Lakes and temples, French boulevards and the noodle-scented lanes of the Old Quarter — with Ha Long Bay and the karsts of Ninh Binh a day away. Honest detail, real tours and everything you need to plan your days.
Hanoi has been Vietnam’s capital for most of the last thousand years. It was founded as Thang Long, the “Ascending Dragon”, in 1010, and its layers are all still visible: Confucian temples, the royal citadel, the 36 guild streets of the Old Quarter, the villas and Opera House of the French era, and the monuments of independent Vietnam.
It is also one of the great food cities of Asia. Pho was born here; bun cha, banh cuon and egg coffee are local specialities, eaten on tiny stools on the pavement. Add water puppets, Vespa rides and day trips to Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh and the Perfume Pagoda, and three or four days pass very quickly. This guide helps you use them well.
Hand-picked experiences booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting points in euros — tap any tour for live availability in your currency.
Food tour from €17 The best-known street food walk in Hanoi: a guide leads you through the Old Quarter to a string of family-run stalls and finishes with a visit to Train Street. Thousands of reviews and a low price make it the easy first-night choice.
Food tour from €16 A walking food tour that leaves the main streets for the narrow alleys of the Old Quarter, tastes the city’s classic dishes and includes Train Street. One of the highest-rated food tours in the city.
Show ticket from €6 Tickets for a water puppet performance, the northern Vietnamese art of puppets moving on a pool of water to live traditional music. The most-booked ticket in Hanoi.
City tour from €29 A guided tour of the classic sights with transport between them. Check the listing for the exact stops on your date.
Jeep tour from €42 Sightseeing and food stops around Hanoi from the back of an open army-style jeep — one of the city’s most popular alternatives to a walking tour.
Vespa tour from €55 An evening on the back of a Vespa: lit-up streets, food stops and the night-time buzz of the city, with a driver at the handlebars.
Cooking class from €38 Shop for ingredients at a local market, then cook and eat five Vietnamese dishes. Over a thousand reviews.
Workshop from €19 Learn to make Vietnam’s signature coffees — including Hanoi’s egg coffee — and taste the results.
Day cruise from €35 The most-booked day trip from Hanoi: road transport to Ha Long and several hours among the limestone islands with kayaking, swimming and a meal. Expect a long day with several hours on the road.
Day cruise from €37 A day on a more upscale cruise boat in Ha Long Bay with a buffet lunch and return transport from Hanoi.
Overnight cruise from €128 An overnight cruise with balcony cabins in Lan Ha and Ha Long Bay, with transport from Hanoi. A night on board means sunset and sunrise among the islands.
Day trip from €43 The classic Ninh Binh day: the old capital at Hoa Lu or Bai Dinh pagoda, a rowing-boat trip through the caves of Trang An and the climb to the Mua Cave viewpoint. More than 11,000 reviews.
Day trip from €45 A similar, equally well-reviewed Ninh Binh day trip covering Hoa Lu, the Trang An boats and the Mua Cave climb.
Overnight trek from €47 Two days in the mountains of the far north: transport from Hanoi, a guided trek through villages and a night in a local homestay.
Real-time prices and availability, straight from GetYourGuide. Free cancellation on most experiences.
The essential sights of the capital, from the 36 streets to the Temple of Literature, and the classic trips beyond it.
Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem & French Quarter The 36 streets — Hanoi at its busiest and most delicious
A tangle of narrow streets north of Hoan Kiem Lake, each once named after the trade carried on there. Tube houses, temples hidden behind shopfronts, street food on every pavement and Ta Hien beer street at night.
Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem & French Quarter The Lake of the Returned Sword, the heart of the city
The green lake at the centre of Hanoi, with the Turtle Tower on its islet and Ngoc Son Temple reached by the red The Huc bridge. On weekend evenings the streets around it close to traffic and become a walking street.
Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem & French Quarter Where the railway runs a hand’s width from the front doors
A stretch of the old railway through the Old Quarter where trains squeeze between the houses. Cafés line the track — but access has been restricted on and off for safety, so check the current situation before you go.
Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem & French Quarter Puppets that dance on water, with live music
Water puppetry began in the rice-farming villages of the Red River delta. In Hanoi you can see it at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre beside Hoan Kiem Lake and at other theatres: short shows, live musicians, dragons, farmers and fireworks on the water.
Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem & French Quarter The colonial jail later nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton”
The surviving part of a prison built by the French to hold Vietnamese political prisoners, later used for American airmen during the war. Today a museum with cells, exhibits and an often sobering account of both eras.
Ba Dinh & West Lake Vietnam’s first university and its stone stelae
A temple to Confucius founded in 1070, which became the Imperial Academy. Walk through five courtyards of gardens and gates to the stelae on stone turtles that record the names of successful doctoral candidates.
Ba Dinh & West Lake Ba Dinh Square, the mausoleum and the lotus pagoda
The granite mausoleum on Ba Dinh Square where Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body lies in state, with his stilt house, the Presidential Palace grounds and the little One Pillar Pagoda next door. Strict dress code and limited opening times.
Ba Dinh & West Lake Hanoi’s largest lake and its oldest pagoda
A wide lake north of the centre, ringed by a long path, cafés and the expat district of Tay Ho. On a narrow causeway sits Tran Quoc, regarded as the city’s oldest pagoda, with a slender red tower.
Day trips from Hanoi Limestone islands rising from the Gulf of Tonkin
Vietnam’s most famous landscape: hundreds of karst islands and islets, a UNESCO World Heritage site, two and a half to four hours by road from Hanoi. Day cruises are possible; a night on board, or on Cat Ba Island beside Lan Ha Bay, is better.
Four areas, four very different Hanois — compared, with real hotels on Booking.com from hostels to heritage grand hotels.
Best for: couples, comfort, walking everywhere
Hotels in Hoan Kiem Lake & French Quarter
Pho, bun cha, banh mi, egg coffee and bia hoi — what to eat, where, and the best food tours.
Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh, the Perfume Pagoda, craft villages and Sapa compared.
Noi Bai airport, bus 86, Grab, trains, buses and the e-visa.
Hanoi’s four seasons, month by month, plus Tet and other festivals.
Our ranked shortlist of the food tours, cruises and day trips worth your money.
Itineraries, money, safety, etiquette and practical tips.
Taste pho, bun cha and egg coffee with a local guide, watch the water puppets, cross the city on the back of a Vespa — then spend a day among the limestone islands of Ha Long Bay or the rice fields of Ninh Binh. Compare the tours and book in a couple of taps.
Two full days cover the main sights and food; three or four let you add a day trip to Ninh Binh or Ha Long Bay. See our itineraries.
For a first visit, the Old Quarter or around Hoan Kiem Lake. The French Quarter is calmer and West Lake suits longer stays. See where to stay.
Many nationalities need a visa; some are exempt for short stays, and an e-visa is available to most others. Rules change, so check the official Vietnamese immigration portal before you travel. More in getting to Hanoi.
Public bus 86 runs to the Old Quarter and the station; a Grab car or taxi takes around 40 minutes to an hour. Details in our getting there guide.
Generally yes. The main risks are traffic and petty theft — bag snatching and overcharging. See the safety section of our travel guide.
Autumn (roughly October to November) and spring (March to April) are the most comfortable. Summer is hot and wet; winter is cool and grey. See best time to visit.
