Vietnam is a country that is full of energy, where past and present come together, and where a new experience waits around every corner. Hanoi acts as a focal point for Vietnamese culture – here, in the capital, you’ll find the country’s most vibrant cultural events, its best museums, and many reminders of its political realities. Lovers of food, art, Buddhism, and history all fall in love with this city – there’s truly nothing like it anywhere else in the world.
You’ve read our article covering budget hotels in Vietnam, exploring Vietnam with kids and even the best rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City. Check out these top tips from our friends at TUBUDD, a mobile app for travellers to find a local buddy or tour guide on holiday. We’ve gathered all the advice that our TUBUDD buddies have dished out about things to do in Hanoi, including some extra titbits covering Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long City, Phu Quoc, Dalat and Da Nang thrown in for good measure. Read on!
What You Need To Know When You Visit Hanoi
“Hanoi is a city of chaos. The best advice is just to take it all in. If you stay in the city for a couple of days just walk around and experience all the city has to offer. Then spend a couple of days in the surrounding countryside areas to really get the idea of the local life.” ~ Vi Nguyen
“For the downside of the equation, travellers should be aware of the overpriced items which might be sold in the markets. Make sure to barter the price down as low as possible!” ~ Michael
Best Things To Do In Hanoi
‘Enjoy the local foods such as My Quang, Cao Lau noodle. There are so many famous tourist destinations near Hanoi such as Ha Long Bay, Sapa. Although these are very popular amongst travellers, there are so many more hidden gems. I would recommend day trips to Ninh binh, Ha Giang, Hoa Binh, Phong Nha. You should also walk around old quarter, cycle around Westlake, enjoy local nightlife and take bike trips around the countryside” ~ Vi Nguyen
“A good itinerary for exploring Hanoi: Hanoi old quarter, Historical relics (Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo prison), the outskirts of Hanoi. Watch a water puppet show, go to the outskirts of Hanoi, visit Hoa Lo prison, see Temple of Literature. You can also book a motorbike tour, get a street food tour and go to the outskirts of Hanoi to see more.” ~ Ngoc Huyen
“Ha long bay day tour and Cat Ba island.” ~ Michael
“In Hanoi, you should visit some infamous bars and lounges next to West Lake rather than Ta Hien Beer street. The beauty of Hanoi lays down the peace around the West Lake so enjoy it fully. In Hanoi, you should hire a bike and try travelling around by yourself or ask for some Vietnamese friends to help you. Some hidden gems that you should look for are Bat Trang province instead of Trang Tien Plaza, plus the old tenements on Kim Ma street” ~ Thanh Thao
“Hanoi is actually over 1000 years old with many temples, ancient citadels, unique theatre and stunning wilderness. Wandering around Hanoi Old Quarter so that you can have a truly local experience that will give you an idea what it is like to live in Hanoi and of course taste lots of delicious local street food. Drive on the chaotic streets of Hanoi, visit the Quang Ba flowers market, explore the Railway Village, wander around Long Bien Market at midnight, try eating food on the pavement like locals, have a morning walk around the Old Quarter, visit ancient houses and communal buildings, go sightseeing around Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, visit the Temple of Literature, watch a Water Puppet performance, visit the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, go shopping at Dong Xuan Market if you’re in town on the weekends and lastly, visit the Museum of Ethnology.” ~ Thinh Phuc Nguyen
Best Coffee Shops In Hanoi
“Check out the best yoghurt cafe at Cà Phê Duy Trí – 43A Yên Phụ and Cà Phê ven hồ – Quảng An” ~ Vi Nguyen
“Dinh coffee, Giang coffee, Cong coffee, Highland coffee, L’etage coffee” ~ Ngoc Huyen
“My favourite coffee shops in Hanoi are Giant, Don’t, Aha, Dinh.” ~ Michael
“Mine are Cong Café, The Coffee House, Xuong Café, Dat Che cafe” ~ Thanh Thao
“Hanoi’s best coffee in my opinion can be found in Đinh café, Reng Reng café, Cộng café, Aha café, Xofa café, Puku café, Noth café, Giảng café, Năng Tường café, Cố Ngư cafe.” ~ Thinh Phuc Nguyen
Best Food In Hanoi
“You should try these dishes: Bun Cha, Nem Lui, Pho Cuon Ngu Xa, Bun Dau” ~ Vi Nguyen
“Beef Pho, Bun Cha, Donut, rolled cake, Sweet gruel, Trang Tien ice-cream, Dried beef salad” ~ Ngoc Huyen
“In Hanoi, you shouldn’t miss Pho, Bun cha, Banh xeo, Nem Hanoi” ~ Michael
“Bun cha, Bun dau, Pho at 3 a.m” ~ Thanh Thao
“Bun cha (Grilled Pork & Noodle), Pho bo (Beef Noodle Soup), Banh cuon (Steamed Rice Rolls), Banh mi, Mien xao luon (Glass Noodles with Deep-Fried Eel), Banh goi (Fried Dumpling), Xoi xeo (Sweet Sticky Rice), Nem cuon (Spring Rolls).” ~ Thinh Phuc Nguyen
Best Things To Do In Halong City
“Climb Bai Tho mountain. On top of Bai Tho mountain (Halong city), you can view the whole city and even Halong Bay. Visit Coto island, visit Quanlan island, Visit Cat Ba island in Haiphong city from Halong city, Visit Yentu pagoda, Go to Baichay beach and enjoy swimming and BBQ on the beach, Visit Sun World Halong Complex. Some good restaurants are not in the centre of the city. You can eat a very good meal or seafood in the street or market if the locals in Halong guide you. Visit the Halong2 market (loong toong market) in Halong city for better deals instead of Halong market.” ~ Long
“For coffee shops, you should pick from these top spots in Ha Long City: Highland coffee, Wander station, Freshie – Hạ Long, Cong caphe, Rooftop cafe HaLong, Oldtown café, Sam café, Myway café, Namphong café, Miam Miam bread & cafe. For food, these interesting dishes might make your trip unforgettable: oyster, seafood noodles, frog hotpot, octopus soup, seafood, sea snails, horseshoe crab, seafood hotpot, grilled squid.” ~ Long
Top Tips For Da Nang
“If you’re looking at hostels, you can stay at Moc Mien Hostel, one of the most beautiful and comfortable hostels in Da Nang. It’s only a 5-minute-walk to the Dragon Bridge and the Cham Museum For coffee, visit Moc mien coffee as well as Highlands and for food, you need to try the local flavours of Pho, My quang and Banh canh” ~ Tu Dung
Things To Do When You Visit Dalat
“Go to Cuc Phuong National Park at night, go tricycling, walk on long bien bridge, walk under long bien bridge, swim in the Red River by Vinh Tuy bridge, drive to the countryside, try ‘trung vit lon’, have the famous railway coffee, catch sunset from ho Tay, watch the ceremony at 6am or 9pm in the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.” ~ Phuong Linh
“My recommended coffee shops would be: Loading T coffee shop in Chan Cam and Nola Coffee in Ma May. For food, be sure to try Bun cha, Banh cuon, Banh gio, Pho cuon, Chan ga nuong, Lau rieu suon sun, Xoi lap xuong, Mysohappy (my xao) and Sup luon” ~ Phuong Linh
Tips When You Visit Phu Quoc
“My favourite one is Phu Quoc island. It is not a city but from my perspective, it is the best one for nature lovers. It contains the sea, the mountains, the rivers and best environment in Vietnam. You could eat a lot of seafood there and enjoy the sunlight throughout the year. One tip when travelling to Phu Quoc is you have to bargain the price with locals, and do not visit with a tour group, ’cause they might bring you to shops rather than let you spend time relaxing.” ~ Thanh Thao
Best Coffee and Food in Ho Chi Minh City
“Visit the smaller local markets instead of just Ben Thant Market in Ho Chi Minh City. For coffee shops, try Nomad, An café, The coffee house, Era coffee, Thị coffee, Hoàng thị coffee, Mocking birds, Cộng cafe. For food, make sure you try Hột vịt lộn, Soup cua, Gỏi cuốn, Bột chiên, Bò lá lốt, Thịt nướng, Phở” ~ Xuan Huong
