Photo: Holiday Point from Melbourne, Australia · CC BY 2.03 Days in Hanoi: Old Quarter Streets, Lakes & Street Food
Three days in Hanoi for first-timers: a street-food crawl through the 36 streets of the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake at dawn, the Temple of Literature, West Lake at sunset and egg coffee where it was invented. Answer a few questions about how you travel and the plan re-plans itself around you - your pace, your budget, your stops.
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.
Michelin Bib Gourmand pho institution - ten cuts of beef, deep aromatics, queues from early morning. About 65,000-100,000 VND a bowl.
- Come before 8:00 or after 13:30 to dodge the queue; watch for copycat names nearby.
The Lake of the Returned Sword - Hanoi's green heart. Go at dawn (6-7am) for tai chi and the morning exercise scene, or come back at sunset; the lakeside road goes pedestrian on weekends.
- The lakeside road becomes a pedestrian street on weekends.
The island temple on Hoan Kiem Lake, reached by the red Huc Bridge - a Confucian shrine to the god of culture, home to the legendary giant turtle. The bridge glows red in the evening.
- Entry 50,000 VND; about 30 minutes to visit.
Hanoi's iconic 1958 ice-cream counter - simple, not-too-sweet bars eaten standing on the street. A Hanoi rite of passage.
- Established 1958; expect a queue in the afternoon.
The 1911 neoclassical opera house - chandeliers, mirror rooms and a full classical-music program. You see the inside properly at an evening concert, so book one.
- Book evening concerts for the full interior experience.
Bib Gourmand Vietnamese on a 6th-7th floor rooftop - the closest lake-view dining to Hoan Kiem. Book one day ahead and request the highest-floor outdoor seating.
- Book one day ahead and request the highest-floor outdoor seating for lake views.
- Cross the red Huc Bridge to the island temple - the bridge glows red in the evening - then dinner at the Cau Go rooftop, the closest lake-view dining to Hoan Kiem.
High-rated social hostel near West Lake - dorms and private rooms, free welcome drink, tours and activities. 9.9/10 on Hostelworld (1,000+ reviews).
- Rated 9.9/10 on Hostelworld and 10/10 on momondo; dorms and privates at 39 Pho Yen Ninh.
Hanoi's most solemn ritual - the granite mausoleum on Ba Dinh Square holding Ho Chi Minh's preserved body. Free entry, mornings only; strict protocol: no photos, no talking, covered shoulders and knees.
- Open Tue-Thu and Sat-Sun mornings; closed Mon and Fri - check the seasonal hours before you go.
The daily flag ceremony on Ba Dinh Square - goose-stepping honor guard, flag up at 6:00, down at 21:00. Free from the square; combine with a pre-7:30 Mausoleum visit.
- Flag raising at 6:00 daily, lowering at 21:00.
- Catch the 6:00 flag raising on Ba Dinh Square, then be first in line for the mausoleum's 7:30 opening - a full solemn morning.
Vietnamese natural-mushroom hotpot - 20+ mushroom varieties in four clean broths. About 350,000-400,000 VND per person; matsutake and ke tung mushrooms are the highlights.
- About 350,000-400,000 VND per person; open 11:00-14:00 and 17:30-21:15.
The lotus-blossom pagoda on a single stone pillar - built 1049, an emblem of Hanoi itself. Pairs naturally with the Mausoleum and Ba Dinh Square in one morning.
- The One Pillar Pagoda sits beside the mausoleum - pair it with Ba Dinh Square in one morning circuit.
The birthplace of pho cuon (est. 2000) - soft rice-noodle rolls of beef and herbs with sweet-sour dipping sauce; also famous for crispy pho chien phong. Open 9:00-23:00 near Truc Bach Lake.
- Michelin Guide recommended; open 9:00-23:00 near Truc Bach Lake.
Stay put: ~11 min by taxi back from One Pillar Pagoda tonight, 13 min walk to Quan Thanh Temple in the morning.
One of Hanoi's four sacred guardian temples - a Taoist shrine with a 4-ton, 17th-century bronze deity, cast 1677. Entry about 10,000 VND.
- Entry about 10,000 VND; typically open 8:00-17:00.
The classic shrimp-cake spot on Thanh Nien - crispy banh tom at lake level since the 1930s, around 10,000-20,000 VND each, open afternoons.
- Around 10,000-20,000 VND each, open afternoons - pair it with a Tran Quoc Pagoda visit.
Hanoi's oldest pagoda (est. 544) on a West Lake islet - the 11-tier stupa and Vietnam's best Buddhist sunset. Free entry; relocated to Kim Ngu islet in 1615.
- Free entry; open daily 8:00-11:30 and 13:30-16:00.
- Anchor your West Lake visit at Tran Quoc Pagoda - Vietnam's best Buddhist sunset - then crispy banh tom at lake level on the Thanh Nien causeway, 10,000-20,000 VND each.
Dinner beside the lotus pond that gives West Lake its famous lotus tea - lotus-infused Vietnamese dishes in a garden setting at Dam Tri.
- Dam Tri lotus tea - scented at least seven times with lotus anthers - is considered Hanoi's noblest tea.
The Mother Goddess palace on a West Lake peninsula - free, serene, Hanoi's most beloved spot for Tet blessings. Daily 5:00-18:00, extended on lunar 1st/15th.
- Free entry; daily 5:00-18:00, extended to 21:00 on lunar 1st/15th.
Osaka-style okonomiyaki and teppanyaki on Kim Ma - lunch sets with soup, salad and dessert; private booths and a bar counter for solo diners. Open 11:30-14:30 and 17:00-22:30.
Stay put: ~18 min by taxi back from Phu Tay Ho tonight, 13 min walk to Quan Thanh Temple in the morning.
Where to stay in Hanoi
Ranked for first-timer travelers on a comfortable budget. The places this plan sleeps in come first.
Serein Hanoi Hostel
High-rated social hostel near West Lake - dorms and private rooms, free welcome drink, tours and activities. 9.9/10 on Hostelworld (1,000+ reviews).
Conifer Boutique Hotel
Small French Quarter boutique on Ly Dao Thanh - rooftop terrace, bright modern rooms, a short walk from the Opera House. From $58/night.
Splendid Hotel & Spa
Budget boutique on Hang Hanh near St. Joseph's Cathedral - simple rooms with spa services from about $27/night.
Flights to Hanoi
Fly into HAN (HAN)
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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.