Best Things to Do in Hanoi

The first thing Hanoi did to me was nearly get me killed. I stepped off the kerb on Hang Bac with a bag of fruit, looked left, looked right, and froze while about forty scooters aimed themselves at my knees. A woman selling pomelos laughed, held up one flat palm, and said, "Slow. Just walk slow." I walked slow. Every bike curved around me like water around a rock. That's the whole city in one lesson: stay predictable, keep moving, and don't panic.

This guide is what I'd tell a friend flying in from Singapore for a long weekend or a full week. It covers the 25 things worth your time, in a rough order that makes geographic sense, with the honest bits left in: which sights are overrated, which are crowded by 9 am, and where a guided tour saves you a headache. Along the way there are comparison tables for tours, food, and day trips, a two-day plan, and a short FAQ. Prices on the booking links are live from our catalogue, so I haven't hard-coded numbers into the text.

Before you go: flights, visas, and timing

Singapore to Hanoi is a bit over three and a half hours in the air, and there are direct flights most days. Noi Bai airport sits about 45 minutes north of the Old Quarter without traffic, and well over an hour when it's raining and every taxi in the north seems to be on the same ring road. If you land late or after a long connection, the ACV Lounge at Noi Bai is a sensible place to sit down, charge your phone, and wait out the worst of the queue.

On visas, check the current rules for your own passport before you book anything. The official fact sheet we keep for Vietnam lists a visa exemption for Singapore passport holders of up to 30 days per entry, provided your passport has six months' validity and at least two blank pages. Most other nationalities, including Indian passport holders, use the government e-Visa, which was listed at USD 25 for up to 90 days with roughly three working days of processing. Apply a week ahead, not the night before. Our visa requirements pages are updated against official sources, so start there and confirm on evisa.gov.vn.

One more thing that trips people up: some visa applications and embassies ask for proof of onward travel or a flight itinerary before they approve you. If that's you, a flight reservation for visa applications is a dated reservation document, not an issued ticket, so don't pay for a fully flexible fare just to satisfy a form. Read what it is and isn't before you rely on it, and never treat it as a promise that a visa will be approved.

When to come

October to December is the sweet spot, with dry, cool days and the lake looking its best. February to April is also good, but you'll get a grey, drizzly stretch in late winter that locals call "nom," a fine mist that makes everything damp. May to September is hot, sticky, and thunderstorm-prone. I came in November, wore a light jacket in the evenings, and never needed an umbrella more than twice.

The lake and the Old Quarter

1. Hoan Kiem Lake at dawn

Go at 6 am. I know. But the lake at that hour is a different place from the one you'll fight through at noon. Old men play badminton on the path, a group of women in matching tracksuits does tai chi in rows, and joggers circle the water in both directions for reasons nobody has ever explained. Walk the full loop, about 1.7 km, and cross the red Huc Bridge to Ngoc Son Temple on its little island. The turtle legend is worth knowing: a golden turtle supposedly took back a magic sword to the lake after a victory over the Chinese, which is where "Lake of the Returned Sword" comes from. Don't expect to see an actual turtle. I've done four loops across two trips and seen none.

On weekend nights the streets around the lake are closed to traffic. Families wander into the middle of the road with kids on light-up toys, and the whole thing feels like a street party nobody organised.

A practical note on the lake: the path is flat and mostly shaded, so it's the one good walk in the city for anyone with a stroller or a bad knee. Benches line the western side, and you can buy a bag of roasted peanuts or a cup of sugarcane juice from the carts without going far from the water. I usually pick up a second loop at dusk, when the Turtle Tower is lit and the whole shoreline turns yellow. If you have jet lag, this is the best cure I know. Fresh air, slow pace, and nothing to book.

2. Get lost in the Old Quarter

The Old Quarter is a grid of 36 streets, and the old guild names still stick: Hang Bac (silver), Hang Gai (silk), Hang Ma (paper offerings), Hang Thiec (tin). You can read the neighbourhood like a menu of what used to be made here. Put your phone away for an hour. The lanes are narrow, the pavements belong to motorbike parking and plastic stools, and walking in the road is normal. Look up as well, because the "tube houses" are barely three metres wide and run back 40 or 50 metres, and the facades are stacked with balconies, wires, and hanging laundry.

If you'd rather have someone explain what you're seeing, a cyclo is the lazy answer. The Cyclo Hanoi Old Quarter and Egg Coffee Tour pairs the ride with a coffee stop, and there is a shorter one-seat option, the 45-minute Old Quarter cyclo tour. You sit in front, the driver pedals behind you, and you roll past the same alleys at a pace that makes sense. It's touristy, yes. It's also the one time you won't be dodging bikes.

A few survival rules for the lanes. First, the numbering on Old Quarter streets runs in odd and even runs that can be far apart, so a map pin beats a street number every time. Second, pavement stools are for customers; if a stall owner waves you to one, you're expected to eat or drink something, which is rarely a hardship. Third, mornings between 7 and 9 and evenings after 6 are when the area is at its loudest and most interesting. Mid-afternoon, when shutters come down for a nap, is the time to retreat to a cafe. I once spent two hours in a tiny upstairs coffee shop on Hang Be just watching the street below, and I'd count it among the best parts of that trip.

3. Egg coffee, done properly

Egg coffee (ca phe trung) sounds like a dare. It's an egg yolk whisked with sugar and condensed milk until it's a thick custard, spooned over strong robusta. It was invented in the 1940s when milk was scarce, and it tastes like tiramisu in a cup. Order it hot, served in a little bowl of warm water so it stays that way. The cafes tucked up narrow staircases off Dinh Tien Hoang and Nguyen Huu Huan are the classic spots, and the view over the lake from a top-floor window is half the point.

If you want to make it yourself, the Unique Egg Coffee Class is a short hands-on session, and the egg coffee class with a street food walking tour combines it with an evening of eating. I whisked mine for about eight minutes before my arm gave out, and the instructor said that was normal for beginners.

History and culture: the serious half of the city

4. Temple of Literature

Founded in 1070, this was Vietnam's first national university, and the five courtyards make the most peaceful hour in the central city. The stone stelae, set on the backs of carved turtles, list the names of scholars who passed the royal exams. Students still come before their own exams to rub the turtles' heads for luck, so you'll see a lot of young people in graduation gowns posing for photos in the springtime. Go right at opening time, when the tour groups haven't arrived and the light slants through the old trees.

5. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex

This one needs planning. The Mausoleum opens in the morning only, is usually closed on Mondays and Fridays, and shuts completely for annual maintenance, typically in autumn. Check dates before you go. Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered), expect to leave bags and cameras at the entrance, and keep quiet and keep moving in line. The queue is orderly and fast. Around the mausoleum you'll find the Presidential Palace grounds, Ho Chi Minh's modest stilt house, and the One Pillar Pagoda, a tiny wooden temple on a single stone pillar that's built to look like a lotus. It takes ten minutes. Don't build your day around it.

6. Imperial Citadel of Thang Long

It's a UNESCO site, and honestly it looks a bit sparse compared with the palaces in Hue. But the layers of history are interesting: Ly dynasty foundations, a Nguyen-era gate, French military bunkers, and the underground command room from the American War. If you like seeing how a place was used, give it an hour. If you only have a short trip, skip it for the Temple of Literature and Hoa Lo.

7. Hoa Lo Prison Museum

French colonists built Hoa Lo to hold Vietnamese political prisoners, and later it held American pilots, who nicknamed it the Hanoi Hilton. Most of it was demolished for a tower block, but the preserved section is sobering: tiny cells, a guillotine, shackled mannequins. The tone is clearly from the Vietnamese point of view, which is worth remembering as you read the displays. Allow 60 to 90 minutes.

8. A water puppet show

I almost skipped this. A thousand-year-old puppet form that began in flooded rice fields, performed in a pool, with a live folk band? It sounded like homework. It turned out to be one of the most entertaining 50 minutes of the trip. Wooden puppets glide, spin and fight in the water while musicians play from the side of the stage, and the dragons blow actual fire. The Thang Long Water Puppet Show ticket is the standard way in, and you can book it ahead so you aren't stuck with the back row. If you'd like a longer evening, the Quintessence of Tonkin show is a big stage production with acrobatics and bamboo instruments, and it's closer to a theatre night than a quick cultural stop.

Prefer to combine it with dinner? The street food walking tour with a water puppet show does both in one evening, around S$23.17 per person at the time of writing.

9. Tran Quoc Pagoda and West Lake

Tran Quoc is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Vietnam, on a small island that juts into West Lake, with a red-brick tower rising through tiers of stupas. It's calmer than the central sights. Walk or cycle the lakefront afterwards. West Lake is where the expats live, so the cafes are fancier, and sunset here is better than at Hoan Kiem because the horizon is wide open. Grab a coconut coffee on the way back.

10. St. Joseph's Cathedral

It's a neo-Gothic church built by the French in 1886, with a dark grey facade that looks like it was lifted from a provincial French town. The square outside fills with young Vietnamese hanging out with iced tea. The bars and shops on the side streets behind it are good for an hour in the evening. You can usually only go inside during Mass times or limited hours, so don't make a special trip.

11. Train Street

The famous strip where the Hanoi-Haiphong line runs a metre from people's front doors. The rules change. Authorities have closed the street to visitors repeatedly for safety, and the cafes have gone through cycles of being open and not. If you go, go to a cafe that's legally operating, sit well back from the tracks, and obey whatever the staff say when the train is due. I think it's a lot of fuss for a ten-second train. Others disagree, so ask your hotel what the current status is.

Eating your way through Hanoi

Here's my honest view: if you're in Hanoi and not planning your day around meals, you're doing it wrong. The city has dishes that exist nowhere else in Vietnam at this quality, and they're cheap. Our regional food notes call out phở, bún chả and banh mi as the three to prioritise. I'd add banh cuon (steamed rice rolls) and cha ca.

12. Bun cha for lunch

Grilled pork patties and slices of belly in a sweet, sour, slightly smoky broth, served with cold rice noodles and a basket of herbs. You dunk, you eat, you repeat. Smoke pours out of the street grills around 11:30. Go before noon, because the best places run out by 1 pm. This was the dish that Obama and Anthony Bourdain famously shared, which is why one shop on Le Van Huu has a glass case around the table. The food elsewhere tastes just as good.

13. Pho for breakfast

Northern pho is cleaner and more restrained than the southern version. No bean sprouts and hoisin dumped on top; the broth is the star, simmered for hours with charred ginger and onion. Order pho bo (beef) with "tai" (rare slices) or "chin" (well done). Have it at 7 am with a plastic stool and a glass of iced tea, and you've understood Hanoi.

One last food rule: follow the plastic stools and the crowd of locals. A stall that does one dish, has a short menu, and has a queue at 8 am is almost certainly worth it. Menus in six languages with photos are a warning sign, and so is a vendor who flags you down from the pavement. Wipe your chopsticks if it makes you feel better, as locals do, and carry a few packets of tissues, because napkins are a luxury. Prices are usually fixed and low, but ask first if there's no menu, particularly around the lake where a tourist markup is normal.

14. A guided street food tour

There's a chicken-and-egg problem with street food: you don't know which stalls are good, and you don't know the order to eat things in, so you end up at one stall eating one bowl and going home full and unenlightened. A guided walk fixes it. We've got several to choose from, and the differences matter, so here's how I'd compare them.

The motorbike option is the one I'd pick for confident travellers; riding through the Old Quarter at night, without having to navigate yourself, is a good way to feel like you've lived here a week. If you're travelling with older relatives, stick with a walking tour. And if you want to cook what you've been eating, there are a couple of market-and-cooking-class combinations, which I'll come to in a minute.

15. Market tour and cooking class

Here you shop with a local cook at a morning market, learn the names of the herbs you've been eating without knowing, and then make a few dishes in a kitchen. The Hanoi market tour and traditional dish cooking class is the full version. If your day is tight, the half-day market visit and cooking class covers the basics in less time. I came home and made fresh spring rolls for six people. Two were edible.

Markets, nights, and the rest of the city

16. Dong Xuan Market

The biggest covered market in the Old Quarter is a wholesale maze of fabric, plastic toys, dried goods, and clothes. It's chaotic, loud, and not really aimed at tourists, which is why I like it. Bargaining is expected. Start at about half the first price and settle somewhere near two-thirds. Smile a lot. If the vendor won't budge, walk away slowly, and half the time they'll call you back with a better number.

17. The weekend night market

On Friday to Sunday evenings, the street from Hang Dao to Dong Xuan closes and fills with stalls: cheap T-shirts, phone cases, lanterns, grilled snacks. It's noisy and crowded, and you'll buy things you don't need. Keep your phone in a front pocket, and wear shoes you don't mind getting trodden on.

18. Long Bien Bridge at sunset

This iron bridge across the Red River was built by the French in the early 1900s, bombed repeatedly during the war, and patched back together each time. Trains rumble along the middle, and bikes and pedestrians use the side lanes. Walk out about halfway at golden hour, watch the river barges slip underneath, and look at the rusting trusses. It's grungy and atmospheric and not postcard-pretty. I think that's why it's good.

19. Museums: Ethnology and Fine Arts

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a 20-minute taxi ride out of the centre, but it's among the best museums in Southeast Asia. It covers all 54 ethnic groups in the country with real houses re-erected in the garden: a Bahnar communal house, a Tay stilt house, and a Hmong dwelling. The Fine Arts Museum is smaller and quieter, with lacquer paintings, silk art and Buddhist statues. Both are good rainy-day options.

20. Opera House and the French Quarter

The 1911 Opera House is modelled on the Palais Garnier in Paris and sits at the head of Trang Tien. The streets around it have wide boulevards, plane trees, and grand colonial buildings, which feel nothing like the Old Quarter just a 15-minute walk away. It's a good area for a slow coffee and for seeing the other side of Hanoi's design history.

21. Rooftop cafes and a late drink

Hanoi's rooftop scene has multiplied in the last few years. You'll find them around the lake and in Tay Ho. Go at sunset, order a Vietnamese coffee with coconut, and watch the city lights come on. Cocktails run higher than you'd expect for Vietnam, so a drink at a rooftop bar is a splurge, but the view is the reason you're there.

22. See the city with a guide

If your time is short, or you simply don't want to organise taxis between sights spread across town, a city tour is the best option. Here's how the main ones compare.

The hop-on bus is a decent first-morning orientation if you don't want a guide; you can jump off at the lake, the Temple of Literature or the mausoleum. For the full set of highlights in one go, the one I would start with is the full-day city tour with a water puppet show. It strings the main sights together and finishes with the show, so you only need to organise one thing.

23. Families: water parks and aquariums

Travelling with kids and they've hit templed-out by day two? The Lotte World Aquarium Hanoi is an easy half-day, and the VinWonders Ocean Park wave park and water park are better in the hotter months. Vinhomes Ocean Park is a good 30 to 40 minutes out of the centre, so book a taxi back before you're tired.

Day trips from Hanoi

24. Ninh Binh, the quieter pick

I rank Ninh Binh above Ha Long Bay for a day trip, and I'll admit that's a mildly controversial opinion. It's about two hours south. You get limestone karst towers rising out of rice paddies, row boats gliding through caves at Trang An or Tam Coc, and the old capital of Hoa Lu. The scenery looks like a painting. A rower in a conical hat steers with her feet, which is not a tourist gimmick, just how she likes to row.

There are several versions, so here is how I'd split them. Choose by what you want to do rather than just the lowest price.

The 500-step climb to the top of Hang Mua is the one bit I'd warn about. It's steep, shadeless and busy by midday. Go early, take water, and the viewpoint over the river bends is worth the effort. Wear proper shoes, not flip-flops.

25. Ha Long Bay and Sapa

Ha Long Bay has about 1,600 limestone islands, and it deserves its fame on a clear day. But it's a long haul. Three hours each way on the road for a one-day trip means you spend more time on the bus than on the water. If you can spare it, do an overnight cruise. The 2-day version has time to kayak into a quiet cove at sunrise before the day boats arrive, and that's the part I remember most.

If you have more than three days and want mountains instead of water, Sapa is an overnight trip into the northern hills, with terraced rice fields and Hmong and Dao villages. The 2 days 1 night Sapa tour is the short route, and the 3 days 2 nights with limousine transfer gives you more time on the trails. Temperatures drop sharply in winter. Pack layers.

Two-day Hanoi plan

This is the order I'd give a first-timer with only 48 hours. It keeps the walking in clusters and puts the heavy sights in the morning.

Day 1: the old centre

• 6:00 Lake loop, then a street breakfast of pho or banh mi.
• 9:00 Temple of Literature at opening.
• 11:00 Hoa Lo Prison Museum, then bun cha at noon.
• 14:00 Rest. Seriously. Hanoi in the afternoon is better from a cafe seat.
• 16:00 Old Quarter wander or the cyclo ride, egg coffee on the way.
• 19:00 Water puppet show, then a street food crawl.

Day 2: out of town or deeper in

• Option A: full-day Ninh Binh trip, leaving around 7:30 and back by early evening.
• Option B: stay in town. Mausoleum complex in the morning, Ethnology Museum after lunch, sunset on Long Bien Bridge, dinner in the French Quarter.

If you have a third day, add the cooking class or an overnight in Ha Long Bay. If you have five, add Sapa. It's easy to over-schedule here, and the city rewards slowness.

What Hanoi really costs

Our country notes put typical spend in Vietnam at 500,000 to 2,000,000 dong per person per day, which covers a wide range from backpacker to comfortable. Food and local transport are cheap. Tours and nice hotels are where the budget goes. Here's a rough way to think about it.

Practical tips I wish someone had told me

• Crossing the road. Walk at a steady pace, don't stop, and never run. Drivers aim around you.
• Use Grab, not street taxis. The price is fixed on the app. Meters on random cabs have a bad reputation.
• Get a local SIM or eSIM at the airport. You need maps and the ride app from the first minute.
• Cash is still handy. Small stalls often don't take cards. Withdraw at a bank ATM, not a standalone one on the street.
• Dress for temples. Shoulders and knees covered. Take shoes off where signs ask.
• Watch your bag. Phone snatching from passing bikes happens. Keep it in a cross-body bag, on the side away from the road.
• Check opening days. Many museums close on Mondays. The Mausoleum has its own rules.
• Book anything fixed in advance. Shows, cooking classes and Ha Long cruises are easier when sorted before you arrive. Our team confirms each booking before your e-tickets are emailed, so don't leave it to the last evening.

If you're landing late and want a smoother arrival, the fast track service at Hanoi airport helps with the immigration queue, which can run long at peak times.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do I need in Hanoi?

Two full days covers the main sights. Three lets you add a day trip to Ninh Binh. Five works if you want Ha Long Bay overnight and a trip north to Sapa.

Is Hanoi safe for tourists?

Generally yes. Violent crime against visitors is rare. Bag snatching from motorbikes and overcharging are the common problems, and both are avoidable with a cross-body bag and a ride-hailing app. Traffic is the real hazard.

Do Singaporeans need a visa?

Our verified fact sheet lists a 30-day visa exemption for Singapore passport holders, with six months' passport validity and two blank pages. Rules can change, so confirm on the visa requirements page before booking, and if you need a document showing onward travel, see our flight reservation service.

What is the best month to visit?

October to December for dry, comfortable weather. February to April also works, though it can be misty and cool.

Ninh Binh or Ha Long Bay if I only have one day?

Ninh Binh. It's closer, the drive is shorter, and you spend more of the day doing things. Pick Ha Long only if you can stay overnight on a boat.

Is Hanoi good for kids?

Yes, with a bit of pacing. Water puppets, the lake on a weekend night, boat rides, and the aquarium and water parks work well. The Old Quarter pavements are hard with a pram.

Final thoughts

Hanoi doesn't try very hard to impress you. It's dusty in places, loud nearly everywhere, and the pavements are an obstacle course. And then a woman hands you a bowl of pho at 7 am, or the lake goes pink at dusk, and you're gone. Plan two or three anchor activities, leave the rest of each day loose, and let the city fill the gaps. Whatever you book, do the walking tours on foot and the day trips with someone else driving.