Hanoi Craft Villages and Heritage Temples

The Temple of Literature and Fine Arts Museum in the city, plus three nearby day trips to Duong Lam Ancient Village, the Perfume Pagoda by boat, and Bat Trang Pottery Village.

Designed for repeat visitors or travelers who love traditional culture. On Day 1, explore the Temple of Literature, the Fine Arts Museum and a water puppet show. Then visit Duong Lam Ancient Village with its red-earth walls, and the Perfume Pagoda, a limestone cave complex reached by boat. On the final half-day, try pottery throwing at Bat Trang Pottery Village before leaving. You stay in Ba Dinh, which is convenient for trips west and south out of the city.

The Perfume Pagoda festival runs roughly from the first to the third lunar month, and crowds are huge, so avoid it if you want quiet.

Day by day

Day 1 · Temple of Literature, Fine Arts Museum and Water Puppets

Hanoi（Temple of Literature、Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum、Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre）

A taxi takes about 40 minutes in the morning to Ba Dinh District. In the afternoon, walk to the Temple of Literature and Fine Arts Museum, then take a taxi to Hoan Kiem Lake in the evening.

Stay: Ba Dinh

Day 2 · Duong Lam Ancient Village Day Trip

Hanoi（Đường Lâm Ancient Village）

Hire a car or take a bus for about 1.5 hours to Duong Lam in Son Tay. Walk around the village and return to the city in the evening.

Have lunch at a local family home in the village, and buy your entry ticket at the village entrance.

Stay: Ba Dinh

Day 3 · Perfume Pagoda by Boat

Hanoi（Perfume Pagoda (Hương Pagoda)）

Hire a car for about 2 hours to the boat dock. Take a rowboat for about an hour into the mountains, then climb by cable car or on foot to Huong Tich Cave. It's a full-day trip.

Trails are slippery, so wear non-slip shoes. Start early during the festival.

Stay: Ba Dinh

Day 4 · Half-Day at Bat Trang Pottery Village

Hanoi（Bát Tràng Ceramic Village、Long Biên Bridge）

Take a taxi for about 30 minutes across the Red River to Bat Trang. Return via Long Bien Bridge, then take a taxi for about 45 minutes to the airport in the afternoon.

Pottery needs time to dry, so you may choose to take home unfired pieces the same day.

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