How To Spend 3 Days in Hanoi: The Perfect Hanoi Itinerary

A visit to Vietnam would not be complete without spending at least 3 days in Hanoi. It’s a city that’s embracing the future while still preserving the past, boasting a mix-match of colonial buildings, ancient pagodas and epic skyscrapers.

I think Hanoi is one of those cities that you’ll either love or hate. For me, it was love — although not at first sight. I arrived in Hanoi to find a city that I thought was too busy, too chaotic and too unruly. However, my allotted three days in Hanoi quickly turned to five as I fell head over heels for this vibrant city.

If you’re a first-time visitor to the Vietnamese capital, my 3 day Hanoi itinerary should give you a good idea of what to see and do. Let’s get started!

Day 1: Street food & The Old Quarter

Dive straight into the heart of Hanoi by making a visit to The Old Quarter. The Old Quarter has been the historical and commercial centre of the capital for thousands of years.

Start your day with coffee

Vietnam is pretty famous for its coffee, and Hanoi is one of the best places to find it in abundance. The Old Quarter is home to tons of cafes and coffee shops – take your pick and indulge in some traditional Vietnamese coffee. If you’re a Harry Potter geek, I recommend the Potter-themed cafe Always Coffee and Butterbeer. If you’re really coffee-mad, you may enjoy this coffee-tasting tour.

Explore the Old Quarter

This Old Quarter is the main tourist hub of Hanoi and you’ll find an energetic vibe here. Expect to find colour and culture down every street, with plenty of Buddhist temples and pagodas, cafés, bars, restaurants, bakeries, market stalls, boutique shops and art galleries to discover. Perhaps you’ll want to visit Dong Xuan Market, one of the largest and most popular shopping centres in Hanoi.

Take a street food tour

When visiting cities in Southeast Asia, I always go on a street food tour. Southeast Asia is home to delicious cuisine, from noodle soups to spicy curries. Vietnam, though, is famous for its pho. I must have eaten pho every single day during the month I spent in Vietnam. Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a paradise for Vietnamese street food.

Hoan Kiem Lake

After you’ve had your fill of street food, head to Hoan Kiem Lake to spend some time taking in the sights around its perimeter. This 12-hectare lake is one of the most famous attractions in Hanoi — Ho Hoan Kiem means “Lake of the Returned Sword.” While walking around the lake, you should spot attractions such as Turtle Tower, the Huc Bridge and Ngoc Son Temple.

Drink beer on Ta Hien Street

Ta Hien Street is super famous for its beer. But there are no proper bars here — customers will sit on small wooden or plastic stools by the side of the road to enjoy their beverage. No need for decent tables and chairs, just beer and street food are enough for Hanoians to chit-chat all night long. It’s a great place to drink and people-watch.

Day 2: A day of sight-seeing

Today we’ll head to the Ba Dinh district, just west of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, where there are a few historical buildings, before heading towards the French Quarter.

Ho Chi Minh Complex

The Ho Chi Minh Complex is one of the most popular things to see in Hanoi. Regardless of your political view, Ho Chi Minh had a huge influence on Vietnam, winning the country’s independence, so it’s understandable why the people want him to be preserved.

The entire complex is dedicated to him, and his body is housed in a huge mausoleum, built in Russian-style architecture. The surrounding grounds are beautifully maintained with gardens and a tea shop, and are quite peaceful to relax in.

It’s only open in the early morning from 07:30 – 10:30, so be sure to visit first thing.

Thăng Long Imperial Citadel

This 11th-century imperial citadel complex deserves a good couple of hours of exploration. It’s very well preserved, featuring buildings, museums, and artefacts, as well as a couple of old underground bunkers. A great place to learn about Hanoi’s history.

The Temple of Literature

While the name may suggest that the Temple of Literature is a temple, it’s actually a university. In fact, it was the first-ever university in Vietnam. Serene and peaceful, it’s a beautiful site to wander around, featuring lush gardens, walkways, temples and memorials. Entrance is just 30,000 VND (1.30 USD).

Hanoi Train Street

Head towards the Old Quarter to Train Street. Here, twice a day, a speeding train passes just inches from the homes of the local residents. Drying clothes are carried inside, chairs and bikes are moved into doorways and children are ushered indoors. The street’s residents press tightly against the walls, before continuing on as though nothing happened as soon as the train has passed.

French Quarter

To see a completely different side of Hanoi, make your way down to the city’s French Quarter. Peppered with French colonial buildings and architecture, it feels like a whole new city. You’ll find grand government buildings, boutique stores and high-end restaurants. It’s a nice place to wander around — be sure to check out the colonial Opera House and Presidential Palace.

Watch a water puppet show

Water puppet shows are an ancient Vietnamese tradition dating back to the 11th century, where stories are told through music and the use of puppets as characters. It’s a fun way to spend an evening and enjoy some authentic Vietnamese culture. The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre on the north shore of Hoan Kiem Lake is the most popular — make sure you book tickets at least a day in advance as the show usually sells out.

Day 3: Cooking class & West Lake

Take a cooking class

I’m not a very good cook, and I usually find it to be a bit of a chore, but taking a cooking class was one of the highlights of my time in Hanoi. It lasted for half a day, finishing at just the right time for lunch so that we could devour all the food we had just made.

The cooking class will likely start with a market tour, where you’ll accompany the chef to buy all the fresh ingredients needed for the class. Visiting a local market gives some great insight into the daily life of Vietnam — they’re vibrant, colourful and fascinating to look around.

Once back in the kitchen, the chef will show you how to prepare all the dishes. Think pho, spring rolls, banh mi…

Ho Tay / West Lake

Once you’ve finished devouring all the delicious Vietnamese food you made this morning, head to Ho Tay. Also known as West Lake, this is Hanoi’s largest freshwater lake, and it takes roughly 2.5 – 3 hours to walk around its perimeter.

I recommend a relaxing afternoon stroll around West Lake, stopping to enjoy coffee and attractions on your way. You should spot Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, situated on a small island on the southeastern shore, and Quan Thanh Temple, a Taoist temple dating back to the 11th century.

Enjoy cocktails at Apricot Hotel

If you’re looking for a slice of luxury on your final night in Hanoi, I recommend drinks at Apricot Hotel. It’s located on the west shore of Hoan Kiem Lake, and while it’s a little pricey for Vietnam, you can enjoy cocktails on the rooftop bar, overlooking an unparalleled view of the lake.

Other things to do in Hanoi

If you’ve got more time on your hands, or some of my suggestions aren’t right for you, here are some additional ideas to add to your Hanoi itinerary:

Jeep tour: Experience the sights, sounds, and smells of Hanoi in a unique way as you explore the city in a Soviet-era GAZ-69 jeep. This Hanoi jeep tour is superb.

Lotte Center: This is the tallest building in Hanoi — go up to the observation deck at the very top for panoramic views of the city.

Vietnamese Women’s Museum: A modern museum exploring Vietnamese women’s history, culture and fashion.

Vietnam Military History Museum: Easy to spot thanks to a large collection of weaponry at the front, the Military Museum displays Soviet and Chinese equipment alongside French and US weapons captured during years of warfare.

Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum: An art museum showcasing Vietnam’s fine arts from a range of historical periods.

Planning your trip to Hanoi

Best time to visit Hanoi

The best time to visit Hanoi will not only depend on how much you want to avoid the high season but also on what kind of weather you find most comfortable. While much of Southeast Asia experiences warm, tropical weather year-round, Hanoi experiences hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters.

The summer — May to October — can see a fair amount of rainfall, so is best avoided if you don’t enjoy sightseeing in the rain.

The high season is the shoulder months of November/December and March/April, when most tourists choose to visit due to less rainfall and comfortable temperatures. The downside is that prices are inflated due to high demand.

Where to stay in Hanoi

From a tourist perspective, The Old Quarter is definitely the best and most convenient place to stay.

For backpacker hostels, I recommend Chi Novel Hostel or Old Quarter View.

Hanoi Backpacker’s Hostel is renowned as one of the most mental party hostels in all of Southeast Asia, and is the place to be if you love to drink, party and drink some more.

For a private room, I recommend O Quan Chuong Homestay and Coffee — very reasonably priced and located in the heart of The Old Quarter.

How to get around in Hanoi

Luckily, many of Hanoi’s main attractions are conveniently close together, so it’s fairly easy to get around Hanoi by walking. For longer distances, I’d recommend using Grab, an Uber-like service based in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, taxi drivers in Hanoi are known for scamming tourists, so I’d advise avoiding them where possible.

---

Thank you for reading! If you found this post useful, I’d be grateful if you would consider using the affiliate links below when planning your travels. I’ll make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This will help me to keep this blog running. Thanks for your support – Lauren.

Hotels – Booking.com
Hostels – Hostelworld
Cheap flights – Skyscanner
Travel insurance – World Nomads
Outdoor gear – Decathlon / GO Outdoors
Cycling gear – Chain Reaction Cycles

Alternatively, you could buy me a coffee to say thanks!