Hanoi City Guide
from $7
Hanoi: Water Puppet Show Tickets
Reserved water puppet show tickets collected at an Old Quarter office, with several show times. 9,963 reviews.
Check AvailabilityHanoi, Vietnam: An Independent City Guide
Eat bun cha at a pavement stall in the Old Quarter, walk the car-free road round Hoan Kiem Lake on a weekend evening and watch a water puppet show. This Hanoi, Vietnam guide plans your days and compares tickets and tours from $7, each matched to the trip it suits.
- Language Vietnamese: expect English at hotels, tour desks and most Old Quarter restaurants
- Currency Dong (VND): prices here show dollars first, dong in brackets
- Time zone UTC+7, no daylight saving
- Best months October and November, then April
- Airport Noi Bai: bus 86 costs $1.94 (VND 50,000), taxis run by the meter
- Emergency Police 113, fire 114, ambulance 115
Quick answer What it costs, how many days, and the three closures that break a plan
Hanoi's entry fees are small: the Temple of Literature costs $2.72 (VND 70,000) and Hoa Lo Prison $1.94 (VND 50,000), and a water puppet ticket is $7. Plan two to three days, and plan them around the days when the big sights close.
Key takeaways
- The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum takes no visitors on Monday or Friday and opens mornings only from 1 November to 31 March, and the roads round Hoan Kiem Lake close to traffic from 19:00 to midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Tours to the Train Street cafés left the operators' programmes after the Hanoi Department of Tourism order of March 2025: the Hanoi Train Street page says what is open now, and a food tour that lists a Train Street stop is the operator's own wording, not a promised train
- One day covers the lake, the Old Quarter and one museum, and three days adds a Ha Long Bay day cruise or a Ninh Binh day trip, the day trips most visitors book
- Staying overnight? The Old Quarter, French Quarter, West Lake and Ba Dinh each suit a different kind of trip → where to stay
Hanoi Tours and Tickets Compared
Nine of the strongest listings across the kinds of day visitors book, from a 50-minute show to a night on the bay. Prices are US dollars as GetYourGuide and Viator list them per person, and each row opens its card. The same kind of product on two platforms is never ranked against each other here.
| Tour | Length | Price | Rating | Pick this if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water puppet show tickets | 50 minutes | $7 | 4.6 (9,963) | A 50-minute show, easy first evening |
| Street food tour with Train Street stop | 3 hours | $17 | 4.9 (3,282) | Eating your way through the Old Quarter |
| City highlights walking tour | 4.5-5 hours | $28 | 4.9 (221) | The landmarks on foot with a guide |
| Military jeep tour | 2-4 hours | $29 | 4.9 (995) | The city from an open jeep |
| Hoa Lo Prison and war museums tour | 3-4 hours | $50.55 | 5 (49) | War history, Hoa Lo Prison included |
| Cooking class with market visit | 3.5 hours | $42 | 4.9 (1,036) | Cooking five dishes after a market visit |
| Ha Long Bay day cruise | 1 day | $40 | 4.8 (14,910) | A Ha Long Bay day from Hanoi |
| Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu and Trang An tour | 1 day | $48 | 4.8 (11,916) | Caves and boats at Ninh Binh in a day |
| 2-day Lan Ha and Ha Long cruise | 2 days | $142 | 4.7 (5,697) | A night on the bay with a balcony cabin |
Rating shows the operator's own score and the number of reviews behind it. Every kind of tour has its own comparison page under Hanoi tours.
Hanoi Tours: Prices, Ratings and Includes
The same nine listings with what each includes, in the order of the table. Check Availability opens the operator's own booking page.
from $7
from $17
Hanoi: Guided Street Food Tour with Train Street Experience
Three-hour Old Quarter food walk with 4-6 dishes and a Train Street drink, from $17. 3,282 reviews.
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from $28
Hanoi City Highlights Walking Tour: Landmarks & History
Small group walk through Hanoi landmarks and Train Street. Bring about $4 in cash for entry tickets. Private version has hotel pickup.
Check Availability
from $29
Hanoi Military Jeep Tour: Highlights, Hidden Gems & Train Street
Open Jeep loop of Hanoi with hotel pickup. The 4-hour version adds a local meal and beer. 995 reviews.
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from $50.55
Hanoi Hoa Lo Prison and War museums Tour
3-4 hour war museums tour with Hoa Lo Prison and the B-52 museum, admission and transport included.
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from $42
Hanoi: Cooking Class for 5 Local Dishes with Meal & Market Visit
Market visit and a 5-dish cooking class with lunch or dinner, from $42. Two set menus, both vegetarian-adaptable. 1,036 reviews.
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from $40
Hanoi: Ha Long Bay Day Cruise with Swimming, Meal and Kayaking
Ha Long Bay day cruise with lunch, caves and kayaking. Port-only meeting is an option, Hanoi transfer adds $10 there. 14,910 reviews.
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from $48
Hanoi: Ninh Binh, Bai Dinh/Hoa Lu, Trang An & Mua Cave Tour
Day trip to Ninh Binh with buffet lunch, Trang An boat and Mua Cave, two start options. 11,916 reviews.
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from $142
Hanoi: 2-Day Lan Ha & Halong Bay 5-Star Cruise with Balcony
Overnight 5-star Lan Ha Bay cruise with balcony cabin and all meals. Transfer costs $25 extra, solo travelers pay $80 more.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. Dollar figures are the listed prices. The platform bills in your account's currency.
Where to Go First in Hanoi
Hanoi's first-visit sights sit in two clusters. The lake and the Old Quarter are one walk, and the Ba Dinh sights, the Temple of Literature and Hoa Lo Prison each take a taxi or a short ride. These are the stops almost every first trip uses, with the closing day that decides each.
Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple
The middle of the city and the easiest first walk. The Huc Bridge leads to Ngoc Son Temple on its islet, and the lake edge becomes a pedestrian zone at the weekend.
- The weekend walking street runs 19:00 to midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and taxis and ride-hailing cannot reach the lake edge in those hours
- The Old Quarter starts at the north end of the lake, so the two make one half-day
The Old Quarter
The 36-street trade quarter north of the lake and the place most visitors eat their first bun cha. It is the base for most hotels and for the food tours.
- A guided street food tour is $17 for three hours
- What else to see in Hanoi around it is the list of attractions
Temple of Literature
Văn Miếu, the walled temple complex of courtyards and stone stelae. It opens every day, so it is the safe slot for a Monday.
- Open 8:00 to 17:00 every day of the week
- A night tour runs 18:30 to 22:00 on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and has its own ticket
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
The granite hall on Ba Dinh Square, with the One Pillar Pagoda and the Presidential Palace area close by. The days and hours are the whole planning problem.
- Closed Monday and Friday, and in the cold season (1 November to 31 March) open 8:00 to 11:00 Tuesday to Thursday and 8:00 to 11:30 Saturday, Sunday and public holidays
- Dress neatly and keep silent inside
Hoa Lo Prison
The old French prison, later called the Hanoi Hilton, now a museum. It is the one war-history stop that works as a Monday or Friday plan.
- Open 8:00 to 17:00 every day, including public holidays and Tet
- A war museums tour that includes it is $50.55
Hanoi Train Street
The railway cafés on Phung Hung and Kham Thien streets. Tour operators were told in March 2025 to stop running tours there, and the passenger service on that section is changing.
- Never stand on or beside the track for a photo
- The tours that list it are the operator's own description, not a promise of a train
What to Avoid in Hanoi: The Days That Break a Plan
Hanoi hurts a trip through its calendar more than through its streets. Four closures and one ban cause most of the wasted mornings, and each one comes from the venue or the city's own notice.
Avoid planning the Mausoleum for a Monday or a Friday. It takes no visitors on those two days, and in the cold season (1 November to 31 March) it opens mornings only. The Mausoleum page holds the hours, and the itineraries put it on Tuesday to Thursday, Saturday or Sunday.
| Place | When it breaks a plan | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum | Closed Monday and Friday. Cold-season visits 8:00 to 11:00 Tuesday to Thursday, 8:00 to 11:30 Saturday, Sunday and public holidays | Go on a Tuesday to Thursday morning. The Hoa Lo jail and the scholars' temple are open every day. |
| Hoan Kiem Lake roads | Weekend pedestrian zone 19:00 to midnight, Friday to Sunday. Taxis and ride-hailing cannot reach the lake edge | Get out a few streets away and walk in. The lake page has the entry points |
| Train Street cafés | Hanoi's tourism department told operators in March 2025 not to run tours to the railway café area | Read the Train Street page before you book anything that names it, and never stand on the track |
| Temple of Literature at night | The night tour runs 18:30 to 22:00 on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday only, with its own ticket | Visit by day: it is open 8:00 to 17:00 every day |
| Taxis from the airport without a plan | Fares run by the meter, so the price depends on traffic and route | Take bus 86 or a fixed-price car, covered below |
Source: Nhan Dan, Tuoi Tre News, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam, Hoa Lo Prison Relic.
How Many Days Do You Need in Hanoi?
Two full days cover the centre, and a third day buys a Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh day trip. Each length below is built around the closing days, not around the map.
| Length | What fits | Entry fees |
|---|---|---|
| One day | Lake and Old Quarter on foot, the Temple of Literature or Hoa Lo Prison, a water puppet show in the evening | $2.72 + $1.94 + $7 = $11.66, before food and rides |
| Two days | Adds the Mausoleum morning (Tuesday to Thursday, Saturday or Sunday), the Citadel and a food tour | Adds the Citadel at $3.89 (VND 100,000) and a $17 food tour |
| Three days | Adds a Ha Long Bay day cruise or a Ninh Binh day trip by tour card | Day trips run $40 to $48 on the cards above |
| Four days or more | One night on a Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay cruise, or Sapa by sleeper bus | A one-night cruise starts at $80 |
The sums leave out the Mausoleum, whose entry price is not confirmed: ask at the gate. Full routes are on the Hanoi itinerary page.
Sample Hanoi Itineraries
Three routes, each built around the hours and closing days above.
Hanoi in one day
Lake and Old Quarter in the morning, one museum after lunch, water puppets after dark.
Entry fees about $11.66 with the puppet ticketHanoi in two days
Day one as above. Day two puts the Mausoleum on a morning it is open, then the Citadel and a food tour.
Needs a Tuesday to Thursday, Saturday or SundayHanoi in three days
Two days in the city, then a Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh day trip booked from the cards above.
Day trips from $48Choosing a length
The picker for first-timers, couples, families and anyone with only a stopover.
Starts with how many days you haveWhen Is the Best Time to Visit Hanoi?
April to June and September to December are the usual best months, according to Vietnam's national tourism site. Winter is cool and misty and summer is hot and wet, so the season changes what you wear and which day trips work.
The table shows daily highs and lows with rainfall for one month in each stretch of the year, on the 1991 to 2020 normals. January is the coldest month at 20.0°C (68°F) and August the wettest at 335 mm. Tropical storms can cancel Ha Long Bay cruises in the wet months, and mist often hides the bay from December to March. The month-by-month page has every month and a picker.
| Month | High / low | Rain | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20.0°C (68°F) / 14.6°C (58°F) | 28 mm, 11 days | Coldest month, cool and misty. Bring a jacket |
| April | 27.7°C (82°F) / 21.9°C (71°F) | 79 mm, 16 days | Warm and clear, the easiest month for the bay |
| July | 33.3°C (92°F) / 26.5°C (80°F) | 300 mm, 18 days | Hot and humid, heavy rain, storm risk for cruises |
| October | 29.6°C (85°F) / 22.4°C (72°F) | 126 mm, 10 days | Dry and bright, among the best months to walk the city |
Tet and public holidays
Tet 2027 starts on Saturday 6 February 2027, and the public-sector holiday runs Thursday 4 February to Wednesday 10 February 2027. Hoa Lo Prison is open 8:00 to 17:00 every day including Tet, and the water puppet theatre says it performs 365 days a year, but many shops and restaurants close and transport fills up.
Source: WMO World Weather Information Service, Hanoi, Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, Ministry of Home Affairs notice 11483/TB-BNV.
How to Get From Noi Bai Airport to Central Hanoi
Bus 86 is the cheap answer at $1.94 (VND 50,000) a person, and a taxi package or a booked car is the easy one. All three end in the Old Quarter area.
Route 86 runs from the airport to Hanoi Railway Station with a stop at Bo Ho by Hoan Kiem Lake, and you pay on the bus. Authorised taxis run by the meter, and G7 Taxi publishes a fixed package for a pickup within 30 km. Grab and Xanh SM publish no tariff, so no price is printed for them. The airport page has the full comparison and the pick-up points at Terminals 1 and 2.
| Option | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bus 86 | $1.94 (VND 50,000) per person | Runs 7:00 to 22:15, stops by Hoan Kiem Lake, no passes accepted |
| G7 Taxi airport package, 5-seat | $8.55 (VND 220,000) per car | Fixed for a pickup within 30 km, road and bridge fees go to the driver |
| Pre-booked private car | $12 per group | The sedan price on a transfer listing, 50 to 60 minutes to the hotel |
Source: Noi Bai International Airport, G7 Taxi Hanoi.
Where Should I Stay in Hanoi?
Stay in the Old Quarter for a first trip. The other three areas suit a second visit, a quieter week or a trip built around the Ba Dinh sights.
The Old Quarter puts the lake, the food tours and the water puppet theatre on foot, and it is also the loudest area at night. The French Quarter sits south of the lake, with wider streets and Hoa Lo Prison nearby. West Lake (Tay Ho) is the quiet choice, a short ride from the centre. Ba Dinh puts you beside the Mausoleum complex and the Citadel (19C Hoang Dieu). Where to stay in Hanoi sets each area against what you want to do and links live hotel search.
What to Eat in Hanoi
Hanoi's food is the second reason most people come. The dishes below are the ones a first visit should find, and a guided food walk is the easiest way to taste five of them in one evening.
Pho is the beef or chicken noodle soup, bun cha is grilled pork with rice vermicelli and herbs, banh mi is the filled baguette, and egg coffee is a whipped-yolk coffee served in a small cup. The food tours on this site run from $15 to $55 per person, and most last three to four hours in the Old Quarter. Restaurants are named only where a published guide names them, and the food tour comparison says which tour fits a solo traveller, a family or a fan of the Michelin-nominated noodle stops.
Common Questions About Visiting Hanoi
The things people ask before they book anything, answered from the pages that own them.
How do I get into the city from the airport?
Bus 86 costs $1.94 (VND 50,000) and stops by Hoan Kiem Lake, and a G7 taxi package is $8.55 (VND 220,000) per car. Every route, priced.
When is Hanoi at its best?
October and November, then April: warm, drier days with fewer rain days. Winter is cool and misty and summer is hot and wet. Month by month.
Where is the best area to stay?
The Old Quarter for a first trip, with West Lake and Ba Dinh for a quieter or sight-led stay. Areas compared.
What can I see in one day?
The lake, the Old Quarter and one museum, with a water puppet show in the evening. The one-day route.
Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh for a day trip?
The Ha Long Bay day cruise lists at $40 and the Ninh Binh day tour at $48: the bay is water and kayaks, Ninh Binh is boats through caves and a temple stop. The Ninh Binh options.
Is the Train Street still open?
Tours to the café area were told to stop in March 2025, and access on that section is changing. What is open now.
Hanoi FAQ
What to avoid in Hanoi?
Avoid planning the Mausoleum for a Monday or a Friday, because it takes no visitors on either day. Avoid expecting a taxi to drop you at the lake on a weekend night, since the roads close from 19:00 to midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Avoid booking anything that promises a train at Train Street. The days that break a plan are in one table above, and the emergency numbers are police 113, fire 114 and ambulance 115.
What is Hanoi famous for?
Hanoi is famous for its Old Quarter of trade streets, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and a street food scene built on pho, bun cha and egg coffee. It also has the Temple of Literature, the Hoa Lo Prison museum and the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, and it is the usual base for Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh. Things to do in Hanoi lists them all.
Is $100 a lot in Vietnam?
$100 is about VND 2,572,678 at the rate used on this site, and it covers a full day in Hanoi. A day of the Temple of Literature ($2.72 (VND 70,000)), Hoa Lo Prison ($1.94 (VND 50,000)), a water puppet ticket ($7) and a $17 food tour adds up to $28.66 before meals, rides and your room. It does not stretch to a Ha Long Bay cruise: a one-night cruise starts at $80 before the transfer and extras.
What is Hanoi like for tourists?
Hanoi is walkable around the lake and the Old Quarter, cheap at the gate and busy with motorbikes. Entry fees are a few dollars, the winter is cool and misty at 20.0°C (68°F) in January, and the summer is hot and wet. The practical problems are the closing days and the weekend traffic rules, both covered above. Where to stay and the one-day itinerary are the two pages most first visitors need.
Where should I stay in Hanoi?
Stay in the Old Quarter for a first trip, because the lake, the food tours and the water puppet theatre are all on foot. West Lake is quieter and Ba Dinh puts you beside the Mausoleum complex. Where to stay in Hanoi compares the areas and links hotel search.
Hanoi Videos
Three walk-throughs that show the streets, the queues and the distances this guide describes in figures.
3 Days in Hanoi Vietnam 2026 - A Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors
A three-day route through the sights this guide prices, useful next to the three-day itinerary.
Video: LaisHanoi Vietnam 2026 Travel Guide: Places to Visit & Things to Do
A walk through the main sights with costs on screen.
Video: Angelica & Aileen WandersHANOI, VIETNAM | 12 Awesome Things To Do In & Around Hanoi
The standard list, including the day trips, to see how far apart the districts are.
Video: World Wild HeartsVideos load from YouTube only when you press play.
Hanoi at a Glance
- Coordinates
- 21.0285, 105.8542
- Time zone
- UTC+7 (Indochina Time), no daylight saving
- Currency
- Vietnamese dong (VND)
The office, phone and email above belong to the city's own visitor service. They are not this site's contact details. To reach us, use the contact page.