Itinerary · Hanoi · Vietnam
7 days in Hanoi
A day-by-day plan grouped by neighbourhood, so you spend your time seeing Hanoi, not crossing it.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Cyril Doussin from London, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
7 days is enough to see Hanoi's highlights at a comfortable pace, with time for day trips. Day 1: Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ngọc Sơn Temple and Weekend walking street and night market. Day 2: St Joseph's Cathedral and Old Quarter guild streets. Day 3: Long Biên Bridge and Đồng Xuân Market. Base yourself in Old Quarter.
Key facts
- Days
- 7
- Sights covered
- 12
- Day trips
- 2
- Best base
- Old Quarter
- Book ahead
- Water puppet show
Day by day
Day 1: Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ngọc Sơn Temple and Weekend walking street and night market
Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ngọc Sơn Temple and Weekend walking street and night market, then Water puppet show in the evening.
Morning
Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ngọc Sơn Temple
Hoàn Kiếm Lake · 1–2 hours · low cost.
Late morning
Weekend walking street and night market
Hoàn Kiếm Lake · 2 hours · free.
Lunch
Lunch: Beef phở
Specialist phở shops in the Old Quarter, especially around Bát Đàn and Lý Quốc Sư streets; most open early and close once the broth runs out.
Evening
Water puppet show
Book a show a day ahead in busy periods and sit a few rows back; the front rows can get splashed.
Day 2: St Joseph's Cathedral and Old Quarter guild streets
St Joseph's Cathedral and Old Quarter guild streets, then Hanoi Opera House in the evening.
Morning
St Joseph's Cathedral
Hoàn Kiếm Lake · 30 minutes · free.
Late morning
Old Quarter guild streets
Old Quarter · Half a day · free.
Lunch
Lunch: Bún chả
Street-side grills across the Old Quarter at lunchtime, and on Lê Văn Hưu street south of the French Quarter, where Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate it in 2016.
Evening
Hanoi Opera House
Check the programme for an evening performance; it is the best way to see the auditorium.
Day 3: Long Biên Bridge and Đồng Xuân Market
Long Biên Bridge and Đồng Xuân Market, then Tạ Hiện and Lương Ngọc Quyến in the evening.
Morning
Long Biên Bridge
Old Quarter · 1 hour · free.
Late morning
Đồng Xuân Market
Old Quarter · 1 hour · free.
Lunch
Lunch: Chả cá Lã Vọng
Restaurants on and around Chả Cá street in the Old Quarter.
Evening
Tạ Hiện and Lương Ngọc Quyến
The Old Quarter's 'beer street', packed with low stools, bars and street food, especially on weekend nights.
Day 4: Day trip to Ha Long Bay
About 2.5–3 hours each way by road each way. Getting there: Tour bus or private car via the expressway, then a boat.
Morning
Travel to Ha Long Bay
About 2.5–3 hours each way by road (Tour bus or private car via the expressway, then a boat); about 170 km.
Day
Ha Long Bay
A day trip spends more time on the road than on the water, so an overnight cruise is the better option.
Evening
Back in Hanoi
Dinner: try Bánh cuốn.
Day 5: Bạch Mã Temple and Temple of Literature
Bạch Mã Temple and Temple of Literature, then Old Quarter bia hơi corners in the evening.
Morning
Bạch Mã Temple
Old Quarter · 20 minutes · free.
Late morning
Temple of Literature
Ba Đình · 1–1.5 hours · low cost.
Lunch
Lunch: Bánh cuốn
Breakfast stalls where you can watch the rice sheets being steamed on cloth over boiling water, common around the Old Quarter.
Evening
Old Quarter bia hơi corners
Street-corner stalls serving fresh draught beer to locals from late afternoon.
Day 6: Day trip to Ninh Bình (Tràng An and Tam Cốc)
About 2 hours each way by road each way. Getting there: Tour bus, private car or train to Ninh Bình.
Morning
Travel to Ninh Bình (Tràng An and Tam Cốc)
About 2 hours each way by road (Tour bus, private car or train to Ninh Bình); about 95 km.
Day
Ninh Bình (Tràng An and Tam Cốc)
Nearby are the ancient capital of Hoa Lư and the Hang Múa viewpoint, about 500 steps up a karst peak.
Evening
Back in Hanoi
Dinner: try Bún thang.
Day 7: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Đình Square and One Pillar Pagoda
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Đình Square and One Pillar Pagoda, then Tây Hồ (West Lake) in the evening.
Morning
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Đình Square
Ba Đình · 1.5–2 hours with the grounds · free.
Late morning
One Pillar Pagoda
Ba Đình · 15 minutes · free.
Lunch
Lunch: Bún thang
Long-running specialist shops in the Old Quarter; fewer places serve it than phở.
Evening
Tây Hồ (West Lake)
Craft beer bars, cocktail lounges and lakeside venues popular with expats and young Hanoians.
Before you go
Reserve timed tickets for Water puppet show before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.
Where to stay for this itinerary
With 7 nights, Old Quarter keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Hoàn Kiếm Lake ($$$) suits first-timers, families and couples. Compare every area.
Pace and daylight
The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–18 hours of visiting over 7 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.9 hours in December to 13.4 hours in June.
More or fewer days
Questions travellers ask
+Is 7 days enough in Hanoi?
7 days is enough to see Hanoi's highlights at a comfortable pace, with time for day trips. How many days Hanoi needs.
+What should I book before visiting Hanoi?
Water puppet show.