Hanoi

Best things to do in Hanoi

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   1. Hạ Long Bay

   • A full day or longer
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • Families

   A UNESCO World Heritage Site in north-eastern Vietnam, covering around 1,553 km2 with 1,969 islets, most of limestone. The name means 'descending dragon'. It is outside Hanoi, in Quảng Ninh.

   We have not confirmed travel times or tour arrangements from Hanoi; check with the operator.

   12,945 readers a month

   Sources

   • UNESCO, Ha Long Bay
   • Wikipedia, Hạ Long Bay

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   2. Hỏa Lò Prison

   • 1 to 2 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Adults
   • Rainy day

   A French-built prison (1896 to 1901) later used for US prisoners of war in the Vietnam War, who called it the 'Hanoi Hilton'. It was demolished in 1993 to 1994 apart from its gatehouse, which is now a museum.

   We have not confirmed ticketing or opening hours from an official source; check before you go.

   12,655 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Hỏa Lò Prison

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   3. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

   • 1 to 2 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Adults

   The resting place of Ho Chi Minh, in Ba Đình Square, opened in 1975 and built of grey granite and polished stone. Wikipedia says it is open to the public on mornings except Monday and Friday.

   Opening days and dress rules are not confirmed by an official source we reached; check before you go.

   8,876 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

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   4. Sa Pa

   • Usually overnight
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Active
   • Couples

   A mountain town in Lào Cai Province in the north-west, on the Hoàng Liên Sơn range, about 300 km north-west of Hanoi and near the Chinese border. Fansipan, Vietnam's highest peak, is nearby.

   We have not confirmed transport or tour details from Hanoi; check with the operator.

   5,641 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Sa Pa

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   5. Temple of Literature

   • 1 to 2 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • Rainy day
   • Families

   A temple to Confucius founded in 1070, which housed Vietnam's first national university, the Imperial Academy, from 1076 to 1779. It lies south of the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long. It features on the 100,000 đồng banknote.

   We have not confirmed ticketing or opening hours from an official source; check before you go.

   4,347 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Temple of Literature, Hanoi

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   6. Ninh Bình and Tràng An

   • A full day
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • Families
   • Active

   Ninh Bình province is known for the Tràng An grottoes and rivers, the ancient capital of Hoa Lư and the Bái Đính Pagoda. Tràng An, famed for boat cave tours, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.

   We have not confirmed travel times or tour arrangements from Hanoi; check with the operator.

   3,974 readers a month

   Sources

   • UNESCO, Trang An Landscape Complex
   • Wikipedia, Tràng An Scenic Landscape Complex
   • Wikipedia, Ninh Bình province

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   7. Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ngọc Sơn Temple

   • 1 to 2 hours
   • No booking needed
   • Couples
   • Families
   • No car needed

   A freshwater lake of some 12 hectares in the historic centre of Hanoi, a focal point of public life. Ngọc Sơn Temple, built in the early 19th century, stands on an islet in the lake and is reached by the Thê Húc Bridge.

   3,813 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Hoàn Kiếm Lake
   • Wikipedia, Ngọc Sơn Temple

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   8. St. Joseph's Cathedral

   • About an hour
   • No booking needed
   • Couples
   • No car needed
   • Rainy day

   A Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral begun in 1884 and opened in December 1886, resembling Notre-Dame de Paris in style. It is the oldest church in Hanoi and sits on Nhà Chung Street in Hoàn Kiếm District.

   3,756 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi

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   9. Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long

   • 1 to 2 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Couples
   • Rainy day

   The central sector of the former imperial citadel of Thăng Long, a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2010. UNESCO's committee described it as the most essential and best-preserved section of the old citadel.

   We have not confirmed ticketing or opening hours from an official source; check before you go.

   3,146 readers a month

   Sources

   • UNESCO, Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long
   • Wikipedia, Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long

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    10. Trấn Quốc Pagoda and West Lake

    • 1 to 2 hours
    • No booking needed
    • Couples
    • Families
    • No car needed

    The oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, said to date from the sixth century, on a small island linked by causeway to the shore of West Lake. West Lake is the city's biggest freshwater lake, with a 17 km shore, and a popular place for recreation.

    2,439 readers a month

    Sources

    • Wikipedia, Trấn Quốc Pagoda
    • Wikipedia, West Lake (Hanoi)

Just missed the list: One Pillar Pagoda (11th by readers; a small pagoda in central Hanoi); Old Quarter (12th by readers; Hanoi's historic merchant streets)