11 Amazing Things in Hanoi

Located in Northern Vietnam is Hanoi. The city stuck in time. Despite being the capital, its development into the modern world is far behind that of Ho Chi Minh; the globalised, metropolitan city of the South.

Exploring Hanoi’s old streets, you will discover a true sense of Vietnam’s culture. From informal dining traditions of small plastic chairs and tables on the street to the tranquil temples that offer a moment of serenity, Hanoi is a city full of surprises.

Not to mention, the chaotic streets where scooters defy gravity with their impressive balancing skills.

Although, amid the chaos, I felt a sense of calm. There seemed to be an underlying buzz of positive energy in the air as I watched the city ticking by from my small plastic chair. Hanoi is truly alive, and brimming with things to be explored.

Here are my favourite things I found in Hanoi, and you definitely shouldn’t miss!

Visit Hanoi’s ‘Note Coffee’ Café

This place isn’t like any other café. The walls are completely covered with colourful notes written by visitors over the years; a simple concept but a beautiful result.

With four floors full of funny, cute and silly messages, I spent ages in here reading the walls. Of course, we added our own messages after having a delicious coffee and a banh mi (Vietnamese baguette sandwich).

Vietnamese Women’s Museum

A female-oriented museum portraying the work, war and lives of many women throughout Vietnam’s history. The majority of the museum follows conventional roles of women through the ages, including being a mother, marriage and clothing.

In contrast, the third floor displays women’s involvement in the war (which is by far the most interesting part of the museum).

Many personal stories are told, including women earning war medals, acting as secret agents and leading defeats against the enemy. It is very interesting to learn about these stories as women aren’t often mentioned throughout war history.

Entry: 40.000 dong (£1.40)

Hanoi Night market (P. Hang Ngang street)

Full of clothes, souvenirs, handmade crafts, art and many other things. This market has everything and anything you need, as well as being a fun thing to explore in the evening.

The Hanoi Night Market stretches a long way along the street between 7pm and 10pm everyday. It was colder than I anticipated during my time in the North and this was a great, budget-friendly place to get warm clothes.

Ngoc Son Temple

This sacred site has been in Hanoi since the 1800s and offers serenity in the middle of the bustling capital. Its located on the Hoàn Kiêm lake which is also home to Turtle Tower (Thàp Rùa).

Once you cross the red Húc bridge, you will find yourself amongst the beautiful temple and amazing views of the water. In the temple, there lies the rare soft-shelled species of turtle that once inhabited the aptly named, Turtle Tower (Thàp Rùa).

Entry: 30.000 dong (£1)

Prison Museum of Hanoi

For an educational and humbling experience, Hanoi’s prison museum shows the conditions of political prisoners during the war. This was considered to be one of the highest prisons in SE Asia.

The museum leads you through the prison and is full of models to make it more imaginable. It is dark and dingey, as you would imagine, and includes graphic events that took place during the war.

Train Street

Arguably one of the most famous parts of Hanoi. Sitting at a café while a train whizzes past just a few inches from your table has become quite the novelty amongst tourists in Vietnam.

Officially ‘closed’ due to an incident on the street, it is still possible to experience and trains do still run through daily.

If you make a booking with one of the cafés and ask them what time the train goes by (I believe in the evening), you can still enjoy this exhilarating attraction.

Just to note, there is usually a guard at the entrance so you just have to show him your booking and you’ll be allowed in.

Local bookshop – Gác Xép

I stumbled across this bookshop on the second floor of an apartment block. Its a charming little bookshop and is a perfect pocket of calm amongst busy Hanoi.

All the books here are in English so, if you need a book to read, this is the place. Similarly, if you are just looking for a quaint local shop to get an understanding of life in Hanoi, this is definitely the shop to visit.

President’s Palace

A grand piece of French architecture consisting of bright yellow walls and complimented with stunning arch windows. At Hanoi’s President’s Palace, you can access the garden grounds and get an insight into how president Ho Chi Minh lived and worked through the 1950s.

Unfortunately, when I visited, I was not able to get a good view of the palace or enter it. I’m not sure if this is always the case or I just got unlucky, so bear that in mind.

Entry: 40.000 dong (£1.40)

Hanoi Beer Corner

Situated in a crossroads in the middle of Hanoi’s Old Quarter is Beer Corner; a place that comes alive at night with restaurants and bars.

I really enjoyed sitting here with a bia (Vietnamese of beer) whilst people watching, as there is always so much going on. Moreover, I found accommodation right next to Beer Corner, which was very convenient.

Like most Vietnamese dining, the corner consists of small tables and chairs across the street selling local cuisine and many types of beer. Also, I often saw street artists that would pass by beer corner.

All in all, beer corner is a great way to experience the energetic side of Hanoi that never sleeps.

Meander through the Old Quarter

In any city, the best thing to do is to simply get a feel of the place. Exploring Hanoi’s Old Quarter will drop you right in the middle of the city’s buzz.

Each street possesses a genre of sorts, occupied by rows of shops selling the same thing. For instance, the street full of light shops, or the rows of embroidery shops. I even saw a whole street taken over by vendors just selling door handles. A whole street!

Try Egg Coffee (Ca Phe Trung)

Yes, it sounds strange, but damn, it tastes good! As you walk the streets of Hanoi, you will undoubtedly come across cafes selling ‘egg coffee’.

Its origins go back to wartime when the North of Vietnam was experiencing milk shortages. In response, the creator, Nguyen Van Giang, whipped up some egg yolks and used this as a substitute.

The result is a creamy, thick consistency that goes beautifully with coffee and sugar. Once you try egg coffee, check out egg beer that you can get in Tam Coc.

Where to stay in Hanoi?

There are endless options of accommodation from hostels to luxury hotels. To check out the variety of accommodation, click here.

As I mentioned earlier, I stayed in a very central hostel. Situated right in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, there are endless restaurants, shops, entertainment and a general bustling atmosphere of the city around the hostel.

Boasting six floors of rooms, a rooftop bar and an incredible buffet breakfast, Bia Hoi Corner Hostel and Rooftop Bar is unmatched. Furthermore, the staff were super helpful and friendly. I cannot recommend it here enough!

Things to note…

Getting to Hanoi – From the airport, bus 7 and 17 stop near to Hanoi’s city centre and cost very little. The journey time is approximately one hour and they are very frequent.
Getting around – I wouldn’t recommend renting a scooter as the streets are very chaotic. Instead there is Gojek or Grab; cheap apps which offer driver services by scooter or car. While being in Hanoi, you can walk most of the city as things aren’t too far from each other.
SIM Card – I shopped around before arriving and found that it costs a similar amount in the airport compared to street shops. Therefore, I would suggest going to a kiosk directly in the airport. I used Viettel which was quick and easy. (Some people said they experienced SIM cards that didn’t work well from the airport so just be aware of this).

This post contains affiliate links. If you use any of these links to make a purchase I earn a commission at no extra cost to you 🙂