Hanoi Vietnam
Things to do in Hanoi
By Tripsapien Research / Updated May 20, 2026
Hanoi is Vietnam's Red River capital, where Hoan Kiem Lake, the 36-street Old Quarter, French-colonial boulevards, and West Lake sit inside a city shaped by Chinese, French, North Vietnamese, and reunification-era layers. Ba Dinh carries state monuments, Hoan Kiem carries the old commercial core, and Tay Ho adds lakeside temples and expat cafes.
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About Hanoi
City overview
Hanoi is Vietnam's Red River capital, where Hoan Kiem Lake, the 36-street Old Quarter, French-colonial boulevards, and West Lake sit inside a city shaped by Chinese, French, North Vietnamese, and reunification-era layers. Ba Dinh carries state monuments, Hoan Kiem carries the old commercial core, and Tay Ho adds lakeside temples and expat cafes.
Food & drink
Hanoi food is built around pho bo, bun cha, cha ca, banh cuon, xoi xeo, bun thang, egg coffee, and bia hoi. Dong Xuan Market, Ta Hien beer corner, Tong Duy Tan food street, and Cha Ca Street are more city-specific anchors than hotel buffets.
Top sights
Ranked for suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple
- 2Old Quarter (36 Streets)
- 3Temple of Literature
- 4Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Presidential Palace Area
- 5Vietnamese Women's Museum
- 6National Museum of Vietnamese History
- 7Vietnam Military History Museum
- 8Museum of Ethnology
- 9One-Pillar Pagoda
- 10West Lake and Tran Quoc Pagoda
1Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple
4.4★ · 12,939The Lake of the Returned Sword anchors central Hanoi, with Ngoc Son Temple reached by the red Huc Bridge. Weekend pedestrian streets around the water fill with families, electric toy cars, tai chi, and lake-edge performances.
2Old Quarter (36 Streets)
4.6★ · 9,715The Old Quarter grew around trade guild streets such as Hang Bac, Hang Gai, Hang Ma, and Ta Hien. Narrow tube houses, scooters, cafes, gold shops, beer corners, and Dong Xuan Market make it the city's densest walking area.
3Temple of Literature
4.6★ · 23,648Founded in 1070, Van Mieu became Vietnam's first university in 1076 and still holds courtyards, Confucian altars, and stone doctorate steles on turtle bases. It sits west of Hoan Kiem near Dong Da.
Wikipedia
Show 7 more sights
- 4Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Presidential Palace Area
- 5Vietnamese Women's Museum
- 6National Museum of Vietnamese History
- 7Vietnam Military History Museum
- 8Museum of Ethnology
- 9One-Pillar Pagoda
- 10West Lake and Tran Quoc Pagoda
Neighborhoods
1Hoan Kiem Old Quarter
The Old Quarter is compact, noisy, and commercial, with Hang streets, Dong Xuan Market, beer corners, Hoan Kiem Lake, and constant scooter movement.
2French Quarter and Trang Tien
The French Quarter has wider boulevards, the Opera House, Trang Tien Plaza, colonial facades, embassies, and calmer blocks southeast of Hoan Kiem.
3Ba Dinh
Ba Dinh feels monumental and official, with the mausoleum, Presidential Palace grounds, One-Pillar Pagoda, government buildings, and wide parade spaces.
4Tay Ho and Quang An
Tay Ho is lakeside Hanoi, with West Lake views, Tran Quoc Pagoda, cafes, international restaurants, villas, and long scooter loops.
5Dong Da
Dong Da is local and academic, with the Temple of Literature, universities, train-station edges, street food, and denser residential lanes.
6Cau Giay
Cau Giay is the west-side modern district, useful for the Museum of Ethnology, offices, Korean restaurants, and newer hotels outside the heritage core.
Day trips
60km / about 2h by road plus boat and cable car or 30-45min hike
Perfume Pagoda
The Buddhist pilgrimage site combines Yen Stream boat rides, mountain temples, and Huong Tich cave. Go early because festival-season queues are long.
95km / about 2h by train or road from Hanoi
Ninh Binh and Trang An
Karst river boats, Hoa Lu temples, Tam Coc rice fields, and Mua Cave viewpoints make Ninh Binh the strongest nature-and-history day trip from Hanoi.
160km / about 2.5-3h by expressway from Hanoi
Ha Long Bay
Limestone islands and overnight junk cruises are possible as a long day, but an overnight from Tuan Chau or Bai Chay gives the bay more time than a same-day bus loop.
Getting around
Hanoi buses are easiest with the BusMap Ha Noi app, while taxis and Grab are the practical tools between Old Quarter hotels, Ba Dinh sights, West Lake, and outer museums. Metro Line 2A serves Cat Linh to Ha Dong, but visitors still rely on walking, rideshare motorbikes, and taxis for Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh.
Things to do in Hanoi by month
Each month has its own events, festivals, public holidays, and seasonal timing. Pick your month to see what's on and check your plan against those exact dates - December, November, March are the easiest weather.
Check your Hanoi shortlist against your dates
Tripsapien starts with the sights on this page or places you paste, then checks hours, closures, booking pressure, and neighborhoods for your exact travel dates.
Common questions about Hanoi
- What are the top things to do in Hanoi?
- Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple, Old Quarter (36 Streets), Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Presidential Palace Area, and more. Paste your own list into Tripsapien and it checks each place's hours, closures, and booking pressure for your exact dates.
- Which neighborhoods should I explore in Hanoi?
- Hoan Kiem Old Quarter, French Quarter and Trang Tien, Ba Dinh, Tay Ho and Quang An. Tripsapien groups your places by neighborhood so each day stays in one or two areas instead of zig-zagging.
- When is the best time to visit Hanoi?
- December, November, March balance comfortable temperatures with fewer rainy days. Pick your month below to see that month's events, public holidays, and seasonal timing.
- Will the places on my list be open when I'm in Hanoi?
- Tripsapien checks each place against the exact dates you're in Hanoi and flags closures, limited hours, and sell-outs before the trip.