Nestled in the north of Vietnam, you can find Vietnam’s bustling capital, Hanoi.
The City of the Soaring Dragon is where French-colonialism meets modern Vietnam. It may be smaller than its southern sister, Ho Chi Minh City, but what Hanoi lacks in size, it makes up for in charm and culture.
Hanoi is developing quickly, trying to get even with his counterpart in the south, Saigon. Bikes are replaced by motorbikes causing a lot of noise and exhausted fume. The traditional costume worn by the women has disappeared. But not all charm from before 1995 is gone.
The city has enough breathing space to relax thanks to the shaded boulevards, the lakes and several parks. Cafés, hotels, markets and restaurants can be found around the Hoan Kiem lake and in the old quarter. People are friendly but more reserved than in the south.
Thirsty for more? Take a deep breath, jump on board, and get ready to dodge the motorbikes – I’m going to share my first time travel and backpacking tips for visiting Hanoi!
Hanoi Travel Booking Resources
These are my favourite companies to use when I travel.
• Search cheap flights with Skyscanner.
• Find the best deals on hotels on Booking.com.
Weather & Best Time to Visit
Thanks to its relatively northern location, Hanoi experiences all four seasons, occurring at roughly the same time as our British seasons. September to November is considered the most pleasant time to visit, when it will be nice and warm.
Summer here can be unbearably hot, while the winter chill can shock even the sturdiest of Brits. Don’t make the mistake of backpackers gone before you, who arrive in January armed with only a pair of flip flops.
Getting to Hanoi
If you’re flying in to Noi Bai airport, the most backpacker-friendly way into the city is on the shuttle bus that will take you right into the city centre for $2. You pay on board, and the bus will drop you at the Vietnam Airlines office on 1 Quang Trung. From there, you can walk to Hoan Kiem where you’ll find oodles of budget accommodation.
If you’re arriving at the rail station — or you you’d rather not wait around for the shuttle bus — you’ll need to get a taxi, so be prepared to haggle! Taxi drivers are never keen to put the meter on, something that could result in you getting royally ripped off paying slightly more than one should.
A taxi from the airport will set you back from anything between $10 – $30 (depending on your haggling skills). Make sure you agree a price with the driver before you get in. Don’t be surprised if your driver tries to take you to a different hotel than you’ve asked him to — many of them get a nice bit of commission from hotels if they bring them some customers.
Where to Stay in Hanoi
For cheap, decent centrally located accommodation in Hanoi, head to the Old Quarter. As prices start from £5 a night for a private room, slumming it in a dorm is just not an option. My favourites are the Hanoi Grand View Hotel, which comes complete with whirlpool baths, and the Hanoi Astoria – simple, but effective.
Getting Around Hanoi
Hanoi is much more walkable than many big Southeast Asian cities, and wandering round the Old Quarter and its many vibrant back streets is all part of the Hanoi experience.
Watch out when you’re crossing the road though, and just keep walking when you cross the roads in Hanoi. The bikes won’t stop for you but they will miss you! The traffic and driving may seem completely chaotic (you’ll soon get used to the constant beeping of horns), but there’s a sense that, to some extent, it’s an organised chaos.
No visit to Hanoi is complete without a ride on a cyclo rickshaw. Although it’s not the quickest way to get around in a city that seems to have more motorbikes than people. Cries of, “Where you want to go? Easy rider, easy rider!” can be heard on every corner, as motorbike taxi drivers try to entice you on board. Though a huge adrenaline rush, a motorbike ride through Hanoi is definitely not for the faint-hearted!
Hanoi Tours
A Hanoi tour is a great way to see the city. It’ll take you through all the main sites, and some even sort you out with accommodation too. Book sightseeing tours & attraction tickets on GetYourGuide or Viator. Or if you are keen to see more of the country or Southeast Asia search small group tours with G Adventures or Contiki.
Best Things to Do in Hanoi
Central Hanoi is divided into four main districts: Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Hai Ba Trung, and Dong Da. Hoan Kiem is where you’ll find most accommodation and sights, including the Old Quarter and lake.
The busy streets may seem daunting at first, but grab or download a map and you’ll soon find that navigating your way around the city by foot isn’t too hard.
The Old Quarter
You can spend hours strolling through the city’s Old Quarter. It still retains the original street layout and architecture of ‘old’ Hanoi, and its French roots give it a distinctly European feel. Wander round the spectacular St Joseph’s Cathedral and you may well forget you’re in Asia and explore the other streets and you’ll stumble across so many treasures.
The Old Quarter also boasts some of the city’s nicest shops, with little boutiques and unique buys hidden away down the side streets. It’s also home to Hanoi’s largest market, Dong Xuan, a huge indoor affair that sells everything from fruit and veg to clothes to household goods and souvenirs.
Ho Hoan Kiem
Near the Old Quarter and in the centre of Hanoi, you’ll find Ho Hoan Kiem. This beautiful lake is a hub of activity, whatever time of year, as locals and tourists alike stroll around the waters edge, or meet for a coffee at one of the nearby cafes.
Rise early and you’ll be able to witness some hardcore Tai Chi practice, courtesy of the locals, on the shores of the lake. Fact fans, listen up: Ho Hoan Kiem means “Lake of the returned sword”, and, according to legend, is so named because the Emperor handed a sword to the Golden Turtle God in the lake (completely believable, then).
If you’re lucky, you might even see a giant turtle in the lake, though I can’t promise it’ll be of the golden variety.
Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre
To the northeast of Hoan Kiem Lake, you’ll find the Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre. This ancient Vietnamese art, accompanied by traditional music, is well worth a watch. From $3 a ticket, it’s a bargain for a night out. Remember to pick up a programme on your way in for a synopsis of the action, or you’ll literally be lost in translation.
Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum
You can’t leave Hanoi without paying homage to Uncle Ho. Vietnam’s beloved former leader is laid to rest at Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum in the Ba Dinh district. Entry is free, but check before you go that he won’t be away on his annual holiday — his embalmed corpse is taken to Russia for two months every year for maintenance.
Events in Hanoi
Vietnamese New Year, or Tet as it’s known, is on 23 January this year. Not only is this characterised by a big celebration, complete with fireworks over Hoan Kiem Lake, it also means everything shuts down for around seven days!
If you’re aiming to leave Hanoi during Tet, plan your transport well in advance, or risk paying big bucks or not getting anywhere at all. Better still, just stay put and join in the festivities.
Food & Drink
A journey through Hanoi will excite your taste buds. From sizzling chunks of fish (cha ca) to dumplings bulging with pork (bánh bao), it’s hard to know what to indulge in first.
A good place to start is with phở, Hanoi’s signature dish. You’ll find this tasty beef noodle broth everywhere. For the ultimate Hanoi experience, grab a plastic stool and chow down with the locals at the street stalls, where you’ll get a steaming bowl of phở for less than $1.
Dog lovers, cover your eyes. The rumours are true, they really do eat dog in Hanoi. In the centre to Nhat Tan Street in the Tay Ho District, you’ll sadly find lots of restaurants serving our cute, doe-eyed, furry friends.
For some of the best local cuisine head to:
Dinh Tien Hoang Street/Cau Go Street
Located just off the top of Hanoi’s central lake en-route to the Old Town, you’ll see a building a few storeys high with some open balconies. Head to Highlands Coffee for some amazing traditional Vietnamese coffee and sit outside on the terrace for great views of the buzzing city life below.
Ta Hien Road/Luong Ngoc Quyen Road
Often referred to as ‘Beer Corner’ this crossroads in Hanoi’s Old Town is the place to be come nightfall. Grab yourself a plastic stool, cool down with some 30p Bia Hoi beers and dine on tantalising pho and meat cooked on your own charcoal grills.
Coffee
Hanoians love their coffee, and you’ll find coffee shops at every turn. There’s even a whole street dedicated to them — Hang Hanh, or ‘Coffee Street’, is in the Old Quarter. Vietnamese coffee is strong and bitter; ask for milk and it’ll be the sweet, condensed variety.
Many travellers go in search of the infamous ‘weasel coffee’. The coffee beans are consumed by local civet cats, and collected once they’ve, err, you know, passed them through their digestive system. Sounds gross, but it’s regarded as one of the most expensive coffee varieties in the world. Fancy a cup? Head to Cafe Mai at 52 Nguyên Hồng, or Trung Nguyen Café, the Vietnamese equivalent of Starbucks.
Best Day Trips and Places to Visit Near Hanoi
Ha Long Bay
Make sure you do a 3 day trip to Ha Long Bay! A trip out to Ha Long Bay is high on the list for most visitors to Hanoi, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who has previously spent Christmas Eve at the UNESCO World Heritage site.
This natural wonder doesn’t disappoint. It’s hard to describe how spectacular this collection of 3000 limestone islands emerging from the green-blue sea truly is. Needless to say, it’s one for the bucket list.
Most tours will take you from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island, a national park in Ha Long Bay that provides ample opportunity for swimming, trekking and cycling, and then out by junk boat further into the bay, along with opportunities for kayaking and rock climbing.
Sapa
An alternative to Ha Long Bay is Sapa, with beautiful countryside and rice fields. There are lots of tour and treks here to see stunning scenery, a world away from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.
Getting Away From Hanoi
Hanoi is a must for any Southeast Asia itinerary, and it’s a great place to start if you’re heading down from China.
Make the most of being in Vietnam – there are lots of great tours that start in Hanoi, including overland Vietnam trips, which will take you from Hanoi all the way down to Ho Chi Minh City in the South.
Or you could make Hanoi part of your big adventure with best-selling tour Southeast Asia tours, some are epic month-long adventures through Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
Plan a Trip to Hanoi
Hanoi really is like nowhere else. Its traffic may be chaotic and its streets may seem unnavigable at first, but don’t let first impressions stop from discovering this truly unique city.
Give it a couple of days and we guarantee you’ll feel at home; give it a couple of weeks and you still won’t have uncovered every nook and cranny.
If you’re thinking about visiting Hanoi, view my Vietnam travel tips for more advice on places to see in this country.
Be sure to visit my city guides for more tips about what to see and do in more popular destinations in the country:
• Hoi An Travel Guide
• Nha Trang Travel Guide
• Hue Travel Guide
• Danang Travel Guide