15 Things to Do in Hanoi: A First-Timers Guide

I recently flew from Da Nang up to Hanoi to get fresh first-hand info for this new guide. I spent considerable time and energy (walking between 5 and 8 miles per day) exploring Hanoi. And I saw a lot!

Vietnam’s capital has a number of well-maintained historical sites. If you’re interested in museums, there are several. Hanoi’s Train Street is free and easy to access, and I recommend witnessing one of the daily trains, as it’s likely a one-time experience.

In this guide to the best things to do in Hanoi, I’ve included mostly places I visited on my recent trip. Most of Hanoi’s major attractions close around 5 or 6 PM. So if you need an evening activity, look into one of Hanoi’s water puppet shows. It’s also likely a one-time experience, though not as exhilarating as being nearly hit by a train.

I had a nice conversation with a local volunteer tour guide at the Ho Chi Minh Museum inside Ba Dinh Square. His company gives free tours in Hanoi in exchange for practicing English. With so much to see in Hanoi, having a tour guide (and my article!) can help you make the most of your time. I highly recommend reaching out to them: Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide.

If you have any questions about visiting Hanoi, ask in my free Hanoi travel planning group on Facebook. For more things to do in Vietnam, I’ve written guides covering Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, Ninh Binh, Nha Trang, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Where to Stay in Hanoi for First-Timers

If you’re planning your first trip to Hanoi, choosing where to stay can be overwhelming. It was my first time. You can somewhat take that decision off your plate because I’ve spent a ton of hours exploring Hanoi on foot. Hoan Kiem Lake is the best area to base your first trip.

If it fits your budget, I’d strongly recommend the La Siesta Premium Lakeside above, or another very nice hotel in a great location like The Oriental Jade (see on Agoda / Booking). A nice mid-range option in a similar location is the Dal Vostro Hotel (see on Agoda / Booking).

If you want to be in the action of the Old Quarter, look at the May De Ville Lakeside (see on Agoda / Booking) for something five-star. A solid mid-range hotel that’s directly in the Old Quarter is the Lavender Central (see on Agoda / Booking). From all of these hotels, you can walk to many of the attractions I’ve highlighted below. If something is a bit further out, download and use the Grab app to book taxis to get around Hanoi.

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (Ba Dinh Square)

If I had to choose a centerpiece attraction in Hanoi, this is a strong candidate, simply due to its national significance. The HCM Mausoleum is one of a handful of “attractions” in Ba Dinh Square, the place where Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence in 1945.

Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body is viewable in the mornings only and is closed on Mondays and Fridays. Also in Ba Dinh Square are the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the One Pillar Pagoda, and the Stilt House, the actual house on stilts that Ho Chi Minh lived in.

I filmed this video from the middle of Ba Dinh Square.

Ba Dinh Square itself is free to visit, and so is the mausoleum. Currently, the HCM Museum and the Stilt House cost 40.000 VND each to enter.

Very Important: Ba Dinh Square has a strict dress code, so you’ll need to dress conservatively to be allowed in. Shoulders covered, knees covered. You’ll also pass through metal detectors (no food or drinks) and have your bags scanned.

Temple of Literature

The Temple of Literature is one of the more consistently busy attractions in Hanoi. If you’re able to visit and find it quiet and peaceful, consider yourself lucky. It’s in a very central area of the city, located here, and attracts a lot of students, tour groups, families, and a crowd (mostly younger) posing for photoshoots.

The temple was built in 1070 and is considered to be Vietnam’s first university. Tickets currently cost 70.000 VND and are free for children under 16. There are bathrooms, vending machines with cold drinks, and souvenir shops here.

A little-known piece of trivia is that part of the temple is featured on the back of the Vietnamese 100.000 VND banknote. On my recent trip to the temple, I had a crisp 100.000 VND note ready to go.

The temple is mostly outdoors, and what’s indoors is small and without AC, so I recommend visiting earlier in the day. Then, you can cross the street to the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum — which is excellent and has air conditioning!

Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum

The Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum is Vietnam’s primary art museum. It sits in an old building (opened in 1966), but it’s very clean and very well-run and maintained. There is a lot to see here, from ancient works to modern pieces, so I’d set aside a good chunk of time (about 2 hours).

The Temple of Literature and the Fine Arts Museum are across the street from each other. And collectively, they’re about a 10-minute walk from Ba Dinh Square (HCM Mausoleum, HCM Museum, and his Stilt House) above.

So if you visit the HCM Mausoleum in the morning, you can walk over here afterward. You can also do the opposite and visit these two first, then head to Ba Dinh Square — but remember that HCM’s embalmed body is only viewable in the mornings. Tickets to the Fine Arts Museum are 40.000 VND for adults and 10.000 VND for children 6 to 15.

Vietnam Military History Museum

This museum was originally located in a very central area of Hanoi, near the Imperial Citadel, but was relocated in November 2024. The museum’s new location is here, about 30 minutes west of the Hoan Kiem Lake/Old Quarter area. The original site’s location was convenient, but much smaller than this new museum.

I had the chance to visit the Military History Museum’s new location recently, and put simply — it’s huge. The new location is sitting on about 180 acres. It’s only partially finished now, but when it’s fully completed (a staff member told me it will be finished sometime in 2026), it will be — just a guess — the biggest and nicest museum in Vietnam.

There are multiple aircraft outside in two separate areas. There are numerous displays inside. It’s all very clean and new. Tickets are currently 40.000 VND for adults and free if under 16 or over 80. Here’s my detailed visitor’s guide to the Vietnam Military History Museum.

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

The Museum of Ethnology focuses on the different ethnic groups of Vietnam. And like the Military History Museum, it’s west of the central area of Hanoi. So if you’re planning a day of visiting museums, I’d go to the Military History Museum first, then head over to the Museum of Ethnology after.

I suggest doing it in this order because the Museum of Ethnology has a restaurant inside the grounds, making it a convenient spot to grab lunch before exploring the museum. There are two indoor areas to explore here, but the main highlight is the area out back — called the Architecture Garden — which has multiple example homes on display.

You’ll want to try to visit on a clear day (or at least non-rainy) if possible. Tickets here are 40.000 VND and free for children under 6.

Hoan Kiem Lake

The general area around Hoan Kiem Lake is where most tourists base their trip to Hanoi. It’s a very central hub of activity for locals, too. The paved path around the lake is a nice walking loop. If you stay somewhere like the Silk Path Boutique (see on Agoda / Booking), you are directly across the street from Hoan Kiem Lake — great location.

Here’s a video I filmed at Hoan Kiem Lake on the weekend.

On the weekends, many of the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake are closed off, which makes it very easy to explore. But I have to say, the weekends here get very busy with locals and families. It also causes some of the side streets to become congested, as vehicle traffic is rerouted.

Hoa Lo Prison (The Hanoi Hilton)

Hoa Lo Prison is one of Hanoi’s more historic sites. It’s located here, southwest of Hoan Kiem Lake. This former prison housed American POWs during the Vietnam War, most notably John McCain. This is a well-run “museum,” with multiple staff members, bathrooms, and plenty to see.

Here’s my guide to visiting Hoa Lo Prison. Tickets are 50.000 VND and free for anyone under 16. I recommend visiting here in the morning before the major crowds, then walking over to the other Train Street location further south (more on this next) or the Vietnamese Women’s Museum nearby.

Hanoi Train Street

If you’ve seen pictures of Hanoi anywhere on social media, you’ve likely seen Train Street. But when I planned my first visit, I had a hard time figuring out exactly where to go, what to do, and what to expect. If you’re in the same boat, I’ve written a mini guide on visiting Hanoi Train Street here.

I filmed this video during my recent visit to Hanoi’s Train Street. I was very close and could have grazed the train with my elbow. The train has crashed into tables and chairs, so you need to be careful.

Hanoi Train Street is actually two separate areas, with Hanoi’s main train station between them. The northern Train Street area (here) is closer to the Old Quarter but also busier and more touristy. The southern location (here) is a bit further away, but also quieter and less touristy (for now!). Both Train Streets are free to visit. Each one has several passing trains daily.

Note: The schedule above is for the southern location. The train times have changed unexpectedly in the past. I would walk over here in the morning to get a feel for the area. The locals will tell you when the next train is coming.

At both locations, a daytime visit is far quieter than at night. Personally, I like seeing a morning or early afternoon train, with a coffee from one of the many shops, and incorporating this into visiting other nearby sites in Hanoi.

If you’re at the northern Train Street, you’re 15 minutes from the Temple of Literature and the Fine Arts Museum. If you’re at the southern Train Street, you’re 15 minutes from Hoa Lo Prison.

Vietnamese Women’s Museum

The Vietnamese Women’s Museum covers three main topics: Women in Family, Women in History, and Women’s Fashion. The museum is spread over three floors, plus a ground floor with bathrooms and a souvenir shop. The museum is located here, south of Hoan Kiem Lake.

The displays are written in Vietnamese, French, and English. Tickets are 40.000 VND each. The museum is located just south of Hoan Kiem Lake. Hoa Lo Prison is nearby, so you can visit these two back-to-back. On my recent visit, I found the overall experience very laid-back. The staff was friendly, and there’s good air conditioning here. I would visit during the hotter parts of the day to get a break from Hanoi’s heat.

Hanoi’s Food and Coffee Scene

This really goes for anywhere you’re visiting in Vietnam, but you’ll want to try different Vietnamese dishes — and egg coffee — when in Hanoi. The areas around Hoan Kiem Lake, particularly the west and north side, have tons of places to grab a banh mi, eat pho, bun cha Hanoi, and drink egg coffee. This area of Hanoi has a very congested food scene. And it’s mostly walkable.

I live in Vietnam and eat a lot of bun cha. It’s grilled pork, noodles, and broth. I’ve eaten it all over Vietnam, and I had some good bun cha at O Bun Cha here, which is near the HCM Mausoleum at Ba Dinh Square. On another day, I had some at Lake View 1983, a Vietnamese restaurant just south of Hoan Kiem Lake. Prices are a bit more expensive at this spot because of its location.

I had a solid bowl of chicken pho at a small place in the French Quarter (east of Hoan Kiem Lake) called Pho Hieu here. But there are tons of places to grab good pho just around Hoan Kiem Lake. I’d suggest downloading Google Maps if you haven’t already, zooming in closely to where you’re staying, and typing “pho” into the search — tons of choices. Here’s one. Here’s another.

I’m a big fan of Vietnamese egg coffee, having it a few times per week. On my way to visit Tran Quoc Pagoda and see John McCain’s effigy, I had egg coffee at AYUP Coffee here, in the Truc Bach area of Hanoi. I was walking around and exploring the Truc Bach area, which is why I stopped here.

I wouldn’t walk up here only for the egg coffee (which was good), because there are lots of other places directly around Hoan Kiem Lake. The point is — get out there and try some egg coffee, somewhere. Here’s Eggyolk Coffee, a popular spot west of Hoan Kiem Lake. Here’s Lộc Coffee nearby.

Tran Quoc Pagoda and John McCain

What a strange lumping of items. But the fact remains — on your way to the Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake (Hồ Tây), you’ll go right by John McCain’s effigy, located here. Truc Bach Lake is a small lake next to West Lake, and it’s where John McCain’s plane was shot down, and he was captured during the Vietnam War.

A bit further up is Tran Quoc Pagoda, and this is free to enter. You will need to be dressed conservatively — shoulders and knees covered. This is a busy attraction, and there are a lot of local vendors outside. Many of them will approach you saying what you’re wearing is inappropriate to enter the pagoda, then try to sell you a shawl to cover up. If it’s true (your shoulders are exposed), then you can negotiate with them to buy one.

B-52 Victory Museum and B-52 Lake

The B-52 Victory Museum is located here, and “B-52 Lake” is north of it, here. The museum is small (but free to visit), and mostly displays aircraft outdoors.

B-52 Lake is actually Huu Tiep Lake. This very small lake is where a B-52 Stratofortress (bomber) was shot down and crashed on December 27, 1972, during the Vietnam War. The airplane’s wreckage is still in the lake today. It’s a cool thing to see, but there isn’t much to do besides look at it briefly. You could walk here through the back alleys (I did recently) or take a GrabBike from the Grab app.

Here’s a video I filmed at B-52 Lake in Hanoi.

I consider these two items a “nice bonus” if you’re looking for something cool (but brief) or extra to do in Hanoi. Don’t worry if you decide to skip them or are tight on time and can’t make it.

St. Joseph’s Cathedral

St. Joseph’s Cathedral is located here, was built in the late 1800s, and is the headquarters for the Archdiocese of Vietnam. It’s in a very convenient spot just west of Hoan Kiem Lake. The hotel I stayed at recently, the Serene Central (see on Agoda / Booking), is less than five minutes away. If you’re looking for a place to stay, this is a great choice.

The area around the cathedral can get busy and congested. I mentioned this further up, but on the weekends, when Hoan Kiem Lake’s roads are closed to foot traffic only, some vehicle traffic gets rerouted around the cathedral. There are a bunch of coffee shops if you want to sit and admire the cathedral. At night, it’s lit up. But expect a steady crowd.

You can attend Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral. Services are currently offered in Vietnamese, French, and English. At the time of writing, the only English Mass service is on Sundays at 11:30 AM. You’ll want to double-check the Mass schedule, though. Here is the church’s Facebook page, which has the schedule.

Hanoi Water Puppet Show

Water puppet theatre is a traditional Vietnamese art that dates back hundreds of years. I recently saw one of Hanoi’s water puppet shows, and you can read about my experience here.

Hanoi currently has two water puppet theatres, and they’re both in very convenient locations around Hoan Kiem Lake. There’s the Lotus Water Puppet Theatre here, and the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre here.

Thang Long is the more popular theatre, and its tickets usually sell out fast. You don’t need to book weeks in advance — but I recommend checking at least a few days prior. I saw the water puppet show at the Lotus Theatre, and I booked tickets the night before on Klook.

Make a Trip to Ninh Binh

Many travelers make a day trip (or a few days) down to Ninh Binh from Hanoi. If you have limited trip flexibility, a day trip is perfectly fine to graze the surface of Ninh Binh — but it will be a long and tiring day.

If you have full trip flexibility, I really recommend staying in Ninh Binh for a couple of days (two full days would be great). There’s a lot of nature to experience and several attractions spread around the area. This guide covers things to do in Ninh Binh. And this one covers where to stay, with my hotel and homestay recommendations.

For Ninh Binh’s highlights, you should prioritize hiking the 500 steps at Mua Cave (Hang Mua). Then, you’ll want to consider taking a boat tour at either Tam Coc or Trang An. Either is a great choice, but Trang An is my pick, as it has three routes to choose from, and the experience is more streamlined.

I filmed this video from the hike at Mua Cave in Ninh Binh.

Generally, the trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh takes around 2.5 hours. You have a lot of flexibility in how to reach Ninh Binh from Hanoi.

You can use the Grab app to book a private car/taxi. You can take the train from Hanoi Railway Station here to Ninh Binh Station. I did this recently, and it’s much, much better than sitting in a taxi, van, or bus for 2.5 hours. It’s also cheaper. I used the site Baolau to book train tickets, which accepts international credit cards (Visa, Mastercard). You can also use the travel aggregator 12Go.

Finally, you can join a day trip tour from Hanoi. But I would really recommend this last. These are usually small/large groups, and you’ll be on vans/buses with other people, chauffeured from site to site together.

With full trip flexibility, I would take the train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, then spend at least two days there. If you have any questions about visiting Ninh Binh, ask them in my Hanoi travel planning group on Facebook.