Hanoi Travel Guide: Discover the Heart of Vietnam’s Culture & History

Hanoi, the heart of Vietnam, the City of Peace recognized by UNESCO is a cannot be missed destination in your Vietnam trip. 4000 years of history, culture, and lifestyle of Vietnamese converge in Hanoi.

Since 1010, Hanoi was chosen as the capital of Vietnam by Ly Cong Uan King. Since then, Hanoi witnessed political, economic, and social changes. Until now, it still keeps its typical beauty character and soul.

Hoan Kiem Lake

1. What To Do And What To See In Hanoi?

Before you take any of Vietnam Tours you may think about Hanoi because it may be the place you fly into for starting your trip. Hanoi lends herself to leisurely exploration full of things to see, from a delicious mix of East and West: architectural souvenirs nestled along wooded boulevards among the city’s two dozen lakes, the architecture of the Old Quarter, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and the Temple of Literature, where Sino-Vietnamese tradition converges with a powerful French influence to produce a unique, enchanting city to the strong indigenous culinary traditions, with earthy markets and a rambunctious street-food culture. 

In a very compact city like Hanoi, almost famous places of interest are all within walking distance making it easy to enjoy the best parts of the city on foot or by cyclo: mist-shrouded Hoan Kiem Lake – Lake of the Restored Sword – an iconic image of old Hanoi; Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum; One Pillar Pagoda; 36 little streets in the quarter each named for a commodity once sold by all the businesses on that street: the jewelry, copper, horse hair, medicine, fans, chicken, etc; the Temple of Literature - a rare example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture; economical hotels, tourist shops, and cafés catering to visitors.

Temple of Literature

Especially, since September 1st, 2016, the walking streets around Hoan Kiem Lake officially launched. On the weekends, you will have a chance to get acquainted with traditional Vietnamese games listen to street bands of the young in Vietnam, or enjoy watching hip-hop dance, flash mob dance, etc.

In the suburban areas, there remained a lot of historical and religious sites of Vietnam. About 20 kilometers far from the center of Hanoi, there are Tay Phuong in Thach That District and Thay Pagoda in Quoc Oai District. These pagodas were built about 300 years ago. Until now, Vietnamese people, as well as foreigners, have been coming here to express their beliefs. 

The charm of the capital city is also found in Hanoians, who express themselves through an eclectic range of activities, and are simple in daily life but generous in welcoming any travelers to Vietnam.

Tay Phuong Pagoda

2. What to Eat and Drink in Hanoi?

One thing you should not miss in Asia’s most graceful and exotic capital city is a wide range of exquisite local dishes, which brings Vietnamese cuisine to the world’s cuisine map. Hanoi Nightlife may bring you the best experience for what to eat in Hanoi. 

If you come to Hanoi, don’t ever forget to taste Pho (noodles with beef or chicken), Bun Cha (noodles with grilled pork meat) which stole the tongue of former President Barack Obama, Cha Ca La Vong (La Vong fried fish), and many other delicious dishes you should discover by yourselves.

A Bowl of Pho - Must-try dish in Hanoi

3. When to visit Hanoi?

Like other places in the northern hemisphere, Hanoi, with a typical tropical climate, has chilly winter, when the temperatures can significantly drop to 10 degrees Celsius and the steaming summers when it is an uncomfortably hot and humid affair with the temperatures consistently above 20 degrees Celsius. Despite the unpredictability of the weather in Hanoi, this over 1,000-year-old city can be visited any time of the year. 

Winter is the time to enjoy the fascinating festival in Vietnam: Tet holiday – Vietnamese New Year’s Celebration, to discover all the sights on foot; summer is when to go for a beer or coffee without dripping with sweat; spring and autumn for cooler weather, for the most pleasant weather of a year, for the charm of Hanoi in its fullest.

Hanoi Street

4. Suggested Tours from Hanoi

That is easy for travelers to start the tour from Hanoi. From Hanoi, you may have a lot of options for your trip as below

• Hoa Lu - Tam Coc Day Trip: This tour is a day trip from Hanoi. You will take about 2 hours to drive from Hanoi to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital to visit Dinh and Le Temple. You will know more about the history of Vietnam. Have lunch then move to Tam Coc to do the sampan boat trip visiting Tam Coc ( 3 caves). You will have a wonderful time in Tam Coc (Known as dry Halong Bay). Cycling for about 40 minutes around Tam Coc to see the local life and return to Hanoi around 6.00 PM.

Temple of Emperor Đinh Tiên Hoàng

• Halong Bay Day Trip: This tour is a full-day tour from Hanoi. You will start in the morning from Hanoi for a 3.5-hour drive to Halong Bay where you will take a boat trip to visit one of the most beautiful bays in the world. You will have an opportunity to visit the Thien Cung Caves, go kayaking, or enjoy the sampan boat trip. Take your time to enjoy cruising in Halong Bay. Return back to Hanoi at around 8.30 PM.

Halong Bay Viewpoint

• Halong Bay 1-Night Cruise: This tour will allow you to stay overnight in Halong on a cruise. Like the Halong Bay Day Trip, you will start in Hanoi in the morning and arrive in Halong Bay at noon time. However, with Halong Bay 1 Night Cruise, you will visit further destinations in Halong Bay and do more activities. You will visit Sung Sot Cave (Amazing Cave), go kayaking, or enjoy the sampan boat trip. Enjoy the sunset party and relax on the overnight cruise. There are some activities like a cooking demonstration and squid fishing. Besides that you may have a chance to go swimming, climbing to the top of an island on a nice beach depending on the cruise you choose for your trip. You will return to Hanoi around 04.30 PM. 
• Halong Bay 2-night Cruise: Similar to Halong Bay 1 Night Cruise you will have more time on Halong Bay 2 Night Cruise. You will have a full day of kayaking and swimming on the small and quiet beaches on the different islands in Halong Bay.

See more tours at Day Trips from Hanoi exclusively at Incredible Asia Journeys. Don't hesitate to message or email us your request about your upcoming trip!