel Guide

Walk the Ngoc Son Temple (Hoan Kiem Lake)

Hoan Kiem Lake itself with the Turtle Island (turtle tower) is an attraction enough. But that larger island on the northern end with a bright red bridge connecting to it is an extra. The Ngoc Son Temple.

Hanoi travel blog : We paid the entrance fee and entered, not really expecting much. Nor was there much to expect. But it was before us when we entered a low-ceiling room with two turtle figures that seemed to be made of concrete. There was a legend with an English translation of the stories of the turtles.

Spoiler alert, these turtles weren’t concrete – they were real preserved turtles that once resided in the very lake! Enclosed carefully behind glass panels, the turtles’ glossy finish made it hard to believe, but here it was!

The history itself was quite a fascinating read. There was a shrine before the turtle room overlooking the lake beyond, but the turtles’ were the best part. Make sure to have a look when you’re here.

Visit the Tran Quoc Pagoda

Similar to the Ngoc Son temple, the Tran Quoc Pagoda is a Buddhist temple island on the West Lake. Except West Lake is much much larger than Hoan Kiem Lake.

Also, there are multiple temple elements here apart from the main Pagoda structure and lots of greenery around here.

With the temple being 1500 years old, it’s a sacred place among the Vietnamese and many come here on various occasions of the year. You’re lucky if you witness any of them. One such occasion I found fascinating was when they released small animals like fish, turtles, and birds free into the lake.

Though the temple is free to visit, it is a 10-minute drive from Old Quarters.

Don’t miss the Temple of Literature

The last of the ancient spiritual places in Hanoi (though I already picked a few out) is the Temple of Literature. For those who find historical places in Hanoi interesting, another pick is the Imperial Citadel Thang Long.

It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the remains of the main structure that dates back 1000 years and belongs to the ancient capital city. I picked the Temple of Literature as it possesses equally jaw-dropping architectural preserves.

The following day is a whole-day itinerary to visit Halong Bay from Hanoi. Thus making it difficult if not impossible to visit both of these spots. Nevertheless, for those who wish to visit both, make the best of squeezing in.

Temple of Literature, built around 1070 and dedicated to Confucius, began for the prince – then the nobles, and the elites of the nation. It later spread to accepting the bright minds of the nation. Forgive me, but with literature and philosophy being of personal interest, I daresay I’m biased in picking this place.

It costs VND 30,000 for adults and VND for children and the disabled. It takes around an hour to get around the structures.

Stroll Hoan Kiem Lake Walking Street

Trust me, we were itching to get back to the Old Quarters nightlife. I bet you’ll be too! The Hoan Kiem Lake Walking street is only a short walk from Beer Street. Not to mention, you’ve already been here before.

Once for the Water Puppet show and the other for Ngoc Son Temple the same morning. But the evenings here, especially weekends, are something else. It appears as though the whole capital gathers here for a fresh breath of air. Music, laughter, people dancing in nostalgia, and cute coffee dates by the lake.

The tiny portable shops, food vendors, and colorful lights only make the place bright with hues. Old Quarters Beer street is surely a happening place. But this is more of a relaxed crowd with families, kids, ice creams, and bright balloons.

Similar to the Old Quarters streets, the roads are shut for vehicles and all the lanes stretch out for these markets, artists of all sorts – dancers, guitarists, and even painters.

Walk the whole stretch to the Gucci corner store at the end of the lake. But be sure not to tire yourself. The next day needs you to be up early.

Day 3: Plan a Day Trip to Halong Bay!

In this Hanoi 3 Day Itinerary , if you have a day planned separately for Halong Bay, that’s amazing! You get to spend another day just in the city of Hanoi. But assuming most travelers are new to Hanoi, here’s everything to know about Halong Bay.

When I visited this place, I didn’t bother checking up on what really was this spot. In fact, that’s most of how I traveled to Vietnam . I don’t recommend doing so, but for Halong Bay – it’s best you blindly book a 1-day package trip through an agency and go on the adventure.

A package trip is the best budget option in this case as Halong Bay is a good 2.5 to 3-hour ride away from Hanoi city. Prices vary with agencies and services offered.

For a hustle-free booking, use a trusted site like Klook.com for day-package trips from Hanoi.

Travel Tip: Here are some of my favorite day-package trips from Hanoi that are definitely worth the budget. From Hanoi – Halong Bay, Trang An, and Bai Dinh are the best places for day tours. Pick your preferred package below on Klook.com for the best rates.

A single shot of the landscape gives you an idea but also makes for its spoiler. So it’s best keep your eyes and ears away till you make it on that boat. Most 1-day packages are inclusive of a luncheon, the Thien Cung and Sung Sot Caves or Surprise Caves, a long Kayaking session, and trekking up Ti Top Island.

They don’t focus on hardcore caves exploration, or even actual hiking. It’s more of steep walks on concrete steps. Yet, the views are dreamy.

Hanoi travel blog : Halong Bay was one of my favorite of Vietnam. On that lucky day, the weather was perfect, most of the company we had were Indonesians. Me and my friend, who grew up in Indonesia , mingled along speaking Bahasa Indonesian and spent the whole day together.

They were all older than us (we’re only 22 after all) but still jolly and up for all the activities. They still talk with us from time to time. Instagram is handy. It was overall a good day.

Why Halong Bay?  It isn’t a bad idea to spend another day at more historical sites in the city, but Halong Bay being neither too large to stay at, nor too small to miss, it makes for a perfect itinerary from Hanoi.

Apart from this, there are quite a handful day trip package options from Hanoi. You’ll see that most common pickup point is the Hanoi Opera house in the morning. To recommend, another alternative day trip from Hanoi is Trang An in Ninh Binh – another recognized World Heritage Site.

Between Halong Bay and Trang An, I wouldn’t be able to pick one.

Is the Sapa tour worth it? There are trips to Sapa as well, but that’s another story. For Sapa, I’d recommend keeping it aside from your Hanoi 3 Day Itinerary . It’s best to stay in Sapa at least for 2 days to have a better experience.

Tailpiece to Hanoi Travel Blog

We had 3 days to spend in Hanoi but not consecutively. Still, we could make it to most these places. While we focused more on the itinerary when in Ho Chi Minh, we stayed a little laid back in Hanoi.

For 3 days, it honestly isn’t possible to cover all of Hanoi. The beauties of the city are endless. It’s best to take your time and experiencing whatever you visit to the fullest. Don’t miss on the must-visits like the Ho Chi Mih mausoleum, the Hanoi Train Street, Water Puppet Show and Old Quarters.

But the rest are all a gamble. I’ll make another post on tips when traveling Hanoi for making the best of time and budget. For now, this makes for a rough sketch for a Hanoi 3 Day Itinerary.

Tell me about your Hanoi stories below. I’d love to hear. Happy traveling!

Manas Patil

Hi there! I'm a 22-year-old dude all the way from India, I love traveling and building itineraries! Sign up and get your FREE COPY of my travel checklist to get the best of your next vacation!

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Jetsetting Fools

Travel Far. Discover More. Spend Less.

Hanoi Itinerary: What To Do in Hanoi, Vietnam For 1 To 5 Days

Welcome to JetSetting Fools, here you will find our best travel tips for destinations worldwide. Some of the links on this site are Affiliate Links and if you use them to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. For more information, read our Disclosure Policy .

Hanoi, Vietnam is mesmerizing. The city is brimming with historic must-see sights, an aromatic and delectable cuisine and a stimulating café culture. Honking horns, buzzing traffic and vibrant vendors are the rhythmic, pulsing soundtrack of Hanoi. It is intriguing, intoxicating…and intimidating. Planning what to do in Hanoi can be an overwhelming task – but don’t stress! Our Hanoi Itinerary includes all of the best things to do in Hanoi, Vietnam…and a few hidden gems, too.

Planning a Hanoi Itinerary

On our first trip to the city, we made no plans of what to see in Hanoi. We didn’t even have a guidebook . Our Hanoi sightseeing was highlighted by simply wandering around aimlessly. While it was a fine way to get acquainted with the city, we regrettably missed many of the best places to visit in Hanoi.

On a return trip to Hanoi, we were much better prepared. We created a plan of where to go in Hanoi that included all the top Hanoi places to visit (which we missed on our first time through!) and we delved deeper into the iconic cuisine.

The Best Hanoi Itinerary

Our itinerary features the best Hanoi, Vietnam things to do, see and eat. We routed our way to Hanoi must-see sights and indulged in the local fare – and we are sharing our plan. We include all of the top things to do in Hanoi – but leave plenty of room in our plan to linger at cafes and soak in the atmosphere. Fellow travelers who want to visit Hanoi can use our itinerary to plan their custom Hanoi Travel Guide.

What To Do in Hanoi: A Day-by-Day Guide

Our Hanoi trip itinerary is perfect for travelers who want to visit Hanoi, Vietnam to see the sights, eat the food and experience the culture. We include a detailed outline for what to do in Hanoi for 4 days – plus a one-day trip from Hanoi to explore more of the region.

Formatted in a day-by-day guide that features top Hanoi things to see, we also offer alternate Hanoi itineraries, tips on where to stay and other practical travel advice.

Pro Tip : Only have 1 Day in Hanoi? We include recommendations on how to see Hanoi in a Day – and other Hanoi city tour itinerary suggestions – at the end of the article.

Hanoi Museums And Landmarks

One of our biggest frustrations while visiting museums in Hanoi – and some gated landmarks, too – is the difficulty in finding accurate opening times and prices. Many Hanoi tourist spots are closed mid-day for a lunch break, and a few are closed all day on certain days of the week.

Finding current schedules and ticket prices is not always easy, even when you visit the attraction’s official website. The misinformation can be maddening – but we chalk it all up to being part of the Vietnam experience. That said, if there is a specific sight or museum that is a must-do in Hanoi for you, we recommend referencing multiple sources to help determine the correct information.

Hanoi Tourist Map

Another struggle while sightseeing Hanoi is navigating the streets. We talk more about getting around Hanoi at the end of the post, but before getting to Hanoi, we recommend purchasing a Hanoi Map – like this one . Sightseeing in Hanoi City is much easier when you have a basic understanding of the layout (and the free Hanoi tourist maps are of little help!).  

HANOI ITINERARY 5 DAYS

This Hanoi, Vietnam Travel Blog post contains everything you need to plan your Hanoi trip. Save, Pin or Bookmark it so you can easily access it!

DAY ONE: MUST-SEE VIETNAM ATTRACTIONS IN HANOI OLD QUARTER

Begin your 5 days in Hanoi in the city’s most iconic districts: The famous Old Quarter and the opulent French Quarter. Complete your city discovery with a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake – visiting sights along the way – and end your day with a Hanoi original meal.

Pro Tip : Use our Hanoi Travel Blog Post: HANOI WALKING TOURS (Walks 1, 2 and 3) for more information on the places to see in Hanoi on Day 1. Our self-guided walking tours provide more detailed sight descriptions, walking tour route maps and links for step-by-step instructions.

Top Places to See in Hanoi Old Quarter

Get an early jump on your day and start your city exploration at the Dong Xuan Market – an absolute Must-Do in Hanoi! Explore the labyrinth of stall-lined lanes that fill the 3-story market hall. Emerge from the hectic market onto the chaotic streets and make your way to the city’s historic gate, O Quan Chuong. Next, visit the city’s oldest and most famous temple, Bach Ma Temple – then make your way to the Hang Bac Temple, a hidden gem in the Old Quarter.

Stop for a cup of coffee at 39 Ta Hien Café – and order a classic Vietnamese iced coffee with sweet condensed milk. Sit on a low plastic stool outside where you can savor the coffee and atmosphere. Continue your Old Quarter discovery along Hang Bac – the Silversmith’s Street – and pop into Dinh Kim Ngan Temple along the way.

Visit the Hanoi Ancient House – a historic merchant house that has been preserved as a museum (entry fee required). Next, wander along Pho Gia Ngu market street, a shop-lined street where vendors take up sidewalk space to sell fresh herbs, vegetables and raw meat. If you are squeamish, consider skipping the market street and head to the south end of the Old Quarter to Den Ba Kieu Temple, which sits on the north end of Hoan Kiem Lake.

Places To Go in Hanoi French Quarter

Cross the red wooden bridge on Hoan Kiem Lake and visit the Ngoc Son Temple (entry fee required), then stroll south along the lake to the statue of Ly Thai To, the city’s founder, that proudly stands east of the lake. Walk through the park and past the frog fountain in Dien Hong Park to the National History Museum (entry fee required). Next, visit the most famous building in the French Quarter: The Hanoi Opera House. After admiring the historic, yellow Opera House, detour south of the French Quarter to Pho Thin for a bowl of the best Pho in Hanoi.

After lunch, pop into the posh Trang Tien Plaza Mall (if for no other reason than to cool off in the air-conditioning), then walk to the south end of Hoan Kiem Lake to the Hoa Phong Tower. If you need something sweet after your bowl of Pho, stop in S’Patisserie for a slice of cake then make your way to the west side of the lake to the Hanoi landmark church, St. Joseph’s Cathedral.

Tour the dimly lit interior of St. Joseph’s Cathedral; then walk back to the lakeside where you can enjoy the peaceful retreat at the King Le Thai To monument. Stay by the lake and walk north to the large city square, Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc. Find the hidden entrance to Vuon Pho Co Cafe (Old Town Garden Café), where you can take in the rooftop views and drink a refreshing Lime Soda.

Explore the Ancient Guild Streets

If you have the energy, discover the 36 Guild Streets of the Old Quarter; each street was once dedicated to a specific trade and named for that craft. Find the street dedicated to the silk trade and the one where they sell children’s toys. Seek out the herbal medicine street or peek into the shops selling paper votives for Buddhist rituals. Simply wander on your own or use our Guild Street Guide in our Hanoi Walking Tours blog post (Walk #3).

Dinner in Hanoi Old Quarter

For dinner, sit down at one of the establishments featuring the famous Cha Ca fish dish – a menu item that originated in Hanoi. The restaurant where the dish was invented is on Cha Ca Street (along with several other shops that now make the same fragrant dish), but we recommend going to locally recommended Cha Ca Thang Long.

Alternate Dining Option : If Hanoi is not your first stop in Vietnam and you are craving a break from Vietnamese food, consider eating Western food at Pizza 4P’s or Amato Tapas. Want more food tips? Check out our Hanoi Food Guide for the best things to eat in the city!

DAY TWO: ICONIC PLACES TO VISIT IN HANOI

On Day 2 of your Itinerary for Hanoi, Vietnam, journey to the west of the Old Quarter to visit some of the top things to see in Hanoi: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace and ancient Citadel. Note: The sights visited on this day require appropriate attire; be sure to dress modestly – no tank tops, plunging necklines, bare midsections or short shorts (or bring a wrap that can be used to cover up); visitors who do not adhere to the dress code will likely be denied entry.

Pro Tip : We combined most of the Day Two Sights in our Hanoi Walking Tour Blog Post in Walk #4: Iconic Hanoi Walking Tour .

Best of Hanoi: Monuments

Start your second day in Hanoi by touring the ancient Thang Long Imperial Citadel (fee to enter). The historic complex features structures from different periods in time – including war bunkers that were used during the Vietnam War. Military enthusiasts may want to make a stop next door at the Vietnam Military Museum, too.

After touring the Citadel grounds, head west to the south side of Quang Truong Ba Dinh Square where there are a multitude of worthwhile sights. It is one of the best places in Hanoi to understand the Vietnamese people’s love for their former leader, Ho Chi Minh.

The most imposing sight on Ba Dinh Square is the stoic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where the embalmed body of the country’s most beloved leader sits on display. Visitors who want a peek of ‘Uncle Ho’ will need to wait in line. Next, visit the Presidential Palace grounds (fee to enter) and the traditional Stilt House where Ho Chi Minh lived when he was president. After exiting, visit the historic wooden One Pillar Pagoda before leaving Ba Dinh Square via the north exit.

West Lake and Truc Bach District

On the southeast bank of West Lake, visit the Taoist temple, Quan Thanh Temple (fee to enter), then walk north along Thanh Nien Street that separates West Lake from the much smaller Truc Bach Lake. If you need a rest and refreshment, make a quick stop at the lakeside Highlands Coffee, a Starbucks-esque coffeeshop chain in Vietnam. As you continue north along the Thanh Nien, note the American War Memorial that celebrates the capture of American pilot and future US senator, John McCain. The memorial is near the spot in the lake where McCain landed via parachute after his plane was shot down.

Continue walking north to the small island on West Lake, which is completely occupied by the Tran Quoc Temple complex – one of the top Hanoi, Vietnam attractions. Many locals consider the 6th century Buddhist temple to be one of the most important in the city – and it’s free to enter.

Wander through the Truc Bach District, one of the lesser-known places to visit in Hanoi. Make your way to the Truc Bach Island on the east side of the lake (it’s connected to land via two roads) and find a seat at the Pho Cuon Huong Mai restaurant for a late lunch. Order one (or both!) of their signature dishes: Rolled Pho or Fried Pho. Walk off lunch and visit the Cho Chau Long Market and then make one last stop in the district: the Roman Catholic Church of Martyrs, more commonly known as Cua Bac Church.

Old Quarter Hanoi Night Market

If it is a weekend night (Friday, Saturday or Sunday), spend the evening perusing the wares at the Night Market in Hanoi. The market is set up on Hang Dao Street, which completely closes to vehicular traffic after 6:00pm. Vendors sell clothing, accessories, heaps of tourist souvenirs, sweet treats and all kinds of fried meat on a stick.

Walk the length of the street – from north to south – and then spend some time in the vibrant Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square. A fantastic place for Hanoi people watching, look for large groups of people practicing Zumba and street performers.

Pro Tip : The market street isn’t the only Hanoi street that becomes pedestrian-only on weekends; many of the Old Quarter streets close to vehicles on weekend nights. One night, we stumbled onto a street-corner play and the crowds – both locals and tourists – gathered around to watch.

DAY 3: HANOI TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND CULTURE

On Day 3 of your 5-Day Hanoi Itinerary, spend time learning more about the history and Vietnamese culture in top Hanoi places of interest. 

Pro Tip : We combined most of the Day Three Sights in our Hanoi Walking Tour Blog Post in Walk #5: Culture and History of Hanoi Walking Tour .

Ancient Hanoi History

Start your third day bright and early with a jolt of caffeine from Cong Café. The modern coffeeshop features vintage communist décor and an amazing iced coconut coffee. Next, head into the Temple of Literature (fee to enter) to learn about the educational complex that dates to the year 1070. Art aficionados might want to look around the Fine Arts Museum (fee to enter) that is located nearby. Next, visit the Quan Su Pagoda, a picturesque 15th century Buddhist temple that also serves as the Head Office of Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha. 

Modern History in Hanoi

Step inside the Hao Lo Prison (fee to enter), better known to most as the Hanoi Hilton Prison, where American POWs (like John McCain) were held captive during the Vietnam War. Learn about the prison’s history under French colonialism and stories of the POWs who were imprisoned there.

For lunch, eat a bowl of Bun Cha at Bun Cha Huong Lien. The restaurant was made famous when, in 2016, Anthony Bourdain and US President Obama dined there. Order the Obama Special (Bun Cha, a seafood roll and a beer) and consider how far the relations between the two countries have come in a relatively short time.

After lunch, visit the Vietnamese Women’s History Museum (fee to enter), which features displays and information about women’s traditional role in Vietnamese society. Learn about their position in the family, traditional fashions and how women have taken part in the country’s history.

Spend some time relaxing at your hotel (more on where to stay in Hanoi in a minute!) or simply stroll – without an agenda – through the Old Quarter. Once you have seen all of the sights, we think wandering the streets is one of the best things to do in Hanoi Old Quarter! Grab a Banh Mi sandwich for a late snack or early dinner before sipping a few local beers.

Ta Hien Beer Corner

End your third day drinking a few local beers at the famous Ta Hien Beer Corner; it’s one of the top things to do in Hanoi at night. The jovial scene is boisterous, chaotic and highly entertaining. Simply pick a place and find a seat…if there are no tables, the waitstaff will quickly bring one out for you. Just beware: If the police come through and your table is in the street, the staff will quickly move you back to the sidewalk (at least until the cops are out of sight again).

Pro Tip : Just don’t stay out too late – because tomorrow you will embark on a full day trip from Hanoi!

DAY 4: DAY TRIPS FROM HANOI

On Day 4 of your Hanoi Travel Itinerary, join a tour to explore more of the region outside of the city center.

Hanoi Day Trips

Day trips out of Hanoi are an ideal way to experience the region and learn more about the people. Good day tours from Hanoi will include a professional, English-speaking guide who can answer questions specifically about the tour and about Vietnam in general. Hanoi day tours are relatively inexpensive – and there are usually options to upgrade to a Hanoi private tour, if desired. Top day tours from Hanoi include a Halong Bay tour, a trip to Ninh Binh and exploring the area outside the Hanoi city center.

Hanoi to Halong Bay: Islands, Cruise, Caves and Kayaks

On our first trip to Vietnam, visiting Halong Bay was an absolute highlight of our travels! The enchanting landscape – an azure sea dotted with lush karst mountains – is surreal, and one of the top places to visit near Hanoi. For visitors short on time and unable to squeeze an overnight cruise into their Hanoi Itinerary, there is a jam-packed Hanoi 1-Day Tour to Halong Bay.

The 1-Day Halong Bay Tour is a full day of exploration. The tour features pick up from Old Quarter hotels, bus transport to Halong Bay, a cruise through the majestic karsts, a cave visit, a kayaking adventure and a seafood lunch. The tour – which gets rave reviews! – costs less than $50 USD. Book it now!

Pro Tip : We think a 2-Night Halong Bay Cruise is the best way to experience the natural beauty of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Read our Halong Bay Cruise article for recommendations and tips!

Hanoi to Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu, Tam Coc and Mua Cave

One of the top things to do near Hanoi is to visit the wonderland of Ninh Binh. Steeped in history and natural beauty, the Ninh Binh Province is nicknamed, “Halong On Land.” Between the flat, green rice fields, stark karst mountains rise to the sky…and a river flows between them.

A full day tour from Hanoi to Ninh Binh features the highlights of the region. Participants are picked up from Old Quarter hotels and driven via air-conditioned bus to the province, which is south of the city. The English-speaking guide then leads the way to numerous Ninh Binh activities – such as a traditional Tom Coc boat ride through three caves, a bike ride through the village, a visit to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu and a hike to the top of Mua Cave for phenomenal views. Guests are also treated to a traditional Vietnamese lunch. Reserve your spot!

Pro Tip : Read about our experience Visiting Ninh Binh from Hanoi and how we wished we had planned better!

Hanoi Outskirts by Bicycle

Visitors who are looking for things to do around Hanoi without boarding a bus can explore the outskirts of Hanoi by bicycle.

On this half-day tour from Hanoi, guests pedal their bikes into the rural villages that lie just beyond the bustling city center. Led by a professional Hanoi guide, tours are limited to 12 people to ensure a small group setting. Follow the guide across the famous Long Bien Bridge, bike through farmland, visit a local artist at their home, see how pottery is made in the village of Quang Ba and watch the sunset over West Lake. Find out more!

More Day Tours from Hanoi

The above-mentioned Hanoi day trips are our top picks – but there are other tours that you might find interesting.

Perfume Pagoda

Travel 2 hours to the ancient Buddhist complex of temples and shrines built directly into the Huong Tich mountains. Enjoy a ride in a rowboat, trekking to a cave and visiting the historical Heaven Kitchen Pagoda. Get the details!

Bat Trang Pottery Village, Van Phuc Silk Village and Duong Lam Ancient Village

Get a full dose of traditional Vietnamese crafts, culture and history on a full day tour from Hanoi. The tour begins in nearby Bat Trang – a village well-known for making pottery and ceramics. Next travel to Duong Lam Village, which features century-old houses, and take a bike ride through the farmland to temples. Before heading back to the city, make a stop at Van Phuc, where locals practice the traditional craft of silk weaving. Learn more here!

DAY 5: WHAT TO DO IN HANOI FOR UNIQUE EXPERIENCES

On the last day of your Hanoi 5-Day Itinerary, satisfy your curiosity for unique Hanoi experiences by tasting local fare or learning a local craft.

Morning: Indulge in Local Hanoi Fare

The food in Vietnam is like nowhere else in the world. Fragrant and flavorful dishes dominate the local cuisine. Visitors can discover the food scene three ways: Go on a Self-Guided Discovery, Join a Hanoi Street Food Tour or Take a Cooking Class.

Discover Local Food on your Own

Start your day with a feast and eat a local favorite breakfast dish: Xoi Xeo. Available at markets, we recommend ordering it at Xoi Yen topped with pork ribs and a fried boiled egg. Save a little room for a classic Egg Coffee from the nearby cafe that invented the Hanoi drink, Giang Cafe.

Pro Tip : Use our Hanoi Blog Post: Hanoi Food  for top tips on What and Where to Eat!

Join a Guide for a Hanoi Street Food Tour

Rather than plotting your own route through the city’s best eats, learn about the local cuisine from a local Hanoi tour guide. On the small-group Hanoi food tour, participants can get a taste of the best street food in the city! Read the rave reviews!

Hanoi Cooking Class

For a real education in Vietnamese food, join a Hanoi Cooking Class. The half-day class that I took offered so much more than I expected – and the food was phenomenal (seriously, some of the dishes were better than in the restaurants we ate at!). Sign up now – or read the details about my experience in my Hanoi Cooking Class blog post.

Afternoon: Hanoi Neighborhood Exploration

Use the final afternoon of your Hanoi trip to discover a new neighborhood – or revisit one that you loved! Walk the circumference of Hoan Kiem Lake, hop in a Grab Taxi to the West Lake District or go café hopping in the Truc Bach neighborhood.

Alternatively, give your feet a break and take a relaxed Hanoi city tour in a Cyclo for a different perspective – book it online ! Or, cover some ground on two wheels on one of the guided Hanoi scooter tours! The highly-rated Hanoi sunset ride tour features the city’s top sights – book it now!

Visitors who want a break from sightseeing can take in some culture instead by watching a famous Water Puppet Show – get your skip-the-line tickets!

Evening: Unique Things To Do in Hanoi – Train Street

Visiting train street is one of the more unusual things to do in Hanoi – and a great place to witness the commercial culture of the city. Once just a neglected neighborhood along the railroad tracks, when tourists started showing up to take pictures of trains chugging through the narrow alley, homeowners took note. They opened front porch cafes and shifty balcony bars, successfully raking in tourist dollars.

2023 UPDATE : After completely shutting down Train Street in 2019, apparently tourists are again allowed to enter the area if “invited” by a shop owner. Visitors who want a glimpse of the train barreling through the neighborhood, can watch from their “sponsors” shop and must purchase something as well. The best Hanoi Train Street schedule we found had the following train times: Monday – Friday at 7:00pm, 7:45pm, 8:30pm and 10 pm and on weekends at 6:00am, 9:00am, 11:20am, 3:20pm, 5.30pm, 6:00pm, 7:00pm, 7:45pm, 8:30pm, 9::00pm and 11pm.

Night: Local Bia Hoi Corners

Drinking Fresh Beer – or Bia Hoi – is one of the fun things to do in Hanoi with locals. The Fresh Beer is made daily and delivered to restaurants in large metal tanks. Ice blocks are often put on top of the tank to keep the beer cold in lieu of actual refrigeration. However, at 12k VND or less, it doesn’t really matter that much how cold it is. The best places in Hanoi for Fresh Beer are Bia Hoi Corners – and there are several around the city.

Bat Dan Bia Hoi Ha Noi

At Bat Dan and Duong Thanh, two Bia Hoi Corner Bars sit catty-corner from each other. The open-air bars have low tables and chairs that spill out onto the sidewalks (but never the street). A popular spot with locals, each small glass of Fresh Beer costs just 12k VND – which is about 50 cents USD.

New Bia Hoi Corner: Hang Buom and Dao Duy Tu

Dubbed by locals as the New Bia Hoi Corner, beer vendors pop up all along the stretch of sidewalk after dark at the intersection of Hang Buom and Dao Duy Tu. On weekends, when the street is closed to traffic, live bands set up on the corner. While it is popular with visitors, locals visit this corner, too. It’s a genuine, cheap, and local Bia Hoi experience – and glasses of beer only cost 5-7k per glass (that’s about 25 cents USD)!

Fresh Beer at Dao Duy Tu and Luong Ngoc Quyen

Another fun Fresh Beer corner that pours cheap glasses of Bia Hoi is nearby at the intersection of Dao Duy Tu and Luong Ngoc Quyen. However, rather than vendors serving the drinks, the beer comes from the established corner restaurants.

Pro Tip : Hai San Seafood has a happy hour special from 5-7pm, Buy 1 Get 1 for 5k. By far, the cheapest beers we found in Hanoi!

How Many Days in Hanoi, Vietnam?

We think 5 days in Hanoi is the perfect amount of time to get acquainted with the city and surrounding area. It allows plenty of time to see the Hanoi highlights and experience the top Hanoi activities. However, we understand that not all travelers have the option of staying in Hanoi for 5 days. To help travelers determine how many days to spend in Hanoi, we have a few suggestions.

Hanoi Travel Itinerary Suggestions

We think our Hanoi, Vietnam itinerary provides the perfect plan for what to do in Hanoi for 5 days. But, if you have more – or less – time, you might be wondering how to plan your trip and where to go from Hanoi. We have created sample Hanoi itineraries – from a Hanoi 1-Day Itinerary to what to see in Hanoi in 3 days to how to spend a week in Hanoi.

Want our tips on planning your time in Vietnam? Use our 2-Week Vietnam Itinerary !

One Day in Hanoi

There is so much to see in Hanoi that it is really difficult to determine what to squeeze into a Hanoi One-Day Itinerary. That said, an ambitious traveler could combine the top Hanoi landmarks (like the mausoleum, citadel and Old Quarter) from the above itinerary’s Days 1 and 2 into a jam-packed One Day in Hanoi Itinerary. Otherwise, for ease of travel, consider joining a Hanoi one-day tour – like this highly-rated tour!  

Hanoi Itinerary 2 Days

Planning what to do in Hanoi for 2 days is a little bit easier, but still requires a good sightseeing plan. With 2 days in Hanoi, we recommend following our above guide for Day 1, then choose either Day 2 or Day 3…or combine them together for a really long – but very interesting – day of city sights.

Alternatively, two days in Hanoi could be spent hassle-free with a tour guide. On the first day, take the Hanoi Highlights tour ( book it here! ) and on Day 2 join the street food tour ( reserve your spot! ) or cooking class ( book it now! ).

Hanoi Itinerary 3 Days

Wondering what to do in Hanoi for 3 days? We recommend simply following Days 1, 2 and 3 as outlined in our 5-Day Hanoi Itinerary. With 3 days in Hanoi, there is plenty of time to indulge in the local fare, too. Just use our Hanoi Food Guide to find the best places to eat in the city.

Hanoi Itinerary 4 Days

There are lots of different ways to create an ideal Hanoi 4 Days 3 Nights Itinerary. However, for visitors with 4 days in Hanoi, we recommend using our above Hanoi 5-Day Itinerary…and choosing between going on a day trip from Hanoi or taking a guided tour in the city (basically, decide between Days 4 and 5).

Hanoi Itinerary 6 Days

Visitors with 6 days in Hanoi can enjoy a more leisurely pace. With the extra day, visitors can easily fit in a 2-Night Halong Bay Cruise . Alternatively, choose a second Hanoi tour or event to learn more about the city.

Hanoi Itinerary 7 Days

A 1-Week Hanoi Itinerary allows more time to get to know the city. We recommend following our tips for a 6-Day Hanoi Itinerary – and adding a second day trip for a different cultural experience.

Pro Tip : However you decide to organize your trip, allow room in your schedule to sit back and just watch Hanoi in motion. While the sights are amazing and important to see, Hanoi is a sight in and of itself. The people, the vendors and the motorbikes are a fascinating part of the landscape.

More Sample Hanoi Itineraries

For the above itineraries, we use Hanoi as a base. Visitors who don’t want to spend all of their time in Hanoi can create a multi-stop itinerary for Northern Vietnam.

5-Day Hanoi and Halong Bay Itinerary

Above, we outlined what we think is the absolute best way to spend 5 days in Hanoi. However, we do highly recommend visiting Halong Bay on an overnight trip. Visitors who do not have time in their overall Vietnam Itinerary to fit in a trip to Halong Bay – either before or after visiting Hanoi – can create a Hanoi-Halong Bay Itinerary.

In fact, it is similar to what we did on our first trip to Vietnam. We recommend following our outlined 5-Day Hanoi Itinerary for Days 1 and 2. Then, take a 1- or 2-night Halong Bay Cruise and spend your final 1 or 2 days back in Hanoi (following Days 3 and/or 5 of our above itinerary).

Pro Tip : Planning a Hanoi-Sapa Itinerary is just as simple. Rather than going to Halong Bay, book one of the highly-rated Sapa, Vietnam tours from Hanoi – like this one .

7-Day Northern Vietnam Itinerary: Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa

A 1-Week Northern Vietnam Itinerary could easily be created by using our detailed 5-Day Hanoi Itinerary (with a recommended trip to Ninh Binh ) and then including either a 2-night Halong Bay Cruise or 2-night Sapa Tour on the final two days.

Alternatively, tourists who want to visit all three destinations – Hanoi, Halong Bay, Sapa – could plan 3 nights in Hanoi (following Days 1, 2 and 3 of our 5-Day Hanoi Itinerary), 2 nights in Halong Bay (using our recommendations in our Halong Bay Cruise blog post) and a 1 or 2-night trip to Sapa.

It is important to note, however, that the distance between Halong Bay and Sapa is 435km – and it takes between 7 and 10 hours to drive between the two cities. It is possible to plan the trip on your own, but with all of the logistics involved, we think it is worth booking the 3-city trip with a guide. Get the details and find out what is included in this tour.

10-Day North Vietnam Tour Package

An alternate Hanoi tour package includes visiting the most northern – and some say the absolutely most beautiful – part of the country (but does not include Halong Bay). The 10-Day Vietnam trip begins and ends in Hanoi – and stops at Sapa, Ha Giang, Dong Van, Bao Lac and Ba Be Lake. Promising incredible experiences and unique landscapes, the organized tour includes accommodations, activities and most meals. This highly-rated tour is offered by a reliable tour company through Viator .

HANOI TRAVEL TIPS

Now that you know the best things to see in Hanoi and the surrounding region, we have a few more tips for your trip!

When Is The Best Time To Go To Hanoi?

Located in Northern Vietnam (and in the Northern Hemisphere), Hanoi experiences four seasons. Many visitors like to plan their trip based on weather conditions – however, weather in Hanoi can be unpredictable. It is also important to take note of public Vietnam holidays, when certain sights may be closed.

Hanoi Weather

The summer months – June, July and August – are the hottest and the humidity can be stifling. It’s also considered Rainy Season in the summer, meaning frequent (but usually quick) downpours. In the autumn – September, October and November – the temperatures are usually slightly cooler (although we experienced temps above 108 F, about 42 C, during our last fall trip).

Winter in Hanoi – December to February – sees cool temps, ranging between 50-70 F for highs (which we think is perfect for sightseeing!). And, during the Spring – March, April and May – temps start creeping up and the skies are often overcast with light showers.

Check the current weather forecast for your Hanoi trip on Weather.com . 

Hanoi Holidays

Before planning a trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, it’s important to check the Vietnam holiday calendar. Many of the public holidays in Vietnam are religious and cultural events that many Westerners are unfamiliar with. Tet – which is better known as the Vietnamese New Year – is the biggest holiday in the country and is marked with week-long celebrations in February. There are other public holidays in April (Hung Kings Festival mid-April and Reunification Day on April 30), May (Labor Day on the first), in September (National Day on September 2) and January 1 for New Year’s Day.

How To Get To Hanoi, Vietnam

Visitors can arrive to Hanoi via plane, bus, train or car (including a private driver, if coming from somewhere else in the region). On our trips to Hanoi, we have arrived by plane to the Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) direct from Singapore and Chiang Mai, Thailand .

Hanoi Airport

The airport in Hanoi is located about 45km from the city center. Visitors can hop in a cab at the airport, but will pay more than pre-arranging transportation. Most hotels offer airport transfers – either included in the price of the hotel or for an extra specified amount. Visitors can also pre-book a ride online on Viator in advance.

Getting Around Hanoi, Vietnam

We think the best way to get around Hanoi Old Quarter is on your own two feet. However, while sightseeing outside of the Old Quarter, we recommend using the Grab App to catch a ride. Grab taxis are significantly cheaper – and so much easier to use – than flagging down a taxi and trying to negotiate price and communicate your destination. Before your Hanoi trip, be sure to download and set up the Grab App.

Shopping in Hanoi

There are many options when it comes to Hanoi shopping! Hanoi markets sell everything under the sun, including tourist souvenirs. However, visitors will want to practice their negotiating skills in order to obtain the best price. Shopping in the Old Quarter is not limited to markets; there are a multitude of shops lining the Old Quarter lanes where visitors can pick up Hanoi keepsakes. Buyer Beware: Some of the items for sale in Hanoi are counterfeit knock-offs, which often are low quality products.

Where To Stay in Hanoi, Vietnam

The best area to stay in Hanoi is in the Old Quarter. That said, with the honking motorbikes and inebriated tourists, it can be loud. Therefore, we recommend staying in a hotel on a pedestrian-only street. On our last Hanoi visit, we stayed in Amber Hotel, which we think is one of the best places to stay in Hanoi.

Amber Hotel in the Hanoi Old Quarter

Hanoi Amber Hotel is a small boutique hotel right in the city center. What we loved best about the hotel was the spacious rooms, ice-cold air con and lovely staff. Because the hotel is located on a small (car-free) alley, the hotel is particularly quiet (especially considering its location). The only downside is there are a lot of stairs and no elevator – but the staff insists on helping carry luggage up and down the stairs.. One additional feature: a delicious, made-to-order breakfast is included in the price. Check availability and rates!  

Hanoi Accommodation French Quarter

Visitors who want to stay in the grandiose French Quarter and splurge on accommodations have plenty of choice! Among the 5-Star Hanoi hotels in the French Quarter, the following come highly-recommended by fellow travelers: Hilton Hanoi Opera ( check rates! ), Sofitel Legend Metropole ( check rates! ) and MGallery Hotel de l’Opera ( check rates! ).  

Swimming Pool Hanoi Hotel

Of all the Hanoi Hotels, there are relatively few Hanoi hotels with a pool – and those that do tend to come at a premium. That said, there are a few hotels with swimming pools in the Old Quarter that get consistently good reviews. Check the current room rates on one of these pool hotels in Hanoi: Silk Queen Hotel Hang Gai ( check room availability! ) or Tirant Hotel ( get current rates! ).

Hanoi Backpackers Hostels

Backpackers looking for the best locations to stay in Hanoi have a plethora of choices of hostels in the Old Quarter. Little Charm Hostel (which has a pool!) gets exceptional ratings . Buffalo Hostel – also with a pool – gets great reviews, too!

What To Pack For Hanoi, Vietnam

As you prepare for your trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, check out our best packing hacks and  make sure you pack the following items in your backpack or suitcase .

Appropriate Attire for Vietnam 

It is important to pack the right clothes for your trip. Visitors traveling to Hanoi in the warmer months will need loose-fitting, modest clothing. Make sure to have clothing that covers knees and shoulders so that you can enter temples – or bring a multi-functional wrap that you can carry with you while sightseeing.

Hanoi Weather Gear and Day Bag

With the unpredictable Hanoi weather, we recommend bringing lightweight and versatile weather gear. A packable raincoat is a good choice – and a travel umbrella can provide protection from both rain and sun. Remember to pack good sunscreen , too – as it is expensive to buy in Vietnam. And, finally, don’t forget the insect repellent to keep the mosquitos away! You’ll also want a great day pack to organize and secure all your everyday travel items !

Travel Camera

Hanoi is visually stimulating and extremely photogenic! Capture the beauty of the city with an actual camera , rather than relying on your phone. We travel with a DSLR Canon Rebel with an everyday 18-135mm lens , which takes exceptional photos. Travelers who want something a little smaller (and less expensive) might want to buy a Canon Powershot , which is a great budget camera for quick city shots.

Hanoi Map and Guidebook

As we mentioned before, we think buying a Hanoi map – like this one – prior to your trip is a smart move. Understanding the layout of Hanoi and where the top sights are helps visitors better navigate to sights. And, although we provide a lot of detailed information in this Hanoi trip blog post, a guidebook can also be helpful.

WiFi in Vietnam

Internet connectivity is an absolute must in Hanoi! Getting a SIM card may be the way to go, they are cheap and this one can be delivered to your hotel so that it is there when you check in. 

Visitors traveling with locked phones can contact their cell phone provider to inquire about short-term international plans. However, frequent travelers and those traveling in a group or as a family should consider buying a Mobile WiFi Hotspot, like GlocalMe .

Mobile WiFi Hotspot

The GlocalMe Wifi Hotspot is the device we use – and we would be lost without it! The GlocalMe device can connect up to 10 devices at one time. The best feature, however, is that there is a slot for SIM cards, but data can also be purchased online – so it will be available as soon as your plane lands! Buy a GlocalMe Hotspot on Amazon!

Vietnam Travel Insurance

Travel insurance may help cover the cost of cancelled trips or lost luggage , and can provide coverage for emergency medical care too…and no one can predict getting ill or injured abroad. Check coverage and rates at World Nomads .

Start planning your trip to Vietnam ! Search for the lowest airfares , the best accommodations and fun things to do …then start packing !   Want more travel planning tips? Head over to our Travel Planning page for more information and tips on traveling – and for country-specific information, take a look at our Travel Guides page !

We Want To Know : What would you add to our Hanoi Itinerary? Do you have any tips for what to do in Hanoi, Vietnam? Give us your best advice in the comments below!

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3 Days in Hanoi Itinerary (2024) for Culture & Food Fans!

Table of Contents

This post may contain affiliate links to things like tours, hotels, Amazon associates and products. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Welcome to my Hanoi itinerary! After writing 5,000 words on Hanoi food and coffee alone, it’s clear I have A LOT to say about Vietnam ’s capital. If it’s your first time and you’re keen to suss out the top things to do during 3 days in Hanoi, as well as the best eats, coffees, hotels, hostels and day trips, keep reading.

HANOI ESSENTIALS E-sim data plan Copy of Lonely Planet Vietnam Getting there: flight ( Skyscanner ) / train / bus 12GoAsia Pre-book your Hanoi airport to city transfer Accommodation: Booking.com // Hostelworld Tours: GetYourGuide Essential reading: 101 Southeast Asia travel tips

How long to spend in Hanoi?

I’ll never tire of Hanoi. Teaming with scooters, reaching to the skies and bubbling with life, noise and street food, it’s one of the most interesting and overwhelming cities I know, and a must for your Asia bucket list . It’s not a place that could leave you without an opinion. Love it or hate, you’ll remember it forever while it won’t stop to remember your name. Like a bucking bronco, you’ll either enjoy the ride or it’ll send you flying (literally – I’ve narrowly escaped too many scooters collisions!) I want to spend forever but the average visitor spends around 3 days in Hanoi often as part of a bigger Southeast Asia itinerary . There are plenty of museums and cool neighbourhoods so 2 days would be tight. While you might want to spend 4 or even 5 days exploring quirky corners in the Old Quarter, you’ll also want to explore other parts of Northern Vietnam. For that reason, 3 days in Hanoi is optimum .

Related read: The ultimate 2 week Vietnam itinerary & my Northern Vietnam itinerary

Where to stay in Hanoi

There are so many places to stay during 3 days in Hanoi that you’ll be spoiled for choice. Obviously, the Old Quarter is the best for convenience and local life, but I also liked staying above quirky Hanoi Train Street . A couple of my favourite places to stay in Hanoi include the following.

• Hostel: For a comfy hostel in central Hanoi, I recommend Nexy Hostel . Rooms have cosy bunks with privacy curtains, and there are private options decorated with unique Hanoi wall murals, plus there’s a roof terrace, cafe and games room. Check availability from US$7 .
• Budget hotel: With a welcoming front desk and air-conditioned rooms, budget travellers can’t go wrong with Hanoi Holiday Hotel . It’s centrally located and has an onsite ATM and spa. Check availability from US$19 .
• Mid-range: Hanoi Garden Boutique Hotel & Spa is a charming Old Quarter Hotel with gorgeous rooms and artwork, plus a stellar breakfast and spa onsite. Check availability from US$28 .
• Splash-out: Seeing the Hanoi sights from La Sinfonía Majesty Hotel is seriously special and best enjoyed from the sky-high restaurant or rooftop bar, which has a 360-degree view.  The opulent interior blends classicism with modernism for a stylish but rejuvenating stay, and the spa and concierge services are superb. Check availability from US$70 .

Browse all Hanoi accommodation on Booking.com and Hostelworld .

3 day Hanoi itinerary

Let’s get stuck straight in. Later, I’ll run through how to get around, where to stay and what to eat. Let’s go…

Hanoi itinerary day 1 – Old Quarter & Hoan Kiem Lake

The description above about bucking broncos and scooter collisions? Pretty much about Hanoi’s Old Quarter. For such a busy and hectic place, there’s buckets of charm. From steaming cups of coffee to hidden temples, you’ll find quirky corners once then never see them again. A hundred people could go wandering and have totally different experiences. It’s a wonderland out there! Did you know many of the streets in the Old Quarter are named after what they used to sell (and in many cases still do)? Hàng Bạc was once the area of silversmiths and is now packed with jewellery shops, while Han Gai is famed for its silk and tailoring, and Lan Ong sells medicinal products. Have a wander around – it’s busy but a lot of fun.

Breakfast – banh cuon

Begin your 3 days in Hanoi with a local breakfast. My favourite Hanoian breakfast dish is banh cuon . Steamed rice batter is wrapped around a mix of pork and wood ear mushrooms and served with chilli, and fish sauce to dip, as well as a generous handful of herbs. In the Old Quarter, you’ll find banh cuon cooked fresh on hot plates at modest restaurants and street stalls for around 30k VND. 

Pull up a little red stool and dig in!

Related activity: small group Hanoi street food tour by foot or private tour with cyclo driver

Coffee in the Old Quarter

If you’re the kind of person that can’t function without coffee, you’re reading the right Hanoi itinerary. Check out my guide to the best cafes in Hanoi , a topic I worked selflessly and tirelessly to research 😉 In the Old Quarter, I’d recommend Loading T coffee shop set inside a repurposed French mansion and Cafe Dinh , a hidden-away cafe serving egg coffee, the most famous Hanoian beverage. This cafe is a mission to find so find it in my guide to the best egg coffee in Hanoi .

Other things to do in the Old Quarter

• Wander the various old guild streets and try to work out what they’re famous for.
• Go for a cheap beauty treatment. Massages in Hanoi are cheap!
• Shopping! You can buy souvenirs here from gorgeous painted coconut shell bowls to silk scarves, decorated notebooks and clothing. Don’t forget to haggle.
• Head inside pretty Bach Ma Temple, the oldest Buddhist temple in the city.
• Admire Joseph’s Cathedral, a neo-gothic cathedral and place of worship for 4 million catholic Vietnamese people (who knew?)

The French Quarter

Hanoi’s French Quarter is a picture of colonial grandeur. With oh-so-Asian scooters buzzing by, it’s a bizarre and intriguing sight to see. Don’t forget to gawp at the sunny yellow Opera House, or even come back later in the evening for a Cirque du Soleil-style show with talented local performers. Pay 600k a ticket.

Hoan Kiem Lake

Hoan Kiem Lake is the beating heart of Hanoi. Every day (and especially at weekends), locals come to the shores to chat, exercise and relax. They pounce on you in the friendliest way possible, keen to practise their English and check you’re having a great time. Nestled in the centre of Hoan Kiem is the Turtle Tower , a poignant landmark for the Vietnamese. Its history is part fact and part myth, dating back to the days of Chinese rule and the fight for Vietnamese independence. Leader, Le Loi, was paramount in the bloody war and was said to have been handed a magic sword from an underwater dragon king which helped him defeat the enemy. 

Later, it was taken by a turtle who swum it to the bottom of what subsequently translates as the ‘Lake of the Restored Sword’. Real-life turtles genuinely do appear in the lake today, much to everyone’s excitement. Don’t miss Hanoi’s most visited Temple, Ngoc Son , is on an island in Hoan Kiem Lake. Cross the pretty red bridge to reach it and admire views across to the Turtle Tower. Useful info: Entrance is 30,000 VND and opening times are 8am-6pm.

If you’re hungry again and want to sample more food in the Old Quarter, I would suggest bun cha or banh mi.  Bun cha is my favourite Vietnamese dish, smoky pork balls bathed in a tangy broth with veggies and a side of rice noodles to dip. You can order it with ‘nem’ which are crispy, meat-filled spring rolls to dunk. Eat it at Bun Cha Nem at 6 Ngõ Trạm Street . Banh mi is a globally famous dish that can be tried at Banh Mi 25, a touristy joint that deserves the hype. From meaty baguettes to mushroom and tofu, there’s something for everyone, plus it’s cheap as chips. Just order two… no, scrap that, five! Check out my guides to Hanoi street food and finding the best banh mi in Vietnam .

Afternoon – Temple of Literature

My favourite temple while visiting Hanoi was the Temple of Literature. This is the site of Vietnam’s oldest university – it even features on the 100k banknote. It became a university 1,000 years ago and has survived various wars and disasters. Early graduates had their names engraved on a stone which can still be seen today. The Temple of Literature (local name, Van Mieu Mon) is a beautiful, chilled place to spend a couple of hours. Entry is 30k VND.

Evening – Water Puppet Show

If watching shows is your thing, may I recommend the Water Puppet Theatre . If you like having a clue what’s going on, may I recommend avoiding the Water Puppet Theatre. Originally a show for local children, this is now a tourist favourite that many people will ensure you is a must for 3 days in Hanoi. You probably won’t follow the plot (is there a plot?) but it’s a bit of a novelty if you’ve got time on your hands while visiting Hanoi. You can buy tickets for the 50-minute show on the door or online for $9. It’s right beside Hoan Kiem Lake.

Hanoi Night Market

If you’re visiting on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you can check out Hanoi Night Market which can be found in the heart of the Old Quarter. As well as street food from Vietnamese to Korean and fresh smoothies and juices, it’s one of the best places to shop for crafts, arts and souvenirs.

Bia Hoi Junction

Essential to any Hanoi itinerary is a trip to Bia Hoi Junction at the corner of Ta Hien and Lương Ngoc Quye . Locals and tourists alike flood the streets, perched on red stools and sipping pints of bia hoi, otherwise known as fresh beer.  This local drink is brewed on site but don’t think that makes it any weaker – a few too many pints will give you a very sore head the next day. It will definitely be worth it for an evening at Bia Hoi Junction especially as a pint can set you back as little as 5k VND (that’s 17p to Brits!).

Hanoi itinerary – day 2

Provided you didn’t drink too much beer hoi the night before, we’ve got a day of culture and cool neighbourhoods coming up.

Morning – Hanoi museums

The Women’s Museum : this is one of my all-time favourites, telling the story of Vietnamese women from the issues they face to their successes and bravery throughout Vietnamese history. You could easily spend a half-day as there’s plenty to see. Entrance is 30k VND and the museum can be found near the Old Quarter. Hoa Lo Prison : this is another important stop during three days in Hanoi. It’s where political prisoners were kept during French rule and US prisoners were kept during the war between Vietnam and America. During this second period, it became nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton despite its bleak living conditions.

While this museum has a dark history, it’s important in understanding Vietnam’s most important political events. You can visit from 8am-5pm seven days a week (apart from a lunch break from 11.30am to 1.30pm daily). Entrance is 30k VND. Thăng Long Imperial Citadel : this historic site, museum and park is another place to visit if you have time. You can easily spend 2-3 hours wandering around and learning about the history of Vietnam. Entry is just 30k VND. Military History Museum – dedicated to Vietnam military history, this is a fascinating stop for history buffs displaying everything from artefacts to aircraft.

Afternoon – Truc Bach and Tay Ho

I’d suggest leaving the Old Quarter behind and continuing your Hanoi itinerary to an area called Truc Bach . This ties in well with a tasty lunch because Truc Bach is famous for one specific Hanoian speciality. Set beside Truc Bach Lake, the commercialised corner of the neighbourhood is home to a giant floating Highlands Coffee boat where you can sip cold drinks or hire a swan pedalo to cruise around the lake. Alternatively, pay a visit to the much less touristy side where a relaxed community resides on Truc Bach island . Not only can you see how the locals live but you can head to Phở Cuốn Hương Mai restaurant known for serving pho cuon, tasty rice batter rolls filled with pork and served with chilli, lime and fish sauce to dip.

You can also try pho chien phong, deep-fried rice batter served with meat and veggies. This no-frills restaurant is busy and authentic: the real deal! After lunch, you can use my Truc Bach guide to explore the neighbourhood. The best thing to do nearby is check out Tran Quoc Pagoda , the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi known for its lakeside views and sunny yellow pagodas. It’s free to visit.

Other things to do in Truc Bach:

• Wander over the ornate bridge to pretty Đền Thủy Trung Tiên , also known as the Temple of the Dog.
• Sample tasty and affordable food at State-Run Foodshop Number 37 , a ration-themed restaurant with quirky military memorabilia on the walls.
• Look out over the lake where US senator John McCain crashed his plane during the war with the US.
• Visit cute cafes like Lang Thang Coffee & More.

West Lake / Tay Ho

For the late afternoon, head to West Lake, the biggest lake in Hanoi with a 17km shore length. Sunset from the banks is a reason to visit alone.  West Lake translates into Vietnamese as Tay Ho which is the name of the district beside it. This is where most of the Westerners who work as English teachers live. It might not sound highly cultural but an influx of stylish bars, cafes and restaurants have sprung up as a result. My favourite is Maison de Tet Decor which is a coffee shop and restaurant in a giant yellow repurposed mansion with gorgeous lake views. You can have a coffee or beer looking out over the lake for the perfect end to the day. I wouldn’t blame you for returning the following morning for a delicious brunch. For dinner, I hear great things about Bao Wow with its Instagrammable ‘I licked it so it’s mine’ sign. As well as great Asian food with plentiful veggie options, they stay open late and turn into a bar.

Hanoi itinerary – day 3 

Ho chi mausoleum.

For your final day in Hanoi, I would suggest checking out the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and a few other attractions nearby. Despite being a bit morbid, the body of the first Communist leader of Vietnam preserved in a glass case is an iconic site in Hanoi. Visit for just 10k VND from Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday-Sunday. While in the area, you can swing by One Pillar Pagoda . This isn’t the most impressive temple in Hanoi in my opinion but entrance is free and it doesn’t take long to walk the grounds and ponder how the pagoda stays upright with just one leg. From Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and One Pillar Pagoda, you’re nearby another of my favourite areas in Hanoi…

This neighbourhood may be little-known to tourists but it’s well worth a visit. The sleepy old-fashioned flower neighbourhood is one of the oldest in Hanoi, dating back 1,000 years. It doesn’t take long to explore so I’d recommend spending an hour or two wandering the streets and checking out local life, using my Ngoc Ha guide for further info.

Final night – explore the bars

The Hanoi nightlife scene has a bit of everything from smoky, grimy clubs to fancy bars and local beer streets. You’ll notice that everything officially gets shut down by the police at midnight but there’s usually a way around this. People initiate lock-ins, plus outdoor clubs spring up at weekends just a few out of miles out of town. Be sure to check out:

Polite & Co

Hanoi’s most stylish bar is without a doubt Polite & Co . With a speakeasy theme, it’s quirky from the offset and boasts a range of creative and unusual cocktails. The ‘around the world’ menu offers coffee cocktails from Ethiopia, chai-infused Indian options and maple syrup liquors from Canada.  We opted for Vietnamese classics. Mine was flavoured with sticky rice and ice cream while my friend Lola’s stole the show and wore a mini rice hat.

Ne Bar has all your usual cocktails as well as some you’ll need to dare your friends into trying. Following a strong drink at Polite & Co, I was coerced into drinking both a pho cocktail and a fish sauce cocktail. Despite sounding bizarre, both were refreshingly aromatic: icy cold flavoured with chilli and lime. I’d forgive you for sticking to a mojito though.

Other things to do in Hanoi

Since I’ve spent much longer than 3 days in Hanoi, I have a few other favourite corners. If you have extra time or don’t fancy something mentioned above, for example admiring the embalmed body of a communist leader, swap any of these into your itinerary for Hanoi. Check out my guide to all the best Hanoi hidden gems .

Take a craft class

From ceramics to cooking and even knife making, there are loads of ways to get engrossed in traditional professions while visiting Hanoi.  One of my favourite afternoons was spent at a watercolour painting class where I got to unleash my creative side (which admittedly didn’t go very well due to my lack of talent) and take home the most beautiful piece of artwork that my instructor had painted himself. Browse craft classes in Hanoi .

Take a cooking class

To try your hand at making the local cuisine, a cooking class is a fun option. Several tour companies will pick you up at your accommodation, take you shopping at the local market, then help you prepare a meal in ambient settings. Book a cooking class from $40 .

Long Bein Market

For a cultural but quite gritty and exhausting addition to your Hanoi itinerary, set your alarm for 4.30am and head to Long Bein Market beside the bridge of the same name. This is where local traders sell fresh goods so that restaurant staff can have them cooked and on the table by the opening time of 9am.  I woke up at 4.30am and called a Grab scooter to spend an hour walking around in flip flops getting very muddy and almost having my feet run over by in the bustling market. If you’re keen to see the real Hanoi, this is it. You can also see the colourful 6km Hanoi Mosaic Wall running along outside when the sun comes up.

Dong Xuan Market 

While lots of tourists visit Dong Xuan Market , it’s big and busy enough that it remains a local experience and an insight into hectic Hanoi. If you don’t fancy waking up at the crack of dawn for Long Bein Morning Market, this is your best bet. Grab your camera and explore the indoor and outdoor sections overflowing with fruit, spices, drying squid and many other items you’d rather admire than actually buy.

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

Focussing on the 54 ethnic minorities in Vietnam, this museum aims to preserve their cultural heritage by showcasing their cultures, regions and practices. The site is massive – as well as your usual clothing and artefacts, you can see and full-size homes in the grounds, and visit a whole exhibition on water puppet theatre. Entrance is 40k VND.

How to get around Hanoi

It’s easy to explore the whole Old Quarter by foot , you’ll rarely have to take any form of transport. For heading further afield to Truc Bach, Tay Ho and Ngoc Ha, the quickest and cheapest option is to take a Grab scooter, the Asian version of Uber but on scooters. Call one on the app and within 2 minutes, a driver will whiz up with a spare helmet for you and you’ll jump on the back. You can also order cars but, given hectic Hanoi traffic, scooters are by far the quickest option. If there’s two of you, I’d suggest ordering separate Grab scooters . When you’re coming from Noi Bai International Airport, you’ll obviously need a car for your luggage. Some expats in Hanoi hire or buy their own scooter but I wouldn’t recommend this unless you’re a real pro. The traffic is so hectic that it could be dangerous. Local buses also run and the routes are mostly marked on Google Maps. These cost practically pennies!

Day trips from Hanoi

With so many things to do in Hanoi, I don’t see how anyone could ever get bored. If you have a fourth day to add to your Hanoi itinerary, I would highly recommend…

The best day trip from Hanoi is Ninh Binh, a gorgeous countryside region just a two-hour drive away. Actually, I’d recommend catching a bus and staying overnight but if you’re tight on time, $48 will get you a fun and all-inclusive return day trip . The popular attractions in Ninh Binh are the Tam Coc cliffs and boat rides, as well as the numerous temples in the countryside. Read about how to plan a Ninh Binh day trip here.

The Perfume Pagoda

Also known as the Huong Pagoda, this stop is a series of Buddhist shrines and temples set into the mountains. It takes around two hours to reach from Hanoi and most visitors arrive via a day tour . I’ve never been myself as some people say it’s a bit of a tourist trap but I’ll leave you to make your own decision.

Bat Trang Pottery Village

Porcelain pottery has been made in Hanoi for seven centuries and provides a livelihood for countless residents. A visit to Bat Trang allows you to shop for souvenirs and visit the factory to learn about the rich history of Hanoi handicrafts. Take a day trip from Hanoi and arrive via a tour , local bus or taxi.

Where next?

After your Hanoi itinerary, you’re in a fantastic position to explore more of Vietnam’s most incredible attractions. To best explore, check out my Northern Vietnam itinerary . Must-see spots include…

Ha Long Bay

If you do one thing outside of Hanoi, make sure it’s Ha Long Bay . I’ve now been twice and I’d love to do it all again. Book a tour in any Hanoi agency and you’ll get picked up and driven to the harbour where you’ll board a cruise. The itinerary will include caves, kayaking and climbing viewpoints. Some people manage to do Ha Long Bay as a day trip though as it’s a three-hour drive each way that sounds pretty tiresome. I’d recommend taking a two-night cruise with the second night on Cat Ba Island. On the way to Cat Ba, you make it further into the bay (past the busy, touristic mouth) and see more local life. Browse GetYourGuide’s overnight Hanoi cruises including meals, kayaking and guides.

Magical little Sapa is a misty hilltown I had the pleasure of visiting for the first time recently. The main activity is trekking the rice terraces with a local guide who will take you to some of the most picturesque spots. The highlight for me was meeting the minority hill tribes who have their own unique languages and forms of traditional dress. Like Ha Long Bay, you can see Sapa in a short period of time if necessary. You can take a sleeper train from Hanoi , stay in Sapa Town and explore independently, or take a multi-day tour. Browse tours in any Old Quarter travel agency or book in advance . I took this 3 day tour with a homestay ( 2 day trip also available) or you can opt for a hotel stay instead.

Going down the coast?

Many people visit Hanoi at the beginning of their Vietnam trip. Once your 3 days in Hanoi are up, use my Vietnam travel itinerary to plan your trip. There’s so much to see and do in Vietnam so I’d recommend at least a month if you have time.

Spending time in other SE Asian countries? Read my 3 month Southeast Asia itinerary

Recap of my other Hanoi posts

• What to eat in Hanoi
• The best coffee shops in Hanoi
• Hidden & lesser known places in Hanoi
• Truc Bach area guide
• Ngoc Ha area guide
• Where to drink egg coffee in Hanoi

Thanks for reading my Hanoi itinerary!

Looking for more Vietnam inspo? Check out my blogs…

Central Vietnam posts:

• Solo travel in Vietnam
• The ultimate Hoi An itinerary
• The best Hoi An cafes
• Where to eat vegetarian food in Hoi An
• A complete street food guide to Hoi An
• Co-working cafes for digital nomads in Hoi An
• Hue Abandoned Waterpark
• How to spend 2 days in Hue
• Phong Nha National Park travel guide
• Quy Nhon travel guide – Vietnam’s hidden gem

Southern Vietnam posts:

• A complete Saigon itinerary
• How to take a Mekong Delta day trip from Saigon

See you next time for more adventures,

For more content, follow me on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter and YouTube .

Ps. Liked my 3 day Hanoi itinerary? Pin it for later!

VIETNAM QUICK LINKS Getting around by air – it’s easy to get between cities by flight. I use Skyscanner to find the best-value flights, using the ‘search by month’ tool to find the cheapest dates. You can also use the ‘to anywhere’ feature if you’re flexible on where you’re going. Stay connected with E-sim data plans that don’t require delivery or collection; just scan the QR code. In my opinion, Lonely Planet offer the best guidebooks. Get the latest Lonely Planet Vietnam . For Vietnam buses and trains , I use 12GoAsia . The search feature allows you to compare prices and durations. I use Booking.com for accommodation. They have the best range of hotels and self-catering apartments, plus you can filter by review score and price to find the best-rated budget places. For hostels, I use Hostelworld . To save money on accommodation, I use Trusted Housesitters , a website that connects homeowners going away and travellers who can sit their homes & pets. For activities, I use GetYourGuide as they have a huge range of affordable tours. Need travel insurance ? I use True Traveller (for UK & Europe residents) since it’s affordable but covers everything you’d need including various activities, valuables and pre-existing conditions. Unlike some companies, they insure you if you’re already travelling / don’t yet have your flight home booked. Get a quote . For travel insurance for other nationalities, I recommend Hey Mundo and for long-term digital nomad travellers, I suggest Safety Wing . Check out my resources page for more travel discounts and tips!

Rose is a solo traveller from the UK who has been on the road since 2015. She wants to show other women that solo travel isn't scary and doesn't have to be expensive! Rose has lived in Mexico, Canada and all over Asia, seeking out food, bubble tea and street art wherever she goes!

2 thoughts on “ 3 Days in Hanoi Itinerary (2024) for Culture & Food Fans! ”

Planning to visit Vietnam your veg/vegan restaurant at Hoi An information will help me a lot Thanks do you have this information for Hanoi ,Ho Chi Minh, Ha Long cities

Hello! I’m so glad you found it helpful. Sorry I don’t have vegan guides to those cities unfortunately!

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Discover Hanoi in 3-Nights: The Best Hanoi Travel Itinerary

By: Author Angela Price

Posted on Last updated: November 14, 2023

To kick off our incredible two-week trip around Vietnam and the last leg of our round-the-world trip, we would spend 3-nights in Hanoi and use it as a base to go on a 2-night cruise in Bai Tu Long Bay.

Arriving at Noi Bai Airport after a short 2-hour flight from Hong Kong, we were looking forward to exploring Vietnam’s capital city and discovering what made Hanoi such a popular place for travellers.

Ancient temples, bustling markets, serene beauty spots, and, of course, the famous Vietnamese egg coffee were all on our list of things to experience in Hanoi, and while Hong Kong had been an assault on our senses, we wondered how our three nights in Hanoi would compare. Would we prefer Hanoi or Hong Kong ?

This travel guide may contain affiliate links – For more information, please read my  disclaimer and privacy policy.

Table of Contents

Getting to Hanoi from the airport

With tremendous traffic volumes on the roads, getting to the hotel from the airport was eye-opening. We pre-booked a private transfer and sat back, watching the show unfolding on our journey into Hanoi.

Book your airport transfer with Welcome Pickups .

Families squeezed onto mopeds, and teenagers weaved in and out of the traffic – often in the wrong direction and huge loads ranging from plastic chairs, empty water bottles and goats were balanced precariously on the back of mopeds!

Add to that the constant sound of horn honking – something you must experience to believe – and we knew our Vietnam adventure had begun!!

The Hanoi Pearl Hotel

2 nights in Hanoi – 2 nights in Halong Bay – 1 night back in Hanoi – Flight to Hue

We arrived in the early evening for our three-night stay at the Hanoi Pearl Hotel . Besides exploring the city, Hanoi would work as a base for our cruise in Halong Bay.

We stayed in Hanoi for two nights, went to Halong Bay for two nights, and then returned to Hanoi for one night.

By doing this, we could check out and leave our suitcases at the hotel without paying for the two nights we wouldn’t be there.

When we returned from our cruise, we booked back in for one night and reclaimed our left luggage. It is worth noting that you can only take overnight bags onboard your cruise, not suitcases, due to storage space.

The Hanoi Pearl Hotel was even better than I expected and was close to Hoan Kiem Lake.

We had separate rooms rather than sharing, and they were large, nicely decorated and with comfy double beds, everything a weary traveller could want. They were a complete bargain, as are most things in Vietnam.

There was also a spa where we treated ourselves to a full body massage (well, it would be rude not to!)

The only frustrating element I encountered in the hotel was the security alarms on the room doors. The door alarm would be set off when the door wasn’t shut tightly.

How many guests couldn’t close their doors properly became apparent, adding to the perception of how noisy Hanoi would be.

Check out my two-week Vietnam itinerary guide to help you plan your trip.

Day one – evening in hanoi, how to navigate the roads.

After freshening up, we left the hotel and headed towards the lake, where we immediately heard the “honking of horns”, a trademark of Hanoi.

Blaring bike and car horns are used to warn other road users of incoming traffic, and as there are so many vehicles on the road, all weaving in and out of any vacant space they can find, it becomes something of a necessity!

Driving is crazy in Hanoi, so you must be vigilant when crossing the road, as the vehicles will not stop for you.

You must be confident, stride out and keep walking until you get to the other side of the road. It sounds hair-raising, but after you’ve done it a few times, it becomes second nature.

Hoan Kiem Lake

Having safely made it to the other side of the road, we were greeted with the sight of Hoan Kiem Lake , where many local activities occur.

The elderly showed that they “still had what it takes” with an energetic workout routine while a group of men watched chess players deep in thought over their next move.

Young lovers held hands and gazed affectionately at one another while nearby, a group of young boys in their martial arts kits were doing some impressive high-flying backflips while brandishing swords.

It’s not the usual thing you expect to see on a lakeside stroll, but this is why we were in Hanoi; a different culture, understanding, and experience.

We sat for a while and absorbed everything around us until Dominic suggested we get a cocktail.

We found a lovely bar/restaurant with views of the lake and finished our evening with a bowl of noodles and several very inexpensive cocktails.

Day Two – Morning in Hanoi

This morning, we had to find the Indochina Cruise HQ and pay the balance for the cruise tomorrow. We walked out of the hotel to the most torrential downpour, which was frustrating as we had picked April to travel as it was the dry season; someone hadn’t told the rain clouds that!

Google Maps pointed us in the right direction, and we headed to the Indochina office. The news was not what we wanted to hear; there was a chance that the cruise might be cancelled tomorrow due to bad weather.

I immediately kicked into my “ Mrs Organised Mode ,” Where would we go instead of the cruise? Where would we sleep? Would we get a refund? How would I cope with my disappointment?

Dominic told me not to worry, the calm wisdom of an 18-year-old, and with that, we left the office. We prayed that the weather would be beautiful in the morning and that our tour guide would turn up.

St Joseph Cathedral

Opposite the office was St Joseph Cathedral . It looked slightly out of place with its Notre Dame-like facade and almost worn exterior, but this Roman Catholic Church dominated these tiny backstreets of Hanoi.

Constructed in 1886 and providing a place of worship for the four million-plus Catholics in the country, this is the oldest church in Hanoi. It is named after Joseph, the patron saint of Vietnam and Indochina.

We went inside as a reprise from the rain and lit a candle to remember family members who had passed.

I have done this in every church and every country I have visited. It makes me feel like the spirits of my loved ones are enjoying the journey with me.

We walked around the streets and noticed French colonial buildings in the city centre. They are so full of colour and character that you can’t help but like them.

It’s time to try Vietnamese egg coffee

We were cold and wet and now in need of a hot drink. There are many great coffee shops in Hanoi, but after researching the best place to try the famous Vietnamese Egg Coffee, we headed back to the lake and the Note Cafe, just by the roundabout.

The Note Cafe is covered in travellers’ messages written on post-it notes and stuck on tables, walls, the ceiling and even in the toilet!

It is a fun concept, and we ensured we added our messages to the cafe interior. It became apparent that the ceilings of Vietnamese buildings are lower than at home, and we laughed as Dominic tried to stand up straight!

I ordered Vietnamese egg coffee, a recipe tweaked slightly depending on where you get it.

Made with coffee, condensed milk, sugar, and raw egg, it tastes like thick coffee custard. I enjoyed it, but Dominic took the safe route and stuck to a milkshake.

Ngoc Son Temple

We left the cafe and went to the Ngoc Son Temple, an 18th-century Buddhist shrine known as the Temple of the Jade Mountain . It is dedicated to General Tran Hung Dao (who defeated the Mongols in the 13th century).

Ngoc Son Temple sits on a tiny island accessible via a bright red bridge connecting the island to the lake’s northern shore. There is a nominal fee to enter, and it is small but still worth a visit.

Inside the temple are artefacts and offerings, with giant bonsai trees outside.

Despite the rain, our spirits were not dampened as we wandered along the streets of Hanoi taking in the sights of the local vendors going about their daily business.

I loved seeing the ladies wearing traditional Vietnamese conical hats called non la (leaf hat); handmade using palm tree leaves with bamboo and perfectly designed for the rain.

Hanoi’s Markets

The noisy and frenetic markets of Hanoi must be experienced to understand what they are like. Hawkers call out to shoppers, dogs and cats dart between your feet, and vehicles zig-zag along the roads, honking as they drive.

Don’t expect to have much pavement to yourself in Hanoi as the shops and stalls spill out onto them.

You will often find yourself on the road trying to avoid mopeds crisscrossing between the pedestrians, but this all adds to the experience.

Ancient street names indicate what product is sold there.

You will find one road selling only kitchenware, one selling shoes and even one selling fish tanks! It makes shopping easy as you only have to shop in one street to find precisely what you need, but you must also translate the road name!

If you are going to buy, then it is worth putting your bargaining skills to the test. However, as shopping in Hanoi is so inexpensive, please don’t insult the shopkeepers by offering them a pittance.

The ones we encountered were all amicable and happy to offer us a “good price”.

If you are in Hanoi at the weekend (Fri-Sun), go to the Night Market , where you will find everything at even lower prices.

Day Two – Afternoon in Hanoi

Temple of literature.

Our next stop was the Temple of Literature , slightly further out of Hanoi’s Old Quarter and not far from one of Vietnam’s Unesco World Heritage Sites – Thang Long.

If you fancy a long walk to immerse yourself in Hanoi’s surroundings, it will take around 30 minutes. Alternatively, hail a taxi, and for only a few dongs (the Vietnamese currency is Dong), you will be there in no time.

Originally built in 1070, the temple has been rebuilt over the centuries by the ruling Vietnamese dynasties. Its ancient style has been preserved and houses Vietnam’s first national university .

Traditional Vietnamese pavilions, statues, and halls are dedicated to the scholar Confucius .

There is a small entry fee, and although it will not take long to look around, it is worth immersing yourself in Vietnamese history and imagining life within its walls throughout the centuries.

Dominic realised that a theme was beginning to emerge relating to his height!

We left the Temple of Literature to find One Pillar Pagoda and Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. It was getting late by now, and these would be the last monuments we would visit while in Hanoi.

One Pillar Pagoda

One Pillar Pagoda was just that – a pagoda balanced on one pillar in a garden setting.

Emperor Ly Thai Tong constructed the pagoda between 1028 and 1054 to express his gratitude for having a son and male heir. It is regarded as one of the best temples in Hanoi.

A small Buddhist shrine at the temple entrance is to the deity Quan Am, Goddess of Mercy. There is no admission fee, but correct attire must be worn, and shoes must be removed.

Don’t arrive expecting a landmark similar to other temples in Hanoi, as this one is more of a small room. I was a little disillusioned with it, so I would advise you to skip it if you are short on time.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is one of the most visited attractions in Hanoi and is the final resting place of the most popular leader of Vietnam . He was president from 1945 to 1965 and founded the Communist-ruled Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

We arrived after closing time, so we could only walk around the grounds, but we still felt the importance of this monument as the security guards in their pristine white uniforms were watching us closely.

Ho Chi Minh’s preserved body, laid to rest in a glass case, is loved and respected by his people and affectionately called ‘Uncle Ho’ inside the mausoleum.

Vietnam’s second city, previously known as Saigon, is now named Ho Chi Minh City .

Day Two – Evening in Hanoi

Hanoi old quarter.

With tired legs and aching feet, we returned to the Old Quarter of Hanoi for dinner and cocktails at Luc Thuy , a beautiful restaurant with a large outside terrace across the street from Hoan Kiem Lake.

Even as a seasoned traveller, I’ve never eaten street food. I have a delicate stomach and don’t want the risk of being ill while travelling. I know I’m missing out, but I’m afraid I will always stick to prevention rather than cure!

Hanoi’s Weekend Night Market

Feeling replenished, we wandered back to the main thoroughfare in Hanoi by Hoan Kiem Lake and realised there were no mopeds or cars on the road.  What had happened? Where had they gone?

Dominic suddenly realised that it was Friday night, which meant one thing, the start of the Weekend Night Market .

Market stalls were set up, and the normally hazardous roads were closed to vehicles until Sunday evening.

One of the best things to do in Hanoi at night is to visit the weekend markets. We had thousands of Vietnamese dong in our pockets, worth about £50, and we were ready to do some serious shopping.

Authentic or counterfeit?

There is debate on whether the designer labels on sale are fake or authentic. Still, whatever the answer is, it looks like the real deal, and along with beautiful silk kimonos, sunglasses, incense burners, and ornaments, we were in our element, bartering with the vendors and experiencing a Vietnamese night market.

It is hard to put into words how lively it is. The colours, the smells, and the sounds from the streets are very immersive, and the realisation that you are thousands of miles from home and witnessing a completely different culture to your own becomes a reality.

Shopping is thirsty work, and plenty of bars line the streets and above the shops.

We wandered into a bar selling Hanoi-brewed pineapple cider, which we didn’t expect but thoroughly enjoyed, and discussed whether tomorrow would bring good news for our 2-night cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay.

Day Three – Morning in Hanoi

Heading off for our bai tu long bay cruise.

Devastating news circulated the hotel the following morning. Torrential storms had cancelled all cruises from the previous day. It seemed no one knew what would happen today, and my stomach sank.

The cruise was a highlight of our trip to Vietnam, and now we may not get to go. The reception staff tried calling my cruise company but to no avail. Other guests sat looking bewildered, waiting for news from their cruise companies. And then it happened.

A tour guide for another group walked in and called some names from a clipboard. Surely this had to be good news for us as well.

Finally, the last tour guide arrived and was there for us. Jumping for joy, we headed into the waiting vehicle, where Dominic calmly said, “Mum, I knew it would be ok!.”

With that, we were off on our journey to Halong Bay to join Indochina Junk for our 2-night Bai Tu Long Bay cruise.

Night Five – Our Last Evening in Hanoi

We returned from our cruise feeling very happy. It was a fantastic experience that I would recommend to anybody considering cruising in Vietnam.

Our last evening was rather chilled. We had a final wander around Hoan Kiem Lake and treated ourselves to dinner and delicious ice cream for dessert.

Tiredness had caught up with us, and we retired to our hotel in anticipation of our early morning flight to Hue for the start of our next Vietnamese adventure.

And the answer to whether we preferred Hong Kong or Hanoi is a big thumbs up for Hanoi; we loved everything about it.

Useful Tips for Planning a Trip to Hanoi

Best month to travel to hanoi.

I travelled at the beginning of April and encountered rain and sunshine. The months of March/April are high season due to less rainfall and a more comfortable climate; however, this also comes with higher prices for accommodation and flights, and as I found out, you can still expect showers.

November/December are the other two months that will offer you the same weather pattern.

In Vietnam’s summer – May to October – you must be prepared for a fair amount of rainfall; however, hotel prices will also decrease.

If you want to learn more about Hanoi weather, visit Sunheron , a website that will help you decide the best time for your holiday.

What to wear in Hanoi?

It can be humid, so wear breathable cotton clothing. Ensure you have something to cover your shoulders and legs during temple visits.

Pack a small umbrella for unpredictable rainfall.

Would I recommend The Hanoi Pearl?

Yes, I would. The Hanoi Pearl was located several roads back from the lake and was quiet, considering the noise outside.

The rooms were comfortable and nicely decorated, and the breakfast buffet was excellent. The staff were all friendly, and the hotel was spotless.

An alternative suggestion is the five-star luxurious Apricot Hotel opposite Hoan Kiem Lake and boasting a rooftop pool. Perfect for cooling down after a day of sightseeing.

How long do you need in Hanoi?

Three nights is adequate to see all of Hanoi’s sights. Five nights will be perfect if you want to travel at a slower pace or make a day trip from Hanoi.

What we loved about Hanoi, both day and night, was how safe we felt. The local people are friendly, and there is no pressure from vendors, which we found refreshing.

It is incredibly noisy and chaotic on the streets, which makes it different and adds to its character.

It is like stepping into a different time in history and a place I would return to.

Cool Things to Do in Hanoi

Check out some of the best street art in Asia at Phung Hung in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. See how the train arches have been transformed with beautiful murals telling the story of Hanoi through the ages.

Enjoy a great example of the typical architecture of Hanoi’s Old Town at the Ancient House of Ma May. Explore a traditional 19th-century Hanoian tube house built in a long tubular form subdivided into sections to be used for family living and as a business. Large gaps in the road signify where trade would take place.

Step back in time to the Unesco Citadel of Thang Long, constructed in Hanoi in the 11th century as the centre of the Vietnamese royal court and regional political power. 21st-century excavations have uncovered many artefacts and the foundations of ancient roads and palaces.  

Take a stroll around Hanoi’s green spaces at one of the best botanical gardens in Asia . The Hanoi Botanical Gardens is located around the Ho Chi Minh Presidential Palace, with flower borders and winding pathways leading to the central koi carp pond, a Vietnamese symbol of good luck.

Join a cookery class and learn how to cook a traditional Vietnamese dish.

Watch a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show at Thang Long Theatre.

You may have heard of “Train Street” – this was shut down to visiting tourists in 2019 due to the number of visitors it attracted wanting to capture photos of themselves on the tracks. As of 2022, it has re-opened but with more safety measures.

It can be found between the streets Phùng Hưng and Lý Nam Đế, right next to Hanoi’s Old Quarter. The exact location is 5 Trần Phú. Find it on Google Maps under the name Hanoi Train Street.

And if you want to stay in a fab apartment above Train Street where you can watch the trains race through the tiny railway track below you, book WECOZY Hanoi Railway Side .

Please PIN for Future Travel to Vietnam

Need to arrange travel insurance, car hire or accommodation? Check out my resources page to help you plan your trip.

Explore more of vietnam with me.

Vietnam’s Hidden Gems: 10 incredible destinations off the tourist trail

Vietnam’s 8 Unesco World Heritage Sites

Northern Vietnam

The perfect 2-night Bai Tu Long Bay Cruise

Central Vietnam

How to visit the Marble Mountains in Da Nang

Hai Van Pass: the best route by road from Hue to Hoi An

Discover Hoi An’s Lantern Festival

Naman Retreat Review: the best boutique resort in Da Nang

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Wednesday 12th of February 2020

Vietnam is high on my travel list so I am always interested in experiences of other travellers. You had an amazing trip. Vietnam is fascinating. I am only worried for food hygiene and crossing the streets. Haha, my man is taller than yours, so we'll have fun with doorways, too.

WhereAngieWanders

I have got to admit that I have never eaten street food (and probably never will) as I am always worried I am going to get ill but we found so many lovely restaurants while we were travelling that there was never any problem. My son has grown even taller since our trip!

Friday 31st of January 2020

I really feel for Dominic! 6ft 4 in Asia, he probably get stared at quite a lot too I should imagine! That’s why all those countries are perfect for me (I’m 4ft 11) as I just for right in! So glad you got to go to Halong Bay! I’m looking forward to reading all about it.

He was asked for photos with the locals quite frequently and had to stoop a lot to get through doors. We both found it hilarious. Halong Bay was amazing. I hope you get a chance to read my blog post.

Thursday 12th of December 2019

The post-it cafe looks amazing! I'm a big adventurer when it comes to food (too), so I would be in with you for the egg coffee. It sounds funny, never heard of it!

Friday 13th of December 2019

We spent quite a few hours in that cafe as it was raining so hard outside. It was great reading all the messages that travellers had written on the post-it notes and the egg coffee was so good. If you get a chance to visit Hanoi you must go, it is a fantastic place.

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3 Days In Hanoi Itinerary For The Ultimate Visit (2024)

Planning on spending 3 days in Hanoi, but not sure what exactly to do, Come check out my 3 days in Hanoi itinerary for everything you need to know about staying in this bustling city for a couple of days. So, let’s chat about the top things to do, where to stay, accommodation, and more!

Hanoi is a huge bustling city and one of the main gateways into Vietnam . If you are planning on traveling to this magical country it is likely you will find yourself in Hanoi at some point. Though, in all honesty, this city can get quite overwhelming. It is a whole crazy experience for the senses with constant noise, movement, and interesting smells.

Nevertheless, it is somewhere you shouldn’t skip. Hanoi is a great glimpse into city life and Vietnamese culture. It also is covered in history which is super important to the country and vital for you to learn as a traveler to appreciate all it, and its people have to offer. Not too long ago Vietnam was covered in war and bloodshed. It has come a long way, though you will find remits of the past everywhere, and it’s your responsibility as a traveler to completely discover a country and its people.

As a result my 3 days in Hanoi itinerary, doesn’t just focus on sightseeing or food, but also on places that are of important historical significance to the country of Vietnam and its people. So now let’s get into how you should spend your 3 days in Hanoi, what to do, the best restaurants to visit, where to stay and my top tips to stay safe and have a great time.

How To Spend 3 Days In Hanoi: A Hanoi Itinerary For First-Timers

How many days to spend in hanoi, day one of your three days in hanoi, day two of the 3 day hanoi itinerary, day three of 3 days in hanoi, hanoi travel tips.

🚗 How I Book Cheap Transport In Vietnam: Baolau & 12.Go Asia

You will no doubt find yourself in Hanoi at some point in your Vietnam travels. The question is how long do you want to spend here? Hanoi is a huge city with so much to see and do, unless you are a digital nomad looking to settle down here for a while it is unlikely you will see all of it. Nevertheless, you can manage to scratch off some of its huge surface by spending 3 days in Hanoi.

As mentioned above this will allow you to see some of the best things to do in Hanoi and learn about its past. From museums, and beautiful lakes, eating delicious food, and people-watching. Hanoi is a sensory overload and soon enough you will be discovering it.

No doubt you will also find yourself in Hanoi multiple times on your trip. This is simply because it happens to be an ideal starting point for multiple overnight trips to places like Sapa and Ha Long Bay . Though I will always recommend staying at least one night in Hanoi in case there are delays on the road, which can be a common occurrence in Southeast Asia.

On the first day of the 3 days in Hanoi itinerary, we will keep things local, assuming you are staying in the main tourist hotspot of The Old Quarter. You will be able to easily get around on foot today, though just be sure to check twice before crossing the road!

Morning- Discover The Old Quarter

Make your way to An Bread for a delicious breakfast before we start exploring some of the top sights in the Old Quarter. They specialize in street food favorites in a comfortable cafe setup. Basically providing the perfect opportunity for first-timers to try some Vietnam favorites in this country. Especially if you feel a bit daunted by the bustling street food stand or small local restaurants that only have menus in Vietnamese. Though if perhaps for breakfast you would rather have a more Western meal for breakfast try Lifted Coffee & Brunch . Here you can find favorites such as pancakes, eggs on toast, or omelets. They also specialize in delicious donuts with mouth-watering flavors.

Next up it’s time to discover some of the Old Quarter in Hanoi. Honestly, there is so much going on in Hanoi, each road you turn down will probably be an adventure. Nevertheless here are my top places to visit in the old quarter:

St Josephs Cathedral

I happened to actually be staying next door to the St Joseph Cathedral during my time in Hanoi. Though the downside was the early morning wake-up call from the bells ringing.

Nevertheless, this is a beautiful Cathedral and well worth checking out when you are in Hanoi. If you are there on a Sunday pop inside during the service and watch. We managed to do this and it was a beautiful way to check it out. Just remember to be considerate and stay quiet down the back, so as to not interrupt. Also if you like you can come back at night as the whole building gets lit up. Opening Hours : Daily 08:00 – 17:00 Location : 40 Nha Chung Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Dong Xuan Market

Any market you visit in Hanoi will be a shock to the senses. Whether it is busy, noisy, or has an interesting smell, markets here are unlike anything we have back in quiet old New Zealand. It is a great place to do a spot of shopping or simply people-watch.

The market is known for selling fresh produce, souvenirs, accessories, and clothing, as well as electronic and household appliances. Also on the ground floor, you will be able to find a wet market, selling all things interesting. It is actually the largest indoor market in Hanoi. If you are keen to purchase some souvenirs head up to the top floors. Just remember to haggle on prices! Opening Hours : Daily 06:00 – 19:00 Location : Dong Xuan Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Bach Ma Temple

Thought to be the oldest temple in Hanoi, Bach Ma Temple is a must-visit while in the area. This intricate Buddist temple was built by King Ly Thai in the ninth century. Originally it was located at Long Do Mountain, though was relocated to the Old Quarter in the 18 century. This was in hopes of guarding the east side of Thang Long.

There is no entry fee to visit Bach Ma Temple. Though it is expected that you dress appropriately by covering your shoulders and knees in respect for the religion and monks. Opening Hours : Tuesday to Sunday 08:00 – 11:00 & 14:00 – 17:00 Location : 76 Hang Buom Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Afternoon- Hoan Kiem Lake

Wow, what a busy morning of exploring! Time for a well-deserved lunch break! There are numerous foodie options in Hanoi and no doubt you will be able to find whatever your heart desires. Though if you are unsure head to Poke Hanoi for a delicious Poke Bowl nearby to our afternoon stop of Hoan Kiem Lake. Be aware that this place is a little bit hard to find, but it is well worth the struggle. Just keep your eyes open for signage that will lead you down a small alley and up a few flights of stairs. Don’t worry you will be rewarded with delicious food and an incredible view.

Next, make the short walk across Hoan Kiem Lake. In this place, you will find a much more relaxing and calm atmosphere than in the rest of Hanoi. Though no doubt you will find plenty of people also enjoying the peacefulness alongside you. This is a great place to people-watch and see what the locals of Hanoi get up to.

There are also a couple of places I highly recommend you visit around Hoan Kiem Lake and these are:

Ngoc Son Temple

Ngoc Son temple is hard to miss while you are visiting Hoan Kiem Lake. This impressive temple sits in the middle of the lake and is the most visited temple in Hanoi. It was built in the 18th century on Jade Island in the middle of the lake.

Ngoc Son temple translates to Temple of Jade Mountain and was dedicated to the war hero General Tran Hung Dao. During the 13th century, he defeated an army of over 3000 soldiers which were sent by Mongolian Emperor Kublai Khan.

You can access the temple over the famous Huc Bridge, also known as the rising sun bridge. It features paintings of classical Vietnamese design making it quite a beautiful design. The pagoda itself is guarded by two posts covered in Chinese writing.

Entry Fee: 30,000 VND / $1.32

Opening hours: 8:00 – 18:00 from Monday to Sunday

Location: Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

The Note Coffee

The Note Coffee is a famous cafe spot in Hanoi. Now be aware it is a bit instagramy so if that is not your style feel free to skip this option. I recommend grabbing a drink (how about an egg coffee?) and sitting down for a bit of light reading.

What makes this place special are the thousands of notes left by other visitors plastered all over the walls. Like seriously everywhere! You can find life lessons, inspirational quotes, jokes, and more spread over the building’s four stories. You can also write your own note to leave on the walls for other people to discover.

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Evening – Beer Hoi at Bai Hoi Junction

Tonight is the night you discover the nightlife of Hanoi that you won’t find in brochures at travel agencies. This is a quintessential part of any backpacker’s evenings in Hanoi. Here you will find those typical little plastic chairs and tables on the streetside filled with punters drinking the cheapest cups of beer you have ever heard of! Seriously they cost anywhere from 5000 VND to 10,000 VND / $0.22 to $0.44.

Though before you get too excited the beers only contain about 4% alcohol, so you may find you need a couple before you get a bit of a buzz. Nevertheless, luckily the prices are cheap enough that they will barely even be noticeable in your backpacking Vietnam travel budget .

Also, yes I know you haven’t had dinner just yet. One of the best things about partaking in beer hoi is the numerous street food options nearby. On Hang Buom you can find plenty of Banh Mi stalls that will keep you going. If this doesn’t tickle your fancy you can also kebabs and fried food for sale, any drunken person’s go-to option.

Location : Between 1 Pho Ma May and 9 Pho Ma May

Time: 5 pm until about midnight

Welcome to your second day on the 3 days in Hanoi itinerary. Today we will be discovering some of Hanoi’s history and testing out some local food before finishing the day doing one of the bucketlist experiences in Vietnam.

Morning- The Temple Of Literature

It’s time for another busy day in Hanoi. Now depending on how many beers you enjoyed last night will affect how you wake up feeling. Luckily a delicious breakfast is bound to help the worse of hangovers. Hanoi Coffee Station is the perfect spot for such circumstances. This popular breakfast spot will have you energized and ready to explore in no time.

Once you are ready to head off make your way to The Temple of Literature. It is about 2 kilometers from Hoan Kiem Lake. Though waiting at a lot of busy intersections can increase how long it takes to get there. As a result, you may find it more efficient to take a Grab taxi (this is basically the Southeast Asian version of Uber).

Contradictory to the name the Temple of Literature isn’t actually a temple. It was originally built as a university in 1070 for Confucius, scholars, and sages. The building has been well preserved and showcases the traditional style of Vietnamese architecture perfectly.

• Opening Hours : Tuesday – Sunday 8:30 – 11:30 & 13:30 – 16:30
• Address : 58 Quoc Tu Giam, Van Mieu, Dong Da, Hanoi
• Price Range : VND 10,000

Afternoon- Food Tour

Now, there is no time for lunch today, because you will be eating all the delicious Vietnamese food on your food tour! Taking a food tour is a great way to discover some fantastic local spots in the city and find out about new favorite dishes. Your local guide will also be able to share some of the histories of Hanoi, its people, and the local places you will be eating at.

One of the best ways to discover a new city is through its food and its people, and taking a food tour combines both of these. Prices from Get Your Guide on the photos below start from as little as $25.00 which is a bargain for a food tour! Book Online:

Evening- Water Puppet Show

Now, after all, that eating it is unlikely you are hungry for dinner so we will head to our evening activity, watching a Water Puppet Show. This is a must-do in Vietnam and Hanoi is the perfect place to watch one of these shows.

The Water Puppet Show has for a long time been a Vietnamese favorite. They depict scenes from life in the countryside in Vietnam by using puppets in the water. It is now put on a lot for tourists visiting the city, both international and domestic.

Be aware it will be in the Vietnamese language, but the shows are easy enough to follow long. One of the best spots for travelers in Hanoi to watch these shows is at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in the Old Quarter. Tickets can be pre-booked online or purchased at the door.

Ticket Cost: 100,000 VND / $4.40

Time: Daily 15:00, 16:10, 17:20, 18:30 & 20:00

Location: Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre near Hoan Kiem Lake

Let’s make the most of our final day of the Hanoi itinerary. Today we will learn about some more of Vietnam’s past with a museum visit, then the Instagram hotspot of train street, and then followed with the perfect ending, a delicious cocktail, and one of the best views in the city.

Morning- Museum Visit

After a bit more of a quiet evening than the night before you should hopefully wake up feeling a bit more refreshed and ready to explore. First up is breakfast. Today I recommend checking out Bancong Cafe in the Old Quarter. Their breakfast menu consists of both traveler favorites as well as popular local dishes. So no matter what you are craving you should find something here. Next, we will continue learning about the past on this 3 days in Hanoi itinerary by checking out a couple of museums:

The Women’s Museum

Visiting the Women’s Museum is something I highly recommend doing on your Vietnam itinerary . This place showcases the feminist culture within Vietnam by featuring rare artifacts, and untold stories about how women have helped shape the country and affected its history. Here you will learn to appreciate what they have been through and the efforts they have put into protecting and building this country.

It is a super interesting way to spend a few hours and you will certainly leave with a changed perspective on women in this country.

Entry Fee : 40,000 VND / $1.76

Opening Hours: 08:00 – 17:00, Monday to Sunday

Location : Number 36 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Maison Centrale Hanoi

One of the historical locations you need to visit in Hanoi includes Maison Centrale, also known as Hao Lo Prison or the Hanoi Hilton. This prison housed Vietnamese revolutionaries and American prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. During this time up to 2000 prisoners were crammed into the buildings, which housed only hold 600 people. It is somewhere many people were tortured and executed.

Coming here you will learn about the experiences these people went through in the not-so-distant past.

Entry Fee : 30,000 VND / $1.32

Opening Hours: Daily from 08:00 until 17:00 and closed for lunch from 11:30 until 13:30

Location : Hoa Lo Street

Daytime-Train Street

One of the most popular things to do in Hanoi is visit Train Street. This Instagram hotspot attracted hundreds of people per day pre-pandemic. This is simply a narrow bit of train track that weaves tightly between buildings in the busy city. There are numerous cafes along the tracks that you can visit and grab yourself a delicious lunch.

You may see online that many of the train street cafes shut down in 2019. Though be aware that quite a few reopened quietly in the year 2020 and have been selling to the small number of tourists visiting the area.

Evening- Visit A Skybar

Welcome to your final evening in Hanoi. Tonight, to finish off your 3-day Hanoi itinerary we will visit a sky bar for some epic views and delicious drinks. Now be aware, this will be a bit pricier than Beer Hoi from a couple of days ago. Though the views up here are much better than sitting streetside.

One of the top Sky Bars in Hanoi is Skyline Hanoi . Here you can grab dinner as well as a few drinks while you take in the beautiful views over Hoa Kiem Lake and the Hanoi skyline. Even with the views, prices here are still not on par with Western countries. Mains start at about 160,000 VND / $7.00 so it is still in a backpacker’s price range for a one-off meal.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Travel Blogger ✨ Laura (@girlgoinglobal)

Now you know what to do in Hanoi I will give you my top travel tips. These will help you have a fantastic time in the city and know what to expect when you are there. Make sure to research various scams in advance, as there are numerous seemingly down every street in the city. Though don’t let this put you off as Vietnam is so cheap, if you do get scammed it is likely to be for a small amount. For more in-depth tips I recommend checking out my backpacking Hanoi travel guide for all you need to know about this crazy city.

Safety While In Hanoi

Hanoi is a relatively safe place. Of course, there is the exception of the many scams you will find in Asian countries. In all honesty, these are common in Hanoi. Though luckily serious crime isn’t common. You just need to be aware of scams in Vietnam and petty theft during your 3 days in Hanoi.

Don’t use your phone near the roadside. A common occurrence in Vietnam is that someone will drive by with a motorbike and snatch it from your hands. If you need to use your phone to check your location face in towards a building.

Basically don’t stop on the street if a local person starts to talk to you. I know this is a broad statement. Though the number of travelers I have seen scammed just because they stopped and reciprocated conversion is crazy. Whether they take your shoes to be cleaned and demand ridiculous prices to get back, you took a photo carrying fruit or simply purchased some donuts. It’s exhausting but unfortunately, you need to second-guess people’s intentions in Hanoi.

When booking tours it can be safer to book online or through your hotel. This is simply because even though you may think you have stumbled on their offices in Hanoi, there is a chance you have not. Even though the company name and logo are on the door it doesn’t mean this is the correct spot.

Don’t drink the water out of the tap. Circle K (which happens to be around every corner) has plenty of cheap water bottles and many hostels will do free refills.

Lastly when it comes to crossing the road. be careful. Just remember you need to remember to look straight ahead and keep walking. Do not try to dodge the motorbikes, instead, you need to trust that they will avoid you.

Where To Stay In Hanoi

Hanoi is a huge city so you will have plenty of choices. From luxury 5-star resorts, locally run guesthouses, and modern hostels. Though considering you are reading a budget travel blog I will consider you are more of a reserved traveler when it comes to spending.

The area of Hoan Kiem, or The Old Quarter, is the best part of Hanoi for travelers to stay in, especially if this is their first trip. It is full of culture with temples, old gates, small alleys, and traditional shops, making it the picture-perfect spot. This is the most popular spot to stay for travelers and it’s easy to see why.

On my last visit, I stayed at a hostel in the Old Quarter called Chien Hostel (you can click the link to read about my experience staying and what to expect from a Hanoi hostel). Though unfortunately, it has now shut down. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of affordable, but lux, hostel options in the Old Quarter. One of these is Hanoi City Backpackers Hostel . Here you can find dorm beds starting from $5.00! They all have the very important privacy curtain, personal lights, sockets, and more, a real step up from those creaky metal bunk beds!

Where To After Backpacking Hanoi

When you have finished up in the north of Vietnam in Hanoi you can easily continue your adventures in the country. I highly recommend staying a month here and traveling from north to south, or visa versa. Whether you wish to travel by sleeper bus, train, or plane it is up to you. Hanoi has major transport links to the rest of the country and you will easily be able to get from point A to point B.

North: Why not head further north? The beautiful town of Sapa is famous for trekking the rice terraces and is on many people’s Vietnam bucket lists . You could also do the Ha Giang Loop. Also, you cannot forget the famous Ha Long Bay , which is a must for anyone visiting Vietnam.

South: Alternatively, you can head down South. Honestly, I recommend taking the train down Vietnam and hitting up some of the highlights including seeing Phu Quoc, Imperial City of Hue , Hoi An , snorkel In Nha Trang , see the sand dunes in Mui Ne and the tunnels in Ho Chi Minh . Vietnam is a huge country and there are so many things to do here! This will no doubt fill up your month in this incredible country.

Any Questions? Let me know in the comments!

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Want more Vietnam Inspiration? Check out….

• BACKPACKING HANOI
• TRA QUE VEGETABLE VILLAGE IN HOI AN, VIETNAM
• 2 DAYS IN HUE BACKPACKING ITINERARY
• A MORNING AT THE MY SON TEMPLES IN HOI AN, VIETNAM
• EXPLORE THE IMPERIAL CITY OF HUE IN VIETNAM
• HANOI TO SAPA
• SURVIVING A VIETNAM SLEEPER TRAIN
• TAKING A VIETNAM SLEEPER BUS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• HOW TO SPEND 3 DAYS IN SAPA
• TRAVELING FROM HANOI TO SAPA

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. So, if you click on it and purchase something, I get a small percentage at no extra cost to you. As always all opinions are my own and your support is much appreciated.

Photo credit: “ “Hanoi- Water Puppet Show  ( CC BY 2.0 ) by Audrey_Sel

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Tasha Amy is a true backpacker at heart and has been discovering the world on a budget since 2015. Based in Gisborne, New Zealand she will spend many months each year traveling overseas as a solo female traveler before coming home and sharing her adventures online with you.

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12 Things To Do in Hanoi, Vietnam

Welcome to Hanoi, where the street is king! Experience delicious street food on every corner, watch trains squeeze behind narrow houses, and traffic merge into each other from every possible direction. The energy and vibrancy of this addictive Vietnamese city is not to be missed, so aim to spend 2-3 days exploring all the things to do in Hanoi.

Things to do in Hanoi

Although Hanoi is not the largest city in Vietnam , it has taken the title of the capital of the country. As a result, there are plenty of amazing things to do in Hanoi.

Read: Complete 3-week Vietnam Route Guide

1. Hanoi Motorbike Tour

Join a motorbike tour and hurtle through Hanoi’s Old Quarter back streets. Hanoi Backstreet Tours is a fantastic tour that uses vintage Minsk motorcycles for the journey. Enjoy the surroundings on the back of these motorcycles while you ride over famous bridges and stop at authentic markets.

The well-informed guides provide you with local knowledge and plenty of information about Hanoi and its history. The tour will also take you around the green region, which is a lovely contrast to the busy morning in the metropolis. The tour covers most of the city’s highlights and is easily one of the most fun things to do in Hanoi!

Here are all your hotel options in Hanoi.

2. Leave a Note at The Note Coffee

Coffee is a way of life in Hanoi and there are many excellent cafes to choose from. However, a special ‘note’ has to be made for The Note Coffee. This cute little cafe asks customers to leave a handwritten note, on colorful sticky paper, on the normally empty walls.

Hence the name ‘The Note Coffee’- a three-story building, with walls fully covered in colored notes. Read the notes from other visitors and make sure to leave one yourself!

Open from 6.30 AM – 10.30 PM every day and is located here .

3. Hanoi Old Quarter

No visit to Hanoi would be complete without seeing the Old Quarter! This is one of the city’s oldest areas, dating back 2000 years. Here you’ll see a perfect representation of the local life in Hanoi.

Expect to see old houses lining narrow alleys, locals transporting goods on the carrying pole, and traffic crossing from every possible road.

Tip: When crossing the road, make sure to walk slowly out into the street and directly across, so that traffic can move safely around you.

4. Train Street of Hanoi

Set in a narrow back street, squeezed between rows of shanty houses and cafes, there is a railway, where trains speed through twice a day. This world-famous train street is one of the most surprising things to do in Hanoi.

Discover Charming Hoi An

It’s possible to sit outside the cafes and feel the air pressure as the train passes centimeters away from your body. However, police do ensure that only those enter the street who buy something from the cafes. It’s recommended to ask about the train times at your hotel as it changes often.

Mon-Fri: 6.00 AM, 7.00 PM Sat-Sun: 6.00 AM, 9.00 AM, 11.20 AM, 3.20 PM, 5.30 PM, 6.00 PM, 7.00 PM, 7.45 PM, 8.30 PM, 9.00 PM, 11.00 PM

5. Drink Coffee!

Vietnam is, surprisingly, the world’s second-largest coffee producer. The coffee craze started due to French colonialism and has grown ever since. Because of this, you are never further than two steps away from amazing coffee shops, where Vietnamese locals gather around to enjoy the hot brew. 

Tip: Try the typical Vietnamese egg coffee, which is made with egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk, and robusta coffee. Sugary goodness!

Here are some of our favorite coffee shops to try in Hanoi:

• Loading T Cafe
• Hidden Gem coffee
• The Note Coffee

6. Eat at the Hanoi Night Market

If you’re visiting Hanoi over the weekend, make sure to visit the night market that takes place in the Old Quarter. Everything from ceramics to clothing is sold. Also, make sure to haggle for the best price, as this is an extremely common practice in Northern Vietnam. Finally, grab some amazing street food at one of the many stands. Open from 6.00 PM – 12.00 AM on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

More food? Join a Hanoi cooking class!

7. Luxury French Street (Phan Dinh Phung Street)

Phan Dinh Phung Street is undoubtedly one of the grandest avenues in the city. The wide road, with overhanging trees, has a very distinct feel from the rest of Hanoi and its small back streets. Take a walk down the avenue, admiring the impressive mansions and old French villas whilst the sunlight streams through the shadowing trees.

8. Long Bien Bridge

Long Bien is an incredible steel-structured bridge connecting the Hoan Kiem and Long Bien district. Sadly, the bridge was victim to many bombings over the years of the war. Consequently, it has fallen into disrepair and is under renovation.

Now only pedestrians, cycle bikes, mopeds, and trains use the bridge, and the majority of traffic uses other routes across. Because of this, it’s possible to admire the industrial beauty of the orange rusty posts set around the old train track. 

Don’t forget to: get your Visa for Vietnam

9. St Joseph’s Cathedral

The French Colonial government built St Joseph’s Cathedral with the aim of mimicking the style of Notre Dame in Paris . Hence why it differs hugely from the other buildings in the city. Noticeably, it is the oldest church in Hanoi! The gothic style is very impressive from the outside, but it is also worth taking a look inside, too, for the medieval European feel, especially as it’s free entry.

Tip: Hungry? Enjoy a coffee and a bite to eat at one of the cafes set in the square overlooking the church. La place cafe is a great choice with a balcony!

10. Hanoi Trompe L’Oeil Murals

The Trompe L’Oeil murals are a community art project painted on the railway arches of Phung Hung Street. The project began between South Korea and Vietnam in order to celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations. ‘Trompe L’Oeil’ is a visual illusion within the artwork, and these murals are exactly that!

The artwork displays acts of local life in a way that the artwork blends in with the day-to-day goings of the city. The visual illusion, and 3D elements of the paintings, mean that people can interact with the art by taking photos and positioning themselves to make it look like they are part of it.

11. Hoan Kiem Lake

Make your way to Hoan Kiem Lake at dawn to watch the sunrise over the misty water. Sit amongst the trees while watching locals enjoying their morning tai chi or yoga. Beautiful!

As a result, Hoan Kiem Lake feels like a spiritual haven amongst the chaos of the city. Even better, it sits right in the center, so you are never far away! Don’t miss out on one of the most famous things to do in Hanoi.

Ngoc Son Temple

Ngoc Son Temple is a stunning Vietnamese pagoda that sits in the center of the lake. Named the ‘rising sun’ bridge, it’s painted in bold red and pictured on many postcards. Walk across the bridge and enter the pagoda between 8 AM – 6 PM.

Tickets cost: Adult ticket- 30,000/ Student-15,000 VND (0.75 – 1.5 USD). Children under 15 free.

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

On the edge of Hoan Kiem Lake is the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, where you can watch the ancient tradition of Vietnamese puppetry played out on a pool of water.

12. Day Trip to Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay, one of the natural wonders of the world and of UNESCO status, is an absolute must-see on any trip to Vietnam . It is unique because of its limestone karsts, rising up out of the ocean amongst beautiful bays and luscious greenery.

Everything you need to know about Ha Long Bay

Take a boat trip and watch locals fishing from floating villages, or kayak along the bay’s many white-sand beaches.  Ha Long Bay is located only a few hours to the east of Hanoi, by bus, and for that reason, it is the perfect spot for a day trip. Check with your hotel what options they offer, as most accommodations in Hanoi offer Ha Long Bay trips as part of their service.

Tip : Ha Long Bay has got busier in recent years. Lan Ha Bay is another excellent, and lesser-known option, situated close by.

How to Get to Hanoi

Hanoi is one of the easiest places to travel to in Vietnam because of its capital city status. Noi Bai International Airport serves the city with international flights from all over the world. From the airport to the Old Quarter is approximately a 1-hour journey by public bus/shuttle bus or taxi. This is due to the traffic in the city.

Domestic flights also leave Noi Bai for other destinations in Vietnam. Make sure to check which airport your domestic flight is leaving from, as there are other airports in Hanoi.

Hanoi is also well-served to other parts of the country by public buses and trains. You can even choose to take a public bus across the border to Laos or Cambodia if you are continuing your travels.

Browse your public transport tickets online

Getting Around

Once in Hanoi, it is relatively easy to get around. Use apps like ‘Grab’ to hire a taxi or bike to take you between destinations. It’s best to opt for a motorbike, over a taxi, because they will find it easier to avoid traffic jams. Choose a hotel or guesthouse in the Old Quarter or Hoan Kiem in order to be able to explore the main sights on foot.

Restaurants in Hanoi

Hanoi is world-famous for its mind-blowing street food! The choices are endless, and travelers will eat some of the best food of their lives here. Whether it’s a steaming bowl of hot pho or a banh mi sandwich, there is a street food favorite for everyone. These are some of our favorite places to eat in Hanoi:

• Hanoi Night Market
• The Hanoi Social Club
• Hoang’s Restaurant
• Tung’s Kitchen

Where to Stay in Hanoi

Vietnam is still reasonably cheap. As a result, the quality of guesthouses and hotels in Hanoi is extremely high for the money you’ll pay. Situate yourself in the Old Quarter or near Hoan Kiem Lake so that you can see all the things to do in Hanoi on foot.

Hotels in Hanoi 😴

There are also some lovely neighborhoods further out, like Tay Ho, which has great options. However, expect to have to take grab motorbike in order to reach the center.

Best Time to Visit Hanoi

Unlike other areas in Vietnam, Hanoi is very seasonal. This means winters can be very cold and summers very hot and humid. Because of this, it’s best to visit in the Spring (Feb-April) or the Autumn (October-November).

Tip: Avoid public holidays, such as TET, as most shops/restaurants will be closed, and services will be greatly reduced.

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• Get a Travel Insurance via Heymondo
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10 Best Things to Do on Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

Vietnam travel guide: a complete 3-week itinerary, discover vietnam by motorbike with easy riders.

Looking for more travel information? Plan a chat with us for personalised travel advice or get an answer from the Salt in our Hair Travel Community on Facebook.

update: you can visit the train street, cafes are open :) but police is on the entrance so only people who buy something from the train street shops can get in

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25 AMAZING Things to Do in Hanoi, Vietnam (2024 Guide)

• Last Updated: January 22, 2024

From visiting the Temple of Literature to sitting under the very same tree where Buddha got enlightened, this is our list of the best things to do in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The capital of Vietnam, Hanoi is also one of the most ancient capitals in the world. Its history is rich, devastating, and full of legends.

This French-colonial city is a cultural mix of Eastern and Western influences that are mirrored in the style of many architectural gems in Hanoi.

Check out our complete travel guide on what you need to know when you  travel to Vietnam .

Some of these gems that travellers can discover are remarkably preserved colonial buildings, unique museums, the world’s largest mosaic, and ancient pagodas.

While its traffic is hectic and fast-paced, you’ll be happy to know that it’s a great place to explore on foot.

This mystical city is also known for its cuisine, silk, buzzing nightlife as well as cultural diversity. Its home to a large community made up of Chinese, French and Russian influences. There are also lots of places to learn about the interesting Vietnamese history.

To get away from the chaos of the always-buzzing city life you’re a short drive away to its tranquil countryside where you’ll be surrounded by lush parks, mountains, and traditional villages.

Table of Contents

1) Go on a Free Walking Tour of the City

2) wander around the old quarter, 3) see the ancient house and st joseph’s cathedral in the old quarter., 4) visit the ho chi minh mausoleum, 5) people watch at hoan kiem lake, 6) visit the ngoc son pagoda, 7) go shopping at dong xuan market, 8) catch a show at the opera house, 9) don’t miss the vietnamese woman’s museum, 10) visit the temple of literature, 11) learn about the hoa lo prison museum (the hanoi hilton), 12) appreciate the works in the vietnam fine arts museum, 13) eat all of the food…seriously, 14) brush up on ethnic history at the vietnam museum of ethnology, 15) find a rooftop bar, 16) visit the unesco world heritage site of the imperial citadel of thang long, 17) get social and drink bia hoi on the street, 18) visit one pillar pagoda, 19) enjoy some peace and quiet at west lake, 20) visit tran quoc pagoda, 21) see a water puppet show, 22) take a cooking class, 23) make your own pottery at bat trang ceramic village, 24) wander the themed streets of hanoi, 25) check out the 4-kilometre mosaic wall, our guide on the best things to do in hanoi, vietnam.

If you’re in luck and you’re getting to discover Hanoi for the first time, here are some of our choices on things to do in Hanoi, Vietnam.

From eating incredible street food, to learning about history and the Vietnam War, to seeing temples and pagodas, let’s get into all the cool things to do in Hanoi.

One of the best ways to get acquainted with any city in the world is to go on a walking tour.

Go on a half a day or a full-day tour, and take in some of the best sights around the city.

Being guided by a local student, these tours in Hanoi Vietnam allow you to find the best attractions, restaurants, bars and hidden spots around the city, and really is one of the best things to do in Hanoi.

There are a bunch of different variations of these Hanoi tours, so whether you’re interested in the French Quarter, the Ho Chi Minh Complex, Vietnamese history, or just finding the best street food in the city, these guys have you covered.

Note that while the tours are free, donations are expected for guides that do a great job. This is definitely one of the best things to do in Hanoi.

The Old Quarter is one of the two most well-known districts in Hanoi (the other being the Ba Dinh District). The Old Quarter is a business centre and also a very prominent spot among tourists.

A typical scene in Hanoi streets are sidewalks teeming with bicycles and scooters while crowds of people scavenge markets and barter loudly with street vendors.

While exploring the Old Quarter you have no choice but to confront the traffic as a local would do and experience the history on the go.

Old Quarter is an interesting blend of ancient history (Hanoi celebrated a millennial birthday in 2010) and commercialism.

Packed with French colonial architecture, traditional Vietnamese architecture, pagodas and Buddhist temples you’ll want to get lost in its streets. The streets of Old Quarter carry names of the business that were set up over 1,000 years ago.

Most of these businesses were craft shops. But today a lot of them turned into something more commercial and modern.

Even now you can still find shops owned by the same families for centuries, selling original Vietnamese handcrafted products.

Expect to see lots of cafes, restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and bars even in this historical area of Hanoi, Vietnam.

The best way to understand the difference between Vietnamese architecture and French colonialism is through these two buildings (luckily both situated in the same neighbourhood near Hoan Kiem Lake).

The Ancient House is made of two main blocks bound together by a square yard in the middle on the ground floor, and a small balcony on the 1st floor.

The yard is included at the centre of the building to moderate the air, providing the house with sunlight and cool air.

Today, you can come and see the Ancient House and see first-hand how the people of Hanoi Vietnam lived.

On the other hand, Saint Joseph Cathedral is a hybrid of Vietnamese and Western architectural style.

Saint Joseph Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral done in a Neo-Gothic style. It was built around 120 years ago.

The cathedral was constructed and completed in 1886 after the French army conquered Hanoi.

The architecture of the Saint Joseph Cathedral clearly follows the rules of the Gothic style and design of the Paris Cathedral.

The appearance of the cathedral, the doors, the stained glass windows and the religious paintings all follow a clear Western style.

But the interior is decorated in a Vietnamese way, with dominating colours of yellow and red.

READ MORE: Plan your stay in Hanoi, Vietnam with this great 3-day itinerary !

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is the resting place of the revolution leader Ho Chi Minh , who was the President of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

It is located at the very same place where, in 1945, Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence and established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum was inspired by Lenin’s Mausoleum (in Moscow) but with a Vietnamese twist . It incorporates elements that are tied to Vietnamese architecture like the sloping roof.

The exterior of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is made of grey granite while the interior is black, grey and red polished stone. All of the material used for construction was acquired from all over Vietnam.

Fauna from different regions of Vietnam surrounds the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum.

The embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh is located in the central hall of the mausoleum, protected at all times by a military guard.

In addition to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, learn more at the Ho Chi Minh Museum.

The two attractions are within a short walk of each other. At the Ho Chi Minh Museum, you can see documents, films, and objects about the famous leader.

Hoan Kiem Lake, adjacent to the French Quarter, got its name (Lake of the Restored Sword) from a legend.

In ancient times circulated a story that claimed the Heaven-sent Emperor Ly Thai To a sword with magical properties. He used that sword to banish the Chinese from Vietnam.

Following the end of the Vietnam War, a giant golden turtle took the sword and escaped to the depths of Hoan Kiem Lake to return the sword to its divine owners thus earning its name, the Lake of the Restored Sword.

If you’re not amused by legends don’t fret because the Hoan Kiem Lake is special for other things as well.

Hoan Kiem is the only lake in Vietnam that is home to an iconic tortoise.

The tortoise is considered a sacred animal so the lake of Hoan Kiem itself is a holy place. If you’re in luck you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of these majestic animals.

It was long thought they had become instinct until one crawled out of the lake a few years ago.

The Hoan Kiem Lake is very popular among Hanoians as a gathering place for families, nature lovers, and hangouts.

If you want to spend time as the local residents do, make sure to show up at Hoan Kiem at 6 am and practice Tai Chi with them.

The best time to visit Hoan Kiem Lake is from Fridays to Sundays because the nearby traffic is banned from 7 PM to midnight turning it into a peaceful oasis.

When you’re finished exploring Hanoi, Vietnam, make sure you visit the  beautiful village of Mai Chau.

If the Hoan Kiem Lake itself isn’t enough to peak your interest, then make sure to visit the Ngoc Son Temple, a pagoda surrounded by the Hoan Kiem lake.

The pagoda was built in memorial of the 13th-century figure Tran Hung Dao, a brave military leader who fought against the Yuan Dynasty.

The island on which the pagoda is built is known as Jade Island and is accessible by the famous Rising Sun Bridge at the edge of the French Quarter.

The bridge is built out of wood and coloured red in a classical Vietnamese fashion.

The pagoda and lake are probably the most famous places to visit in Hanoi. It’s one of those places where you just come to lay down, relax and enjoy the blissful quiet.

Established in the late 19th century, the Dong Xuan Market can be found in a four-story communist styled building on the edge of the Old Quarter.

Dong Xuan Market is the largest indoor market in Hanoi and one of the best things to do if you need to shop. What one can find there is truly astounding.

Whatever you’re looking for whether it’d be some fresh local produce, souvenirs or in need of a laptop – chances are some vendor tucked away has it.

Like other markets in Southeast Asia, Dong Xuan Market has a market section specifically for meat, seafood, vegetables, and flowers from all across Vietnam. You’ll find some of the best street food in Hanoi here.

If you’re not into testing the different flavours of Vietnam head up to the upper floors.

You will be able to find handbags, fabrics, handicrafts all of which is being sold at wholesale prices!

Dong Xuan market is a Hanoi must-see!

Like the St Joseph’s Cathedral, the Hanoi Opera House was modelled after one of Paris’s counterparts, the Palais Garnier.

The Hanoi Opera House follows the European style quite clearly. It has Italian marble floors, ceilings decorated with French murals and copper chandeliers.

The Hanoi Opera House is regarded as one of the most famous architectural and cultural landmarks in Hanoi .

Today, the opera house has a strong cultural influence and is a centre for art shows, dance performances, and concerts.

Want to see it all in a day? Check out this awesome  guided day-tour of Hanoi on Klook ! Use the code “NMDSKLK” to get $5 off your first booking.

This cool modern museum just a short walk from the opera house offers a beautiful tribute to the women of Vietnamese history.

The museum is run by the Women’s Union of Vietnam.

The museum focuses on the position of Vietnamese women throughout history. From street merchants, mothers to entrepreneurs and scholars.

The narratives focus on their role in society, the obstacles they overcame as society changed, and an abundance of information on everyday life, such as marriage, motherhood, fashion, and life-changing rituals.

One of the most interesting exhibits focuses on the position women played in the Vietnam War.

The museum has displayed a lot of information about all of its exhibits in French and in English. Historic relics which include Taoist books (among other impressive collected artifacts) give an in-depth insight into a better understanding of the women of Vietnam.

The Temple of Literature is often regarded as one of the most visited tourist attractions .

In 1070 the Temple of Literature was made with the intention of serving as a university and was dedicated to Confucius and scholars.

Fortunately, the building is remarkably preserved and is an excellent example of traditional Vietnamese architecture.

When you visit the Temple of Literature you will find an abundance of literature, turtle steles as well as the Well of Heavenly Clarity.

The Temple of Literature is a tribute to education. This place has seen thousands and thousands of Vietnam’s finest scholars.

The most acclaimed prize for the most successful scholars was to have their names engraved onto a stone stele on top of the stone turtles.

Today students visit the Temple of Literature and pray for good grades.

READ MORE: Don’t miss out on taking a trip to  Sapa for some trekking  during your time in Northern Vietnam!

One of the best examples of the gruesome past of Vietnamese history, the Hoa Lo Prison Museum (AKA “Hanoi Hilton”) will make you experience a range of emotions from disgust, sorrow to outrage at how something like this was allowed to happen.

The museum displays and educates on the sufferings of the Vietnamese revolutionaries who were confined under the occupying French government during the early 20th century.

What you see is only a glimpse into the prison, as most of the prison complex was demolished in the 1990s to make way for the Hanoi Towers.

It is peculiar to have a prison built in the centre of the city. The idea of the French colonial administrators was to make an example of the Vietnamese fighters for independence.

Almost all exhibits show the prison’s use up to the Vietnamese upraise against France for independence. The museum also houses the most gruesome relic, the French guillotine on the Vietnamese rebels.

Visitors from the United States will also recall the prison’s use during the Vietnam War.

This fantastic Fine Arts Museum houses some of the most remarkable art.

The museum consists of two buildings that interestingly enough were once the French Ministry of Information.

Inside the museum, you can find Matisse, Degas, Monet to a lot of local artists covering their often harrowing past.

This is the place to visit to truly appreciate and understand the entire history of Vietnamese fine arts.

Fortunately, most of the exhibits have English explanations.

You can’t be researching things to do in Hanoi without thinking about what kind of food you’re going to eat. Well, it’s easy – all of it!

Vietnamese food is known for being quite simple in terms of ingredients, and that is one of its charms. The simplicity of the meal and the quality of its ingredients is what makes the dishes exceptional.

Vietnamese food relies on a delicate balance of salty, sweet, sour and hot flavours.

It’s almost impossible to walk a block in Hanoi without detecting the smell of street food from the vendor’s DIY stands.

Try the Goi Cuon, a spring roll packed with greens, some type of minced meat (shrimp, crab or pork) and coriander. Usually, it’s served with a bowl of lettuce, peanut sauce, and mint.

If you have a sweet tooth as we do, definitely try the fried bananas, dessert soup or caramel pudding.

Tasting a new cuisine is more than just that, it’s also a part of the cultural heritage. There’s no better way to explore Vietnamese food than with the help of a local !

Vietnam is very culturally diverse.

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology acts as a keeper of the said cultural diversity of different ethnic groups in Vietnam.

Many of those communities are working together with the museum. They’ve collected work, are involved in the preparation process of the exhibitions for the purpose of preserving cultural heritage and displaying it in a rightful and authentic way.

The collaboration between communities and the museum staff has made the museum closer to people’s lives and raised the awareness of protecting the Vietnamese culture and heritage.

The popularity and vibrancy of the Museum is largely due to the contribution and involvement of communities.

The Museum’s vast collection of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities showcases tribal art, artifacts, and objects used in everyday life.

One of the best ways to see the capital of Vietnam is to find a rooftop bar for a drink. The rush of traffic packed Hanoi can be overwhelming even to locals who are accustomed to the fast pace of the city.

The city becomes even more vibrant at night, full of neon colours and Hanoi’s traffic leaving trail lights.

Whether you’re searching for a romantic vibe or to hang out with friends, the best way to enjoy Hanoi’s mesmerizing night landscape is from above.

Hanoi has a lot of rooftop bars, and most of them offer the same type of atmosphere. Imagine a lounge, with modern music in the background, amazing cocktails and a 360-degree view of all Hanoi.

Have a drink at a rooftop cafe and watch Hanoi from above.

The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for good reason. One of 8 world heritage sites in Vietnam, Imperial Citadel of Thang Long is a temple complex at the center of Hanoi.

First built in the 11th Century, the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long has been expanded over time until it was eventually abandoned when the capital of Vietnam was moved to Hue in 1810.

Many of the original parts of the Thang Long temple complex were in disarray and it was not until recently that the areas of the imperial citadel have been excavated.

Today you can visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Thang Long on any day but Monday for VND 30,000.

Ahh yes, bia hoi. One of our favourites when talking about what to do in Hanoi.

If you’re a beer enthusiast, you’ll be thrilled with Vietnam’s beer culture.

Let us start off with the fact that Vietnam is the perfect place for a pub crawl. Bia Hoi is an insight into the beer scene of Vietnam.

Bia Hoi is known as a street beer. Vietnam boasts as having a unique drinking culture that can only be found in the northern cities of Vietnam.

It’s a daily ritual starting from 4 PM where locals (and tourists) sit on plastic furniture on street corners and drink home-brewed beer.

So if you were wondering how the world’s cheapest and freshest beer tastes like then don’t miss your opportunity to get a pint!

Remember: it’s considered the freshest beer because it is made without preservatives. In order not to get spoiled it must be consumed on the day of production.

Because of this Hanoi and its surrounding areas are the only places you can find Bia Hoi!

Vietnamese sure enjoy their legends. One of the more popular ones is the One Pillar Pagoda .

According to the tale an heirless Emperor had a dream in which he met a goddess of sorts name Avalokiteshvara which gifted him with a baby boy that was resting on a lotus flower.

Emperor Ly Thai wanted the pagoda to be built as the lotus blossom and that’s why it was built on a single pillar. The lotus blossom also symbolizes enlightenment in Buddhism.

Present-day, the wooden pagoda is supported by a concrete pillar as a replacement for the original one. The original wooden pillar was destroyed by the French.

Another folk’s tale claims that the bo tree behind the pagoda is the same tree underneath Buddha became enlightened.

The legend and interesting history of the pagoda had made it one of the main Hanoi attractions.

West Lake, Lake of Mist or Ho Tay, is Hanoi’s largest lake. It is 15 km in circumference and is surrounded by upper-class suburbs as well as the Tay Ho ex-pat district.

It is a very popular destination as it makes for a nice change from the hectic pace of the Old Quarter.

The lake offers an opportunity to visit the temple that is off the beaten path or to enjoy a cup of coffee or a refreshing beer whilst admiring the lake.

You can navigate around the lake by bicycle and rest at one of the street-side restaurants.

Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest pagoda in Hanoi tracing all the way back to the 6 th century.

The Buddhist shrine has undergone changes throughout the years.

Today it’s located on an islet within West Lake but originally it was placed on banks of Red River but due to river’s encroachment, it was relocated in the 17th century.

Because of the lush fauna surrounding the pagoda, it makes for one most photographed sights in Hanoi.

One of the things that are not to be missed when in Hanoi is a Water Puppet Show.

The water puppet is an ancient art form that dates all the way back to the 11th century.

Back when the rice paddy fields got flooded the villagers would draw entertainment from the dire situation.

They would stand in the water and attach puppets on fishing rods and had them perform over the water’s surface.

Today’s shows are performed at a contemporary theatre within a pool of water as the stage for the water puppets. The puppets are controlled by eight puppeteers hiding behind a bamboo screen.

The shows are usually short sketches or they play out some of the Vietnam legends such as the legend of the Restored Sword of King Le and the giant tortoise.

The live music plays a vital part in the show with singers yelling out words of encouragement to the water puppets.

This is something specific to the Vietnamese culture, a highlight not to be missed!

If you followed our previous advice which is ‘Eat All of the Food’ then you’re already mesmerised by the authentic Vietnamese food!

If you wish to take a slice of Vietnam back home with you so you could reawaken your fantastic trip’s memories with the help of food then take a cooking class !

The good news is that Vietnamese cuisine is simple. You don’t need to be a chef extraordinaire to prepare your favourite Vietnamese dishes, but you do need the tips to make them as authentic and flavorful as the real deal.

There are many different classes on offer, you can learn about the village, pagoda vegetarian, seafood, monsoon, pho and bun cha. A lot of those cooking classes even have a market tour!

A traditional village of Hanoi, Bat Trang is an attraction for the locals and tourists!

At stores at Bat Trang you will see ceramic products displayed in different shapes, styles, and colours.

Usually, they’re produced by family businesses and the prices are reasonable.

This place is famous in Vietnam and it’s not unusual to have people coming from surrounding regions just so they’d buy their favourite ceramic products.

There is a wide array of choices, from daily items as pots, plates, and cups they also sell interior decorations, religious items, jewellery, etc.

You can apply for one of the ceramic workshops and create a handmade ceramic product of your own! Don’t worry you’ll be guided through the process by the shopkeeper.

After you create your own ceramic product (cup, pot, and bowls are easiest to make) it takes an hour to dry and then you can decorate it with available colours.

The themed streets of the capital of Vietnam are often referred to as “the 36 streets of Hanoi.”

Nowadays, most of these 36 streets are in the Old Quarter and have kept the names that reflect the specialized businesses they once housed.

The Old Quarter is the heart of Hanoi’s history and is recognized by its labyrinth of ancient streets buzzing with commerce.

The street names carry the name of the trade they’re known for such as Silk Street, Blacksmith Street, Herbal Medicine Street, Sugar Street, Dried Fish Street, Bamboo Street, etc. These streets have a 1,000-year-old history.

In the past, the craftsmen who came to Hanoi from villages formed guilds among other artisans specializing in the same trade.

Each of the guilds had its own street in the Old Quarter where its members lived, built workshops and sold their trades. So if you were in dire need of some material for a dress you’d head on to Silk Street etc.

As we mentioned before, the original layout of the streets still exists. Many of them still specialized in the original crafts they were named after while some transgressed in more modern merchandise.

Another thing Hanoi can be proud of is having the world’s largest ceramic mosaic built from ceramic tesserae.

The wall was built on the 1000th anniversary of Hanoi in October 2010. The whole idea was born because of Nguyen Thu Thuy.

This journalist’s imagination managed to transform a boring wall into a loud and colourful mosaic that deservedly won her the Hanoi Architecture Contest.

The theme is ‘History through pictures’. With a rich history and folk art that can be traced back to the Stone Age, it was a logical blend of the two.

The preparations started in 2007 and artists from not only Vietnam but all over the world contributed to making this idea a reality.

The decorative patterns used to represent a visual history of the country throughout different eras.

The mosaic wall runs along the road of Au Co, Nghi Tam, Yen Phu, Tran Nhat Duat, Tran Quang Khai, Tran Khanh Du and terminates at the pier of the Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi.

[box] That’s it for our amazing list of the best things to do in Hanoi! What would you add? Leave a comment below and let us know![/box]

DISCLAIMER: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means if you book accommodation, tours or buy a product, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help us keep creating more free travel content to help people plan their holidays and adventures. We only recommend the best accommodations, tours and products that ourselves or our fantastic editorial team have personally experienced, and regularly review these. Thanks for your support, kind friend!

Alesha and Jarryd

Hi, We’re Alesha and Jarryd!

We’ve been traveling the world together since 2008, searching for the planet’s best destinations and adventures.

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Related posts, the perfect 3 days in ho chi minh city itinerary [2024], ba be national park – the lake, trekking and happy water, 23 thoughts on “25 amazing things to do in hanoi, vietnam (2024 guide)”.

Thanks for your awesome guide about our wonderful Hanoi for first-time travelers to Vietnam! <3

Hanoi is one of my favourite places I’ve been to! and this is really making me want to go back.. like right now!

You’ve really shown in your photos and info how incredible it is there, and have provided some great info for people wanting to go for the first time which is amazing!

I can’t wait to see more!

Hey.. thanks for making the time to write the article however a bit of fact check would help 🙂

(Gauthama) Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodh tree, Bodh Gaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous as it is the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained Enlightenment (Pali: bodhi) under what became known as the Bodhi Tree.

Thank you for this great website. It really helps a lot and please continue sharing this kind of blogs!

Glad you liked it. Thank you for stopping by.

Where does the 4km Mosaic Wall start? Address pls.

Hi Yolanda, The mosaic wall runs along the road of Au Co, Nghi Tam, Yen Phu, Tran Nhat Duat, Tran Quang Khai, Tran Khanh Du and terminates at the pier of the Long Bien Bridge. All the best

Wow! This is a nice write-up Alesha and Jarryd. I wish I had this list when I went to Vietnam last year! We got to go to Sapa which was incredible, we hiked with locals and celebrated Tet with them (their new year). I’m dying to go back so I can visit Hanoi and do these things. Very helpful. Thanks.

Hanoi is really beautiful and i love it more than Saigon. The culture of food is really impressive. Sapa is really nice with the terrace rice field. Halong Bay is amazing. We had a good time in Sapa with trekking to villages and getting on the top of Fansiapan Peak. Halong Bay with Escape Sails Halong was incredible.

Hi! Which place is this beautiful yellow temple from the main banner? I’m heading to Hanoi in 2 months and would love to know where it is. Loved the colors. Thanks!

Hi Laura, That’s awesome you are heading to Vietnam. That photo is from Hoi An. Thank you for picking it up. It must of accidentally got put there when we got a new website. Have a great time in Hanoi.

I really miss Hanoi its been 2 years since we go there but this article remind of how amazing our experience in the beautiful place of Hanoi. Your blog is really amazing and I see that there’s a lot of people you helped through this.

Hi Rojane, sounds like you need a trip back. Hope you get back soon. It is a beautiful place.

I would like to know/see what is best for kids age 8 yrs old and 3yrs old. I like to bring them there.

The Museum of Ethonology will be very good place for kids in Hanoi.

Thank you for your tip

In Hanoi this week. Looking forward to visiting the places mentioned. Thanks for the recommendations. If you have great coffee and local food places to recommend, it would make my day!

Hey thanks for the information, I’m going to Hanoi in October this year and I’ll do some of the things you mentioned in the post. By the way have you been to Hanoi around October, is it really rainy? Thanks

Hi Eulises, Glad you found the article helpful. Have a great trip. It is just out of rainy season but you never know. Definitely bring a pocket rain jacket just in case. 🙂

Wow this does make me excited to visit Hanoi, very concise and informative blog. Thank you

Hi Rebecca, so awesome you are heading to Hanoi. You will have a blast. Have lots of coffee and bun cha (local food) for us. Bun cha was one of our favourite dishes in Vietnam. Have a great trip. Check out our Vietnam page for more information and tips. https://www.nomadasaurus.com/travel-guides/travel-to-vietnam/

Hanoi is a blend of rich culture and architecture. With many places which attract tourist from all over the world, the place offers many options to a first-time visitor. My three-day tour was really memorable only because of Hanoi Travel Bus

Thank you so much Isabella. Hanoi is a very special place with a great mix of culture and architecture. Glad you had a great time. 🙂

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Nomadic Matt's Travel Site

Travel Better, Cheaper, Longer

Hanoi Travel Guide

Last Updated: November 7, 2023

Hanoi, Vietnam’s vibrant capital, is either the starting or finishing point for travelers in the country as most people travel north to south or south to north. It’s a bustling city full of backpackers and travelers with a lot to see and do — none of which will break the bank.

Hanoi is filled with countless museums all offering visitors a chance to better understand Vietnam’s history of the revolution, war, and art. There’s also the tangled busy web of streets in the historic Old Quarter to wander around. It is also one of the best places to visit in Vietnam to eat endless bowls of pho, bun cha , or cheap bahn mi from a food vendor on just about every street corner.

It’s also a perfect launching pad for trips to the lush town of Sapa and the postcard-perfect Ha Long Bay.

In short, there’s a lot to do in Hanoi. It’s a fascinating city that can keep you busy for days and, thanks to its cheap prices, is a perfect stomping ground for budget travelers and backpackers alike.

This Hanoi travel guide will help you plan your trip, save money, and ensure you make the most of your time in this lively city.

Table of Contents

• Things to See and Do
• Typical Costs
• Suggested Budget
• Money-Saving Tips
• Where to Stay
• How to Get Around
• How to Stay Safe
• Best Places to Book Your Trip
• Related Blogs on Hanoi

Top 5 Things to See and Do in Hanoi

1. Wander around the Old Quarter

The Old Quarter’s 2,000-year-old streets are a web of shopping opportunities and cheap eateries. There’s a lot of fascinating Old World architecture that highlights the influence the French had on the area (Vietnam was annexed by France and under French control for the better part of a century). You can take a free walking tour, grab a Bia Hoi beer along Ta Hien Street (also known as “Beer Street”), and visit the lively weekend night markets. There are tons of small restaurants here where you can grab a cheap meal too. It’s where most travelers spend the majority of their time in the city.

2. Admire the Temple of Literature

Built in 1070 and originally dedicated to Confucius, the Van Mieu temple is one of the oldest structures in the country. Under French occupation, it was briefly a barracks and shooting range. It was also briefly a quarantine area for people with cholera and was slated to become a hospital until the locals protested. Today, you can wander the five courtyards which feature ponds, statues, and idyllic gardens. Each courtyard has something new to see and there are often cultural events held here that are open to the public. The temple is also featured on the 100,000 VND bill. Admission is 30,000 VND.

3. Shop at Dong Xuan Market

Hanoi’s oldest market is located in the Old Quarter. The market is a bit of a Hanoi institution and probably the best place for low-cost shopping in the city. Clothing, accessories, food, souvenirs — you can find it all here. The market is open from 6am-6pm daily. At night, the streets leading to the market are filled with vendors as well.

4. Explore Ha Long Bay

More than 3,000 islands sit within the emerald green waters of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO Site and one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. Cat Ba Island has great for hiking and many tourists find themselves taking one of the cave tours. Tours here usually last 3-5 days and can include sleeping on a boat or staying at some of the islands around the bay, as well as cave tours and kayaking. Cheap tours start around 1,100,000 VND while a mid-range tour costs around 4,600,000 VND. Just remember that you get what you pay for and the cheaper boats might be a bit run down.

5. See the Ho Chi Minh Museum & Mausoleum

Born in 1890, Ho Chi Minh (often referred to as Uncle Ho) was the founder of Vietnam’s modern communist state (he led the Viet Minh independence movement from 1941). He became the country’s first president in 1945 and died during the Vietnam War in 1969 from heart failure (over 250,000 people attended his funeral). He lies here in a grey concrete mausoleum not far from the museum dedicated to his life and the house he used to live in. You’re able to walk through and see his embalmed body when it is not being repaired in Moscow. Admission is 10,000 VND.

Other Things to See and Do in Hanoi

1. wander around hoan kiem lake.

Come early in the morning to watch throngs of people practicing Tai Chi before their working day begins. In the center of the lake is the Tortoise Pagoda, a shrine to the famous giant turtles that used to live in the lake. The shrine and the red bridge are lit up at night and during the weekends many of the streets are blocked off to cars which makes it a great place to explore on a Friday or Saturday. It’s a scenic area lake that is worth taking a stroll around.

2. See Quan Su Pagoda

As the headquarters for the Vietnam Central Buddhist Congregation, Quan Su is one of the most important temples in the country. If you’re going to visit any of Vietnam’s pagodas, this 15th-century one is the one you should see. It’s small, calm, and tranquil. Admission is free, though donations are accepted.

3. Admire the One Pillar Pagoda

Originally built in 1049, One-Pillar Pagoda sits on stilts over a lake and is a miniature reproduction of the original temple built by the Ly Dynasty. The pagoda was restored and rebuilt in the 1840s and again in 1922. It was severely damaged in an explosion in 1954 as well, though was once again restored. A prayer at this little wooden pagoda is said to bring fertility and good health. Admission is 25,000 VND.

4. Watch a water puppet show

Water puppetry is an art form that dates back over a millennium. Puppets are carved from wood, and the shows are performed in a waist-deep pool, which makes the puppets look like they’re walking in water. Near the lake, you can see a show at either of the two water puppet theater venues. Admission from 100,000 VND and performances are in Vietnamese.

5. Tour Hoa Lo Prison

U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War named Hao Lo “the Hanoi Hilton” and this is where many U.S. soldiers were held and tortured (former Sen. John McCain from Arizona is its most famous prisoner). Prior to the war, it was used to hold political prisons that the French wanted to lock away (and usually execute or torture). What remains of the building is a small museum, complete with the guillotine used to execute detainees. While morbid, it also provides insight into how the Vietnamese whitewash their history (like most countries do, to be fair). The entrance fee is 30,000 VND per person.

6. Visit the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts

The Fine Arts Museum is a must-see. There are fantastic exhibits of Buddhist art, folk art, and silk and lacquer paintings but the museum’s most impressive feature is Kouan Yin, the goddess of mercy who is depicted with a thousand arms and eyes. Admission is 40,000 VND. Closed on Mondays and holidays.

7. Tour the Army Museum

This museum has an excellent collection of planes, tanks, and guns supplied by the Chinese and Soviet armies, alongside dozens of captured French and US-made war machinery. There’s not a lot of information in English (and, as a military museum, there’s obviously going to be a heavily biased point-of-view) but it’s nevertheless an interesting place to tour and learn about the war from the other side. Admission is 40,000 VND per person. Closed Mondays and Fridays.

8. Visit the Vietnam Women’s Museum

The Vietnam Women’s Museum offers some insight into the contribution of Vietnamese women to the country’s culture and society, including their roles during wartime. It’s a fairly small museum but it includes an interesting collection of interviews and historical memorabilia. Admission is 40,000 VND.

9. Explore the Museum of Ethnology

The Vietnamese Museum of Ethnology contains exhibits on the different ethnic groups that reside in the country and will give you a much better understanding of Vietnamese history (there are 54 different ethnic groups recognized in Vietnam). Outside, there are numerous reconstructed buildings you can see that showcase traditional architecture throughout the ages. Admission is 40,000 VND.

10. See the National Museum of Vietnamese History

This museum has a collection of antiques (and some replicas) dating from prehistory all the way to 1945. Here you’ll find bronzes from the Dong Son culture, jewelry from Vietnam’s imperial times, sculptures from the Khmer and Champa kingdoms, and more (there are over 200,000 items on display). Admission is 40,000 VND plus an extra 30,000 VND for photography,

Hanoi Travel Costs

Hostel prices – Beds start at 135,000 VND for a 6-10-bed dorm. You can also get a private single room starting from 475,000 VND per night or a double for 580,000 VND. Any less than that and you’re probably paying for a dump.

Most hostels in the city include free breakfast. Self-catering facilities aren’t available everywhere, so if you require a kitchen be sure to double-check your hostel (the food is so cheap here you likely don’t need a kitchen though).

Budget hotel prices – Rooms at two-star hotels from 300,000 VND, and the price increases slightly depending on where you stay (like the Old Quarter or Ba Dinh) and the amenities you want. Free Wi-Fi is generally included, and many also offer free breakfast. For a hotel with a pool, expect to pay around 634,000 VND per night.

Airbnb is also available here. For a private room, expect to pay at least 325,000 VND per night. For an entire home or apartment, prices begin around 600,000 VND. Prices double when not booked in advance so plan accordingly

Food – Vietnamese cuisine is fresh, flavorful, and uses a lot of herbs and vegetables. Rice and noodle dishes are common, as are various soups such as the iconic pho (a beef noodle soup). Wonton soup, meat curry, fresh French bread (known as bahn me , and grilled fish are just some of the popular dishes you’ll encounter. Standard ingredients include fish sauce, lemongrass, chili, lime, Thai basil, and mint.

Food in Hanoi, like elsewhere in the country, is delicious and extremely cheap — especially if you’re eating local at the street vendors (and there’s really nowhere else worth eating here). The street stalls around the city are an important part of the culture and serve the best food.

A good bowl of pho costs around 50,000-60,000 VND. For the best pho, head to Thanh Hop Restaurant. Their bun cha is to die for too.

You’ll get one of the best bahn mi of your life at Bahn Mi 25, and all for just 30,000 VND.

If you choose to eat at a sit-down restaurant, most meals are 85,000 VND though inexpensive meals at cheaper restaurants can be as low as 50,000 VND. For a fast-food combo meal, expect to spend around 130,000 VND.

Domestic beer is cheap, costing as little as 20,000 VND in restaurants, though you can find it for about 15,000 VND at 7-Eleven. For a latte or cappuccino, expect to pay around 46,000 VND. Bottled water is around 6,500 VND.

For those looking to buy their own groceries, expect to spend at least 000 VND per week for basic staples like rice, seasonal produce, and some meat or fish.

Backpacking Hanoi Suggested Budgets

On a backpacker budget, you can visit Hanoi for 600,000 VND per day. This budget covers a stay in a large hostel dorm, eating street food for all of your meals (pho and bahn mi are very filling!), limiting your drinking, and using the public bus system. On this budget, you can also enjoy free walking tours as well as a cheap attraction or two per day. If you stay at a hostel with free breakfast you can lower this a little bit. If you plan on drinking, add another 20,000-40,000 VND to your daily budget.

A mid-range budget of about 1,125,000 VND per day covers staying in a cheap hotel, eating street food and at the occasional sit-down restaurant, enjoying a few more drinks, taking the occasional taxi to get around, and doing more paid activities such as museum visits and water upper shows.

On a “luxury” budget of 2,460,000 VND, you can stay in a nice hotel, eat out for all your meals anywhere you want, enjoy lots of drinks, and more taxis, and do whatever tours and activities you want, including a multi-day trip to Ha Long Bay. This is just the ground floor for luxury though. The sky is the limit!

You can use the chart below to get some idea of how much you need to budget daily, depending on your travel style. Keep in mind these are daily averages – some days you’ll spend more, some days you’ll spend less (you might spend less every day. Who knows?). We just want to give you a general idea of how to make your budget. Prices are in VND.

Hanoi Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

You won’t need to pinch pennies here as Hanoi is super cheap to visit! Regardless, it’s always nice to save money when you can, so here are some ways you can cut down your costs in Hanoi:

• Eat from street stalls – For the cheapest food in the city head to the Old Quarter which is packed with low-cost eats at the street stalls. If you stick to these local stalls, you’ll eat for only a few dollars a day.
• Negotiate – You should barter for everything from street stalls, markets, and taxis. Tourists are often quoted huge prices and bargaining is expected.
• Ask your hostel staff – Before you leave the hostel, ask them to estimate how much what you want to do should cost. How much should a ride to the museum cost? How much should souvenirs cost at the market? They can give you bargaining guidelines so you don’t get ripped off.
• Take the bus – This is the cheapest and most hassle-free way of getting around the city. The buses are comfortable, cheap, efficient.
• Drink Bia Hoi – This draft beer is available on the street throughout Hanoi and starts at just 3,000 VND.
• Save money on rideshares – Grab is way cheaper than taxis and is the best way to get around a city if you don’t want to wait for a bus or pay for a taxi. It works just like Uber and has a similar app.
• Take a free walking tour – Free walking tours are one of the best ways to get oriented in a new city, learn some history, and fill your day. I recommend Hanoi Free Walking Tours if you’re going to do one in the city.
• Bring a reusable water bottle – The tap water in Hanoi is not safe to drink. To save money and reduce your plastic use, bring a reusable water bottle with you. LifeStraw make a reusable bottle with a built-in filter so you can be sure your water is always safe and clean.

Where to Stay in Hanoi

Hanoi is a large city, so you’ll want to stay somewhere that’s close to most of the major attractions like the Old Quarter. Here are my suggested places to stay in Hanoi:

• Little Hanoi Hostel
• Bia Hoi Corner Hostel & Rooftop Bar
• Hanoi House Hostel & Travel
• Hanoi Central Backpackers Hostel
• Luxury Backpackers Hostel

How to Get Around Hanoi

Public transportation – Hanoi’s public bus system is recognized by its white, red, and yellow colors. These buses take you anywhere you need to go in the city with tickets costing between 5,000-10,000 VND, depending on the distance and type of bus. Be sure to have small bills.

Hanoi also has an electric bus system too. There are 14 stops in the Old Quarter and around Kiem Lake, with the main departure point at the north end of the lake. The Quarter is best explored on foot anyway, but a bus is a good option for anyone with mobility issues. There’s even English commentary as you go. Look for the open, white vehicles that look similar to a large golf cart. It’s 360,000 VND per trolley for up to seven passengers (51,428 VND per person).

Cyclo – The cyclo is Hanoi’s version of a tuk-tuk. They’re easier to find beyond the Old Quarter (those narrow streets are not easy to navigate), but they’re still pretty prevalent. Make sure you negotiate the price ahead of time, for the whole group. Prices range from 50,000 VND for a short ride to 150,000 VND per hour. Prices increase at night. Be sure to get the price ahead of time and specify the currency (VND) so you don’t get scammed.

Taxi – Metered taxis in Hanoi all charge about the same rates. The base charge is 10,000 VND and each kilometer after that is 11,000 VND.

Motorbike taxis are also everywhere, and an average journey should cost no more than 20,000 VND. If you’re going further out to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, expect to pay around 40,000 VND.

Keep in mind that taxi drivers here are notorious for rigging their meters. I would avoid taxis if you can. They aren’t great here.

Ridesharing – Grab is available in Hanoi. It works just like Uber: you ride in a private car with a private driver. You can pay via the app, and you’ll get a price estimate for your journey before you even get in the car.

When to Go to Hanoi

Autumn and spring are the best seasons for visiting Hanoi. Autumn is from September to November, while spring is from March through April. Temperatures are usually warm every day (with average highs of 28°C/68°F) but not as stifling as in the summer season. Most visitors come to Hanoi during these months, so expect crowds at most attractions. On the other hand, this is the best time to explore the city on foot as the heat is less overwhelming.

If you come during the winter (December-March), temperatures can sometimes drop as low as 10°C (50°F), so be sure to pack a sweater to keep warm.

The rainy season lasts from May to September. It’s worth your time to pick up an umbrella or a rain jacket as some days can be drizzly and grey as opposed to other parts of Southeast Asia where the downpours are heavy but brief.

The summer season is from July through to September, with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (95°F). The humidity can be hard to deal with, but if you don’t mind the heat you will at least have fewer tourist crowds around (and prices for accommodations are cheaper).

How to Stay Safe in Hanoi

Hanoi, although chaotic, is a safe place to backpack and travel. Violent crime against travelers is very rare.

The thing you really need to look out for here, however, is scams and petty theft. When you’re in crowded places, keep your valuables close and be mindful of the activity around you. Be mindful of people on motorbikes you can easily grab your purse or bag and speed away.

Be sure to always count your change too. The bills here are similar looking, so sometimes people will “mistakenly” give you the wrong change hoping you won’t notice that the 200,000 VND bill you just got is actually only 20,000. Always count your change here.

Overall, most scams involve people trying to nickel and dime you since they know, as a tourist, you have more than they do. Just keep an eye out and speak up if someone tries to pull a fast one. You can read more about common travel scams to avoid here .

Solo female travelers should generally feel safe here. For specific tips, check out one of the many solo female travel blogs on the web that go into more detail.

If you do experience an emergency, dial 113 for assistance.

Always trust your gut instinct. Make copies of your personal documents, including your passport and ID.

The most important piece of safety advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. You can use the widget below to find the policy right for you:

Hanoi Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources

These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Agoda – Other than Hostelworld, Agoda is the best hotel accommodation site for Asia.
• Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
• SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
• Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.

Hanoi Travel Guide: Related Articles

Want more info? Check out all the articles I’ve written on Vietnam travel and continue planning your trip:

Is Southeast Asia Safe for Travelers?

Biking the Mekong Delta in Vietnam

Why I’ll Never Return to Vietnam

Get my best stuff sent straight to you, pin it on pinterest.

• Where To Stay
• Transportation
• Booking Resources
• Related Blogs

Hanoi Old Quarter | Exploring Vietnam’s Cultural Gem 2023

Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, is a vibrant destination that offers a plethora of cultural, historical, and culinary experiences. At the heart of this bustling metropolis lies the enchanting Hanoi Old Quarter, a must-visit destination for foreign tourists seeking an authentic taste of Vietnamese life.

In this article, we will take you on a captivating journey through the Hanoi Old Quarter, exploring its narrow streets, bustling markets, ancient temples, and delectable street food, all while immersing ourselves in the rich tapestry of history and culture. So grab your walking shoes and get ready to embark on an adventure you’ll never forget!

Planning a trip to Vietnam? Check out the best hassle-free Vietnam visa service !

Historical Background Of Hanoi Old Quarter

Steeped in history, the Hanoi Old Quarter is a testament to the city’s past and its enduring charm. Packed with charming, French colonial architecture and bustling streets, it is simply unmissable.

From its origins as a bustling trading hub in the 11th century to its present-day allure, the Old Quarter has witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties, the influence of foreign cultures, and the resilience of the Vietnamese people. As we delve into its historical background, we will uncover the stories of its ancient streets, remarkable architecture, and cultural heritage.

Meaningful Streets Of Hanoi Old Quarter

In the Hanoi Old Quarter, each street holds its own unique significance and charm, contributing to the rich tapestry of this historic neighborhood. From bustling market streets to serene temple-lined lanes, here’s a brief overview of the meaning behind some of the streets in the Old Quarter:

• Hang Ma Street: Known as the street of paper offerings, Hang Ma Street is famous for its vibrant displays of decorative items used for festive occasions, particularly during Lunar New Year celebrations.
• Hang Bac Street: This street, also known as Silver Street, was historically a hub for silver and jewelry craftsmen. Today, it showcases a mix of traditional silver shops and modern boutiques.
• Hang Gai Street: Renowned as Silk Street, Hang Gai is a haven for silk lovers. Here, you can find a wide range of exquisite silk products, from clothing and accessories to home decor items.
• Hang Tre Street, also known as Bamboo Street, is a bustling thoroughfare in the Hanoi Old Quarter famous for its abundance of bamboo products. Here, visitors can explore shops and workshops showcasing the traditional craftsmanship and versatile use of bamboo in Vietnamese culture.
• Hang Dao Street: Known as Silk Peddler Street, Hang Dao is famous for its bustling night market, where you can find an array of clothing, accessories, and street food stalls.
• Hang Duong Street: Sugar Street, as it’s often called, is a street filled with shops selling traditional Vietnamese sweets, candies, and sugary delights, offering a sweet treat for visitors.
• Hang Quat Street: This street, known as Fan Street, is lined with shops selling decorative fans, bamboo products, and traditional handicrafts, making it a treasure trove for unique souvenirs.
• Hang Trong Street: Renowned for its traditional Vietnamese paintings, Hang Trong Street showcases the talent and artistry of local painters, offering visitors a glimpse into Vietnam’s artistic heritage.
• Hang Than Street: Famous for its glutinous rice cakes, known as “banh com,” Hang Than Street is a go-to destination for those looking to taste this traditional Vietnamese delicacy.
• Ta Hien Street: Known as “Beer Street,” Ta Hien Street is a lively and bustling hub for beer enthusiasts and nightlife lovers. This street comes alive in the evenings as locals and tourists gather to enjoy a wide variety of local and international beers at the numerous bars and pubs lining the street. Ta Hien Street offers a vibrant atmosphere, filled with music, laughter, and the aroma of delicious street food, making it a popular spot for socializing and enjoying the vibrant energy of Hanoi’s nightlife scene.

The Unique Architecture Of Hanoi Old Quarter

The Old Quarter, Hanoi showcases a unique blend of architectural styles that reflect the city’s diverse history and cultural influences. From ornate temples with intricate carvings to narrow tube houses and grand French colonial buildings, the architecture in the Old Quarter is a captivating mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, and French elements. Each structure tells a story of Hanoi’s past as a bustling trading hub and showcases the enduring cultural heritage of the city. Exploring the Old Quarter is a journey through time, where the architectural marvels add to the vibrant atmosphere of the bustling streets.

Must-Visit Hanoi Old Quarter Attractions

When exploring the captivating Hanoi Old Quarter, a treasure trove of must-visit attractions awaits travelers. In this section, we will delve into the must-visit attractions that showcase the charm and allure of the Hanoi Old Quarter, ensuring an unforgettable journey through the heart of Vietnam’s capital city.

Hoan Kiem Lake – Tranquility Amidst The Bustling Quarter

Located in the city center, Hoan Kiem Lake is a serene oasis that provides a welcome escape from the vibrant chaos of the surrounding streets. Take a leisurely stroll along the lake’s picturesque shores, and you’ll be enchanted by the scenic beauty that unfolds before your eyes. The iconic red bridge leads to the Ngoc Son Temple, an enchanting temple dedicated to the revered scholar Van Xuong and General Tran Hung Dao. Climb the stone steps and enter a world of tranquility, where the aroma of incense fills the air, and panoramic views of the lake and city unfold.

Bach Ma Temple – A Glimpse into Vietnam’s Mythical Origins

Nestled amidst the bustling streets of Hanoi Old Quarter, Bach Ma Temple stands as a testament to Vietnam’s ancient legends. Dedicated to the White Horse God, this 11th-century temple exudes an aura of sacredness and mystery.

When you visit Bach Ma temple, you could marvel at its exquisite architecture adorned with intricate carvings and vibrant colors, and listen as the wind whispers the tales of mythical creatures and heroic deeds. You should explore the temple’s courtyards and pagodas, and immerse yourself in the spiritual essence that permeates this ancient place of worship.

Dong Xuan Market – A Shopper’s Paradise & Cultural Hub

No visit to the Hanoi Old Quarter is complete without a visit to Dong Xuan Market, the largest covered market in Hanoi. As you step into its bustling halls, you’ll find yourself engulfed in a sensory feast.

Rows upon rows of stalls beckon with colorful textiles, traditional handicrafts, aromatic spices, and an abundance of fresh produce. Immerse yourself in the lively atmosphere as vendors call out their wares and negotiate with customers. Indulge your senses, haggle for bargains, and discover the vibrant pulse of everyday life in this bustling marketplace.

Ancient Houses – Architectural Marvels Frozen in Time

Wandering through the narrow streets of the Old Quarter, you’ll encounter a hidden treasure trove of ancient houses. These architectural marvels, dating back centuries, offer a glimpse into the lives of Hanoi’s past inhabitants. Step inside the wooden doorways, and you’ll find yourself transported to a bygone era. The houses’ intricate carvings, tiled roofs, and charming courtyards speak volumes about the city’s rich history.

Some of these houses, such as the Hanoi Ancient House at 87 Ma May Street, have been meticulously preserved and transformed into living museums, allowing visitors to explore and appreciate the architectural beauty of the past.

Thang Long Water Puppet Theater – A Unique Cultural Experience

Prepare to be captivated by the ancient art of water puppetry at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater, located near the Hanoi Old Quarter. This traditional Vietnamese art form originated in the rice paddies and communal ponds of the Red River Delta. The puppets, controlled by skillful puppeteers hidden behind a bamboo screen, come to life as they dance, splash, and even breathe fire on the water’s surface. Be enthralled by the enchanting music, vibrant costumes, and whimsical stories that unfold before your eyes, offering a glimpse into Vietnam’s folklore and rural traditions.

Exploring Further – Hidden Temples & Historic Landmarks

Beyond the well-known attractions, the Hanoi Old Quarter is replete with hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Explore the neighborhood’s maze-like streets and stumble upon lesser-known temples, such as the Quan Thanh Temple or Ba Da Pagoda.

These sacred sites offer a peaceful retreat from the bustling city and provide insight into Vietnamese religious practices and beliefs. For those interested in delving into Vietnam’s history, the Hoa Lo Prison Museum stands as a somber reminder of the nation’s past struggles. Walk the halls that once held political prisoners, and gain a deeper understanding of the resilience and determination that shaped Vietnam’s journey to independence.

Exploring The Culinary Delights Of Hanoi Old Quarter

When exploring the vibrant streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, you’ll find yourself immersed in a bustling food scene that showcases the city’s rich culinary heritage. This historic neighborhood is a treasure trove of delectable delights, offering a plethora of dishes that have stood the test of time.

Let’s delve into some of the must-try dishes that have made the Old Quarter a culinary haven for food enthusiasts from around the world.

A steaming bowl of pho, with its delicate rice noodles and fragrant broth, is a quintessential Vietnamese dish that has captured the hearts of locals and travelers alike. Hanoi is renowned for its pho, and you’ll find numerous eateries serving up this beloved soup throughout the city.

One of the most famous spots is Pho Gia Truyen, a humble eatery in the Hanoi Old Quarter that has been dishing out delicious pho for generations. Their flavorful broth and tender meat slices will leave you craving for more. Another notable place is Pho Thin, known for its unique blend of spices and the addition of fried garlic, resulting in an unforgettable pho experience.

Indulging in a banh mi is a must-do culinary adventure when visiting Hanoi. This delightful sandwich showcases the perfect fusion of Vietnamese and French culinary influences. The most iconic banh mi shop in Hanoi is Banh Mi 25, located in the bustling streets of the Old Quarter. Their baguettes are incredibly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, filled with a variety of fillings such as grilled pork, pâté, cucumber, pickled carrots, and fresh herbs. Another famous spot is Banh Mi P, where you can savor a wide range of flavorsome banh mi variations, including vegetarian options.

Hanoi’s Old Quarter is also the perfect place to discover the smoky flavors of bun cha. This beloved local favorite consists of grilled pork patties, vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs, and a tangy dipping sauce. For an authentic bun cha experience, head to Bun Cha Huong Lien, famously known as “Bun Cha Obama” after former US President Barack Obama visited this humble eatery during his trip to Hanoi. Their grilled pork patties are succulent and packed with flavor, making every bite a true delight.

Hanoi is also famous for its unique egg coffee, a sweet and creamy concoction that has become a signature drink of the city. Café Giang is the birthplace of egg coffee, and their secret recipe has been passed down through generations. Located in the Old Quarter, this cozy café offers a cozy atmosphere where you can indulge in the velvety smoothness of their egg coffee. The rich Vietnamese coffee blends perfectly with the sweet, frothy egg topping, creating a delectable and unforgettable combination.

Top Things To Do In Hanoi Old Quarter

Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a culinary adventurer, or simply seeking to soak in the local atmosphere, this part will take you on a journey through the must-see attractions and activities that make the Hanoi Old Quarter a truly remarkable destination.

Immerse In Cultural Performances

Experience the enchantment of Vietnamese traditional music and dance by attending captivating cultural performances in the Hanoi Old Quarter. From ca tru, a ceremonial form of singing, to cheo, the traditional opera, various venues in the neighborhood offer the chance to witness these art forms firsthand. Lose yourself in the rhythmic melodies, intricate costumes, even street performances, and graceful movements that depict Vietnam’s cultural heritage.

Discover The Charm Of Cyclo Rides

One of the best ways to soak up the unique atmosphere of the Hanoi Old Quarter is by taking a cyclo ride. Hop aboard a bicycle rickshaw and be transported through the narrow streets, vibrant markets, and bustling intersections. As your cyclo driver navigates the labyrinthine alleys, you’ll have a front-row seat to the fascinating sights, sounds, and scents that make this neighborhood come alive.

Temples, Tranquility & Timelessness

For moments of serenity and spiritual contemplation, the Hanoi Old Quarter offers a collection of ancient temples. Quan Thanh Temple, dedicated to the Taoist deity Tran Vu, stands as a symbol of protection and peace. Ba Da Pagoda, hidden amidst the bustling streets, invites visitors to explore its tranquil grounds and admire its ornate architecture. Take a break from the hustle and bustle, and find solace in the rich spiritual heritage of these remarkable places.

Dress Up In Traditional Vietnamese Clothing

Embark on a cultural adventure by donning the elegant and graceful attire of Vietnam – the ao dai. In the Hanoi Old Quarter, several boutiques and shops offer the opportunity to try on these traditional Vietnamese garments. Experience the intricate artistry of the ao dai as you slip into the flowing robes, adorned with vibrant patterns and delicate embroidery. Capture unforgettable memories with photographs that showcase the beauty of Vietnamese culture.

Unwind In The Cafe Culture

Indulge in the leisurely pace of life in Hanoi by immersing yourself in the city’s vibrant café culture. Throughout the Old Quarter, countless cafes beckon with their inviting ambiance and aromatic brews. Sip on a steaming cup of traditional Vietnamese coffee, brewed strong and rich, as you watch the world go by from a sidewalk table. Embrace the relaxed atmosphere and embrace the art of people-watching in this vibrant neighborhood.

Rejuvenate With Spa & Wellness

After a day of exploration, treat yourself to a pampering session at one of the wellness centers in the Hanoi Old Quarter. Relax and rejuvenate with a traditional Vietnamese massage, known for its therapeutic techniques and emphasis on balance and harmony. Surrender to the skilled hands of the therapists and let the stress melt away as you embrace the serenity of the Old Quarter.

Biking & Walking Tours

Delve deeper into the enchantment of the Hanoi Old Quarter by joining a biking or quarter walking tour that offers as unique perspective on the neighborhood’s hidden gems. Expert guides will lead you through the labyrinthine streets, revealing architectural marvels, local neighborhoods, and hidden alleys. Discover the stories behind the facades, engage with friendly locals, and unravel the secrets of this captivating corner of Hanoi.

Soak in the Night Market Vibe

As the sun sets, the Hanoi Old Quarter transforms into a bustling hub of activity with its vibrant night market. Held on weekends, the market offers a sensory feast of street food stalls, vibrant souvenirs, trendy clothing, and lively entertainment options. Immerse yourself in the lively atmosphere, try local delicacies, haggle for unique finds, and soak in the energy of the crowd in this unique night market.

Step Into History At Historical Sites

Uncover the layers of history that reside within the Hanoi Old Quarter by visiting its historical sites. Step into the Hanoi Ancient House at 87 Ma May Street, a well-preserved example of traditional Vietnamese architecture, and gain insights into the lives of its former residents. Explore the Hoa Lo Prison Museum, known as the “Hanoi Hilton,” which sheds light on the country’s tumultuous past. These historical landmarks provide a deeper understanding of Vietnam’s journey and offer poignant moments of reflection.

Join In Culinary Adventures: Cooking Classes

For those eager to take a piece of Vietnamese cuisine home with them, participating in a cooking class is a must. Several establishments in the Hanoi Old Quarter offer immersive cooking experiences where you can learn to prepare signature Vietnamese dishes under the guidance of skilled chefs. Discover the secrets of balancing flavors, handling exotic ingredients, and creating culinary masterpieces that showcase the essence of Vietnamese gastronomy.

Practical Tips To Maximize Your Trip To Hanoi Old Quarter

To ensure a seamless and fulfilling experience in the Hanoi Old Quarter, we have compiled a set of practical tips to help you make the most of your visit. From navigating the bustling streets to immersing yourself in the vibrant street food scene, these tips will guide you in maximizing your time in this captivating neighborhood!

How To Getting Around

Navigating the bustling streets of the Hanoi Old Quarter can be an adventure in itself. Embrace the local way of life by exploring on foot, allowing you to soak in the vibrant atmosphere and discover hidden gems tucked away in the narrow alleys. For longer distances or to explore beyond the Old Quarter, consider renting a bicycle or taking a taxi.

Accommodation

To fully immerse yourself in the ambiance of the Hanoi Old Quarter, choose accommodation within the neighborhood for a convenient location. From charming boutique hotels to cozy guesthouses, the Old Quarter offers a range of options to suit every budget. Stay close to the action and wake up to the authentic sights and sounds of this historic quarter.

Here are some of the best hotels in the area that offer comfort, convenience, and a taste of Vietnamese hospitality: Hanoi La Siesta Hotel, Apricot Hotel, Silk Path Boutique Hotel Hanoi, etc.

Safety & Etiquette Tips

While the Hanoi Old Quarter is generally safe for visitors, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. Exercise caution when crossing busy streets, as traffic can be overwhelming. Be mindful of your belongings in crowded areas and avoid displaying expensive items. As with any foreign destination, it’s always advisable to stay alert and aware of your surroundings.

Respect local customs and traditions by dressing modestly when visiting temples or pagodas. It’s also customary to remove your shoes before entering these sacred places. Embrace the warm hospitality of the Vietnamese people by greeting locals with a smile and a friendly “Xin chào” (pronounced “sin chow”), meaning “hello.”

Best Time To Visit

The Hanoi Old Quarter is a vibrant destination throughout the year, but certain periods offer distinct experiences. Spring (March to April) brings pleasant weather and festive celebrations during the Vietnamese New Year (Tet). Autumn (September to November) boasts mild temperatures and clear skies, ideal for exploring the Old Quarter on foot. Consider visiting during these seasons to make the most of your time in this captivating neighborhood.

As we conclude our journey through the Hanoi Old Quarter, we hope this guide has inspired you to explore this historical gem and experience the magic it holds. Whether you find yourself captivated by the winding streets, enchanted by the flavors of Vietnamese cuisine, or immersed in the rich history and culture, the Hanoi Old Quarter promises a truly unforgettable adventure. So, pack your bags, embrace the spirit of adventure, and allow the Hanoi Old Quarter to weave its spell on you.

Don’t miss out on this incredible journey—start planning your trip today! And remember, for a smooth and hassle-free experience, be sure to book the best Vietnam visa services .

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Your Guide To Visiting Hanoi In 2023

January 5, 2023 January 6, 2023 by Celia Nachura

Travelers in Vietnam have an abundance of tourist attractions to choose from, but the vibrant capital city Hanoi is definitely one of the most alluring destinations in the country. Here, you’ll find a lively cacophony of sounds, sights, and scents: the buzz of scooters speeding by, dynamic conversations between merchants, pretty colonial architecture, eye-catching outdoor murals, and the mouthwatering aroma of Vietnamese street food. There are remnants of the Chinese and French rule throughout the city, especially in the iconic Old Quarter. And you’ll be glad to hear that Hanoi is one of the best destinations in Vietnam for fantastic eats. Keep reading for our Hanoi travel guide—and trust us, there’s no better time to start planning your trip than now.

• Language: Vietnamese is the country’s national language. English is typically understood by many locals, though.
• Currency: The Vietnamese dong or VND is the unit of currency in Vietnam.
• Airport: Noi Bai International Airport
• COVID-19 Travel Guidelines: As of May 15, 2022, Vietnam no longer requires a negative COVID-19 test result for entry into the country. Travelers must have valid medical or travel insurance covering COVID-19 treatment with a minimum coverage of US$10,000.

Best Time to Visit Hanoi

Hanoi has a milder climate than the typical tropical weather in the southern regions of Vietnam. While it’s a popular vacation destination year-round, the best time to visit Hanoi is during the dry and cool months from November to February. During this time, the crisp weather is perfect for walking around the city.

How to Get There

International travelers may fly directly to Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport. From the airport, you can get to the city proper by riding a taxi. Another convenient option is booking a private transfer in advance.

Where to Stay in Hanoi

There are plenty of Hanoi accommodation options for travelers on vacation. Close to many tourist sites, Old Quarter is a fantastic base with many lodgings to choose from at a variety of price points. Hotels in the French Quarter are more refined, while West Lake is ideal for visitors looking for a quieter place to stay.

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Located in the Old Quarter, the iconic Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is a luxe hotel fit for royalty. Since the five-star hotel was established in 1901, it has played host to countless celebrities, heads of state, and yes, even royals. Expect stylish rooms and suites, as well as a world-class spa, a bespoke cocktail bar, and acclaimed French restaurant La Terrasse Du Metropole.

Address: 15 Ngo Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi Website: https://www.sofitel-legend-metropole-hanoi.com , Facebook

La Siesta Trendy

Formerly known as Hanoi La Siesta Trendy Hotel & Spa, La Siesta Trendy is a beautiful boutique hotel with 70 guestrooms over 11 floors. The hotel aesthetic is chic and modern, with splashes of color and upscale décor. Travelers eager to sample Vietnam’s vibrant cuisine will fall in love with Red Bean Trendy’s delicious street food buffet, while the on-site spa offers the ideal spot to relax after a day of sightseeing.

Address: 12 Nguyen Quang Bich, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi Website: https://lasiestahotels.vn/trendy , Facebook

Hotel de l’Opera Hanoi

Just steps away from the historic Hanoi Opera House in the French Quarter, Hotel de l’Opera is a glamorous five-star sanctuary known for its French colonial architecture, lavish interiors, and world-class facilities. Beautiful in-house dining spaces include the Mediterranean-inspired Café Lautrec and the renowned Satine in the eight-storey atrium for Vietnamese cuisine. Hotel highlights include a first-rate spa and a semi-outdoor swimming pool.

Address: 29 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi Website: http://hoteldelopera.com , Facebook

Where to Eat in Hanoi

The capital city of Hanoi is one of the top places in Vietnam for food. Street food is cheap and incredibly delicious in the city, with mouthwatering aromas wafting from stalls all over the city. But if you’re looking for a place to enjoy a sit-down meal, these restaurants are absolutely worth a visit.

A modern pub in the Old Quarter, Highway4 is a very popular restaurant with an extensive menu consisting largely of Vietnamese favorites. Highlights include the catfish spring rolls and vegetarian dishes like the banana flower salad. Highway4 is relatively upscale, with rustic interiors and quality beverages, including imported wines and craft beers.

Address: 5 Hang Tre, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi Website: Facebook

Hanoi Social Club

Hang out with locals and fellow travelers at Hanoi Social Club, a two-level bohemian haunt with an intimate and relaxing atmosphere. There’s music (occasionally live), books, and free Wi-Fi, making this a cool hangout for Hanoi’s young and trendy crowd. Food is distinctly Western, with well-prepared brunch favorites, healthy dishes, and vegan options available.

Address: 6 Hoi Vu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi Website: Facebook

37th Street Restaurant

Savor a dazzling array of Vietnamese delicacies at 37th Street, a restaurant with branches in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. It’s a good spot for a meal, especially if you want a hearty spread of Vietnamese food for a reasonable price, including local favorites like pho and spring rolls.

Address: 5th Floor, Indochina Plaza, 241 Xuan Thuy, Hanoi

Things to Do in Hanoi

Roam the old quarter.

Many tourists stay in the Hanoi Old Quarter, but even if your hotel is somewhere else, this historic neighborhood is worth exploring. It’s the center of the city’s history and culture, with temples, pagodas, French colonial buildings, street food stalls, winding alleys, and an ever-bustling atmosphere. Don’t miss sightseeing opportunities like St. Joseph’s Cathedral , Dong Xuan Market , and the nearby Temple of Literature .

Explore Hoan Kiem Lake

Located right by the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake is another must-visit spot in Hanoi. Its name translates to “Lake of the Returned Sword,” referring to the legend of an emperor receiving a sword from a magical turtle on this very lake. To this day, locals still say seeing a turtle in the lake is lucky—so keep an eye out as you stroll by the water’s edge. A beautiful red bridge leads to the Ngoc Son Pagoda in the middle of the lake.

Catch a Show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

The art of water puppet theater is a unique Vietnamese tradition, stemming from a time when farms would get flooded and people would create entertainment by staging puppet shows right in the water. Watching a show at the iconic Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is a fun activity for tourists in Hanoi—especially since a puppet show typically only lasts an hour (or even less).

There are plenty more to see and do in Hanoi, including attractions like the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum , Hoa Lo Prison , and the impressive Imperial Citadel .

Head to KKday for more ideas and deals for your Vietnam holiday!

Find more interesting activities in Hanoi by checking out our available tours and experiences at KKDay! You can also get your travel essentials such as WiFi and SIM cards, and even airport transfers by visiting our website . 

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Celia Nachura is a freelance writer from the Philippines who’s constantly collecting new hobbies—it used to be reading and painting, then crocheting and running, and traveling is always somewhere near the top of the list. Tomorrow it’ll probably something new, but luckily, being a free-range writer means never having to choose just one!

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16 unique things to do in Hanoi

Sep 26, 2021 • 9 min read

From street food to the respite of Hoan Kiem Lake, here are the best things to do in Hanoi © Daniel William / Shutterstock

Visiting Hanoi is like hopping through a time tunnel: beyond congested roads flanked by modern skyscrapers, ancient temples and multi-storey pagodas rub elbows with French colonial mansions in the labyrinthine Old Quarter.

Both stubbornly traditional and forward-looking, bustling Hanoi largely resisted the light-speed advancements that are sweeping across the rest of the nation, and the city often confounds first-time visitors. This list of the top things to do in Hanoi can help you hit the ground running and make perfect sense of the best that Vietnam 's most historical city has to offer.

Explore Hoan Kiem Lake

Opening like a tear to the east of the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake offers some freshwater and green respite to Hanoi's hustle. On its northern edge, the Ngoc Son Temple sits on a small island connected to the shore via the scarlet Cau The Huc bridge. Early in the morning, the lakeside fills with residents practicing tai chi, and on weekends, the 7pm to midnight traffic ban gives the area a funfair vibe.

Dive into the Old Quarter

Explore Old Quarter effortlessly with GetYourGuide.  Book your tour today .

Located in Ba Dinh district near the business area, Hanoi's Old Quarter is the city's busiest attraction, and it’s an unmissable attack to the senses. Buzzing motorbikes maneuver around people in large conical straw hats pushing carts laden with goods along streets lined with French colonial buildings. Come right after sunrise when the light casts ethereal hues over the century-old facades, and find only the most industrious locals busy setting up shop for the day. Signing up for a walking food tour with a local is another good way to explore the quarter’s 36 streets and the best dishes that represent them.

Hunt for the best bun cha

If the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain chose to treat Barack Obama to a taste of this quintessential bowl of grilled pork, herbs and noodles, Hanoi’s bun cha must really be quite special. Bún Chả Hương Liên , the hole-in-the-wall restaurant where the duo dined in 2016, has become legendary, but the fun is going around town scouring for worthy competitors. Two good places to start are Lotte Center Hanoi in Ba Dinh and Bún Chả Ba Duc in Quan Ba Dinh.

Watch a water puppet show

Vietnamese water puppetry originated in the 11th century from the flooded paddy fields of the Red River Delta, and visitors shouldn't miss this unique local form of art when in Hanoi. Expert puppeteers maneuver wooden figurines tied to long poles over pools that serve as liquid stages, using water splashes to choreographic three-dimensional effect. Hanoi’s most famous Water Puppet theater is Thang Long in the city center, hosting up to five multi-lingual shows per day.

Marvel at St. Joseph Cathedral

Standing guard between the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake, St. Joseph Cathedral is one of Hanoi's most iconic architectural landmarks. Built in 1886, its neo-Gothic style is modeled after Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral. It's the oldest church in Vietnam's capital and serves the city’s small catholic population. Visitors can enter the church’s hall only during mass, which takes place at 6:15pm daily on weekdays and seven times per day on Sundays.

Learn to cross the road

Crossing through street traffic in Hanoi is a real cultural adventure and a way to get in tune with the city’s rhythms. To the untrained eye, Hanoi’s constant flow of cars and endless lines of motorbikes may look like an impenetrable wall of deadly chaos, but the trick is to be slow, steady, and predictable. Drivers are very much used to dodging pedestrians as they approach, and honking is just a polite way to signal when someone is near. The hardest part is grasping the courage to step off the sidewalk and start walking... especially for the first time.

Drink the world’s cheapest beer

Hanoi is home to bia hoi , touted as "the world's cheapest beer" because it’s sold for between 5000 and 7000VND per glass (US$0.22 to 0.31). Made from fermented maize, bia hoi  is served and consumed by the roadside while patrons sit and chat casually on low plastic stools. Hanoi’s busiest drinking spot is the Beer Corner — the intersection between Tha Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen in the Old Quarter — a whole road crammed with red plastic chairs, locals, tourists and the echo of their bragging rights.

Try as much banh mi as you can

Born in Saigon as a simple working-class sandwich stuffed with pickled vegetables, cilantro, French ham and home-made pork liver pate, bahn mi is sold from street carts as a hearty breakfast or midday meal. From humble beginnings, it has risen to become a proper foodie obsession, particularly among foreign tourists and overseas Vietnamese, who even started reproducing the heavenly bread at home. The whole of Hanoi is a fair bahn mi playground, with stalls and shops dishing it up at every corner. One of the best is Bahn Mi 25 in Hoan Kiem District, which also offers vegan and vegetarian options.

Try ostrich meat in Son Tay

Believe it or not, ostrich farming has become one of North Vietnam's most profitable enterprises. The Ba Vi mountains near Son Tay, a favorite weekend getaway for Hanoi locals, are a popular spot to try the meat of the African bird while in Asia. It's usually served fried, as a meatloaf, or boiled with vegetables in a hot pot. If exotic meat doesn't appeal, Ba Vi's homegrown hill chickens, fried with fresh peppers, are the best alternative.

Check out the music and art scene

From DJ nights to jazz and alternative rock bands, Hanoi’s nightlife has a few well-established venues basking in music and arts. Since 2010, Hanoi Rock City has hosted live bands, electronic and experimental music, art events and a regular open mic night on Wednesdays. Savage in Tay Ho District opened in 2016 to quickly rise as the city's electronic music club of choice, where both resident and international DJs come to spin the best house and techno beats.

For real strings and shiny brasses head to Binh Minh Jazz Club in the Old Quarter, where a selection of good whiskey pairs to live local jazz ensembles on most nights. The Hanoi Social Club in Hoan Kiem also regularly hosts arts events, besides being a favorite all-day meeting spot to socialize over coffee and beers.

Find calm at the Temple of Literature

Hidden by a walled compound sheltering five separate courtyards, the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) was built in 1070 under the Ly Thanh Tong dynasty to honor Confucius. The complex also served as Vietnam's first national university. Today, the temple is not just one of Hanoi's most striking, but also a perfectly quiet place to take a break from the city's constant activity. Whether strolling in one of its five perfectly-manicured gardens, or paying homage to Confucius' philosophy at his dedicated altars, the Temple of Literature is an oasis of quiet introspection.

Explore the Temple of Literature effortlessly with GetYourGuide.  Book your tour today .

Visit Vietnam’s Museum of Ethnology

Completed in 1997, this museum pays respect to Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups. It’s particularly handy for those short on time and interested in anthropology: the staggering collection of 15,000 artifacts and 42,000 photographs on display give a quick and comprehensive ethnographic tour of this highly diverse nation. The gardens host a life-sized outdoor collection of traditional houses from Vietnam’s most prominent ethnic groups.

Have an egg coffee in the Old Quarter

Egg yolk coffee, or ca phe trung , is a mixture of espresso with sugar, condensed milk and egg yolk. Invented in 1946 while trying to make cappuccino, the whisked egg yolks were used as a surrogate of the then scarce milk. That trick established this frothy, savory and uniquely Vietnamese brew as a real national success.

Ca Phe Trung can be found in a number of cities across Vietnam, but Cafe Giang in Hanoi’s Old Quarter is where it all started, and where the inventor's son still dishes up the original recipe today. The Note Cafe is also worth a visit, not just for its coffee, but for its very photogenic walls plastered with thousands of hand-written messages left by customers from all over the world.

Learn about Do Paper at Zó Project

Tucked to the south of Hanoi’s West Lake , Zó Project ’s tiny boutique focuses on unique handmade products realized with Vietnamese Dó paper ( giấy Dó ). Produced manually following ancient techniques from the bark of the endemic Rhamnoneuron balansae tree, this heavy-duty, fibrous paper is believed to be able to last up to 800 years. Established in 2013 by Tran Hong Nhung, the social enterprise Zó Project aims at preserving the art of Dó paper-making by working closely with the only two families of traditional artisans left in the village of Bac Ninh, 25 miles (40km) northeast of Hanoi.   

Have a glass of rice liquor by Train Street’s narrow tracks

Since 2018, sitting with a drink on either side of the narrow railway passage on Tran Phu road in the Old Quarter has become some kind of tourist rite of passage in Hanoi. Known as “Train Street” , the homes along this 300m (984ft) stretch of city rail line turned into feel-good cafes and started spilling tables and serving drinks way too close to the passing trains. The street’s constant surge in popularity forced authorities to try to close the shops down in October 2019 to avoid accidents, but Train Street's cafes have kept operating discreetly. The best time to visit is probably when no trains are approaching: without the crowds, one is freer to observe how real local life unfolds on both sides of this narrow city rail track.

Escape to Tam Coc’s rice terraces

One of the most popular day trips from Hanoi is to the Unesco-inscribed Tràng An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh province , about three hours from the capital. Think jade-green valleys backed by limestone karsts flanked by the meandering channels of the Red River Delta.

The village of Tam Coc and its viewpoints that dominate ever-changing shades of paddy fields are as popular as taking a slow boat ride along the Ngo Dong River. Spending at least a night here makes it easier to enjoy the scenery without the crowds. Don't forget the Mua Cave viewpoint, a sweaty 486-step climb to the top of an imposing limestone mountain, where an altar to Goddess of Mercy Quan Am dominates the valley and the snaking river below.

You might also like: Where to get the best street food in Hanoi    Life on the tracks: my 2 years living on Hanoi Train Street    10 best places to visit in Vietnam

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HANOI TRAVEL GUIDE BLOG (BUDGET + ITINERARY) 2019

by thepinay solobackpacker | Jan 4, 2019 | HANOI , Itinerary , Travel Guide , Vietnam | 5 comments

To date, Hanoi still emanates with remnants of the French rule through its centuries old gothic churches, French colonial buildings and opera houses. But it also exudes with traditional Vietnamese flair, making it one of the most interesting cities in the country, a blend of both Asian and European influence. As it is the capital of the country, most airlines from several countries fly to Hanoi directly, thus, it is possibly one of the first cities you’ll visit when traveling to Vietnam. While Hanoi is often just a jumping-off point to other popular destinations in Northern Vietnam like Halong Bay, Sapa and Ninh Binh, it has its own attraction and character to flaunt. Hopefully, this Hanoi Travel Guide blog will help you in planning your trip here soon .

TRAVEL BLOG CONTENTS

ABOUT HANOI

Hanoi is the second largest city in Vietnam. But if you are a first-timer here, you will most likely stay and spend most of your time in Old Hanoi composed of 4 districts. The most famous base is the Hoan Kiem District, the heart of the city where Hoan Kiem Lake is located. The Old Quarter is where most budget and mid-range hotels are concentrated, along with hawker stalls and shops housed in French colonial buildings. Many attractions are within walking distance like the Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, Hanoi Opera House, St. Joseph’s Cathedral and Hoa Lo Prison.

Ba Dinh District is another place that you will most likely visit as this is where you will find Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the One Pillar Pagoda. Bordering Ba Dinh is Dong Da District where the Temple of Literature is situated.

HANOI PRACTICAL INFORMATION

BEST TIME TO VISIT HANOI:  Although Vietnam has tropical climate: hot and rainy, Hanoi city experiences 4 seasons: Winter (November to January), spring (February to April), summer (May to August), and autumn (September to October).  I visited during winter, around November, and it was pretty cloudy, cold and foggy. It was also raining a lot that time hence the dark, moody photos on this blog.  I had to change my itinerary; detoured to Southern Vietnam instead of visiting Sapa because of the rain.  Spring would be an ideal month to visit due to the mild weather.

VIETNAM VISA:   No visa required for Philippine Passport holders for up to 21 days.

LANGUANGE IN HANOI: Vietnamese is the local language. However, stuff at hotels, tourist establishments, vendors, and drivers can speak English.

CURRENCY IN HANOI:   Hanoi, like the rest of Vietnam uses Vietnamese Dong (VND).  The current rate exchange is around VND 22,779 = USD 1 /PHP 51 / EURO 0.80/ SGD 1.32/ MYR 21.  It’s one of the places where you exchange your Philippine peso (PHP 2,500 + or up), you’ll become a millionaire, for example PHP 2,500 = VND 1,106,370.

MONEY EXCHANGE IN HANOI: If you need to exchange money, you can do so at the bank or at gold and jewelry shops.  Bring USD instead of peso as it has a better rate.  But since the best rates are the banks’ rate, you can save a few bucks by withdrawing from ATMs scattered around the city.

IMPORTANT: Any damaged or dirty banknotes will be charged an additional 2% of the note’s face value, so best to bring new notes.

MODE OF PAYMENT: Cash is widely used everywhere; some establishments accept credit card payments.

IMPORTANT: Always count your change and make sure you are handing the right notes when paying because the currency in Vietnam can be confusing; there’s a lot of zeros and the color of the banknotes are almost the same. You will lose a lot of money if you pay with the wrong notes, some vendors in Vietnam won’t correct you if you make a mistake.  Sadly, shortchanging tourists is quite common in touristy areas in Hoi An. In Ho Chi Minh, I was eating when a tourist hurriedly went back to the restaurant and told the staff that he made a mistake when he paid for his food the previous night. He just realized it when he counted his money the next morning. It happened to me once too, but in my case, the vendor shortchanged me. I insisted the change was wrong, and pointed to her the correct notes that I gave her. His husband ended up giving me the correct change.

HANOI ELECTRICITY:   Hanoi uses type A, C and D power sockets like the rest of Vietnam. The standard voltage is 110 V/220 V. Make sure you have a power plug adapter when traveling to Vietnam.

HANOI WI-FI/INTERNET:  Getting connected online is important when traveling around Hanoi and the rest of Vietnam.  While locals in touristy areas, hotels, shops and restaurants speak English, you might experience language barrier in off-the-beaten destinations.

I prefer renting a pocket Wi-Fi as it is easier to set up than sim card.  If you wish to rent one, you can do so through the link below and it will be delivered to your hotel in Hanoi, Hoi An, Da Nang or Ho Chi Minh City. The pocket Wi-Fi can connect up to 8 devices.

RESERVE POCKET WI-FI HERE

WHERE TO STAY IN HANOI

What I like about traveling to Hanoi is the plethora of affordable accommodations around the Old Quarter and they are pretty stylish.  Here are some of the budget, top-rated hotels by Agoda users in and near the Old Quarter.  I prefer staying in the Old Quarter because it is near the restaurants, shops and some attractions around the Hoan Kiem Lake.

BUDGET HANOI HOTELS

Luxury Backpackers

56 Ngo Huyen street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi City, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam

CHECK ROOM RATES HERE

Hanoi Fantasea Hotel

78b Hang Non Street, Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam

MID-RANGE HANOI HOTELS

  Spring Flower Hotel

45 Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem, Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam

Angel Palace Hotel

173 Hang Bong Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam

HOW TO GET TO HANOI, VIETNAM

Manila to hanoi:.

From Manila, there are a handful of airlines that fly directly to Hanoi.  I flew to Hanoi from Manila via Cebu Pacific Airlines.

SEARCH FLIGHTS HERE

Singapore to hanoi:.

If coming from Singapore to Hanoi, you can fly via Vietnam Airlines or  Vietjet.

MALAYSIA TO HANOI:

If coming from Malaysia or Thailand, you can fly via Malindo Air, Vietnam Airline or Malaysia Airline.

HO CHI MINH TO HANOI

Vietjet Air, Jetstar Pacific,and Vietnam Airlines have daily flights between Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. Fare starts at PHP 3,500 + (USD 64).

If you want to experience riding the famous Reunification Trains between Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, there are trains that depart daily between these 2 cities. Take note that Reunification Trains refers to any trains on the North-South Railway Line.

SE 2:   Departure: 07:00 PM – Arrival: 04:02 AM ( 1 day and 9 hours)

SE 4:   Departure: 11:00 PM – Arrival: 07:26 PM ( 1 day and 8.26 hours)

SE 6: Departure: 09:00 AM – Arrival: 07:45 PM (1 day and 10.45 hours)

SE 8: Departure: 06:00 AM – Arrival: 03:30 PM (1 day and 9 hours)

SE 10: Departure: 02:40 PM – Arrival: 03:55 AM (1 day and 13 hours)

These trains have 5 sitting and sleeping options:

• Hard Seats:
• Soft Seats (2nd Class AC seats): USD 38 – PHP
• Hard Berth (2 nd class AC sleeper): USD 53
• Soft Berth (1 st classt AC sleeper): USD 59

*Fare for children under 5 is free.

RESERVE TICKETS HERE

Reserve here, hanoi city (old quarter) from hanoi airport , by airport transfer.

The easiest and most convenient way to travel from Hanoi Airport (Noi Bai International and Domestic) to Hanoi City center is via airport transfer, you can book below, good for 2-10 persons depending on the vehicle.  Recently, I like taking airport transfer as it drives me straight to my hotel with all my heavy luggage. I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting old or getting pretty lazy! Hahaha Either way, I now prefer paying a little extra for some convenience.

  BOOK AIRPORT TRANSFER HERE

If your budget is tight or you just want to save a few bucks, consider taking a bus.  You have 3 options for the airport bus to Hanoi city center:

BUS #86 – This is a new bus operating from Hanoi Airport to Hanoi City center including the bus stops in Hanoi Old Quarter and Long Bien bus station.  Bus runs every 30 minutes from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM.  Bus fare is around VND 30,000/ PHP 68 (USD 1.32/EURO 1/SGD 1.74/MYR 5.12) and travel time is roughly 1 hour. if you are staying at Hanoi Old Quarter, you can alight at the bus stop in front of the Post Office near Hoan Kiem Lake.  From there you can walk to your hotel or take a taxi.

  BUS #17 – This is the cheapest bus that can transfer you from Hanoi Airport to Long Bien Terminal in the Old Quarter.  If you are arriving at the International Airport, walk for a few minutes to the Domestic Terminal.  Fare is roughly VND 9,000/ PHP 20 (USD 2 /EURO 0.32 /SGD 0.52 /MYR 1.56), but the driver might ask you to pay more if you have a luggage.  From the bus station, you can ride a taxi to your hotel.

PRIVATE SHUTTLE BUS –  Some airlines like Vietjet Airlines and Vietnam Airlines have shuttle buses to the Old Quarter from the airport.  It should cost around VND 40,000/ PHP 90 (USD 2 /EURO 1.41 /SGD 2.32/MYR 7) per person.

Make sure to use the meter if you are using the taxi and watch the meter! Many taxi drivers are notorious for overcharging tourists in Hanoi. This is why I recommend booking the airport transfer instead.  Some of the reliable taxi companies in Hanoi are Mai Linh Taxi (Green) and Taxi Group/Taxi CP/Hanoi Taxi (White with Red and Blue).  When riding a taxi, take note of the body number and contact # of the taxi operator in case you get ripped off, you can report it.

IMPORTANT: Some taxis at the airport reportedly take tourists to the wrong hotel with almost a similar name as some of the popular hotels in Hanoi and you will end up paying more.  Always double check if you have the right hotel to avoid this from happening. Better yet, BOOK A HANOI AIRPORT TRANSFER HERE for your safety and convenience. You may also book via Grab, fare is roughly VND 300,000 (PHP 700).

GETTING AROUND HANOI

Vietnam is oozing with group tours, and they are dirt cheap!  That’s why whenever I’m there, I just join tours instead of doing a DIY trip.  It’s hassle-free, and they have English-speaking guides, so asking for information won’t be a problem.  If you want a hassle-free tour, you can book through the link below. It’s pretty affordable and will cover most of the top attractions in Hanoi.  Hotel pick up is also included, always check your email for pick-up confirmation.

RESERVE A HANOI ONE DAY TOUR HERE

RESERVE A HANOI HALF-DAY TOUR HERE

If you prefer a private day tour of Hanoi, you can book a tour below:

RESERVE A PRIVATE TOUR HERE

BY PRIVATE CAR CHARTER

If you are a group of 3-12 persons, you can save by hiring a car for your private tour in Hanoi and it’s pretty convenient too.  You can book below, just click the link for more details.

BOOK A PRIVATE CAR HERE

BY WALKING TOUR

If your hotel is in the Old Quarter in Hanoi, many attractions are within walking distance including Hoan Kiem lake, Ngoc Son Temple, The Huc Bridge, Hanoi Opera House, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hoa Lo Prison, Long Bien Bridge and some museums.  Consult Google Maps for directions or get a tourist map from the airport or your hotel.

Cyclo is another way to get around and tour Vietnam, but it only covers limited distance and places.  But it sure is worth a try.  Our Hanoi private tour includes a cyclo tour with it.  If you want to try this, you can approach a cyclo driver and negotiate the price (always agree with the price first before riding as some drivers are known to overcharge tourists!), or book for a Hanoi Tour with cyclo tour below.

RESERVE HANOI WALKING AND CYCLO AFTERNOON TOUR HERE

HANOI TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

For first-timers in Hanoi, here’s a list of the famous tourist attractions to help you pick the ones that you want to visit and include in your itinerary.  They are typically part of the Hanoi group tours I mentioned above.

1. HANOI OLD QUARTER (HOAN KIEM DISTRICT)

Hanoi’s Old Quarter has been thriving since imperial era, steep in history and culture and bustling with thriving hawkers, shops and hotels located in French-colonial buildings. It is also sprinkled with pagodas and temples. This atmospheric quarter is the typical base of first-time tourists in Hanoi. Back in the days, Hanoi Old Quarter used to be known for specific trades for each areas where merchants gather to sell their products.

While you are here, try the Vietnamese food being sold by street hawkers wearing traditional Vietnamese hats like pho , banh mi, spring rolls and sip a glass of a strong Vietnamese ca phe da (ice coffee). Ta Hien Street in Hanoi Old Quarter is dubbed as the Beer Street and it’s not all about beer, it’s also a good place to try local food while eating it on street sides with small plastic red chairs used as both seat and table.

RESERVE OLD QUARTER FOOD TOUR HERE

2. HANOI FRENCH QUARTER (BA DINH DISTRICT)

Hanoi’s French Quarter sits on the southern edge of Hoan Kiem Lake where you can find many of Hanoi’s government buildings, embassies, luxury hotels and posh neighborhood. For those who love to shop for luxury brands, check out Trang Tien Plaza, a lively shopping area here.

3. HOAN KIEM LAKE AND NGOC SON TEMPLE

Probably my favorite part of Hanoi is the Hoan Kiem Lake, which is standing at the heart of it, dividing the Hanoi French Quarter and the Old Quarter.  It’s a great place to hang out and take a respite from the pulsating city and buzzing motorbikes in the Old Quarter.  In the middle of the lake you can see the Turtle Pagoda dedicated to the gigantic tortoise living on the lake. Early in the morning, you can catch locals practicing Tai Chi, walking or cycling around the lake.

The Ngoc Son Temple can be accessed via the red wooden bridge at the Hoan Kiem Lake also known as the Temple of the Jade Mountain.  This 18th century temple is dedicated to General Tran Hung Dao who defeated the Mongols during the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th-century. Temple is open from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM and entrance fee is VND 30,000/PHP 68/USD 1.32/EURO 1/SGD 2/MYR 5.

And while you are at Hoan Kiem Lake, you might want to buy a To He , a traditional toy figurine, usually in the form of animals, characters or flowers that is popular in Vietnam.  It’s made of glutinous rice powder, typically made by local artisans from the countryside.

4.ONE PILLAR PAGODA

Address: Chùa Một Cột, Đội Cấn, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Vietnam

Open Hours: 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM daily and 2:00 – 4:00 PM on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

Entrance Fee: VND 25,000/PHP 56/USD 1/EURO 0.88/SGD 1.45/MYR 4

Based on anecdotes, Emperor Ly Thai Thong was heirless and dreamed of the Goddess of Mercy who gave him a child. Because of this, he married peasant girl (believed to be one of his favorite concubines) and had a son with him who apparently became his heir. He then had the One Pillar Pagoda built, his way of thanking the Goddess for this event.

5. HO CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM

Ho Chi Minh is the first president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the founder of Vietnam Communist Party. His embalmed body is preserved and housed in Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum which is now a popular tourist spot.

6. TEMPLE OF LITERATURE

Address: Hồ Giám, Văn Miếu, Đống Đa, Hà Nội, Vietnam

Open Hours: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM daily

Entrance Fee: VND 30,000/ PHP 68 (USD 1.32/EURO 1/SGD 1.74/MYR 5.12)

Established sometime in 1070 during the reign of Ly Thanh Tong, The Temple of Literature is built in honor of Confucius and is dedicated to Vietnam’s finest scholars and men of literary accomplishments. This temple also houses the first national university in the country – the Imperial Academy.

7. WATER PUPPET SHOW

To some the water puppet show may be boring, but I enjoyed it!  As you might have guessed it, it’s a puppet show on a water.  This long standing art in Vietnam is believed to have originated in the river paddies of River Delta in Northern Vietnam. Water Puppet Show tickets usually cost between VND 60000/PHP 136/USD 3/EURO 2/SGD 3.48/MYR 10 – VND 100,000/PHP 226/USD 4.39/EURO 4/SGD 6/MYR 17.  If you want a guided tour at night that includes dinner and a visit to a water puppet show, you can book below.

RESERVE A HANOI TOUR WITH WATER PUPPET SHOW HERE

8. JOSEPH’S CATHEDRAL

Address: 40 Nhà Chung, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam

Open Hours: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM -6:00 PM daily

Entrance Fee: Free

Located west of Hoan Kiem Lake is St. Joseph’s Cathedral built around 1886. It’s one of the first churches built by the French colonial government, hence its gothic features.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS IN HANOI:

1.HANOI OPERA HOUSE: 

Address: 01 Tràng Tiền, Hà Nội, Vietna

Open Hours: 10:30 AM Monday and Friday

Entrance Fee: VND 40,000/ PHP 90 (USD 2 /EURO 1.41 /SGD 2.32/MYR 7)

This famed attraction in Hanoi is an opera house built during the French colonial era, sometime around the 1900s. It is said to be inspired by Paris opera houses like Palais Garnier.

2. HOA LU PRISON MUSEUM 

Address: 1 Hoả Lò, Trần Hưng Đạo, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam Open Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Entrance Fees: VND 30,000/ PHP 68 (USD 1.32/EURO 1/SGD 1.74/MYR 5.12)

Is a prison for political prisoners used by the French colonizers and later for US Prisoners by North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Today, this building houses exhibits showcasing the Vietnamese fight against the French.

HANOI SIDE TRIPS

Though I like Hanoi’s Old Quarter and walking around Hoan Kiem Lake, I’m more excited in doing the day trips from Hanoi and side trips from Hanoi.  This lively city is a good base and jumping off point for exploring its neighboring tourist destinations.  And there are tons of them.  Here are some side trips that you can easily do from Hanoi.  Like I said above, I prefer joining group tours in Vietnam as I usually travel alone and it helps me cut the cost of my trip.  Group tours are really dirt cheap and hassle-free in Vietnam!

1. HALONG BAY CRUISE

Day tour to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site – Halong Bay.

Enjoy a delicious seafood feast onboard.

Convenient hotel transfers, meals and all admission fees.

RESERVE HALONG BAY DAY TOUR HERE

2. HOA LU PRIVATE DAY TOUR

Aside from Halong Bay, I recommend visiting Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh, the ancient capital of Vietnam.  Hoa Lu is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site – Trang An Landscape Complex (Trang An), along with Hoa Lu Special-Use Forest and Trang An-Tam Coc-Bich Dong Scenic Landscape.

I visited Ninh Binh and stayed there for about a week, and I fell in love with the place.  But if you are pressed for time, you can book a day trip from Hanoi to Hoa Lu, see link below.  The tour below is really affordable since you will be joining a group tour with other tourists. This will actually save you some bucks instead of doing a DIY tour.  I’ll recommend a DIY tour if you are staying there for a few days or so, but for a day trip only, the tour below is your best bet since transfer from Hanoi, tourist guide, lunch and boat cruise is already included.

RESERVE HOA LU TOUR

If you want a `private tour and you are a group of two or more, you can choose this tour package instead:

RESERVE HOA LU PRIVATE TOUR HERE

3. MAI CHAU DAY TRIP

For those wanting to get a glimpse of rural Vietnam, you can join a tour to Mai Chu to visit the Pom Coong and Na Phon villages and have lunch with the indigenous group. The tour package also includes a visit to the famous stilt houses in Mai Chu. If you want to experience riding along the rice paddies, this is your chance, as it is included in the tour!  The tour includes a hotel pick up, so always check your e-mail for details and confirmation.

  RESERVE A TOUR HERE

WHAT TO EAT (AND DRINK) IN HANOI

VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS

VIETNAMESE COFFE

HANOI BEER  

RESERVE HANOI FOOD TOUR HERE

HANOI ITINERARY WITH BUDGET BREAKDOWN

Hanoi is on top of the list of cheapest city to travel to in Southeast Asia. Everything is dirt cheap here, from food, hotel, tours and transportation!  Having said that, traveling to Hanoi won’t break the bank, but be careful whenever paying or accepting change, as the Vietnamese Dong is in thousands and millions, a small mistake can ruin your budget.

Here’s a sample Hanoi itinerary with side trip to Halong Bay and Ninh Binh.  Feel free to modify this depending on your budget and schedule.  1-2 days in Hanoi should be enough to visit its top attractions, and if you want to visit Halong Bay and Ninh Binh, allot around 4-5 days.  But if you are pressed for time and you don’t mind a crammed itinerary, you can squeeze them in 3 days including a day trip to Halong Bay or Ninh Binh.

*This Hanoi sample budget for VND 3,710,489/PHP 8,373 (USD 163/EURO 131/SGD 215/MYR 636) is good for a solo traveler/1 person.

*If you are a party of 2 and you follow the itinerary above, hotel budget and food budget, it should cost you around VND 2,965,112/PHP 6,691 (USD 4/EURO 3/SGD 5/MYR 105).

If you want to include Ninh Binh in your trip to Hanoi, you can add the Day 3 itinerary below.

*Airfare and travel tax not included in the sample budget.

SAMPLE HANOI BUDGET

Here’s a list of possible expenses for a Hanoi trip.

HANOI TOURIST SCAMS

While Hanoi is a pretty tourist-friendly destination, it has its own share of scams.  So best to be careful than be sorry.  Here are some infamous scams in Hanoi:

Around Hoan Kiem Lake, gay men are often targeted by a friendly local who offers to take them out to a bar or restaurant where they end up paying a ridiculous expensive bill.

The Old Quarter is generally safe for exploring at night, but still be careful with your surroundings especially if it is already pretty late.

Some hotel staff can be quite aggressive when offering tours, if you are not keen, politely decline. If they still insist and you feel like you are being harassed, best to move to another hotel.  You can BOOK HANOI TOURS HERE in advance, as the rate is pretty affordable.

Some taxis at the airport reportedly take tourists to the wrong hotel with almost a similar name as some of the popular hotels in Hanoi, where they end up paying more.  Always double check if you have the right hotel to avoid this from happening. Better yet, BOOK HANOI AIRPORT TRANSFER HERE for your safety and convenience.

HANOI TRAVEL TIPS

Always have cash as everything is on cash basis.  Some high-end shops, restaurants and hotels will normally accept credit cards.

ATMs/banks are available around Hanoi, they have the best exchange rates.

Always CHECK/COUNT YOUR MONEY when receiving change or paying because it can be quite confusing! You might end up paying more than you should be!

The cheapest food in the city can be found from street stalls and hawkers selling local food.

When shopping at street stalls and flea markets, try to bargain as tourists are often quoted higher prices.

Museums are closed on Mondays and have 2 hour lunch breaks some days of the week.  Always check the open hours before paying a visit.

Flying a drone in Hanoi without permission is prohibited. Don’t bring your drone in Hanoi or the rest of Vietnam unless you have a permit from the Military Defense.  Many drones were reportedly confiscated at the airport, remember they have x-ray machines so they can really see that you are carrying one.

HUE TRAVEL GUIDE + ITINERARY

Ho chi minh travel guide (budget + itinerary), mui ne travel guide (budget + itinerary), hoi an travel guide (budget + itinerary).

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Great work. I really love this post. It helped me a lot in planning my vacation in Hanoi last week. It is so pitty that we have not enough time to travel outside Hanoi but it is really amazing though

Thank you for the info. Very helpful, sana merun total amount of expenses at estimated budget na parang nakalagay sa excel. hehehe *peace*

at syempre kumpleto impormasyo ni ms gael… hehehe salamat mam sa post… nagpaplano kami na pumunta sa hanoi kase medyo naiintriga ako sa hanoi nung last time kase nag guided tour kami sa saigon feeling namin medyo di pa talaga bati sila ng northern part ng bansa nila… kaya medyo napaisip kame ano kaya talaga ang feeling sa hanoi… hehehe

I remember doing the puppet show, one of the best and must not miss in Hanoi 🙂

Great article, but I think you have missed 2 great things to do in Hanoi: 1) Sophie Art Tour (a half-day tour exploring Vietnam history through art gallery visits) 2) Urban Tales Hanoi (a half-day life size investigation activity which enable you to visit the city in a very different and fun way)

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2024 hanoi & halong bay travel guide blog with a ₱7,700 diy itinerary, things to do, tourist spots and more.

Planning a trip to Hanoi and Halong Bay, Vietnam for the first time? Let me help you plan your trip with this comprehensive HANOI TRAVEL GUIDE BLOG 2024 with Halong Bay tour featuring a DIY itinerary, list of top things to do in Hanoi, tourist spots and attractions, breakdown of expenses, and more!

Okay, let's get started., 2024 hanoi travel guide blog for first timers with halong bay tour, vietnam visa requirements for filipinos.

• How to get to Hanoi from Manila Philippines?

How to Get from Hanoi Airport to City Center?

Going Around and Outside Hanoi

Internet connection in hanoi, where to stay in hanoi.

HOTELS IN HANOI, VIETNAM: Crowne Plaza West Hanoi

• Deluxe Twin Room - starts at ₱6,695.00 per night
• Deluxe King Room - starts at ₱6,695.00 per night
• Premier King - starts at ₱7,440.00 per night
• Club Room - starts at ₱10,500.00 per night

HOTELS IN HA LONG BAY: Halong Plaza Hotel

• Superior Ocean View - starts at ₱3,783.00 per night
• Deluxe Sea View Room - starts at ₱5,159.00 per night
• Junior Suite Sea Room - starts at ₱8,250.00 per night
• Executive Suite Sea View Room - starts at ₱9,280.00 per night

Top-Rated Hotels in Hanoi

Hanoi tomodachi house, hanoi street hotel, hanoi golden hostel, hanoi majestic hotel, 1968 homes alex's cozy vintage city centre home, eclipse legend hotel, galliot central hotel.

Top Things To Do in Hanoi, Vietnam + Tourist Spots and Attractions

1. Visit Ho Chi Minh Complex

2. Pay a visit to the One Pillar Pagoda

3. Walk around the Temple of Literature

4. Go on a Cyclo Tour

5. Try Hanoi's Street Food

6. Explore Hanoi's Old Quarter

Old quarter food tour.

7. Buy Souvenirs

8. Walk Around Hoan Kiem Lake

9. Watch The Water Puppet Show

10. Have A Taste Of Vietnamese Cuisines

Hanoi is a vibrant city and there is a ton of things to do and to experience. Start with these 10 things to do and you will be pleasantly surprised at where they will lead you. Enjoy and have fun in Hanoi!

Best food, must-eats and food experiences in hanoi.

Old Quarter Food Tour

Hanoi Evening Street Eats

Cooking Classes in Hanoi

• Rose Kitchen Cooking Class with Local Market Tour
• Hanoi Cooking Class
• Miss Hanoi Cooking Class
• Hanoi Home Cooking Class

Best Halong Bay Tour Package

• Halong Bay Deluxe Cruise
• Halong Bay Day Tour
• Ha Long Bay Day Tour from Hanoi
• 2D1N Halong Bay Overnight Cruise

How to get to Halong Bay?

Check out here for convenient transportation options from hanoi to halong bay., sample 3 days and 3 nights hanoi and halong bay diy itinerary, day 1 - arrival + city tour, day 2 - halong bay day tour.

• 3.5 hours journey through rice fields to Halong City harbor
• Board the cruise
• Seafood lunch aboard the cruise
• Explore Thien Cung Cave
• Kayaking around the islands

DAY 3 - Food Tour, Shopping, Departure

Trip Budget and Expenses

• You'll be traveling in a group of two.
• You'll be sharing the hotel room for 1,000 pesos per night or 500 pesos per person.
• To save on travel expenses, you'll be joining a group tour in Hanoi and Halong Bay with Klook.com.

Pre-travel Expenses

• Hotel Accommodation for 3 nights - ₱ 3,000 / 2 = ₱ 1,500 per person 3G/4G SIM Card - ₱ 348 per person ( BOOK HERE! )
• Airport to Hotel Private car transfer - ₱ 541 / 2 = ₱ 270.50 per person( RESERVE HERE! )
• Hanoi City Tour - ₱ 1,216 per person ( BOOK HERE! )
• Halong Bay Day Tour - ₱ 1,892 per person( BOOK HERE! )
• Old Quarter Food Tour - ₱ 919 per person ( RESERVE HERE! )
• Hotel to Airport Private car transfer - ₱ 541 / 2 = ₱ 270.50 per person ( RESERVE HERE! )

DAY 1 Expenses

Day 2 expenses, day 3 expenses, grand total - ₱ 7,736.00 per person.

• Round trip airfare Manila-Hanoi-Manila
• NAIA terminal fee and travel tax
• Food expense for snacks
• Tips or gratuities which is customary in Vietnam
• Budget for pasalubong, souvenirs and shopping expenses

Halong Bay and Hanoi Travel Blogs

• Where to Stay in Hanoi? Crowne Plaza West Hanoi Hotel Review
• 40 Awesome photos of Halong Bay that will make you pack your bags and go to Vietnam
• Where to Stay in Halong Bay? Halong Plaza Hotel Review

I hope this Hanoi Travel Guide Blog with Halong Bay Tour helped you in planning an awesome and amazing Hanoi and Halong Bay Adventures! What are you waiting for?! Plan your trip now! Enjoy and have fun in Hanoi, Vietnam!

Follow my adventures on youtube @pinoyadventurista, 1 comment :.

Hi! I would just like to know if you contacted your hotel beforehand that you'll be checking in at 3 am? My family's planning to go to Vietnam on April 2020 but would be arriving around 12:30 am.

Looking for Budget Travel Guide Blogs, Hotel Reviews, and Sample DIY Itineraries? Welcome to Pinoy Adventurista, "Your Next Ultimate Adventure Starts Here!" Pinoy Adventurista is one of the Top Travel Blogs in the Philippines and the World. In 2013, he visited all the 81 provinces in the Philippines.

TRAFFIC ALERT: I-270 southbound remains closed in Frederick County. Traffic diverting MD-80/Urbana (exit 26) and MD-109/Hyattstown (exit 22)

Vatican’s top diplomat begins a 6-day visit to Vietnam aimed at normalizing relations

The Associated Press

April 10, 2024, 1:26 PM

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HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The Vatican’s top diplomat began a six-day visit to Vietnam on Tuesday as a part of efforts to normalize relations with the communist nation.

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See’s foreign minister, met his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son and expressed the Vatican’s “gratitude” for the progress that has been made to improve ties. The visit took place after Archbishop Marek Zalewski became the first Vatican representative to live and open an office in the Southeast Asian country.

“The visit is of great importance,” said Son.

Gallagher will also meet Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and visit a children’s hospital in the capital, Hanoi, state-run Vietnam News Agency reported. He will hold Mass in Hanoi, in Hue in central Vietnam, and in the financial hub of Ho Chi Minh City in the south.

Gallagher is the No. 2 official in the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and his visit to Hanoi was an “important moment” that showed that the relationship was continuing while the sides wait for an upgrade to full diplomatic relations, said Giorgio Bernardelli, the head of AsiaNews, a Catholic Missionary news agency.

Relations between the Vatican and Vietnam were severed in 1975, after the Communist Party established its rule over the entire country following the end of the Vietnam War. Relations have been strained ever since, although the sides have had regular talks since at least the late 1990s.

The agreement to appoint the Vatican’s permanent representative in Vietnam was signed in July 2023, during former President Vo Van Thuong’s visit to the Holy See. Thuong also extended an invitation to Pope Francis to visit Vietnam. But Thuong has since resigned, becoming the latest victim of an intense anti-corruption campaign.

Bernardelli said that the pope’s potential visit was likely to be discussed, adding that it also depended on the political situation in Hanoi following the president’s resignation

He added that an improvement in ties with Vietnam could also have implications for the Holy See’s ties with communist-ruled China. The relationship with Vietnam had always been a “point of reference, but with important differences,” since unlike China, Vietnam has been keen to improve relations with the Vatican and the West.

Beijing severed diplomatic ties with the Vatican in 1951, after the communists rose to power and expelled foreign priests.

Catholicism is officially the most practiced religion in Vietnam, with 5.9 million or 44.6% of the 13.2 million people who identified as religious in a 2019 census saying they were Catholic. That works out to more than 6% of the country’s population.

Associated Press journalist Hau Dinh in Hanoi, Vietnam contributed to this report.

This story has been corrected to refer to the Vatican official as Archbishop Paul Gallagher

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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• GradPost Blog

Don't miss our Spring 2024 Funding Forecast

Spring Quarter usually marks the end of the academic year, but finding funding is a continuous process! Check out this sample of upcoming deadlines of funding opportunities for postdoctoral, doctoral, graduate, research, and other short-term awards or travel grants. Various deadlines listed. Consult websites for current details and application information.

Spring quarter usually marks the end of the academic year, but finding funding is a continuous process! So, if you are looking for financial support for the coming year or next, remember to routinely look at funding postings so you get an idea of what topics or issues are getting funded. Spring and summer are also great times to prepare your fellowship application materials - personal statement, research statement, and academic CV.

Below is a sample list of upcoming deadlines. Regularly inform your faculty adviser about your current research ideas and progress as this is very important when requesting letters of recommendation. Also, be sure to check the program websites regularly for the most updated information on important dates and submission details. Good luck!

NOTE: Please report any broken links to Funding Peer Liliana Garcia

Jump to information about: Postdoctoral Fellowships Dissertation Support Graduate and Doctoral Support Research Support Other (Travel, Short-Term, Award, Summer, etc.)  

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS

Mar 15  The Hindle Postdoctoral Fellowship (history of technology)

Apr 1 German Historical Institute Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships

Apr 1 SHOT- NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship (history of space technology)

Apr 1 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Aerospace History

Apr 1 American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowships

Jul 15 David B. Larson Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health and Spirituality

Sep 15 Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowships in Israel for U.S. Citizens 2020/2021

Sep TBD American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowships

Oct 1 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) International Program INVEST Drug Abuse Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

Oct 15 American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowships

Oct 18 NSF Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

On-going Incorporating Benefits & Costs of Environmental Regulation in Computable General Equilibrium Models Research with the US Environmental Protection Agency

Various deadlines Funding Opportunities for Postdoctoral Scholars - list via Harvard website

Various deadlines Postdoctoral opportunities in medical research - via Stanford website

Various deadlines Minority Postdoctoral Opportunities List

Various deadlines Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Postdoctoral Fellowships

Various deadlines Special Programs for Postdoctoral Fellows - via National Science Foundation

Various deadlines Post-doctoral Opportunities List - from the National Institute of Health

Various deadlines - Postdoctoral Positions at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory  

DISSERTATION SUPPORT

Feb 25  Melvin Kranzberg Dissertation Fellowship (history of technology)

April 1 Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations Marilyn Blatt Young Dissertation Completion Fellowship

Apr 1 Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) Dissertation Research Grants

May 1 North American Conference on British Studies Dissertation Research Fellowship

May 1 Grants for Health Services Dissertation Program (R36)

Jul 17 Linguistics Program Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement - grant application must be submitted with your advisor and through Office of Research

Jul 20 Biological Anthropology Program Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement - grant application must be submitted with your advisor and through Office of Research

Aug 1 Grants for Health Services Dissertation Program (R36)

Aug 15 Cultural Anthropology Program Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement - grant application must be submitted with your advisor and through Office of Research

On-going Research Opportunities at the US Forest Service Research and Development (R&D)

On-going Archaeology Program Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Awards (Arch-DDRI) - grant application must be submitted with your advisor and through Office of Research

On-going Documenting Endangered Languages Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants - grant application must be submitted with your advisor and through Office of Research

On-going Geography and Spatial Sciences Program Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (GSS-DDRI) , National Science Foundation (NSF)

Various Deadlines Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Research Opportunities  

GRADUATE & DOCTORAL SUPPORT

Apr 1 Batten, First Union, and Peter Nicolaisen International Fellowships

Apr 1 SHOT- NASA Predoctoral Fellowship (history of space technology)

Apr 10  National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowships

Apr 15 Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Graduate Fellowship (National Deadline; local chapter deadline is usually 2 weeks earlier)

Apr 15 BHW Group Women in STEM Scholarship

Apr 30 Government of the Slovak Republic approved the establishment of the National Scholarship Programme

May 8  Google India PhD Fellowships

May 8  Google China/Hong Kong/Japan/South Korea Phd Fellowship Program

May 11 American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (ASHFoundation) New Century Scholars Doctoral Scholarship

Jun 15  American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Fellowship for Minority Doctoral Students

Sep 7 American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowships

TBD American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (ASHFoundation) Graduate Student Scholarship

TBD PEO International Peace Scholarship (IPS) - also open to international students studying in the US

Various Deadlines Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations Fellowships and Grants  

On-going Gerda Henkel Foundation Ph.D. Scholarships in the Historical Humanities   

RESEARCH SUPPORT

Apr 1 Research Fellowships in Aerospace History

Apr 1 Harry S. Truman Library Institute Research Grants Program Apr 10  National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships Apr 12 Horton Hydrology Research Grant from American Geophysical Union

Apr 13 Project Management Institute's Research Grant Program for the study of project, program or portfolio management

Apr 15 Emerging Crises Oral History Research Fund

Apr 19 American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation Student Research Grant in Early Childhood Language Development

Apr 19 American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation Student Research Grant in Audiology

Apr 24  Japan-US Friendship Commission and the National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan

Apr 30 International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER) - Graduate Fellowship Program

Apr TBD Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program

May 1 NRC Research Associateship Programs (RAP)

May 1  US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC) Graduate Student Research Program

May 2 National Institute of Justice Graduate Fellowships in STEM

May 15 Deutsches Akademisches Austaauschdienst (DAAD) Short-Term Research Grants (for research in Germany)

Jul 15 The Leakey Foundation Grants for Research Related to Human Origins

Aug 1 NRC Research Associateship Programs (RAP)

Sep 15 Fulbright Canada-American Scholars Awards

Sep 15 Kluge Fellowships (humanities and social science research)

Oct 15  Harry S. Truman Library Institute Research Grants Program

TBD UCHRI Grants and Fellowships

TBD Graduate Fellowship for Research in Japan

TBD Merck KGaA Research Grant Competition

Various Opportunities New York Public Library Research Fellowships

Various Deadlines Smithsonian Institute Fellowships

Various Deadlines Metropolitan Museum of Art Research Fellowships

Various Deadlines Center for Disease Control (CDC) Fellowships

On-going Dirksen Congressional Research Grant

On-going The Spalding Trust Grants for the Comparative Study of Religions

On-going Statistics Fellowship with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

On-going OCS ORISE Fellowship with the Food and Drug Administration

On-going Digital/New Media Fellowships with Dept of Health and Human Services

On-going Dept of Energy Opportunity in Fuel Cell Research

On-going National Institute of Health Individual Graduate Partnerships Program

On-going Title VIII Research Scholar Program American Councils - in-country, independent research for three consecutive months to nine consecutive months in Russia, Eurasia, and Eastern Europe  

OTHER (Travel, Short-Term, Award, Summer etc.)

Mar 31 Sara Finney-Johnson Scholarship - Delta Sigma Theta Sorority

Apr 1 Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery

Apr 7 Short-Term Carter Center Graduate Assistantships in Atlanta

Apr 8 Charles Koch Institute Summer Internship

Apr 10  National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships

Apr 28 Mary Murphy Graduate Scholarship - Delta Sigma Theta Sorority

Apr TBD Interfaces Graduate Training Program at UCSD - in biological, engineering, physical and health sciences

Apr TBD Lupus Foundation of America Summer Fellowships

May 1  Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting (no citizenship requirements)

May 1 James P. Danky Fellowship in Print and Digital Culture

May 15 Catherine Prelinger Award (women's history)

May 31 PSA/Journal of Postcolonial Writing Postgraduate Essay Competition

Jun 5  SACNAS Travel Fellowships

Jun 26  LGBT Studies One-Month Research Fellowship at Yale University

July TBA  National Air and Space Administration (NASA) Internships *NOTE: Select opportunities are also open to citizens from countries participating in the NASA International Internship Program.

Sep 1 Samuel H. Kress Foundation Conservation Grants Programs

Sep 1 Samuel H. Kress Foundation Art History Digital Art History Grant Programs

Fall TBD Presidential Management Fellows Program US Office of Personnel Management

Rolling Deadline - Veteran Research Supplement with the Center for Integrated Access Networks

• Search for: Toggle Search

Coming Up ACEs: Decoding the AI Technology That’s Enhancing Games With Realistic Digital Humans

Editor’s note: This post is part of the AI Decoded series , which demystifies AI by making the technology more accessible, and which showcases new hardware, software, tools and accelerations for RTX PC users.

Digital characters are leveling up.

Non-playable characters often play a crucial role in video game storytelling, but since they’re usually designed with a fixed purpose, they can get repetitive and boring — especially in vast worlds where there are thousands.

Thanks in part to incredible advances in visual computing like ray tracing and DLSS, video games are more immersive and realistic than ever, making dry encounters with NPCs especially jarring.

Earlier this year, production microservices for the NVIDIA Avatar Cloud Engine  launched, giving game developers and digital creators an ace up their sleeve when it comes to making lifelike NPCs. ACE microservices allow developers to integrate state-of-the-art generative AI models into digital avatars in games and applications. With ACE microservices, NPCs can dynamically interact and converse with players in-game and in real time.

Leading game developers, studios and startups are already incorporating ACE into their titles, bringing new levels of personality and engagement to NPCs and digital humans.

Bring Avatars to Life With NVIDIA ACE

The process of creating NPCs starts with providing them a backstory and purpose, which helps guide the narrative and ensures contextually relevant dialogue. Then, ACE subcomponents work together to build avatar interactivity and enhance responsiveness.

NPCs tap up to four AI models to hear, process, generate dialogue and respond.

The player’s voice first goes into NVIDIA Riva , a technology that builds fully customizable, real-time conversational AI pipelines and turns chatbots into engaging and expressive assistants using GPU-accelerated multilingual speech and translation microservices.

With ACE, Riva’s automatic speech recognition (ASR) feature processes what was said and uses AI to deliver a highly accurate transcription in real time. Explore a Riva-powered demo of speech-to-text in a dozen languages.

The transcription then goes into an LLM — such as Google’s Gemma, Meta’s Llama 2 or Mistral — and taps Riva’s neural machine translation to generate a natural language text response. Next, Riva’s Text-to-Speech functionality generates an audio response.

Finally, NVIDIA Audio2Face (A2F) generates facial expressions that can be synced to dialogue in many languages. With the microservice, digital avatars can display dynamic, realistic emotions streamed live or baked in during post-processing.

The AI network automatically animates face, eyes, mouth, tongue and head motions to match the selected emotional range and level of intensity. And A2F can automatically infer emotion directly from an audio clip.

Each step happens in real time to ensure fluid dialogue between the player and the character. And the tools are customizable, giving developers the flexibility to build the types of characters they need for immersive storytelling or worldbuilding.

Born to Roll

At GDC and GTC, developers and platform partners showcased demos leveraging NVIDIA ACE microservices — from interactive NPCs in gaming to powerful digital human nurses.

Ubisoft is exploring new types of interactive gameplay with dynamic NPCs. NEO NPCs, the product of its latest research and development project, are designed to interact in real time with players, their environment and other characters, opening up new possibilities for dynamic and emergent storytelling.

The capabilities of these NEO NPCs were showcased through demos, each focused on different aspects of NPC behaviors, including environmental and contextual awareness; real-time reactions and animations; and conversation memory, collaboration and strategic decision-making. Combined, the demos spotlighted the technology’s potential to push the boundaries of game design and immersion.

Using Inworld AI technology, Ubisoft’s narrative team created two NEO NPCs, Bloom and Iron, each with their own background story, knowledge base and unique conversational style. Inworld technology also provided the NEO NPCs with intrinsic knowledge of their surroundings, as well as interactive responses powered by Inworld’s LLM. NVIDIA A2F provided facial animations and lip syncing for the two NPCs real time.

Inworld and NVIDIA set GDC abuzz with a new technology demo called Covert Protocol, which showcased NVIDIA ACE technologies and the Inworld Engine. In the demo, players controlled a private detective who completed objectives based on the outcome of conversations with NPCs on the scene. Covert Protocol unlocked social simulation game mechanics with AI-powered digital characters that acted as bearers of crucial information, presented challenges and catalyzed key narrative developments. This enhanced level of AI-driven interactivity and player agency is set to open up new possibilities for emergent, player-specific gameplay.

Built on Unreal Engine 5, Covert Protocol uses the Inworld Engine and NVIDIA ACE, including NVIDIA Riva ASR and A2F, to augment Inworld’s speech and animation pipelines.

In the latest version of the NVIDIA Kairos tech demo built in collaboration with Convai, which was shown at CES, Riva ASR and A2F were used to significantly improve NPC interactivity. Convai’s new framework allowed the NPCs to converse among themselves and gave them awareness of objects, enabling them to pick up and deliver items to desired areas. Furthermore, NPCs gained the ability to lead players to objectives and traverse worlds.

Digital Characters in the Real World

The technology used to create NPCs is also being used to animate avatars and digital humans. Going beyond gaming, task-specific generative AI is moving into healthcare, customer service and more.

NVIDIA collaborated with Hippocratic AI at GTC to extend its healthcare agent solution, showcasing the potential of a generative AI healthcare agent avatar. More work underway to develop a super-low-latency inference platform to power real-time use cases.

“Our digital assistants provide helpful, timely and accurate information to patients worldwide,” said Munjal Shah, cofounder and CEO of Hippocratic AI. “NVIDIA ACE technologies bring them to life with cutting-edge visuals and realistic animations that help better connect to patients.”

Internal testing of Hippocratic’s initial AI healthcare agents is focused on chronic care management, wellness coaching, health risk assessments, social determinants of health surveys, pre-operative outreach and post-discharge follow-up.

UneeQ is an autonomous digital human platform focused on AI-powered avatars for customer service and interactive applications. UneeQ integrated the NVIDIA A2F microservice into its platform and combined it with its Synanim ML synthetic animation technology to create highly realistic avatars for enhanced customer experiences and engagement.

“UneeQ combines NVIDIA animation AI with our own Synanim ML synthetic animation technology to deliver real-time digital human interactions that are emotionally responsive and deliver dynamic experiences powered by conversational AI,” said Danny Tomsett, founder and CEO at UneeQ.

AI in Gaming

ACE is one of the many NVIDIA AI technologies that bring games to the next level.

• NVIDIA DLSS is a breakthrough graphics technology that uses AI to increase frame rates and improve image quality on GeForce RTX GPUs.
• NVIDIA RTX Remix enables modders to easily capture game assets, automatically enhance materials with generative AI tools and quickly create stunning RTX remasters with full ray tracing and DLSS.
• NVIDIA Freestyle, accessed through the new NVIDIA app beta, lets users personalize the visual aesthetics of more than 1,200 games through real-time post-processing filters, with features like RTX HDR, RTX Dynamic Vibrance and more.
• The NVIDIA Broadcast app transforms any room into a home studio, giving livestream AI-enhanced voice and video tools, including noise and echo removal, virtual background and AI green screen, auto-frame, video noise removal and eye contact.

Experience the latest and greatest in AI-powered experiences with NVIDIA RTX PCs and workstations, and make sense of what’s new, and what’s next, with AI Decoded.

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