Destination guide

Hanoi

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Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, a lively city of lakes, tree-lined boulevards, French colonial buildings and buzzing street life. Motorbikes fill the narrow lanes of the Old Quarter, and food stalls sit on every corner.

It is a good base for Ha Long Bay and the northern mountains.

How many days: 3

Three days covers the Old Quarter, the main sights and a food tour. Add two or three days for Ha Long Bay or Sapa.

Early mornings are the best time, as the city wakes up early.

What to do in Hanoi

Walk through the Old Quarter
Narrow streets named after the goods once sold there. Busy, noisy and full of life.
Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake
A small lake in the centre, with a temple on an island. Locals gather here at dawn and dusk.
Visit the Temple of Literature
Vietnam's first university, set in peaceful courtyards.
See the mausoleum area
A large complex of monuments and gardens. Check the opening rules on the official site.
Visit a museum
The museums of ethnology and of history give context to the country's cultures.
Watch a water puppet show
A traditional art form unique to northern Vietnam.
Sit at a street-side cafe
Locals drink coffee on tiny plastic stools. A good way to watch city life.
Take a trip to Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh
Limestone landscapes with boat trips and caves. Book through a reputable operator.
Visit the Hoa Lo prison museum
A former prison turned museum, explaining Vietnamese history from different perspectives.
Walk across the old Long Bien Bridge
An iron bridge over the Red River, with views of life on the water.
Take a food tour
Guided tours take you to the best street stalls, and explain what you are eating.
Visit a village for ceramics
Bat Trang is a village known for ceramics. You can try making a piece.
Visit a pagoda on the lake
Tran Quoc Pagoda sits on West Lake and is the oldest in the city. Quiet and photogenic.
Join a morning exercise session
Parks fill at dawn with tai chi, badminton and dance. Watch, or join in.
Visit a lakeside cafe at sunset
West Lake and Truc Bach Lake have calm cafes with water views. A nice way to end a busy day.

What to eat and drink

Pho
Beef or chicken noodle soup, the national dish, eaten for breakfast.
Bun cha
Grilled pork with noodles and herbs, a Hanoi speciality.
Banh mi
A crisp baguette filled with meat, herbs and pickles.
Egg coffee
Coffee topped with sweet whipped egg yolk. Rich and unusual.
Fresh spring rolls
Rice paper rolls with herbs and shrimp.
Street food
Grilled meats, snails and noodles are sold from tiny stalls.
Cha ca
Turmeric-marinated fish, cooked with dill at the table.
Vietnamese coffee
Strong, sweet and served with condensed milk, hot or iced.
Fresh herbs and noodle salads
Hanoi's cooking uses lots of herbs. Look for banh cuon and noodle salads.
Sticky rice with toppings
A common breakfast, sold from baskets on street corners.

Getting around

Walking is the best way to see the Old Quarter, but crossing the road takes practice. Walk slowly and steadily, and let the motorbikes flow around you.

Ride-hailing apps are cheap for taxis and motorbike rides.

Taxis should use the meter.

Good to know

  • The weather is hot and humid in summer and cool and damp in winter. Pack accordingly.
  • Watch your bag and phone in crowded streets.
  • Agree prices before using a cyclo or buying from a street seller.
  • Dress modestly in temples and pagodas.
  • Check visa rules before you travel, as they vary by nationality.
  • Streets are busy, and pavements are often used for parking and cooking. Expect to walk on the road at times.
  • Wear light layers, and carry a rain jacket, as showers are common.
  • A short trip beyond the city, to the countryside or the bay, is worth planning in advance.
  • Cash is useful for street food, though larger places take cards. Small notes make buying easier.

Where to stay in Hanoi

6 neighbourhoods, described the way a friend would - what each is actually like, not the brochure version.

Old Quarter

Hanoi's historic commercial core is the strongest base for first-time visitors who want street food, markets, nightlife and major sights within easy walking distance. The trade-off is intensity: scooters, crowds, narrow streets and late-night noise make it one of the least relaxing places to stay.

Hoan Kiem & French Quarter

The streets around Hoan Kiem Lake and the French Quarter combine landmark sightseeing, grand colonial-era architecture, restaurants and some of Hanoi's better upscale hotels. It feels more polished and romantic than the Old Quarter, but prices rise around the lake and busy roads mean it is not consistently peaceful.

Tay Ho & West Lake

West Lake is a spacious lakeside base popular with longer-stay visitors, couples and families who value cafés, international restaurants and a calmer atmosphere. It offers easier road access towards HAN than southern Hanoi, but most headline historic sights are a taxi or bus ride away and the area is spread out rather than highly walkable.

Ba Dinh

Ba Dinh is Hanoi's monumental and governmental district, putting visitors close to the Imperial Citadel, Ho Chi Minh complex and several major museums and historic sites. It is calmer than the Old Quarter and useful for cultural sightseeing or business, but nightlife and restaurant density are noticeably weaker after dark.

Truc Bach

Truc Bach offers a smaller-scale lakeside stay between the historic centre and West Lake, with local restaurants, cafés and easy access to Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple. It suits couples and travellers wanting centrality without Old Quarter chaos, although accommodation choice and nightlife are more limited.

Dong Da

Dong Da is a dense, more local-feeling district centred on everyday Hanoi life, inexpensive food and cultural sites such as the Temple of Literature. Accommodation tends to offer strong value and metro access is better than in much of the historic core, but traffic is heavy and visitors wanting postcard Hanoi on their doorstep may prefer Hoan Kiem.

What it costs

A typical day in Hanoi, per person, in pounds.

£14

Shoestring - hostels, street food, public transport.

£28

Comfortable - a decent hotel, restaurants, the odd taxi.

£52

Treating yourself - the good hotel, the good tables.

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