Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city and a must-visit on any Vietnam itinerary. It’s the historic, cultural heart of Northern Vietnam, with some excellent temples, interesting museums, and a charming, French-influenced Old Quarter. It’s also the foodie capital of the north. The street food, restaurants and cafes here are rated as some of the best in the whole country!
After spending 3 days sightseeing in Hanoi and exploring the top attractions, we’ve assembled the perfect 3-day Hanoi itinerary. Read our guide for inspiration on the top things to do in Hanoi in a short trip. We’ll cover the places you can’t miss, including Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter and Hanoi train street. We’ll also give you our recommendations on places to grab a coffee, and how to group attractions together.
Join us as we explore Vietnam’s iconic, charming and sometimes chaotic capital city.
Google Map of all locations in our guide
Old Quarter
We’re starting off our 3 day Hanoi itinerary with the must-see area of the city, the Old Quarter. Located in the heart of Hanoi, this historic neighbourhood is the busiest area in the city, with a bustling atmosphere day and night. It’s where you can see Hanoi’s French colonial past, with elegant old buildings, balconies, shutters and French-inspired architecture sitting alongside traditional Vietnamese homes and shops.
The Old Quarter is the number one place to stay in Hanoi. It’s a short walk from many of the city’s main attractions and has an abundance of restaurants all in one place. We recommend allocating a few hours for sightseeing in Hanoi Old Quarter during the day. You can then return in the evening to check out its upbeat nightlife scene and endless street food options.
Food tour
Speaking of street food, you can’t visit Hanoi without indulging in its world-famous cuisine. The dishes on offer in Vietnam’s capital are a major draw to the city. To experience the best food on offer and to reduce the chances of getting sick, we booked a 3 hour Hanoi food tour. It was a fun way to see the local eateries and hidden, hole-in-the-wall restaurants of the Old Quarter.
After meeting up with an English-speaking guide, we spent the evening hopping between restaurants and street food stalls trying dishes such as beef papaya salad, Vietnamese pancakes and sweet treats. We also stopped at a Michelin-recommended restaurant for a chicken Pho and joined locals for a beer. Book our recommended food tour on Get Your Guide.
Ta Hien Beer Street
While exploring Hanoi Old Quarter on an evening, you have to check out Ta Hien Beer Street. A quiet, unassuming street during the day, it comes alive after 8pm. It’s a long alley of lively cocktail bars and live music pubs that are open until the early hours. If you want to experience good nightlife in Vietnam, this is the place to be.
If you prefer a quieter, classier nightlife experience, we recommend visiting Ta Hien Beer Street earlier in the evening. There are some low-key live music bars and cocktail bars with outdoor seating, so you can watch the street get busier as you enjoy a drink. Prefer a livelier atmosphere? Visit later in the evening.
Enjoy the view from a rooftop bar
Another fun nightlife activity is a visit to one of Hanoi’s many rooftop bars. In a city known for its narrow, high-rise buildings, it’s no surprise there are some excellent places to enjoy a drink with a view. Hanoi’s rooftop bars aren’t cloud-touching skyscrapers like Ho Chi Minh and Bangkok. However, they still give you some stunning city views. We visited May de Ville Lakeside Rooftop Bar and enjoyed a panoramic view of Hoan Kiem lake below.
If you want to experience Hanoi from above but don’t want to go to a bar, check out Sky Lotte Observation Deck. It’s a scenic viewing deck that’s open day or night, located on the 65th floor of Lotte Center.
Hoan Kiem Lake
A walk around Hoan Kiem lake is one of our favourite things to do in Hanoi. In a place as busy and chaotic as the Old Quarter, this serene, picturesque lake is a relaxing place to wander around at any time of the day. It has several seating and neatly-manicured garden areas, a small pagoda on an island, and its most iconic site, the bright red Húc Bridge.
The best time to visit Hoan Kiem Lake is in the evening. When the sun goes down, the lake is illuminated with the reflections of surrounding buildings and its walking routes are lit up with vibrant colours. There are plenty of street vendors selling snacks, making it a great place to go for a walk and dessert after dinner.
Húc Bridge and Ngoc Son Temple
At the top of Hoan Kiem Lake sits Ngoc Son Temple. Located on a small island, which is connected by the red ‘Huc Bridge’ we mentioned earlier, it’s a nice place to visit in Hanoi to get a view of the centre of the lake and see some traditional Vietnamese architecture. The temple is dedicated to several important figures, including General Tran Hung Dao, a Vietnamese military leader who helped defend the country against Mongol invaders.
We recommend visiting Hoan Kiem lake twice if you can; once during the day to see the temple and again at night for the beautiful lights and upbeat atmosphere. There’s a small fee to cross Húc Bridge to the temple.
St Joseph’s Cathedral
Another Hanoi attraction worth checking out in this area is St Joseph’s Cathedral. Built in the late-19th century during the French colonial period, the cathedral features impressive Gothic architecture, with tall twin bell towers, stained-glass windows and detailed stonework. With a design similar to Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, it’s an interesting example of the French influence on Hanoi.
Stop by St Joseph’s Cathedral while visiting Hoan Kiem Lake to take some photos of the cathedral; it’s unlike any other building in the city.
Hoa Lu Prison
Hoa Lu Prison is one of Hanoi’s top museums and historic attractions. Originally built by the French in the late 19th century, the prison was used to detain Vietnamese political prisoners during French rule. It was later used during the Vietnam War to hold American prisoners of war.
Today, large sections of the prison have been made into a museum, showcasing artefacts of the prison’s past, recreations of the cells the prisoners lived in and placards that tell their story. It’s a worthwhile visit for anyone interested in Vietnamese history, although some of the exhibits can be quite sobering. Allocate around an hour to explore Hoa Lu Prison.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Palace
While in Vietnam, you’ll see monuments, stories and signs of Ho Chi Minh everywhere. He’s the revolutionary leader and former President of Vietnam, who played a major role in the country’s independence. After passing away in 1969, a grand mausoleum was built on the site where Vietnamese independence was declared in 1945.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is one of the most important landmarks in the city and a must-see for your itinerary. Visit Ba Dinh, or ‘independence’ Square, the nearby gardens and stilt houses, and the mausoleum itself. The wider area is has grand parliament buildings, ornate statues and the Hanoi Presidential Palace.
You can’t see inside the palace but can explore its beautiful garden areas and colourful façade from the outside.
Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
Another historic site worth checking out near Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Presidential Palace is the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. An 11th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site, it served as the political centre of several Vietnamese dynasties for over 1,000 years. Many areas of the citadel are now archaeological ruins and a shadow of its former glory. However, it still has some excellent places to visit.
Pay the small entrance fee and you can walk around the grounds of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long at your own pace. Key sites to see include the grand Doan Mon Gate, which was once the entrance to the palace. There’s also a well-preserved war bunker, fortress walls you can walk along and artefacts from throughout the citadel’s history.
Temple of Literature
Hanoi has many temples, but not many are as impressive as the Temple of Literature. Built in 1070, it was originally dedicated to Confucius and later became Vietnam’s first national university. Today, it’s one of Hanoi’s top attractions. After paying a small entrance fee, you can walk through its peaceful gardens, into its traditional courtyards and inside its historic temple buildings.
We visited several temples during our time in Vietnam and Hanoi’s Temple of Literature was one of the best. Its grounds are spread out, with lots of quiet corners and impressive statues. We also liked its intricate architecture, with dragons, horses and other animals carved into its walls, rooftops and pillars. Aim to spend at least an hour exploring the temple grounds.
Phùng Hưng Mural Street
Phùng Hưng Mural Street is worth a quick stop-off while exploring Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Located near the train bridge to the north-west of the city centre, this long street of restaurants and shophouses is where you can find some of the city’s best artwork.
It’s a long wall of traditional paintings, featuring everything from pictures of Hanoi locals, to farmers and iconic city sights. The artwork is of a high standard, and whilst there isn’t a lot to see, it’s still worth a quick detour while walking through the Old Quarter.
West Lake
West Lake, also known as Ho Tay, is the largest freshwater lake in Hanoi. Unlike the busy, loud streets of the Old Quarter, West Lake is a peaceful, scenic place to go for a morning walk. It has several walking paths and garden areas, viewpoints of the lake, and a good selection of lake-side cafes and restaurants.
When we visited West Lake, we walked around its perimeter and then enjoyed a coffee with a view of the water. It’s a great place to visit in Hanoi to catch a breath and escape the busy city centre.
The West Lake Pagodas – Tran Quoc and Quan Thanh Temple
One of the main attractions at West Lake is Tran Quoc Pagoda, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Vietnam. It’s instantly recognisable for its multi-storey tower and lakeside scenery. It’s on a small island by the side of the lake, so to reach it, you’ll need to cross a bridge.
The other temple worth checking out in this area is Quan Thanh. Just a short walk from the pagoda we’ve just mentioned, Quan Thanh is a small but charming temple with a grand entrance gate and peaceful temple grounds. You can visit both temples for free; but be sure to check opening hours. They close briefly throughout the day.
Hồ Trúc Bạch Riverside Walk
Our final recommendation for the West Lake area is Hồ Trúc Bạch Lake and its riverside walking route. We stumbled upon this area while walking back to the Old Quarter from West Lake. It’s a small body of water that’s just as scenic as its neighbour, with a walking promenade that’s full of cafes, bars and restaurants.
Hồ Trúc Bạch Riverside Walk is very photogenic, with its traditional wooden bridges, hanging lanterns and lakeside panoramas. Stop by to take some photos and enjoy a coffee with a view before heading back to the city centre.
Hanoi café culture
People visit Hanoi for its food. However, it’s café scene is equally as good. As the second biggest producer of coffee in the world, Vietnam has no shortage of excellent coffee shops. You’ll find excellent options on every corner in the Hanoi! From artisan coffee roasters to Vietnamese chains such as Highlands Coffee, you can’t visit Hanoi without visiting several of its cafes.
Even if you’re not a coffee lover, Hanoi’s coffee shops are a nice place to relax and grab a snack, read a book and catch up on some work. We’ve listed some of our top Hanoi coffee shop recommendations below.
P.S. be sure to try Hanoi’s speciality egg coffee. It sounds unusual but is surprisingly good. Coconut coffee and salt coffee are other popular specialities.
Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
A visit to Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is a fun, cultural evening activity in Hanoi. Water puppetry dates back hundreds of years and originated in the villages of northern Vietnam, where performances were traditionally held in flooded rice fields. The shows feature colourful wooden puppets moving across the water, along with traditional Vietnamese music and storytelling.
Even if you don’t understand Vietnamese, it’s worth visiting one of these puppet shows to experience Vietnamese culture. We found the show entertaining and quite amusing to watch. Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is the main show worth checking out. It’s located at the top of Hoan Kiem Lake on the edge of the Old Quarter.
Hanoi Train Street
Hanoi Train Street is one of the most unique things to do in Hanoi. What was once an unassuming residential area with frequent train passings is now a sightseeing spot that has blown up on social media. Hanoi Train Street is a colourful collection of close-knit buildings a short walk from the city centre. A few times a day, a passenger train zooms down the street, getting dangerously close to the cafes and restaurants.
Enjoying a coffee by the tracks as a train whizzes by is a unique experience you can’t find in many other places. It has become very touristy, but is still worth checking out. Be sure to look at the train timetable before visiting; train passings aren’t very frequent.
Thanks for reading our guide on the top things to do in Hanoi in 3 days. Vietnam’s capital city truly is an excellent mix of historic sites, great food and nightlife. 3 to 5 days is the perfect amount of time to spend here, though you can still see a lot in a 2-day fleeting visit. If you’re staying for longer, be sure to take a day trip to Ninh Binh, Halong Bay or Sapa. All three places make for excellent day-trip or 1-night detours.
If you have any questions about any of the places we’ve featured, be sure to post a comment.
By Susie
Author bio:I’m a passionate traveller that loves a sunny beach holiday, but also appreciate the cultural side to a trip and checking out undiscovered destinations. I’m the go-to Toucan Traveller for great holiday stories, cool photos and foodie recommendations.