Hanoi is one of our favourite destinations out of all the places we’ve visited. The people are so friendly, the food is so good and walking around the streets is so interesting. There’s also some great day trips from the city where you can see some of the incredible Vietnamese countryside. With so many amazing things to see and do, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But don’t worry, we’ve written down some of our favourite things to do in Hanoi for you to add to your list!
Wander the Streets
Cost: Free
Hanoi’s streets are a mix of chaotic roads, amazing street food, good shopping and lots of lovely things to see. There’s two areas of Hanoi that are worth wandering around, these are the Old Quarter and the French Quarter. The Old Quarter has more traditional Vietnamese buildings with small chaotic streets. The French Quarter has wide streets lined with trees and French Colonial style buildings. In this quarter is also the Hoan Kiem Lake which is a wonderful place to walk around.
Even better, from 7pm to midnight every Friday to Sunday, a bunch of streets around these areas turn into walking only spaces. You can find which streets exactly on this website here. Lots of locals come out during this time and play games and music in the street so it’s just a wonderful atmosphere! Also, if you like heading out at night then Hanoi is the place for you. There are endless clubs, bars, restaurants, karaoke spots, cinemas and theatres to keep you entertained all night long.
While walking around, make sure not to miss the Note Coffee shop. The food is nothing special (but is still good if you want a drink), however the decorations are really what sets this café apart. As the name suggests, post-it notes decorate the entire coffee shop. These have been written on by people from all around the world and reading them is so much fun. It also makes for some great photos. Also, if you’re looking for some American style food, we went to S&L’s Diner Duong Thanh twice and loved it!
Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple
Cost: 30,000 VND or $1.78 AUD
Hoan Kiem Lake is a 12 hectare fresh water lake right in the middle of the tourist centre of Hanoi. The lake is home to a legend about a golden Turtle God requesting a magic sword from the Emperor. This legend is linked to the tower in the middle of the lake which is called Turtle Tower. Coincidentally, a large soft shell turtle species actually used to live in this lake, however none have been sighted since 2016. Apart from the turtle legend, the lake is a lovely place to stop and admire. You can also walk around it in 25-30 minutes which would be lovely too.
In the middle of the lake is the Ngoc Son Temple, dating back to the early 19th century. It is open from 8am to 6pm every day and costs 30,000 VND or $1.78 AUD each to enter. To get over to the temple you need to cross the striking red Huc Bridge and walk through the archway. On the island are two buildings, one with two statues of Vietnamese generals. The other has preserved bodies of two giant soft shell turtles that used to live in the lake. Visiting the island won’t take more than half an hour but it’s a great place to visit while in Hanoi.
Temples
Cost: From free to 30,000 VND or $1.78 AUD
There are quite a few amazing temples in and around Hanoi that are worth visiting. Some require trips outside of the city but there are many within walking distance to the city centre. Here are some of those we’ve put together for you to visit if you’ve got time:
- The Temple of Literature has five beautiful courtyards and lots of buildings to walk through. It was built in 1070, was dedicated to Confucius and held Vietnam’s first university for over 700 years. Opening hours are from 7:30am to 5:30pm during high season and 8am to 5pm during low season. It costs 30,000 VND or only $1.78 AUD each, and you can only pay with cash.
- Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest pagoda in the city, built on an island near the Quan Thanh Temple. One of the most beautiful temples in the city, it is free to enter all year round.
- Another Pagoda worth visiting is the One Pillar Pagoda. Originally built in the 11th century, most of the temple was destroyed during the war but was rebuilt in 1955. The temple was built to look like a lotus flower and costs 25,000 VND or $1.50 AUD to enter so is definitely worth a visit!
- Bach Ma Temple, Quan Thanh Temple, Kim Lien Temple, and Voi Phuc Temples. These temples are part of four sacred temples that were built to protect the North, South, East and West of the capital. Three of these temples are free to visit, but the Quan Thanh Temple costs 10,000 VND or 60 Australian cents. Being as old and important as they are, they’re all worth a visit while in the city.
Water Puppet Show
Cost: 100,000 VND or $6 AUD each
One of the most popular things to do in Hanoi is to see a water puppet show. There are two main companies in the city, the Lotus Water Puppet Theater and the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. Both companies hold shows multiple times a day which are 50 minutes long and cost 100,000 VND or $6 AUD each. The shows include little comedy skits in water with puppets. The stories are told in Vietnamese, but they are easy to understand if you don’t know the language. As well as the puppeteers, there’s a little band and some singers. It’s a super entertaining and fun cultural way to spend some time while in Hanoi and is definitely worth it.
Day Trips
Cost: Depends on how to get there or which tour you choose
Ninh Binh
The Ninh Binh Region is two hours south of Hanoi and absolutely worth a visit if you can make it. Full of limestone mountains coming out of the rice paddies, the area is often called Halong Bay on land. You can get there from Hanoi using public transport or private vehicle. We chose a Get Your Guide tour as it was a super easy day trip from Hanoi and we got to experience so much. There are some beautiful home stays in the area if you choose to stay longer. Either way, there are some things you can’t miss!
Firstly, make sure you take a boat ride on the rivers of Trang An. You’ll float along the river propelled by someone rowing with their feet, past the rice paddies and through Limestone caves. It is truly one of the most beautiful places we have ever been. Make sure to have some cash on you to either tip your rower at the end, or to pay for some snacks for him from the snack boats floating on the river. They row you right up to them, and sometimes won’t leave until you buy them something. This happened to us, so be prepared!
The next thing to do is to see the landscape from above. We went up the viewpoint atop Ngoa Long Mountain, which requires a 500 stair climb. From the summit you can see incredible views over the Ngo Dong River and the rice paddies below. At the bottom is a beautiful resort called the Hang Múa Ecolodge as well as the Mua Caves. This whole area is open 6am-7pm every day and costs 100,000 VND or $5.90 AUD to enter.
Halong Bay or Lan Ha Bay
These two bays are around a two hour drive to the east of Hanoi. While they are different bays, they actually coexist in the same body of water and have very similar geography. With mountains and islands made of limestone and incredible green water, it’s definitely one of the best options as a day trip from Hanoi.
Most people who travel to northern Vietnam plan to visit Halong Bay, and for good reason. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has some of the most amazing landscapes and views you’ll find in Vietnam. Lan Ha Bay, just to the south of Halong, is a quieter alternative with a bit more flexibility in the activities you can participate in. In either bay, you’re able to take cruises, kayak, or swim.
While you can definitely see either as a day trip from Hanoi through tours offered on Get Your Guide, we would highly recommend at least one night to truly appreciate this stunning area. We chose an overnight trip with Cat Ba Express, which was ideal. We were able to truly experience Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay, and our tour started and ended at our hotel in Hanoi.
Eat a Banh Mi
Cost: Around 30,000 VND or $1.75 AUD
A Banhi Mi is a traditional Vietnamese sandwich that is typically eaten as a snack or for breakfast. The bread used for Banh Mi’s is a short, crisp baguette with a soft inside. Because of France’s influence in Hanoi in the 19th century, the bread in Hanoi is absolutely amazing. In the bread can be a variety of meats such as Vietnamese sausage or pork belly and along with that will usually be pickled vegetables, such a carrot and cucumber, pate and mayonnaise.
If you’re picky eaters like us, don’t fret! A lot of the cafes and restaurants we got Banh Mi from in Hanoi let us customise our sandwiches to take off anything we didn’t like. One of our favourite places was called Banh Mi 25 which came highly recommended and was so amazing. The sandwiches here are absolutely delicious and cheap at only 30,000 VND or $1.78 AUD. We also got Banh Mi at other places in the city for around $1.50 AUD so that does appear to be the average price. Definitely worth hunting around though because there are so many delicious Banh Mi’s out there to try!
We hope you have an amazing time in Hanoi, we’re jealous you’re going! There is so much delicious food (we had one of the best pizzas ever in Hanoi), and incredible things to see. Plus there are some amazing day trips from the city that are absolutely worth doing if you can. So much to do in this beautiful country, we just know you’re going to have an amazing time.
If you want to see our trip, you can check out our vlogs below:
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