Comparison · Bangkok vs Hanoi · Thailand / Vietnam
Bangkok vs Hanoi
Two great trips, different strengths. Here is how they compare on the things that decide it.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
.jpg){kind=link}
Quick answer
Choose Bangkok for Grand Palace, Street food and a milder winter; choose Hanoi for Old Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm Lake and lower day-to-day costs. Hanoi is generally less expensive, and the two are about 988 km apart.
Key facts
- Distance apart
- 988 km
- Less expensive
- Hanoi
- Best time for Bangkok
- November–February
- Best time for Hanoi
- March–April and October–December
Side by side
| Bangkok | Hanoi | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Thailand | Vietnam |
| Known for | Grand Palace, Street food and Buddhist temples | Old Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Phở |
| Best time to visit | November–February | March–April and October–December |
| Ideal stay | 4 days | 4 days |
| Mid-range budget per day | $90–$180 | $60–$120 |
| Cost level | Affordable | Very affordable |
| Warmest month | April, 35°C (95°F) | June, 33°C (91°F) |
| Coldest month | December, 31°C (88°F) | January, 19°C (66°F) |
| Free sights in our guide | 7 | 9 |
| Day trips in our guide | 7 | 5 |
| Beaches | — | — |
| Airports | BKK, DMK | HAN |
Which one is right for you?
Choose Bangkok for…
Grand Palace, Street food and a milder winter. Bangkok is a sprawling, humid megacity on the Chao Phraya River where gilded temples, canals and street-food stalls sit beside glass malls and rooftop bars. The old royal island of Rattanakosin holds the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, with Wat Arun across the…
Choose Hanoi for…
Old Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm Lake and lower day-to-day costs. Hanoi has been Vietnam's capital, on and off, for about a thousand years, and it shows: a dense Old Quarter of guild streets and narrow tube houses, French colonial boulevards around the 1911 Opera House, and the Confucian Temple of Literature founded in…
Top sights compared
| # | Bangkok | Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew | Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ngọc Sơn Temple |
| 2 | Wat Pho | Old Quarter guild streets |
| 3 | Wat Arun | Temple of Literature |
| 4 | Chatuchak Weekend Market | Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Đình Square |
| 5 | Chao Phraya Express Boat | One Pillar Pagoda |
Food compared
| Bangkok | Hanoi |
|---|---|
| Pad thai | Beef phở |
| Tom yum goong | Bún chả |
| Som tam | Chả cá Lã Vọng |
| Khao man gai | Bánh cuốn |
Which is cheaper?
Hanoi is usually the less expensive of the two: a mid-range day costs about $60–$120 per person there, against $90–$180 in Bangkok (AMZBooking estimates, excluding flights). Hanoi on a budget.
Can you visit both?
They are about 988 km apart, so combining them means a flight. With 9 days or more it works; otherwise pick one.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Bangkok or Hanoi cheaper?
Hanoi is usually less expensive: about $60–$120 a day mid-range against $90–$180 (estimates).
+Is Bangkok or Hanoi better for a first trip?
Pick Bangkok for Grand Palace, Street food and a milder winter, or Hanoi for Old Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm Lake and lower day-to-day costs.
+How far is Bangkok from Hanoi?
About 988 km in a straight line.