Hanoi, Vietnam: A Short Travel Guide
Updated: Feb 27
Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam, located in the northern part of the country. It’s a chaotic but fascinating city, with motorcycles weaving through bustling traffic and the constant sound of honking horns. It’s a blend of both old and modern Vietnam, where ancient pagoda’s and well-preserved colonial buildings stand along tall skyscrapers. When you add to that an excellent food scene, vibrant nightlife, and rich cultural heritage, you’ve got a captivating city. In this travel guide, we share our top things to do in Hanoi as well as great places to stay, eat, and drink.
Check out our video about Hanoi to see the best things to do through our camera!
Best Things To Do In Hanoi
Explore The Old Quarter (Join a Free Walking Tour)
Experience the nightlife (Ta Hien Beer Street Hanoi)
Hoan Kiem Lake Walk & Ngoc Son Temple
See Hanoi’s Train Street (Intersecting train street: P. Trần Phú or Điện Biên Phủ)
See the Phung Hung Street Art
Visit Hồ Chí Minh’s Mausoleum & Monuments
Shop At Dong Xuan Market & the Weekend Night Market
Take a Stroll At West Lake & Tran Quoc Pagoda
Get A View Of The City (Lotte Observation Deck has the best view)
Watch The Water Puppet Show (Buy tickets in advance)
Learn About Vietnam’s Past At The Hỏa Lò Prison Museum
Places To Stay In Hanoi
Hanoi Traveller House ($): Both dorm rooms and private rooms in the heart of the Old Quarter
Golden Sun Hotel Trendy ($$ - where we stayed): Small hotel with comfortable spacious rooms, great price-quality
Peridot Grand Luxury Boutique Hotel ($$$): Luxury hotel with rooftop pool and very comfortable rooms
Places To Eat And Drink In Hanoi
1977 STATION - 06 TRAINSTREET: coffee shop with view of Train Street - prices are higher
A New Day Restaurant: local Vietnamese dishes
Au Lac Family Restaurant: for Western comfort food as well as local dishes
Bánh Cuốn Gia Truyền Thanh Vân: local place to try "Bánh Cuốn - rolled cakes with a traditional filling made of pork, onion, and mushrooms
Banh Mi 25: famous place to try the Banh Mi sandwich - it's not easy to find a table here so expect to queue!
Bún Chả Đắc Kim: great local eatery to try Bún Chả - local dish of grilled pork and noodles
Bun Cha Ta: another famous eatery renowned for its Bún Chả
Café Giảng: café where the original egg coffee was invented
Cha Ca Thang Long: historic eatery that specializes in the iconic Vietnamese dish called Cha Ca, which consists of grilled fish served with noodles, herbs, and dipping sauce.
Chè Hương Hải 93 Hàng Bạc- Đặc sản chè ngon nhất tại Hà Nội: great place to try local desserts
Chillhood - Rooftop Cafe & Bistro: nice rooftop bar at West Lake
Hanoi Coffee Station: good coffee
Highlands Coffee: Vientamese coffee chain with good wifi and coffee
Hương Việt: cozy restaurant with local dishes - also lots of vegan options
KingRoti - 34 Hàng Gai: delicous bakery that serves four different kinds of roti (we loved the Matcha Roti!)
MẸT Vietnamese restaurant & Vegetarian Food: nice restaurant that caters to tourists - with a variety of (non-)vegetarian dishes
Nem Nướng Nha Trang Quế Hoa: best place to try summer rolls
Pasteur Street Craft Beer - Hoan Kiem Taproom & Restaurant: brewpub with lots of local craft beers on tap
Phở bò gia truyền: authentic and mouthwatering pho
Pizza 4P’s Bao Khanh: popular pizza place - a bit pricy
Quan An Ngon: upscale restaurant serving a wide range of local Vietnamese food
SOL Sky Bar: rooftop bar with scenic view of Hoan Kiem Lake
Terraço Sky Bar: another rooftop bar with view of Hoan Kiem Lake (best to reserve a table)
The Eat List Indian Restaurant: great Indian food (though a bit pricy)
Xôi Yến: traditional sticky rice dishes for breakfast
Map Hanoi
Find all the places to go, eat, drink, and stay in Hanoi on Google Maps. To follow and save the list, do the following:
Tap on the link to open it (click button below)
Tap Follow. This list will now be added to the group of lists you follow.
Optional: To unfollow a list someone shared with you, tap the list Saved.
If you follow the list we made, all our saved places of Luang Prabang will show up in Your Places. The places will also appear as suggested locations in Google Maps.
Use These Websites To Save Money On Your Trip To Hanoi
Booking.com for places to stay
Skyscanner for cheap flights
GetYourGuide for local tours
Rentalcars.com for affordable car rentals
Are you having a hard time planning your trip to Hanoi? Get our Interactive Travel Planner to keep it all organized.
Need more travel inspiration? Check out our other destinations and articles about Vietnam:
