Things To Do In Hanoi

The Old Quarter, History You Can Walk Through

The Hoan Kiem District’s 36 Old Streets are the beating heart of Hanoi. Each street once specialised in a single trade, silk on one, tin on the next, paper lanterns on another, and hints of those old vocations linger if you know where to look. Our full Hanoi Old Quarter guide breaks it all down street by street.

Wander Hang Bac Street for silver jewellery, or lose an hour on Hang Ma Street with its riot of colourful paper decorations. Traffic here is chaotic and glorious: cross roads slowly and predictably and the motorbikes will weave around you like water around a stone. If navigating it solo sounds daunting, a guided walking tour booked through Get Your Guide or Klook pairs the sensory chaos with genuinely good storytelling.

The Hanoi night markets that take over the Old Quarter on weekends are a whole different creature, worth a separate evening entirely. And once you’ve walked yourself into a pleasant stupor, check our where to stay in Hanoi guide to find a base right in the thick of it.

Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s First University

Built in 1070, this place has been quietly impressing visitors for nearly a thousand years. The Temple of Literature was Vietnam’s first national university, and the grounds today are all tranquil courtyards, traditional pavilions, and stone stelae carved with the names of ancient scholars.

It’s the perfect window into how deeply Confucian philosophy shaped Vietnamese governance and culture, and it photographs beautifully in morning light. Book a guided tour through Get Your Guide or Klook if you want context that goes far beyond the information boards. The difference between visiting with a good guide and without one is substantial.

Vietnam is packed with extraordinary historical sites, and Hanoi punches well above its weight on this front. Our Vietnam war history guide is worth reading alongside a Hanoi itinerary, since several of the most moving sites in the country sit within an easy taxi ride of here. If you’re beginning to plan the wider trip, our first-time Vietnam guide lays the groundwork.

Long Bien Bridge at Dusk, Rusty, Resilient, and Romantic

Designed by French engineers and completed at the turn of the 20th century, Long Bien Bridge crosses the Red River connecting Hoan Kiem and Long Bien districts. It was bombed repeatedly during the war, patched up, and kept going, much like the city itself.

Pedestrians and motorbikes still share the narrow outer lanes, and walking out along the iron framework at dusk gives you sweeping views over the Red River and the banana plantations far below. A train rumbles across the central span every hour or so, close enough to feel the vibration in your chest. It’s not on every tourist list, which is precisely why you should go.

The bridge is a natural starting point for exploring Long Bien District on the far bank, a quieter, more residential side of Hanoi that most visitors miss entirely. Combine it with a late afternoon street food crawl back through the Old Quarter as the lights come on. For getting between spots efficiently, our how to get around Hanoi guide covers everything from ride apps to renting a bicycle for the day.

• Cash: Street food vendors and traditional markets rarely accept cards. Keep Vietnamese Dong in smaller denominations (20,000, 50,000, and 100,000 VND notes). Watch the zeros, the 20,000 and 500,000 VND notes share a similar colour but are very different values. Our Vietnam currency guide covers ATMs, exchange, and avoiding dodgy rates.

• Tours and Activities: Book guided street food tours, Ninh Binh day trips, and Ha Long Bay excursions through Klook or Get Your Guide. The best-rated tours fill up fast in high season (October to April), and booking ahead typically saves you money versus arranging on the ground.

• Airport Transfer: If you want a stress-free arrival, Welcome Pickups offers a fixed-rate transfer from Noi Bai Airport straight to your hotel door. Particularly good for late-night arrivals when you’d rather not wrestle with apps and currency on three hours of plane sleep.

Hanoi’s location is a serious gift. Within a few hours in almost any direction you’ve got some of the most dramatic scenery in Southeast Asia, and a well-planned day trip can be one of the highlights of your entire Vietnam trip.

Ha Long Bay is the obvious one, and yes, the reputation is earned. Thousands of limestone karsts rising out of emerald water, best explored on an overnight cruise rather than a rushed day trip. Our guide to Ha Long Bay cruises walks you through how to choose a boat that won’t disappoint, and our budget vs luxury breakdown helps you get the best value for your budget.

Ninh Binh is the one locals recommend when you ask them where to go instead of the crowds. Often called “Ha Long Bay on land,” the landscape of rice paddies, river gorges, and ancient pagodas is extraordinary, and easily visited as a day trip from Hanoi. Book a guided day trip through Get Your Guide or Klook and you’ll get transport, a boat tour through Trang An, and a guide who actually knows the stories behind what you’re looking at. Highly recommended.

Hanoi is a safe, welcoming city with very low rates of violent crime. The sensory overload on day one can feel a bit overwhelming, the traffic, the noise, the sheer energy of it all, but it clicks into place quickly. Most first-timers are pleasantly surprised by how navigable it is. Our full Is Vietnam Safe guide covers everything in detail if you want proper reassurance before you go.

A few things worth knowing: traffic follows a fluid logic rather than strict rules, so cross roads slowly and steadily and the bikes will flow around you. For food safety, stick to stalls with high local footfall and visible high-temperature cooking. Turnover is your friend. Keep your phone in your front pocket and your bag zipped when walking near busy intersections, and you’ll have very little to worry about.

It’s also worth getting SafetyWing travel insurance sorted before you fly, not because Hanoi is dangerous, but because it’s genuinely good value and covers everything from lost luggage to unexpected medical costs. Our travel insurance for Vietnam guide explains exactly what to look for in a policy.

Pro Tip: Download Xanh SM, Grab, or Be before you fly. Fixed-price ride-hailing takes all the stress out of getting around. No haggling over meters, no wondering if you’re being taken the long way. The all-electric Xanh SM fleet is particularly good for longer journeys across the city. Our Grab vs Xanh SM comparison breaks down the differences if you want to know which to open first.