Hanoi, Vietnam: 15 Things to See and Tips on Visiting the City in 2018

Updated: 11/19/2018 | November 19th, 2018

The chaotic capital of Vietnam, Hanoi is a busy and bustling city home to swarms of motorcycles, cheap beer, and budget backpackers.

Located in the north of the country, the city itself is often considered a little crowded, slightly run-down, and perhaps a little polluted. But what it lacks when compared to modern-day standards it makes up for with its quaint looks and charm, as well as its budget-friendly prices.

To be completely honest, I didn’t like Vietnam when I visited. But while my expdreince was less than stellar, I did enjoy my time in Hanoi.

A lot.

Time and poor rebuilding may have worn down the city. All over Hanoi, old French colonial homes lay crumbling as modern buildings spring up around them, slowly bringing the city into the modern age. The city’s old quarter, located right by Hoan Kiem Lake, is a fine example of French Colonial architecture. I imagine this is what New Orleans would look like if it was left to decay.

But Hanoi is a fascinating city where you’ll find amazing street side pho, tiny beer bars, and a fast pace where you need to follow the grandmothers as you cross the street or you’ll get run over.

Navigate tiny streets and outdoor markets as people crush you from all sides. Hanoi is very busy, and the old quarter is one of the busiest – flooded with bikes, buses, markets, and tourists. Buses cram down streets I didn’t think even motorbikes could get through. A bus of mine went down one the wrong way and I was sure we were done for. Crossing the street here is a fine art, as motorbikes and cars don’t stop for you. But, despite the crowds, these densely-packed streets have a lot of charm as the old battles the new for dominance.

No trip to Vietnam would be complete without a visit to Hanoi.

And no visit to Hanoi would be complete without seeing what the city has to offer. Here are my top suggestions to help you have an amazing trip.

Best Things to See and Do in Hanoi

1. Visit the Old Quarter
The Old Quarter’s 2,000-year-old streets are a web of shopping opportunities and cheap eateries. Gold and silver jewelry, clothes, cosmetics, and even musical instruments can all be bought here alongside a myriad of other goods. There’s also a lot of fascinating old worn French architecture around and you can still see the strong French influence in the area. The old quarter is also a great place to sit and drink Bia Hoi, cheap Vietnamese beer. At 15 cents a beer, you can’t go wrong!

2. Visit Hoam Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple
Get here early in the morning to watch throngs of people practicing Tai Chi, running, cycling and walking before their working day begins. In the center of the lake is the Tortoise Pagoda, a shrine to the famous giant turtles that live in the lake. The lake is very beautiful and there is a temple worth visiting on the north end of the lake.

Dinh Tien Hoang St, +84 8 3910 0555, denngocson.com. Open daily daily from 8am-6pm. Admission is 30,000 VND for adults and 15,000 VND for students.

3. Visit the Temple of Literature
Built in 1070, the Van Mieu temple is a great example of traditional Vietnamese architecture and is one of the oldest structures in the country. Originally dedicated to Confucius, you can wander the five courtyards decorated and see the stelae mark with the first diplomas for the university’s doctorate students.

Quoc Tu Giam Street, +84 43 823 5601, vanmieu.gov.vn/en. Open daily from 7:30am-6pm in the summer and 8am-6pm in the winter. Entrance is 30,000 VND for adults and free for kids under 15 as well as for people with disabilities.

4. Visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum
Looking for something morbid? You can check out the body of former leader Ho Chi Minh himself. Despite wanting his body to be cremated (so as to not waste agricultural land), his countrymen mummified him and put him on display. It’s a creepy sight and he looks very “plastic.” No cameras are allowed in, and soldiers stand guard to make sure you do not speak either. Make sure you time your visit right, though – Ho Chi Minh spends a few months out of the year in Moscow getting “worked” on. The museum is really more of a propaganda tool designed to show how Ho Chi Minh led a revolution against imperialist pigs instead of being a chronology of his life.

19 Ngoc Ha, Ba Dinh, +84 24 3846 3757, baotanghochiminh.vn. The museum is open daily from 8am-12pm and then again from 2pm-4:30pm every day except Monday and Friday. Tickets are 40,000 VND per person.

5. Escape the Hustle for Halong Bay
For those who find the hustle and bustle of Hanoi too much to handle, there are many trips outside the city you can take, too. You can head out to the World Heritage site, Halong Bay, and sail through limestone karsts. Or head west to Sapa, one of the most beautiful regions of the world and home to many hill tribes. Sapa was really beautiful. In fact, Vietnam’s natural beauty was the highlight of my time there.

6. Watch a water puppet show
Water Puppetry probably isn’t an art form you’re familiar with, but it’s been popular in Vietnam for over a millennium. Located near the lake, you can take in a show at the Water Puppet Theatre. The puppets are made of wood and the show itself is performed in small pool. This makes it seem like the puppets look like they’re walking in water. While the plays are performed in Vietnamese, they’re still a spectacle to behold.

57b Dinh Tien Hoang Street, +84 24 3824 9494, thanglongwaterpuppet.org/en. Performances usually occur 5 times per day and last around an hour. Admission is 100,000 VND for adults and 60,000 VND for children.

7. Shop at Dong Xuan Market
This is Hanoi’s oldest market and it’s located in the Old Quarter. It’s a huge area where you can find pretty much everything you could ever expect (especially a lot of knock-offs of popular brands). If you’re looking for cheap souvenirs, this is probably the best place for low-cost shopping in the city.

Dong Xuan (in the center of the Hoan Kiem district), chodongxuan.org. Open daily from 7am-6pm.

8. Visit the National Museum of Fine Arts
This is a must-see if you are interested in the various styles of Vietnamese art. There are incredible exhibits of folk art, silk and lacquer paintings, and Buddhist art. The museum’s most impressive feature though is Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy who is depicted with a thousand arms and eyes.

66 Nguyen Thái Hoc, +84 24 3733 2131, vnfam.vn/en. Open daily from 8:30am-5pm. Admission is 40,000 VND for adults with discounts available for students and children.

6 Travel Tips for Visiting Hanoi

To help you make the most of your trip to Hanoi, here are some helpful travel tips:

• Eat from street stalls – For the cheapest food in the city head to the street stalls. You can get meals for a fraction of restaurant prices. My favorite food to eat is bahn mi or pho.
• Negotiate – Barter for everything. Tourists are often quoted inflated prices, so talk to your hostel staff to make sure you know what you should be paying.
• Drink Bia Hoi – This cheap beer is available on the streets throughout the city and is only around 3,000 VND per glass.
• Take the bus – City buses are the cheapest way of getting around the city. They are comfortable and efficient and much less hassle than bartering for tuk-tuks.
• Don’t hesitate – When crossing the street, just walk forward with intent. The scooters will zip by you, don’t worry. But if you hesitate and stop and go you’ll confuse them and be much more likely to get hit!
• Ask permission – If you’re going to be taking photos of locals, ask first. Many consider it rude to be photographed without consent.

***

You’ll find a lot of things to see and do in Hanoi. This city will keep you entertained on your visit but what really makes Hanoi amazing is the charm of the city. It has that special something that makes it absolutely fascinating as much as it is frustrating as you try to make your way around in a place that seems never to notice you.

Visiting Hanoi is an adventure not to be missed.

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
To find the best budget accommodation, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time. You can book your hostel – if you want that instead – with Hostelworld as they have the most comprehensive inventory. My favorite places to stay are:

• Old Quarter View Hostel – Great location and a good social atmosphere.
• Hanoi Old Town Hotel – A great budget-friendly hotel for those looking for private accommodation.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
• Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!

Want More Information on Hanoi?
Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Hanoi for even more planning tips!

11 Reasons Why I Fell in Love With Morocco

Visiting Morocco has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I’ve always wanted to ride a camel, see the desert, explore maze-like medinas, and drink tea with Berbers.

As I stood overlooking the Sahara one morning, marveling at the rhythmic, undulating dunes of the desert, I realized that my dream had come true.

For miles around, the dunes rolled like red-tinged waves in the sea. I had ridden a camel to the spot where I would gaze at a million stars that night, smiling at the fact I was finally somewhere I had dreamed about under the same stars thousands of miles away.

For two weeks, I traveled around the country on Intrepid Travel’s Best of Morocco tour and gorged myself on couscous, drank my body weight in mint tea, hiked, and absorbed the sights and sounds of Morocco.

Of all those moments, these were my favorite experiences from the trip:

Camel trekking in the Sahara

While I wish you could still ride the old camel caravans from Morocco to Egypt, I settled for one night under the stars. Turns out riding a camel for an hour is pretty uncomfortable, but seeing the beautiful color of the desert up close and personal, camping with Bedouins, and gazing at a million stars with no light pollution made it all worthwhile. There’s an eerie silence in the desert when the wind dies down and you feel a great sense of peace, just sitting and being in nature.

Fun fact: It rained while I was in the desert. There was a crazy, crazy lightning storm — one of the most intense I have ever seen. The roar of the thunder sounded like a million bombs going off, and the lightning turned night into day. It hadn’t rained all year but that night the sky opened up for a brief moment to let out all her anger. Surreal.

Hiking the Atlas Mountains

The Atlas Mountains cover most of Morocco, and we spent a lot of time in the low, middle, and high parts of the range (it’s hard not to). My favorite part was when we traversed the High Atlas range, climbing for an hour to reach a small farmhouse, where we stayed the night with a local family (who cooked us the tastiest tagine dinner and Berber omelet of the trip).

Arriving early and leaving late the next day, we had plenty of time to hike and explore the surrounding area. I love a good hike, so I enjoyed the opportunity to really get out into nature, walk through riverbeds, and see Mt. Toubkal (North Africa’s highest peak) in the distance. Next to the camel trek, this was my favorite experience.

Eating at Café Clock

Recommended to me by many people and with locations in Marrakesh and Fez, this Western-influenced café is famous for its gigantic and delicious camel burger (which tastes a lot like spicy shawarma). The food is excellent: the burger, green smoothies, and melt-in-your-mouth buttery chicken couscous were so satisfying I ate here twice. And, in the crazy and chaotic medinas of each city, the cafés provide an oasis of calm, where you can recharge, use Wi-Fi, and cool down with air conditioning. They also offer cooking classes and host regular events in each location!

Getting lost in the medinas

The medinas are the historic hearts of each city in Morocco: part residential area, part shopping center, part food market. Here you’ll find twisting and turning streets where shops, restaurants, markets, and homes all line the streets in buildings seemingly too close together and too old to stay up much longer. As someone who loves to get lost, the medinas were heaven. I spent hours wandering through them, making right turns, doubling back, walking through plazas and streets that kind of looked familiar, and finding my way, only to get purposely lost all over again. They were a maze I loved trying to solve while also drinking tea, eating delicious and fragrant food, and seeing the sights.

Word of caution: Fez is a bit sketchy and unsafe, so do not go too far off the beaten path. Stick to streets with lots of people. I had some close calls involving pickpockets and potential robbers.

Exploring Volubilis

A major trading center and the southernmost settlement during Roman times, Volubilis is one of the best preserved (and least frequented) such ruins in the world. I found it empty of tourists, not built up, and open in a way that really lets you get up close and see the structures without being behind ten feet of barriers and jostled by crowds. Most of the city is still unexcavated so the site has a very raw feel to it. I’ve been to a lot of Roman ruins in my travels, but I love this one the best.

Seeing Aït Benhaddou

Though I didn’t get to spend much time here, exploring this place full of kasbahs (fortified houses) was pretty amazing. It is the Hollywood of Morocco and has been featured in Game of Thrones, Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, and many more films. It was the most picturesque ksar I saw, which is probably why it’s in every movie! It plays into what people think an old ksar -fortified village – should look like. I enjoyed roaming the streets and climbing to the top for the view.

Enjoying the beach and seafood of Essaouira

My favorite city in Morocco, Essaouira is located a few hours from Marrakesh on the Atlantic coast and is a popular beach destination for tourists, especially Brits. I loved the relaxed atmosphere of the city, the lack of pushy touts, the sea air, and all the fresh fish.

Be sure to visit the wonderful fish market in town, where all the small fisherman sell their day’s catch. Afterward, check out the small fish stalls nearby in the main square where you can enjoy fresh seafood grilled really cheap. My friends and I “splurged” on a meal here: for $75 USD total, the four of us shared a lobster, eight tiger prawns, two fish weighing over a kilo, and half a kilo of squid. All that came with drinks, bread, salad, and tea. (We ate there every day, and meals afterward were about $15 USD.) Try stalls #5 and #11 for the best fish!

Visiting Marrakech

Marrakech was everything I thought it would be: a modern mix of Moroccan and international culture with the most diversity of delicious international food (check out PepeNero for Italian and Latitude for a Med-Moroccan mix) and beautiful architecture in the medina. Though Marrakech lacked the grit and edge of the rest of the country, it was the most eclectic city on the trip.

The chaotic pace exposed a city and people always on the go. The famous Jemaa el-Fnaa square is truly the mess everyone describes: tens of thousands of people at night eating, shopping, getting henna tattoos, listening to bands and storytellers, and watching magicians (and snake charmers during the day). It’s one of the most hectic but fascinating people-watching places in the country. It still blows my mind how big and full it was! (Contrast that to the underwhelming Saadian Tombs, which is an attraction I would skip — they are simple, the grounds are small, and overall, it was just bland.)

Eating lots of couscous and tagine

By the end of my two weeks there, I was a bit “couscoused out.” That said, I dove head first into eating as much of it as possible — I loved savoring the flavors, seeing the regional variety, and getting to really appreciate how long each dish took to prepare. Tagine (cooked with meat, dates, nuts, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and saffron in a clay pot) was by far my favorite Moroccan dish. Also worth trying is the Berber omelet, which is egg, tomato, onion, and herbs, also cooked in a clay pot.

Drinking mint tea

I’ve never drunk more tea than when I was in Morocco. In a country where “having a beer” is not a thing, locals substitute pots of mint tea. There’s even an art to pouring it: the higher the teapot, the better. I couldn’t get enough of this minty, sugary treat and sitting in the tea shops watching soccer with the locals. I must have drunk a pot or two a day. Man, that stuff is addicting!

Hearing the call to prayer
While I’ve been to predominantly Muslim countries before, in Southeast Asia, I’ve never experienced an Arab Muslim country or heard the call to prayer. There was something beautiful about the melodic nature of the call, and it was a great alarm clock at 5 a.m. Seeing people flock to the mosque in their white prayer clothes was a unique cultural experience I couldn’t help but observe.

Morocco is an incredibly destination. At times, it was trying, stressful, chaotic, and overloaded my senses, but for all the stresses of travel, it was a country where I felt out of my element and like I was truly somewhere new and different. I loved that feeling and everything else about Morocco.

Editor’s Note: I went to Morocco with Intrepid Travel on their Best of Morocco tour. It was part of my ongoing partnership with Intrepid Travel. They covered the cost of the tour, flight, and meals.

The Saturday City: Tallinn

I have always viewed the Baltics as sort of the outer frontier of European travel, a place well off the beaten Eurotrip path that most travelers follow. I couldn’t say where the genesis of this thought came from, but probably from the fact I can count on one hand the number of people I know who have gone there or even thought about going. I rarely hear the Baltics mentioned by anyone.

So I was excited to head to Tallinn, Estonia, to see an amazing city free of large tour groups, tacky souvenirs, and overpriced restaurants. I have nothing against tourism, but I like my medieval towns to be empty and quiet. It personally helps me appreciate them more. People have always told me that Tallinn was this quiet, medieval town devoid of the tourist crowds you see in places like Prague or Bruges.

But it wasn’t like that at all.

It’s true that the city is beautiful. Visiting here is like stepping back a few centuries — and they have done a good job of preserving their history and medieval structures. The cobblestone streets are lined with medieval homes and ancient churches. Tiny alleys lead to tinier lanes, where you find cloistered yards. The city is still ringed by much of its original stone wall and many guard towers. It’s breathtaking.

But with Tallinn as the “European Capital of Culture” this year, part of the Schengen Treaty zone, as well as being a very cheap country, the crowds are here, and here en masse. I saw countless tours with the signature umbrella-carrying guide. I had to jostle my way through the city and could never find a quiet moment, even in one of the churches.

With lots of cheap flights from the UK (and a lot of cheap alcohol in Estonia), you also see lots of stag (bachelor) and hen (bachelorette) nights here. At night, the city can get rowdy as the bars fill with drunk tourists. One of my favorite moments in Tallinn was when I saw an English guy say to his friend, “Hey, it’s only 2 euros for a pint! Let’s go get drunk!” (It was about 1 p.m.), and these Estonian kids walked by and, in a mocking tone, said to each other, “It’s only 2 euro, let’s get drunk! F$%#ing English.” I couldn’t help but laugh.

It was this mass tourism that left me with mixed feelings about Tallinn. I’m pulled between hating the touristy aspect of the city and loving the sheer beauty of it. It’s pretty hard to dislike a place that looks like this:

See? Magnificent!

I think I just came at the wrong time of year. I find nothing wrong with touristy places or crowds (I love Paris and I live in New York), but there’s only so many people that can be crammed into such a tiny place like Tallinn before it’s simply too much to handle. It’s annoying trying to jostle through narrow streets while tour groups collide into you.

Moreover, there are a lot of cheesy medieval restaurants, sellers, archery, and tours around. The city has a strong medieval history (it dates back to the 13th century), and, while it’s fascinating, sometimes it feels a little too Disney World.

My favorite time in Tallinn was when I roused myself on a Sunday morning at 7 a.m. to wander the city before the crowds came. Walking around in the crisp morning air, I saw the magic of Tallinn that everyone talked about. The streets where silent, except for the sounds of birds and shops opening. The cobblestone alleys were free of crowds. Little old ladies strolled to church. It was easier to appreciate the city without the crowds. You could just sit and marvel at the architecture in peace as you pictured life here hundreds of years ago. It was during this peaceful walk that this medieval capital radiated history and allure and I saw why everyone would want to come here.

And so this walk caused me to love Tallin a lot more than I previously had. I no longer saw the crowds and mass tourism that had so tainted my vision before.

All in all, Tallinn is a beautiful place — there is no denying it. I still feel it is too touristy for such a small place. I think the best time to visit Tallinn would be off-season, when the crowds are gone. That way, you wouldn’t have to wake up so early just to have the city to yourself. I want to eventually do the whole Baltic region, and, when I do, it will be during the off-season to avoid the horde of summer travelers.

Medieval cities are much better when they are empty and peaceful.

Or maybe I’m just a grumpy guy who hates crowds.

Living Les Bons Temps at Mardi Gras

As I threw beads over the wrought-iron balcony of Bourbon Bandstand in the French Quarter, I looked down at the crowds: strangers in elaborate costumes toasted drinks, laughed, and danced with each other as streets bands performed jazz. Everyone moved as if part of a well-rehearsed stage production performed countless times before.

“Mardi Gras is certainly wild,” I thought.

“Laissez les bons temps rouler!” (“Let the good times roll!”)

Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is the day before Lent, on which you live like it’s your last and indulge in the temptations of life.

Attending New Orleans’s Mardi Gras had been a dream of mine since college. Seeing pictures in magazines and features on TV made me say, “I want to go to THAT! That seems fun!” But the years have passed, college is a distant memory, and my days of stumbling through streets are long behind me. While the wild party the day brings has little appeal to me, my great American road trip took me to New Orleans during the festival so I decided to suck it up and throw beads with the best of them!

Arriving in New Orleans the Sunday before Mardi Gras, my friend Kiersten from The Blonde Abroad and I raced to catch the famous Bacchus parade. It’s one of the largest parades in the city and is known for its size, spectacular floats, and celebrity hosts. The floats are covered in elaborate designs and lights.

But Bacchus is just one of many parades.

Beginning in January, New Orleans is filled with daily parades that are an integral part of the Mari Gras season. Like Bacchus, they feature gigantic and elaborate floats, costumes, dancers, and marching bands designed to create a carnival-like atmosphere. As they wind through the city, people on the floats throw beads, toys, and even coconuts at the crowds below.

Local residents line parade routes, creating mini picnic areas complete with lounge chairs, food, and tables. They take up whole sections of the street, arriving early in the morning to claim their spot. Many even come with ladders to get a better vantage point from which to catch whatever is thrown from the floats.

These picnic areas clutter the streets, as onlookers take prime real estate from other onlookers. Normally, cities usually try to allow as many people to view parades as possible and discourage those taking up so much space. But here in New Orleans, no one cared, and I found that that little difference was one of the most interesting parts of the festival.

As Mardi Gras gets closer, the city fills with revelers and parties. The parades bring out the crowds, and music and drinks keep them. In New Orleans, there’s no such thing as closing time.

Then, on the big day, New Orleans bursts into organized chaos.

(Note: All photos except the top one are by The Blonde Abroad.)

Beginning early on the day of Mardi Gras, the Zulu parade — famous for throwing coconuts — wends its way through the city, and the Society of Saint Anne — best known for their elaborate costumes — leaves the Bywater for the French Quarter, with revelers joining along the way. As the day continues, the parties grow in size in the French Quarter, and the streets swell with vendors and partygoers.

I spent my day on Bourbon Street, New Orleans’s most famous drinking street. This is where all the tourists go and, while not the most “local” of places, was always a place I’ve wanted to see.

My friends and I met a few Italian tourists, bonded over drinks, and spent the afternoon barhopping. The day got fuzzy as the drinks flowed, and at about 9 p.m. I called it a night, went home, and passed out… I mean, went to bed. (There are those who can start their drinking at 1 p.m. and go until dawn. I’m not one of those people.)

Though it was an early night for me, Mardi Gras was as fun and outrageous as I had hoped. Everyone was in a happy, friendly, and welcoming mood. I loved the camaraderie. The spirit of celebration and brotherhood throughout the city made up for the crowds (though there are plenty of areas where you can get away from them!).

Though that was probably my one and only visit (there are countless other celebrations to see), Mardi Gras — with all the parades and zany costumes — is one fun, festive, and slightly weird event worth making the effort to see.