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Capital and centrally-governed city of Vietnam
Photo: xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội), the capital of Vietnam and its second-largest city, is a fascinating blend of East and West, with Chinese influence from centuries of dominance, and French je ne sais quoi from its colonial past. It was largely unspoiled by the modern architecture of the 1970s and 80s, and is now undergoing a rapid transformation that makes it a rising star in Southeast Asia.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Bảo Tàng Mỹ Thuật
Only party-approved art is shown here with information in English and Vietnamese. On three floors of a colonial building, with another three galleries in the west wing. Pieces include soldiers on boats depicted on prehistoric bronze drums, Buddhist art, and revolutionary art of the 20th century wars. Also some interesting lacquer and silk paintings.
The city down south may have his name, but only Hanoi has the man himself, entombed in distinctly Lenin-esque fashion. Against his wishes, but that's how it goes. No talking, revealing clothing (shorts should be knee length and no exposed shoulders), or other signs of disrespect allowed while viewing; photos are allowed only from outside, in the grand Ba Dinh Square. Purses are allowed into the tomb, but expect them to be searched by several bored soldiers along the way. Left luggage is handled in a complicated scheme: there is an office near the street for large bags, with separate windows for Vietnamese and foreigners, and a further office for cameras, which will be transported to a third office right outside the exit of the mausoleum. Items checked in at the first office, however, will stay there. The mausoleum is closed for a couple months around the end of the year, when the body is taken abroad for maintenance. It is closed in the afternoons for maintenance.
This gleaming white museum and its gloriously ham-handed iconography is the perfect chaser to the solemnity of the mausoleum. The building, completed in 1990, is intended to evoke a white lotus. Some photos and old letters are on display on the second floor, but the main exhibition space is on the third floor. It includes cars crashing through walls to represent the chaos of post-war American capitalism, soldiers charging around with bombs that looked like electric plugs, a cave hideout re-imagined as the inside of Ho Chi Minh's brain, and several other postmodern confections integrated with the detailed main story of the man's life and his country's struggle. There are plenty of photographs, prison documents and newspaper cuttings tracing his life along the way. The tour ends with a burnt bridge signifying the separation of Vietnam, followed by a reconstructed bridge showing the unification of Vietnam after the war. One of the more informative museums in Vietnam. Free guides are available in English, French, Chinese and Russian. The displays are labelled in English and French.
The exit from the mausoleum takes you right into the grounds of the, uh, vestige, where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked from 1954 until his death in 1969. The nicely landscaped complex includes Ho Chi Minh's two homes (one a small one-story house, the other a traditional stilt house), kept shiny and "as he left them" by the authorities, as well as a garage with two of Ho's presidential cars and a carp-filled pond. You also get to see Ho Chi Minh's work room and Politburo meeting room. The Presidential Palace is nearby, but it's not open to visitors. Pamphlets are available in English, Chinese, French and Korean. Guided tours are usually available if you wait.
Bảo tàng Cách mạng Việt Nam
Actually two museums: one covers Vietnam from prehistoric times to 1945 and the other covers 1945 to present. This museum gives a very informed and detailed account of the Vietnamese struggle against first the French (starting in 1858—on the first floor), then against the US, ending on 30 Apr 1975 (on the ground floor). It is housed in a colonial French building which was completed in 1932. The building, designed by the architect Ernest Hébrard is considered as a successful blend between the colonial French architecture and traditional Vietnamese architecture, called Indochina architecture. He created double-walls and balconies for a natural ventilation system and protection from sunshine.
Bảo Tàng Phụ nữ Việt Nam
This often overlooked museum has benefited from an extensive renovation of its permanent exhibitions. The modernised interior is well laid out with information in Vietnamese, English and French, and contains a huge amount of information on the fearsome female heroines of Vietnamese history. There are also exhibitions on the rituals and traditions surrounding women in family, as well as a beautifully presented collection of intricate hand-made ethnic costumes. A highlight is the regularly updated special exhibitions on a diverse range of subjects, from contemporary issues such as single mothers and street vendors to traditional medicine and Mother Goddess worship. English language tours are available on request.
Bảo tàng Lịch sử Quân sự Việt Nam
Originally a modest museum located next to the Flag Tower, the Military History Museum and all its 150,000 artifacts has been relocated in 2024 to an enormous 39-hectare compound in the city's outskirts, 12 km from its original location. Now the largest and most modern museum in all of Vietnam, the imposing main building covers the country's military history extending back some two millennia. All museum exhibits and videos are captioned in Vietnamese and English. The vast courtyard houses dozens of military vehicles, aircraft and artillery; many of which are French, American and South Vietnamese assets captured in the Indochina wars. Extremely popular with locals, the museum is usually completely packed on weekends, with dozens of tour buses ferrying out-of-town visitors to the site. Peak queuing times can exceed an hour as a result, so try to visit early on a weekday if possible; give the museum a call beforehand to check how busy it is.
Bảo tàng Dân tộc học Việt Nam
Exhibitions cover mainly the culture and ritual practices of the various ethnic groups in the whole of Vietnam. One of the key attractions of the museum is the open-air exhibition, which has reconstructions of traditional houses from multiple ethnic groups, which even comes with inhabitants in costumes. The museum features actual explanations of the exhibits in Vietnamese, French and English. There is an excellent café on the premises.
Bảo tàng Hà Nội
Local natural and human history down the ages.
Bảo Tàng Không Quân
There's a UH-1 helicopter, Soviet-built MiG fighters, a huge Mi-6 helicopter and other aircraft. Unfortunately they've been exposed to the elements for some time and local children climb over them.
A pleasant park in the centre of town, an easy walk from anywhere in the Old Quarter. This is the locals' favorite leisure spot; especially during weekends, when the lakeside streets are closed to traffic and becomes a pedestrian-only area. A great place to watch people practising tai chi in the morning or to sit and read in the afternoon. At weekends the park becomes even more popular as the normally busy road around it is pedestrianised, and instead filled with children driving electric cars or riding hoverboards. Hoàn Kiếm means "returned sword", and the name comes from a legend in which King Lê Lợi was given a magical sword by the gods, which he used to drive out the invading Chinese. Later, while boating on the lake, he encountered a giant turtle, which grabbed the sword and carried it down to its depths, returning it to the gods from whom it had come. (You can see a version of the legend at the Water Puppet Theatre.) The giant soft-shell turtles, whom Vietnamese biologists assigned to a separate species, Rafetus leloii, resided in the lake until the early 21st century. One of them, who died in 1968, has been preserved by the wonders of taxidermy, and can be viewed in a glass box (sarcophagus?) in a pavilion adjacent to Ngọc Sơn Temple on the island in the lake.
The park faces Hoàn Kiếm lake, with a beautiful view of the busy Hang Bai St. and the serenity of the willows on the bank of the lake. Many locals view this mini-park as their favourite place because it is a symbol of the integration of modernity and tradition. One might encounter a group of youths practising hip-hop, breakdancing, or playing foot-badminton, while at the same time seeing a three-generation family enjoying a walk in the park.
West Lake
Mostly a residential hub of the well-to-do. The InterContinental West Lake, Sheraton Hanoi and Pan Pacific Hanoi are on this lake front.
You can always feel the diversity and liveliness of Hanoi here. In the morning, there are low-energy aerobics class for elders and aerobics class for the young. During the day, one can enjoy the tranquility in the park since everybody is either at work or in school. In the afternoon, it becomes a playground for children, students, soccer teams, and badminton players.
Visitors find this either charming and lovely or utterly pointless, depending on how many tour groups are crammed into the small grounds at the time of their visit. It has a long history attached to it. Regarded as one of Vietnam's iconic temples, it was built by Emperor Lý Thái Tông. The emperor was childless and dreamt that he met the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who handed him a baby son while seated on a lotus flower. He then married a peasant girl that he had met and she bore him a son. The emperor constructed the temple in gratitude for this in 1049 having been told by a monk to build the temple, by erecting a pillar in the middle of a lotus pond, similar to the one he saw in the dream. Before the pagoda was opened, prayers were held for the longevity of the monarch. The temple is built of wood on a single stone pillar 1.25 m in diameter, and it is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, which is a Buddhist symbol of purity, since a lotus blossoms in a muddy pond. In 1954, the French Union forces destroyed the pagoda before withdrawing from Vietnam after the First Indochina War, it was rebuilt afterwards.
玉山寺
Located on a small island in the Hoan Kiem Lake, connected with the mainland by a bridge. With small but attractive grounds, the temple displays on Vietnamese history and, more memorably, displays on the giant turtles, including a mummified specimen (who died in 1968). The two on-site gift shops vend a variety of souvenirs, many of them turtle-themed. Entry fee: 50.000 Dong
Văn Miếu / 文庙
The Temple was founded in 1070 and became the country's first university six years later. The overall design is somewhat similar to the "original" Confucian Temple in Qufu, with 5 courtyards. Most of the architecture is named with titles indicating reverence to literature and language. The showpiece of the complex is the third courtyard with eighty-odd stone tablets, each mounted on the back of a tortoise (known as bixi in Chinese), inscribed with the names of graduates. Another courtyard is full of gift shops, which also sell stamps, coins, and books. A reduced-size replica of the famous giant softshell turtle (the original being at the Ngoc Son Temple at the Lake of the Returned Sword) can be seen in one of the pavilions as well; it was made by Vietnamese artisans out of ceramic, and gold-plated. The fourth courtyard contains a temple and statues devoted to Confucius and his four disciples. Chinese history buffs should look out for the 萬世師表 plaque, which was presented to the temple by Emperor Kangxi of China in 1693. The fifth and last courtyard, which was destroyed by the French in 1946 and rebuilt in 2000, contains a mini-museum showcasing information on Emperor Lý Thánh Tông and his successors who built and renovated the temple. You may find a Vietnamese band playing local instrumental music in front of this museum. There are explanatory wall-hangings in English and French all along the way, and you don't need a guide.
Chùa Quán Sứ
The headquarters of Vietnamese Buddhism.
Chùa Trấn Quốc
The oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, on an island near the southeastern shore of West Lake.
Đền Bạch Mã
The eastern temple, dedicated to Long Đỗ, the thành hoàng (city god) of Thăng Long (now Hà Nội), and represented in the temple as a white horse (Bạch Mã in Vietnamese, hence its name).
Đền Quán Thánh
The northern temple, dedicated to the Taoist god Xuanwu, known in Vietnamese as Trấn Vũ, with a large bronze statue of him at the main altar.
Đền Voi Phục
The western temple, dedicated to Prince Linh Lang, a son of King Lý Thái Tông and his 9th concubine Dương Thị Quang, who was killed in action at the Battle of Như Nguyệt River in a war with China's Song Dynasty. The name Voi Phục means "kneeling elephant", and you can see two statues of elephants in a kneeling position at the front of the temple, hence its name.
Đền Kim Liên
The southern temple, dedicated to Cao Sơn Đại Vương, a Vietnamese mountain god who is said to be a son of King Lạc Long Quân of the ancient Hồng Bàng dynasty and his wife, the immortal mountain snow goddess Âu Cơ.
Hội Quán Phúc Kiến / 福建會館
Former assembly hall of the Chinese from Fujian province. It was converted to a primary school after the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War, but was restored to its former glory in 2015, and is used for some public functions.
Hội Quán Quảng Đông / 粵東會館
Former assembly hall of the Chinese from Guangdong province. It was converted to a kindergarten after the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War, but was restored to its former glory in 2021, and is now an exhibition space open to the public.
Built as a residence for the Vietnamese king, the citadel was mostly destroyed by the French, used as a military headquarters during the Vietnam War. It is now a as "Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi".
Buildings press up nearly to the railroad ties of the railway through central Hanoi, creating a narrow corridor for trains to pass through. Two stretches of rail corridor, just to the north and the south of Hanoi Station, are lined by restaurants and cafes. Several times a day, trains quickly pass close to the cafe seating. You'll have to buy a coffee, juice or a beer, but prices are reasonable. Safety concerns prompt occasional closures.
Because of stupid tourists posing for selfies in front of oncoming trains, there are now police posted at the entrance to order people away. Cafe owners can bring you in through passageways nearby, however, so wander around to look for an invitation. Trains pass around 15:00 and 19:00 daily.
Trains pass several times daily, typically around 10:30, 15:00, and 19:00.
Lotte Observation Deck
Indoor viewing floor at the top of the Lotte Center skyscraper; visitors circle the windows for a panorama taking in West Lake and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and can step out onto glass panels over the drop.
A late 19th-century Gothic Revival church that serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hanoi. Built by the French in 1886, the exterior is gaunt and grey, but the interior is light and peaceful. Mass is held several times a day, and for Sunday evening mass at 18:00 the crowds are huge: the service is broadcast to those outside who can't get in. Major renovation works to maintain the cathedral's structural integrity and restore its exterior paintwork were completed in 2022.
Completed in 1906 as the residence of the French Governor-General of Indochina. It became the official residence of the President of North Vietnam following independence in 1954, and later of the President of Vietnam following reunification in 1975. Ho Chi Minh was said to have refused to live in the palace for symbolic reasons, though he used it to receive state guests. The building is not open to the public, but you can view it from the outside and take photographs.
Trung tâm Triển lãm Việt Nam
Opened in August 2025, this 90-hectare complex is one of the largest exhibition venues in Southeast Asia. Its centrepiece is the domed Kim Quy hall, which holds ten exhibition halls under one roof, while the surrounding outdoor squares host concerts and festivals. Check the event calendar on the website before visiting.
Huu Tiep Lake
Until 19 Dec 1972, this was just a small brackish pond just off Hoàng Hoa Thám St., about 1 km west of the mausoleum. On that day, in a twisted retelling of the Hoan Kiem legend, Vietnamese anti-aircraft missiles blasted the enemy's eight-engine, 100-ton aircraft and sent it to the shallow bottom of the lake, where it remains.
A stone plaque commemorating the shooting down of a US Navy (not "USAF" as depicted) aircraft in 1967. Read the Vietnamese script and you can pick out the name of John McCain, the late U.S. senator, one of the airmen.
Hanoi Hilton
This prison was built by the French at the turn of the 20th century, in classical French prison design. Two thirds of the prison was torn down to make way for the Hanoi Towers, and the rest was converted into a museum. This is where the French imprisoned and executed Vietnamese freedom fighters. The museum exhibits the plight of jailed political revolutionaries under the French colonial regime and the struggle of the Vietnamese people against imperialism in chilling detail. Later, during the America-Vietnam War, the prison held US prisoners of war that sarcastically referred to it as the "Hanoi Hilton". This period is not emphasized, except to present the official narrative of how humanely the POWs were treated, such as showing photos only of prisoners being treated well and playing basketball and playing chess. The museum claims to have the flight suit of John McCain, the most notable POW held here, from when his plane was shot down. Most of the exhibits have detailed English information, but you can also get an audioguide for 50,000 dong.
Rap Thang 8
Renovated into a Nightclub
The movies are relatively new, perhaps one or two months later than in the US. The movies are not dubbed although there are subtitles so both non-Vietnamese speakers and locals can enjoy them.
Cooking school, retail outlet and beautiful courtyard cafe with an excellent menu of Asian and Western favourites. Hands-on cooking classes and short courses in a relaxed atmosphere.
Hidden Hanoi runs walking tours and cooking classes. There are many options including the 1-hr walking tour of the local market, followed by the 3-hr cooking class. Cooking class menus change daily, and there are other walking tours available. They also run language classes, and there is a dance school in the same building.
Fully equipped facilities to learn Vietnamese cooking. A typical day will commence with a visit to the morning market accompanied by an instructor to select ingredients for your cooking lesson. The class will be followed by a meal in a restaurant sampling your own cooking as well as traditional Vietnamese dishes.
Nice, not too expensive spa with a range of services, including massages, manicures/pedicures, facials. They will pay for your one-way taxi fare to the spa. Friendly staff.
200-m² climbing surface, a 50-m² café & terrace to chill out, and a climbing pro-shop. Also a great place for finding out where to climb immediately outside of Hanoi.
Musicians accompany folk legends from Vietnamese history, told with wooden men, women, and dragons, dancing and splashing on the face of the water. The narratives are sung in Vietnamese, but lyrics are available in several languages. Or just ignore the dialogue and narration and focus on the special effects. There are several performances throughout the day. Don't worry about getting wet, but the seats are very small, and visitors with above-average height will have to squirm a bit.
Vietnam Tuồng Theatre
Hát tuồng (Hanoi: [háːt tûəŋ]) or hát bội (Saigon: [háːk ɓôjˀ]) is a form of Vietnamese theatre. Hát tuồng is often referred to as classical "Vietnamese opera" influenced by Chinese opera which combines acting, singing, and dancing. Tuồng employs the use of stock characters who are recognizable from their make-up and costumes, which are typically very elaborate and extravagant. Usually, a character's personalities can be revealed through three features: the color of the face, the eyebrows, and the beard.
In this 1 hour show, the artists will perform most interesting, unique and typical recitals from famous Tuongs (which typically last 1-2 hours). The show starts at 18:00 but from 17:30 the theater is open so the guests can interact with the artists, observe the performance preparation and try to sing, dance, play drum with the artists and enjoy traditional royal tea. The English leaflets will be provided for every guest which will introduce the content of each recital throughout the show.
Tu Phu (Four Palaces Show)
"Four Palaces” refers to the belief in the worship of Four Mother Goddesses, including Mother Goddess of Heaven, Mother Goddess of Forest, Mother Goddess of Water and Mother Goddess of Earth.The late 19th and early 20th centuries were the most flourishing periods of Mother Goddess religion in Viet folklore. There are times when Mother Goddess religion is considered as a manifestation of superstition and thus prohibited. However, the rituals of “Tứ Phủ” (Four Palaces), known by several other names, for instance, Tứ Phủ Công Đồng or Four Palaces Council, hát văn, chầu thánh, etc., still have a remarkable presence and strong reflection in Viet folk arts for several reasons:
1. Four Palaces is considered as a medium of lively communication of humans with Gods or Saints, divine beings who are familiar to Vietnamese both spiritually and in real life. The communications are organized as rituals by psychics or mediums who play roles of middlemen connecting people to divines. As such, it connected with Vietnamese in general.
2. Four Palaces is a lively form of art which collected many materials of folk arts, for example, hát chầu văn or chầu thánh (a traditional folk art which combines trance singing and dancing) and rites (ceremonies) as well as music with drum, flute and folk instruments; ritual dancing, rites of hầu đồng (hiển thánh) or ritual dress of sorceresses, etc. You can buy ticket online via website.
Show "Long Thanh Dien Xuong"
Chèo (Vietnamese: [cɛ̂w]) is a form of generally satirical musical theatre, often encompassing dance, traditionally performed by Vietnamese peasants in northern Vietnam. It is usually performed outdoors by semi-amateur touring groups, stereotypically in a village square or the courtyard of a public building, although it is increasingly also performed indoors and by professional performers. Chèo stage art is one of the great cultural heritage of the Vietnamese folk treasure. Chèo has been a popular art form of the Vietnamese people for many generations and has fostered the national spirit through its lyrical content. Show Long Thanh Dien Xuong introduces to the visitors different types of folk arts/performances which used to be common in the history, when Hanoi was the royal capital of Viet Kingdom: cheo, ca tru, chau van, xam, water puppet.
Built by the French during the colonial period, it usually hosts classical music concerts and local Vietnamese plays and pop concerts rather than operas.
The suburb of Le Mat (aka Snake Village) has numerous restaurants specializing in cobra foodstuffs. Live cobras are stored on the premises much the same way one would find live lobsters at a Western seafood restaurant. If one orders cobra blood wine from the menu, the waiter will take a live cobra, kill it on the spot, drain the blood into a shot glass of rice wine and top it off with the cobra's still beating heart for you to gulp down. Not for animal lovers or the ecologically-minded. Cobras are not cheap, but one snake becomes a dozen unique dishes, and enough to share between 3-4 people. Rượu rắn is cobra steeped whole in rice wine – or, especially in tourist areas, perhaps a cheaper, non-poisonous snake with similar coloring whose body has been stretched to give it the expected shape. Carefully investigate customs restrictions before deciding to bring a few bottles home, as some of the snakes used are endangered species.
The sandwich is very delicious and crispy. Pretty crowded. You can also eat there at 3am and it will feel delicious.
Highly recommended if you are looking for authentic North Vietnamese Bun Cha. The food is great, bursting with flavour. Very cosy place.
Vietnamese Sandwiches. This is a good restaurant for a quick bite to eat near Dong Xuan Market. Lovely place and mouth watering food.
Simple Vietnamese home-cooked food. Also amazing vegan food. The fried tofu in tomato sauce and grilled eggplant are delicious. Also a cute date spot.
Vietnamese Sandwiches. This place is open from early morning and serves great bahn mi. Nice staff with good English skills.
Inexpensive, home-cooked Vietnamese meals. Delicious and nutritious rice, clean restaurant.
Some rate this as one of the best examples of bún chả in Hanoi, and therefore Vietnam (apparently in the south, bún chả is specifically advertised as Hanoi-style). For 100,000 dong each, you'll get a bowl full of tiny minced-pork rissoles that have been chargrilled over an open flame and a massive plate of pork rice paper rolls that have been fried in oil twice. You also get a phenomenal dipping sauce (fish sauce, made from sugar, garlic, peppers usually), a massive plate of greens and herbs and more bun (rice noodle) than you can handle. It is now more touristy than it used to be. Great food, but expect rude service. There is another Bún Chả Đắc Kim in 67 Đường Thành.
Serve delicious beef rice noodle, fried bread stick is crispy and delicious. The place is so clean and nice. All of the soups and sides include beef (bo), so this isn't for vegetarians.
Many pho varieties. Store is only open in the morning. Locals crowd the place, so you know it must be good.
This excellent restaurant is a good vegetarian option, and will please both vegetarians and non-vegetarians with its wide range of innovative dishes, which include fake meat dishes. Restaurant is comfortable with good ambience, and is good value. Well worth the short walk out of the old town.
Typical local vegetarian restaurant like you'll find everywhere in Vietnam except Hanoi, a little off the beaten track in an atmospheric alleyway.
Choose from a wide variety of seafood dishes (many of which are swimming around in tanks) and other Vietnamese specialities. Friendly staff complements the tasty food.
Interesting little place which has excellent Vietnamese and Western food.
Upscale cafe serving mainly Westerners in a pleasantly lit restaurant.
Authentic Italian food, probably the best you'll get in Hanoi. Prices are steep and portions small.
Excellent selection of Western and Vietnamese food served in a coffee shop environment.
Part of a small international chain of pizza restaurants. Locally run, they do regular special offers such as free desserts, eat-all-you-can buffets and loyalty schemes, whereby collecting tokens with each take-out entitles you to a free pizza. Pizzas, burgers, ice cream and apple crumble.
Two-floor ramen shop owned by a Japanese chef, specialising in excellent tantanmen with creamy, Sichuan-inspired "numbing spicy" mala broth.
Restaurant specialising in cha ca (Hanoi-style turmeric-and-dill grilled fish cooked at the table), set in a restored old house once belonging to Madam Tu Hong, a 19th-century Vietnamese businesswoman.
Authentic Indian restaurant with classy interior and good view of West Lake, frequented by Indian expats; restaurant manager is a Goa native. All meat served is halal, with extensive vegetarian options available. Highly recommend the tandoor-grilled chicken, lamb and broccoli dishes. Reservations recommended.
Delicious
Wide range of choices of dishes from everywhere in Vietnam at reasonable prices. Limited seating and many customers, so a wait is certain. They have a large seating area so customers do not have to wait long. Serves both lunch and dinner.
Hole-in-the-wall ramen joint in Hanoi's "Japantown", frequented by Japanese expats; some staff speaks Japanese. Excellent quality and variety of ramen at very reasonable prices. Reservations recommended due to limited seating; takeaway and home deliveries also available.
Vietnamese restaurant in well-preserved heritage villa, serving traditional Northern cuisine at reasonable prices. Excellent choice for first-time visitors who want authentic home-style cooking in a more upscale dining space. Inexplicably awarded a Michelin star in 2023 despite not at all being a fine dining destination, but forget about the star and you'll have a good time. To the restaurant's credit, their low prices have remained mostly unchanged since; but prior reservations are now essential.
越来顺
Grand Chinese dining hall serving the best and most authentic Sichuanese cuisine in town, alongside some Cantonese options. Caters near-exclusively to Chinese group clientele, with private rooms and karaoke facilities. Servings are all very large (sized for 3-4 pax) as a result, but kitchen can accommodate requests for half-servings.
Italian restaurant in grand colonial-style mansion, with commanding lakefront views of West Lake. Ground floor counter also offers extensive selection of Italian cured meats and cheese for takeaway. Risottos are especially good. Reservations recommended; home deliveries also available.
Excellent contemporary European wine bar and bistro, with intimate countertop seating and dedicated cocktail bar on second floor. French head chef formerly sous chef at Michelin-starred Parisian restaurant. No tables, only 18 counter seats. Reservations recommended due to limited seating, but walk-ins also welcome.
Fine dining fixed-course experience, awarded one Michelin star in 2023. Atmospheric decor and friendly, knowledgeable staff serving modern reinventions of traditional Vietnamese cuisine using local produce. Reservations essential.
Go here for a purely Vietnamese fine dining experience, without Gia's more Western-leaning influences. High-quality, farm-to-table ingredients obtained from across the north. Closed on weekends; reservations essential.
Luxury buffet restaurant. Immense triple-height dining room with panoramic views of adjacent lake and National Convention Center complex. Six live stations serve Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Mediterranean, BBQ, carved meat and fresh seafood selection; Sunday brunch has unlimited abalone, lobsters, French oysters and foie gras. Attached "Chocolate Lab" makes fresh, handmade truffles on site. Reservations essential.
Out-of-the-way modern French bistro with Korean touches in casual, minimalist dining room. Excellent cooking, though portions are a tad small. Korean head chef formerly worked at Michelin-starred restaurant in Osaka. Reservations recommended.
Top-notch Vietnamese and European cuisine in a French colonial mansion. On the expensive side for Hanoi, but the atmosphere and good quality of food make up for it. A pianist alternates with piped music.
Serves a wide range of traditional regional Italian dishes. An extensive wine list with Italian wines from Veneto, Tuscany, Puglia, Sicilia, and Piedmont. Friendly service. A great place to relax and get recover after a long walking and shopping day. A/C within, extensive seating outside.
Fine dining with Western cuisine and a good selection of wines. 70-seat restaurant, private wine room for 12, and another cosy private room for 4. A combination of old and contemporary features with a classically trained chef.
Fine American steakhouse serving a wide range of aged meats, including authentic Japanese Kobe; named Asia's Best Luxury Steakhouse in the 2019 World Luxury Restaurant Awards. Glitzy Art Deco dining room with panoramic views of the city. Large private rooms, dedicated wine & cheese tasting room, and upstairs whisky & sake lounge. Attached mezzanine-floor Stellar Teppanyaki serves its own tasting menus. Reservations recommended.
Teppan Shu
Authentic omasake restaurant in Hanoi's "Japantown", serving traditional sushi, sashimi and donburi; all seafood and Wagyu beef flown fresh from Japan multiple times per week. A favourite of local Japanese expats, head chef have decade's worth of experience in Japan and speaks fluent Japanese. No tables, only 12 counter seats. Second-floor Teppan Shu exclusively serves grilled Ozaki beef. Reservations essential.
Hanoi's first high-end tasting menu experience. Cozy second-floor dining room, serving inventive and technically accomplished Modern Scandinavian cuisine. Reservations essential.
Popular spot for ice cream on a hot day. Beware of motorbikes when entering the establishment, since it is sort of a drive-thru/drive-in ice cream shop. Recommended is the local cóm or đậu xanh flavours.
Danish-owned, Danish-style craft brewery.
A crowded bar with weekly performances by popular local singers. A place for the definitive Vietnamese entertainment scene. Has a cover charge on the weekends. Seems to combine part live singing with drag performances and a host club.
Small but lively bar with two levels, the top floor which is usually packed with Westerners smoking loads of cigarettes. Mao himself is usually in presence, playing all kinds of music from his iPod. He's extremely friendly and will strike up a conversation with anyone willing to listen.
This longtime institution of the Hanoi music scene is still run by the same Mr Quyen Van Minh. It seems to move venue every couple of years, so worth checking in advance. In 2015 it was in an alley behind the opera house. No cover charge, beers get more expensive (around 75,000 dong) shortly before the music starts at 21:00, but cocktails are the same price (around 100,000 dong). Offers food.
Boutique cocktail bar on the top floor of a building with a balcony overlooking the cathedral. Menu covers homemade-infused signature cocktails as well as classics; non-alcoholic options available. Happy hour 17:00-20:00. Reservations accepted. Cash, card and QR payment.
Wide variety of Vietnamese craft beer, mostly from the south, but with a limited selection from the local Long Bien brewery. Despite the name, seats are available upstairs.
Large outdoor rooftop bar & brasserie with 128 seats. One of the highest bars in the world at 272 m, with commanding 360-degree views of the entire city, live DJs on Tu-Su, and open kitchen. Best visited at sunset for Golden Hour ambiance; can get quite chilly at night due to high altitude, especially during winter, so bring outerwear if necessary. Noticeably pricier than the average bar, as to be expected.
On the 3rd floor in a ship-shaped 5-storey building (which is about to be demolished, so be quick) overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake and Vietnam's "Piccadilly Circus". Great spot to relax in scenic location where you can watch all the traffic and pedestrians go about their business below you along their outside balcony or stay inside their comfy air conditioned interior. They also serve food and beer.
Several locations across the city, although the most central is probably the one at 54 Ma May. Serves various coffees, chocolates and teas including their speciality coconut coffee smoothie (around 45,000 dong). Popular with a young and relatively hip but well off crowd, and open late.
Multi-storey art-themed cafe directly behind St. Joseph's Cathedral, serving specialty coffee and house-made syrups. Upper-floor balcony tables overlook the cathedral; non-coffee options available.
formerly Hanoi Legend
Central 3-star. The rooms are spacious, safe, and renovated. Some rooms have wardrobes. The floors are hard tiled and very clean. LCD TV and refrigerator. Also a heater/air conditioner (the hot water 24/7); ironing boards, hair-dryers; Wi-Fi throughout; free Internet computers in the lobby and a wonderful breakfast. Like most hotels in this area, they lock the doors late. The staff is very friendly. But for English (or French) and negotiating, you need to ask for Tuan: he is a floating manager who can be easily summoned and is a knowledgeable concierge. Booking in advance is advisable. Note two properties at this address, the other is very basic.
A small hotel very popular with backpackers. Friendly and reliable staff. All rooms air-con with en suite toilet and shower. Has a sister establishment, Hanoi Guesthouse 2.
Run by an Australian couple. Private en suite rooms and shared rooms. Air-con, cable TV. Fully informed and equipped travel service for all destinations in Vietnam. Friendly English speaking staff. Free beer and spring rolls on Thursday nights. Laundry service. Good music in cafe. Free Internet PCs and free Wi-Fi in rooms.
formerly Hanoi Youth Hostel
17 rooms and dormitory with city view, air-con, satellite TV, telephone, minibar, en suite bath with tub and shower. Relaxation room on the 1st floor complete with a pool table, a dart board and a library. Free Wi-Fi, free beer, free tea, free coffee, free breakfast.
Basic 2-star in tall, ramshackle building with no lift. The rooms have comfortable beds, good hot water pressure for showers and air-con/fan combos. Amenities include satellite TV, free Internet and bathtub. Helpful staff with good English.
Rooms are clean and furnished with air conditioning, TV, sofa chairs, a minibar, a dresser, and a bathroom with hot and cold taps and a bath tub. High-speed Wi-Fi is available as well. The English speaking staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and can help you book tours.
Clean rooms with bath. Breakfast available. A few min by walk to Dong Xuan Market and Hoan Kiem Lake. Free Internet in some rooms and also at dining room at ground level.
In the heart of the old town, clean rooms, helpful staff with a good level of English. They can also arrange transportation and tours.
Swimming pool and rooms with air-conditioning and soundproofing. Each bed has 2 lockers, reading light and other amenities. Bike rental, luggage storage, laundry services.
Rooms are new, clean, bright, quiet, friendly staff.
Run by two Australians who have lived there for many years. Clean air-con rooms (including female-only dorms plus double rooms), hot showers, tri-weekly BBQs on the rooftop, free Wi-Fi. All dorm beds have a large personal locker (no extra fee), shelf, and nightlight. Book in advance in high season.
Local friendly staff. Free Internet. Some guests report questionable hygiene. Free beer every night. They have a similar "Old Quarter" hostel at 14-16 Thanh Ha Street.
Dorms have air-con, free computer use, breakfast can be added for USD1.
24-hour front desk and a restaurant for complimentary daily breakfast. Featuring Victorian-inspired decor, air-conditionaled rooms come with a smart TV. Fan is additionally provided. In-room safe, fast Wi-Fi, minibar and electric kettle, complimentary coffee, tea, snack are also included. All rooms have natural light and views of the Hanoi Old Town. The ensuite bathrooms come with bathtub or glass wall, hair dryer, and hot shower.
A recreational club with 75 hotel rooms. Tennis courts, squash courts, fully equipped gym, 25m pool, 48 bay golf driving range, Chinese restaurant, lounge, and cafe. Peaceful with hardly any sounds of traffic. Rooms are modern with some rooms facing the lake. Complimentary Wi-Fi in rooms.
Boutique hotel with clean and spacious rooms. Friendly staff speak English.
Large bath, rooftop restaurant, bar with city view. The hotel is especially good for business travel as the surroundings are very quiet and well-sited.
Business boutique hotel with 28 rooms, next to Hanoi train station.
3-star going on 2. Free Wi-Fi and TV. En suite all rooms, breakfast included and travel services available.
The first incarnation was at 18A Quan Su St, now it's moved across the intersection. Quiet location. A boutique hotel with modern facilities and professional staff. TV, fan, air-con, hot shower, bathtub or Jacuzzi, and optional breakfast. In-room computer with Internet is included.
2-star, basic but clean. All rooms have air-con, cable TV and Internet. Restaurant, sauna, travel agency and massage service.
Rooms with satellite TV, air-con, safe, tea & coffee maker, and en suite baths. An on-site restaurant serves breakfast. Bar, car park, bicycle rental and babysitting are available.
Three hotels in the Old Quarter, all clean and spacious. Staff skillful with good English and courteous. Walking distance to Hoan Kiem Lake. Minibar/refrigerator, LCD cable TV and air-con. Free Internet access and Wi-Fi, restaurant and 24-hr room service.
formerly Hanoi Viet Hotel
3-star with 38 rooms and suites with private balconies.
Clean, spacious rooms. Hotel staff is courteous, friendly and warm. Renovated & name change in summer 2018, previous reviews were abysmal.
In Old Quarter, all bedrooms have en suite bath with tub and shower, air conditioning and heating, mini bar, free Wi-Fi, safe, flat screen TV with cable television, hairdryer. All floors can be reached by an elevator.
Hanoi's very first modern hotel, a grand French colonial institution opened in 1901; now part of Accor Group. Patronised by mostly older European travelers. Five restaurants serve tasty and fresh (if very expensive) French, European and Vietnamese cuisine.
Glamorous Art Deco boutique hotel designed by starchitect hotelier Bill Bensley; latest addition to the ultraluxe Capella chain. Incredible interior and exterior decor, gorgeous artwork and marble murals, underground swimming pool and spa, colorfully plush rooms - and predictably sky-high prices (actually more expensive than the Metropole next door, which is quite the achievement). Worth a visit for the architecture alone, even if you're not staying here; the staff will be happy to show you around.
Rooms are big and offer views of the city.
Beautifully renovated and modernised in 2024. 155 rooms and suites, 93 of which are non-smoking rooms and 20 connecting rooms. All rooms are equipped with LCD flat screen, wide selection of international cable TV channels. Minibar, IDD telephone, personal safe, tea and coffee making provided. Broadband cable and Wi-Fi is accessible in all rooms and throughout the public areas of the hotel.
185 apartments that range from one- to three-bedroom layouts, and a three-bedroom penthouse. Each apartment has a kitchen, IDD telephone with a private number, and furnishings.
Hotel of 359 rooms and overwater pavilions with private balconies, built on stilts atop West Lake. Styled as a modernised adaptation of traditional Vietnamese architecture.
Large gardens and courtyards. Rooms are furnished with traditional décor and modern amenities.
formerly and still widely-known among locals as Sofitel Plaza
5-star with 317 rooms. Renowned as the most scenic hotel in Hanoi with a zigzag façade and stepped architecture. Hotel is spotless and well-maintained with very friendly staff, gets consistently good reviews.
Modern and well-equipped Korean hotel, located atop the Lotte Center: a residential-commercial skyscraper complex with integrated luxury shopping mall and supermarket, two dozen restaurants, observation deck, and an outdoor rooftop bar. Nearby Linh Lang area is home to both the Japanese Embassy and Hanoi's Japanese expat community, with high-quality Japanese restaurants of all stripes aplenty. 15-min drive to Sword Lake.
Luxury hotel, part of a larger apartment and business complex that includes 7 restaurants and cafés, 2 banks and a dance club. There is a large pool, exercise room, business centre with translation services and free Internet in the rooms.
Enormous contemporary business hotel, with excellent selection of fine-dining restaurants (French, Cantonese, fusion Japanese and international buffet). Mainly serves corporate and events clientele, being located in the commercial Mỹ Đình area; is otherwise a long way from any major attractions (30-min drive to Sword Lake).
The equivalent meaning in English would be "Evening Market"
A huge range of goods, and famous for the fabric market on the second floor. There are many kiosks selling different types of fabrics ranging from cheap, affordable to best quality with a high price. When shopping, take your time and never rush into buying anything. Sellers often quote a very high price that you can bargain down considerably.
Famous for being the market for wholesalers. They have school supplies, stuffed animals, clothing. It is quite an experience to spend some time in the market observing the sellers and buyers.
A 6-storey building to house the market is under construction. All the kiosks are now in the neighbouring area, either on Phùng Hưng (second-hand clothing), Đường Thành, or Lý Nam Đế Streets. Sell a huge range of goods including pets, groceries, prepared foods and fabrics. It is now mostly empty.
The major north-south street in the Old Quarter, from Hoàn Kiếm Lake almost to the train overpass, becomes a crowded walking street with everything from pirated DVDs to traditional ornaments. Prices are negotiable, but "foreigner pricing" is fairly common. Thankfully many shops nowadays offer fixed prices with big "no bargaining" signs.
New and used books.
By train
The Reunification Express goes all the way to Ho Chi Minh City ("Saigon"), although there is very little 'express' about it.
By bus
com and its app. Long distance buses arrive at My Dinh bus station (Bến Xe Mỹ Đình) and many other places depending on the bus company.
By train
Metro Line 2A connects Cát Linh (west of the Old Quarter) to Yên Nghĩa in the southwestern suburbs. Metro Line 3 connects Cầu Giấy to Nhổn in the northwestern suburbs.
By bus
Scam-free, cheap but a bit difficult to comprehend at first, the buses in Hanoi are relatively fast, air-conditioned and surprisingly comfortable.
By taxi
The easiest way to get around is by using the Grab app (Android, iOS).
By car
Hanoi's traffic is extremely chaotic, with seemingly perpetual traffic jams, and a large number of almost suicidal motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.
By motorbike
Motorcycles can be rented for around US$6–7 a day, and can be arranged by most hotels.
By foot
This is the best way to traverse the maze of little streets in the old quarter and Hoan Kiem lakeside (which is traffic-free at weekends).
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