Hanoi is one of the oldest capitals in the world, where you can find well-preserved colonial buildings, ancient pagodas and unique museums in the center of the city. The city still has a lively atmosphere. From the early hours until late in the evening, the streets are swarming with moving motorcycles. There are a lot of things to do in Hanoi. You can hunt for delicious street food, visit colonial buildings and explore the local life. Not to mention the peaceful countryside is a short drive away, with lush forests, green mountains and traditional villages, not to mention the iconic Halong Bay.
Itinerary
How to get around
Food & Drinking
Best hotels & Hostels
Practical information
Best time to visit
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The Old Quarter of Hanoi (Hanoi Old Quarter) is the most famous landmark in Hanoi. It is a fascinating part of the city where you can enjoy many beautiful examples of colonial architecture that is packed along narrow streets. Endless traffic of scooters, motorcycles, bicycles and cars zigzag around traders who sell fruit and souvenirs and narrow shops with delicious Vietnamese dishes. Hanoi Old Quarter brings to life what many people imagine what Hanoi is. Exploring this area on foot is one of the best things to do in Hanoi. You can also rent bicycles or go through the streets with a The Old Quarter of Hanoi (Hanoi Old Quarter) is the most famous landmark in Hanoi.
It is a fascinating part of the city where you can enjoy many beautiful examples of colonial architecture that is packed along narrow streets. Endless traffic of scooters, motorcycles, bicycles and cars zigzag around traders who sell fruit and souvenirs and narrow shops with delicious Vietnamese dishes. Hanoi Old Quarter brings to life what many people imagine what Hanoi is. Exploring this area on foot is one of the best things to do in Hanoi. You can also rent bicycles or go through the streets with a cyclo.
Vietnamese are the most proud of their food and it is being sold on each corner; both in restaurants and on the street (street food) You’ll see street food in Hanoi everywhere you look; stalls on the sidewalk along the side of the road with often plastic blue stools around where they sell local food. Every street food stall is specialized in a certain dish and everything is freshly made. Eating at one of the stalls is often very tasty and a great local experience.
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Tip: You can go exploring yourself, but a much nicer way is by a Hanoi street food tour. A guide takes you to the best local spots that you would never discover yourself. It explains what you eat and you can try out the best and most unique food. Extra benefits are that you will eat at safe hygienic places and besides the food, the guide can tell and show you more about the local culture too. |
The old art form of the water puppet show in Hanoi is certainly one of the nicest things to see. There are several theaters where you can enjoy this unique Vietnamese take on Asian puppetry tradition. The original and generally regarded as the best theater in the city is the Thang Long Puppet Theater. Dolls dance and glide elegantly across the stage of water, controlled by a whole group of dolls of masters hiding behind a screen.
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The nightlife in Hanoi is one of the best in the country. The best way to go out are the Bia Hoi street stalls. Here you can drink the cheapest beer in the world, often from as little as 30 cents! What makes it really fun is not the price, but the unique experience, where you sit around a low stool in the street together with the locals and other travelers to exchange stories and drink beer.
If you are looking for a place with more class, then visit a show at the Hanoi Opera House. If you want to have a drink with more comfort than the stools on the street, there are fortunately hundreds of bars, as well as rooftop bars and clubs where you can dance. There is something for everyone.
Another place where you can soak up culture are the markets in Hanoi. There are many types of markets in the city. Some specialize in, for example, clothing, food or flowers. It is a place where the locals come together to trade. The markets are often quite busy and not always neat, so it is not for every traveler. But if you can look around it, it does promise a unique experience.
There is a great atmosphere around the weekend night market in the center and it is a good place to grab some tasty street food. But for a more local experience, you can visit the flower market in Hanoi very early in the morning, Long Bien market for wholesale or the huge Dong Xuan Market.
Hoan Kiem Lake is a central point in Hanoi and is a popular meeting place for locals and tourists all day long. Ngoc Son Temple is located on a small island in the middle of the lake and is connected by a bridge and forms a beautiful backdrop for a few photos.
Around sunrise and sunset this area becomes especially busy with joggers, couples enjoying the relaxing view of the lake, and elderly people practicing Tai Chi and line dancing.
The museums in Hanoi are of high-quality and there are enough to visit. Hoa Lo Prison Museum are the remains of an old prison used during the French colonial era and the Vietnam War. The Ho Chi Minh museum shows the life of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam’s greatest leader. Vietnamese Women’s Museum shows about the many ethnic minorities of Vietnam and a tough exhibition about the role of women in wartime. Other good museums in Hanoi are Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and Vietnam Fine Arts Museum.
There are countless of historial buildings in Hanoi you can visit; so many that this list could be a top 50 things to do in Hanoi. But instead, we combined the few main highlight
Another great thing to do in Hanoi is a visiting Hanoi Train Street. The photos and videos are world famous, in which shop owners, café owners and residents, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, put away their things to let a train pass through the narrow, busy street.
Due to safety regulations, many coffee shops along the train street had to close, but you can still visit this unique railroad track through the residential area. Just keep in mind that there are real trains on this track.
Hanoi is a major transportation hub in the north of Vietnam. Hanoi connects with international flights, domestic flights, trains from the south and bus connections to every town in the north and central Vietnam.
Hanoi has fewer direct international flights than Ho Chi Minh City. Read all about flights to Vietnam here.
Jetstar Airways, VietJet Air and Vietnam Airlines connect Hanoi with destinations throughout Vietnam. Popular routes are Hanoi to Dalat, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc, all daily flights. Read more about booking domestic flights in Vietnam here.
Hanoi has four major bus stations. They are fairly well organized, with ticket offices, fixed prices and schedules. It is often easier to book through a travel agent. From Hanoi there are buses to everywhere in Vietnam such as Sapa, Da Nang, Dalat, Hue, Ninh Binh. Cao Bang and Ha Giang. Many open-ticket bus tours through Vietnam start or end in Hanoi.
Tourist minibuses can be booked at most hotels and travel agents. Popular destinations are Halong Bay and Sapa. Prices are usually about 30% to 40% higher than those of the regular public bus, but include a hotel pick up service.
The train station is in the center. You can buy tickets for trains that can take you all the way south to Ho Chi Minh City, or north to Sapa and across the border to China.
Hanoi’s taxis have meters, but not all drivers want to use them. The problem with taking a taxi is that they cannot all speak English well. The most reliable taxis are: Hanoi Taxi, Mai Linh Taxi and Taxi CP. A good alternative is to use the Grab taxi app.
Metro: Hanoi is working hard to build a metro network. It is expected that the first connections can be used by 2021.
Cyclo are Hanoi’s bicycle taxis. Passengers drive in the front cabin, while the driver is behind the passenger. Cyclo cabins are made for two passengers and are ideal for exploring short distances in the center of Hanoi.
Xe Om are Hanoi motorbike taxis. You will find them especially on street corners. The best way to use an Xe Om is with the Grab app.
Looking for great things to do in Hanoi in 2 days? The below itinerary gives you in a short indication what you can see and do per day.
