Hanoi

A thousand-year-old capital of lakes, the Old Quarter's 36 streets and French colonial architecture, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel and West Lake's ancient pagodas, plus rice noodles, coffee and water puppetry.

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, on the right bank of the Red River in the Red River Delta. In 1010 the Ly dynasty founded its capital here as Thang Long, and the city remains Vietnam's political and cultural center, with a population of about 8.5 million.

Key areas to explore: ① Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter – Turtle Tower, Ngoc Son Temple, the 36 Streets, Dong Xuan Market, Ta Hien beer street, Train Street and the water puppet theater; this is where most visitors base themselves. ② The French Quarter – St. Joseph's Cathedral, the Opera House, the National Museum of Vietnamese History, the Vietnamese Women's Museum and Hoa Lo Prison. ③ Ba Dinh District – the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, the Temple of Literature and the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum. ④ West Lake – Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple and lakeside cafés, with the best sunsets. ⑤ The outskirts – the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, the new Vietnam Military History Museum, Bat Trang ceramic village across the Long Bien Bridge, and, 1–1.5 hours away by car, the Perfume Pagoda and Duong Lam ancient village. Ha Long Bay and the Trang An and Tam Coc areas of Ninh Binh usually require an extra night's stay and are covered under the separate destinations "Ha Long Bay" and "Ninh Binh & Trang An."

Climate: October–December is cool and dry, the best time to visit; January–February is cold, gray and damp; March–April is mild and often misty; May–September is hot with frequent thunderstorms. Getting around: Noi Bai Airport is about 30 km from the city center; a taxi or Grab takes about 40–60 minutes, and the No. 86 airport bus runs to Hoan Kiem Lake. In the city, get around mainly on foot or by Grab motorbike or car. Suggested stay: 2–3 days. Tips: when crossing the street, walk slowly at a steady pace and let motorbikes go around you; take Grab or a metered taxi; wear long pants or a skirt below the knee and cover your shoulders when visiting the mausoleum and temples; from Friday to Sunday evenings the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake become a pedestrian zone, and the Old Quarter has a night market.

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Itineraries