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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.
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Old Quarter Night Market
Weekend evenings, when the Old Quarter's streets close to traffic and fill with stalls.
Read the guideNot sure where to start?
See every attraction here plotted on our interactive map, or follow our 3-day itinerary — a route that actually makes sense on foot.
Open the Interactive Map See the 3-day itinerary