What do see in hanoi

Not many tourists know about this observation deck but I am sure that will change quite soon as it becomes more and more popular! You can buy your ticket here.

Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular, are at the center of Asian cuisine! If you consider yourself a food connoisseur, you chose the right destination! Check below for my favorite foodie activities, meals and restaurants where you can try all sorts of culinary delights in Hanoi:.

Vietnamese usually have it with condensed milk, but you can have it black. Check out this tea and coffee ceremony in order to become an expert!

However, you might not have heard of egg coffee. It was invented in Hanoi and it is Vietnamese coffee with a cream made out of whisked egg yolks. Sounds a bit risky? You can learn more about it out here! Honestly, it is delicious! The best thing about travelling through South East Asia is that you can go without cooking the whole time!

The food is so cheap, even Vietnamese people eat out, every day, a couple of times a day. Traveling in Hanoi not only consists of beautiful sightseeing but also delicious food! Also, it is usually either noodles or rice, so that definitely helps, too! To experience the Vietnamese food culture at its best, book this awesome 4-hour street food tour!

They take you around downtown Hanoi exploring the best restaurants making traditional Hanoi dishes, and it includes a ticket to the Water Puppet Show!

What a steal! Alternatively, for a more personal experience, you should book this 3-hour Hanoi private food tour. NOTE: While travelling I usually advise going all the way, trying everything you want to because we are here to enjoy it!

What would an Asian trip be without a trip to the market? Even though it can be a bit of a shock for your nostrils, it is definitely a must do! It somehow feels like one of the best non touristy things to do in Hanoi, because there are hardly any tourists around, at least when I was there! North Vietnam is such a culinary rich area that there is not enough time in the world to try it all, so a street food tour is a great option.

It is such a good value, keeping in mind all the different things that you get to try, and you can learn a lot about the Vietnamese culture from the local guides!

This was my first street food tour ever and it was such an awesome experience that I cannot recommend it enough! Such a good value for 3 hours of eating! Alternatively, check out this 3-hour food tour with a cyclo ride included, can it even get more Vietnamese than that? Or you can take this Old Quarter Food tour , for the best food in the best Hanoi neighborhood! That way, if you love something you can order it again some other time!

Also bring an empty stomach! Vietnam has been quite a popular destination for the last 20 to 30 years, and Hanoi as well! When thinking about day trips to take from Hanoi, the variety is quite diverse! You can just head to a tour office and check it out for yourself, although I always recommend comparing prices between companies as plenty of times, they sell the same thing.

Before you start your trip it might seem quite hard to believe that it is possible to do Halong Bay as a day trip, but it is! Halong Bay is a stunning group of little islands that you typically explore on a cruise.

There is literally every type of cruise available, such as one to three-day cruises, party cruises, luxury cruises or adventure cruises! For the adventurous ones, check out this Halong Bay Tour , that includes a trek to the summit of the Titop Island and that takes you exploring the Luon Cave. Check it out if you want to know all the details! It is more of a party spot than a scenic one!

Vietnamese love taking their families to this island and enjoying the many restaurants, seafood, alcohol and overall good weather. For more info about Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island you should definitely read my Halong Bay post where I explain the best way to explore this little slice of heaven on earth! It is so easy to explore North Vietnam while based in Hanoi, however many of these day trips would be impossible to do in one day without a tour.

The tour operators organise everything and make it run smoothly so you can make the most of the day! It is surrounded by rice fields and limestone mountains which make it look like Halong Bay on earth!

Very close to it, and one of my favorite places in Vietnam, would be Tam Coc! It is a little village located outside of Ninh Binh that is the perfect spot to start your exploration of the Hoa Lu region! You can check out this 1-day Hoa Lu and Tam Coc tour. They take you on a boat trip to Tam Coc, you get to visit Hoa Lu as well and the top of the Mua Caves where you can climb to the top of the mountain and get a great view of the whole valley! It also contains the largest and oldest pagoda in Vietnam, the Bai Dinh Pagoda!

Make sure you check out this 8-hour Trang An tour ; it takes you rowing down the river through this stunning landscape and you get to visit the unique Bai Dinh Pagoda!

However, my friend went there and she has told me all about it! And honestly, she was raving about Mai Chau Valley! Ba Vi National Park is a great place to spend the day! It takes 2 hours to reach the final stop and from there you can either walk the 5km until you reach the park or get a taxi. It is not the safest of places, and accidents are common! In order to enjoy all the good things Hanoi has to offer to the fullest, it is important to be savvy about your trip and know all the essentials before getting there!

The great thing about Hanoi being the capital of a South East Asian country is that there is a wide range of accommodation for every type of budget! UPDATE: Please check out my post on Where to stay in Hanoi where I give more accommodation options not only broken down by price, but also by areas to stay and accommodation types!

Why not stay at a five-star hotel during your trip to Hanoi? You can check out the Oriental Jade Hotel , a stunning Asian styled hotel, with an infinity pool and great views of the city. Guests find it exceptional! Enjoy the best customer service and their Vietnamese coffee as a welcome present! It is quite safe to withdraw money at the Hanoi airport, and I would advise you to! You will also find some ATMs from reputable banks on your way out of the airport.

Usually, travellers find Vietnam an affordable place, and Hanoi, being the capital city, a place with a wide variety of options that are suitable for every budget!

You can definitely find luxurious hotels and fine dining restaurants, but more often than not, the greatest of the experiences are the most affordable ones that locals use. As you can see, Hanoi is a really affordable city and so is Vietnam overall. My advice when you head there is for you to splurge and enjoy your holiday!

There are only so many times one goes to Hanoi! So, if you like how someone has treated you show it! Whether you are arriving from another country in South East Asia or from back home, chances are that you are getting to Hanoi by air. Road connections with other countries such as Laos are not so good, so flying ends up being the most common option.

As you leave the airport you will have some taxi drivers that will try to get your business; try to politely decline it, as they will overcharge you. You can instead head to the taxi counters where different taxi companies offer you their services and the prices are way more reasonable.

A very popular option among tourists is the public shuttle. It takes around 1 hour to reach the Old Town and then you can either walk or get a Grab, a South East Asian form of Uber, to your lodging! Bear in mind that they take around 1h 30 min to get there if the traffic is not too jammed!

But it is a very popular option among locals and tourists alike! You can arrange this with your accommodation; just get in touch with them right after you make your booking and they can arrange it for you! Usually each one of them has their own rates that also depend on where your hotel is located, so feel free to drop them an email with all the info. You can also book a shuttle through this link , a really good option when you are travelling in a group.

It is a door to door service for a pretty good price! For many foreign visitors though, it's better known as the prison where American POWs were held during the Vietnam War. The most famous foreign ex-resident of the prison is John McCain. The prison grounds contain the communal jail cells, solitary cells, and courtyard, and the guillotine used by the French is also on display.

There is a plethora of information here on Vietnam's long battle against France's colonial rule that details the brutal regime prisoners here were kept under. Two rooms also tell the story of the American POWs held here, with a video documenting their imprisonment and eventual release along with personal mementos of the prisoners.

Water Puppet Theatre. Hanoi's water puppet shows are a great way to sample traditional Vietnamese artistry and entertainment and are an excellent evening activity if you have children in tow. This ancient art form first evolved in Vietnam's rural areas during the months of the monsoon paddy field flooding, and today, it is now mostly performed in custom-made water pools rather than outside.

Performances usually center around well-known local legends and are accompanied by a live band using traditional Vietnamese instruments. Hanoi is the heartland of contemporary water puppet theater with five shows daily at the Municipal Water Puppet Theatre. The courtyard outside this museum displays an eclectic mix of weaponry and military machines including downed French and US planes, tanks, and a Soviet MiG fighter plane.

Inside the actual building is a huge amount of information on the wars with both France and the USA, along with exhibits of weaponry, which will be of interest to those with a penchant for Vietnam's 20th-century history. For the average visitor though, the displays and information panels are not particularly well set out, and many find the museum most worth a look for its courtyard clutter of planes around a stocky flag tower.

Art lovers and museum fans definitely need to make a pit stop at this museum that holds a collection of Vietnamese artistry from the prehistoric age right up to the country's contemporary artists. Some of the treasures on display here include terracotta and stone sculptures dating from the Tran Dynasty and Champa Dynasty, Buddha statues from the Mac and Le Dynasties, and the intricate statues of the goddess Guan Yin.

There is also an extensive collection of 11th- and 12th-century ceramic work and a substantial gallery devoted to folk art. Imperial Citadel. Although it may not look like much at first, Hanoi's Imperial Citadel area was once the vital seat of military power here, and continued in an important strategic role right up to the s and the Vietnam War. The site achieved UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition in for its long role in Hanoi's past, and the area's 1, years of history are highlighted by archaeological work that has unearthed the foundations of various palaces that once stood on this spot.

There's also a bunker here that dates from the Vietnam War where military maps and implements are displayed. West Lake. Tay Ho West Lake is Hanoi's largest lake, and its shoreline stretches for 15 kilometers. Many locals come here to exercise by walking or cycling the pathway that rings the shore, but there's also two interesting temples in the vicinity.

Tay Ho Pagoda is exceedingly pretty and dedicated to the mother goddess and Tran Quoc Pagoda is one of the oldest still-standing temples in Vietnam although it has been rebuilt several times.

For most travelers, West Lake is a great place to get a skyline view of new Hanoi, as well as to feast on fresh seafood at one of the many restaurants that sit close to the shore. West Lake lies off Thuy Khue Street. For anyone interested in what life must have been like for Hanoi's locals during an earlier age, a trip to Memorial House is a must-do while in the city. This finely-restored merchant house sits in the old town quarter and has been furnished to look like a typical merchant's home, brimming with antiques and everyday objects from centuries prior.

The house has plenty of traditional architectural features, set between courtyards to give outdoor space and set out according to the ancient tradition of feng shui, which allows good energy flow into the house.

In some of the rooms, you can watch traditional craftspeople in residence work at calligraphy and basketry crafts. We recommend these high-quality hotels in Hanoi close to top attractions like the Old Town Quarter:. Located in the north of the country, Hanoi actually enjoys a "cold" season, when temperatures drop into the teens. With changes in humidity and sometimes strong winds coming from the river, nights can feel chilly in Hanoi in the months between November to February.

This is usually the best time to visit Vietnam in general, as the weather is dry and pleasant, ideal for long walks around Hoan Kiem Lake and the narrow alleyways of Old Town Quarter.

If you'd rather experience warmer days, March, April, and October are good options as well. You'll get plenty of sunshine, temperatures in the high 20s, and a more bearable level of humidity — you'll also see higher prices, as these are popular months to visit Hanoi. Strong rainstorms and sometimes flooding hit Hanoi in August and September — but rains start as early as May and sometimes run into early October.

Hanoi is also known for its delicious food scene and you can linger over a bowl of toothsome noodles, or chew on a tasty sandwich like Banh Mi. In addition to the food, Hanoi still retains lovely traditional parts of the city like the Old Quarter, or you can stroll around pretty lakes and past lush parks. A visit to Hoa Lo Prison is a moving experience and this old internment facility used to be dubbed the Hanoi Hilton.

With this in mind, you will find galleries that tell the history until the s when it was used as part of the Vietnamese struggle for independence. Some of the grisly pieces on show here include a French guillotine which the colonialists used to execute Vietnamese activists and you will also find memorabilia related to American pilots who were incarcerated during the Vietnam War.

Hoan Kiem Lake is perhaps the most famous spot in Hanoi and is also believed to be a mystical body of water. The reason for this is that the lake is said to have a mythical resident turtle who is the hero of a Vietnamese legend.

Locals will tell you that the turtle still swims in the lake, although you will also spot many other real-life turtles here when you go to visit.

The main draw now is to take in the pretty vistas across the water and this is the perfect place to go for an afternoon stroll in Hanoi.

Perhaps one of the most famous sandwiches in the world is Banh Mi, or Banh My as it is spelled in Hanoi, and is not to be missed when you are in Vietnam. This means that you can enjoy a soft French baguette which is spread with pate and topped with coriander, carrot and chilies. The fusion of the different elements is simply delicious and Banh Mi 25 is one of the most famous spots in the city to sample a toothsome sandwich. One of the best museums in Vietnam is the Museum of Ethnology which has a huge collection of items that are related to the ethnic minorities in the country.

Other items in the museum include amazing models of traditional village houses and the museum also has some excellent signage in a range of languages to fill you in on all the cultural and historical significance. Nestled in the old Quarter of Hanoi is the pretty Bach Ma Temple which has the claim to fame of being the oldest temple in the city. It has been rebuilt over the years however and most of the renovation work now dates from the 18th century.

It would have been originally built in the 11th century during the time of Emperor Ly Thai To in honor of a white horse that is said to have led him to the site of the building.

This is also the place where the emperor decided to construct the walls of the city and there is also a statue of Confucius here that was built in If you want to take in the best views over Hanoi then you need to visit the Lotte Tower Observation Deck. Here you can travel to the 65th floor of the building where you can take in panoramic vistas over the city.

These include the Old Quarter which sprawls in every direction in front of your eyes, and once you have taken in the city from a height, you can also visit the rest of the tower.

Many people may not realize that Hanoi is famous for its egg coffee which may not sound very tasty but is actually delicious. The coffee is similar in taste to something like eggnog and egg yolks are beaten with condensed milk until they are thick and fluffy. This is then poured over the top of a shot of traditional Vietnamese coffee and leaves you with a smooth but potent burst of caffeine.

One of the best places in the city to try it is at Giang Cafe which has been serving up this signature beverage for years. The Museum of Vietnamese History dates from when it was built and used to be a school during the French colonial period in Vietnam. The building is an elegant mix of Chinese and French designs and some things to look out for include bronze pieces that date from the 3rd century BC and are part of the Dong Son culture.

You will also find a number of Hindu statues from the Champa and Khmer kingdoms of old as well as galleries of ornate Vietnamese jewelry. If you want to try some of the local cuisine in Vietnam then head to Cha Ca Than Long where you get to cook your own delicious bowl of Cha Ca.