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Hanoi

Ancient temples, street food and a city that never slows down

history · culture · food · city · heritage

Solo Friendly · Budget · Family

Province
Hanoi
Stay
2-4 days
Transport
Walk in the Old Quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake. Use Grab or Xanh SM for longer distances - easier than street taxis and less risk of being overcharged. Avoid the 7-9am and 5-7pm rush hours. Renting a motorbike is only worth it if you're confident in heavy traffic.
Hanoi

Hanoi is Vietnam's capital and one of its most historically layered cities - a thousand-year-old city where French colonial boulevards run alongside ancient temples, egg coffee is drunk on tiny plastic stools, and the Old Quarter's streets are still named after the goods they once traded. It's noisy, crowded and slower to reveal itself than Ho Chi Minh City, but it rewards walking: the lakes at dawn, the Old Quarter after dark, and a bowl of pho or bun cha on every corner. It's also the base for Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh, Sapa and Ha Giang.

When to go

Climate

40035°30030°20025°10020°015°mm°CJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Monthly climate averages for Hanoi
MonthAvg temp (°C)Rainfall (mm)Rainy days (≥1 mm)
January16.6229.5
February17.72511.4
March20.34715.9
April24.29213.7
May27.618514.6
June29.325314.8
July29.428016.6
August28.730916.5
September27.722813.2
October25.31419.7
November21.9676.8
December18.3205.2
Data: long-term station averages from the Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology (IBST). Rainy days as reported by the station.

Best Months to Visit

Best time
Sep-Nov is the best time: cool, mostly dry and clear - the season Hanoians love most. Mar-Apr is mild and full of flowers, but often drizzly. May-Aug is hot and humid with heavy summer storms - plan indoor sights for the afternoons. Dec-Feb is the driest period but cold and grey, with nights that can drop below 10°C; it already feels cold by late November.

Highlights

  1. One of the Thăng Long Tứ Trấn - the four guardian temples said to protect old Thăng Long from each cardinal direction, with Bạch Mã watching the eastBach Ma Temple
  2. The legend of the white horse that marked the path for Lý Thái Tổ's citadel walls in 1010, giving the temple its nameBach Ma Temple
  3. Over a thousand years of preserved artifacts - royal decrees, a bronze bell, a ceremonial palanquin, and 15 stone stelae recording the temple's historyBach Ma Temple
  4. The oldest church in Hanoi and one of the first Western-style buildings constructed by the French colonial government, modelled on Notre-Dame de ParisHanoi St. Joseph's Cathedral
  5. Twin neo-Gothic bell towers rising 31.5 metres, original French stained glass, and a rib-vaulted interior ceilingHanoi St. Joseph's Cathedral
  6. The square out front is a genuine Hanoi social hub, especially known for 'trà chanh nhà thờ' (cathedral lemon tea) and a lively evening cafe sceneHanoi St. Joseph's Cathedral
  7. Working railway line passing within centimetres of houses and cafes - two accessible sections with different atmospheresHanoi Train Street
  8. Old Quarter section (5 Trần Phú): lively, atmospheric, best at night. South Side (210 Lê Duẩn): calmer, less crowded, better for daytimeHanoi Train Street
  9. Afternoons and evenings have significantly more trains than morningsHanoi Train Street
  10. The lake's name comes from a 15th-century legend: Emperor Lê Lợi returning a magic sword to a Golden Turtle after defeating Ming ChinaHoan Kiem Lake

What To Do

Nature & Outdoors

  • Cycling

Culture & History

  • History
  • Religious Site Visit
  • Photography
  • Walking Tour
  • Culture
  • Museum Visit

Food & Local Life

  • Food
  • Shopping
  • Nightlife

Route Map

Suggested Itineraries

2D1N

Quick highlights

Day 1Hoan Kiem Lake + Old Quarter + Hoa Lo Prison

Hoan Kiem LakeNgoc Son TempleHanoi Old QuarterHanoi St. Joseph's CathedralHoa Lo PrisonTa Hien Street

Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple (50,000 VND) early, before the crowds. Walk the Old Quarter streets to St Joseph's Cathedral for coffee. Hoa Lo Prison in the afternoon (8am-5pm, last entry 4:30pm, 50,000 VND; audio guide recommended). Evening: Ta Hien Street, and on Friday-Sunday nights the streets around the lake become a walking street.

Day 2Ho Chi Minh Complex + Temple of Literature + Imperial Citadel

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum ComplexOne Pillar PagodaTemple of LiteratureImperial Citadel of Thang Long

Mausoleum first: open Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat and Sun mornings only (Apr-Oct 7:30-10:30am, to 11am at weekends; Nov-Mar 8-11am, to 11:30am at weekends), closed Mon and Fri, and closed every autumn for maintenance (2026: 4 Sep - 2 Nov). Dress modestly, stay quiet, and don't take photos where it's not allowed. If you're up early, the flag-raising ceremony in front of the mausoleum is at dawn - about 6:30am in winter. Then One Pillar Pagoda next door, the Temple of Literature (Tue-Sun 8am-5pm, closed Mon; 70,000 VND) and the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long (8am-5pm, 100,000 VND).

3D2N

Full city experience

Day 1Hoan Kiem Lake + Old Quarter + French Quarter

Hoan Kiem LakeNgoc Son TempleHanoi Old QuarterHanoi St. Joseph's CathedralTa Hien Street

Arrive, drop your bags and walk: Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, the Old Quarter streets and St Joseph's Cathedral. Try egg coffee (from about 25,000 VND) and Trang Tien ice cream. Evening on Ta Hien Street or the weekend walking street (Fri-Sun).

Day 2Ho Chi Minh Complex + Temple of Literature + Hoa Lo Prison

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum ComplexOne Pillar PagodaTemple of LiteratureHoa Lo Prison

Start early at the mausoleum (Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun mornings; closed Mon, Fri and for autumn maintenance - 2026: 4 Sep - 2 Nov). One Pillar Pagoda next door, then the Temple of Literature (70,000 VND). Lunch: bun cha. Hoa Lo Prison in the afternoon (last entry 4:30pm).

Day 3Imperial Citadel + West Lake + Long Bien Bridge

Imperial Citadel of Thang LongTran Quoc PagodaWest LakeLong Bien Bridge

Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in the morning (100,000 VND). Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake (7:30-11:30am and 1:30-6:30pm), then a slow walk or ride along the lake. Late afternoon: Dong Xuan Market and a walk across Long Bien Bridge at sunset.

4D3N

City plus a day trip

Day 1Hoan Kiem Lake + Old Quarter

Hoan Kiem LakeNgoc Son TempleHanoi Old QuarterHanoi St. Joseph's CathedralTa Hien Street

Arrive and get your bearings on foot around the lake and the Old Quarter. Avoid taxis and Grab in the 7-9am and 5-7pm rush hours. Evening on Ta Hien Street.

Day 2Ho Chi Minh Complex + Temple of Literature + Hoa Lo Prison

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum ComplexOne Pillar PagodaTemple of LiteratureHoa Lo Prison

Full history day, starting early at the mausoleum (closed Mon, Fri and for autumn maintenance - 2026: 4 Sep - 2 Nov).

Day 3Day trip: Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay or Bat Trang

Ninh Binh or Ha Long Bay - see those pages. For something closer, Bat Trang ceramic village is about 20km from the centre: the spiral-shaped pottery museum, workshops where you can try the wheel, and old kilns in the lanes.

Day 4Imperial Citadel + West Lake + Long Bien Bridge

Imperial Citadel of Thang LongTran Quoc PagodaWest LakeLong Bien Bridge

Imperial Citadel in the morning, Tran Quoc Pagoda and West Lake, then Dong Xuan Market and Long Bien Bridge before you leave.

Places to Visit · 22 spots

B52 Wreck - Hữu Tiệp Lake
Historic Site

B52 Wreck - Hữu Tiệp Lake

The B52 wreck at Hữu Tiệp Lake in Hanoi's Ngọc Hà neighbourhood is one of the most striking remnants of the 1972 Christmas Bombing campaign - the fuselage of a downed US B-52 Stratofortress still partially submerged in a small residential lake, surrounded by houses.

Year-round
Bach Ma Temple
Temple

Bach Ma Temple

Bach Ma Temple (Đền Bạch Mã) on Hàng Buồm street in Hanoi's Old Quarter is one of the Thăng Long Tứ Trấn - the four guardian temples of the old citadel - dedicated to Long Đỗ, the tutelary spirit of ancient Hanoi, and tied to the legendary white horse said to have marked the path of the city walls when Lý Thái Tổ founded Thăng Long in 1010.

Year-round
Hanoi St. Joseph's Cathedral
Church

Hanoi St. Joseph's Cathedral

Hanoi St. Joseph's Cathedral is a neo-Gothic French colonial church built between 1884 and 1886 at the heart of the Old Quarter - the oldest church in Hanoi and one of the earliest Western-style buildings in Vietnam, its twin 31.5-metre towers a defining landmark of central Hanoi.

Sep - Dec
Hanoi Old Quarter
Old Quarter

Hanoi Old Quarter

Hanoi's Old Quarter is a dense 36-street merchant district dating to the 13th century where each street historically traded a single craft - today it remains the commercial and cultural heart of the capital, with narrow lanes, ancient tube houses, street food, and the best urban walking in Vietnam.

Oct - Apr
Hanoi Train Street
Street

Hanoi Train Street

Hanoi Train Street is a narrow residential alley where a working railway line passes within centimetres of cafes and houses - one of Hanoi's most photographed spots. Two sections: Old Quarter (5 Trần Phú, livelier, more atmospheric) and South Side (210 Lê Duẩn, calmer, easier to find a seat).

Oct - Apr
Hoan Kiem Lake
Lake

Hoan Kiem Lake

Hoan Kiem Lake is the symbolic heart of Hanoi - a 12-hectare lake in the Old Quarter named for the legend of Emperor Lê Lợi returning a magic sword to a golden turtle. Home to the Turtle Tower (built 1886, not ancient) and Ngọc Sơn Temple, surrounded by a weekend pedestrian zone filled with street life.

Aug - Oct
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex
Tomb

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex in Hanoi's Ba Dinh Square contains the preserved body of Vietnam's founding leader, alongside his former residence, presidential palace, and museum - the most significant political pilgrimage site in Vietnam. Note that the mausoleum closes annually for several weeks of maintenance, typically in autumn.

Arrive by 8:00 AM (winter schedule) or 7:30 AM (summer schedule) when the mausoleum opens - queues build quickly, especially on weekends and Vietnamese holidays. Open Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday-Sunday; closed Monday and Friday, except on major holidays
Hoa Lo Prison
Prison

Hoa Lo Prison

Hoa Lo Prison - nicknamed the 'Hanoi Hilton' by American POWs - is a preserved French colonial prison in central Hanoi, used to incarcerate Vietnamese political prisoners before 1954 and American pilots during the Vietnam War. One of Hanoi's most historically significant sites.

Oct - Apr
Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
Citadel

Imperial Citadel of Thang Long

The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in Hanoi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the former political centre of Vietnam for over 1,300 years - a layered archaeological complex spanning dynasties from the 7th century to the 20th century, with underground excavations, restored palace foundations, and a unique night tour experience.

Oct - Apr
Kim Lien Temple
Temple

Kim Lien Temple

Kim Lien Temple (Đình Kim Liên), also known as Đền Cao Sơn, is the southern guardian of the Thăng Long Tứ Trấn - the four sacred temples of old Thăng Long (Hanoi) - dedicated to Cao Sơn Đại Vương, and the youngest of the four, rebuilt in its present form in 1509.

Year-round
Long Bien Bridge
Bridge

Long Bien Bridge

Long Bien Bridge is Hanoi's iconic colonial-era steel bridge across the Red River, built by the Daydé & Pillé firm and completed in 1902 - still in active use by trains, motorcycles, and pedestrians more than 120 years after construction.

Oct - Apr
Ngoc Son Temple
Temple

Ngoc Son Temple

Ngoc Son Temple is a 19th-century Taoist and Buddhist temple on a small island in Hoan Kiem Lake, reached via the iconic red Huc Bridge and housing a preserved specimen of the giant soft-shell turtle central to Hanoi's founding legend.

Sep - Nov
One Pillar Pagoda
Pagoda

One Pillar Pagoda

The One Pillar Pagoda is one of Vietnam's most iconic structures - an 11th-century lotus-shaped Buddhist shrine rising from a square pond in central Hanoi, built by Emperor Lý Thái Tông and regarded as a symbol of the Vietnamese capital.

Year-round
Quan Thanh Temple
Temple

Quan Thanh Temple

Quan Thanh Temple (Đền Quán Thánh), formally Trấn Vũ Quán (鎮武觀), is the northern guardian of the Thăng Long Tứ Trấn - the four sacred temples of old Thăng Long (Hanoi) - dedicated to the Taoist deity Huyền Thiên Trấn Vũ, right beside West Lake, and home to one of Hanoi's largest bronze statues, cast in 1677.

Year-round
Ta Hien Street
Street

Ta Hien Street

Ta Hien Street is Hanoi's most famous nightlife street in the Old Quarter - a narrow lane with colonial-era roots packed with bia hơi (fresh draft beer) stalls, street food vendors, and bars where locals and travellers share plastic stools on the pavement every evening.

Year-round
Tây Phương Pagoda
Pagoda

Tây Phương Pagoda

Tây Phương Pagoda sits on Câu Lâu hill 40km west of Hanoi and contains dozens of remarkable wooden Buddhist statues from the 18th century (sources cite anywhere from about 60 to 76), including a set of 18 Arhat figures recognised as a National Treasure - some of the finest examples of traditional Vietnamese sculpture, carved with an expressiveness that sets them apart from anything else in the country.

Oct - Apr
Temple of Literature
Temple

Temple of Literature

The Temple of Literature in Hanoi is Vietnam's best-preserved example of traditional Vietnamese architecture - a Confucian temple complex built in 1070 that served as the country's first university for over 700 years, with five courtyards of pavilions, ponds, and stone steles recording the names of doctoral graduates.

Oct - Apr
Tran Quoc Pagoda
Pagoda

Tran Quoc Pagoda

Tran Quoc Pagoda is Hanoi's oldest Buddhist pagoda, dating to the 6th century AD and situated on a small peninsula in West Lake - its 11-tier lotus stupa rising above the water is one of the most recognised images in Vietnamese Buddhism.

Year-round
Vietnam Military History Museum
Museum

Vietnam Military History Museum

Vietnam Military History Museum - one of Vietnam's seven national museums - reopened at its new Thang Long Boulevard location in November 2024, covering 386,600 square meters of indoor galleries and outdoor displays tracing Vietnamese military history from ancient dynasties through the American War.

Year-round
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Museum

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi documents all 54 officially recognised ethnic groups through indoor galleries and a 2-hectare outdoor village of full-scale reconstructed traditional houses - the most comprehensive ethnology museum in Vietnam, with a water puppet show on weekends.

Oct - Apr
Voi Phuc Temple
Temple

Voi Phuc Temple

Voi Phuc Temple (Đền Voi Phục), formally Đền Voi Phục Thủ Lệ, is the western guardian of the Thăng Long Tứ Trấn - the four sacred temples of old Thăng Long (Hanoi) - dedicated to Linh Lang Đại Vương and named for the two stone elephants kneeling at its gate. It's the largest and grandest of the four, next to Thủ Lệ Park. Note: don't confuse it with the separate, unrelated Đền Voi Phục Thụy Khuê elsewhere in Hanoi.

Year-round
West Lake
Lake

West Lake

West Lake is Hanoi's largest lake - a 500-hectare expanse in the Tây Hồ district ringed by upscale cafes, ancient pagodas, seafood restaurants, and a 17km cycling path that offers the most pleasant outdoor escape within the city limits.

Jun - Apr

Getting There

Ho Chi Minh Cityfly
about 2 hours1,500,000-3,000,000 VND one way

Cheaper if you book about a month ahead. From Noi Bai Airport: bus 86 runs to Hanoi Railway Station via the Old Quarter area, 5:15am-10:10pm every 25-30 minutes, about 45,000 VND; local buses 7, 17, 90 and 109 cost 8,000-9,000 VND but are slower. A taxi costs about 350,000-450,000 VND; Grab and Xanh SM are usually the easiest option with luggage.

Da Nangfly
about 1h201,000,000-1,500,000 VND one way
Da Nangtrain
17-18 hours600,000-1,100,000 VND

Overnight sleeper along the coast.

Sapabus
5.5-7 hours270,000-450,000 VND

Limousine vans often drop off in the Old Quarter; sleeper buses go to My Dinh or Nuoc Ngam bus stations. Double sleeper cabins cost about 650,000-800,000 VND per cabin.

Ha Giangbus
6-7 hours200,000-350,000 VND

Sleeper buses and limousine vans to My Dinh, Luong Yen, Yen Nghia or Gia Lam bus stations.

Getting around

Motorbike

about 80,000-150,000 VND/day (semi-automatic); 250,000-300,000 VND/day (manual clutch, e.g. Winner, Exciter)

Only if you're confident in heavy traffic - Grab or Xanh SM is cheaper for most trips. Your hotel can usually arrange a bike, but it often costs 20,000-50,000 VND more and you can't always check its condition, so renting directly from a shop is better. Bring your licence (foreign riders: an IDP under the 1968 convention with the motorcycle category, plus your home licence) and a passport or ID; deposits are usually 1-3 million VND or your ID, and rent is paid upfront. Ask for a written contract, and check the mirrors, brakes, tyres and helmet before you ride off.

  • BIGMOTO

    66 Thuoc Bac, Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem0859 463 456

    Scooters 130,000-200,000, semi-automatic 140,000, electric 180,000 VND/day. Helmet, raincoat and 1 litre of petrol included; English spoken.

  • Rising Dragon Motorbike Rental (Thue Xe May Thang Long)

    48 Phan Boi Chau, Hoan Kiem0988 717 016

    Semi-automatic from 130,000, scooters 220,000, manual 250,000 VND/day in Hanoi. English-speaking hotline, 8am-9:30pm.

  • MOTOGO

    7 Lane 267 Hoang Hoa Tham, Ba Dinh0338 023 344

    Semi-automatic 80,000-130,000, scooters 120,000-200,000 VND/day. No deposit with the right documents; delivers in Hanoi; can return at the Noi Bai Airport branch.

  • Thue Xe May Hoan Kiem Ha Noi

    38 Tho Xuong, Hang Trong (near St Joseph's Cathedral)0856 080 636

    Semi-automatic 150,000, scooters 180,000-300,000 VND/day. Two helmets and a raincoat per bike; open until 11:30pm.

  • Gia Hung

    41 Ngo Huyen, Hang Trong0936 345 123

    Semi-automatic 150,000, scooters 250,000 VND/day; delivers in the city.

  • 13535 Motorbike Rental Hanoi

    0398 394 231

    Semi-automatic from 130,000, scooters 180,000-220,000, manual 250,000-300,000 VND/day; English-speaking line.

Listed for reference - we're not affiliated. Compare reviews before you book.

Checked Sep 2026

Emergency & help

  • 112Emergency (all services)
  • 113Police
  • 114Fire and rescue
  • 115Ambulance

Free from any phone. National emergency line since 2025, routes to police, fire or ambulance.

Medical

  • Family Medical Practice Hanoi

    024 3843 0748

    English, Vietnamese

    298 I Kim Ma, Van Phuc Compound, Ba Dinh

    Private clinic: general practice, emergency medicine and international repatriation.

    Checked Jun 2022

  • Raffles Medical Hanoi

    024 3934 0666

    English, Vietnamese

    51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho

    Private clinic: general practice, emergency medicine and international repatriation.

    Checked Jun 2022

  • Hanoi French Hospital

    024 3577 1100

    English, Vietnamese

    1 Phuong Mai, Dong Da

    Private general hospital.

    Checked Jun 2022

  • Vinmec Times City International Hospital

    024 3974 3556

    Vietnamese, some English

    458 Minh Khai, Hai Ba Trung

    Private general hospital.

    Checked Jun 2022

  • Viet Duc University Hospital

    024 3825 3531

    English, Vietnamese

    40 Trang Thi, Hoan Kiem

    Large public hospital close to the Old Quarter, known for surgery and trauma care.

    Checked Jun 2022

Tourist help

  • Hanoi tourist support switchboard

    1800 556 896

    Free call. For tourist information and complaints about services.

    Checked Oct 2018

Frequently Asked Questions

2 days covers the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Ho Chi Minh complex and the Temple of Literature. 3 days lets you add the Imperial Citadel, West Lake and Long Bien Bridge at an easier pace. Add a day for Ninh Binh or Bat Trang, or two for a Ha Long Bay cruise.

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