Hanoi

Hanoi Overview

Listed among the top destinations to visit in Vietnam, Hanoi proudly welcomes millions of travelers each year and receives numerous compliments from visitors from all over. As one of the oldest capitals in the world, you can expect a rich culture and up-and-down history through the historical sites.

But it doesn’t mean Hanoi only has the ancient and tranquil beauty of temples and pagodas, old buildings in colonial architecture. The historical and cultural aspects are intensively maintained in a vivid and lively city, with various businesses along the bustling streets. With Hanoi tours by Vietnam Airport Car, you can enjoy a perfect journey on the unique harmony and typical character of this city.

Whether you choose a city tour or a Hanoi tour package for your vacation in Vietnam, a trip to Hanoi will be a memory to remember.

Hanoi Overview

What To Do And What To See In Hanoi?

As Hanoi offers so many aspects in terms of culture, history, cuisine, etc., you should take time to figure out what to do and what to see in Hanoi and match your preference. Let your trip to Hanoi be colorful and with no regret.

The city has full of things to see and explore, from the colonial architecture, the two dozen lakes Hoan Kiem and West Lake, the busy yet ancient vibe of the Old Quarter, to historical sites such as Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and Temple of Literature. All combine to create a unique and charming city that attracts both Vietnamese from other regions and foreign visitors.

Hanoi’s layout is compact and the highlighted places are relatively close to each other, so it is convenient for visitors to travel on foot. You can visit the Old Quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake in a single day, but if you have the time, just relax and enjoy all of Hanoi because the off-beat track sides of the city take more time to explore.

Turtle Tower on Hoan Kiem lake

In case you don't want to travel on foot, join Vietnam Airport Car on a typical 1 day Hanoi city tour, visitors can see mist-shrouded Hoan Kiem Lake, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, and the Old Quarter. This quarter should be the most common spot for tourists. Located on the northern shore of Hoan Kiem Lake, it is the oldest, busiest, and most interesting district of Hanoi.

The former name of this area is “36 streets” and each street was named after the commodity that it mainly sold. For example, “Hang Ma” focuses on decorative goods and is especially busy on national festivals.

In case you don’t wish to explore Hanoi on foot, you can choose an alternative way to sightsee Hanoi which is the cyclo tour. This type of traveling is really common for tourists and the cyclos sprinkle around the city. All you need to do is sit on the cyclo comfortably, and the cyclists will control the peddler behind your seat.

If you see no motorbikes or cars on roads around Hoan Kiem Lake, you are lucky! You have a chance to join the walking street which opens every weekend. Usually, locals and travelers pour into this walking street and you can listen to street bands, flash mob dance, or join in the traditional Vietnamese games. Don't worry, the locals would love to help you acquaint yourself with those activities.

Cyclo Tour in Hanoi

You can explore the lake on your own-guided tours, just walk along the banks of the lakes and enjoy the sightseeing and the street food, or you can book a walking and street food tour from Vietnam Airport Car with one of our local guides that are knowledgeable and fun to accompany.

In the areas nearby, The Opera house is a really impressive building that was built in the France colonial period - a mesmerizing example of classic architecture. You can buy Hanoi Opera house tickets to enjoy a lovely show of opera singing. Another entertaining option is to boat at West Lake, one of the two dozen freshwater lakes located in Hanoi.

Many foreign visitors choose to accommodate here as there are many kinds of gardens, coffee shops, and restaurants around the 17 km shore. In the late afternoon, the sun setting on the horizon will make the scenery even way more romantic and peaceful. Not far from West Lake, is the historical complex of Hanoi including Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, and many more.

The suburban areas of Hanoi also have many places of interest. Traditional handicrafts villages such as Van Phuc silk village, and Bat Trang pottery village - long–existing areas that specialize in handicrafts. Vietnamese silk is considered to be one of the finest in the world, and you can make your ceramic works in Bat Trang Village.

Van Phuc Silk Village: Discover the ancient silk-weaving land

The charming beauty of the city also comes from the local lifestyle, who express themselves in simple daily life but with great hospitality to welcome any travelers.

What to eat and drink in Hanoi?

To fully enjoy the experience in Hanoi, you must not miss the cuisine of this city. Whether you like to enjoy the fine dining culinary experience or explore authentic street food, Hanoi can offer you all. The key to Hanoi cuisine is to balance the flavors and fresh ingredients.

The culinary culture in Hanoi

Whether it is Pho, Banh Mi, or Bun Cha, you can see that the ingredients are combined well together, guaranteeing both nutrition and taste, and the flavors are easy to savor even for foreigners. Visiting Hanoi by night things to do before coming to Hanoi, you may experience the best eatery to get to know the culinary culture in Hanoi.

No need a great deal to enjoy the street food of Vietnam, just step into one back street or alleyway, and you will find a hidden treasure of the best local specialties. Don’t forget to taste Pho (noodles with beef or chicken), Bun Cha (noodles with grilled pork meat), Cha Ca La Vong (La Vong fried fish) and many more delicious dishes whose quality can only be proved if you discover by yourself.

Vietnamese Coffee - Ca Phe Trung (egg coffee) and Milk Coffee

About drinks, you must have heard about Vietnamese Coffee, which is proud to be one of the best coffee in the world. Besides the original black coffee, you can try Ca Phe Trung (egg coffee). This experience is one of the unique things to do in Hanoi Vietnam, From the very first sip, the creamy and soft egg white foam resting on Vietnamese Coffee would make you love this creative drink.

When to visit Hanoi?

Like other places in northern Vietnam, Hanoi has a tropical monsoon climate with hot summer months and cold winter months. The summer here can be uncomfortably hot and humid due to heavy rain and the chilly winter can drop to 10 degrees celsius with really low humidity.

However, that does not mean Hanoi has only 2 seasons, the transition months are relatively long, so Hanoi experiences quite distinctive 4 seasons. Though the weather in Hanoi is hard to predict, you can visit Hanoi at any time of the year, depending on your personal preference.

Winter is the time to explore the city on foot without fear of sweat, taste extra delicious street food, and join the most fascinating local festivals in Vietnam: Tet Holiday around February. Summer is for cold and refreshing specialty, and the stunning scenery is the sunshine on most days. In Autumn and Spring, with the most pleasant weather, you can have a good opportunity to explore the outdoors to its fullest.

The Tours from Hanoi

It is certainly easy to travel to and from the capital since Hanoi connects most of the cities and provinces in Vietnam. Among various transportation like airports, bus stations, and train stations, Vietnam Airport Car provides private car services to transit you safely from airports or your accommodation, so you can have flexible and convenient rides to depart Vietnam tours from Hanoi.

Hoa Lu - Tam Coc trip: a day trip to Hoa Lu - Tam Coc can be a good option if you only have the time budget for a day. Only 2 driving hours from Hanoi, you will have a chance to know more about the old capital of Vietnam. Here you can take a boat trip to float along the river, which is located among the sharp mountains creating a marvelous scenery that can be found nowhere else.

Since the area is surrounded by rivers and mountains, tours will include lunch and mineral water for you to have enough energy to conquer all the 3 caves in Tam Coc, cycle around the roads to see the breathtaking paddy fields, and back to Hanoi when the sun is down.

Tam Coc - Bich Dong, Ninh Binh

Halong Bay Day Trip: explore the UNESCO Heritage Site which is the most favorite destination of travelers in Vietnam. Travel from the morning to take a boat trip or a cruise to this stunning bay, and explore the uniquely shaped caves.

Take your time to visit the Dark & Bright Cave, or kayak to Thien Chung Caves and surrounding lagoons.

Halong Bay Night Cruise is an opportunity for you to get to know better about one of the most beautiful bays in the world. Still starting off the journey in the morning, you will take it easier to cruise around Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay.

One night cruise or two can give you time to enjoy a sunset party, cooking demonstrations, or other relaxing services onboard. You also have time to visit more caves like Sung Sot Cave, climb to the top of an island or do squid fishing.

Surprise Cave (Sung Sot Cave)

Besides full-day trips, Mai Chau tours depart from Hanoi and give you full packages to explore the far mountainous attraction of the Northern region. This land is famous for its pleasant climate and the horizon-reaching mountains, blending with picturesque rice paddy fields.

Ranging from 3 - 4 days, you can take a full day to trek through Ban Lac Thai village to Xa Linh’s Hmong village, admiring the charming surroundings and the farming scenery of locals. There is also a multitude of caves and cultural attractions to experience.

Hope that the given information in the blog can help you with a useful guide for an amazing journey to Hanoi, Vietnam. Other than the northern tours that we recommended, you can check out more tours to other regions in Vietnam like Hoi An tour, Ba Na Hills day tour, and Ho Chi Minh city tour,... Contact Vietnam Airport Car for booking or any further questions and we promise to give you the best assistance.