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The capital city of Vietnam is actually the 2nd most populous in the country, behind Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi has Chinese, French and Russian influences and is part of UNESCO’s Network of Creative Cities due to its educational institutions and cultural venues of significance.

Getting to Hanoi is easy, just take a flight to Noi Bai International Airport (HAN). Upon landing, you can take bus numbers 7 or 17 on the right side of the terminal exit to get to the city center. The journey costs about 5000 Vietnamese Dong (about $0.30) and takes about an hour (buses leave every 15-20 mins, most hours of the day).

If you’re already in the country, use Intercity bus companies like Mai Linh Express and The Sinh Tourist which stop along all the major cities of Vietnam. You can add as many stops as you would like to your journey. You can also take a train, here is an excellent resource on that.

Protip: Do NOT leave Vietnam without venturing east to the coast and seeing Ha Long Bay. Therefore I will focus on both places in this post. A Google map of the places I will talk about can be seen at the end of this post.

Also, If you have more time in Vietnam, why not check out the cities in Vietnam? Check out my blog posts on Central Vietnam (Hoi An, Hue) and South Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Nha Trang)

Hanoi

There are a plethora of markets, shops, restaurants, alleys to check out in this capital city. You can’t go wrong wherever you decide to go, but if you’re having trouble deciding, go to the Old Quarter first. 

The streets in the Old Quarter are lined with historic temples, pagodas, and halls where specific streets are devoted to one craft or guild. There are current initiatives to try to restore a lot of the historical remnants of the area, so work is ongoing for restoration. Nonetheless, it’s always amazing to see small historical areas such as this, immersed in a modern city like Hanoi. 

The quintessential sight of Hanoi has to be Hoàn Kiem Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword) and the Turtle Tower in the middle. In the morning, this area is teaming with joggers, yogis, and other fitness-minded folks. It is best viewed at any time of day and a popular backdrop to many of the dining areas in teh evening time when the temple is lit up.

For a relaxed bar after dinner with a good vibe, head over to Hangover bar. 

The Temple of Literature was built in 1070 and dedicated to the Chinese philosopher Confucius. The function of the area was very much academic back in the day, functioning as a study hall and a place for writing exams. You can also see this temple on the back of a 100,000 Dong bank note! I especially liked the Zen-like atmosphere here and the very quaint gate that welcomed us upon entering.

The West Lake is a very relaxing place to go, and is the subject of very many Vietnamese legends. Nonetheless, it is the largest freshwater lake in Hanoi and features the Tran Quoc Pagoda, nestled on an island near the southeast shore of the lake. This pagoda is the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, constructed in the 6th century! It is open to visitors as well, so don’t miss it. Rarely do you ever get to see a building that is 1,450 years old.

The Thang Long Imperial Citadel otherwise known as the Hanoi Citadel, is a complex of historical buildings built during the Ly dynasty. The grounds feature a variation of buildings, palaces and gardens, that are in all a state of disrepair. What I find remarkable about it is how I looked at the Great Wall of China; how a man-made structure succumbs to the overwhelming and inevitable force of nature.

Just a stone’s throw away from the Old Quarter lies the Bach Ma Temple; another lovely temple constructed during the Ly Dynasty around 1010. The name translates to ‘White Horse Temple’ which is appropriate since legend has it that a white horse buried its hooves near this site for the temple to be erected. This was after previous attempts by the King to build the temple, only for it to consistently collapse.

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum probably needs no introduction and its function is said in its name. It is the resting place of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Leader Ho Chi Minh and was inspired by Lenin's Mausoleum in Moscow but with Vietnamese architecture.

Ha Long Bay

No visit to Vietnam is complete without seeing Ha Long Bay. This boat ride through the small mountain islands emerging from the emerald colored water is something out of the movies. It feels like prehistoric civilization, a natural world, untouched and untainted by modern man. Unless you have a connection or your own boat, you usually have to book a tour to see the bay, which offer a number of nights on the boat and a variety of different stops. Furthermore, tours to Ha long Bay start from a number of docks on the Vietnamese coast. Check with your tour operator on where they leave from. 

The main place to check out when in these parts is Titov (or Ti Top) island. There is a relatively short hike you can take to see a panoramic view of the entire area. If you are keen for even more hiking, see if your tour operator stops at nearby Cát Bà island, which is a dream for hiking or cycling through the dense jungle. In fact, this island is home to Cát Bà National Park, a World Heritage Site designated as a biosphere reserve.

The Sung Sot Cave is located on Bo Hon Island, and is a common stop when here. The cavern itself is massive (30 meters high) with a length of about half a kilometer with stalactites and stalagmites as far as the eye can see.

If time permits, see if you can book a quick tour to Monkey Island. Not only are there monkeys running rampant here (use caution as some can bite you, steal your food, and do other behaviors that imitate people), but you can also hike to the tallest point in the island (if you're not over hiking just yet).

Another place to go to for kayaking, rock climbing, and paddle boarding is at Lan Hạ Bay. The great thing about this area is that it is a neighbor of Ha Long Bay and is therefore a bit less touristy. But fear not, Lan Ha Bay is still just as beautiful. It includes more quiet waterways and authentic, yet more secluded fishing villages.

If you’re also keen for exploring other Southeast Asian destinations, check out my posts on seeing Cambodia (Blog Post: The Perfect Guide for Tomb Raiding in Cambodia) and Thailand (Blog Posts: An Explorer’s Guide to Bangkok and Just a few reasons why should visit Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai).

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