Getting Around Hanoi
What actually works today: walking, Grab, taxis and the existing metro lines.
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Hanoi Is Building Five New Metro Lines at Once
Hanoi broke ground in June 2026 on five metro lines simultaneously — one of the largest infrastructure pushes in the city's history. Here's what that actually means for getting around today versus in a few years.
21.6 kmcurrently operating
5 linesunder simultaneous construction
2035target for a much larger network
What's actually running right now
As of mid-2026, Hanoi's operating metro network is still small: about 21.6km made up of Line 2A (Cat Linh to Ha Dong) and the elevated section of Line 3 (Nhon to Cau Giay). Together these two lines have carried well over 60 million passenger journeys since opening, so they're genuinely useful if your route happens to align with them — but they don't yet cover most of the city, including the Old Quarter and central sights most visitors spend their time in.
What's under construction
In June 2026, Hanoi broke ground on five new metro lines simultaneously, a project covering roughly 267–300km of new track depending on the final scope, with a combined budget in the tens of billions of dollars. One of the new lines is planned to connect central Hanoi directly to Noi Bai International Airport — a genuinely useful addition if it delivers, since airport transport currently means Grab, taxi or bus for everyone.
What this means for your trip today
Don't plan a near-term Hanoi visit around the expanded metro — construction on the new lines is only just starting, and the city's own targets point to a much larger network by 2030–2035, not this year or next. For now, Grab, walking and the two existing short lines remain the practical way to get around — see our full guide to getting around Hanoi for what actually works today.
Good to know: large infrastructure projects like this commonly run behind their original targets — treat any specific opening date you see for the new lines as provisional rather than confirmed.