Vietnam is a must on your South East Asian adventure, kick off your journey with this 4-day itinerary for Hanoi.
Vietnam is a large country offering a large variety of activities, from luxury beach resorts to rural motor bike road trips. When planning our trip, we realized this beautiful country is too often overlooked and shouldn't be missed.
Vietnam was colonized by the French and they fought hard for their independence which was gained in 1945. Peace was short-lived though, as the US invaded in 1965 to prevent the spread of communism. There are many museums you can visit to learn about the dark history Vietnam has experienced, I would highly recommend making the time to for them.
When to visit Hanoi?
Vietnam has a large variety in weather due to it's size, but the best time to visit is from March to April. This will be the peak dry season, when rainfall is low and temperatures are milder. The wet season is considered the ‘off season’, as most travelers do not want to be exploring for days on end in the rain.
Our trip happened to coincide with the wet season, it’s just how it lined up with our parental leave and missing the worst of winter in Canada. The benefits to traveling at this time is less people and lower rates.
How to get around Hanoi?
If you find accommodations in a central area then you should be able to walk to a large portion of the must see/do in Hanoi. It is also possible to rent scooters, I would not recommend this as the traffic here is unlike anything I've experienced. That being said, if you are walking anywhere you need to be attentive! Sidewalks are used as an expansion of store fronts pushing you to often walk in the road.
Here in Canada, it is the law to yield to the pedestrian. Even if you're jaywalking (crossing not at a crosswalk), the cars will usually stop for you. Do not expect anything like this in Hanoi. Even if you have a walk light, the scooters will not yield. It seems they follow a different set of traffic rules than the cars and they rarely come to a full stop.
How long to stay in Hanoi?
This 4-day itinerary just touches the tip of the iceberg for what to do in this vibrant city. If you are able to, I would recommend staying a full week. I do understand there is an abundance to do in Vietnam and you might not have that time to dedicate. Consider visiting, Halong Bay, Cat Ba Island, Da Lat or Ho Chi Minh City too while in Vietnam.
What to do in Hanoi?
Day 1: Walking Tour
A great way to get the feel of a city is to do a walking tour, especially if the city offers free ones. We choose to attend one as it's a good way to get a feel for the city, meet some people and learn about the city and culture.
Our walking tour started by Hoan Kiem Lake, so we could cross the red wooden bridge and visit the Ngoc Son Temple. Because it is a free walking tour, you will be expected to pay the entry fee at the temple. You will also have to cover your shoulders and upper legs. No short shorts or crop tops please!
The most intriguing part of this temple for us is the mummified turtles. No, there wasn't a typo, there are two mummified turtles on display in this temple. The turtles of Hoan Kiem Lake are holy because they are linked to the legend of King Le Loi, who returned the magic sword to the turtle deity in the lake after defeating foreign invaders.
Next, our tour showed us the Thang Long water puppet theatre. This unique type of theatre dates back to the 11th century, when rice fields flooded and villagers would stand in the water with puppets for entertainment. Unfortunately, we weren't sure how it would go with Kymani and didn't attend a show. Please leave me a comment if you saw one!
Strolling through the streets of Hanoi is quite an experience, the smells, sounds and sights can be quite overwhelming. From fish being butchered on there side walk to river worms swimming about waiting to become tasty pancakes. Having a guide to explain local delicacies and answer questions is quite helpful if this is your first visit.
Next up on our walking tour was the Dong Xuan Market. This labyrinth of a market has deep historical roots, having been built by the French. It was originally a whole sale market and still runs primarily as such.
The last stop on this tour is an absolute must! We stopped at 39 Ta Hien Café for a cup of coffee, but not just any coffee. During the Vietnam war when resources were scarce the Vietnamese began making their coffee with eggs. Do not let the ingredients scare you away, this is one of the most delicious cups of coffee you will ever have. Even if you do not like coffee, I would recommend giving it a go, or trying one of the other local treats - egg hot chocolate, or yogurt coffee.
Day 2: Instagram Essentials
We live in a world driven by social media and travelling is no exception. Anywhere you visit you will have options to see Instagram famous places, or spots that are good to grab a photo. This day we hit up some of the more iconic attractions to grab our pics and enjoy the experience.
We started at the historic Hanoi Ceramic Road, a unique art mural, running 3.85km along the highway. The idea originated with Nguyen Thu Thuy when she found ancient artifacts and wanted to create something that reflected the patterns in Vietnamese history.
Nearly 100 artists from around the world came together to create this work of art. Each piece is only 3x3cm and the images depicted show important items, places or people of the country's history. It's quite long so you will have a hard time seeing the whole thing, our favourite part was by the Chuon Duong Bridge.
Next we went to the Note Café for breakfast and coffee. This cute café, by Hoan Kiem Lake has been a staple in Hanoi since....Due to it's location in a tourist area, they started giving visitors post its to write notes and it grew in popularity. You can visit, leave a note and search for some fun ones to read.
This is the most unique and fun coffee shop! All four floors are covered with post its, but not just any post its. Here you can write notes, to friends, family, yourself, or even strangers.
We enjoyed our drinks and food, and especially enjoyed adding our own note.
The busy days and jet lag were catching up to us so we took some time off to rest at our Airbnb.
If you want to cram more in to your day, consider the following;
A water puppet show
Vietnamese Women's Museum
Hanoi Opera House
A cooking class
After resting, we went to one of the places we were most looking forward to...TRAIN STREET. This unique attraction was top on my to do list for Hanoi, and had been for years so when we got there and found out it was closed I was disappointed. If you are not familiar with this attraction, it is a street that has grown in popularity for a unique experience. This neighbourhood is right on the train tracks! Storefronts and doors to homes are just steps from the tracks. I heard stories of kids playing on the tracks and vendors setting up shop on the space, and then moving aside when the train comes.
However, further research led us to believe we could still experience it, just from inside a café instead of on the street. We didn't want to miss out on such an opportunity so we went to the cafes we had heard about. When we got there, we found out that we could still sit outside when the train came!
Slide through the pictures to see how it went...
This isn't the most famous part of Train Street, if you go where Google maps tells you to, it will be barricaded (we saw this on our later explorations!). However, if you go to this Ha Noi Pho Coffee you can experience the thrill of train street. The train schedule can be hard to find so ask around if you're unsure. This is what w were told 6:00, 15:45, 19:00, and 19:25. We were there for 15:45 and it was on time! We did go early to enjoy our treats from the café and check out the area.
Please remember to listen to the shop owners and be safe so this doesn't close too.
For dinner, we recommend checking out the Night Market if you're visiting on a weekend night. The market is set up on Hang Dao Street, which will close off to vehicular traffic after 6:00pm. You can try local treats, shop for affordable clothes and fun souvenirs.
Beer street or Ta Hien Beer Corner is also a fantastic area to check out in the evening. The restaurants overflow into the streets, with the miniature tables and chairs being set up in cramped quarters. If the police come through, they will make you move back. However, as soon as they are out of sight, you can sit back down in the road. It's a unique experience!
Day 3: Bus Tour to Ninh Binh
Hanoi is a bustling city with many things to offer, but I think it's important to take advantage of the many day trips you can take from here as well. We loved our trip to Ninh Binh but you can also consider;
Halong Bay
Cat Ba Island
Hai Phong
Cuc Phuong
Ninh Binh Province is an area steeped in history and nature. You can see rice fields, karst mountains and a flowing river. Our all inclusive tour started with a visit to two temples, the Hoa Lu temples in the ancient capital of Vietnam. (Those without babies, will have an opportunity to bicycle here to experience more of the rural area.) This is a great place to learn about Vietnamese history and the feudal system from the Dinh and Le Dynasties.
After visiting these temples, it's time for lunch! All the tour groups have lunch at the same large cafeteria. It is buffet style, well-labelled with lots of local foods to try, there were plenty of vegetarian options too!
After lunch we went to Tam Coc for a traditional boat ride. Sit back, relax and enjoy the beauty of the karst mountains and limestone caves up close. You need a hat and sunscreen for this boat ride as the afternoon sun is unrelenting. They will also provide umbrellas for sun protection on the boat.
There are multiple tour options here and I'm not sure which one we ended up on, but it felt like the longest one. We spoke to other people and they had received a map and stopped at historical attractions along the way. Unfortunately, we didn't get any of that and our captain didn't speak at all. It was a beautiful tour, but a little too long for us in the bamboo boat with a baby.
*We carry our own infant life jacket with us for any tours involving water.
The last stop of the day was our favourite stop and one you don't want to miss. A perk of the tour we selected was that we were here for sunset which is when I would recommend you go as well. At Hang Mua or Lying Dragon Mountain you have to climb 500 steps up! Don't be discouraged, it's worth it. The steps are somewhat uneven, it was tricky with Kymani.
Day 4: Historical Exploration
Our last day in Hanoi was spent exploring some of the more important historical aspects. There is a long and rich history to this beautiful country and I recommend you do some research before coming.
Our first stop was at the Hanoi sign, this unique ceramic sign built to match the ceramic road. It's a little off the beaten path, not in one of the more obvious touristy area. We went first thing in the morning and got to see the locals going about their morning routines, exercising in the parks seems a popular past time here!
Our next stop was the imposing Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Ba Dinh Square. Ho Chi Minh, or Uncle Ho is a very important person to Vietnam. While living in France , during WWI he was inspired by the revolutions in Russia and traveled to then-Soviet Union. He returned to Vietnam to help form the Indochinese Communist Party and the League for the Independence of Vietnam. After the end of WWII his party seized Hanoi and declared North Vietnam as a democratic state with Uncle Ho as president. He served in this position for 25 years and became a symbol of Vietnams struggle for unification. South and North Vietnam were in a struggle with each other with the US backing the South. We learned a lot more about the Vietnam war on our visit to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) and I'll write more on that in that post.
Visiting this part of Hanoi displays a stark difference from the rest of the city. Pristine streets and sidewalks, perfectly trimmed grass and manicured gardens, it's very different from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city. Unfortunately, the mausoleum was closed when we visited so we explored the park it is in. If you happen to go when it is open, you'll be able to visit Uncle Ho's remains in his glass coffin.
The gardens included a famous wooden One Pillar Pagoda, built in 1049. The childless emperor ruling at this time dreamed of meeting the Goddess of Mercy and being handed a child. Soon after, he married a peasant girl and they had a son. In thanks of his dream, he built this pagoda to honour the goddess who foretold the coming of his heir.
Our last stop of the day is another place with an important history. The Hao Lo Prison, or Hanoi Hilton Prison, is free to enter and worth a visit. This prison was built by the French during their rule and was where revolutionaries, or Vietnamese fighting to be free of French rule were sent. It paints a dark history of the oppression the Vietnamese people endured.
This prison has become more famous for it's more recent use for American prisoners of war. During the Vietnam War this is where American captives were held. There is a lot of debate about how they were treated while here, with the Vietnamese and most prisoners saying it wasn't too bad. However, American media will paint a tale of suffering and torture. One of the more famous captives here was John McCain.
Bonus:
Learn to say no! The Vietnamese love babies to the point that people on the street would walk up and try to take him from us. They are doing this to be friendly and helpful, but you can say no.