Hanoi City Guide
Hanoi Map: Tourist Sights, Old Quarter and Where to Go First
This Hanoi map pins 19 places around the city, numbered in the same order as the things to do in Hanoi list, with a note on each pin saying what it is and whether it is worth the walk. It shows where the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Ba Dinh complex and West Lake sit against each other, gives straight-line distances from the lake so you can judge the walk, and picks the five pins worth a short visit. Coordinates come from Wikidata or Wikipedia, and every pin links to its own page where we have one.
Quick answer How Hanoi is laid out and where to start, in three lines
Hanoi's visitor map is built around Hoan Kiem Lake: the Old Quarter lies to the north, the French Quarter and the Opera House to the south-east, the Ba Dinh complex of the Mausoleum and the Citadel about 2 km to the north-west, and West Lake 4.5 km out. Most pins sit within 2 km of the lake in a straight line.
Key takeaways
- Walking the centre? Stay between the lake and the Old Quarter. The Old Quarter page and the lake page cover the two halves.
- Want the whole map in one outing? A military jeep loop at $29 runs past the cathedral, the Old Quarter, the Citadel, West Lake and Tran Quoc Pagoda, and a small-group walk at $28 covers the lake and the Mausoleum area.
- Choosing a base? See which area to sleep in for the area-by-area reasoning, and the airport page for the ride in.
Which Hanoi Tours Cover the Places on the Map?
Four listings that cross several pins in one outing: a small-group walk, a city tour by coach and two rides that reach West Lake and Tran Quoc Pagoda. Prices are the platform listings per person. All Hanoi tour types are compared on the tours page.
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 $29
Hanoi Motorbike Tour: Most Popular Experience
Four-hour guided motorbike ride with hotel pickup, local meal and egg coffee. Entrance fees included.
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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.
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from $28
Hanoi: Half-Day or Full-Day City Tour with Local Guide
Hanoi city tour covering Ho Chi Minh Complex, Temple of Literature and Hoa Lo Prison, with hotel pickup. 4.3 from 26 reviews.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. Dollar figures are the listed prices. The platform bills in your account's currency.
Hanoi Map With Tourist Attractions
Nineteen numbered pins, filterable by type. The list below the map follows the same order, and every pin links to its own page where we have one. Tap a pin for the note that says whether it is worth the walk.
Paid sights and shows 8 pins
- Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre$7 (listing)A 50-minute show at 57B Dinh Tien Hoang on the lake's north side, 5 to 7 shows a day. Book the ticket before a Friday or Saturday evening.
- Hoa Lo Prison$1.94 (VND 50,000)The French-built prison museum, open 08:00 to 17:00 every day including Tet. It is a short walk south-west of the lake.
- Vietnamese Women's MuseumAt 36 Ly Thuong Kiet, open 08:00 to 17:00 every day. No ticket price is printed, so pay at the desk.
- Ho Chi Minh MausoleumClosed on Monday and Friday from 1 November to 31 March, with morning visiting only. It is 2.0 km from the lake in a straight line.
- Imperial Citadel of Thang Long$3.89 (VND 100,000)The royal citadel site at 19C Hoang Dieu, open 08:00 to 17:00 every day. It sits 0.4 km from the Mausoleum.
- Temple of Literature$2.72 (VND 70,000)Open 08:00 to 17:00 every day, with a night programme on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. It is 1.1 km from Hoa Lo Prison in a straight line.
- Vietnam Museum of EthnologyThe furthest pin, in Cau Giay district. It is reported closed on Mondays, so plan it with a taxi each way.
- Ngoc Son TempleThe temple on an island at the north end of Hoan Kiem Lake, reached by the red bridge. No official ticket price or hours are published, so pay at the gate.
Free to walk 10 pins
- Hoan Kiem LakeFreeThe centre of the map. A 45-minute loop path with Ngoc Son Temple at the north end, and a pedestrian zone from 19:00 to midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
- St. Joseph's CathedralA Gothic Revival church from the late 19th century on Nha Chung Street. Go for the facade and the cafe lanes. No visiting hours are published.
- Hanoi Opera HouseThe colonial opera house at the head of Trang Tien street. It is a landmark for the French Quarter and the meeting point for one of the motorbike tours.
- Hanoi Old QuarterFreePinned at Hang Ma street. The guild streets north of the lake are the area to walk with no plan for an hour, then eat.
- Hanoi Train StreetFreeA railway lane with cafes. It is not an official attraction and access changes without notice. Read the status before you go and never stand on the track.
- Dong Xuan MarketFreeThe largest covered market in Hanoi, built in 1889 and rebuilt after a fire in 1994. A short walk from the northern end of the Old Quarter.
- Long Bien BridgeFreeThe steel railway bridge over the Red River, opened in 1903. A long walk or ride on the north-east edge of the map. Trains and motorbikes share the deck.
- One Pillar PagodaA small pagoda on a single pillar, beside the Mausoleum complex. A five-minute stop.
- West LakeFreeThe largest lake in the city, 4.5 km from Hoan Kiem Lake in a straight line. Pick one stretch of the shore, since the whole lake is too long to walk.
- Tran Quoc PagodaThe oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, on a small island by West Lake. No entry fee is published, and a Hanoi tour can include it.
Pins 1 to 17 follow the order of the things to do in Hanoi list. Fees are the sights' own adult prices at 1,000 VND = $0.03887, and a blank price means the sight publishes none. Source: Hoa Lo Prison, Temple of Literature, Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.
How Is Hanoi Laid Out on the Map?
Hanoi is a lake-centred city: Hoan Kiem Lake in the middle, the Old Quarter north of it, the French Quarter south and east, Ba Dinh to the north-west and West Lake beyond. Every area is a short taxi ride from the next.
Read the map as five areas. Each has its own character, and the table says what it suits and when to skip it.
| Area | What is there | Suits | Skip it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| The lake | The lake in central Hanoi, Ngoc Son Temple, the water puppet theatre | A first walk and an evening | You want somewhere quiet at the weekend |
| The Old Quarter | The guild streets, Dong Xuan Market, Train Street on its western edge | Food, shopping, a base on foot | You want wide roads and little traffic |
| The French Quarter | The Opera House, Hoa Lo Prison, the Women's Museum, St. Joseph's Cathedral | Museums and colonial buildings | You only have an hour |
| Ba Dinh | The Mausoleum, the Citadel, One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple's courtyards to the south | A morning of history | Your day is not a Mausoleum visiting day |
| West Lake | The lake shore, Tran Quoc Pagoda, quiet cafes | A slow half day and a base away from the traffic | You are short of time |
What Does the Hanoi Old Quarter Map Look Like?
The Old Quarter is a tight grid of narrow streets north of Hoan Kiem Lake, each named for the trade that once filled it. Many names begin with Hang, which means goods or wares.
On the pin map the Old Quarter sits one pin north of the lake, and the lake is the easiest way in: walk north from the water along the pedestrian streets and you are inside within minutes. Dong Xuan Market marks the northern end, 1.1 km from the lake in a straight line. The streets are short and cross each other often, so a printed map matters less than a landmark to head for.
The street names still tell you what each one sells:
| Street | Named for |
|---|---|
| Hang Ma | Votive paper |
| Hang Bac | Silver |
| Hang Dao | Silk, and the main road toward Dong Xuan Market |
| Hang Duong | Sugar |
| Ta Hien | Known as Beer Street, for the draught beer sold on its pavements |
Dong Xuan Market, the Hang Ma street pin and the lake are the three anchors worth saving on your phone. Walk the quarter in the morning for the trading streets and again after dark for the food. A guided Old Quarter food walk is the easiest way to cover both, and the Old Quarter page explains the streets in order.
How Far Apart Are Hanoi's Main Sights?
Most of Hanoi's sights are within 2 km of Hoan Kiem Lake in a straight line, and only West Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda and the Museum of Ethnology are further out. Treat 2 km as a comfortable walk and anything over it as a taxi.
These distances are straight-line figures worked out from the pin coordinates, not road distances, so add a third for the real route. The coordinates are the Wikidata or Wikipedia position of each place.
| Pin | Sight | Straight line from the lake |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hoan Kiem Lake | 0.0 km |
| 2 | Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre | 0.3 km |
| 3 | Hoa Lo Prison | 0.8 km |
| 4 | St. Joseph's Cathedral | 0.4 km |
| 5 | Hanoi Opera House | 0.8 km |
| 6 | Vietnamese Women's Museum | 0.6 km |
| 7 | Hanoi Old Quarter | 1.0 km |
| 8 | Hanoi Train Street | 1.0 km |
| 9 | Dong Xuan Market | 1.1 km |
| 10 | Long Bien Bridge | 1.7 km |
| 11 | Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum | 2.0 km |
| 12 | One Pillar Pagoda | 2.1 km |
| 13 | Imperial Citadel of Thang Long | 2.0 km |
| 14 | Temple of Literature | 1.8 km |
| 15 | West Lake | 4.5 km |
| 16 | Tran Quoc Pagoda | 2.7 km |
| 17 | Vietnam Museum of Ethnology | 5.7 km |
| 18 | Ngoc Son Temple | 0.2 km |
| 19 | Hanoi Railway Station | 1.3 km |
Pairs that work on foot: the Mausoleum and the Citadel are 0.4 km apart, the Temple of Literature and Hoa Lo Prison are 1.1 km apart, and the water puppet theatre is 0.3 km from the lake. Long Bien Bridge, 1.7 km out on the north-east edge, is the one pin that works best by taxi or on a ride. The ride from the lake to West Lake is the kind of trip a jeep or motorbike tour handles in an hour.
Which Places on the Hanoi Map Are Worth a Short Visit?
If you have a few hours, the five pins to start with are Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter, the Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison and the water puppet show. Together they cover the walk, the history and an evening. Each has one reason to go and a time to give it, and the times are our estimates.
| Pin | Why go | Time | Cost | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hoan Kiem Lake | The easiest start, free and central | 45 to 60 minutes | Free | Details |
| 7. Hanoi Old Quarter | Street food and the trade streets | 2 to 3 hours | Free | Details |
| 14. Temple of Literature | The calmest historic site in the centre | 1 to 2 hours | $2.72 (VND 70,000) | Details |
| 3. Hoa Lo Prison | The colonial and war history | 1 to 1.5 hours | $1.94 (VND 50,000) | Details |
| 2. Water puppet show | A 50-minute show on the lake | 50 minutes | $7 per ticket | Check Availability |
If you have one day, the one-day plan puts these five in order.
What Is Missing From the Hanoi Map?
The map leaves out the airport, the day trips, the hotels and the restaurants, because each needs its own page. Everything pinned is a sight you can reach inside the city.
Some gaps are by design.
- Noi Bai Airport lies north of the city, far outside the frame. The airport to city page covers the ride in. - Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh and Sapa leave Hanoi for a day or more and are not on the map. The tours page compares them. - Hotels and restaurants are not pinned. Hotel areas are on the where to stay page. - The Military History Museum and other museums have no pin, because no reliable published coordinate is on file for them. - Train Street carries a pin, but the lane is not an official attraction and the railway line it follows is longer than a single point. Do not use the pin as a route onto the track.
How Do You Get Around Hanoi With This Map?
Walk the centre, take a taxi or ride-hailing car to the outer pins, and use the metro only for Hanoi Station and the western lines. The metro has two lines in service.
Line 3.1 runs from Nhon to Hanoi Station, which is pin 19 on the map, and Line 2A runs from Cat Linh to Ha Dong. The nearest station to the lake is Hanoi Station, 1.3 km away in a straight line. The operator's page prints no current fare table, so check the fare at the station.
For the lake streets, remember the weekend rule: from 19:00 to midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday taxis and ride-hailing cannot reach the lake edge, so get out a few streets away. For a fare guide see the Hanoi taxi fare page, and for the airport run see the airport to city page. The airport is north of the city and is not on this map.
Source: Hanoi Metro, VTV.
Hanoi Map FAQ
Where is the Old Quarter on the Hanoi map?
North of Hoan Kiem Lake. The lake is the way in, and Dong Xuan Market marks the northern end, about 1.1 km from the lake in a straight line. See the Old Quarter section.
What are the main tourist areas in Hanoi?
Five: the lake, the Old Quarter, the French Quarter, Ba Dinh and West Lake. The layout table says what each suits.
How far apart are the main sights on the Hanoi map?
Most are within 2 km of the lake in a straight line, and the Temple of Literature is 1.8 km out. The distance table lists every pin.
Is central Hanoi walkable?
Yes inside about 2 km of the lake. Beyond that, use a taxi. The distance table lists every pin.
Which tour covers most places on the Hanoi map?
The military jeep tour at $29 lists the cathedral, the Old Quarter, the Citadel, West Lake and Tran Quoc Pagoda in one loop. See all Hanoi tours.
Where is Hanoi on the map of Vietnam?
Hanoi is in northern Vietnam, on the Red River. Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh and Sapa are the day and overnight trips from the north, and the tours page compares them.
Hanoi Map Videos
Three videos show the areas on the map at street level.
Hanoi 4K Walking Tour (Vietnam) - Old Quarter Tour with Train Street and Night Walk | 4K HDR
The Old Quarter on foot, by day and night.
Video: World Wanderings: 4K Walking ToursWhere to Stay in Hanoi (Best Areas + What to Avoid!)
The areas on the map explained from the point of view of a base.
Video: Timeless Travel Chapters4 Days in Hanoi Vietnam - A Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors
A first-time route across the lake, Ba Dinh and the French Quarter.
Video: Lais
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