Hanoi Travel Guide

Hanoi airport (Noi Bai International Airport) serves around 30 million passengers each year with Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, AirAsia, Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, Thai Airways, Lao Airlines and Tiger Airways all bringing visitors from around the world. If visiting, make sure to apply for the Vietnam Visa. Full details can be found on our Vietnam Visa page.

If traveling to Hanoi from Ho Chi Minh City and not wanting to fly, the alternatives are the bus and the train. While it takes over thirty hours longer than the plane, the bus is only $10 less expensive and you will spend much of this time sitting in extremely congested traffic or bouncing along poorly maintained roads.

Possibly the best way to travel around Vietnam is by train. Although not much faster than the bus, the Reunification Express from  Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi is air conditioned and follows a much more scenic route. You can also save on the cost of a hotel room by taking the overnight train and booking a soft berth on one of the four berth cabins for $90. Open tickets can be bought for both the bus and the train and these allow you to make multiple stops.

Within Hanoi itself, other than walking, the main ways to get from A to B are by motorbike, taxi or cyclo. Agree the cost before you set off and do not be afraid to haggle. However, possibly do be afraid to ride pillion on one of the Xe om motorbike taxis. Translated it means hug vehicle and it involves you literally hugging the driver as you weave along your route. A cyclo ride for two is a more sedate (but slower) way to commute and will cost you about $5 per hour. Taxis are cheap at under $2 for a five kilometre journey.

Shopping in Hanoi is renowned for its slender shops and traditional marketplaces dedicated to specific trades and areas of business. However, modern Hanoi has a growing number of stylish boutique stores and expansive shopping malls providing an impressive range of international brands in addition to an array of food and entertainment. 

For quality silk and intricate silver goods, take a walk around Hanoi’s Old Quarter, where Silk Street, Bamboo Street and Silver Street host business catering to their respective trades.  As a visitor, you are encouraged to haggle over prices, but please do be mindful not to ridicule or embarrass the shopkeepers. In Hanoi and indeed throughout Vietnam, respect and reputation are hugely important.

From traditional Vietnamese music at Thang Long Ca Tru Theatre and Vietnam’s take on Chinese Opera at the Vietnam National Tuong Theatre to jazz and rock performances at Binh Minh Jazz Club and the Hanoi Rock City respectively there is something for everyone. The latter is not quite in Hanoi, but with musicians from multiple genres and international acts,  it is worth the trip.

For children of all ages and the inner child in all of us, the mastery of the Municipal Water Puppet Theatre is a must see experience. With its origins stemming from flood stricken agricultural villages seeking ways to entertain themselves, it has now become a quintessential Vietnamese cultural experience.

While you can spend your days captivated by its centuries old architecture and visiting Hanoi’s temples, museums, shops and theatres, Hanoi has plenty to offer at night, even if it does mostly involve eating and/or drinking

While it is a home for expats and foreign embassy residences, the area of West Lake is a popular night time destination for food and party lovers with high-end restaurants and, if you are lucky, a night-time view of Hanoi’s oldest temple, the 15 metre tall Tran Quoc Pagoda.

When visiting a new city, the draw of a rooftop bar and view over the city is compelling and the Sofitel Hanoi’s Summit Lounge is arguably the city’s most impressive. With a view of two lakes intersected by the charming and picturesque Thanh Nien street, it is the perfect vantage point to enjoy the sunset and  a cool evening cocktail or two.

And, if you haven’t done enough shopping during the day, the Hanoi Night Market comes alive every weekend. Stock up on souvenirs, cheap and often replica fashion and feast on some of the best street food to be found. Here, at Travala.com, we are quite partial to pork skewers.

Fed and watered, you might still be soaking in the charm of Hanoi late into the night and if you do manage to stay out, you totally should end your night at the Quang Ba Flower Market which comes alive in the very hours of the morning providing a sensory overload before bed.

One thing that all visitors to Hanoi agree on is the quality of the food with every restaurant, street vendor and home making their personal (and best) rendition of the classic Hanoi Pho noodle soup.

Another traditional dish is Bún chả. Consisting of a grilled pork broth, white rice noodles, herbs and sides of green leaf vegetable and dipping sauce, it is a staple of Vietnamese cuisine.

Post feed, coffee lovers are in for a treat. Vietnam is now one of the world’s largest coffee producers and in Hanoi you must experience the Vietnamese Egg Coffee. On paper, this concoction of coffee, condensed milk and egg might raise some eyebrows, but somehow it manages to be a visual and gustatory delight.