I’ve received more than a few emails from readers asking whether it’s better to visit Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. With interest in visiting Vietnam growing over the past year, I thought I’d answer this common question with a new guide.
🏨 The Oriental Jade (see on Agoda / Booking): This is a very nice hotel right near Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi — a great location
🏨 La Siesta Premium Saigon (see on Agoda / Booking): I’m a huge fan of the La Siesta hotel chain in Vietnam. This is in a great location in District 1, HCMC
🎟️ Tours & Activities: this HCMC Cu Chi Tunnels tour and this Hanoi Train Street/food tour
The first tip I’ll share is that there’s no wrong answer. One city isn’t clearly better than the other. Each has its own unique flavor and atmosphere. The one thing you will want to consider is when you’re planning to visit Vietnam, as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City experience very different weather during the year.
If you have a specific travel window, this could actually make your decision easy. For example, if your only time to travel is somewhere between December and February, this is when Hanoi is pretty chilly — whereas these three months are among the best times to visit Ho Chi Minh City.
If you have full trip flexibility, read on for my comparison between visiting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Hanoi vs. HCMC: Quick Takeaways
✈️ Airports: Both cities have major airports with numerous international connections. Hanoi’s airport, Noi Bai (HAN), is about 30 to 40 minutes north of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. HCMC’s airport, Tan Son Nhat (SGN), is about 20 to 30 minutes from downtown District 1. In my experience, Hanoi’s airport is all around smoother to navigate. You may want the fast-track service for HCMC airport.
🏞️ Activities: There are a lot of things to do in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The majority of HCMC’s attractions are centrally located in District 1 or District 3. By staying in either district, you’ll be able to walk to most places of interest in HCMC. Hanoi’s attractions are a bit more spread out around the city. Either way, you’ll want to use the Grab app to get around in Vietnam.
🚗 Side trips: Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City both offer opportunities to visit more places in their respective regions. Some are doable as full-day trips. Others are better for a couple of days or more. Hanoi has popular choices like Ninh Binh, Halong Bay, and Sa Pa. HCMC has Mui Ne, Vung Tau, Can Tho and the Mekong Delta, and easy access to Phu Quoc.
🍜 Food: There are endless food options in both cities. This isn’t something I would base my decision on visiting one or the other over. Besides the obvious plethora of local food options, both cities have tons of international choices, like Indian, Italian, Mexican, Western brunch and cafe spots, and vegetarian places. In either city, you’ll want to try the egg coffee.
👶🏻 Families: Both cities are equally suitable for families. Ho Chi Minh City has more modern amenities within proximity of the attractions in Districts 1 and 3, making it more convenient all around. Hanoi’s amenities and malls are spread out, mostly outside the areas where its attractions are. If you’re with kids, you’ll do a lot more running around in Hanoi compared to HCMC.
☀️ Weather: Hanoi’s weather gets pretty chilly in the winter, whereas Ho Chi Minh City stays hot year-round. Important to note: there are times during the year when Hanoi is among the most polluted cities in the world. Clearly, this is a major negative, especially if traveling with young kids. Here is Hanoi on IQAir.
🏨 Hotels: Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City both have tons of hotel choices. There are some nice 5-star hotels in both cities, like the Metropole Hanoi (see on Agoda / Booking) and The Reverie Saigon (Agoda / Booking). There are also many mid-range choices in great locations, like the Serene Central (Agoda / Booking) and the Silverland Ben Thanh (Agoda / Booking) in HCMC.
Hanoi
See all of my Hanoi guides here.
The atmosphere in Hanoi feels a lot more classical and conservative than what you’ll experience in Ho Chi Minh City. Being Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi has a lot of historic sites to check out, especially around President Ho Chi Minh. Ho Chi Minh City also has historic sites. And both cities have their share of museums.
I filmed this video at Ba Dinh Square, outside of Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. Ba Dinh Square is where Ho Chi Minh read Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945. Ba Dinh Square and the mausoleum, where Ho Chi Minh’s body is on display, are both free to visit. There’s an additional charge to visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the Stilt House.
Hanoi also has one of the more unique attractions between the two cities: Hanoi Train Street. The train streets are free to visit, but they’re lined with cafes and bars, so you can have coffee, a drink, or eat while waiting and watching the train pass by.
The best time to visit Hanoi is split into different parts of the year. December, January, February, and March are well into the dry season in northern Vietnam — but the temperatures can get pretty chilly at times. Expect highs from the upper 60s°F (20°C) down to the upper 50s°F (15°C) from December to February, with March being when it starts to warm up.
If you have full trip flexibility, keep an eye on October and November in Hanoi. They’re both warmer than the next few months, with highs around the low-80s°F (28°C) and lows in the 70s°F (22°C). There’s just a higher likelihood of rain in October, and then less so in November, compared to the few months that follow. I recently visited Hanoi in October and had a great stretch of five sunny days with a comfortable level of heat.
Where to stay in Hanoi: Besides the hotels mentioned in my takeaways section above, look at The Oriental Jade (see on Agoda / Booking) for a 5-star hotel in a great location west of Hoan Kiem Lake. The Lavender Central (Agoda / Booking) is a nice boutique hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Here’s my full guide on where to stay in Hanoi.
How long to spend in Hanoi: Three or four full days will be enough time to visit all of Hanoi’s primary attractions. If you have full flexibility and don’t want to be rushed, I’d opt for four or five full days.
On a recent visit to Hanoi, I chatted with a tour guide from Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide. I’m not affiliated with this company at all. They provide free tours in Hanoi in exchange for practicing English. I would definitely contact them if you’re interested in a tour in Hanoi.
For more things to do in Hanoi, see my guides on Hoa Lo Prison, the Military History Museum, the Museum of Ethnology, the Women’s Museum, the Temple of Literature, and the National Fine Arts Museum. You may also be interested in seeing a Hanoi Water Puppet Show!
Ho Chi Minh City
See all of my Ho Chi Minh City guides here.
Ho Chi Minh City is considered the financial and economic hub of Vietnam. This alone doesn’t mean much to travelers, but it should indicate that HCMC is the more contemporary city when compared to Hanoi.
There is a lot of history in HCMC, too. The Independence Palace in District 1 is the site of the Fall of Saigon in 1975. I filmed this video inside the courtyard of the Independence Palace in HCMC. This is one of my personal favorite attractions in the city. It’s very central. Lots of space to walk around and explore.
Ten minutes away, in District 3, is the War Remnants Museum. There are also several French colonial buildings scattered around the city, like the Saigon Central Post Office, Opera House, and the People’s Committee Building.
The best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City is from December to April. The rainy season usually starts around May and winds down around November. My favorite months in Ho Chi Minh City are December, January, and February.
If you have full trip flexibility, choose either January or February. For December, January, and February, expect highs of around 90°F (32°C) and lows in the 70s°F (22°C). And if it does rain (very low chance), it will likely be a brief shower. Compare this timeframe to Hanoi, when it’s very chilly.
Where to stay in HCMC: As I said in the beginning, I’m a big fan of the La Siesta chain in Vietnam. Besides the La Siesta Premium Saigon, they’ve also opened the new La Siesta Premium Saigon Central (see on Agoda / Booking) nearby. I also really like Mai House Saigon (Agoda / Booking) in District 3. This guide covers the best areas and hotels in HCMC.
A lot of first-time visitors think that District 1 is the only great place to stay in HCMC. Actually, a large part of District 3 borders District 1. So if you stay near this border, like near the Mai House Saigon, you can walk between both districts easily. I personally prefer District 3, as it’s calmer than District 1 and has more tree-lined streets. It’s more pleasant to wander around in.
How long to spend in HCMC: Similar to Hanoi, I’d plan at least three to four full days in HCMC. Here’s my three-day itinerary and one-day itinerary for HCMC. If you want to do a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels and/or Mekong Delta, this could eat an entire day. If you have full flexibility, five days would be great in HCMC.
For more things to do in HCMC, I’ve covered the Saigon Skydeck, HCMC Book Street, Vinhomes Central Park, and HCMC’s best museums.
