A First Timer’s Guide To Hanoi 

Just like lots of Vietnamese cities, Hanoi is both hectic and historical. If you’re heading to Hanoi for the first time, follow this survival guide and make the most of your trip.

Among the cities we’ve visited, Hanoi has to be one of the most memorable for me. We stayed in Hanoi for about a month and even enjoyed a visit from Stew’s mum and stepdad so we had an official holiday, together.

I loved the hustle and bustle of Hanoi, the coffees, and the food was the best. Having spent an entire month in Vietnam’s capital I’ve got a lot to share, so grab a snack, this is going to be golden!

In this article

• How much do you need to enjoy Hanoi?
• How to budget in Hanoi
• Budget hotels we stayed in
• What to expect from Hanoi?
• How to get around Hanoi
• How to dress in Hanoi
• What to do in Hanoi
• What are where to eat in Hanoi
• Best times to explore Hanoi
• Day trips and tours from Hanoi
• How to stay safe
• The Vietnamese e-Visa

How much do you need to enjoy Hanoi?

Stew and I are budget travellers. We spend as little as possible with maximum experiences. We know when to splurge and when to save.

We spent 49 days in total in Vietnam and approximately 30 of those days were spent in Hanoi.

On average, through the 49 days, we spent £25.88/day and that includes everything: sleeping, eating and experiencing what Vietnam had to offer.

In Vietnam we spent a total of £504.21 in ~30 days, or £16.88/day. Wild.

How to budget in Hanoi

There are three core ways that you can save money in Hanoi: haggling, food and accommodation.

Accommodation

If, like me and Stew, you’ve been travelling in South East Asia a while, you’ll know that cleanliness and quality isn’t always there, but in Vietnam, we felt that on the whole, accommodation was really great. Don’t get me wrong, we stayed in our fair share of: ‘I think I’ll just sleep in my sleeping blanket instead of under the duvet’ hotels, but overall, Vietnam was good for accommodation.

Food

I think there are more places for food than anything else in Hanoi! You will be absolutely spoiled for choice. If you shop around you’ll find plenty of really great and cheap places to eat (more on that below).

Haggling

I hate haggling, but it is a necessary evil in Vietnam. You can haggle almost everywhere, but especially in markets or small stores. Be reasonable with it, but don’t be taken for a fool either. We had a difficult situation where a Vietnamese woman took a large note from Stew’s mum and didn’t provide the change. Difficult one.

Budget hotels we stayed in

We stayed in a couple places in Hanoi, an AirBnB with Stew’s family and a hotel for the two of us. If that sounds useful to you, here they are.

AirBnB suitable for a family of 4

Since Stew’s parents were coming to visit us we found this AirBnB just on the outskirts of the city. It was absolutely perfect for us! Admittedly, it was a bit of a walk to the city, but really not that bad! If we can manage it after cycling for 10 months, you definitely can!

 

The cost for us was around £25.00/night and the place can sleep 4. It was super clean and tidy, plenty quiet enough and the hosts were so helpful. In fact, it was so good there that when Stew’s parents left Hanoi we decided to extend our stay for a few more nights.

Advantages of this budget friendly stay:

• Two well sized bedrooms
• A good sized living room for 4 with a sofa.
• Table and chairs for eating
• The service from the hosts was amazing!
• Close to amenities such as coffee and cafes, and sandwich shops so you can get everything you need without trekking into the city.

We ended up there during Chinese New Year and they gifted us with wine and traditional Vietnamese pork – tet food. It was delicious.

Disadvantages:

I almost don’t want to write any, but I suppose I should summon something…

• The kitchen was small, but plenty big enough for us.
• It’s a bit of a walk to the city, a mile or two.

One thing to note on the walk to the city, if you might struggle it is easy to take a taxi with Grab App if you prefer. We did use the app once to get from the city back to the AirBnB

Hotel suitable for leisure tips, couples or friends

For Stew and I we wanted a budget-friendly hotel (don’t we always) and this is what we found: Hestia Legend Hotel. We just turned up on the day and booked. The hotel was clean and tidy and breakfast was good enough!

Advantages:

• It’s fairly close to all the action. You literally stepped out into the chaos
• The breakfast was great! We loved that and Stew appreciated sausages and bacon
• The staff were really good! We were trying to organise Halong Bay and they were so helpful

Disadvantages:

• The room wasn’t much to get excited about, but it had everything you needed. It’s not like you want to be in your room, in Hanoi, anyway!

What to expect from Hanoi?

Hanoi is a city of hustle and bustle. If you’re not used to traffic in South East Asia then prepared to be overwhelmed. It’s a sea of scooters and motorbikes, but you do get used to just heading out into the road whenever you want to cross it.

The constant beeping of car horns can be a lot, but it’s all part of the charm.

How to get around Hanoi

Naturally, the cheapest and easiest way to get around Hanoi is to walk. We walked pretty much everywhere. We did have the bikes, but honestly, that’s not for me; the traffic is just too much.

Lots of people rent scooters of bikes, but I also could not get on those roads in a morotised vehicle.

As I said earlier, Grab App is a great idea if you’re travelling further afield or want to save your legs. By the way, with Grab App, be warned that you could end up picked up by a motorcycle so if that’s not your vibe make sure you get a car.

How to dress in Hanoi

You can wear whatever your comfortable with in Hanoi. It’s a capital city that has seen its fair share, and some more, of tourists. Shorts, vest tops or dresses are absolutely fine.

The only advice we would give is to choose something comfortable! A good pair of comfy shoes, light trousers and loose, floaty tops. Anything else will probably just stick to you.

Once you get to Hanoi you probably won’t be able to resist it’s rather unique style of “North Face” jackets or tropical shirts!

What to do in Hanoi

This city is packed with things to do. You’re going to be spoiled for choice and honestly we didn’t do it all in a month!

However, with Hanoi being quite a small city where most things are within walking distance you can tick off most of the top sights.

Explore the Old Quarter

The first place you’ll want to head is the Old Quarter. This place is jam-packed with ancient pagodas and beautiful colonial buildings – some of which you can still peer inside. Hoan Kiem Lake is at its centre and makes a lovely, quiet(ish) stop-off point for a coffee and ice-cream.

You’ll notice a lot of French flair around these parts, dating back to colonial times. The Opera House is the main attraction. Even if you’re not a falsetto fan, you can admire its grand, neo-classical architecture from outside – just like we did. It’s the biggest theatre in the country, so definitely worth a look.

A 15-minute walk from there you’ve got the Hoa Lo Prison, where the French colonists used to keep political prisoners and, later, where US prisoners were held during the Vietnam War. And, another 15 minutes will get you to the Vietnam Military History Museum. Here, you can wander between a load of weaponry and military equipment from over the years. Highlights include a Soviet-built jet fighter.

Make time for Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum

You can’t go to Hanoi and not visit this huge, historic complex. This massive marble museum actually houses the body of Communist revolutionary leader, Ho Chi Minh, who served from 1945 to 1969. Since it’s considered a sacred place, you’ll need to dress modestly if you go inside – we’re talking trousers and covered arms. Close by, you can also visit the humble stilt house, where the former leader lived in the Sixties.

Shop for souvenirs at Hanoi weekend market

If you manage to time your visit over the weekend, the night market’s a must. It kicks off at 7pm, when the streets come alive with the buzz of roadside stalls and lights. It’s a great place to grab a bargain, with everything from sunglasses to souvenirs on sale. Top tip – haggling’s encouraged, so we’d recommend starting at around 75% of the price.

After browsing, we stopped for a bite to eat here, too. The stalls sell all kinds of tasty local treats, like rice noodles, noodle soup and banh mi – a Vietnamese sandwich.

Watch a water puppet show

Another great way to spend an evening is at Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. Here, you can settle in for an hour-long water puppet performance, accompanied by a live orchestra. Originally performed in the rice paddies, this traditional type of puppetry dates back to the 11th century – so think of it like entertainment with an educational twist.

Visit Train Street

Train Street is the quirkiest spot! You might recognise it from your friends’ too cool travel shots? It’s the street that, true to it’s name, has a trainline running down the street! You can get amongst it, sit on the tracks, have your picture taken and even eat right at the track side. Locals will be seen going about their everyday lives, completely unfazed by the locomotives passing just metres from them.

When a train is coming by the locals will give everyone a heads up and get everyone off the tracks and sat at the sides.

You can plan a dinner or a visit to Train Street around the Hanoi train time table. We were there pretty late in the evening, maybe around 6pm or 7pm and we had an easy time getting service from the restaurants nearby.

What are where to eat in Hanoi

From street food to cute cafes, we tried it all! We even had the pleasure of meeting fellow cycle tourists in Hanoi; we went for food and drinks and it was a special and memorable evening.

Street food

There are street food stalls everywhere in Hanoi. You will be spoiled for choice. In the Old Quarter you will find delicacy that you will not be able to resist! This is where you’ll find some of the tastiest and cheapest eats in the city.

After months of not seeing a sandwich we were so excited to see that French influence and sandwiches in baguette-like-bread. In Vietnam, that’s banh mi. Another must-try dish is pho (a rice noodle soup) and of course there’s spring rolls, too.

City view cafe

I absolutely adored drinking a coffee at City View Cafe and watching the traffic weaving in and out on the busy, busy roads.

Stew and I went at least twice and I took Stew’s mum and stepdad there for a third time, too. I found the traffic hypnotic to watch and the coffee up there is incredible. I think I drank a little too much though as I did end up with a migraine in Hanoi, which is very unlikely me! The coffee definitely packs a punch in that part of the world.

Have a drink at Beer Corner

While you’re in the Old Quarter, you’ll want to make a stop off at Bia Hoi, AKA Beer Corner – where the Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen streets meet. You’ll know when you get there – lots of little plastic chairs and stools in the streets and a crowd of locals and tourists enjoying the cheap draught beer, bia hoi. We managed to get a glass for around 25p – it doesn’t get much cheaper than that.

Eat on train street

Although food on train street is a lot more expensive than other cafes and restaurants I would still recommend it. It’s one of the most touristy areas, but as I said about, it is cool! And, when you dine on Train Street you increases your chances of catching a train. Get there in plenty of time!

Check out the Old Quarter for authentic Vietnamese food

We found a restaurant that we absolutely loved! We loved it so much we visited it about three times. I can’t believe I have to deliver this with the fact that I cannot for anything find the place on the map! It was delicious and very affordable, too! Just look at these delicious Vietnamese dishes.

We loved this place so much that we took our Instagram-friends there when we met! Check out our Instagram post below where we wrote about it.

 

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A post shared by Road to Frame • Bike the World (@road_to_frame)

Best times to explore Hanoi

We were in Hanoi in January and had a great experience, so I would definitely recommend that. We were also there during Tet. Interestingly enough I’ve read other blogs who say not to visit during this time, but we had a great time. And if anything Tet enhanced our experience with our AirBnB hosts. We didn’t really notice a vibe change during Tet, but the hotel staff told us the city would be quieter as people go home to see their families. This makes sense and it likely true, but I can’t imagine Hanoi ever been quiet to my Western ears!

Likely, you will already know about South East Asia’s rainy seasons. Supposedly, the rainy season is between June to November and when it rains there, it pours!

So, avoid those months and opt for a holiday in Hanoi in the first and early second quarter of the year.

Day trips and tours from Hanoi

Halong Bay

Halong Bay is one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations and it’s not hard to see why. With its dramatic limestone cliffs, crystal-clear waters and abundance of wildlife, it’s a natural wonder.

We went along with Stew’s mum and dad. We did a boat tour which included a hike, a cave visit, a kayak, and a delicious sea food dinner on the water. The weather wasn’t even great for us, but it was still fantastic and I definitely recommend it. If I went back I’d do an overnight tour.

There are so many people offering tours to Halong Bay, we visited quite a few of them, but unfortunately, I can’t remember who we decided to book with in the end.

How to stay safe

Hanoi felt like a really safe city to me, but naturally you want to keep yourself safe in any city. Treat safety in Hanoi like you would anywhere else in the world and follow the typical traveller safety guidelines like:

• Don’t flash your valuables around in public
• Keep an eye on your belongings
• Be cautious when taking taxis – make sure it’s a legitimate taxi with a meter
• Watch out for scooters when you cross the road, the road rules are not like the Western world!

The Vietnamese e-Visa

As U.K. citizens the Vietnamese e-Visa was very easy for us. We had 30 days in Vietnam and all we had to do was cross the border into Laos, then come back again, in order to get another 30 days.

Check out this website for more information on your e-visa.

Post written by: Zoe Ashbridge