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Hoan Kiem Lake
The city's centrepiece — legend, sunrise exercise and the best people-watching in Hanoi.
Read the guideAttractions & Activities
Things to Do in Hanoi
Hanoi rewards slow travel more than any tick-list. Here's what's actually worth your time, grouped so you can build a day around a neighbourhood instead of criss-crossing the city.
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The Old Quarter
36 streets, each named for the trade once sold there. How to explore it without getting lost — or minding if you do.
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Temple of Literature
Vietnam's first national university, built in 1070. A calm, well-preserved break from the traffic.
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Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
What to expect, the dress code, opening hours, and whether it's worth the queue.
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One Pillar Pagoda
A tiny, striking pagoda shaped like a lotus rising from water — five minutes from the Mausoleum.
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Train Street
Houses within arm's reach of a working railway line. How to visit respectfully, and when trains actually pass.
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Water Puppet Show
A genuinely unique Vietnamese art form, performed on water. Where to watch and what to expect.
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West Lake (Hồ Tây)
Hanoi's largest lake — pagodas, cafes and a slower pace, best explored by bicycle.
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Long Bien Bridge
A rust-red colonial-era steel bridge over the Red River, with real wartime history.
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Dong Xuan Market
The Old Quarter's largest indoor market — a working market first, browse-worthy second.
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Hanoi Opera House
A grand French colonial theatre modelled on the Palais Garnier, still active today.
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Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
One of Vietnam's best museums — indoor exhibits plus a full-scale outdoor architecture park.
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Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
A UNESCO site with over a thousand years of continuous political history, right in central Hanoi.
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Hanoi Flag Tower
A 19th-century watchtower and one of the city's enduring symbols, near the Mausoleum.
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Hoa Lo Prison Museum
A sobering but important stop — colonial-era prison, later the "Hanoi Hilton" of the Vietnam War.
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The French Quarter
Wide boulevards and colonial villas south of the lake — a different side of Hanoi entirely.
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Bat Trang Ceramic Village
A centuries-old pottery village just outside the city — workshops, markets, and hands-on pottery.
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Ba Vi National Park
Cooler mountain air, hiking trails, and an eerie abandoned French hill station.
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Perfume Pagoda
A major pilgrimage site — a boat ride and a climb to a temple built inside a limestone cave.
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Quan Thanh Temple
A quiet Taoist temple by West Lake with a striking 17th-century bronze statue.
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Tran Quoc Pagoda
Vietnam's oldest Buddhist pagoda, on a peninsula in West Lake — best at sunrise or sunset.
Read the guideNot sure where to start?
Our 3-day itinerary strings the best of these together into a route that actually makes sense on foot.
See the 3-day itinerary