If you are planning your next trip to Vietnam and more specifically Hanoi, be sure to read this post to find the best activities for your Hanoi itinerary.
Hanoi, Vietnam’s thousand-year-old capital, is a vibrant mix of history, culture, and cuisine. With its blend of French colonial charm, ancient temples, and buzzing street life, Hanoi is a charm! Whether you’re a foodie, history buff, or nature lover, this city has something for you. We stayed in Hanoi for 4 days and already cannot wait to go back (especially for the food!). Here are the top things to do in Hanoi for an unforgettable experience.
See our full Instagram stories for Hanoi here!
Wander around the Old Quarter
Start your journey in the beating heart of Hanoi—the Old Quarter. Filled with shops, restaurants and coffee joints, the streets are bustling with people and motorcycles. Don’t forget to stop and enjoy a Vietnamese iced coffee, Egg coffee and Iced coconut coffee and soak in the local atmosphere. Its truly amazing and enjoyable to just walk around!
All shops and coffee places, shops and restaurants are open until 10/11pm at night. They also have many vegan Vietnamese restaurants. We also visited the Instagram famous Notes coffee which is located just by the lake!
Taste Hanoi’s Street Food
Food was definitely the highlight of our trip to Hanoi. No trip to Hanoi is complete without diving into its legendary food scene. As vegetarians, we did a private street food tour in the Old Quarter and it was so memorable! This is one not to miss! We tried 8 dishes (6 of which are pictured) including coffee and dessert too (not pictured) and they were all so delicious that I would go back for them all!:
- Bánh đa cua trộn – Mixing noodles (these were delicious!)
- Bánh rán: Vietnamese donut
- Bún chả: – Vermicelli noodle dish
- Nộm Đu Đủ – Vietnamese Papaya Salad
- Nem nướng Nha Trang – Fresh spring role (If i wasn’t so full, i could eat this all day! it was so fresh and refreshing and definitely the highlight of this street food tour)
- Bánh mì – Iconic !
Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Presidential Palace
Pay respects to Vietnam’s beloved leader at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Ba Dinh Square. The imposing granite structure is both a political and spiritual symbol of the nation. The Mausoeum is free and open to the public to visit during the morning hours as follows on: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday. No photos are allowed inside but it is definitely a must do attraction in Vietnam! Visitors are supposed to wear formal clothes. Shorts, mini-skirts, sleeveless shirts, tank tops and so on are not allowed.
- April 1st to October 31st: 7.30 a.m – 10.30 a.m (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: 7.30 a.m – 11.00 a.m)
- November 1st to March 31st of next year: 8.00 a.m – 11.00 a.m
Adjacent to the Mausoleum is the Presidential Palace. The Palace was built between 1900 and 1906 by the French colonial government. Although the palace was intended to be the presidential residence after independence, Ho Chi Minh refused to live there, seeing it as a symbol of colonial excess. Instead, he chose a modest stilt house located behind the palace, inspired by traditional ethnic minority architecture. You cannot enter the palace (pictured) but you can enter the grounds and walk around. Entry ticket costs about ₫40,000 VND per person ($1.5/£1.2).
Pro Tip: Dress respectfully and arrive early; it’s a popular site with limited visiting hours.
Stroll Around Hoan Kiem Lake
Located just outside the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake offers a peaceful escape from the city’s chaos. Visit Ngoc Son Temple on the lake’s island and learn about the legendary sword of King Le Loi. We went for a stroll at 6am and was truly surprised to see so many people exercising around the lake in groups with music so early in the morning.
Just across the lake, there is Uniqlo Hoan Kiem Lake that sells some very trendy t-shirts local to Vietnam that cannot be found elsewhere!
Pro Tip: On weekends, the surrounding streets become pedestrian-only zones with live music, street games, and performances.
Check Out Train Street in the day and night
Once a hidden gem, Hanoi Train Street became Instagram-famous for the train that runs just inches from cafés and homes. The vibe in the day and night is very different! There are two locations of train street. We visited the Northern section as that was closer to our hotel. You could visit either:
- Northern Section: Phùng Hưng & Trần Phú Streets – Visitors can enter from Trần Phú Street
- Southern Section: Lê Duẩn Street – The alley entrance is at Ngõ 224 Lê Duẩn, and the southern end is near 222 Lê Duẩn (this is more quieter and has less tourists!)
Trains pass in either direction in the day and evening and can change from time to time. Its best to check with your hotel on the latest timings before heading out. Alternatively, if you get there all cafe’s on the street will know so you can ask around and come back again at a correct time!
Watch a Water Puppet Show
Experience traditional Vietnamese storytelling through water puppetry at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. The theatre is located by Hoan Kiem Lake, just outside the old quarter. This unique art form dates back to the 11th century and features tales of rural life, legends, and dragons—performed on water, accompanied by live music.
The show lasts for about 30-40 minutes and tickets costs ₫100,000 VND per person ($4/£3) for s standard ticket to ₫200,000 VND per person (~$8/£6) for front row seats. For the schedule, I would recommend checking with your hotel concerige.
Visit Hỏa Lò Prison
Hỏa Lò Prison, or the “Hanoi Hilton,” is a historic site that once held both Vietnamese revolutionaries and American POWs during the Vietnam War. Now a museum, it features preserved cells, artifacts, and exhibits about the prison’s brutal history. The museum is open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Entry costs 30,000 VND (~$1.25/£1), it offers a powerful look into Vietnam’s past.
Visit Trấn Quốc Pagoda
Trấn Quốc Pagoda is the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, dating back over 1,500 years. Located on a small island in West Lake, it has a sacred Bodhi tree from India where Buddha attained enlightenment over 2,500 years ago. Its a bit out of the way from all other tourist attractions but really peaceful if you visit early before the tourists arrive. It is open daily from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. and entrance is free. Although a modest dress code is required: shoulders and knees should be covered.
Explore the Temple of Literature
This 11th-century temple was Vietnam’s first national university and is dedicated to Confucius. The tranquil courtyards, ancient stelae, and classic Vietnamese architecture make it a must-see for history lovers.
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