Hanoi is an important gateway to Vietnam for international tourists. Besides the diverse culture and rich cuisine, Hanoi capital of Vietnam has many attractive tourist attractions. Now, we explore the beautiful tourist places to plan a better itinerary for your holidays in Hanoi and Vietnam.
1. Hoan Kiem Lake (Sword Like)
If you do not visit Hoan Kiem Lake, it seems that you do not explore all of Hanoi. Hanoi is the capital and the heart of Vietnam, and Hoan Kiem Lake is the heart of Hanoi capital. This place has the serenity, harmonious tranquillity of the scenery, the friendliness of the people of Hanoi, ancient features, historical and cultural symbols, street vendors, and commercial centres, the utility of modern life.
Coming to Hoan Kiem Lake, you can visit Turtle Tower Hanoi, But Tower, The Huc Bridge, Ngoc Son Temple, Ly Thai To Square, and walk around the lake to know about the people, culture, and life of Hanoi. If you come to Hoan Kiem Lake on the weekends, you will have the opportunity to join the stream of people on the walking streets in Hanoi and entertainment activities that have a very high community character. Walking around the lake or sitting on a bench and tasting a nacks or fruits from street vendors will give you an enjoyable and unique experience.
Address: Hoan Kiem Lake, Hang Trong Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
2. Hanoi Old Quarter
Connected with Hoan Kiem Lake is the Hanoi Old Quarter. It locates in the west and north of the lake. The old quarter includes 36 old streets from Hang Chieu, Hang Luoc to Hang Dao, Hang Ma, and the others.
The Old Quarter of Hanoi has the ancient architectural beauty of the houses, the ancient roads, and the street culture. It can be easy to find plenty of food stalls along the streets, which makes up the typical culture of Hanoi. It seems that all the local food in Hanoi gather in the ancient town.
You can taste different things in Hanoi Old Quater, such as pickled fruits at To Tich Street, dried beef salad at Hoan Kiem area, Hang Bong hot roll, La Vong fish ball, Hang Mang noodle soup, mixed rice paper in Hang Trong, snail vermicelli at O Quan Chuong, ice cream Trang Tien, Hanoi Pho, and iced tea on the sidewalk. Then you will see the unique diversity of cuisine as well as the culture of Hanoian people.
Address: Hanoi Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
3. Hanoi Opera House
Having a prime location at 1 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi Opera House is a typical cultural and artistic centre of the capital. This theatre owns beautiful architecture and is the first place for major art shows.
If possible, you should buy tickets to watch a traditional music show to know more about Vietnamese art and explore the beauty of the Opera House of Hanoi.
Address: 01 Trang Tien Street, Phan Chu Trinh Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
4. Dong Xuan market
Travelling to the capital of Vietnam without visiting the Dong Xuan market is a miss. This oldest market has become the trading cultural symbol of Hanoi.
Coming to the Dong Xuan market, you can look at the variety of items for sale at low prices that can make you surprised and joyful. The products in the market include clothes, fabrics, gadgets, household goods, toys, gifts, and also the food shops.
Dong Xuan Market is an ideal place to buy Hanoi’s unique souvenirs for friends and relatives.
Address: 15 Cau Dong, Dong Xuan Ward, Hoang Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
5. Thang Long Water Puppet Theater
Thang Long Water Puppet Theater at 57B Dinh Tien Hoang Street is the place to perform water puppets that are typical cultural art of North Vietnam. Water puppetry has been a famous art since the 11th century. When enjoying the water puppet show, you will surely admire the talents of Vietnamese artists.
A specific feature at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater is that visitors can spend more time to learn more about this art form with artifacts or introduction from the artists. Seeing a water puppet show will be an unforgettable experience for your holidays in Hanoi.
Address: 57B Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
6. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
It is flawed if you miss the destination of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum on your journey. The people also called it “Lăng Bác” which is the dear name. This mausoleum is the place to protect the remains of the leader, the great President Ho HI Minh, who all the Vietnamese is very grateful to and respectful of.
When travelling to Hanoi, you should come to Ba Dinh Square and once visit Uncle Ho’s mausoleum. The solemn, respectful, and quiet atmosphere here will make you feel how sacred and meaningful this place is. Visiting in the early morning is good to see the morning to the flag-raising ceremony in front of Uncle Ho’s mausoleum.
Address: 2 Hung Vuong Street, Dien Ban, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam
7. Ho Chi Minh Museum and One Pillar Pagoda
After visiting Uncle Ho’s mausoleum, the next destinations will be the stilt house, Uncle Ho’s fish pond, One Pillar Pagoda, and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. The museum is a place to store a lot of documents, images, artifacts, and movies about President Ho Chi Minh. These attractions will help you understand more about why the Vietnamese people love the leader Ho Chi so much.
Another highlight in the complex of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is One Pillar Pagoda. This temple has the most typical architecture in the world when all the building was built on one pillar. So, the pagoda becomes a famous cultural symbol of Hanoi capital.
Address: Ho Chi Minh Museum at 19 Ngoc Ha Street, Doi Can, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi Vietnam.
Address: One Pillar at Doi Can, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam
8. Temple of Literature (Quoc Tu Giam)
Temple of Literature (or Quoc Tu Giam) is a famous attraction in Hanoi. The site has a thousand years of civilization of Hanoi in particular and Vietnam in general.
The Temple of Literature was built under King Ly Thanh Tong in 1070. This area is the first university in Vietnam, and later is the place where steles wrote the name of the doctoral people.
Quoc Tu Giam is a sacred place and demonstrates the learning tradition of the Vietnamese people. Many students often come here to pray before the important exams to wish for good luck.
Address: 58 Quoc Tu Giam Street, Van Mieu, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam
9. Thang Long Ancient Citadel
As a historical complex of different dynasties in Thang Long (a former name of Hanoi), Thang Long Citadel is one of the must-visit places when coming to Vietnam capital. The special places in this tourist area are Kinh Thien Palace, the North Gate, Doan Mon, archaeological area 18 Hoang Dieu. All relics will give visitors an overview of Vietnam in the previous feudal dynasties.
Typically, Hanoi flagpole is a unique monumental, remains intact work and carries cultural symbols and pride of the Hanoi people. So this site cannot be ignored when you visit this city.
Address: 19C Hoang Dieu Street, Dien Ban, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam
10. Hoa Lo Prison
In 1896, Hoa Lo prison was built by the French colonialists to detain prisoners of war. Currently, this place keeps images and artifacts that reflect the reality of imprisoning and torturing Vietnamese revolutionary soldiers.
Whether you are an international tourist or a Vietnamese person, you should visit Hoa Lo Prison to learn about the Vietnam War and the feats of the revolutionary soldiers and the Vietnamese people. You will know more about the Vietnamese spirit when finding against the mighty empires to get independence.
Address: 1 Hoa Lo Street, Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kien District, Hanoi, Vietnam
11. West Lake
West Lake Hanoi is a scenic spot not to be missed in your itinerary to visit Hanoi capital. The spacious and poetic landscape of West Lake will make your soul relaxing and open.
And, the romantic Thanh Nien Street beside the vast scenery of West Lake is a must-have stop in your journey in Hanoi.
Near the West Lake, there are many beautiful and historical sites, such as Phu Tay Ho, Tran Quoc pagoda, Quan Thanh temple, Ba Danh pagoda, and Quang Ba Flower Market. Specifically, Tran Quoc Pagoda is one of the most beautiful temples in Vietnam with charming architecture and tranquil area.
Address: Tay Ho District, Hanoi, Vietnam
12. Long Bien Bridge
Long Bien Bridge is the first steel bridge in Vietnam built by the French in 1898. This construction over the Red River has undergone two resistance wars against the US and France, so it becomes the historical symbol of Hanoi. Carrying traces of time, Long Bien bridge still stands there as the strong spirit of Hanoi people.
Nowadays, Long Bien Bridge is a hot destination for plenty of both amateur and professional photographers.
Address: Long Bien Bridge, Ngoc Thuy, Long Bien District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, owns a long history and many beautiful sightseeings. The above attractions are the highlights that you should put in the list of your itinerary to visit Hanoi.
Surely, you cannot visit all of Hanoi attractions within one day. Thus, you need to range your time in Hanoi from two days.