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Fairmont Hanoi, Hanoi

Things to do guide

The best things to do in Hanoi

Updated 7 October 2026 · 15 things to do

Pictured: Fairmont Hanoi

Hanoi comes at you all at once. Motorbikes pour through streets a thousand years old, women in conical hats sell fruit from shoulder poles, and every pavement doubles as a kitchen, a workshop and a café. Vietnam's capital is noisy, tangled and completely absorbing, and somehow there is always a quiet lake or a temple courtyard around the next corner.

It is also one of the great eating cities of Asia, and most of the best food is served on a plastic stool. Give it three days: one to get lost in the Old Quarter, one for the monuments and museums, one for the food. Then head out to the limestone scenery that surrounds it.

Don't miss

  1. 1The Old Quarter
  2. 2Hoan Kiem Lake
  3. 3Temple of Literature
  4. 4Pho and bun cha
  5. 5Ha Long Bay

The big sights

  1. The Old Quarter

    Neighbourhood

    A street scene in the Old Quarter of Hanoi
    Photo: Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, CC BY 2.0

    The historic heart of Hanoi is a knot of narrow streets north of Hoan Kiem Lake, traditionally 36 of them, each named after the trade once practised there. Some still keep to the script: a street of silk, one of tin boxes, one of paper offerings. Tall, skinny 'tube houses' squeeze in above the shops.

    There is no route to follow. Walk, dodge the scooters, stop for coffee, repeat. On weekend evenings the streets around the lake close to traffic and the whole quarter turns into a street party.

    Tip: To cross the road, walk slowly and steadily and let the motorbikes flow around you. Do not stop or dart.

  2. Hoan Kiem Lake

    Landmark

    Hoan Kiem Lake in central Hanoi
    Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0

    The Lake of the Returned Sword is the centre of city life. At dawn the paths fill with joggers and tai chi groups; by evening it is couples and families. A scarlet wooden bridge leads to Ngoc Son Temple on a small island, and the little Turtle Tower in the middle of the water is the emblem of Hanoi.

  3. Temple of Literature

    Landmark

    The Dai Trung gate at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi
    Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0

    Dedicated to Confucius and founded in the eleventh century, this is the site of Vietnam's first national university. Five walled courtyards lead from a grand gate to ponds, pavilions and rows of stone tablets on the backs of carved tortoises, each recording the names of scholars who passed the royal exams. It is the calmest place in the city.

  4. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

    Landmark

    The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi
    Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0

    A stern granite monument on Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh read the declaration of independence in 1945, and where his body now lies. Around it are the stilt house he lived in, the grand yellow Presidential Palace and the tiny One Pillar Pagoda, rising from a lotus pond on a single column.

    Tip: Dress respectfully, with shoulders and knees covered, and expect to queue in silence.

  5. Imperial Citadel of Thang Long

    Landmark

    The central sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
    Photo: katiebordner, CC BY 2.0

    For centuries this was the seat of Vietnamese royal power, and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What survives is a mix of old gates, archaeological digs and wartime bunkers, crowned by the Hanoi Flag Tower. History fans will get the most from it.

Museums and culture

  1. Hoa Lo Prison

    Museum

    The Hoa Lo Prison museum in Hanoi
    Photo: Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, CC BY 2.0

    Built by the French colonial government to hold Vietnamese political prisoners, and later used for captured American airmen, who nicknamed it the Hanoi Hilton. Only part of the complex survives as a museum. It is a sombre visit, and a direct way into the country's twentieth-century history.

  2. Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

    Museum

    Vietnam is home to more than fifty ethnic groups, and this museum west of the centre tells their stories through clothes, tools and everyday objects. The garden is the best part: full-size traditional houses, including a towering communal house, that you can climb into. Children enjoy it as much as adults.

  3. Water puppet theatre

    Activity

    A performance at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi
    Photo: Gryffindor, CC BY-SA 3.0

    An art form that began in the flooded rice fields of the Red River Delta. Lacquered wooden puppets dance, fish and fight dragons on the surface of a pool, worked by puppeteers hidden behind a screen and accompanied by live traditional music. The best-known theatre is beside Hoan Kiem Lake, and shows are short enough for all ages.

Eat and drink

Pull up a plastic stool.

  1. Pho and bun cha

    Food

    Bun cha with noodles, herbs and side dishes
    Photo: Weetjesman, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Hanoi is the home of pho, and the northern version is a purist's bowl: clear, deeply savoury beef broth, flat rice noodles, spring onion and little else. It is breakfast here, eaten on the pavement before work.

    Lunch belongs to bun cha: smoky grilled pork patties and slices of belly in a bowl of sweet, sharp dipping broth, with cold rice noodles and a heap of herbs on the side.

  2. Egg coffee

    Food

    A cup of egg coffee in Hanoi
    Photo: mmmmngai@rogers.com, CC BY-SA 2.0

    Ca phe trung is a Hanoi invention: strong Vietnamese coffee topped with a thick, sweet foam of whipped egg yolk and condensed milk. It tastes like a liquid tiramisu and arrives sitting in a bowl of hot water to keep it warm. Order it in one of the old cafés hidden up staircases around the lake.

  3. Bia hoi

    Nightlife

    Fresh draught beer, brewed daily, light and cheap, drunk on tiny stools at street level. The junction of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen in the Old Quarter is the famous spot and gets very lively at night. It is the easiest place in Hanoi to end up talking to strangers.

Lakes and markets

  1. West Lake and Tran Quoc Pagoda

    Nature

    Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake in Hanoi
    Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0

    Hanoi's largest lake lies north-west of the centre, with a long shoreline of cafés, villas and seafood restaurants. On a small island reached by a causeway stands Tran Quoc, regarded as the oldest Buddhist pagoda in the city, its red brick tower rising above the water. Come towards sunset.

  2. Dong Xuan Market

    Market

    The biggest covered market in the Old Quarter is a wholesale hall stacked to the roof with fabric, clothes, dried goods and household everything. It is more about watching the city do business than shopping for souvenirs, and the food stalls in the alleys around it are excellent.

Day trips

  1. Ha Long Bay

    Day trip

    Limestone islands of Ha Long Bay seen from above
    Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0

    Thousands of limestone islands and pillars rising out of green water in the Gulf of Tonkin: a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Vietnam's most famous view. Day trips from Hanoi are possible but long. An overnight cruise is far better, giving you sunset, dawn and a quieter bay.

  2. Ninh Binh

    Day trip

    Limestone hills and water in the Trang An landscape, Ninh Binh
    Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0

    Often described as Ha Long Bay on land. South of Hanoi, the same limestone peaks rise out of rice paddies and slow rivers instead of the sea. At Trang An and Tam Coc, rowing boats take you between the cliffs and through low caves. It is an easy day out and gorgeous when the rice is green.

Where to stay in Hanoi

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Hanoi →

Getting around

The Old Quarter and the lake are best on foot. For anything further, ride-hailing apps are the simplest option for both cars and motorbike taxis, and they fix the fare before you set off. A car is no use to a visitor here.

When to go

Autumn and spring are the most pleasant times, with mild temperatures. Summer is hot, humid and wet, with heavy downpours. Unlike the south of Vietnam, Hanoi has a real winter: cool, grey and often drizzly, so pack a layer.

Questions about visiting Hanoi

What is Hanoi best known for?
The streets of the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of Literature, street food such as pho, bun cha and egg coffee, and its position as the gateway to Ha Long Bay.
How many days do you need in Hanoi?
Two to three days is right for the city itself. Add a night or two for a Ha Long Bay cruise and a day for Ninh Binh.
Is Hanoi worth visiting?
Yes. It is one of the most atmospheric capitals in Asia, with a thousand years of history, superb food and some of Vietnam's best scenery within reach.
What is there to do in Hanoi with kids?
A water puppet show, the outdoor houses at the Museum of Ethnology, the weekend walking streets around Hoan Kiem Lake and a boat ride at Ninh Binh all work well with children.

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