Photo: Holiday Point from Melbourne, Australia · CC BY 2.03 Days in Hanoi for Food Lovers
Three days of eating your way through Hanoi: phở at dawn counters, bún chả and chả cá in the Old Quarter, egg coffee where it was born, then the French Quarter's chocolate houses and a tasting menu, closing with phở cuốn and lotus tea by West Lake. The plan re-plans itself around how you travel - set your pace and budget and each day reshuffles to fit.
Pick a style, a budget and a pace — the route and days below re-plan themselves.
9 stops · 6 meals · 1 hotelThis is the editor’s pick.
3 days
Each day takes one part of Hanoi, kept close so you walk more than you ride. The map shows the whole route — pick a day to zoom in.
The birthplace of egg coffee (1946) - whipped yolk and condensed milk over robust drip coffee. Invented by Mr. Nguyen Giang when milk was scarce; egg yolk replaced it.
- Open roughly 7:30-19:30; egg coffee about 30,000 VND.
Hanoi's oldest temple (1010), one of Thăng Long's four sacred guardians. A calm pause between Old Quarter food stops; free entry.
- Open daily except Monday, 8:00-11:00 and 14:00-17:00.
Hanoi's biggest indoor market - three floors of stalls under five arched roofs, with street-food corners to graze. Entry is free; the weekend night market runs Fri-Sun evenings.
- Day market 6:00-19:00; weekend night market Fri-Sun 18:00-23:30.
Worth the trip
Bib Gourmand chả cá - turmeric-marinated catfish sizzled tableside with dill and shrimp paste. About 140,000 VND per serving; cash only.
- The proper restaurant is at 6B Đường Thành - Google Maps sometimes points elsewhere.
- From the market to Chả Cá Thăng Long's tableside turmeric catfish.
Closer: Bún Chả Que Tre, 8 min out of your way
Century-old tube house preserved as a heritage museum - family shop, courtyard, ancestral altar, period furniture. Small ticket; ca trù folk music plays at 19:00.
- The ca trù folk-music performance starts at 19:00.
- After the heritage house, walk to the birthplace of egg coffee - Cà Phê Giảng.
Worth the trip
Iconic no-frills phở joint of 50+ years - clear beef broth, three cuts of beef, lines out the door. Michelin Bib Gourmand; about 40,000-50,000 VND a bowl.
- Open daily 6:00-10:00 and 18:00-20:30; cash only.
Closer: Duong's Restaurant, 10 min out of your way
Budget boutique hotel on Hàng Hành near St. Joseph's Cathedral - simple rooms with spa services at bargain rates.
- Rates from about $27/night.
Tiny beloved bún chả counter - charcoal-grilled pork patties in sweet-sour dip. A classic Hanoi lunch, and the lunch-only hours prove it.
- Lunch-only, roughly 10:00-14:00 - plan it for midday.
Island temple on Hoàn Kiếm Lake reached by the red Huc Bridge - Confucian shrine with the legendary giant turtle. The bridge glows red in the evening.
- Entry 50,000 VND; allow about 30 minutes.
Hanoi's famous water-puppet stage - thousand-year-old folk art of puppets dancing across water, with live music. The ~50-minute show tells Red River Delta folk tales.
- Multiple shows daily from afternoon to evening; book ahead - they sell out.
Hanoi's iconic 1958 ice-cream counter - simple, not-too-sweet bars eaten standing on the street. Flavors like young rice, green tea and vanilla; expect an afternoon queue.
- Standing on the sidewalk eating it is part of the ritual.
The Lake of the Returned Sword - Hanoi's green heart, circled by morning exercisers. Walk the loop early morning for the tai chi scene, or at sunset.
- The lakeside road becomes a pedestrian street on weekends.
- End the lake loop with a standing-on-the-sidewalk Tràng Tiền ice cream.
- The Old Quarter side of the lake is bún chả country - Bún Chả Hàng Quạt.
Upscale yet intimate Vietnamese in the Old Quarter - modernized bun cha, seafood hotpot, plus cooking classes for visitors.
- Cooking classes run for visitors; second location on Mã Mây street.
Stay put: 6 min walk back from Hoàn Kiếm Lake tonight, ~12 min by taxi to the flag ceremony in the morning.
Michelin Bib Gourmand phở institution - ten cuts of beef, deep aromatics, queues from early morning. About 65,000-100,000 VND per bowl.
- Come before 8:00 or after 13:30 to dodge the queue; watch for copycat names nearby.
The daily flag ceremony on Ba Đình Square - goose-stepping honor guard raising the Vietnamese flag. Free to watch from the square.
- Flag raising at 6:00 daily, lowering at 21:00.
The lotus-blossom pagoda on a single stone pillar (1049, rebuilt 1955) - an emblem of Hanoi itself, built to resemble a lotus rising from a pond.
- Pair it with the Mausoleum and Ba Đình Square in one morning circuit.
Vietnamese natural-mushroom hotpot - 20+ mushroom varieties in four clean, lightly-sweetened broths. About 350,000-400,000 VND per person.
- Open daily 11:00-14:00 and 17:30-21:15; try the sukiyaki broth.
Closer: Chibo Okonomiyaki, right on your way
The granite mausoleum holding Ho Chi Minh's preserved body - Hanoi's most solemn ritual, on Ba Đình Square. Free entry, strict protocol: covered shoulders and knees, no photos.
- Open mornings Tue-Thu and Sat-Sun; closed Mon and Fri and ~Sept-Nov for maintenance.
Heritage bánh cuốn shop on Hàng Gà - silky steamed rice rolls with shrimp, pork or chicken and hot dipping sauce. Famous for the hot nước chấm with cà cuống essence.
- Open 6:30-14:00 and 17:00-21:00 - a breakfast or early-dinner move.
The classic shrimp-cake spot on Thanh Niên - crispy bánh tôm with West Lake freshwater shrimp since the 1930s. Around 10,000-20,000 VND each, open afternoons.
- Pair it with Trấn Quốc Pagoda - both sit on the Thanh Niên causeway between West Lake and Trúc Bạch.
Stay put: ~13 min by taxi back from the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum tonight, ~12 min by taxi to the flag ceremony in the morning.
Where to stay in Hanoi
Ranked for foodie travelers on a comfortable budget. The places this plan sleeps in come first.
Splendid Hotel & Spa
Budget boutique hotel on Hàng Hành near St. Joseph's Cathedral - simple rooms with spa services at bargain rates.
Conifer Boutique Hotel
Small French Quarter boutique on Lý Đạo Thành - rooftop terrace, bright modern rooms, a short walk from the Opera House.
Hanoi Emotion Hotel
A well-reviewed mid-range boutique stay - good value base for Old Quarter sightseeing.
Flights to Hanoi
Fly into HAN (HAN)
Flight results via Travelpayouts — we may earn a commission on bookings.
Getting around Hanoi
How to actually move around the city — transit, rideshare, bikes, and taxis.
Public transit
Hanoi's metro is small but growing: elevated Line 2A (Cat Linh–Ha Dong) runs since 2021, and the elevated section of Line 3 (Nhon–Cau Giay) opened in 2024. The dense Hanoibus network covers everywhere the metro doesn't, and a multi-modal e-ticket now links metro, subsidized buses and bike share.
- Hanoi Metro
Elevated Line 2A (Cat Linh–Ha Dong, 12 stations, ~23 min end to end) plus the elevated section of Line 3 (Nhon–Cau Giay). Bilingual signage, air-conditioned trains, and no tourist pricing.
Tip: Single rides 8,000–15,000 VND from station machines (bring small crisp notes); the 30,000 VND day pass from the staffed counter is the tourist move.
- Hanoibus city buses (Transerco)
The workhorse network: 100+ routes run by Transerco and partners, including the BRT01 corridor and VinBus electric buses. Fares around 7,000–10,000 VND, paid in cash to the conductor.
Tip: Use Google Maps or the Tim Bus app for routes; board at the front or middle door with small notes ready, and press the stop button before your stop.
Rideshare
Grab is the default download: fixed upfront pricing, GPS tracking, no meter scams. Xanh SM's all-electric fleet is the comfort pick; Be is the local backup with frequent promos.
- Grab
Southeast Asia's dominant ride-hailing app: GrabCar, GrabBike motorbike taxis and GrabTaxi, all with upfront fares. Works with international numbers and foreign cards.
Tip: GrabBike is fastest through rush hour for short hops; GrabCar runs ~15,000 VND base. Expect surge ~5–7pm — check Xanh SM or Be before paying triple.
- Xanh SM
Vietnam's all-electric ride-hailing operator (VinFast fleet, launched in Hanoi 2023): quiet, clean cars with professional drivers, priced like Grab with often less surge.
Tip: The smoother ride — worth it if you're prone to motion sickness. Also runs electric motorbike taxis for quick solo trips.
Bikes
Hanoi's public bike share (TNGo, ~140 stations, many by metro stations) costs about 10,000 VND per 60 minutes and unlocks in the TNGo app; e-bikes joined in late 2025. TNGo is app-only with no bookable website, so no link is listed — get the TNGo app on the App Store or Google Play.
Taxis
Hanoi has a notorious taxi-scam problem (rigged or 'broken' meters, fixed 'tourist' prices). The safe rule: book through an app. If you must hail from the street, stick to the big reputable fleets and insist on the meter.
- Reputable street taxis (Mai Linh, Vinasun)
The two big national fleets with the best reputation in Hanoi. Meters are honest when actually used — the problem is drivers who refuse to turn them on.
Tip: Insist on the meter ('bat dong ho') before getting in; photograph the driver ID and meter reading. Street taxis are cash-only. Meter 'broken'? Get out, book a Grab.