History · Hanoi · Vietnam
8 historic sites to see in Hanoi
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Old Quarter guild streets, Temple of Literature and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Đình Square. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 11–14 hours across 5 areas; 4 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 4
- Time to see them all
- 11–14 hours
- Areas
- Old Quarter, Ba Đình and French Quarter
Historic sites in Hanoi
Neighbourhood · Old Quarter
1.Old Quarter guild streets
The restored tube house at 87 Mã Mây shows how merchant families lived, and Ô Quan Chưởng is the last surviving gate of the old city walls.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- History
- Photo spot
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Historic site · Ba Đình
2.Temple of Literature
Its five courtyards hold lotus ponds, gateways and 82 stone stelae mounted on turtles that record the names of doctoral laureates from the 15th to 18th centuries.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Landmark · Ba Đình
3.Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Đình Square
Visitors file past in silence under military guard. The grounds also include the yellow Presidential Palace, his simple stilt house and the Ho Chi Minh Museum.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours with the grounds
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Free
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Religious site · Ba Đình
4.One Pillar Pagoda
First built in 1049, it was destroyed in 1954 and rebuilt the following year. It is next to the Ho Chi Minh Museum.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Historic site · Ba Đình
5.Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long
The Hanoi Flag Tower from 1812 stands nearby.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Museum · French Quarter
6.Hỏa Lò Prison
A surviving section is now a museum with cells, shackles and a guillotine, presented from the Vietnamese perspective.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Cầu Giấy
7.Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
The best museum in Hanoi for understanding Vietnam's 54 recognised ethnic groups, with clothing, tools and ritual objects indoors and full-size traditional buildings in the garden, including an Ê Đê longhouse and a soaring Ba Na communal house you can climb into.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Architecture
Religious site · Tây Hồ (West Lake)
8.Trấn Quốc Pagoda
Its tall red stupa with Buddha statues in each niche reflects in the water at sunset.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Couples
- History
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Old Quarter | Old Quarter guild streets | Half a day |
| Ba Đình | Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Đình Square, One Pillar Pagoda and Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long | 1–1.5 hours + 1.5–2 hours with the grounds + 15 minutes + 1.5 hours |
| French Quarter | Hỏa Lò Prison | 1 hour |
| Cầu Giấy | Vietnam Museum of Ethnology | 2–3 hours |
| Tây Hồ (West Lake) | Trấn Quốc Pagoda | 45 minutes |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 4 free, 4 low cost. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Old Quarter guild streets; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Old Quarter): Old Quarter guild streets, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Ba Đình): Temple of Literature → Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Đình Square → One Pillar Pagoda, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Ba Đình and French Quarter): Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long → Hỏa Lò Prison, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Cầu Giấy and Tây Hồ (West Lake)): Vietnam Museum of Ethnology → Trấn Quốc Pagoda, at least 3 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- June: highs of 33°C (91°F), about 15 rainy days, quiet crowds. Hot and sticky, often well above 35°C on the hottest days, with heavy rain showers; hotel prices are low.
- July: highs of 33°C (91°F), about 16 rainy days, quiet crowds. One of the hottest and wettest months, and storms can disrupt Ha Long Bay cruises.
- August: highs of 32°C (90°F), about 17 rainy days, quiet crowds. The rainiest month, with intense downpours that can flood streets briefly; typhoon remnants are possible.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Old Quarter — Narrow guild streets of tube houses, street stalls, motorbikes and beer corners
- French Quarter — Wide colonial boulevards, embassies and grand hotels south of the lake
- Ba Đình — Government district of the mausoleum, embassies and the Imperial Citadel
- Tây Hồ (West Lake) — Lakeside expat district of cafés, craft beer, villas and boutique hotels
- Trúc Bạch — Small lake island of local restaurants, between the Old Quarter and West Lake
More of Hanoi
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Hanoi?
Old Quarter guild streets. Each street in the Old Quarter once specialised in a single trade, and many still do: tin boxes on Hàng Thiếc, paper offerings and lanterns on Hàng Mã, silver on Hàng Bạc.
+Which of these are free in Hanoi?
Old Quarter guild streets, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Đình Square, One Pillar Pagoda and Trấn Quốc Pagoda.