Getting around · Hanoi · Vietnam
Getting around Hanoi
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: NKSTTSSHNVN, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The Old Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm Lake and the French Quarter are walkable, though pavements are often blocked by parked motorbikes. For longer trips most visitors use ride-hailing cars and motorbikes, which are inexpensive and show fares upfront. No.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Walking
- Airports
- HAN
- Need a car?
- No
Ways to get around
Walking
Most central sights are within 20–30 minutes' walk of Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Cross roads slowly and steadily so motorbikes can steer around you.
Do not step back or run when crossing; predictability is what keeps you safe.
Ride-hailing
Grab, Be and Xanh SM offer cars and motorbike taxis with fixed in-app prices, the easiest way to reach West Lake, the Museum of Ethnology or the airport.
Taxi
Metered taxis from established companies are widely available; avoid unmarked cars and drivers who approach you at the airport or bus stations.
Bus
City buses are very inexpensive but slow and signed mostly in Vietnamese. The airport bus 86 links Nội Bài with the Old Quarter and Hanoi railway station.
Metro
Two elevated metro lines (2A and 3) serve the south-west and west of the city; they are useful mainly for reaching outer districts rather than central sights.
Tuk-tuk
Cyclos (pedal rickshaws) and electric buggies offer short sightseeing loops around the Old Quarter and the lake.
Agree the price and route before you set off.
Train
Hanoi railway station is the northern end of the North–South line and has trains to Ninh Bình, Huế and Lào Cai for Sa Pa.
From the airport
Nội Bài International Airport is about 30 km north of the centre. Taxis and ride-hailing cars take about 45–60 minutes to the Old Quarter depending on traffic, and the orange bus 86 runs to the Old Quarter and the railway station in about an hour.
Do you need a car?
No. Traffic is dense and unfamiliar for most visitors; use ride-hailing, taxis and walking in the city, and a car with driver or a tour for Ha Long Bay and Ninh Bình.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Ha Long Bay | About 2.5–3 hours each way by road | Tour bus or private car via the expressway, then a boat |
| Ninh Bình (Tràng An and Tam Cốc) | About 2 hours each way by road | Tour bus, private car or train to Ninh Bình |
| Perfume Pagoda | About 2 hours by road, then a boat | Tour bus or car, then a rowing boat and cable car or hike |
| Bát Tràng ceramic village | About 30–45 minutes | Taxi, ride-hailing or city bus |
| Đường Lâm ancient village | About 1.5 hours by road | Car with driver or tour |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Hanoi?
No. Traffic is dense and unfamiliar for most visitors; use ride-hailing, taxis and walking in the city, and a car with driver or a tour for Ha Long Bay and Ninh Bình.
+How do you get from the airport to Hanoi?
Nội Bài International Airport is about 30 km north of the centre. Taxis and ride-hailing cars take about 45–60 minutes to the Old Quarter depending on traffic, and the orange bus 86 runs to the Old Quarter and the railway station in about an hour.
+What is the best way to get around Hanoi?
Walking: Most central sights are within 20–30 minutes' walk of Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Cross roads slowly and steadily so motorbikes can steer around you.