Districts · Hanoi
Hanoi by district
Almost everything a first visit needs sits inside a 3 km box west of the Red River: Hoàn Kiếm Lake in the middle, the Old Quarter to its north, the French Quarter to its south, Ba Đình and West Lake to the north-west. Everything outside the box is a ride.Almost everything a first visit needs sits inside a 1.9 mi box west of the Red River: Hoàn Kiếm Lake in the middle, the Old Quarter to its north, the French Quarter to its south, Ba Đình and West Lake to the north-west. Everything outside the box is a ride.
About these names
Since July 2025 Vietnam has no district tier: official addresses use merged wards (phường). Drivers, maps and signs still use the old district names, so this table uses them as neighbourhood names. In ride-hailing apps, search by street and house number.
- Hoàn Kiếm: Old QuarterPhố cổsleepeatseeSuits: First visit, 2–4 nights, street foodEverything walkable; noisy until late and pavements blocked. Car to the door with bags.2 sights · 6 eats · 1 sleep areaDistrict guide →
- Hoàn Kiếm: lake and French QuarterHồ Gươm, Khu phố PhápsleepseeSuits: Couples, families, lighter sleepersWider streets, larger hotels, 10–15 min walk to the Old Quarter. Lakeside streets shut to cars on weekend evenings.4 sights · 3 eats · 1 sleep areaDistrict guide →
- Ba ĐìnhseeSuits: One morning of monumentsMausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, Presidential Palace grounds: go before 10:30. Quiet and thin on food at night, so do not sleep here.Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, Presidential Palace grounds: go before 10:30 AM. Quiet and thin on food at night, so do not sleep here.3 sightsDistrict guide →
- Đống ĐaseeSuits: Temple of Literature onlyThe temple sits on its edge; the rest is residential and traffic-heavy. Not a base.3 sightsDistrict guide →
- Tây Hồ (West Lake)eatsleepSuits: Longer stays, repeat visitors, families wanting spaceLake paths, cafés, international food. 15–25 min by car to the Old Quarter, so every outing is a ride.2 sightsDistrict guide →
- Hai Bà TrưngeatSuits: Food huntersLocal eating streets south of the French Quarter; hospitals and the Times City mall. Few sights.Short entry only: too little in this guide for a full page yet.
- Cầu GiấyseeSuits: A museum half-dayThe Museum of Ethnology is the reason to come; otherwise office towers, 30–40 min from the lake.Short entry only: too little in this guide for a full page yet.
- Long Biênskip as a baseSuits: Rain-day mall (AEON)Across the river. Walk onto the old Long Biên bridge from the Old Quarter side for the view, then turn back.Short entry only: too little in this guide for a full page yet.
- Mỹ Đình / Từ Liêmskip as a baseSuits: Bus departures onlyStadium, Mỹ Đình bus station and new towns; 40–60 min from the centre in traffic.Short entry only: too little in this guide for a full page yet.
Hover, tap or tab to an area to see what it is like. Pins are sleep areas; arrows at the edge point to the airport.
Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Hai Bà Trưng, Cầu Giấy, Long Biên, Mỹ Đình / Từ Liêm. See the table above.
Where’s what, as a list:
- Hoàn Kiếm: Old Quarter (Phố cổ): Everything walkable; noisy until late and pavements blocked. Car to the door with bags. Suits: First visit, 2–4 nights, street food. Price band $.
- Hoàn Kiếm: lake and French Quarter (Hồ Gươm, Khu phố Pháp): Wider streets, larger hotels, 10–15 min walk to the Old Quarter. Lakeside streets shut to cars on weekend evenings. Suits: Couples, families, lighter sleepers. Price band $$$.
- Ba Đình: Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, Presidential Palace grounds: go before 10:30. Quiet and thin on food at night, so do not sleep here.Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, Presidential Palace grounds: go before 10:30 AM. Quiet and thin on food at night, so do not sleep here. Suits: One morning of monuments.
- Đống Đa: The temple sits on its edge; the rest is residential and traffic-heavy. Not a base. Suits: Temple of Literature only.
- Tây Hồ (West Lake): Lake paths, cafés, international food. 15–25 min by car to the Old Quarter, so every outing is a ride. Suits: Longer stays, repeat visitors, families wanting space.
- Hai Bà Trưng: Local eating streets south of the French Quarter; hospitals and the Times City mall. Few sights. Suits: Food hunters.
- Cầu Giấy: The Museum of Ethnology is the reason to come; otherwise office towers, 30–40 min from the lake. Suits: A museum half-day.
- Long Biên: Across the river. Walk onto the old Long Biên bridge from the Old Quarter side for the view, then turn back. Suits: Rain-day mall (AEON).
- Mỹ Đình / Từ Liêm: Stadium, Mỹ Đình bus station and new towns; 40–60 min from the centre in traffic. Suits: Bus departures only.
- Sleep area French Quarter: suits Couples, families, lighter sleepers, price band $$$.
- Sleep area Old Quarter (Phố cổ): suits First visit, 2–4 nights, street food, price band $.
- Nội Bài International Airport (HAN), about 21 km13 mi from the centre, 40–60 min by the usual route.