THINGS TO DO IN HANOI

1. Explore Historical Hanoi

Hanoi is interesting. It may be old and crumbling in parts but it’s a city wrought with character. With
its abundance of French colonial architecture, lakes, and tree-lined boulevards, its a fun place to
experience on foot. Unlike Saigon, it’s a very walkable city and one that you could explore in about
two days.

You can refer to our Hanoi itinerary for suggestions on which attractions to visit. Hanoi is easy enough
to explore on your own but if you’d like to go on a guided tour, then you can book one
through Klook or Get Your Guide.

A look inside the Hoa Lo Prison, otherwise known as the “Hanoi Hilton”. Now a museum, this was
once a prison used by French colonists for political prisoners, then later by North Vietnam for US
prisoners during the Vietnam War.

Estimated Time to Spend: Full Day

Admission: Various (per attraction)

2. Take a Selfie on Train Street

I find it odd how ordinary train tracks have become such a popular tourist attraction in Hanoi, but that’s
exactly what’s happened on Train Street. I guess we can thank Instagram for that.

You may have seen pictures of these train tracks running through a narrow residential corridor on
social media. The tracks have become so popular that cafes have sprung up on either side. I think you’ll
find clusters of cafes at different sections along the tracks but the pictures below were taken near my
AirBnB, between Ly Nam De and Phung Hung Streets. I’d pass these tracks going to and from the Old
Quarter everyday.

The tracks are easy enough to find and visit on your own, but if you’re a serious Instagrammer and
want to be taken to some of Hanoi’s most picturesque spots, then you may be interested in this Hanoi
Instagram tour. You’ll be taken around on motorbike to Hanoi’s most Instagram-worthy spots like
Long Bien Bridge, Phung Hung Mural Street, and Train Street.

Note the sign below. These are active train tracks and potentially dangerous which is why it’s odd to
find cafes with outdoor seating on either side. I was never here when a train passed through but they do
travel along these tracks several times a day. I’m curious to see what people do when that happens. Do
they pack up the tables and chairs? The narrow corridor seems just wide enough for the train to get
through.

According to this article on CNN, the situation is getting out of hand so the local government is forcing
these cafes to shut down. Whether or not this is enforced remains to be seen. In case you’re wondering,
the trains that go through here carry both passengers and cargo between Hanoi and Haiphong.

3. Watch a Water Puppet Show

If you’re interested in a cultural show that’s unique to Vietnam, then you may want to catch a water
puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. Located by Hoan Kiem Lake, you’ll be treated to
an hour-long performance of water puppets reenacting Vietnamese folktales and legends while
accompanied by a live orchestra.

I bought tickets at the gate for a show on the same day, but if you’d like to catch a show within the
context of a tour, and perhaps with a guide explaining it to you, then you may be interested in these
Hanoi city tours from Klook and Get Your Guide. They end with tickets to a water puppet show.

Length of Show: About 1 hr
Admission: Starts at VND 100,000

4. Blend in at Phung Hung Mural Street

This is another popular backdrop in Hanoi and one of the stops on the previously mentioned Instagram
tour. Located on Phung Hung Street and parallel to Train Street is this wall with maybe 20+ murals
depicting scenes from everyday Vietnamese life. They’re painted realistically with figures in actual size
so they look almost life-like in your photos.

Speaking of Instagram, if you’d really like to level up your feed, then you should dress the part and rent
a Vietnamese ao dai dress and non la hat. They’ll make for much better photos.

5. Go on a Food Tour

If you really want to delve into the local cuisine, then there’s no better way to do that than by going on
a food tour. I’ve taken food tours in many cities around the world and they always take you to deeply
local places that aren’t easily found on Google. I went on two street food tours on my most recent trip
to Hanoi, both of which were excellent.

This green papaya salad with Chinese-style beef jerky was one of the dishes I had on a Hanoi street
food tour with Backstreet Academy. It’s a 2.5-hour eating binge that takes you to some of the best local
spots in Hoan Kiem to try classic Vietnamese dishes like pho, ca cuon, and banh goi. You can check
out my article on this Hanoi street food tour for more pictures and information.

6. Go on a Coffee Tasting Tour

Vietnam is the second largest producer of coffee in the world, behind only Brazil. They make great
coffee which is why I suggest going on a coffee tasting tour. I explored as many cafes as I could in
Vietnam but for me, the coffeehouses in Hanoi were the most interesting. The city is known for unique
homegrown coffee creations, none more famous than ca phe trung or egg coffee.

It’s easy enough to go cafe hopping on your own, but if you’d like to go on a guided tour, then you
may be interested in this coffee lovers walking tour with Backstreet Academy. I was taken to three of
the city’s most historic cafes to try interesting coffee blends like egg coffee, yogurt coffee, and
cinnamon coffee. I made a video of the experience which you can view on our YouTube channel.

Length of Show: About 3 hrs

Cost: USD 26
If you have a taste for the sweeter things in life, then be sure to check out our guide on traditional
Vietnamese desserts as well.

WHERE TO EAT IN HANOI

While the previous link takes you to a general Vietnamese food guide, this Hanoi food guide lists 25 of
the best restaurants and street food stalls in the city. From nationwide favorites like pho and banh mi to
northern delicacies like bun cha and cha ca, this list will lead you to some of the best places to eat in
Hanoi.

Twenty-five may be too many for most people so I’ve listed our top five favorites below to help you
narrow it down. Do check out our Hanoi food guide for more pictures and information on each of these
restaurants.

1. Bun Cha 74 Hang Quat

This may have been the single best meal I had in Hanoi. This place specializes in bun cha which is a
dish of charcoal-grilled fatty pork served with sticky rice noodles and fresh leafy greens.

Bun cha is a dish largely associated with Hanoi. Personally, it’s one of my absolute favorite things to
eat in Vietnam. I’ve been to five different bun cha places in the city but Bun Cha 74 Hang Quat was my
clear favorite.

Expect to Pay: Around VND 50,000 for bun cha and nem cua be

2. Pho Hang Trong

I think I’ve been to six or seven pho restaurants in Hanoi but I liked Pho Hang Trong the best. Located
through a dark alleyway on the second floor of a building, it’s one of those “hidden in plain sight”
eateries and coffee shops in Hanoi.
The restaurant is inside someone’s home so you’ll be slurping your bowl of noodles in their living
room. Pho doesn’t get any more homemade than this.

Expect to Pay: Around VND 30,000 per bowl of pho

3. Chả Cá Thăng Long

Cha ca is another dish with its roots in Hanoi. It’s a fantastic dish of breaded catfish pan-fried with a
forest of fresh dill.

Cha ca is served with rice vermicelli, roasted peanuts, and coriander, along with a dipping sauce made
with nuoc cham, vinegar, and garlic. I’ve had cha ca three times in Vietnam and Cha Ca Thang Long
for me, is still the best.

Expect to Pay: Around VND 129,000 per person

4. Bánh Mỳ P

To be honest, I found the banh mi in Hoi An and Saigon to better than the banh mi in Hanoi. But I’m
willing to wager that any Hanoi banh mi is still better than most of the banh mi you’d find outside the
country!

I think I’ve had close to ten banh mis from different places in Hanoi, but this grilled chicken banh mi
from Banh My P was my favorite. The bread is fantastic.
Expect to Pay: Around VND 12,000-35,000 per banh mi

5. Quán Gốc Đa

I don’t know if there’s a collective name for these dishes but Quan Goc Da specializes in Vietnamese
fritters.

They offer many different types but among their most popular is the banh goi, which is like a
Vietnamese empanada filled with minced pork, mushroom, glass noodles, and a quail egg. They’re
served with a basket of fresh leafy greens and a nuoc cham dipping sauce.

Expect to Pay: Around VND 4,000-12,000 per fritter

WHICH CAFES TO VISIT IN HANOI

As described, Vietnam is known for its coffee. Hanoi has some of the most interesting cafes in the
country serving tasty coffee creations like egg coffee, yogurt coffee, and coconut coffee. I’m a big
coffee drinker so I visited as many cafes as I could, all of which you can read about in our list
of Instagram-worthy coffeehouses in Hanoi.

Like our Hanoi food guide, thirteen cafes may be too many for most people so I’ve listed my three
favorites below. Do check out our Hanoi coffee guide for more pictures and information on each of
these cafes.

1. Cafe Dinh

This was one of the cafes we visited on the Hanoi coffee lovers walking tour with Backstreet Academy.
Cafe Giang is recognized as THE place to go to for ca phe trung or egg coffee, but what most people
don’t know is that Cafe Dinh is owned by the same family. Located close to Hoan Kiem Lake, Cafe
Dinh serves the same egg coffee as Cafe Giang in a quieter, much less hectic environment.

2. Tranquil Books & Coffee

Tranquil Books & Coffee doesn’t have the history of Cafe Dinh but it was one of my favorite cafes in
Hanoi, largely because of its cozy interior and relaxed vibe. It felt like you were in a study or library. If
you’re a digital nomad, then this would be a great place to get some work done.

3. Refined -43 Văn Miếu, 11 Ngô Tất Tố

- An place to experience the Vietnamese Phin-coffee to the fullest, you pay as you feel about coffee.
HOW TO GET AROUND IN HANOI

As described earlier in this guide, I find Hanoi to be a walkable city, much more walkable than Saigon.
Hanoi has narrower streets and what seems like fewer motorbikes, so crossing the street was never an
issue. I walked around everywhere, often logging close to 20 km a day, and never had a desire to ride
public transportation. Distances between attractions never seemed that far and there was always
something visually appealing to keep me interested like trees, lakes, or cool architecture.

With that said, not everyone may want to walk as much. If you don’t, then you can get around
using Grab, either by car or motorcycle. Personally, I prefer Grab Bike. They’re much cheaper and get
you to your destination faster. I used it a lot in Saigon.

You’ll see a lot of cyclos or pedal-powered rickshaws in Hanoi as well. They’re relatively cheap but
slow, so I think they’re more for sightseeing rather than a practical means of transport.

No matter how you get around, I highly recommend using the Google Maps app (iOS|Android) to
navigate. It’ll tell you all the possible ways you can get from point A to point B using any city’s public
transportation system. I use it to navigate on every trip and find it to be very reliable.

HOW MANY DAYS TO STAY / HANOI ITINERARY

As previously mentioned, you could probably breeze through Hanoi’s top attractions in a day, but why
would you want to? It’s such a charming city with great coffee and food that you’d be doing yourself a
disservice if you didn’t slow down and stay for a few days.

I’d say two days is a minimum, three if you’d like to go on a side trip. Here’s a quick rundown on
which places to visit in two days, but if you’re looking for a more detailed itinerary, then you can refer
to our 3-day Hanoi itinerary.

DAY ONE
• Hoan Kiem Lake
• Ngoc Son Temple
• Water Puppet Show
• St. Joseph’s Cathedral
• Hoa Lo Prison
• Train Street
• Phung Hung Mural Street
DAY TWO
• Temple of Literature
• Hanoi Flag Tower
• Thang Long Citadel
• Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
• Quan Thanh Temple
• Tran Quoc Pagoda