The First-Timer’s Hanoi Travel Guide

EDITOR’S NOTE: Please be advised that this Hanoi travel guide hasn’t been updated in 2024. Prices and travel guidelines may no longer be accurate so it’s important that you verify any information before proceeding.

Hanoi is my favorite city in Vietnam. I wasn’t so sure after our first trip from two years ago, but a recent month-long stay made it clear.

Among the cities we’ve visited, we found Hoi An to be the most charming. Saigon has the best food but Hanoi is the most liveable. It’s a big city, much bigger than Hoi An so there’s more to do, but it doesn’t swallow you up like Saigon. It’s home to about the same population size as Ho Chi Minh City but it feels more intimate and inviting.

In fact, we plan on staying for at least a year in Vietnam and Hanoi will probably be our first stop. It’s one of our favorite cities so far and one we can really see ourselves living in.

Spend a few days exploring its tree-lined neighborhoods with crumbling but charming French colonial buildings and you’ll understand why.

GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS

HANOI TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

Because of the current global situation, travel guidelines change regularly. Our friends at Booking.com have created a website that lists detailed information on travel restrictions around the globe.

Before planning a trip to Hanoi, be sure to check Booking.com for information on travel restrictions to Vietnam. If you do decide to visit Hanoi, then you may want to seriously consider getting travel insurance with COVID coverage.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AN E-VISA TO VIETNAM

Depending on your nationality, you may need an e-visa and medical declaration to visit Vietnam. I’m a Philippine passport holder so I can visit Vietnam visa-free for up to 21 days, but I wanted to stay for a whole month. I applied for an e-visa online through iVisa.com which allowed me a stay of up to 30 days.

Requirements and fees may vary depending on what passport you carry, so you can visit iVisa.com for more information and to apply. In my case, the process was quick and easy.

HANOI AT A GLANCE

Hanoi is Vietnam’s capital city. Located by the banks of the Red River in the northern half of the country, it’s the second-largest city in Vietnam by population, behind only Saigon. It served as the capital of French Indochina from 1902-1954, before becoming the capital of a reunified Vietnam after the North’s victory in the Vietnam War.

Walk along its many tree-lined boulevards and you’ll see that Hanoi is an old city. It celebrated its millennial anniversary in 2010 though it’s said to be much older than that, having been inhabited since at least 3,000 BC. Vestiges of Chinese and French colonial influence are everywhere, particularly in the Old and French Quarters which are home to thousands of colonial-era buildings.

Known as the “City of Lakes”, Hanoi is home to over two dozen lakes and a climate that mimics the four seasons.

BEST TIME TO VISIT HANOI

Technically, Hanoi has two main seasons – rainy (May-Sept) and dry (Oct-Apr) – though it does experience variances in weather that can simulate the four seasons. For the most ideal weather, it’s best to visit Hanoi in spring (Feb-Apr) or in the fall (Oct-Nov).

FEB-APRIL: Spring is one of the best times to visit Hanoi. The weather is mild with temperatures ranging between 15-20°C (59-68°F). The skies are clear from February till March but it does start to drizzle more frequently come April. Please note that Spring may also coincide with Tet (late Jan or early Feb) which is the Vietnamese New Year. It’s the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture so expect many establishments to be closed during that time.

MAY-AUG: Like the rest of Southeast Asia, summers in Hanoi are hot and humid. The average temperature is about 32°C (90°F). On top of that, it’s officially the rainy season as well with July-August seeing the most rainfall.

SEPT-NOV: Like Spring, Fall is an ideal time to visit Hanoi. The weather is mild with average temperatures hovering around 25°C (77°F). Skies become clearer in November and leaves turn golden-yellow, making it the perfect time to explore the tree-lined boulevards around Hoan Kiem Lake. Fall is considered the most beautiful time to visit Hanoi.

DEC-JAN: For a Southeast Asian country, it’s said that winters in Hanoi can be surprisingly cold. The average temperature is around 17°C (63°F), but it has been known to drop down below 10°C (50°F). High humidity, wind chill, and a lack of building insulation make it seem even colder. Be sure to dress appropriately should you decide to visit Hanoi in winter.

I’ve been to Hanoi twice – the first time in mid-April and more recently in early September. It didn’t rain at all in April though I did experience periods of rain in September. April was a great time to visit though I think November and March would be even better.

Climate: Annual Monthly Weather in Hanoi

For more on Hanoi’s weather, check out these climate graphs from holiday-weather.com. I’ve also created average temperature and annual rainfall graphs with the most ideal months to visit marked in orange.

Average Temperature

Annual Rainfall

TRAVELING TO HANOI

Assuming Hanoi is your port of entry into Vietnam, then you’ll probably be arriving at Noi Bai International Airport which is about 45 minutes from Hoan Kiem District. There are several ways to get to your hotel from the airport.

BY PRIVATE TRANSFER: I’ve booked late night private transfers on both my trips to Hanoi. You can contact your hotel and inquire about their rates or you can book a private transfer through Bookaway.

BY GRAB: Grab is efficient and relatively cheap in Vietnam. I booked a Grab to go to the airport early in the morning and paid VND 268,000. At the time, that was less than USD 12.

BY TAXI: We didn’t ride any taxis, but taxi scams seem to be the one and only thing travelers complain about in Hanoi. Based on my research, it should cost you around USD 16-18 to get to the Old Quarter from the airport, so don’t fall for any scams telling you otherwise. Noi Bai has been called a hotbed for taxi scammers who either try to overcharge you or take you to the wrong hotel in the hopes of getting a commission. To avoid being victimized by scams, arrange for a private transfer or use Grab instead. They’re cheaper and more reliable.

BY PRIVATE BUS: Jetstar, Vietnam Airlines, and VietJet run private minibuses that shuttle people from the airport to designated stops in Hanoi (and back). I don’t know how much Jetstar or Vietnam Airlines charges but a one-way VietJet transfer costs VND 40,000 (less than USD 2). Follow this link for more information on airport minibuses in Hanoi.

We flew to Hanoi but there are other ways to get there depending on where you are. I suggest checking Bookaway to find route options available to you. You can click on the link or use the widget below.

WHERE TO EXCHANGE CURRENCY

The unit of currency in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong (VND). The best places to exchange foreign currency are at banks and gold/jewelry shops.

We’ve exchanged currency at gold shops and a bank, and rates at both were excellent. I’ve read you can exchange currency at hotels and some restaurants too, but the rates generally aren’t as good. Same goes for the airport. If you’ll be arriving by plane and need to exchange currency, then change a small amount at the airport, just enough to get you to your hotel, and change the rest in the city.

Thanks to traveler recommendations, I’ve exchanged currency at two gold shops in Hanoi – Vàng Bạc Kim Linh and Quốc Trinh. Both are in the Old Quarter and both gave excellent rates. You can refer to this article for a list of recommended money changers and banks in Hanoi.

If you’d rather not bring too much foreign currency with you, then an alternative would be to withdraw VND from an ATM. It’s more convenient and the rates are comparable. Just be sure to let your local bank know that you intend to use your ATM card overseas so you don’t run into any issues. In my experience, my ATM card works in some machines but not in others.

NOTE: Some ATMs may ask if you’d like to proceed “with or without conversion”. Always choose WITHOUT conversion so your local bank does the conversion. Proceeding with conversion authorizes the foreign bank operating the ATM to do the conversion, usually at terrible rates. According to this article, the difference in rates can be as high as 10%.

BEST AREAS TO STAY IN HANOI

If it’s your first trip to Hanoi, then I think the Old Quarter in Hoan Kiem is the best place to stay. It’s at the heart of the tourist area and puts you closest to many of the city’s top attractions.

Listed below are some of the most convenient areas to stay in Hanoi, along with a color-coded map to help you better understand where each of these areas are. Click on the link for a live version of the map. (Please note that marked areas are approximations only)

RED – Hoan Kiem
GREEN – Ba Dinh
BLUE – Tay Ho

I’ll provide targeted links under each description but you can book accommodations in Hanoi through Booking.com or Agoda.

HOAN KIEM

Hoan Kiem is the district that surrounds the lake of the same name. It’s the most popular tourist area in the city and where you’ll find the Old Quarter. Home to plenty of hotels, cafes, shops, and restaurants, you can realistically spend all your time in Hanoi without ever leaving Hoan Kiem.

We stayed at Hanoi Little Town Hotel on our first trip to Hanoi. It isn’t the most modern hotel but rooms are big and the location is ideal. It’s situated at the northern end of the Old Quarter, around halfway between Hoan Kiem and Truc Bach Lakes. You can book a room at Hanoi Little Town Hotel through Agoda.

If you’d like to stay in Hoan Kiem but don’t feel this is the right hotel for you, then you can search for alternate listings on Booking.com or Agoda. You can narrow your search to just the Old Quarter (Booking.com | Agoda) or Backpacker Quarter as well. Both are smaller popular areas within Hoan Kiem district.

Listed below are some of the most popular hotels in Hoan Kiem.

BA DINH

Ba Dinh is the district west of Hoan Kiem and south of Tay Ho. It’s home to historical attractions like Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, and Thang Long Citadel. On my most recent trip, I stayed right on the cusp of Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem, one street away from Hanoi’s train street. After Hoan Kiem, I think the eastern half of Ba Dinh is the next best place to stay in Hanoi.

My AirBnB was massive and one of the best rooms I’ve stayed at in Vietnam. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I stayed there twice on two separate legs. You can book the same room on AirBnB or look for alternate listings in Ba Dinh on Booking.com or Agoda.

Check out some of the most popular places to stay in Ba Dinh.

TAY HO

This is the area around West Lake, the biggest freshwater lake in Hanoi. It’s a quiet and pleasant area with beautiful hotels, but it’s a bit far from Hoan Kiem. Unless you’re staying at the southern end of the lake, then you’ll need to take Grab to get to the city’s main commercial areas. You can search for hotels in Tay Ho on Booking.com or Agoda.

Check out some of the highest-rated hotels in the Tay Ho area.

You can also book hotels and home stays in Hanoi using the handy map below.

THINGS TO DO IN HANOI

1. Explore Historical Hanoi

Hanoi is interesting. It may be old and crumbling in parts but it’s a city wrought with character. With its abundance of French colonial architecture, lakes, and tree-lined boulevards, its a fun place to experience on foot. Unlike Saigon, it’s a very walkable city and one that you could explore in about two days.

You can refer to our Hanoi itinerary for suggestions on which attractions to visit. Hanoi is easy enough to explore on your own but if you’d like to go on a guided tour, then you can book one through Klook or Get Your Guide.

A look inside the Hoa Lo Prison, otherwise known as the “Hanoi Hilton”. Now a museum, this was once a prison used by French colonists for political prisoners, then later by North Vietnam for US prisoners during the Vietnam War.

2. Take a Selfie on Train Street

I find it odd how ordinary train tracks have become such a popular tourist attraction in Hanoi, but that’s exactly what’s happened on Train Street. I guess we can thank Instagram for that.

You may have seen pictures of these train tracks running through a narrow residential corridor on social media. The tracks have become so popular that cafes have sprung up on either side. I think you’ll find clusters of cafes at different sections along the tracks but the pictures below were taken near my AirBnB, between Ly Nam De and Phung Hung Streets. I’d pass these tracks going to and from the Old Quarter everyday.

The tracks are easy enough to find and visit on your own, but if you’re a serious Instagrammer and want to be taken to some of Hanoi’s most picturesque spots, then you may be interested in this Hanoi Instagram tour. You’ll be taken around on motorbike to Hanoi’s most Instagram-worthy spots like Long Bien Bridge, Phung Hung Mural Street, and Train Street.

Note the sign below. These are active train tracks and potentially dangerous which is why it’s odd to find cafes with outdoor seating on either side. I was never here when a train passed through but they do travel along these tracks several times a day. I’m curious to see what people do when that happens. Do they pack up the tables and chairs? The narrow corridor seems just wide enough for the train to get through.

According to this article on CNN, the situation is getting out of hand so the local government is forcing these cafes to shut down. Whether or not this is enforced remains to be seen. In case you’re wondering, the trains that go through here carry both passengers and cargo between Hanoi and Haiphong.

3. Watch a Water Puppet Show

If you’re interested in a cultural show that’s unique to Vietnam, then you may want to catch a water puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. Located by Hoan Kiem Lake, you’ll be treated to an hour-long performance of water puppets reenacting Vietnamese folktales and legends while accompanied by a live orchestra.

I bought tickets at the gate for a show on the same day, but if you’d like to catch a show within the context of a tour, and perhaps with a guide explaining it to you, then you may be interested in these Hanoi city tours from Klook and Get Your Guide. They end with tickets to a water puppet show.

4. Blend in at Phung Hung Mural Street

This is another popular backdrop in Hanoi and one of the stops on the previously mentioned Instagram tour. Located on Phung Hung Street and parallel to Train Street is this wall with maybe 20+ murals depicting scenes from everyday Vietnamese life. They’re painted realistically with figures in actual size so they look almost life-like in your photos.

Speaking of Instagram, if you’d really like to level up your feed, then you should dress the part and rent a Vietnamese ao dai dress and non la hat. They’ll make for much better photos.

5. Go on a Food Tour

If you really want to delve into the local cuisine, then there’s no better way to do that than by going on a food tour. I’ve taken food tours in many cities around the world and they always take you to deeply local places that aren’t easily found on Google. I went on two street food tours on my most recent trip to Hanoi, both of which were excellent.

This green papaya salad with Chinese-style beef jerky was one of the dishes I had on a Hanoi street food tour with Backstreet Academy. It’s a 2.5-hour eating binge that takes you to some of the best local spots in Hoan Kiem to try classic Vietnamese dishes like pho, ca cuon, and banh goi. You can check out my article on this Hanoi street food tour for more pictures and information.

The second food tour I went on was this fascinating chef-led food and market tour with A Chef’s Tour. It starts at 4AM and takes you to three of Hanoi’s busiest markets when they’re at their liveliest. If you enjoy street photography as much as street food, then you’ll probably want to go on this tour. On a side note, the chef who leads this tour offers a popular cooking class in Hanoi as well.

If you’d like to sift through more food tours, then you can check out Klook and Get Your Guide. There are so many to choose from!

6. Go on a Coffee Tasting Tour

Vietnam is the second largest producer of coffee in the world, behind only Brazil. They make great coffee which is why I suggest going on a coffee tasting tour. I explored as many cafes as I could in Vietnam but for me, the coffeehouses in Hanoi were the most interesting. The city is known for unique homegrown coffee creations, none more famous than ca phe trung or egg coffee.

It’s easy enough to go cafe hopping on your own, but I went on a terrific coffee lovers walking tour with Backstreet Academy (no longer available). I was taken to three of the city’s most historic cafes to try interesting coffee blends like egg coffee, yogurt coffee, and cinnamon coffee. I made a video of the experience which you can view on our YouTube channel.

7. Take a Cooking Class

We had so much fun taking this cooking class in Hoi An that we now try to take one on every trip. As much as we love exploring restaurants and going on food tours, nothing teaches you more about the local cuisine than a cooking class. It’s like looking under the cuisine’s hood.

Cookly is a booking platform that focuses on one-day cooking classes. They offer cooking classes in many cities around the world, including Hanoi. Because they focus solely on cooking classes, I don’t think there’s a better place to find a cooking class when traveling than on Cookly. Click on the link to check out their list of cooking classes in Hanoi.

As previously mentioned, one of the food tours I went on was led by Chef Duyen who also conducts a popular cooking class in Hanoi. She’s energetic and really knows her stuff so you may want to check out her cooking class in Hanoi.

SIDE TRIPS FROM HANOI

1. Ha Long Bay Cruise

About three hours east of Hanoi, Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam. It’s home to jade green waters and some 2,000 islets, most of which are made from limestone. Day trips to Ha Long Bay are possible, but in my opinion, it’s best enjoyed on an overnight cruise. If you’re spending enough time in Hanoi, then a cruise in Ha Long Bay is a must.

We booked our cruise through Klook but you can check out Get Your Guide as well. Be sure to check my article on our Ha Long Bay Cruise for more pictures and information.

2. Hoa Lu and Tam Coc

Northern Vietnam is known for its impressive landscape of towering limestone karsts. With several days to fill in Hanoi, we decided to go on this day trip to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc in Ninh Binh Province. About two hours south of Hanoi, highlights include a visit to King Dinh Temple and a boat ride along the Hoang Long River surrounded by rice paddy fields and limestone mountains on all sides.

We booked this guided tour through Klook. You can choose from several Hoa Lu and Tam Coc day tours through Get Your Guide as well. Check out my post on Hoa Lu and Tam Coc for more pictures and information.

On a side note, you may come across information about Trang An in your research. It’s an area near Ninh Binh province with a similar landscape as Tam Coc. They offer comparable experiences so travelers are sometimes confused as to which one to go to. We haven’t been to Trang An but some people say that the experience feels more artificial than Tam Coc.

3. Sapa

Sapa is a mountain town in Lao Cai Province, about 5 hours northwest of Hanoi. Known for its trekking and rice terraces, it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in northern Vietnam.

You can check out our full travel guide to plan an independent trekking trip to Sapa. You can also read our guide on how to travel from Hanoi to Sapa. If you’d rather book a trekking tour, then you can do so through Get Your Guide.

VIETNAMESE FOOD GUIDE

Before our first big trip to Vietnam in 2017, Vietnamese food wasn’t one of my favorites. Now it’s second only to Japanese. I’ve become such a fan of Vietnamese cuisine that I created this ever-growing Vietnamese Food Guide. If you’d like to learn about some of the most popular dishes in Vietnam, then this guide may be of interest to you.

If you have a taste for the sweeter things in life, then be sure to check out our guide on traditional Vietnamese desserts as well.

WHERE TO EAT IN HANOI

While the previous link takes you to a general Vietnamese food guide, this Hanoi food guide lists 25 of the best restaurants and street food stalls in the city. From nationwide favorites like pho and banh mi to northern delicacies like bun cha and cha ca, this list will lead you to some of the best places to eat in Hanoi.

Twenty-five may be too many for most people so I’ve listed our top five favorites below to help you narrow it down. Do check out our Hanoi food guide for more pictures and information on each of these restaurants.

1. Bun Cha 74 Hang Quat

This may have been the single best meal I had in Hanoi. This place specializes in bun cha which is a dish of charcoal-grilled fatty pork served with sticky rice noodles and fresh leafy greens.

Bun cha is a dish largely associated with Hanoi. Personally, it’s one of my absolute favorite things to eat in Vietnam. I’ve been to five different bun cha places in the city but Bun Cha 74 Hang Quat was my clear favorite.

2. Pho Hang Trong

I think I’ve been to six or seven pho restaurants in Hanoi but I liked Pho Hang Trong the best. Located through a dark alleyway on the second floor of a building, it’s one of those “hidden in plain sight” eateries and coffee shops in Hanoi.

The restaurant is inside someone’s home so you’ll be slurping your bowl of noodles in their living room. Pho doesn’t get any more homemade than this.

3. Chả Cá Thăng Long

Cha ca is another dish with its roots in Hanoi. It’s a fantastic dish of breaded catfish pan-fried with a forest of fresh dill.

Cha ca is served with rice vermicelli, roasted peanuts, and coriander, along with a dipping sauce made with nuoc cham, vinegar, and garlic. I’ve had cha ca three times in Vietnam and Cha Ca Thang Long for me, is still the best.

4. Bánh Mỳ P

To be honest, I found the banh mi in Hoi An and Saigon to better than the banh mi in Hanoi. But I’m willing to wager that any Hanoi banh mi is still better than most of the banh mi you’d find outside the country!

I think I’ve had close to ten banh mis from different places in Hanoi, but this grilled chicken banh mi from Banh My P was my favorite. The bread is fantastic.

5. Quán Gốc Đa

I don’t know if there’s a collective name for these dishes but Quan Goc Da specializes in Vietnamese fritters.

They offer many different types but among their most popular is the banh goi, which is like a Vietnamese empanada filled with minced pork, mushroom, glass noodles, and a quail egg. They’re served with a basket of fresh leafy greens and a nuoc cham dipping sauce.

WHICH CAFES TO VISIT IN HANOI

As described, Vietnam is known for its coffee. Hanoi has some of the most interesting cafes in the country serving tasty coffee creations like egg coffee, yogurt coffee, and coconut coffee. I’m a big coffee drinker so I visited as many cafes as I could, all of which you can read about in our list of Instagram-worthy coffeehouses in Hanoi.

Like our Hanoi food guide, thirteen cafes may be too many for most people so I’ve listed my three favorites below. Do check out our Hanoi coffee guide for more pictures and information on each of these cafes.

1. Cafe Dinh

This was one of the cafes we visited on the Hanoi coffee lovers walking tour with Backstreet Academy. Cafe Giang is recognized as THE place to go to for ca phe trung or egg coffee, but what most people don’t know is that Cafe Dinh is owned by the same family. Located close to Hoan Kiem Lake, Cafe Dinh serves the same egg coffee as Cafe Giang in a quieter, much less hectic environment.

2. Tranquil Books & Coffee

Tranquil Books & Coffee doesn’t have the history of Cafe Dinh but it was one of my favorite cafes in Hanoi, largely because of its cozy interior and relaxed vibe. It felt like you were in a study or library. If you’re a digital nomad, then this would be a great place to get some work done.

3. Hidden Gem Coffee

Hidden Gem Coffee is one of those “hidden in plain sight” establishments that I was referring to earlier in this guide. Their entrance is barely noticeable from the street, but go through the alleyway and you’ll find what has to be one of the most charming cafes in Hanoi. They serve a pretty mean ca phe trung here as well.

POINTS OF INTEREST IN HANOI

There are a LOT of places recommended in this guide. To help you visualize where everything is, I’ve pinned them all on this map. Click on the link for a live version of the map.

HOW TO GET AROUND IN HANOI

As described earlier in this guide, I find Hanoi to be a walkable city, much more walkable than Saigon. Hanoi has narrower streets and what seems like fewer motorbikes, so crossing the street was never an issue. I walked around everywhere, often logging close to 20 km a day, and never had a desire to ride public transportation. Distances between attractions never seemed that far and there was always something visually appealing to keep me interested like trees, lakes, or cool architecture.

With that said, not everyone may want to walk as much. If you don’t, then you can get around using Grab, either by car or motorcycle. Personally, I prefer Grab Bike. They’re much cheaper and get you to your destination faster. I used it a lot in Saigon.

You’ll see a lot of cyclos or pedal-powered rickshaws in Hanoi as well. They’re relatively cheap but slow, so I think they’re more for sightseeing rather than a practical means of transport.

No matter how you get around, I highly recommend using the Google Maps app (iOS|Android) to navigate. It’ll tell you all the possible ways you can get from point A to point B using any city’s public transportation system. I use it to navigate on every trip and find it to be very reliable.

HOW MANY DAYS TO STAY / HANOI ITINERARY

As previously mentioned, you could probably breeze through Hanoi’s top attractions in a day, but why would you want to? It’s such a charming city with great coffee and food that you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t slow down and stay for a few days.

I’d say two days is a minimum, three if you’d like to go on a side trip. Here’s a quick rundown on which places to visit in two days, but if you’re looking for a more detailed itinerary, then you can refer to our 3-day Hanoi itinerary.

HANOI TRAVEL TIPS

1. Plan your Trip with Sygic Travel

What’s the hardest part about trip planning? For me, it’s how to make an efficient itinerary. It’s easy enough to learn where to go, but figuring out how to organize it all is the difficult part. Thankfully, there’s Sygic Travel.

I’ve been using this trip planning app for many years now. It allows me to plot points of interest on a map so I can see where everything is and create as efficient an itinerary as possible.

DOWNLOAD: iOS / Android

2. Rent a Pocket Wifi Device

A reliable wifi connection is a must these days. You’ll need it to do research, book rides on Grab, and learn how to say “where’s the best bun cha” in Vietnamese. We never ever go anywhere now without renting a pocket wifi device first.

We rented a 4G pocket wifi device through Klook. We prefer pocket wifi devices but if you’d rather get a sim card or an eSIM, then you can get one through Klook as well.

3. Check for Hanoi Travel Deals

There are many websites that offer deals on tours and activities, but for trips to Asia, my favorites are Klook and Get Your Guide. They offer a wide selection at the best prices.

In Hanoi, we’ve bought three deals from Klook – a Hoa Lư and Tam Cốc day trip, an overnight luxury Ha Long Bay cruise, and pocket wifi rental. We were happy with all of them.

Click on these links for a complete list of Hanoi and Ha Long Bay deals on Klook and Get Your Guide.

4. Get Travel Insurance

Whether or not travel insurance is necessary is a point of contention. Some swear by it, others say you don’t need it. In my opinion, it’s on a case to case basis. If you plan on doing any physical activities, anything that could land you in the hospital, then I think you should get it. But if all you’ll be doing is shopping and eating for a few days, then you probably won’t need it as much.

Personally, we don’t buy insurance before every trip but when we do, we buy it from SafetyWing or Heymondo. They’re travel insurance providers often used by many digital nomads. Follow the links to get a free quote from SafetyWing or Heymondo. Get 5% off on Heymondo when using our link.

5. Let Motorbikes Avoid You

It’s more of a concern in Saigon but motorbike traffic is something every traveler needs to be aware of in Vietnam. There are motorbikes everywhere so crossing the street can be a challenge. If you’re too tentative, then you’ll never get off the curb.

As a local explained to us, the secret to crossing the road in Vietnam is surprisingly simple – let the motorbikes avoid you. I know it sounds easier said than done but it actually works. Walk slowly and steadily, cross with confidence, and let the motorists avoid you. We tried it a couple of times and as nerve-wracking as it is, it really does work.

I think the Vietnamese are trained from a young age to expertly navigate traffic and avoid pedestrians. On some streets, the flow of traffic is literally non-stop. Just find the best place to cross, wait for the right time, and proceed with caution. As long as you don’t do anything stupid or reckless, then you should get to the other side in one piece.

6. Pay Only in VND

I read how some establishments like hotels, restaurants, shops, and even night market stalls will accept payment in USD. Don’t do it. You’re losing money every time as the rates they give you are heavily skewed in their favor. As much as possible, pay only in VND. As described earlier in this guide, banks and gold/jewelry shops are the best places to exchange currency in Hanoi.

7. Don’t Be Confused by the Currency

Vietnamese currency can be very confusing. The multiple zeros on banknotes are confusing enough, but some denominations look very similar to each other. VND 100,000 banknotes for example, have a similar greenish hue as VND 10,000 bills. I’m very careful with money as it is but in Vietnam, I made sure to look closely at the notes before handing them over to the vendor.

Tourists overpaying in Vietnam because of banknote confusion isn’t uncommon. In fact, it happened to a woman who was on the Hoa Lư and Tam Cốc tour with us. If I heard correctly, she meant to give a VND 50,000 note to pay for a soda but mistakenly gave a similarly red VND 200,000 bill instead. Not realizing her mistake until it was too late, she called it the most expensive can of Coke she’s ever paid for.

I don’t mean to make generalizations but a Vietnamese-American tourist on the same tour said that Vietnamese vendors won’t correct you if you make that mistake. So unless you want to overpay for a can of Coca-Cola, then be sure to check your money carefully before handing it over.

8. Bring the Right Power Adapter

Vietnam has Type A, Type C, or Type F electrical outlets so be sure to bring the right power adapters for your devices. Electrical voltage is 220V and the standard frequency is 50Hz.

Have Fun!

No way am I an expert on Hanoi but I do hope that you find this guide helpful. I’m only sharing the things I learned from our trips. If you have any questions or comments, then please feel free to leave them in the comment section below.

Thanks for reading and have an awesome time traveleating in Hanoi!

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