Hanoi City Guide
Hanoi on a Budget: What Sightseeing Costs and How to Spend Less
This guide to Hanoi on a budget shows what sightseeing costs in the city, what is free, and where the listed price is not the whole price. It adds up three trips of one, two and three days from official ticket prices and our own tour listings, and it leaves out hotels and most meals because no source we can cite prices them.
Quick answer What Hanoi sightseeing costs, in four lines
Hanoi is cheap to see. The three main official sights, the Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison and the Citadel, cost $8.55 together, and our one-day sum is $11.66 with a puppet seat. A three-day trip with a Ha Long Bay day cruise comes to $73.55. These sums exclude hotels and most meals.
Key takeaways
- Start from the one-day sum of $11.66: two entries and a $7 water puppet seat.
- The lake, the Old Quarter streets and the weekend car-free zone cost nothing (the free list).
- The cheapest guided option is a student-led walk at $4 for a group, with tickets and tips extra.
- A day trip is where the budget goes: Ninh Binh from $25 but entrance fees can be extra, see the extras.
The Cheapest Tours and Tickets in Hanoi
Sorted by what the listing asks, with the extras each one leaves out noted in the extras section. Prices are the platforms' own in US dollars, and the group-priced walks are per group, not per person.
from $4.00
Hanoi: Private Walking Tours with a Local Student
Student-led private walks from $4 per group of up to 15, tip-based. Bring cash for tickets, including the guide's.
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from $5
Cultural Exchange with Student Guides
Private student-guide walk at $5 per group with no tips expected. Food, drinks and tickets cost extra.
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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.
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from $14.51
Six Cups of Vietnam Coffee Workshop in Hanoi with Local Barista
Cheap coffee workshop from $14.51, with a 2-hour six-style version, in groups of up to 7.
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from $15
Hanoi: Small-Group Street Food Walking Tour
Old Quarter food walk with about 5 dishes and egg coffee, from $15. Hotel pickup in the Old Quarter.
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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 $25
Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu, Tam Coc or Trang An & Mua Cave Day Trip
13-hour Ninh Binh day trip from $25 with buffet lunch. Choose Tam Coc or Trang An. Entrance fees are included on some options only.
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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.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. Dollar figures are the listed prices. The platform bills in your account's currency.
What Does a Trip to Hanoi Cost by Length?
These are our sums from the official ticket prices and our tour listings, before hotels, rides and most meals. Fees are converted at 1,000 VND = $0.03887.
| Trip | What the sum covers | Total |
|---|---|---|
| One day | Temple of Literature $2.72, Hoa Lo $1.94, a $7 puppet seat | $11.66 |
| One day with a food walk | The same two entries and a $17 food walk instead of the puppet seat | $21.66 |
| Two days | Temple, Citadel, Hoa Lo, a $7 puppet seat and an $18 food walk | $33.55 |
| Three days with Ha Long Bay | The two-day sum plus a $40 day cruise | $73.55 |
| Three days with Ninh Binh | The two-day sum plus a $48 day trip | $81.55 |
How Expensive Is Hanoi for Sightseeing?
Not very: an adult ticket to the three main official sights is $8.55 in total. The expensive parts of a trip are the day trips and the overnight cruises, not the city.
The Temple of Literature charges $2.72 (VND 70,000), Hoa Lo Prison $1.94 (VND 50,000) and the Thang Long Imperial Citadel $3.89 (VND 100,000). The Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake charges adults $1.94 (VND 50,000) and the two relic houses on Hang Buom and Ma May $0.78 (VND 20,000) each. Children under 16 are free at all of them. The Hoa Lo fee has applied since 1 January 2024, and the Citadel and relic-house fees since 1 January 2025.
What the official pages do not publish is the price of a bowl of noodles or a bed. We do not print a meals-and-hotel number because no official source states one, and a number from a blog would be a guess. A food walk is the way to price a meal from sources we can show: our listings run from $15 for about five dishes and egg coffee to $23 for three Michelin-nominated noodle stops, and one at $20.58 is described as replacing dinner.
Is 3 Days in Hanoi Too Much on a Budget?
No. The third day is the only expensive one, and it is optional. The city itself costs under $34 in tickets for two days on our sums, so a third day spent on free things costs nothing extra. The itinerary page shows how the days fit around the mausoleum's closed days.
Source: Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam, Hoa Lo Prison Relic, Thang Long Imperial Citadel.
What Can You Do in Hanoi for Free?
More than most capitals: the lake, the streets and the weekend walking street cost nothing.
- Hoan Kiem Lake. Free to visit, open all day. Only the Ngoc Son temple island charges.
- The Old Quarter. Free to enter, about one square kilometre of 36 streets, each named for the goods it once sold.
- The weekend walking street. Motor vehicles are banned around the lake and the night market from 19:00 to midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so the evening walk is free.
- Heritage Day. The two Old Quarter relic houses are free on 23 November, and the Ngoc Son Temple is free on the 1st of each lunar month.
- A student-led walk. This private walk costs $4 for a group of up to 15, and this one costs $5 a group. The first is tip-based and the second says no tips are expected. Tickets and food are extra on both.
The student walks are the cheapest guided option in the city, because the guide is a local student and the entry ticket for the guide is the main cost.
How Do You Get Around Hanoi Cheaply?
Walk the centre, take a bus from the airport and use a metered taxi for the rest. The lake, the Old Quarter and the French Quarter are within a few kilometres of each other.
The airport page lists the buses. Route 86 to Hanoi Railway Station costs $1.94 (VND 50,000) a trip. Route 07 to Cau Giay costs $0.47 (VND 12,000), routes 90 and 17 cost $0.58 (VND 15,000) and the E10 to Ocean Park costs $0.78 (VND 20,000). A G7 taxi package from the inner city to the airport is $8.55 (VND 220,000) for a 5-seat car. A private transfer on our airport page starts at $12 a car, which is $3 each for four people against $1.94 by bus 86.
Inside the city, G7's tariff opens at $0.78 (VND 20,000) for the first 1,290 m in a 5-seat car, then $0.60 (VND 15,500) per km to the 20th km. The taxi fare page has the full tariff. Metro fares are shown on the station board, so check the price before you buy.
A data eSIM is a saving too: our 15-day unlimited eSIM is $10.88 and covers Hanoi.
Source: Noi Bai International Airport, G7 Taxi.
How Much Does a Day Trip From Hanoi Cost?
A day trip starts around $25 to $40 on the listing and can rise by the fees it leaves out.
The listing price is not the whole price on the cheapest options. The official Ha Long day-route fee is $9.72 (VND 250,000) per person on the main routes, and the Ninh Binh fees are $11.66 (VND 300,000) for Trang An, $9.72 (VND 250,000) for Tam Coc and $5.83 (VND 150,000) for Hang Mua. The $26 tour comes to $44.28 once the entrances are added, so a $50 tour with every fee included is only about $6 more. The bay and Ninh Binh pages explain which is which.
| Trip | Listing price | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Ha Long Bay day cruise | $40 | Entrance fees included as per the itinerary, a speedboat is optional |
| Ha Long Bay 5-star day cruise | $39 | Buffet lunch, not suitable for wheelchair users |
| Ninh Binh day tour, Tam Coc or Trang An | $25 | Entrance fees included on some options only |
| Ninh Binh cheapest day tour | $26 | Entrance fees extra, bringing it to about $44 |
| Ninh Binh day trip with fees | $48 | Fees and buffet lunch included |
Which Hanoi Costs Are Not in the Listed Price?
The audio guide, entrance fees, surcharges and transfers are the extras that move a budget. Each of these is stated on the listing itself.
Add these to the sum before you decide. The overnight cruise at $80 plus the $24.49 cash fee is the largest single extra on this page, and a solo traveller on the 2-day Lan Ha cruise pays $80 more.
| Extra | Amount | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Audio guide at the puppet theatre | $1.94 (VND 50,000) per show | Paid at the theatre entrance, not in the $7 seat |
| Overnight Ha Long entrance fee | $24.49 (VND 630,000) | $80 cruise, paid in cash on top |
| Hanoi transfer for a Ha Long cruise | $25 extra | 2-day Lan Ha cruise |
| Solo traveller supplement | $80 more | 2-day Lan Ha cruise |
| Christmas, New Year and Tet surcharge | $45 | 2-day Ha Long cruise |
| Ha Long Bay transfer from Hanoi | $10 extra | Day cruise, port-only option |
Hanoi Budget FAQ
How expensive is Hanoi?
The sights are cheap: $8.55 for the three main official ones, and a day with a puppet show is $11.66 on our sums. The expensive parts are the overnight cruises and day trips. See the sums.
How far does $100 go in Vietnam?
In Hanoi sightseeing, $100 covers the whole three-day sum of $73.55 with room to spare. It does not cover a bed or most meals, which we do not price. The sums show what is inside.
Is 3 days in Hanoi too much?
No. Two days cover the city for $33.55 in tickets and a food walk, and the third day is a trip at $40 or $48. See the itinerary.
What is the cheapest way from the airport to Hanoi?
Bus 86 at $1.94 (VND 50,000) runs to the railway station, and the 07 at $0.47 (VND 12,000) goes to Cau Giay. The airport page lists every option.
What is free in Hanoi?
The lake, the Old Quarter and the weekend walking street from 19:00 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The free list has more.
Are Hanoi tour prices per person?
Mostly yes, but the two student-led walks are priced per group, $4 for up to 15 and $5 a group. Check the unit on each listing.
Do I need cash in Hanoi?
Yes for some extras: the Ha Long overnight entrance fee and the puppet audio guide are paid on the spot. Cash for entry tickets is also noted on a walking tour listing, about $4.
Hanoi on a Budget Videos
Three videos on what a Hanoi trip costs, useful as a second view next to our sums. They load only when you press play.
Hanoi Vietnam 2026 Travel Guide: Places to Visit & Things to Do • Itinerary & Expenses • Budget Vlog
A trip vlog that ends with the costs of each day.
Video: Angelica & Aileen WandersHanoi and Sapa, Vietnam Travel Guide (Itinerary + Expenses) 🇻🇳 FOR FIRST TIMERS! | WanderJ
Hanoi and Sapa with the expenses written out.
Video: Wander JHanoi Budget Trip Itinerary (17 Free & Cheap Things To Do in Hanoi, Vietnam)
A list of free and cheap things to do, with the day laid out.
Video: Trip MoitoVideos load from YouTube only when you press play.
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