Travel Tips

The Best Things to Do in Hanoi

Hanoi is Vietnam's thousand-year-old capital, and for most travellers it is where the whole trip begins. It is a city of contrasts: incense-filled temples beside honking motorbikes, faded French villas next to steaming pho stalls, and a lake in the middle of it all where the city comes out to walk at dawn. It rewards curiosity more than a checklist, but a couple of well-planned days will show you its best side.

Below is our honest guide to the things worth your time in Hanoi, from the tangle of the Old Quarter to the food, the history and the easy escapes nearby. If you would rather have it arranged for you, our Hanoi tours cover the city on foot, by vintage Vespa and by jeep with a local guide.

Get lost in the Old Quarter

The Old Quarter is the beating heart of Hanoi and the first place to head. Its narrow lanes were once organised by guild, and many still carry the trade in their name, so you will find a street of tin-smiths, a street of silk, a street of herbal medicine and, of course, a street of street food. Getting a little lost is the point. Look up at the crumbling shopfronts, dodge the motorbikes, and stop whenever something smells good.

Give yourself a morning to wander with no fixed plan, then come back in the evening when the lanes light up and the plastic stools spill onto the pavement. It is chaotic, loud and completely addictive.

Circle Hoan Kiem Lake and the French Quarter

A few steps south, Hoan Kiem Lake is the city's green lung and its social centre. Walk out across the red bridge to Ngoc Son Temple on its little island, and come back at the weekend when the surrounding roads close to traffic and fill with families, dancers and games. Just beyond the lake, the French Quarter trades the Old Quarter's clutter for wide, tree-lined boulevards, the grand Opera House and the neo-Gothic St Joseph's Cathedral. It is the easiest, most pleasant part of the city to stroll.

Eat your way around the city, ideally by Vespa

Hanoi is one of the great street-food cities, and its dishes are worth planning a day around: pho in its birthplace, smoky bun cha grilled over coals, crisp banh mi, and the famous egg coffee, a silky blend of coffee and whipped egg yolk that tastes far better than it sounds. Wash it all down with a glass of bia hoi, the fresh draught beer poured on street corners for pocket change.

The most fun way to eat is on the back of a vintage Vespa. Our Hanoi Vespa food tour puts a local rider in charge, weaving you between the stalls and family kitchens you would never find alone, so you taste the best of the city in an evening rather than guessing. If you would rather stay on foot, the food courts and stalls around Dong Xuan Market give you a gentler version of the same idea.

Understand the history

Hanoi wears its history openly. The Ho Chi Minh Complex, with its solemn mausoleum, the stilt house and the tiny One Pillar Pagoda, is the symbolic centre of modern Vietnam and worth a quiet morning. Nearby, the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, is a calm sequence of courtyards and one of the loveliest spots in the city. For the twentieth-century story, Hoa Lo Prison lays out the colonial and wartime past plainly. Together they give real context to everything else you will see on your trip.

See the city differently: by jeep and by camera

When you have covered the essentials on foot, it is worth seeing Hanoi from a different angle. A Hanoi jeep tour in an open-top vintage army jeep loops the sights and the backstreets with the wind in your hair, which children and photographers tend to love. And for the shots everyone comes home with, our Hanoi photography tour takes you to the most striking corners, from the rattling Long Bien Bridge to the murals of the ceramic wall, at the right time of day and away from the biggest crowds.

Water puppets and evenings out

An hour at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is a genuinely charming, only-in-northern-Vietnam experience, with wooden puppets skimming across a pool of water to live traditional music. Afterwards, the night belongs to Ta Hien, the famous beer street, and the weekend night market that runs through the Old Quarter, where you can browse, snack and people-watch until late.

Take an easy day trip

Part of what makes Hanoi such a good base is how much sits within easy reach. Ninh Binh, with its karst peaks and river caves, is a comfortable day trip, as is the more famous overnight escape to Ha Long Bay. Closer in, the potters of Bat Trang ceramic village and the old houses of Duong Lam make relaxed half-days. Our north Vietnam tours page shows how these link together if you want to build a few of them into your route.

So how long do you need in Hanoi?

Two nights is the comfortable minimum: one day for the Old Quarter, the lake and the food, and one for the history and a slower wander. Three nights lets you add a day trip to Ninh Binh or a cooking class without feeling rushed. Because Hanoi is the gateway to the north, most travellers pass through it more than once, so a couple of nights at the start and a night at the end on the way home often works better than one long stay.

How Hanoi fits a wider Vietnam trip

Hanoi is the natural starting point for a northern or whole-country trip: you land here, find your feet, then head out to Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh and Sapa before flying south. We plan trips the other way round from most sellers: we start with how you want to feel and what you want to see, then choose the tours, hotels and transfers to match, and we run the whole thing from arrival to departure so there is one team to call if anything changes.

We are planners rather than resellers, we are rated five-star on Tripadvisor, and we never take commission from the places we recommend, so the suggestions above are simply the ones we think are worth your time. If you are shaping a longer route, our private Vietnam itinerary planning ties Hanoi into the rest of your trip.

Common questions about Hanoi

Is Hanoi worth visiting?

Yes. Hanoi is Vietnam's most characterful city, with a thousand years of history, a brilliant street-food scene and easy day trips to Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay. Two or three days here is the ideal start to a northern or whole-country trip.

How many days do you need in Hanoi?

Two nights covers the Old Quarter, the lake, the food and the main history sights. Three nights lets you add a day trip or a cooking class. As the gateway to the north, Hanoi is often best split, with a couple of nights at the start and one on the way home.

What is the best thing to do in Hanoi?

Wandering the Old Quarter and eating your way through it, ideally on a Vespa food tour, is the quintessential Hanoi experience. Beyond that, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of Literature and an evening at the water puppet theatre are the standouts.

What food should you try in Hanoi?

Hanoi is the home of pho and of bun cha, grilled pork with noodles and herbs. Add crisp banh mi, the city's famous egg coffee and a glass of fresh bia hoi on a street corner. A guided food tour is the easiest way to try the best of it in one evening.

Is it easy to get around Hanoi?

The Old Quarter and French Quarter are compact and walkable, and ride-hailing apps like Grab make longer hops cheap and simple by car or motorbike taxi. The traffic looks daunting but flows steadily; for the sights spread further out, a private car or a guided tour is the easiest option.

When is the best time to visit Hanoi?

Autumn, from September to November, and spring, from March to April, are the most pleasant, with mild, dry days. Winter can be cool and grey, and summer is hot and humid with afternoon downpours, so pack accordingly whenever you come.