Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam. The city has some well-preserved heritage sites, gothic churches, temples, and art museum. While Old Hanoi has most of the attractions, bars and markets, Tay Ho is another quarter where you can relish traditional and continental cuisines. The locals are very hospitable and if you go to Hoan Kiem Lake, you may encounter local students who try chatting in English with visitors to perfect their language. Hanoi is a perfect blend of calm and chaos, old and new, where you will definitely want to come back again, whether it is for the food or the people.
Best Time to Visit
March to April and September to November are said to be the perfect months to visit the city of Hanoi when the weather is pleasant. The city at this time is crowded but the good weather beats all the odds. July to September experience harsh summers and December to March can get chilly, while from May to September, it often rains.
Places to Visit
Old Quarter is the place you must explore first. This quarter has many attractions, a few minutes from each other. Besides the attractions, there are plenty of hotels, restaurants and cool souvenir shops. Hoan Kiem Lake and the 18th century Ngoc Son Temple of Lord Budhha is a very peaceful place to visit. You can wander, relax and chat with the local students. With manicured courtyards and gardens, the Temple of Literature is definitely a postcard-worthy place to visit. With progressing day, the crowd increases, so it is better to visit in early hours. Visit Hoa Lo Prison, where many Vietnamese political and Ameican Prison of Wars were kept during the Vietnam War. You can plan to visit Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre to watch the interesting water puppet show. One Pillar Pagoda, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, National Museum of Vietnamese History, Bach Ma Temple, Vietnamese National Museum of Fine Arts and Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House are some other attractions you can visit. Dong Xuan Market is one of the best markets in the city for shopping. For best deal on
Hanoi hotels book from Goibibo.
Food and Restaurants
Food in Vietnam is cheap as well as delicious. Some of the best local dishes you must taste are
Pho, Bun Cha, Pho Xao, Banh Mi, Banh Cuon and Bun Nem (spring rolls). Egg Coffee is the most popular beverage you must drink. Bia Hoi Corner, Bun Cha Hang Manh, Gia Truyen, Pho Bat Dan and Daluva, Bo De Quan are some recommended restaurants.
About 10 minutes from the Old Quarter, Tay Ho is a popular area where you can enjoy fine dining. Ta Hien Street, popularly called as the Beer Street is also a nice place to enjoy BBQ and beer before heading to bars.
Transportation
Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) is the main airport in Hanoi, an hour away from the city centre. The airport connects to several international cities via major flights such as
Aeroflot,
Hong Kong Airlines,
Singapore Airlines,
China Airlines and
AirAsia. Visitors flying from India have numerous connecting flights running to and from Hanoi. Find cheap direct
Delhi to Hanoi flight from Goibibo. Cheap flight tickets from here to other popular cities can be booked online on Goibibo. Also, flight status & other details related to flight booking & air tickets can be easily accessed on it. So for
cheapest air tickets, it is recommended to book flights online. Express Bus 86 and public buses carry passengers from the airport to the main city. Hanoi Station is the main station in the city and several trains depart to Ho Chi Minh City, Lao Cai and many other cities of China. Intercity bus services run to many neighbouring cities of Vietnam.
Public buses in Hanoi are of white, yellow and red colours. These buses are super convenient, they run throughout the city and charge fares according to the distance. Cyclo or tuk-tuk operates in the city and is best for covering short distances. Taxis and Motorbike taxis are also available if you do not prefer sharing. Grab and Uber are perfect app-based cab solutions to travel around the city.