In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Vietnam
Hanoi
Hà Nội
Hanoi is a morning-and-evening city: do the lake and Ba Đình before 10:30, hide from the heat at midday, eat on the street after 17:00 — and cross roads slowly.
Hanoi's sights are close together, but the city is loud, hot and full of motorbikes. The trips that go wrong are the ones that fight all three at once: noon walks in July, big suitcases on broken Old Quarter pavements, and the mausoleum on the one morning it is closed. Four walking clusters cover a first visit; Ninh Bình and Hạ Long are trips away from one kept bed.
- Country
- Vietnam
- Local name
- Hà Nội
- Best months
- Jan · Mar · Apr · Oct · Nov · Dec
- Time zone
- Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh
- Stay
- 2 days: Hoàn Kiếm + Old Quarter, Ba Đình morning
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- VND
- Money
- Cash for street food, markets, xe ôm and small cafés; cards in hotels, malls and many restaurants; ride-hailing apps take cards in-app. Carry ₫10,000–100,000 notes — stalls struggle to change ₫500,000.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₫500,000–900,000 excl. bed · Mid ₫900,000–2,000,000 excl. bed · High ₫2,000,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly, or buy a tourist SIM in the Nội Bài arrivals hall (passport needed).
- Emergency
- Police 113 · Fire 114 · Ambulance 115
- Plugs
- 220 V; two-pin sockets (types A and C, many also take F). Bring a universal adapter.
- Tipping
- Not expected at stalls. Round up for drivers and guides; 5–10% in upmarket restaurants if service is not already added.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; use bottled or filtered water. Ice in established cafés is usually factory-made.
- Toilets
- Cafés, malls, hotels and museums; carry tissues and hand gel.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (iced milk coffee at a café) | ₫25,000–45,000 |
| Noodle soup (phở at a street stall) | ₫40,000–70,000 |
| Beer: bia hơi glass / bottle in a bar | ₫10,000–20,000 / ₫30,000–60,000 |
| 5 km ride-hail: motorbike / car | ₫25,000–40,000 / ₫60,000–100,000 |
| Metro or city bus ride | ₫8,000–20,000 |
| Tourist SIM or eSIM, about a week | ₫150,000–300,000 |
| Museum or temple entry | ₫30,000–70,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Nội Bài International Airport (HAN)
- HAN to the Old Quarter: one ride-hail car or airport taxi at a fixed-looking fare, 35–60 minutes — the risk is not the ride but a guesthouse door that locks at midnight.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Hà Nội station (Ga Hà Nội (Ga Hàng Cỏ), 120 Lê Duẩn) | South: Ninh Bình, Vinh, Huế, Đà Nẵng, Nha Trang, Saigon (Reunification line) | Car 5–10 min, ₫30,000–60,000; walkable without bags |
| Trần Quý Cáp entrance (Hà Nội station side B) (Ga Trần Quý Cáp) | North-west: night trains to Lào Cai for Sa Pa | Car 5–10 min |
| Long Biên station (Ga Long Biên) | Some local and Hải Phòng trains | Walk 10 min to Đồng Xuân |
| Gia Lâm station (Ga Gia Lâm) | International overnight train to Nanning (China); Lạng Sơn line | Car 15–25 min, ₫80,000–130,000 |
| Mỹ Đình bus station (Bến xe Mỹ Đình) | North and north-west: Lào Cai, Sa Pa, Hà Giang, Điện Biên, Cao Bằng; some Hạ Long buses | Car 30–50 min, ₫120,000–180,000; city buses 34 and 09 (check) |
| Giáp Bát bus station (Bến xe Giáp Bát) | South: Ninh Bình, Thanh Hóa, Vinh and further south | Car 20–35 min; city bus 08 towards the Old Quarter / Long Biên (check) |
Typical fares
- Nội Bài → Old Quarter, app car
- ₫250,000–350,000, 40–60 min
- Nội Bài → centre, bus 86
- about ₫45,000 (check)
- App car across the centre
- ₫30,000–80,000
Get around
Walk inside a cluster, ride-hail between them. The metro serves the west and suburbs, not the Old Quarter; city buses are cheap and scam-free but slow in traffic.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside the Old Quarter, lake and Ba Đình |
| Ride-hail car | ₫30,000–80,000 across the centre | Between clusters, bags, night |
| Ride-hail motorbike | ₫15,000–40,000 | Solo, short hops, beating jams |
| Metered taxi | Flag fall about ₫20,000, then per km | Street hail when apps are slow |
| Street xe ôm (motorbike taxi) | Agree first: about ₫20,000–40,000 for 10 min | When apps fail |
| Cyclo | About ₫150,000–250,000 for an hour's loop (check) | A slow Old Quarter tour |
| Metro | ₫8,000–15,000; day pass about ₫40,000 (check) | Royal City mall, Cầu Giấy, Hà Đông, Yên Nghĩa bus station |
| City bus | ₫7,000–12,000 per ride | Airport (86), Bát Tràng (47A), Ethnology museum |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Short car rides inside the centre are cheap; agree or see the fare before you ride.
- Late at night
- No metro constraint for the centre; ride-hailing runs all night (availability drops in heavy rain).
See and do
01Hoàn Kiếm Lake at dawn, then Ngọc Sơn TempleĐền Ngọc Sơn
Tai chi groups, joggers and cool air before the traffic starts; the red bridge to the island temple opens after.
Hours: best 05:30–07:30 · Price: Lake free; temple ₫30,000–50,000 · Time: 1–1.5 h · 21.0308, 105.8524
02An Old Quarter street-food eveningPhố cổ
Low stools, one dish per stall: phở, bún chả, bánh mì, then trà đá. The reason most people rate Hanoi highly.
Hours: best 17:30–21:00 · Price: ₫150,000–300,000 for four or five dishes · Time: 2–3 h · 21.0350, 105.8505
03Temple of LiteratureVăn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám
Five walled courtyards and doctoral steles on stone turtles; the best-kept historic site in the city.
Hours: best 08:00–09:30, before groups · Price: ₫70,000 · Time: 1–1.5 h · 21.0285, 105.8356
04Ba Đình: Mausoleum and One Pillar PagodaLăng Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh
The state's showpiece square, a silent two-minute file past the leader, then the lotus pagoda behind.
Hours: best 07:30–10:00; closed Mon and Fri · Price: Free; Presidential Palace grounds extra · Time: 2–3 h · 21.0367, 105.8346
05Hỏa Lò Prison MemorialDi tích Nhà tù Hỏa Lò
French colonial jail and later the 'Hanoi Hilton'; one indoor hour that explains a century of history.
Hours: best 11:00–14:00, the hot hours · Price: ₫50,000 · Time: 1 h · 21.0252, 105.8464
06Thăng Long Water Puppet TheatreNhà hát Múa rối Thăng Long
Puppets on a water stage with live folk music; short, seated and works for kids.
Hours: best Early evening show · Price: ₫100,000–200,000 · Time: 50 min · 21.0318, 105.8533
07Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Full-size stilt and communal houses in the garden plus 54 ethnic groups indoors; the one museum worth the ride.
Hours: best Tue–Sun morning · Price: ₫40,000 plus ₫100,000–150,000 ride each way · Time: 2–3 h
08Egg coffee at Café GiảngCà phê Giảng
The original whipped-yolk coffee, invented as a milk substitute in the 1940s; hot is the classic.
Hours: best Mid-afternoon · Price: ₫35,000–60,000 · Time: 30 min · 21.0332, 105.8545
09West Lake and Trấn Quốc Pagoda at sunsetChùa Trấn Quốc
The oldest pagoda in the city on a lake spit, then a walk or ride along the water.
Hours: best 16:30–18:00 · Price: Free · Time: 1.5 h · 21.0480, 105.8369
10Ninh Bình day trip (Tràng An or Tam Cốc)
Rowing boats through karst caves and rice fields, 2 h from the city; the best day out from Hanoi.
Hours: best Weekday, leave by 08:00 · Price: ₫900,000–1,800,000 on a group tour · Time: Full day
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ninh Bình (Tràng An / Tam Cốc) | Tour bus or private car, about 2 h each way | Full day — leave 07:30–08:00 |
| Hạ Long Bay | Car or bus about 2.5 h each way to the pier, then a cruise | Very long as a day trip — one night aboard is better |
| Bát Tràng pottery village | Car 30–40 min | Half day |
| Perfume Pagoda (Chùa Hương) | Car 1.5–2 h, then boat and a climb or cable car | Full day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phở Gia Truyền (49 Bát Đàn) | Phở bò (beef) · Old Quarter | ₫50,000–70,000 | Budget |
| Bún chả Hương Liên | Bún chả · Hai Bà Trưng | ₫50,000–90,000 | Budget |
| Bún chả Đắc Kim | Bún chả with spring rolls · Old Quarter (Hàng Mành) | ₫70,000–90,000 (check) | Budget |
| Bánh Mì 25 | Bánh mì · Old Quarter | ₫25,000–45,000 | Budget |
| Chả Cá Thăng Long | Chả cá (turmeric fish with dill) · Old Quarter | ₫150,000–200,000 | Mid-range |
| Tầm Vị | Northern home-style set dishes · Ba Đình (Yên Thế street) | ₫300,000–500,000 (check) | Mid-range |
| Quán Ăn Ngon | Street-food classics under one roof · French Quarter (Phan Bội Châu) | ₫150,000–300,000 (check) | Mid-range |
| Ưu Đàm Chay | Vegetarian Vietnamese · Hoàn Kiếm (Hàng Bài) | ₫250,000–450,000 (check) | Mid-range |
| Gia | Vietnamese tasting menu · Đống Đa (Văn Miếu street) | From about ₫1,800,000 (check) | Splurge |
| Hibana by Koki | Japanese teppanyaki · Hoàn Kiếm (Capella Hanoi) | From about ₫3,000,000 (check) | Splurge |
| T.U.N.G Dining | Modern tasting menu · Hoàn Kiếm (Quang Trung) | ₫1,400,000–1,800,000 (check) | Splurge |
| Colonial-villa restaurants around the lake | Vietnamese and French classics · French Quarter | ₫800,000–1,500,000 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Addresses change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | ₫150,000–300,000 dorm bed · ₫400,000–700,000 double | Old Quarter (Mã Mây, Hàng Bạc, Tạ Hiện) | Hostels (party and quiet), family guesthouses |
| mid | ₫800,000–1,800,000 | Old Quarter lanes, around the cathedral, French Quarter | Boutique tube-house hotels, 3–4 star chains |
| splurge | ₫3,000,000–10,000,000+ | French Quarter heritage hotels, lake-view towers, West Lake resorts | Colonial grand hotels, international chains |
| mid | ₫700,000–1,500,000 (cheaper by the week) | Tây Hồ (West Lake) | Serviced apartments |
Per room per night in đồng, 2026 estimate; Tết and holidays add 30–100%.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Xin chàosin chow |
| Help me! | Cứu tôi với!kuh-oo toy vuh-ee |
| 1, 2, 3 | một, hai, bamoht, hai, bah |
| How much is it? | Bao nhiêu tiền?bow nyew tyen |
| Please take me to this address | Làm ơn chở tôi đến địa chỉ nàylahm uhn chuh toy den dee-ah chee nay |
| Excuse me! (to a younger server) | Em ơi!em uh-ee |
| I have a booking | Tôi đã đặt phòngtoy dah daht fong |
| What time? | Mấy giờ?may zuh |
| Thank you | Cảm ơnkahm uhn |
| Call the police! (113) | Gọi cảnh sát! (113)goy kahn saht |
| 4, 5, 6 | bốn, năm, sáubohn, nahm, sow |
| Too expensive! | Đắt quá!daht kwah |
| I booked a Grab | Tôi đặt Grabtoy daht grab |
| I'll have this one | Cho tôi cái nàychaw toy kai nay |
| Do you have a room free? | Còn phòng không?kon fong khohm |
| Now | Bây giờbay zuh |
| No, thank you (street sellers) | Không, cảm ơnkhohm, kahm uhn |
| Fire! Call the fire service! (114) | Cháy! Gọi cứu hỏa! (114)chai! goy kuh-oo hwah |
| 7, 8, 9, 10 | bảy, tám, chín, mườibay, tahm, cheen, muh-ee |
| Come down a bit | Bớt đibuht dee |
Say it for greetings, prices and 'no ice'. Show the screen for addresses, allergies, medical problems and anything you need done exactly — a wrong tone on those costs more than the embarrassment of pointing at a phone.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Temples and pagodas: Shoulders and knees covered; take hats off in halls; do not walk between worshippers and the altar.
- Shoes: Off in homes and some temple halls — look for the pile of shoes at the door.
- Queues: Loose at stalls and counters; stand your ground politely. The mausoleum line is strictly two-file and silent.
- Tipping: Not expected at stalls or cafés; round up drivers and guides; about 5–10% in upmarket restaurants without a service charge.
- Paying and haggling: Haggle in markets with a smile; never at food stalls with a posted menu. Hand money over with the right hand or both hands.
- Photos: Ask before photographing people up close, especially vendors and worshippers.
- Voices and tempers: Raising your voice loses the argument: stay calm and walk away if a price will not move.
Red lines
- Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum: shoulders and knees covered, no photos inside, silence in the queue.
- Train Street cafés: access is restricted by authorities at times; do not stand on the tracks.
- Do not photograph people at close range at temples without asking.
Scams and watch-outs
- Cyclo and motorbike drivers who name a price 'per person' or 'per hour' at the end: agree the total first, or use a ride-hailing app.
- Shoe-shine offers and 'free' fruit-basket photos in the Old Quarter end with a demand for money.
- Lookalike taxi brands with fast meters: use ride-hailing apps or well-known taxi companies.
- The ₫20,000 and ₫500,000 notes are both blue: count your notes when paying and taking change.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover or the day before a Hạ Long or Sa Pa trip. Skip: West Lake and the Museum of Ethnology: both are rides away.
- 06:00Lake loop and Ngọc Sơn Temple
- 07:30Mausoleum queue (not Mon or Fri), then One Pillar Pagoda
- 09:30Courtyards before the tour buses
- 11:30Bún chả lunch
- 13:00Indoors for the heat
- 16:00Old Quarter streets, egg coffee
- 18:30Street-food dinner, then the water-puppet show or the weekend walking street
2 days
The usual Hanoi stay between the airport and the bay. Skip: Train Street crowds and a second museum on the same day.
Day 1 — lake, Ba Đình, Old Quarter
- 06:00Lake at dawn
- 07:30Ba Đình monuments
- 09:30Temple of Literature
- 13:00Hỏa Lò, then a hotel rest
- 17:30Old Quarter food evening
Day 2 — museums west, lake at sunset
- 08:30Museum of Ethnology (Tue–Sun); on Monday swap for the Women's Museum
- 12:00Lunch in Tây Hồ
- 15:00Quán Thánh Temple
- 16:30Trấn Quốc Pagoda and the West Lake shore
- 19:00Chả cá dinner, then bia hơi on Tạ Hiện
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Vietnam National Authority of Tourism: vietnam.travel/
- Hanoi Department of Tourism: hanoitourism.vn/
- Wikivoyage — Hanoi: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hanoi
- Wikitravel — Hanoi: wikitravel.org/en/Hanoi
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
HanoiHà Nội
Cho tôi đến địa chỉ này
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- Đền Ngọc SơnNgọc Sơn Temple
- Phố cổOld Quarter (Phố cổ)
- Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử GiámTemple of Literature
- Lăng Chủ tịch Hồ Chí MinhHồ Chí Minh Mausoleum
- Di tích Nhà tù Hỏa LòHỏa Lò Prison Memorial
- Nhà hát Múa rối Thăng LongThăng Long Water Puppet Theatre
Most embassies are in Ba Đình and Hoàn Kiếm (US: Láng Hạ street; UK: Hai Bà Trưng street). Write your own embassy's 24-hour line below.
Show the address in Vietnamese with street and house number; drivers search that, not ward names.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/hanoi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.