A brief guide to visiting Hanoi, Vietnam

Most visitors to Vietnam will find themselves travelling through Hanoi. As its capital and powerhouse of the north, this city is the ideal starting point for exploring Vietnam.

I visited Hanoi back in October 2023. It was the first place I went to as part of my six week trip to Vietnam and was a good place to begin. It certainly helped me acclimatise!

In this guide, I’ll tell you more about how to visit Hanoi, including what to do, where to eat and how to get there. As Hanoi is a massive city, this guide will only scratch the surface and will focus on the tourist centre. I hope it’ll give you a good overview of what to expect from the city.

About Hanoi

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, and its second biggest city. It’s located along the Red River in the north of the country.

As the biggest city in the north of Vietnam, with good flight connections, many people start their exploration of the country from Hanoi. It’s a good place to begin – the tourist centre is manageable and, in my opinion, not too overwhelming.

A short history of Hanoi

As with all of Vietnam, Hanoi has a long and complicated history. Long after it was first settled, it became the capital of Vietnam in the 11th century for the Ly Dynasty. In those days it was called Thang Long.

In 1802, when the Nguyen Dynasty came into power, the capital of Vietnam was moved to Hue. It was to remain that way until 1945, when Hanoi became the capital of North Vietnam. Reunification in 1975 brought the whole of Vietnam back under the control of Hanoi.

The long history of Hanoi is reflected in the architecture you’ll see in its Old Quarter, where most people are based. As such, a visit to Hanoi is a good chance to see some of the more ancient side to Vietnam – by contrast to Ho Chi Minh City, which is a great place to learn more about the Vietnam-American War. There’s some interesting monuments which are worth pausing to look at!

What is Hanoi like?

A tourist coming to Hanoi might first notice how busy the city is: it’s hectic for sure! There are lots of people coming and going, lots of motorbikes, and lots of shops.

Throughout all of that, in my opinion, the Old Quarter still comes across as quaint and majestic, with traditional architectural styles. There might be a lot of people but there’s also a good atmosphere, and you’ll see a lot of old against newer practices.

Don’t get me wrong, though – the Old Quarter is incredibly touristy and much is aimed at international visitors. It can feel overwhelming. The evenings in particular were crazy busy! But I think it’s a good introduction to Vietnam before visiting other places.

How to get to Hanoi

As one of the transport hubs of Vietnam, getting to Hanoi is incredibly easy. There are regular direct flights from a range of short- and long-haul destinations, some of which can work out not too expensive if you fly budget.

Within Vietnam, Hanoi is well connected by bus and train to other parts of the country. Hanoi is placed on the railway line extending south to Ho Chi Minh City, passing through the cities on its east coast along the way. It’s a great way to visit places like Ninh Binh, Hue, Da Nang, Quoy Nhon and Nha Trang.

For people wanting to visit Sapa, a connection is also possible by going north on the train to Lao Cai. However, you might need to make a bus ride on the other side, so it won’t necessarily save you any time.

The bus is a great option for a range of distances. It’s easy to take the bus to closer locations like Ha Giang or Cat Ba, which are not on a train line. You’ll find day and sleeper buses to pick from, making the journey a bit easier to fit in.

Of course, Hanoi is firmly on the tourist trail so finding and booking any of this shouldn’t be a problem!

Where to stay in Hanoi

Most people (myself included) stay in the Old Quarter, the quaint central area in Hanoi. This is quite a big area around the Hoam Kien Lake, but it’s still compact enough to walk around in without relying on taxis.

Most of the hostels appeared to be in close proximity to one another, so you can’t go too wrong. We stayed at Buffalo Hostel and generally liked it – it was cheap and they do a great free breakfast – but there are lots of good hostels in Hanoi, so take your pick.

There’s no shortage of upmarket hotels and friendly guesthouses to stay at if those are more up your alleyway.

Of course, Hanoi is a big city, so if you want to get away from the tourist traps, you can do that easily too.

How long should you stay in Hanoi?

Hanoi is a big place and there are lots of things to do. However, many of the main tourist spots revolve around things like temples and museums. If you’re into that kind of thing, then great – stay a bit longer! If not, you won’t need quite as much time.

How long you should stay also depends on the weather. During my first time in Hanoi, the weather was around 34 degrees, which is way too hot for me; I couldn’t function well in such hot weather, so I couldn’t wait to get out of the city. My second time, just a few weeks later, was six degrees cooler and so much nicer; I got a lot more exploring out of that trip.

Personally, I think three nights is the perfect amount of time for a trip to Hanoi. You’ll be able to see the top spots and will have time for other activities depending on what you enjoy.

If you want a more relaxed time in Hanoi, four nights makes a lot of sense. You’ll have an extra day to spread things out over or do a new activity. It’s also great if you’re still planning what to do after Hanoi as it means you can sort that once you arrive, without it cutting into exploration time.

Ratings

As part of this blog, I give every place I visit a rating so that I can easily compare destinations and decide whether they’re worth a visit. Those are the scores you see at the top of the page!

This is how Hanoi rated:

• Safety: 4/5 – Hanoi generally felt safe. However, there were a few streets where I felt like there was a pickpocketing risk in the evening. Also, as with the rest of Vietnam, some of the driving wasn’t great and I suspect there must be lots of road accients. 
• Accessibility: 4/5 – Hanoi felt generally accessible. It’s easy to get to the city, with plenty of transport routes and lots of taxis. However, Vietnam just isn’t built for people with disabilities, with a lot of buildings not having lifts or step-free access, which isn’t ideal.
• Enjoyment: 4/5 – I liked Hanoi, but three days was more than enough for me. It was overwhelming in a few places and, compared to the rest of Vietnam, I didn’t find it to be very friendly.
• Value: 5/5 – for a capital city, Hanoi was great value, with inexpensive accommodation and food. Entry fees were also quite low.

Overall: 4.25/5

If you have visited Hanoi, let me know if you agree with these ratings.

What to do

1. Explore Thang Long

History buffs might want to begin their trip to Hanoi with a visit to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. This was the heart of the capital in ancient times, from which former dynasties ruled.

Over the centuries, there’s been a lot of development and most of the original buildings have been demolished, but you can still see the gate to the citadel. Another interesting site is a bunker used for military operations in the Vietnamese-American War.

To recognise its importance in Vietnamese history, Thang Long has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the related protections. You can visit it for the very reasonable price of 30,000 dong ($1.20 / £0.90).

2. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

One of the most popular activities to do in Hanoi is to pay a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. This impressive building is a testimony to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam’s most revered leader who’s credited with gaining liberation for the country. His remains are kept there and can be viewed on some days.

Now, I can’t lie – I didn’t make it into the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. It’s only open at strict times which don’t necessarily match what you’ll find on Google; when we were there, it was only open before 10 am or after 2 pm. We had an experience with incredibly rude security guards and it put me off wanting to go in ever.

3. Explore the Temple of Literature

Elsewhere in Hanoi, you’ll find the Temple of Literature. This temple is associated with the gaining of knowledge. It was once used as an academy which educated royals in centuries gone by.

Despite being in the centre of the city (and being very popular with tourists), the Temple of Literature felt very peaceful. I enjoyed taking a look around. It cost 30,000 dong ($1.20 / £0.90) to get in: money well spent.

4. Learn about Vietnam in a museum

There are a range of museums in Hanoi in which you can learn more about Vietnam. These include the Hoa Lo Prison, the Vietnamese Women’s Museum and Vietnam Military History Museum.

I only made it to the Vietnamese Women’s Museum as I didn’t fancy spending days exploring all the different museums in the city. It was a nice museum to visit, not only educating me about the experience of women in Vietnam, but also more about the fabric of the country, such as their spirituality and the lives of ethnic minorities. I enjoyed the visit (even if we accidentally timed it to coincide with a primary school trip…)

Again, tickets only cost 30,000 dong ($1.20 / £0.90).

3. Make egg coffee

Hanoi loves its egg coffee. This drink originates from the city and consists of Vietnamese drip coffee topped with whipped egg yolk. It doesn’t sound great, but the egg cream has such a silky texture. It’s more like a dessert than it is a drink!

There are a range of cafes where you can sample it. However, why drink it when you can make it yourself? We did this on a egg coffee making class at Minh Cafe. We made several drinks and had a lot of fun. It cost 240,000 dong ($9 / £7) which is substantially more than buying an egg coffee at a cafe, but it was worth it.

4. Taste your way through Hanoi on a food tour

There are so many food tours in Hanoi. You’ll find them in almost all Vietnamese cities, but Hanoi is a great place to sample some new foods as there are a range of nice places to eat.

A food tour is a great way to try many new dishes in a short amount of time, with the tour guides having picked the places to eat at, so you know they’re good.

That being said, you could also take yourself to some of these places, so it’s personal preference!

5. Walk around Hoam Kien Lake

There’s a big lake in the centre of the Old Quarter. This lake has cultural importance for Hanoi as it is the site of a big Hanoi legend. Legend has it that a sacred turtle got its master’s sword back from a king back in the fifteenth century.

Hoam Kien Lake isn’t too big to walk around, and many of Hanoi’s top sights are nearby, so it isn’t a bad place to begin exploring the city.

6. Watch a water puppet show

One of the more unique things you can do in Hanoi is to watch a water puppet show.

Water puppetry is a Vietnamese tradition where puppets move over a pool of water, playing out traditional and climactic scenes.

I really enjoyed our trip to Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. It was a super popular place to visit but tickets were affordable, at 100,000 to 200,000 dong ($4 to $8 / £3 to £6).

I have to say that the audience at the puppet theatre was one of the rudest I’ve ever seen. It was entirely tourists and people were coming in late, talking over the show and doing whatever they wanted – not cool!

7. Walk around Tay Ho Lake

If you have spare time in Hanoi, another lake to visit is Tay Ho. This lake is pretty large – the largest in Hanoi in fact! – so it takes a few hours to walk around it. However, it is supposedly home to several buzzing neighbourhoods with shops and restaurants to explore.

I never made it to the area around this lake and am not sure I could’ve dealt with walking that far in the heat. However, it would be on my list to check out if I ever make it back to Hanoi.

8. Visit Train Street

Another one of those insanely popular places to visit in Hanoi is the Train Street. This name actually refers to several separate streets in the Old Quarter where railway tracks run straight through them.

Nowadays you’ll find cafes stationed along the road, which have their tables and chairs set right outside – practically on the tracks. When a train is scheduled to come, all the vendors pull their tables and chairs in. It is a big tourist sight to duck out of the way just before the train comes along.

I thought this sounded like a fun sight. However, reports suggest this attraction is now very overtouristed and scammy. Apparently there’s security to stop people from going to see the tracks until you’re ‘invited’ by a coffee shop.

I didn’t like the sound of this and gave the attraction a big miss!

If you decide to head there, make sure to check out the train timetable in advance. When we were in Hanoi, there were only evening trains to see, beginning from 9:20 pm. If you’d gone in the day you’d be quite disappointed.

9. Spot French architecture

Hanoi was once part of Indochina, a French colony which combined Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. You can now see that in influences in certain areas of Hanoi, most notably the French Quarter.

Probably the most well-known of the French sights is St Joseph’s Cathedral, a gothic church built in the late 19th century. It’s quite an imposing building and I can understand why taking a look at it is so popular; it’s quite different to what you’ll see elsewhere in Hanoi.

Elsewhere, you’ll see the French influence on the architecture, which has more of a European style. Although initially jarring, it’s this colonial influence is relatively common in Vietnam’s cities, so I got used to it.

10. Leave the city for the day

Of course, there are plenty of gorgeous places you can visit near Hanoi. These make for a nice day trip, although of course they can be extended for a few days or more if you’ve got the time.

Possibly the most popular is Ha Long Bay, a gorgeous area of coastline full of pointed green islets, where you can cruise around on big boats all day.

Ninh Binh, nicknamed the inland Ha Long Bay, also proves popular. I loved this calm village and thought my overnight stay there was so lovely. However, the highlights are close together and you can see them all on a day trip.

There are other options which are less well-known (although still touristy), such as Quang Phu Cau Incense Village or Cuc Phuong National Park.

Conclusion

For me, Hanoi was a somewhat hectic introduction to Vietnam. However, it wasn’t too bad a place to experience the culture for the first time and try some new dishes. It certainly made the rest of the country seem more manageable!

Do you have any questions about visiting Hanoi? Let me know in the comments!

If you’re heading elsewhere in Vietnam, check out my guides to Cat Ba, Ninh Binh and Phong Nha