Hanoi

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.

Understand
Invading forces from every direction agree: Hanoi makes a fine capital. It has held that title for more than a thousand years, through several invasions, occupations, restorations, and name changes. The Chinese conquered the imperial city of Đại La in 1408 and renamed it Tống Bình. Le Loi repelled the invaders in 1428 and applied the name of Lê Thái Tổ (黎太祖). For his efforts, he received the crown and a slew of legends about his heroic exploits, many centred around the Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter. The Nguyen Dynasty gave the city its modern name of Ha Noi in 1831, but they had transferred power to Hue by then. Hue remained the capital until 1887, when the French made Hanoi the capital of all Indochina. It changed hands again in 1954, when it was ceded to Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh after almost a decade of fighting, and it became the capital of North Vietnam. Upon reunification in 1975, it assumed that title for the entire country.

The first Western-style universities in Vietnam were founded in Hanoi, and today, it is the leading centre of scientific study and research in the country. Hanoi retains much of its older colonial charm, despite the battles that have raged over it. Conflict had the effect of making it largely oblivious to modern architecture, and as a result, few buildings in the city centre area are higher than five stories. The Old Quarter is second only to Hoi An for uninterrupted stretches of colonial and pre-colonial architecture, well-preserved on dense warrens of narrow, wonderfully atmospheric streets. It trades the commercial boom and sprawl of Ho Chi Minh City in the south for a more understated charm, worth enjoying for an extra day or two, and with countless transport options and travel agents, it makes a perfect base for exploration of the North. See also Indochina Wars.

As you walk along the street, you may find that people start talking to you. It is a cultural norm there to make conversation with strangers. They might ask you where you are from and other general questions. But if you are a man, be cautious if a comely young lady approaches you and initiates a conversation - she is likely after something. It may take a while to get used to such overt friendliness, but it is worth enjoying it for the cultural experience that travel permits.



There are self-help information booths around the Old Quarter, but their purpose mostly is give the impression that Vietnam "has arrived" technologically.

Climate
The Tet holiday (Lunar New Year) is in the spring. Flowers are most beautiful during this time of the year. The weather warms up, with occasional light rain during the week. Locals believe that these light rains bring prosperity and luck in the new year.

Summer, on the other hand, borders on intolerable. The heat alone would be alright, but it's coupled with oppressive humidity and frequent rainstorms. At this time, visitors should be wary of mosquitoes as they abound. Hanoi has a perfect climate for the proliferation of insects.

There is something unique about Hanoi’s autumn. The weather is perfect, with less humidity in the air. The temperature drops, allowing people a chance to flaunt their sweaters and jackets. There is a species of tree, "cay hoa sua", which only flowers in autumn. The flower has a very distinct odour. If you visit Hanoi during the fall, ask locals about this tree and where you might sniff its distinct aroma.

Winter can be uncomfortable because it is not only cold, but also humid. Winter in Hanoi feels even colder than it is because Vietnamese houses lack central heating. Many houses have no heating at all. However, the winter months of December and January are also the driest months of the year with comparatively less rainfall, with the rains gradually picking up from the middle of February onwards.

By plane


There are direct international flights to all the major South East Asian cities, also to Doha, London, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Paris and Moscow. Nothing direct to North America — Seoul or Tokyo will usually be the most convenient interchange. Domestic flights, by Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air, serve Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Da Nang, Hue, Nha Trang, Vinh, and Phu Quoc island.

Getting there and away:

Public and express buses depart from the arrivals level at the International Terminal, second road, at pillar 2 (turn left after exiting the terminal). From the Domestic Terminal they leave from between the Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air terminals.


 * By public bus – Bus 07 (8,000 dong) runs 05:00–22:00 every 15 min and takes 60-90 min. It crosses the Thang Long Bridge and goes to the Daewoo Hotel in the west of Hanoi, from where it is 1 hr on foot to the Old Quarter of Hanoi. You might have to walk about 1 km west of the airport to catch bus 07 if it does not leave in front of the terminal.
 * By express bus — Bus 86 (45,000 dong) runs 06:20–22:00 every 25 min and takes 45 min. It takes the expressway non-stop to the Tay Ho area, continuing limited stop to the Long Bien bus station, near the Old Quarter, the Opera House, Melía Hotel and the railway station. Towards the airport, buses run 05:05-21:40 from a booth at the south end of the main railway station.


 * By shuttle bus – (It is not clear if these are still running as of June 2022.) Hourly between the airport and the Tickets at the airport are sold in the building in front of which the minibuses park, or you can give the fare directly to the  driver. The cost is more for foreigners than for Vietnamese (which includes ethnic Vietnamese from overseas) for insurance reasons. The prices are indicated on the sticker fixed to the bus's body. The driver may give you trouble if you have additional bags, but if you push, you will get the same rate.


 * By taxi – There are taxi stands just outside arrivals; turn right from the Domestic Terminal (T1), or left from International (T2). Avoid the touts in the arrival and just head straight for the taxi stand; the taxis they will try to get you in are most likely illegal, and you are likely to get ripped off. Official taxis are provided by various taxi companies, and all should run on the meter; Mai Linh and Taxi Group are generally the safest taxi companies to use. Have the address you want to go to ready and written down in Vietnamese — the chances of you speaking it in a way the driver will understand are slim. Maybe print out a map beforehand, since every street in Hanoi has clearly visible street signs at both ends, you should be able to discern which street you are in.
 * A ride into the Old Quarter should cost 300,000—350,000 dong (Mai Linh taxi, July 2015) and come up somewhere around 27-28 km in distance on the meter. The French Quarter or south side of Hoan Kiem lake might be a little more, but still under 400,000 dong. Many taxis, including Taxigroup and ABC accept credit cards — ask first and show them the credit card. You might also get offered a fixed price of US$20 by the driver, which works out as about a 25% premium.
 * Some drivers will ask something like 800,000 dong, especially if they see 3-4 foreigners — just ignore them. Make sure that the meter starts shortly after the taxi moves off, and if you want to be sure the meter's not running fast, then from the International Terminal it should have reached about 0.7 km by the time you reach the airport toll booths (taxis don't pay the toll), and around 2 km by the time you pass the Domestic Terminal (the distance will be displayed in km, often along with the speed). A ride into the city should take about 30-40 minutes on the new highway depending on traffic.
 * Downloading Grab app (local Uber) helps a lot. Fares around VND300,000 to the city center, depending on demand, or about half of that by motorcycle, if you feel adventurous and only have a backpack.


 * By pre-arranged transfer – If you already have a hotel booked, you might ask the hotel to dispatch a driver. The nicer hotels will do this and put the steep fare on your room bill.

Stay safe:

Taxi or shuttle bus drivers might try the 'typhoon in Ha Long Bay' scam whereby they take you to a street where you cannot see the hotel name and tell you that the Ha Long Bay guests are still in the hotel and they will take you to their other hotel for the same price. This place is a complete dive facing the highway.

You should also beware taxi drivers trying to offer you a ride to your hotel for an inflated price, claiming the Old Quarter is 5 km from the office — it is much cheaper to go to the Vietnam Airlines office and switch to a taxi (or walk, it's a maximum of 2 km to anywhere in the Old Quarter). The taxi will not cost more than the price difference and if it does, you should refuse to pay as the driver has somehow cheated you.

By train


Most trains use the main Hanoi train station for daily services from cities in the south including Hue and Nha Trang. The Reunification Express goes all the way to Ho Chi Minh City ("Saigon"), although there is very little 'express' about it. There are ten trains a day to HCMC taking 31-38 hours, but five of them are slow and are overtaken by faster trains — only use them for destinations north of Da Nang.

There are also train services to the northwest (including Lao Cai, from which you reach Sapa. To board trains bound for these destinations, you have to enter the railway station compound through the "backdoor" at Tran Quy Cap station.

Tickets for all destinations are sold online (see Vietnam article) or in the main station.

In high season, buy your tickets as early as possible, especially since sleeper tickets can be sold out several days in advance. If you can't get a ticket anymore, try a travel agent who still might have stock. You may also try your luck in the station just before boarding time — agents still holding tickets will be eager to sell as the departure draws near. Nevertheless, travel agencies in Hanoi are known for their bad business practices. Some of them will try to overcharge you up to 300%, so it is better go to the train station by yourself and find out about the prices before you agree on any deal.

Stay safe
As of 2023, it seems like the ladies in the ticket hall are running a scam against tourists who are willing to buy their train tickets directly at the train station and not online. First there are two suspiciously friendly and helpful English speaking ladies to the left after the entrance into the railway building. Actually, you are already flagged down by some other ladies outside the entrance, who will guide you to the English speaking ladies. These ladies will ask your destination and day of travel. First they will head to the official Vietnamese Railways website, checking for the connections. After that they will do the same procedure again but with the Baolau website — note that Baolau will always display some weird overly expensive prices of other "companies" at the bottom of their search result list. The friendly ladies might use these "extra" prices and your slow reaction to what is happening to convince you that these are the prices while indeed the prices of the Vietnamese Railway Company at the top of the result page are the actual and much cheaper prices. In case you do not take the bait, because you know the real price for your connection since you checked online beforehand, they are very quick in handing you to the actual ticket sellers to the right after the entrance, where you will have to state all the required details of your intended journey again.

So, to avoid being ripped off, book online or know the exact details of your journey, the price and availability, maybe even the exact seat or bed you would like to reserve. It is a very bad idea to turn up at the railway station asking for advice without knowing the exact details and price of your intended journey. If your first questions heading into the railway station are "When can we go?", "Which seats are available?", and "What does it cost?", you are likely to be scammed.

From China
As of 2024, there is no international train service between Vietnam and China. It was cancelled on the pretext of Covid-19 and there seem to be no plans for its reinstatement. The following information is for reference.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, trains from Nanning in China ran to Gia Lâm Station.

The train accommodation was basic, with no catering, and the only stops along the way are the two border stations. Twice a week, a direct sleeper carriage ran from Beijing, taking 24 hours via Guilin to Nanning Main Station.

By bus
For buses within Hanoi there is BusMap and BusMap Ha Noi; long distance buses there is VeXeRe.com and its app version. Long distance buses depart at My Dinh bus station (Bến Xe Mỹ Đình) and many other places depending on the bus company.

Public buses serving southern destinations (e.g., Ninh Binh, 2 hr, 70,000 dong) leave from Giap Bat bus station. To get from the Giap Bat bus station to the old quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake, leave aside all the hassle of taxi and motorbike drivers and take public Bus 8 towards Đông Mỹ (7,000 dong, pay on the bus). To find it head towards the main road inside Giap Bat station, you will see signs with numbers indicating the stops of different bus lines.

Most of the "open-tour" bus itineraries either begin or end in Hanoi, with Hue the next (or previous) stop (12-14 hr), and from there to Hoi An, Nha Trang, Dalat, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City, and other cities in Vietnam, depending on the bus company. Most seem to stop at their office which could be right next to the old district and most backpacker hotels. Check when booking ticket.

Many of the same companies also sell tickets to Vientiane and Savannakhet in Laos. Do some research before you buy a ticket as rattle-trap scam buses abound on this route.

See Ho Chi Minh City to Shanghai overland if you're interested in crossing over to China by bus or train.

From China
Apec Travel runs several daily buses to Nanning in China from its office at 55 Trần Khát Chân on the south side of Hanoi center. Journey time is around 8 hours including a change of bus and the usual formalities at the border.

On 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). From there it's a 1.5-km stroll to the Ho Chi Minh complex, 2 km to West Lake; follow usual local rules on traffic safety.

Of the two bridges across the Red River, the southern (Chuong Duong) is for vehicles only and has no sidewalk. The northern (Long Bien) is for trains, bikes & motorbikes and pedestrians. It's an impressive old structure, almost 2 km long, also serving a river island of small plantations.

By taxi
Taxis (i.e., cars) are small 4-seaters or larger 7-seaters. (Motorbike & cyclo taxis, described below, are notorious for scams.) Within the city, three companies are generally reliable: CP Taxi and Hanoi Taxi are two brands of Taxi Group, in white cars, and Mai Linh are in green cars. Taxi NoiBai specialise in airport transfers. Your hotel will call a reliable firm, and leave them in no doubt where they are supposed to be taking you.

If you prefer a flat fare, use the app GrabTaxi, which will display the agreed price and taxi details, you pay the driver cash. Otherwise, use the meter, flag-fall will be 20,000 dong for the first 2 km. Tips are not expected but naturally appreciated.

Good-spirited haggling, and a bit of language confusion, are all part of the experience. Common scams are more serious: these include crooked meters, roundabout routes, and outright robbery. And even the nicest driver somehow never has change for your big bill: always hoard small bills.

By motorbike taxi
Motorbike taxis can be found on virtually every corner, especially in the Old Quarter: don't look for them, they'll accost you, so show only faint interest at first. The driver has a second helmet for you. You must haggle and firmly fix a fare in advance: the app GrabTaxi will always be cheaper than haggling. Always write down the fare (with all the zeroes) and get an unequivocal "okay" from the driver. A 10-min ride (say from Hoan Kiem lake to Ho Chi Minh's tomb) should not exceed 20,000 dong; US dollars are often accepted.

Common scams here include (when you re-emerge from the tomb in reverent thought) claiming that you'd asked him to wait, that'll be two million dong please.

By cyclo
Negotiate first or avoid using the cyclos services. At the end of the journey, a few men will come over to translate, and they will pretend to help and later insist that you pay the demanded amount.

By motorbike
Motorcycles can be rented for around US$6–7 a day, and can be arranged by most hotels. This is good for making lots of trips around the city for individuals or duos, but be careful: Hanoi traffic is very difficult place to sharpen motorbike skills. Park on the pavement with other bikes, and be sure to lock the front wheel. Locals will help arrange the bikes near their stores. Many shops that have bike attendants will give you a ticket in exchange for parking your bike. This may or may not come with a fee. The ticket will either have your license plate number written on it, or the ticket itself will be numbered, with that number subsequently chalked somewhere on your bike. In such cases, where you've been given a ticket, the attendants may ask that you not lock the steering column or front wheel of your bike so that they can rearrange the bikes as customers come and go. Keep your ticket&mdash;it is not heard of that people try to charge tourists twice.

If you intend to go further out of the city, you may want to conceal this fact when renting the motorbike. Out-of-city rentals can be up to twice as expensive as the in-city charge, even if you rent longer since it takes you longer.

By e-vehicle tour
'Green' electric vehicles now operate 3 fixed routes around the Old Quarter taking tourists past the main market, a couple of 'heritage houses', St. Joseph's Cathedral and the opera house. The tours start and finish at the northern end of Hoàn Kiếm Lake and cost 200,000 dong for 35 minutes or 300,000 for an hour.

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.

Find you way:


 * Download the BusMap Hà Nội mobile app (Google Play, Apple Store) for directions and live time estimates (not very accurate).
 * Pick up a physical map with printed bus lines at the Trang Tien street (the book street by the Opera house).

Find your bus stop (there are usually blue signs) and wait for the bus to arrive. Go and sit in the bus, the bus assistant will come to you. The fare varies between 7,000 dong and 9,000 dong (price is fixed and depends on the line) (as of June 2024). If necessary, they should have enough cash for change (but it might be better to avoid paying with larger bills). Locals with Vietnamese banks can also pay with their phones. If you are unfamiliar with the city, make sure to inform the mostly helpful conductor where you want to get off. Or, use your phone's GPS and Google Maps - it works well with most bus lines, just keep in mind that traffic jams make schedules unreliable.

Here is also some information about airport bus route 86; in Old Quarter, the bus stops at other stops along the route in addition to those marked. Find a bus stop on Hàng Tre, Hàng Vôi, or Đinh Tiên Hoàng (marked with standard bus signs), wait for a 86 bus, and flag it down to board.

By car
Hanoi's traffic is extremely chaotic, with seemingly perpetual traffic jams, and a large number of almost suicidal motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians. Vietnamese drivers are among the most aggressive in the world, and lanes are effectively non-existent. As such, driving yourself around is not recommended, and you should leave your transportation needs in the hands of professionals.

By metro
Decades in the making, the Hanoi Metro began operations on 6 November 2021, with Line 2A connecting Cát Linh just west of the Old Quarter to Yên Nghĩa in the southwestern suburbs. The line is unlikely to prove useful to most visitors, but the future Line 3 from Hanoi Station across the city centre may prove more handy once it opens around 2027. That said, if your hotel is near the Metro line, it is useful for getting to Vincom Mega Mall Royal City, one of Hanoi's most impressive shopping malls, which is within walking distance of Thượng Đình station.

Museums








Temples




Four Sacred Temples
The Four Sacred Temples (Thăng Long Tứ Trấn) were built at the four cardinal points of the Imperial City of Thăng Long to guard it from evil spirits. Although most of the city wall is long gone, all four temples survive to this day.

Chinese assembly halls
While Hanoi no longer has a Chinatown today, as most of the ethnic Chinese community was expelled to China in the wake of the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War, two Chinese assembly halls remain in the former Chinatown area as a reminder of that lost community. They had been converted into schools for local children and long been hidden behind unsightly walls and fences, but were painstaking restored to their former glory in the 2010s.

Wartime sites






Do

 * Flavors of Hanoi, 25 Hang Be, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, ☏ +84 967 25 8586, ✉ hello@flavorsofhanoi.com. 09:00-21:00. A local foodie experiences provider, they offer personal street food tours to help visitors explore Hanoi’s Old Quarter and French Quarter through their taste buds.

Money
Money exchange can be done at jewellery shops, which usually offer better rates than banks. The most popular ones are located along Ha Trung Rd (5-min walk from Hoan Kiem Lake) and Hang Bac. Just walk into the shop and ask them if they change money. Ask 5 or more shops to see which one gives the best rate. Hotels also often provide currency exchange service, but at terrible rates. Don't exchange money with people in the street, as the risk of getting counterfeit notes from them is high.

Books stores

 * Small Vietnamese bookstores (nhà sách) line Phố Đinh Lễ St, just south of the large post office east of Hoan Kiem Lake. Most of them stock a variety of bilingual dictionaries, but hardly any books in English. Among them, as of 2016, Nhà Sách Lam seemed to have the best selection of maps (both Hanoi City and Vietnam regional).
 * Most of the numerous souvenir shops inside the Temple of Literature (see under Museums; admission fee needs to be paid to get in) also carry a selection of books about Vietnam in English and other foreign languages (French, Spanish, Japanese), as well as culture- and history-oriented books in Vietnamese. Not a good place to shop for dictionaries or maps, though.
 * Most of the numerous souvenir shops inside the Temple of Literature (see under Museums; admission fee needs to be paid to get in) also carry a selection of books about Vietnam in English and other foreign languages (French, Spanish, Japanese), as well as culture- and history-oriented books in Vietnamese. Not a good place to shop for dictionaries or maps, though.

Supermarkets
Although most grocery shopping still happens in street markets (see above), supermarkets and convenience stores are becoming more common. As well as local mid-level and luxury brands, many supermarkets stock imported products such as California pistachios and almonds, European cheese, chocolates and wine, Korean kim chi, or Japanese seaweed snacks. Consumer staples, such as fresh produce or tofu may be considerably more expensive than in traditional markets.


 * Vinmart is a fast growing chain of convenience stores and by far the most common brand in Hanoi, offering a selection of fresh products (including the "clean" Vineco range with less pesticides) as well as the staples you'd expect at similar stores worldwide. L's Place has a few branches, including one just south of the Hoa Lo prison on Ly Thuong Kiet and focuses on the expat market.


 * Aeon Fivimart is a large supermarket with a central branch east of Hoan Kiem Lake (27A Ly Thai To, at Tran Nguyen Han). The similarly named but separately owned Aeon Citimart is in Hanoi Towers on the site of the former Hoa Lo prison. Meanwhile, the huge but further afield Lotte Mart, located in the basement of the Lotte Center (Hanoi's second-tallest building; at the corner of Đào Tấn and Liễu Giai, a few blocks south of West Lake - the word "Lotte" on the tower makes it easy to find), may be one of the best of the breed, with a good bakery and cafeteria section. Open 08:00-22:00.


 * If you've a particular desire to spend two or three times the usual price on a selection of boutique imported Western goods (French Comte cheese, Iberico ham, British ale), Annam Gourmet have a store in the Syrena Centre on Xuân Diệu St. in Tây Hồ.

Discriminatory pricing
Most shops quote much higher prices for tourists (including Vietnamese people from other regions) than for locals, and the belief that tourists are rich and hence should pay more than locals is firmly entrenched in the local culture. As such, most vendors will insist that as a tourist, you pay the tourist price and will refuse to let you bargain the price down to the local price even if you know what it is. If you have a trusted local friend, you can save a fair bit of money by getting your friend to buy the item you want in your absence.

Eat
Since the mid 1990s, Vietnamese cuisine has grown in quality and variation. Most famous remains "phở gà" (chicken noodle soup), "phở bò"(beef noodle soup), or "phở chay" (tofu noodle soup). There are various dishes including chicken, beef, fish and seafood, and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of restaurants nowadays in Hanoi catering to everyone's taste.

In Hanoi, there are hundreds of street restaurants in small kiosks on the sidewalk, with plastic tables and chairs on the pavement. Eating at these restaurants is a great way to experience the local food and culture. It is worth mentioning that food quality, freshness, and hygiene can vary greatly. On average, a bowl of noodle soup goes for 40-60,000 dong (June 2024) and market food stalls offer fruit portions, sausages, doughnuts and other foods. Check your change as a few vendors seem to forget to give it, and learn a little Vietnamese because vendors often will not speak any or much English (e.g. "bao nhiêu ?", meaning "how much?").

Exotic treats
Next to Beijing, Hanoi is probably the second in the running to the world's exotic food paradise.



A local delicacy in the Hanoi area is dog meat (thịt chó), which is especially popular in the winter. There are a number of dog restaurants in the Tay Ho district. Another exotic regional taste is ca cuong, an extract from the belostomatid or giant water bug. Just a few drops are added to noodles for the unique aroma.

Boiled duck foetus eggs (trứng vịt lộn) are sold by pedlars almost everywhere. The experience consists of the vendor cracking the egg in front of you, and peeling the shell and dropping the contents in a plastic bowl, then garnished with julienned ginger, Vietnamese coriander (rau răm) and sprinkled with chili sauce. You can see the severed head and beak of your chick that fell off if you are lucky enough to have your first bite from a different spot.

Drink
Bia hơi is abundant in the streets of the Old Quarter. At the crossing of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen five separate venues fill up with travellers in the evenings, but you can get more local atmosphere on some of the side streets.

Hanoi is a lively city on the weekends, but the Old Quarter closes relatively early (at midnight) on weekdays, so you might want to start your night early. Other places outside the Old Quarter stay open later and vary in closing times. Local young people gather around the cathedral located in Ly Quoc Su to have lemon ice tea (tra chanh) and sunflower seeds in street bars. After dark it gets quite crowded.

Sit on a plastic chair in front of one of the bia hoi (fresh beer) establishments which are invariably on the corners of many of Hanoi's Old Quarter streets. This preservative-free light beer is the perfect drink to sip as you watch the city's frenetic bustle. The beer costs less than 5,000 dong and gives you an excuse to relax and take photos of the passing local characters: should not be missed. In the Old Quarter, you will find that almost every corner is filled with stalls selling pho (Vietnamese noodle) and cafe (the name is not limited only to coffee, but also tea, sweets and grocery items, and even to pho).

On T&ocirc; Tich, a small street connecting Hang Quat and Hang Gai, you can help yourself to a refreshing fruit milkshake (sinh tố) at one of the stalls.

Breweries
If you are looking for something less watery than Bia Hoi, excellent freshly brewed Czech or German-style beer is available at several breweries, including: Hoa Vien (Czech), Goldmalt (Czech), Legend beer (German), with several branches around the city; prices are around 45,000-60,000 dong for 0.5 L. The craft beer revolution that's been simmering in Ho Chi Minh City since 2014 has been slow to reach Hanoi, but a few breweries are now coming online, although prices are higher still and 100,000 dong might not even get you 0.5 L.

Coffee
Although the usual Vietnamese coffee is widely available in Hanoi, make sure you also try the local speciality Cà Phê Trứng (egg coffee) while you are here.

Budget
See common scams; they're more prevalent at the budget end of the market, but no more in Hanoi than in other cities.

Old Quarter North of Hoan Kiem Lake
The heart of the Old Quarter - potentially noisy and busy - but closest to the bars on Ma May and Ta Hien. Ta Hien is Hanoi's unofficial backpacker street, and there are numerous backpackers' hostels nearby to cater to that market.



Around the Cathedral
The narrow streets around St. Joseph's Cathedral offer a (relatively!) quieter and less hectic option than the main part of the Old Quarter, which is still only a five- to ten-minute walk.



Mid-range

 * Hanoi Legacy Hotel 108 Hang Bac St: good comfy place in the midst of old town. From 40 US$.
 * Hanoi Legacy Hotel 108 Hang Bac St: good comfy place in the midst of old town. From 40 US$.
 * Hanoi Legacy Hotel 108 Hang Bac St: good comfy place in the midst of old town. From 40 US$.
 * Hanoi Legacy Hotel 108 Hang Bac St: good comfy place in the midst of old town. From 40 US$.
 * Hanoi Legacy Hotel 108 Hang Bac St: good comfy place in the midst of old town. From 40 US$.
 * Hanoi Legacy Hotel 108 Hang Bac St: good comfy place in the midst of old town. From 40 US$.
 * Hanoi Legacy Hotel 108 Hang Bac St: good comfy place in the midst of old town. From 40 US$.

Stay safe


Walking the streets of Hanoi is not for the faint of heart. As is the case everywhere in Vietnam, traffic in Hanoi is dominated by an incredible number of motorbikes, all of which seem to be making a mad, desperate dash for something just out of reach, all of the time. The simple act of walking can be intimidating for visitors, especially in the narrow streets around the Old Quarter.

There is no such thing as one-directional traffic in Vietnam. When you leave the curb, look not only left and right, but to the front and back. Even up and down would not be amiss. Take each step deliberately but resolutely. Patiently allow the motorbikes to pass. Don't rush. Do not make any erratic movements. This way the drivers are aware of you, and can anticipate your vector (along with all of the other motorbikes). It may look chaotic, but be patient and pay attention when you're crossing any street, large or small, and you will be fine. As a rule of thumb, motorbikes will avoid you, but cars and trucks will run you over.

Be vigilant when taking a taxi. Drivers have been known to jump out at the destination and remove most of the bags from the trunk. While the passenger is busy putting on a rucksack the driver takes off with the remaining bags. Ask your hotel which taxi companies are reliable.

Be careful of hustler hawkers. In Vietnam, there is a two-tier pricing system, for locals and for foreigners. No other place in Vietnam is this practised more emphatically than in Hanoi (and in Ho Chi Minh City's Ben Thanh Market) where vendors charge differently according to how they gauge your net worth.

Pickpockets
You've read warnings about pick pockets a hundred times, but in all of Asia, it's rarely as true as for Hanoi's busy and narrow Old Quarter or the Dong Xuan Night Market. The crowd, the loads of tourists, the distraction of heavy traffic and the narrow confines guarantee opportunities for thieves. And the general belief that tourists have too much money creates a moral climate in which thieves abound. Even if you're attentive, you'll get some pockets of your backpack opened, maybe even twice a day. Expect female pickpockets. Don't let them surround you. Approaching you with "Hello, I'm a student" seems to be a quite popular pick-up line for them.

Stay healthy
Public hospitals are generally poorly equipped and overcrowded, and staff tend to speak little to no English. As such, foreigners are highly advised to rely on private hospitals instead.

Telephone

 * Hanoi code: 24. Note the "3" that has been added in front of all local numbers. Examples:


 * Old dialling style: 1234567 (from within the city) or 04 1234567 (inter-provincial) or +84 4 123456 (from overseas)
 * New dialling style: 3 1234567 (from within the city) or 024 3 1234567 (inter-provincial) or +84 24 3 123456 (from overseas)

Internet
Most regular restaurants and cafés have free Wi-Fi. It is culturally accepted to go to a coffee shop, order a drink and study/work there for a few hours.

There are also many places in the city where free public Wi-Fi is available.

Embassies

 * 🇦🇷 Argentina
 * 🇦🇲 Armenia
 * 🇦🇺 Australia
 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * 🇩🇰 Denmark
 * 🇪🇬 Egypt
 * 🇫🇮 Finland
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇮🇳 India
 * 🇮🇩 Indonesia
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * 🇯🇵 Japan
 * Laos
 * 🇲🇾 Malaysia
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands
 * 🇳🇴 Norway
 * 🇵🇰 Pakistan
 * 🇵🇱 Poland
 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇷🇺 Russia
 * 🇸🇬 Singapore
 * 🇪🇸 Spain
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden
 * 🇨🇭 Switzerland
 * 🇹🇼 Taiwan
 * 🇹🇭 Thailand
 * 🇺🇦 Ukraine
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next
If you are the adventurous type or simply bored temporarily of the city atmosphere, then consider a circuit through the northern countryside. A round trip will take you to a lot of charming villages and through hills and valleys with charming views. Main roads are generally in good condition and you can easily do a couple of hundred kilometers a day. The villages and provinces are generally safe at night, and you get to see a lot of Vietnamese culture such as various tribespeople. While bus services are available (albeit not always reliable), a recommended alternative is to rent a bike or car and make the trip on your own. Motorbikes in decent quality can be rented and many places have suggestions for routes.


 * Ha Long Bay's spectacular ocean karst topography is the most popular side-trip from Hanoi.
 * The Sapa mountain region, home to ethnic minorities, gorgeous mountain scenery, and trekking paths connecting many tiny mountain villages is the second most popular trip. It is accessible by bus or train to Lao Cai, then onward by minibus or hired motorbike.




 * Bat Trang, a village famous for its pottery, 9 km southeast of Hanoi. It is accessible by taking Bus 47, which originates at Long Bien. Just hop on (the bus will be clearly labelled with the number 47 and the text "Long Bien - Bat Trang". Take it to the last stop, which is directly opposite the pottery market (haggle for lower prices, and insist on paying in dong). Head back up the street to the factories to the products being made.
 * Cao Bang, featuring the beautiful Ban Gioc Waterfall, is five hours away by bus, near the Chinese border.
 * Cuc Phuong National Park, is the largest national park in Vietnam and an easy day-trip from Hanoi.
 * Co Loa is the oldest ancient capital in the region; a little-visited site slightly northeast of Hanoi.
 * Tam Coc/Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh Province, is a day trip is combining heritage tourism and natural landscape tourism. Hoa Lu is the site of the first capital of Vietnam in the 10th century, and was home to two kings, Dinh Bo Linh (Dinh Tien Hoang) and Le Hoan. There are now two shrines dedicated to these two kings. About 30 min away from Hoa Lu is Tam Coc [three grottoes], also known as Halong Bay on land. It features karst landforms surrounded by paddy fields, and is accessed by little wooden boats. Boats take about one hour. This is an excellent alternative to Halong Bay for those who have short attention spans, as the boat trip takes a mere hour versus Halong Bay tourist boats which take 5 hours. One minor annoyance involves peddlers on boats hawking their wares, and your boat rower trying to sell you embroidery.
 * Dong Hoi, the first major beach city before Hue going south, sleepy but with all the necessary infrastructure; laid back, authentic and genuinely friendly, with at least half a dozen hostels, and convenient for accessing Phong Nha Ke Bang national park.
 * Dong Hoi, the first major beach city before Hue going south, sleepy but with all the necessary infrastructure; laid back, authentic and genuinely friendly, with at least half a dozen hostels, and convenient for accessing Phong Nha Ke Bang national park.


 * Laos, long haul buses to Laos leave from Hanoi daily and can be booked at any travel agent or even online. Buses to Vientiane, 24 hours; Luang Prabang, 27-30 hours; Vang Vieng, 27-30 hours. You will be on the same bus as Luang Prabang, but changes buses at a small town in Lao. Going directly to Vang Vieng is a good choice for travellers looking to skip Vientiane, and just go to Luang Prabang and then onto Thailand. Buses to Southern Laos are available as well.