Top Things to Do in Hanoi
31 must-see attractions and experiences
Hanoi is a city that has been continuously inhabited for over a thousand years, and its layered history — from the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long to the French colonial boulevards to the Soviet-era monuments — is not preserved in museums alone but lived in daily. The Old Quarter's 36 streets, each named for the trade historically practiced there, still function as a commercial ecosystem where silk sellers, tin smiths, and herbalists operate from shop-houses that have stood for centuries. This is not a city that has been curated for visitors; it is a city that absorbs them into its ongoing life. The culinary landscape alone justifies the trip. Hanoi's food culture is defined by precision and restraint: a bowl of pho here contains fewer ingredients than its southern counterpart but achieves a depth of flavor that has made it the national dish. Bun cha, banh mi, egg coffee, and bia hoi (fresh draft beer) are best experienced at their street-stall points of origin, where recipes have been refined over decades. The city's cooking classes and food tours have become among Southeast Asia's most sought-after culinary experiences. First-time visitors should prepare for sensory intensity: motorbikes dominate every street and sidewalk, noise levels are high, and crossing the road requires a leap of faith (walk steadily, don't stop, and the traffic flows around you). But beneath the surface chaos runs a deep civic order — Hanoians rise at dawn for tai chi by Hoan Kiem Lake, observe elaborate tea rituals in centuries-old pagodas, and maintain family traditions with a formality that reveals the city's Confucian roots. Hanoi rewards patience, and rewards it generously.
Don't Miss These
Our top picks for visitors to Hanoi
Hanoi Cooking Class Learning 5 Dishes including Banh Xeo
Food & DrinkThis hands-on culinary workshop teaches five Vietnamese dishes, with the crispy rice-flour crepe banh xeo as the centerpiece. Participants shop for ingredients at a local market, learn knife skills and flavor-balancing techniques from professional chefs, and eat their own creations at the end of the session. The class is designed for all skill levels and provides take-home recipes that work in a Western kitchen.
Serene Experience Spa Package
EntertainmentThis complete spa treatment combines foot soaking, body scrub, aromatherapy massage, and facial treatment into a multi-hour session at one of Hanoi's top-rated day spas. The facility uses Vietnamese botanical ingredients — lemongrass, ginger, rice bran — in treatments that draw on both traditional Vietnamese healing practices and modern spa techniques. It provides a physical reset after days of walking Hanoi's demanding streets.
Hanoi City Tour : Hanoi Highlights and lesser-known places
Cultural ExperiencesThis half-day guided tour covers Hanoi's essential landmarks — Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, the Old Quarter — while weaving in lesser-known sites that independent visitors typically miss. Local guides provide historical context and cultural interpretation that transforms sightseeing into genuine understanding, connecting the architecture and street life to the thousand-year story of the city.
Local Market Tour and Private Cooking Class
Food & DrinkThis private experience pairs a cyclo ride through the Old Quarter's back alleys with a guided market tour and hands-on cooking class led by a professional chef. The market tour focuses on ingredient sourcing and seasonal availability, teaching participants to identify fresh herbs, select fish, and judge produce quality. The subsequent cooking session translates that market knowledge into dishes that participants prepare and eat.
Hanoi Cooking Class in a Haven of Tranquility - Thom culinary
Food & DrinkSet in a garden compound away from the Old Quarter's density, this cooking class has a meditative counterpoint to Hanoi's street-level energy. Participants cook under mature tropical trees in an herb garden where many ingredients are picked fresh for the session. The class emphasizes the philosophy behind Vietnamese cooking — the balance of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami — rather than mere recipe replication.
3 Days 3 Nights High Quality Small Group Ha Giang Loop Car Tour
Day TripsThis multi-day expedition travels the Ha Giang Loop, Vietnam's most dramatic mountain road, through a landscape of knife-edge ridges, terraced valleys, and ethnic minority villages in the country's far north. The route follows the Chinese border through some of Southeast Asia's most extreme terrain, with stops at the Dong Van Karst Plateau, Ma Pi Leng Pass, and weekly highland markets. The small-group car format allows appreciation of the scenery without the physical demands of a motorbike.
Hanoi Instagram Tour: The Most Scenic Spots
Cultural ExperiencesThis guided walking and transportation tour targets Hanoi's most photogenic locations — from the railway track corridor to the mosaic-tiled Long Bien Bridge to the French colonial villas of the Ba Dinh district. Guides position visitors at angles and times of day that maximize visual impact, and provide tips on smartphone photography technique specific to each location. The tour doubles as a complete city orientation.
Vietnamese Bread & Brew: Banh Mi Baking Class & Specialty Coffee
Food & DrinkThis focused workshop teaches participants to bake authentic banh mi bread from scratch and prepare Hanoi's signature egg coffee and coconut coffee. Unlike broader cooking classes, this session goes deep on two of Vietnam's most iconic food items, covering the French-Vietnamese bread-baking techniques and the distinctive coffee preparations that define Hanoi's cafe culture. Participants leave with both the skills and the recipes.
Hanoi Vespa Tours: Hanoi After Dark Vespa Food Tours
Food & DrinkThis evening tour explores Hanoi's nighttime food scene from the back of a vintage Vespa scooter, stopping at street stalls, local restaurants, and bia hoi corners that the Old Quarter tourist circuit doesn't reach. The Vespa format provides the authentic Hanoi experience of weaving through traffic while a local driver handles the navigation. Dishes typically include bun cha, pho, spring rolls, and seasonal street food.
Hanoi Back Streets Vespa Tours: Hanoi Vintage Vespa Tours City
Cultural ExperiencesThis daytime Vespa tour penetrates Hanoi's residential neighborhoods and back alleys that lie beyond the tourist-frequented Old Quarter, visiting local markets, artisan workshops, and neighborhood temples that walking tours cannot reach in the same timeframe. The vintage Vespa scooters are themselves a photographic subject, and the tour format provides intimate contact with daily Hanoian life at a pace that balances coverage with immersion.
Entertainment
Hanoi's entertainment offerings include traditional spa treatments using Vietnamese botanical ingredients and affordable foot reflexology sessions that provide essential recovery after days of intensive city walking.
Hoang's Spa for Relaxing Foot Massage
EntertainmentThis neighborhood spa specializes in foot reflexology treatments that target the energy points of the feet to relieve the fatigue of Hanoi's demanding walking terrain. Sessions range from 30 to 90 minutes, with pricing that makes even the longest treatment affordable. The therapists are trained in both traditional Vietnamese foot massage and modern reflexology techniques.
Notable Attractions
Hanoi's notable attractions span a thousand years, from the 9th-century founding temple to the French colonial Opera House to the Soviet-era mausoleum to the 21st-century observation deck. The Old Quarter, Train Street, the Flag Tower, and the Water Puppet Theatre each represent different facets of a city that wears its entire history simultaneously. The extraordinary density of historically significant sites within walking distance makes Hanoi one of the most rewarding cities in Asia for on-foot exploration.
Hanoi Opera House
Notable AttractionsCompleted in 1911 and modeled after the Palais Garnier in Paris, the Hanoi Opera House is a commanding example of French colonial architecture and the cultural centerpiece of the city's French Quarter. The neoclassical facade, with its columns, balustrades, and slate mansard roof, anchors the eastern end of Trang Tien Street. The interior, restored to its original Belle Epoque splendor, hosts performances of Vietnamese opera, ballet, classical music, and contemporary dance throughout the year.
1 Tràng Tiền, Phan Chu Trinh, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam · View on Map
Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
Notable AttractionsWater puppetry originated in the rice paddies of the Red River Delta, where farmers performed on flooded fields, and this theater beside Hoan Kiem Lake is the premier venue for experiencing this thousand-year-old Vietnamese art form. Puppeteers stand waist-deep in water behind a bamboo screen, manipulating lacquered wooden figures through scenes depicting rural life, legends, and folk tales. The live traditional orchestra accompaniment — featuring the haunting dan bau monochord — elevates the performance beyond spectacle into genuine art.
57B Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam · View on Map
Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum
Notable AttractionsThe granite and marble mausoleum in Ba Dinh Square preserves the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh, the founder of modern Vietnam, in a glass case guarded by white-uniformed soldiers. The building's Soviet-inspired architecture — massive, symmetrical, and austere — occupies the precise spot where Ho Chi Minh read Vietnam's Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945. Visiting is a solemn experience, with strict rules governing dress, photography, silence, and pace of movement.
1 Hùng Vương, Điện Biên, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Vietnam · View on Map
Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
Notable AttractionsThis UNESCO World Heritage Site preserves the political center of Vietnam for over a thousand years, from the 7th century through the founding of modern Hanoi. Archaeological excavations have revealed layered foundations spanning multiple dynasties, and the site's main gate, flag tower, and palace foundations provide a physical chronology of Vietnamese power. The underground military bunker from the American War, preserved intact, adds a 20th-century layer to this millennium of governance.
19c Hoàng Diệu, Điện Biên, Ba Đình, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam · View on Map
Hanoi Old Quarter
Notable AttractionsThe 36 ancient streets of the Old Quarter have operated as a commercial district since the 11th century, with each street historically dedicated to a single trade — silk, tin, paper, silver, herbal medicine. Many of these specializations persist today, and walking the narrow lanes is an exercise in reading a living economic map that predates European colonization of the Americas. The tube houses — narrow-fronted, deep-extending shop-houses — create a density of commerce and domestic life that is unique in Southeast Asia.
P. Hàng Ngang, Hàng Đào, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam · View on Map
Sky Lotte Observation Deck
Notable AttractionsLocated on the 65th floor of the Lotte Center Hanoi, this observation deck provides a bird's-eye view across the entire city, from the Old Quarter's dense tile rooftops to the West Lake's broad expanse to the Red River's wide channel on the eastern edge. On clear days, the view extends to the mountains of the surrounding provinces. The deck includes interactive screens that identify landis and provide historical context for the urban panorama below.
54 P. Liễu Giai, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam · View on Map
Train Street Hanoi
Notable AttractionsThis narrow residential lane runs directly along an active railway track, with houses built so close that residents pull in their laundry and fold up their tables when trains pass within arm's reach. The street has become famous as a photography destination, with cafes offering trackside seating from which visitors can watch the surreal spectacle of a full-sized train threading through a domestic corridor. Trains typically pass twice daily in each direction.
114 P.Trung Hòa, Trung Hoà, Cầu Giấy, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam · View on Map
Hanoi Flagtower
Notable AttractionsBuilt in 1812 under Emperor Gia Long, this 33-meter hexagonal tower is one of the few structures of the Hanoi Citadel that survived French colonial demolition and remains the symbolic heart of Vietnamese military identity. The tower rises through three tiers, each with its own entrance and window configuration, and has served as a flag platform through every political regime since the Nguyen Dynasty. It stands adjacent to the Vietnam Military History Museum and is best viewed as part of a combined visit.
28A Điện Biên Phủ, Điện Biên, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Vietnam · View on Map
Vietnam Ethnic Village Of Culture & Tourism
Notable AttractionsThis open-air cultural park on the outskirts of Hanoi recreates the traditional architecture, crafts, and customs of Vietnam's 54 officially recognized ethnic groups. Full-scale village reconstructions house artisans demonstrating weaving, metalwork, and musical instrument making, and cultural performances run throughout the day. The park is spread across a large lakeside setting that requires a full day to explore thoroughly.
Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, Huyện Sơn Tây, Hanoi, Vietnam · View on Map
Bat Trang Pottery Village
Notable AttractionsThis village on the Red River's eastern bank has produced ceramics for over 700 years and remains one of Vietnam's most important pottery-making centers. Workshops line the village streets, producing everything from traditional blue-and-white porcelain to contemporary ceramic art, and many offer hands-on pottery sessions for visitors. The village market sells ceramics at factory prices, and the old beehive kilns — some still in use — are architectural monuments in their own right.
Đ. Bát Tràng, Bát Tràng, Gia Lâm, Hà Nội, Vietnam · View on Map
Xe 2 tầng Hà Nội - Hop on hop off bus Vietnam Sightseeing
Notable AttractionsThis double-decker hop-on-hop-off bus service operates a loop through Hanoi's major attractions, including the Old Quarter, Ba Dinh Square, West Lake, and the French Quarter. The open-top upper deck provides an elevated perspective on Hanoi's street life and architecture that walking cannot replicate, and the recorded multilingual commentary provides orientation for first-time visitors. The bus has a physical rest while still covering ground.
1 Tràng Tiền, Phan Chu Trinh, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam · View on Map
Thung Lũng Sủng Là
Notable AttractionsSung La Valley in Ha Giang Province is a remote highland valley surrounded by karst mountains, known for its buckwheat flower fields that bloom in white and pink waves during October and November. The valley is home to Hmong and Lo Lo ethnic minority communities whose wooden houses, traditional dress, and agricultural practices have changed little over centuries. The Pho Bang mansion, a centuries-old Hmong nobleman's house, is the valley's architectural centerpiece.
17A Mã Mây, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam · View on Map
City Sightseeing Ticketing Counter
Notable AttractionsThis booking point for City Sightseeing tours provides an alternative departure location and ticketing option for Hanoi's double-decker bus tours and organized city excursions. Staff can advise on route options, combination tickets, and departure times. The counter also sells tickets for specific attractions and day trips, functioning as a convenient one-stop booking point for visitors assembling their Hanoi itinerary.
6A P. Phan Chu Trinh, Phan Chu Trinh, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam · View on Map
Museums & Galleries
Hanoi's museums tell the story of Vietnamese resistance and identity through two of the country's most powerful institutions: Hoa Lo Prison and the Vietnam Military History Museum. Both present the Vietnamese perspective on conflicts that are often narrated from Western viewpoints, providing essential context for understanding modern Vietnam.
Hoa Lo Prison
Museums & GalleriesBuilt by the French in 1896 to hold Vietnamese political prisoners, this prison later housed American POWs during the Vietnam War, who nicknamed it the 'Hanoi Hilton.' The surviving section of the original complex has been converted into a museum that documents French colonial incarceration, Vietnamese revolutionary resistance, and the American POW experience through artifacts, photographs, and recreated cells. The prison's thick walls and iron doors are viscerally effective at communicating the conditions of confinement.
1 P. Hoả Lò, Trần Hưng Đạo, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam · View on Map
Vietnam Military History Museum
Museums & GalleriesLocated adjacent to the Hanoi Flag Tower, this museum documents Vietnam's military history from ancient resistance against Chinese imperial forces through the French and American wars. The outdoor courtyard displays captured American aircraft, tanks, and artillery, while indoor galleries present the Vietnamese narrative of the conflict through photographs, documents, weapons, and personal effects. The reassembled wreckage of a B-52 bomber in the courtyard is a stark visual statement.
Km6+500, CT03, Xuân Phương, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội, Vietnam · View on Map
Family Attractions
Hanoi offers family-friendly experiences through the colonial-era zoo's shaded gardens and the modern VinKE & Thuy Cung aquarium complex, providing air-conditioned respite and interactive entertainment for children during the city's hot and humid months.
Hanoi Zoo
Family AttractionsEstablished in 1865 during the French colonial period, the Hanoi Zoo occupies a mature garden setting in the Ba Dinh district, with tree-lined paths connecting enclosures for Asian elephants, Indochinese tigers, sun bears, and a variety of primates. The zoo functions primarily as a recreation space for Hanoian families and provides a quieter alternative to the city's more intense attractions. While enclosure standards are improving, the botanical setting — with century-old trees and ornamental lakes — is the genuine highlight.
Đ. Bưởi, Giảng Võ, Ba Đình, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam · View on Map
VinKE & Thủy cung Times City
Family AttractionsThis indoor entertainment and aquarium complex in the Times City development has air-conditioned respite with a well-maintained aquarium featuring marine species from Vietnamese waters and beyond, alongside children's role-play areas and interactive science exhibits. The aquarium's tunnel walk-through provides close encounters with sharks, rays, and reef fish. It is the most polished family entertainment destination in Hanoi and a reliable option during the city's hot, humid months.
458 P. Minh Khai, Thanh Lương, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam · View on Map
Natural Wonders
Ta Hien Beer Street
Natural WondersThis narrow Old Quarter street has become Hanoi's unofficial nightlife epicenter, lined with bars and bia hoi stalls where tiny plastic chairs spill onto the pavement and fresh draft beer costs less than a dollar a glass. The scene is most intense on weekend evenings, when the street becomes a pedestrian-only block party of Vietnamese and international revelers. Bia hoi — Hanoi's distinctive unpasteurized draft beer, brewed fresh daily — is the signature drink and a cultural institution.
41-36 P. Lương Ngọc Quyến, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam · View on Map
Thung lũng hoa hồ Tây
Natural WondersThe West Lake Flower Valley is a seasonal flower park on the shores of Hanoi's largest lake, displaying elaborate floral installations, themed gardens, and ornamental landscapes that change with the seasons. The park draws Hanoian families and couples for photography sessions among sunflower fields, lavender rows, and sculpted topiary. While the aesthetic leans toward manicured spectacle rather than botanical authenticity, the lakeside setting and seasonal variety make it a popular local destination.
Ngã 3 P. Nhật Chiêu, Nhật Tân, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội, Vietnam · View on Map
Cultural Experiences
Hanoi's cultural depth is expressed through guided city tours, temple visits, Vespa explorations of residential neighborhoods, and photography tours that reveal the city's layered aesthetic. The Old Quarter's Bach Ma Temple and the city's Instagram-worthy corners provide different but complementary windows into a civilization that has been continuously innovating on a thousand-year-old foundation.
Bach Ma Temple
Cultural ExperiencesThe oldest temple in the Old Quarter, Bach Ma (White Horse Temple) was originally built in the 9th century to honor the white horse spirit that legend says guided King Ly Thai To in constructing the city walls. The temple's current structure dates to the 18th century, with ornate wooden carvings, a palanquin, and ceremonial objects that reflect centuries of Hanoian worship. It occupies a narrow but deep lot typical of Old Quarter architecture.
76 P. Hàng Buồm, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam · View on Map
Planning Your Visit
Best Time to Visit
October through December offers the most comfortable weather — cool, dry days averaging 18-25°C. March through May brings warming temperatures and spring energy. Summer (June-August) is hot, humid, and prone to afternoon downpours. January and February can be surprisingly cold and grey, with temperatures occasionally dropping below 10°C.
Booking Advice
Water puppet theatre tickets sell out daily — book online or at the box office before noon. Cooking classes and Vespa tours should be booked at least two days ahead during peak season (October-December). The Ha Giang Loop tour requires at least a week's advance booking. Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum closes Mondays, Fridays, and for annual maintenance.
Save Money
Bia hoi costs 5,000-10,000 VND (under $0.50) per glass, street food meals average 30,000-50,000 VND ($1.25-$2.00), and many of Hanoi's best attractions including the Old Quarter, Train Street, and temples are free. A full day of eating, walking, and sightseeing can cost under $15 if you eat at street stalls.
Local Etiquette
Remove shoes before entering temples and private homes. Dress modestly (cover shoulders and knees) at Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and religious sites. When crossing the street, walk steadily at a constant pace — motorbike riders will flow around you, but stopping or running unpredictably causes accidents. Tipping is not traditionally expected but is increasingly appreciated in tourist-oriented services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dong Xuan Market?
Dong Xuan Market is Hanoi's largest covered market, located at the northern end of the Old Quarter. It's a three-story wholesale market where you'll find clothing, electronics, household goods, and food products at local prices. The surrounding streets are particularly lively, with street food vendors and the night market setting up on weekends.
What are the best tourist places in Vietnam to visit in Hanoi?
Hanoi's top attractions include the Old Quarter with its narrow streets and colonial architecture, Hoan Kiem Lake in the city center, and the Temple of Literature (Vietnam's first university from 1070). The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology are also popular stops. Most visitors spend 2-3 days exploring these sites along with the city's lakes, pagodas, and street food scene.
When and where is the Hanoi night market?
The Hanoi night market operates Friday through Sunday evenings from around 6 PM to 11 PM on Hang Dao, Hang Ngang, and Hang Duong streets in the Old Quarter. You'll find clothing, souvenirs, accessories, and street food stalls lining the pedestrianized streets. It gets quite crowded, especially on Saturday nights, so keep your belongings secure.
What can I see at the Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi?
The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology showcases the culture and daily life of Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups through traditional costumes, tools, and artifacts. The outdoor area features full-scale traditional houses from different regions, which you can enter and explore. It's located about 8 km from the Old Quarter in the Cau Giay district, and we recommend allowing 2-3 hours for your visit.
Where exactly is the Hanoi Old Quarter night market?
The Old Quarter night market runs along Hang Dao Street (starting near Dong Xuan Market) and extends through Hang Ngang and Hang Duong streets, ending near Hoan Kiem Lake. The streets are closed to traffic on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from around 6 PM. Look for the entrance near the Dong Xuan Market area or walk north from Hoan Kiem Lake along Hang Dao.
Are there beaches in Hanoi?
Hanoi doesn't have beaches since it's located inland, about 100 km from the coast. The nearest beach destinations are in Hai Phong city (Do Son Beach, about 2 hours away) or the more popular Ha Long Bay area. If you're looking for water activities in Hanoi itself, you'll find lakes like West Lake and Hoan Kiem Lake, but these are for walking around rather than swimming.
Book Your Experiences
Guided tours, tickets, and activities in Hanoi