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20 COOL THINGS TO DO IN HANOI (based on my experience)

  • Writer: Tung Pham
    Tung Pham
  • Aug 9, 2024
  • 4 min read

Updated: Aug 21

20 cool things to do in Hanoi (based on my experience)

하노이에서 할 수 있는 20가지 멋진 일 (내 경험에 근거함)

ハノイでやるべき20のクールなこと（私の経験に基づく）

河内 20 件很酷的事情（根据我的经验）

20 choses sympas à faire à Hanoï (d'après mon expérience)

20 coole Dinge, die man in Hanoi unternehmen kann (basierend auf meiner Erfahrung)


[1]Visit Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and Ho Chi Minh Museum to learn more about the Founding Father of Vietnam. Can also visit One Pillar Pagoda - the unique pagoda.

ho chi minh mausoleum
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

- Please wear proper clothes (long pants, shirt with sleeve, no offensive content on clothes)

- If you want to go inside the mausoleum to see his mummy, check out the schedule:

+ April 1 to October 31: 7:30 am - 10:30 am | Saturday, Sunday, holidays: 7:30 am. - 11:00 am.

+ November 1 to March 31 of the following year): 8 am to 11 am | Saturday, Sunday,  holidays: 8 am - 11:30 am.

No visiting on Monday & Friday. On May 19, September 2nd and the first day of the Lunar New Year, if they fall on a Monday or Friday, a ceremony will still be held.

- If you want to attend the Flag-rising ceremony, come at 6 am, or for the Flag-lowering ceremony, come at 9 pm (every day). 

Historic wooden temple on stilts over a pond, surrounded by lush trees and people visiting. Bright blue sky and serene atmosphere.
One Pillar Pagoda

[2] Visit the Temple of Literature to learn more about the first university in Vietnam. 

There is also the night tour there. Check it out: https://vanmieunighttour.com/#/

Traditional Vietnamese temple with a large wooden bell in a lush garden. Red-tiled roofs, green plants, and a serene atmosphere.
Temple of Literature

[3] Visit Hoa Lo Prison Relic to learn more about the atrocity of the French colonization.

Other interesting museums: Women's Museum; Ethnology Museum; Military History Museum, Memorial House of Ho Chi Minh; National Museum of History; Heritage House; National Fine Arts Museum; Air Force & Air Defence Museum; B52 Victory Museum.

Gray statues of prisoners sit on benches in a dim room with barred windows. The mood is somber, and there's a no-touch sign visible.
Hoa Lo Prison

[4] Cycling or running around Old Quarter/Train Street/Long Bien Bridge//Phan Dinh Phung Street/Thanh Nien Street/West Lake in the early morning (5-6am) or late afternoon (5-6pm) to enjoy the sunrise/sunset time. For me, it's a "short & precious" time of the day to enjoy the peaceful Hanoi. If you love music, here is a list of famous classic songs about Hanoi and Hanoian that I used to listen to when roaming around the city: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Zy433oaQh5Vztjpst7XKa?si=ni8lhfZpQTmVQIWuykjfOw

Rusty steel railway bridge with parallel tracks, intricate beams, and golden hues creating depth; a sense of solitude and nostalgia.
Long Bien Bridge

[5] Watch the water puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. I can help you buy tickets.

Colorful water puppets in ornate costumes perform on a reflective water stage. Dark background enhances vibrant reds and golds.
Water puppet show

[6]Roam around Hoan Kiem Lake and visit attractions around the area like Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square; Hanoi Opera House; Ngoc Son Temple; Saint Joseph Cathedral. 

Bustling city square at night with light trails from vehicles, surrounding buildings lit up with signs. Energetic, vibrant urban scene.
Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square

On the weekend (Fri-Sun), the walking street is set up around that area and the night market is set up from Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square to Dong Xuan Market.


[7] Visit religious landmarks around the Old Quarter. I'm sure you will have a handful of nice photos. Check out my list: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LZGaTCGHDsyD1DCU7

Red wooden bridge leading to a temple surrounded by lush green trees. Yellow text adorns the sides, creating a serene and inviting mood.
Ngoc Son Temple

[8] Crossing the busy street is fun, but please be careful. Don't hesitate and don't run!

People walking, cycling, and riding scooters on a busy street near a park with trees. A bus and text in the background. Casual, lively mood.
Walk slowly! Don't run!

[9] Try the local food. Check out my list: 

A vendor at a street market serves diverse dishes from large metal bowls. Warm lighting and crowded setting create a bustling atmosphere.
Street food stalls

[10] Try the local coffee. Egg coffee, salt coffee and iced coffee are my favorites. Check out my list: https://maps.app.goo.gl/KYDf2ptt6NvjBvnY6

Cozy café with patterned tiles, two women seated reading and writing, wooden furniture, warm lamp light, open window with street view.
Cafe in Hanoi

[11] Experience some exotic foods like duck embryo, raw duck's blood pudding, jellyfish salad, bull penis Pho, dog meat, and clam worm omelet (not for the fainthearted). It's one of our cultures so you can judge but please be respected.

A bowl with a cracked, cooked egg in broth, garnished with green leaves and slivers of ginger. A spoon rests on the bowl's edge.
Duck embryo

[12] Try some local fruits like jackfruit, longan, rambutan, dragon fruit, star apple, lychee, and durian (please don't try durian in my place, just because of the smell 🤣

Woman arranges fruit at vibrant outdoor market; baskets of oranges, apples, mangoes. People in background. Urban setting, lively atmosphere.
Fruit in Hanoi

[13] Drink draught beer (in the blue mug) and go to the bars/clubs at Ta Hien Street. Or you can buy local beer at convenience stores at a very cheap price. My favorites are Hanoi Beer, Saigon Beer, Truc Bach Beer, and Huda Beer).

Smiling couple enjoys beer at a street cafe in Hanoi. Glasses of beer and snacks on a metal table. Sign reads "Bia Hoi Hanoi 12,000đ".
Bia hoi in Hanoi

[14] Enjoy the cheap hot/iced tea or sugar cane juice at those small stalls, of which the owners mostly are old ladies. Only try the pipe tobacco if you have enough strength. You may fall off the chair, saliva pours like waterfall and could be injured. 

Elderly vendor in a kiosk passes a yellow drink to a customer. Snack bags and colorful jars hang around. Cigarettes displayed in the background.
Ice tea in Hanoi

[15]Try Trang Tien ice cream. It's good! My favorite is the green rice ice cream.

Hands hold three colorful ice creams in front of a green and white building with the sign "KEM TRÀNG TIỀN." Bright, sunny day.
Iconic ice cream in Hanoi

[16] Take the ride around Hanoi on the back of a scooter. 

Two women on a scooter, one in blue, conversing with smiles. They're in a busy street, all wearing helmets. Background shows traffic.
Motor tour

[17] Try the Hop-on, Hop-off bus. 

Woman posing by a red double-decker bus labeled "Lê Thái Tổ"; smiling on the bus's open top. Urban street with buildings, autumn trees.
Tourist bus in Hanoi

[18] Visit Dong Xuan market to enjoy the atmosphere of the local business. But buying stuff there will take a good bargaining skill. They will try to rip you off!

People on scooters and pedestrians move past a cream-colored building with arches and a red flag. The sky is clear and blue.
Dong Xuan Market

[19] Learn some Vietnamese exclamatory sentences Surely it will make both of us surprised and joyful. Examples: Troi oi! = Oh my god!; Ngon qua! = So delicious!; Qua hay! = So cool!

Smiling person wearing a conical hat and blue clothing, with a blurred outdoor background, exuding a joyful and warm mood.
Street vendors in Hanoi

[20] Leaving a lovely review if you're satisfied with my place and my service 😊

Pug with sad eyes and wrinkled face sits against colorful abstract background. Text reads "Please..." with a pleading emoji.

Please always the price before buying anything! 

Don't take the random taxi! Use Grab/GoJek/Xanh SM

The price of small donuts is just around VND 5.000 per piece

The price of a shoe cleaning service is just around VND 15.000 - 20.000 per pair.

 
 
 

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