Top places to visit in Hanoi

• Hanoi Old Quarter — 36 Ancient Streets

  Cultural · 4.7 rating · about 2 h

  The medieval heart of Hanoi — 36 guild streets forming Asia's most atmospheric urban walking district. The weekend night market (Fri–Sun 19:00–23:00) closes Hang Dao to traffic. Walk after dark when pagodas glow with incense.

• Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple

  Temple · 4.7 rating · about 1 h · entry VND 30,000

  The spiritual centre of Hanoi. A red wooden bridge leads to Ngoc Son Temple on a tiny island — one of Vietnam's most photographed spots at sunrise. The lake promenade is popular with locals doing tai chi at dawn.

• Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

  Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 0.8 h

  The preserved body of Ho Chi Minh lies in state in this imposing granite mausoleum built 1973–1975. Closed Monday and Friday, and ~2 months Sep–Oct for preservation. Arrive before 10:00 to avoid queues.

• Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu)

  Temple · 4.6 rating · about 1.3 h · entry VND 70,000

  Built in 1070 and Vietnam's first national university — a perfectly preserved Confucian temple complex of five courtyards. The 82 stone steles bearing names of doctoral graduates (1442–1779) are UNESCO Memory of the World.

• One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột)

  Temple · 4.4 rating · about 0.3 h

  An iconic wooden pagoda on a single stone pillar rising from a lotus pond — built 1049 by Emperor Ly Thai Tong. Current structure is a 1955 reconstruction after French forces destroyed the original. Located next to the Ho Chi Minh…

• Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

  Museum · 4.8 rating · about 2 h · entry VND 40,000

  The finest museum in Vietnam celebrating all 54 ethnic groups. Outdoor gallery has 10 full-scale traditional houses; indoor galleries hold 15,000+ objects with excellent English labels. Rated No. 1 museum in Vietnam on TripAdvisor. Allow…

• Tran Quoc Pagoda

  Temple · 4.6 rating · about 0.8 h

  Hanoi's oldest pagoda (541 AD) on a peninsula in West Lake. The 15-storey pink-brick stupa reflected in the lake at sunrise is one of Vietnam's most photogenic shrines. A Bodhi tree cutting from Bodh Gaya (India), gifted by Nehru in 1959,…

• Hoa Lo Prison Museum (Hanoi Hilton)

  Museum · 4.5 rating · about 1.3 h · entry VND 30,000

  Originally a French colonial prison (1896), later used to hold American POWs including John McCain. First section covers the colonial era; second shows the POW section. A sobering and important historical site.

• Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

  Cultural · 4.4 rating · about 1 h · entry VND 150,000

  The home of Vietnam's traditional water-puppetry, performing on a water stage beside Hoan Kiem Lake.

• St. Joseph's Cathedral

  Church · 4.5 rating · about 0.5 h

  Neo-Gothic cathedral from 1886 modelled on Notre-Dame de Paris, the spiritual centre of the Catholic community in Hanoi.

• Hanoi Train Street

  Cultural · 4.2 rating · about 0.8 h

  Narrow residential rail corridor where trains pass inches from cafes; an Instagram-famous Hanoi sight.

• Hoan Kiem Lake Weekend Walking Street

  Cultural · 4.5 rating · about 1.5 h

  Pedestrianised lake-side streets every weekend with street games, music and food around Hoan Kiem.

Things to do

• Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & Ba Dinh Complex Visit Heritage · 2 h · from VND 40,000 per person
• Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton) Self-Guided Visit Museum · 1.5 h · from VND 55,100 per person
• Hanoi Old Quarter Walking Tour Cultural · 3 h · from VND 165,000 per person
• Thang Long Water Puppet Show Cultural · 1 h · from VND 110,000 per person
• Hoa Lu & Tam Coc Day Trip from Hanoi Nature · 10 h · from VND 689,000 per person
• Hanoi Street Food Walking Tour Food · 3 h · from VND 413,000 per person
• Hanoi Vespa Food & Sights Tour Adventure · 4 h · from VND 965,000 per person
• West Lake Sunset Cycling Tour Outdoor · 2.5 h · from VND 221,000 per person

Day trips and tours

• Ninh Binh Day Trip: Trang An, Tam Coc & Hoa Lu 10 h · from VND 606,000
• Hanoi Highlights & Street Food Full Day Tour 9 h · from VND 496,000
• Perfume Pagoda Day Trip from Hanoi 10 h · from VND 551,000

Where to stay in Hanoi

• Hoan Kiem / Old Quarter about VND 1,200 per night

  The beating heart of Hanoi — 36 ancient guild streets packed with street food stalls, boutique hotels and rooftop bars. Walking distance to Hoan Kiem Lake, St. Joseph Cathedral and the weekend night market. Best for…

• Ba Dinh / West Lake about VND 2,800 per night

  Upscale residential area favoured by diplomats and long-stay expats. Ho Tay (West Lake) is the largest in Hanoi — lined with cafes, seafood restaurants and morning jogging paths. Quieter and more spacious than the Old…

• Tay Ho / Expat Village about VND 2,200 per night

  Tree-lined streets along the northern shore of West Lake. Hanoi's expat enclave with international schools, craft beer bars, yoga studios and excellent brunch cafes. Quieter, greener and more residential — ideal for…

Hotels

• Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi 5-star · VND 8,000,000 to VND 25,000,000 per night
• Hanoi La Siesta Premium Hang Be 4-star · VND 1,800,000 to VND 3,200,000 per night
• Capella Hanoi 5-star · VND 12,000,000 to VND 25,000,000 per night
• Hanoi La Siesta Classic Ma May 4-star · VND 1,800,000 to VND 4,500,000 per night
• JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi 5-star · VND 3,500,000 to VND 7,000,000 per night
• O'Gallery Premier Hotel & Spa 4-star · VND 1,500,000 to VND 2,700,000 per night

Where to eat

• Banh Mi 25 Vietnamese · about VND 40,000 per person
• Bun Cha Huong Lien (Obama's Bun Cha) Vietnamese · about VND 80,000 per person
• Pho Gia Truyen — Bat Dan Vietnamese · about VND 60,000 per person
• Cha Ca La Vong Vietnamese · about VND 200,000 per person
• Madame Hien Vietnamese · about VND 550,000 per person
• The Gourmet Corner Vietnamese, French, Fusion · about VND 450,000 per person
• Pho Thin Lo Duc Vietnamese, Pho · about VND 70,000 per person
• Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su Vietnamese, Pho · about VND 70,000 per person

Getting around

• Motorbike Rental main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Ride Hail main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Taxi main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Walking

  Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.

Safety and scams to avoid

• Taxi Meter Scam

  Noi Bai Airport & Old Quarter

  Unlicensed taxis quote fixed inflated fares or use tampered fast-spinning meters. Drivers claim the meter is "broken" and charge 3–5× the correct fare.

  How to avoid it: Only use Grab app or official Mai Linh (green) / Vinasun taxis. Agree on the price before entering any unmarked taxi.

• Shoe Shine Scam

  Hoan Kiem Lake area & Old Quarter

  A person starts shining your shoes without being asked, then demands an exorbitant fee (often $10–20 USD) and becomes aggressive if you refuse.

  How to avoid it: Politely decline any unsolicited service. If it starts, agree the price before letting them continue. Walk away firmly.

• Cyclo Overcharging

  Old Quarter

  Cyclo drivers offer a "city tour" for a reasonable price, then at the end claim the agreed price was "per person" or "per hour" rather than the total.

  How to avoid it: Agree on the total price, duration, and currency in writing (show on phone) before boarding. Use a rideshare app instead.

• Fake Tour Agency

  Travel agencies near Hoan Kiem

  Street vendors posing as reputable tour agencies sell cheap bus/boat tickets for popular tours that depart but are of poor quality or do not match descriptions.

  How to avoid it: Book tours only through hotel desks or well-reviewed agencies. Verify agency registration with Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Best time to visit Hanoi

• May 32°C · World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (CCKP), Climatology (CRU) page for Vietnam, Observed Seasonal Cycle chart: CRU TS 1991-2020 climatology, 0.5-degree (~50 km) gridded data aggregated to the Hanoi admin1 boundary (Vietnam did not submit station normals to the WMO 1991-2020 Climatological Standard Normals archive, so this CRU-derived product was used instead; Hanoi city is itself the admin1 unit, not a proxy). Precipitation normal for May: 183.94 mm. Average daily maximum temperature for May: 32.18 degC.
• Jun 33°C · World Bank CCKP, CRU TS 1991-2020 climatology, Hanoi admin1. Precipitation normal for June: 254.57 mm. Average daily maximum temperature: 33.3 degC.
• Jul 33°C · World Bank CCKP, CRU TS 1991-2020 climatology, Hanoi admin1. Precipitation normal for July: 291.53 mm. Average daily maximum temperature: 33.32 degC.
• Aug 33°C · World Bank CCKP, CRU TS 1991-2020 climatology, Hanoi admin1. Precipitation normal for August: 299.32 mm. Average daily maximum temperature: 32.75 degC.
• Sep 32°C · World Bank CCKP, CRU TS 1991-2020 climatology, Hanoi admin1. Precipitation normal for September: 207.77 mm. Average daily maximum temperature: 31.87 degC.

More in Vietnam

• Ho Chi Minh City
• Hoi An
• Phu Quoc
• Da Nang
• Ha Long City
• Nha Trang