Place · West Lake (Trấn Quốc)
Trấn Quốc PagodaChùa Trấn Quốc
Hanoi's oldest pagoda on a spit of West Lake: 20 minutes, free; go early morning or late afternoon, then the lakeside at sunset.
- Source checked
- A source and a date are on record: we read it from an official or published page. Not yet confirmed on the ground.
- Field checked
- Someone checked it on the ground, with the date shown.
- Plan calculated
- Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.
Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify
Key facts
- Time on site
- 20–30 min
- p95 45 min
- Price
- free
- adult, 2026 estimate
- Hours
- 07:30–18:007:30 AM–6:00 PM
- typical, check
- Best time
- unknown
- 28″ bags
- Painful
- West Lake (Trấn Quốc): painful
- Getting there
- Thanh Niên road, between West Lake and Trúc Bạch
- Free entry
- Sunset over West Lake
- Shoes off inside
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 9Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…Old Quarter pavements are blocked by parked motorbikes an…
- Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
- Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
- Vietnam ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal; lookalike sites charge extra.
- Vietnam ↗Crossing streets: walk slowly and steadily; motorbikes flow around you — do not stop or run.
- Vietnam ↗Carry Vietnamese đồng in small notes; many stalls and taxis are cash-only.
- North Vietnam ↗Dec–Feb in the north is cool and damp (10–18°C): pack a warm layer.
- North Vietnam ↗Sa Pa and Hà Giang can drop near freezing in December–January and fog in for days; keep a spare night and do not plan a single-day summit.
- Hanoi ↗Old Quarter pavements are blocked by parked motorbikes and stalls: large suitcases go from the car to the door, never on a walk.
- Hanoi ↗Around Hoàn Kiếm Lake, streets close to cars on Friday–Sunday evenings; taxis drop you at the edge.
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, what it costs, what to know, how long it takes
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Usually 07:30–18:00Usually 7:30 AM–6:00 PM
- Crowds
- MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Quietest Mon–Fri · busiest Sat, Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: free
- Time to spend
- 20–30 min · up to 45 min if you linger
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Time on site
Minimum
15min
Worthwhile
20min
Typical
30min
p95
45min
Gates close at midday and in the evening on some days; not printed until verified.
How much time do you have?
Enough for a typical visit (30 min).
Nothing else in our notes is a short enough walk from here for the time that is left.
Visit times are typical figures, not promises; queues and closing times can change them.
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- No ticket needed.
- Dress code
- Shoulders and knees covered; sarongs are not always available to borrow.
- What's closed
- WeeklyOpen daily; closes before dark (hours on the gate — check).
- 1st and 15th of the lunar monthcheckWorshippers fill the courtyard; visit quietly or go another day.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | free | Donation boxes inside. |
On the ground
Getting in, crowds, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Thanh Niên road, between West Lake and Trúc Bạch
- Exit
- —
- Ticket
- free · official site
- Stairs
- grounds: none
- Shoes
- Shoes off where marked.
Crowds and switching
- Crowd clock
- Busy on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month and at weekends.
- Sensory load
- 2/5
- Exposure
- medium
Which month is quietest
- Janheavy
- Febpacked
- Marbusy
- Aprbusy
- Maylight
- Junlight
- Jullight
- Auglight
- Sepbusy
- Octbusy
- Novbusy
- Decbusy
Quietest May–Aug · busiest Feb.
Estimate: desk reasoning from school-trip, weekend, season and holiday patterns; not counted. Holidays and events move these weeks.
Bailouts
heat
Lakeside café on Thanh Niên (field-verify)
Nearest rescue anchor: A — Trấn Quốc pagoda gate (shade)
What to have on you
- Clothing that meets the dress ruleShoulders and knees covered; sarongs are not always available to borrow.
- Footwear that suits the ruleShoes off where marked.
Rules and prices change: check the official site before you go.
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: yes · yesgrounds: none
- Lifts: no · no
- Accessible toilet: check · check
Reached along the flat causeway; the grounds have no steps of note (thresholds at the shrine doors).
Combine with
- 1 minThanh Niên lakeside path — Sunset side.
- 8 minQuán Thánh Temple
Walk the West Lake (Trấn Quốc) area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time today
Sun times for today load in your browser.
Red lines
- Shoulders and knees covered.
- Do not step over the threshold beams of halls.
More on the groundRules on site
Rules on site
- worship
- Do not walk between worshippers and the altar.
Deep dive
Questions, what is nearby, photos and sources
Questions and answers
Is there a dress code?
Cover shoulders and knees; sarongs are sometimes lent at the gate (check).
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Nearby
Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.
- ClusterWest Lake (Trấn Quốc)nearest point: Trấn Quốc pagoda gate (shade)20 m · 1 min walk
- PlaceQuán Thánh Temple550 m · 9 min walk
- ClusterBa Đình & Temple of Literature1.2 km · 19 min walk
- PlaceHồ Chí Minh Mausoleum1.3 km · 21 min walk
- PlaceOne Pillar Pagoda1.4 km · 22 min walk
- PlaceĐồng Xuân Market1.7 km · 28 min walk
Sources
- officialHanoi Department of Tourism