Photo: Silver Ringvee / Unsplash
About Hanoi
Hanoi moves at two speeds simultaneously: the furious flow of motorbikes that never quite stops, and the slow rhythm of old men playing chess under banyan trees by Hoan Kiem Lake. The Old Quarter's 36 streets each once specialised in a single trade — silk, paper, tin, medicine — and still bear those names. The food alone justifies the trip: pho at 6am from a pavement stall, bun cha charcoal-grilled pork for lunch, banh mi from a cart the size of a suitcase. The French colonial architecture gives the city an elegance that Ho Chi Minh City lacks — wide boulevards, shuttered villas, the Long Bien Bridge rusting beautifully over the Red River. October to April is the best time: dry, cooler, the city at its most navigable.
Highlights
Pho ga or pho bo at dawn on a plastic stool — find any busy pavement spot Hoan Kiem Lake at sunrise with locals doing tai chi around the water Old Quarter at night — streets close to traffic, locals eat outside Bun cha lunch — the Obama-Bourdain meal that made the world pay attention Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the stilted house where he lived simply Train Street — coffee on the tracks, a surreal Hanoi classic
Plan My Trip with Ava
Neighbourhoods
Practical Info
Entry rules depend on your nationality. Check before you travel: Official entry information
Vietnamese Dong (VND). Cards are accepted in hotels and upscale venues, but cash is preferred by street vendors and at markets.
Tipping is not mandatory but appreciated; a small tip in restaurants is common, and small notes for drivers or guides are polite.
Hanoi is generally safe, but watch for pickpockets in crowded areas and be cautious when crossing streets due to heavy traffic.
Local SIMs from Viettel, Vinaphone or Mobifone are sold at the airport and in shops.
Vietnamese is the official language; English is spoken in tourist areas and by younger locals, but less so in rural areas.
No traveller tips yet. Be the first to share one.
Related Guides
Share a tip.