Exactly What to Do in Hanoi for First-Timers

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 what to do in Hanoi, I’ve detailed items mostly from my recent visit. Most of the best attractions in Hanoi 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 an interesting conversation with a local volunteer tour guide at the Ho Chi Minh Museum. His company gives free tours in Hanoi in exchange for practicing English. There are a lot of things to do in Hanoi, so having a guide (and using my article!) can help you hone in and be efficient on your trip. I highly recommend reaching out: Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide.

If you have any questions about visiting Hanoi, ask me and other travelers 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, 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 a central area to base your trip. But the small areas around the lake are different in terms of street congestion, noise, and hotel prices.

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

If you want to be in the action of Old Quarter, look at the Amorita above, or the May De Ville Lakeside (Agoda / Booking) for something five-star. A solid mid-range directly in the Old Quarter is the Lavender Central (Agoda / Booking). From all of these hotels, you’ll be able to 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.

See Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum

If I had to choose a centerpiece attraction of 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 Monday and Friday. Also in Ba Dinh Square is 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.

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 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 bank note. 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).

So if you visit the HCM Mausoleum in the morning, you can walk down 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 (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. It also causes some of the side streets to become congested, as vehicle traffic is rerouted.

Hoa Lo Prison: The Hanoi Hilton

This is one of the more historic sites in Hanoi, located here, southwest of Hoan Kiem Lake. This prison housed American POWs during the Vietnam War, most notably John McCain. This is a well-run “museum,” with multiple staff members on hand, 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, my visits since have been successful, and 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 will 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.

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 displays are written in Vietnamese, French, and English. Tickets are 40.000 VND each. The museum’s 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 were 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 the Vietnamese food specialties — 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 is a very congested food scene.

Personally, 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, probably 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 visiting 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 (here), 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, telling you 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 wreckage of the airplane is still in the lake today. This is a cool thing to see, but there isn’t much to do besides look at it briefly. You could walk here (I did recently) or take a GrabBike moto-taxi.

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 (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 (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, they have only one English Mass service 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.

See a 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 recently, and I was able to book tickets the night before on Klook.

Klook.com