What You Need to Know about Traveling in Hanoi, Vietnam

(Where to Go, What to Eat, and Scams)

Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, is a walkable city. Many tourist places are located quite close one to each other so you can walk everywhere. As this is one of the oldest city in Vietnam, you will find buildings with old architecture which makes your walks more enjoyable. But be careful, motorcycles are everywhere and sometimes they can be reckless. Not all crossroads are equipped with traffic lights and traffic lights are not always functioning well. Just be careful when crossing the roads.

Free walking tours are available in Hanoi if you need guidance. These services are provided by communities which is organized by university students. They have websites, so just search on the internet, you can find information and book the tour in advance. They provide many kinds of tour and also food tour, most of them last for 3 or 4 hours. The schedule is flexible that you can choose the tour based on your availability. If you choose to stroll around by yourself, here are some places and foods to try in Hanoi.

Where to Go.

1. St. Joseph's Cathedral

The oldest and the biggest Catholic Church in Hanoi, St. Joseph’s Cathedral was inaugurated in 1986. It has European style architecture since it was built by French. The Cathedral routinely held a mass, it’s also visited by tourists quite often.

Address: 40 Nha Chung, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem

Open hours: Daily, -

2. Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton/ Maison Centrale)

Hoa Lo was built by French colonial government and used to be a prison. During Vietnam War, it became the central of American prisoners of war, and referred by Westerners as Hanoi Hilton. This is one of the most popular tourist site which you have to visit in Hanoi. Upon arrival, you are required to buy a ticket of VND 30,000 for the entrance.

Address: 1 Hoa Lo, Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem

Open hours: Daily, 08.00 – 17.00

3. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Being one of the most visited historical site in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is the last resting place of Ho Chi Minh. Inside the magnificent building, you can find the embalmed body of the Vietnamese leader. The entrance is free of charge but you are required to follow strict regulations. No shorts, tank tops, and hats are allowed. This place is strictly secured by the guards, you may have to deposit your bags, phone, and camera when you’re about to enter. If you search for Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum pictures on Google, most likely you will only find the exterior of the building, this is because you’re not allowed to take pictures of the embalmed body. Please check the operational hours before you come here since many historical attractions in Hanoi such as museums and temples are closed on Mondays or Fridays. There are lots of other tourist sites around Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, just say Ba Dinh Square, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, One Pillar Pagoda, and Presidential Palace, which are only few minute walk away.

Address: 2 Hung Vuong, Dien Ban, Ba Dinh

Open hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, 08.00 – 11.00 

4. Hoan Kiem Lake and West Lake

Everyone in Hanoi surely knows about Hoan Kiem Lake as it is located at the heart of the city, and many people come here for its calmness in the middle of hustle and bustle in Hanoi. No matter what time you come here, this lake is always full of visitors. In the morning, you will find some people doing Tai Chi and other exercise like jogging, while in the afternoon until evening, people just spend some times sitting and relaxing. This lake is also popular among tourists. They usually come to see Turtle Tower on the middle of the lake and Ngoc Son Temple.

Another famous lake in Hanoi is West Lake, it is located not too far from Ba Dinh Square. This lake is slightly wider than Hoan Kiem Lake, and you will also find many people come here to relax and do some exercise. You could rent a bike to go around the lake. If the weather is nice, it is also one of the best point to see sunset in Hanoi, both tourists and locals often come here in the afternoon.

5. Old Quarter

If you are staying in Hanoi, you should stay in Old Quarter. There are many hotels or guesthouses with reasonable prices around this area. Old Quarter is the most visited part of Hanoi, it’s always packed with tourists all day long. There are night markets open on the weekend and it is also a good place for shopping. You will see many stores with ‘Made in Vietnam” names. Mostly, they sell ‘The North Face’ products with adorable prices. You can also find souvenirs, clothes, and ground coffee being sold along the roadside. Remember to negotiate when buying something as the sellers usually give a very high price. Sometimes you can bargain and get the stuffs with half of the stated prices.

What to Eat.

1. Banh Mi 25 (Banh Mi)

Looking for breakfast, light lunch, or a quick dinner? This grab-and-go foods might be the answer for you when exploring Hoan Kiem area in Hanoi. Banh Mi comes from Vietnam, so it’s normal if you found dozens of stalls or carts selling this on the road side. If you see stacks of baguettes, most likely they are selling Banh Mi. Banh Mi is made from a piece of baguette, filled with meats, pate, and veggies. If you’re interested in trying this, you should go to Banh Mi 25. This place is quite famous, visited very often by tourists, and if you look for them on Trip Advisor, they have great reviews. They sell many kinds of Banh Mi like pork, chicken, beef, with various toppings like eggs and cheese with reasonable prices. It won’t be hard to find this place as it is so crowded, so you will be able to recognize it easily.

Address: 25 Hang Ca, Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem

Open hours: Daily, 07.00 – 21.00

2. Giang Café (Egg Coffee)

This may sounds weird to you, but you got to try this kind of coffee which originated from Vietnam. Served either hot or cold, it is actually made from strong Vietnamese black coffee, topped with whisked egg mixture which forms a creamy foam. The egg mixture itself would taste a little bit eggy yet sweet at the same time. You should mix the two parts, so you won’t taste the egg anymore and the coffee would be less strong. There are lots of café in Hanoi selling egg coffee, especially in Old Quarter area, but you should try them right at the café where it was first invented. It is called Giang Café.

Once you see that sign, go in and follow the small alley. At the end, you will find two or three people sitting around a table, that’s the cashier. Order your drinks, take the stairs to the second level, and there would be lots of people sitting while having a chitchat. This would be perfect for you to spend your coffee time and charge your energy back, after strolling around the Old Quarter area. The price is also quite cheap. A cup of coffee would only cost you about VND 30,000. If you’re not a fan of coffee, they also have other kinds of drink like tea and hot chocolate.

Address: 39 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem

Open hours: Daily, 07.00 – 22.00

3. Che 4 Mua (Vietnamese Dessert)

Che is traditional Vietnamese dessert which you can find in many places. You should try some at Che 4 Mua since many locals come here. Che could be served either warm or cold. It has syrup as the base and lots of toppings, like black grass jelly, green bean paste, red bean, lotus seed, and others. This tastes pretty good and would give you freshness on a hot day in Hanoi.

Address: 4 Hang Can, Hoan Kiem

Open hours: Daily, -

4. Highlands Coffee (Coffee and Cakes)

You may not find Starbucks as much as you find Highlands Coffee in Vietnam. This is basically a very popular coffee shop, so if you love coffee you should give it a try. They have lots of branches, it is easy to be found anywhere in Hanoi. Just like a usual coffee shop, they serve several kind of drinks like coffee, tea, chocolate, some cakes, and also ground coffee.

Address: Dinh Tien Hoang, Hoan Kiem

Open hours: Daily, 07.00 – 23.00

Some Information You May Need.

1. Transport from Hanoi Airport to the Old Quarter

Upon your arrival at Hanoi International Airport, you can buy your SIM cards to get the internet connection. You can get them at the counter on the arrival hall and they are pretty cheap. There are some ways to reach Old Quarter from the airport, which are private taxi, minibus, or public bus. The easiest and the cheapest way you can take is public bus. It costs only VND 30,000 per person and take about 45 minutes. Once you get out from the airport, follow the bus’ sign and go to the second line, there will be public bus waiting there. Minibuses are available, they are usually provided by airline companies, but they will only leave the airport once the minibus is full of passengers.

2. Choosing Taxi Services

There are only two taxi companies recommended in all over Vietnam, Mailinh (green car) and Vinasun (white car). You may hear lots of scam done by taxi drivers, and since both are the official taxi companies in Vietnam, they would be safer for you. Other taxis, which are unofficial, usually don’t use meter and the drivers will ask you to pay quite expensive once your trip is done. You can take that kind of taxi actually, but you should know how much the taxi should cost. So here are some tips for you. Grab is available in Vietnam but sometime it’s hard to find available driver and mostly they don’t speak English. So just use the apps to check the rate and then find a taxi. Deal the price with the driver before you get into the taxi. Drivers will give you a really high price, especially if they know you’re tourists. So just tell them how much you want it to be (just use the rate on Grab apps). If they don’t want, just leave and find another taxi. Always use small amount of money to pay, since many driver won’t give you back the change money.

3. Scams in Hanoi

In Hanoi, especially in Old Quarter, you will find many old ladies bringing fruit baskets. They will offer tourists to take pictures with the baskets, and then ask them to pay for it. Also, there might be ladies offering you to try some donuts. Once you try it, they will encourage you to buy. If you are not interested, just say no from the beginning and leave, and do not show any interest, or they will keep following you until you buy something from them.