What to do and see in Hanoi: How I spent 3 days in Vietnam's capital

Yahoo

03-05-2025

There's no way to prepare for the chaos that is Hanoi. With about nine million people and seven million scooters, it's a different world.
You'll see moms on motorbikes lined up outside schools and daycares, waiting for their kids to hop on behind them. Traffic lights don't seem to mean much and there aren't many of them to begin with. Instead, you'll hear endless honks, which may seem redundant, but it helps explain why in my three days in Hanoi, I didn't see one accident.
With its international airport, I used Hanoi as my entry and exit point for Northern Vietnam, spending about a day-and-a-half for each stint, as I had my sights on exploring Ninh Binh, Cat Ba and the Ha Giang Loop. Truthfully, I wouldn't make Hanoi the basis of a vacation, but it is a truly unique city, one that I'm happy to have experienced during my two weeks in Vietnam.
If you're staying in Hanoi and want to be in the middle of it all, the city's Old Quarter is where you'll want to be. Among the chaos is an assortment of bars, restaurants, food markets, shops and historic sites. But just as a heads up, if you're staying in the Old Quarter, get a hotel room that isn't directly facing the street — or even better — a room without a window, to avoid being woken up by those honks as early as 6 a.m.
I stayed in a private room at Hanoi Golden Hostel to start my trip, and then decided to treat myself a little by staying at Omina Hanoi Hotel & Travel when I returned to finish my Vietnam adventure. Both spots did the trick.
Staying in the French Quarter is a more quiet alternative that's still nearby the Old Centre, while it's also known for its French colonial architecture. But no matter where you stay in Hanoi, getting around is cheap. Download the Grab app, which is their version of Uber. It's affordable, but even cheaper if you're willing to sit on the back of a scooter.
In terms of when to visit Hanoi, guidance is similar for most of Northern Vietnam. You'll want to target between April to June or September to December. That way, you'll avoid the overbearing summer heat and humidity during the region's rainy season, while still being able to bask in 25 to 30°C weather. When I was there in November, I was perfectly OK day and night in a T-shirt and shorts.
Eating out is a large part of Vietnamese culture. It makes sense; meals such as pho can take hours to make, so it's only right to make it in large quantities, which makes it pretty cheap to serve.
Since I was staying in Vietnam for two weeks, I knew I had to familiarize myself with the food. For anyone who's starting their vacation here, I recommend the Hanoi Food Tasting Tour in the Old Quarter.
My tour guide Huyen was a gem. She shared all her favourite spots, from getting a solid banh mi (a classic sandwich) to banh cuon (stuffed rice flour rolls) to mango and ice cream desserts. All these meals will cost you from 20K-75K VND, which is about $1-4 CAD.
It's also fun to indulge in the keg culture, since beers are about 79 cents CAD a glass.
Doing this tour gave me confidence to fully immerse myself in the food culture. By the next day, I felt like Anthony Bourdain. I'd throw on my shades, dodge traffic like a pro and find my go-to spot for bun cha (Vietnamese meatballs and noodles). I'd enjoy my meal while sitting on the tiny chairs among the locals, have a couple beers for lunch, and finish it off with a Vietnamese coffee.
I did a walking tour with Central Backpackers Hostel, which was convenient for meeting other travellers. It was also a nice introduction to learn the history of Vietnam, a country that really knows how to win a war. Whether it be the French, Americans or anyone else, it's always 'Vietnam No. 1.'
As for the tour itself, a highlight was the Ngoc Son Temple at the Hoan Kiem Lake, a popular hangout spot when it's super humid.
Ta Hien Street, more commonly known as Beer Street, is also a sight to see at night. With clubs and bars blasting Vietnamese techno music, you'll find cheap beer and helium balloons. At 20 years old, I may have enjoyed this a bit more. But at 27, it felt touristy and outside the nature vibe I had come to Vietnam to pursue, especially with all the men on Beer Street trying to sell drugs and prostitutes (which, not so-conveniently, are also called 'pho'). Given the fact that Hanoi is also the worst place in the world to experience a hangover with its endless chorus of scooter honks, I'd likely skip Beer Street the next time around.
A highlight instead was Hanoi Train Street, where a train literally passes through a stretch filled with dozens of cafes and bars. There's some confusion about when this happens, so here's the info I received from a Train Street bar owner:
Weekdays: 8:40 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 12 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 9:15 p.m., 10 p.m. and sometimes 7:30 p.m.
Weekends: 8:20 a.m., 8:40 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 12 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 5:40 p.m., 6:15 p.m.. 8 p.m., 9:15 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Ideally, if you're looking for a good quality suit for cheap, you'll head further south to Hoi An, a world-renowned city for tailored clothing. If you're only vacationing in the north, Hanoi will certainly do.
I went to Adam's Store, and got myself a custom three-piece cotton suit for $300 CAD. It took 12 days to make, so I placed the order at the start of my trip.
Since I'm a bit picky and don't know much about suits, I had a lot of questions. Thankfully, I had Google Translate, which I used for the majority of my conversations with locals. Everyone was also super kind, even during some awkward translations as I described how I wanted the pants to fit my derrière.
To complete my look, I bought a bamboo dress shirt from Adam's Store ($50 CAD), and a silk tie from Village Silk Tailor ($15 CAD).
In terms of shopping in the Old Quarter, you'll see tons of knock-off active-wear, replicating brands like Arc'teryx and Patagonia. It's not bad if you need a rain jacket or extra T-shirt, and it also allows you to test your bargaining skills. As for myself, I got a North Face fanny pack (not for the fashion).
If you're worried about knock-offs, you can go to the Aeon Mall Long Bien. It's where I got myself a big suitcase. Since many airlines in Southeast Asia, like VietJet Air, require you to check-in anything over 7kgs, you might as well go big on your shopping before you head back home.
This article is a part of travel series for Northern Vietnam, as I explored Hanoi, Cat Ba, Ninh Binh and the Ha Giang Loop. If you're looking for a two-week itinerary, along with answers to commons questions, such as visa requirements, what to pack, the best times to visit and more, read here at Yahoo Canada.