Things To Do In Hanoi – Budget Travel In Vietnam

Visit Hanoi, Vietnam to experience a hectic mix of pagodas, colonial buildings, museums and traffic. It is, quite simply, a fascinating and vibrant city.

Hanoi is the capital and second biggest city in Vietnam. It is a busy, vibrant city filled with colonial buildings, pagodas and hidden bars and cafes. Just be careful crossing that road!

We visited Hanoi twice during our year long travels in Southeast Asia. Our first visit was when we left Luang Prabang in Laos and flew to Vietnam. Leaving the relaxing atmosphere of Luang Prabang and arriving in the chaotic city of Hanoi was a bit of a shock!

Our second visit was as we were reaching the end of our travels. We had a free two week period between leaving the Philippines and flying to Myanmar. As we loved Hanoi so much, we decided to spend two weeks in an Air BnB apartment and live like locals.

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Things To Do In Hanoi

Once you’ve got used to the chaos of the city and it no longer takes you 10 minutes to cross the road, there are many things to enjoy in Hanoi.

Hanoi Free Walking Tour

I had never been on a free walking tour and wasn’t sure what to expect. I imagined a big group of people being herded around the city. It turned out it was just 2 guides taking the three of us around the old quarter. Some of the places we had already been to but we visited some places we didn’t know about including St Joseph’s Cathedral (map), Heritage House (map), Railway Bridge and the area where roasted dog is sold openly by street vendors. The guides were very friendly and we had a great time with them.

Hanoi Night Market

A huge night market that is open on weekends. You will find lots of cheap knock off goods (t-shirts for only 40,000 Dong!) and some street food. (Map).

Hanoi Night Market Opening Times: 6 pm – 12 pm, Fri – Sun.

Hanoi Scams: Beware Of The Donut Sellers!

There are a number of scams to be aware of but the one that we witnessed was the pushy women selling donuts. They offer you a donut and if you refuse, they will place one in your hand, as if it is a free sample. It is not free! They will then ask for silly money and get quite demanding. We had this happen twice on our first night.

Hanoi Train Street

You know that video on YouTube where the market clears up so the train can pass through it? Well, this is not that, but it is very similar. It is a street lined with cafes that has a train running right through, centimetres away from the shop fronts. There are 2 trains a day, but on weekends there are much more so that is the best time to visit. You will know if there is a train due by the number of tourists with cameras. (Map).

Has Hanoi Train Street Closed?

In October 2019, the local government banned tourists from entering the train street. Many of the cafe owners called this a massive over-reaction. Since then, cafes have started to open again. The local police have stopped enforcing the law. The ‘off limits’ signs remain, but tourists can enter the area once more.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Almost by accident, we came across the ‘Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum’ (map). We were not aware that the former leader was resting here. Most of the places within the park were closed to the public so we could only look at the mausoleum from the outside.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Opening Times: 7:30 am – 10:30 am, Tue – Thur. 7:30 am – 11 am, Sat & Sun. Closed Mon & Fri.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Entrance Fee: 40,000 Dong.

Ho Hoan Kiem

Ho Hoan Kiem (map) is a lake in Hanoi Old Quarter. It has a temple on an island in the middle of the lake. It is surrounded by the hustle of Hanoi but there are some great relaxing spots to be found. A walk around the lake’s perimeter is a great way to mix with locals.

Hoa La Prison Memorial (Hanoi Hilton)

Famously known as the Hanoi Hilton, what is left of the original prison has been converted into a memorial museum. The information is not easy to follow as the prison was used a number of times during many conflicts, the most famous being the Vietnam war, where it was used to detain American prisoners. There is a lot of information to take in and a lot of propaganda, but it is worth a visit. (Map).

Hoa La Prison Memorial (Hanoi Hilton) Opening Times: 8 am – 5 pm, every day.
Hoa La Prison Memorial (Hanoi Hilton) Entrance Fee: 30,000 Dong.

Royal City

I visited Royal City (map) after hearing about an art exhibition taking place. I had no idea what Royal City was so I was pretty surprised when I arrived.

Royal City is a huge apartment complex with swimming pools, cinemas, gyms, ice skating rink, bars and restaurants, schools and a huge 3 story shopping mall situated underneath the complex. I had no idea about any of this before I came so it was a total surprise. I immediately started imagining living here!

Temple Of Literature

A nice temple with landscaped courtyards, altars & shrines in which you can escape the Hanoi hustle. The grounds are well-maintained and very beautiful. (Map).

Temple Of Literature Opening Times: 8 am – 4.30 pm, every day.
Temple Of Literature Entrance Fee: 30,000 Dong.

Thang Long Imperial Citadel

Thang Long Imperial Citadel (map) is an 11th century complex with towers, sculptures, museums, underground tunnels and a stone dragon. It’s an interesting historical place and a perfect escape from the city.

Thang Long Imperial Citadel Opening Times: 8 am – 5 pm, every day.
Thang Long Imperial Citadel Entrance Fee: 30,000 Dong.

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

This is one of the unusual things to do in Hanoi! The show lasts an hour and is in Vietnamese so we had no idea what the story was about but it was visually wonderful and the live music accompaniment was also excellent. Booking in advance in advised. (Map).

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre Opening Times: a number of performances each day.
Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre Entrance Fee: 100,000 – 200,000 Dong.

Truc Bach Lake

Truc Bach Lake (map) is located north of Hanoi Old Quarter. It is surrounded by residential areas so a walk around the lake is a great opportunity to experience Hanoi like a local. There are some great food options and coffee shops at more local prices.

Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum

What better to spend a hot Sunday morning than walking around an air-conditioned art museum! ‘Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum’ (map) is housed in a colonial building and offers fine art from various time periods.

Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum Opening Times: 8.30 am – 5 pm, Tues – Sun.
Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum Entrance Fee: 40,000 Dong.

Vietnam Military History Museum

The Vietnam Military History Museum features artifacts and aircraft from the many conflicts Vietnam has been involved in throughout the years. The museum offers an insight into how the effects of one conflict lead to the next. (Map).

Vincom Center For Contemporary Arts

Vincom Centre For Contemporary Arts (map) situated in the mall underneath the Royal City apartment complex. We visited to see an exhibition about our relationship with plastic and its effect on the environment. It was a visual treat and a colourful way of introducing young children to the issue.

Vincom Centre For Contemporary Arts Opening Times: 10 am – 8 pm, Tues – Sun. Closed Mon.

Vincom Centre For Contemporary Arts Entrance Fee: Free Admission.

Is Hanoi Worth Visiting?

I love Hanoi. I mean, really love it. It has a lively atmosphere and sometimes pushes you out of your comfort zone. It has many wonderful hidden coffee shops and the food is great.

We visited Hanoi twice. The first time we were there as travellers, trying to cram everything into 5 days. On our return, we slowed down and lived as locals for 2 weeks. It was great experiencing the city as a local rather than a tourist. We lived as residents: shopping, using local buses to get around, visiting the dentist, etc. It gave us a taste as to what it would be like to live here. And we liked it. A lot.

Both times, we were very sad to leave this wonderfully hectic city.

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