Solo travel · Hanoi · Vietnam
Solo travel in Hanoi
How to enjoy Hanoi at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Daaé, Public domain
Quick answer
Hanoi is popular with solo travellers: hostels and tours are plentiful, street food is designed for one, and ride-hailing makes getting around simple and inexpensive. Many solo travellers base themselves in Tây Hồ (West Lake).
Key facts
- Base
- Tây Hồ (West Lake)
- Getting around
- Walking
- Emergency number
- 113 police, 114 fire, 115 ambulance
- Language
- Vietnamese
Solo travel tips
- Stay in the Old Quarter for hostels, food and easy company; choose a room away from Tạ Hiện if you want sleep.
- Join a street-food tour or cooking class on your first day to learn what to order.
- Book Ha Long Bay and Ninh Bình trips through your hotel or a reputable agency; group tours are good for meeting others.
- Keep your phone in your hand away from the road edge or zipped in a bag.
- Use ride-hailing apps late at night and share your trip with a friend.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for quiet stays, solo travellers and food lovers
Tây Hồ (West Lake)
Around the 500-hectare West Lake, especially in Quảng An and along Xuân Diệu street, Hanoi's expat community has brought international restaurants, bakeries, yoga studios and bars. The lakeside road is good for cycling and sunsets, and Trấn Quốc Pagoda sits on an islet at its south-eastern corner. It is 15–20 minutes by taxi from the Old Quarter.
- Good
- Calmer than the centre; Lake views and sunsets; Wide choice of international food
- Watch out
- Taxi needed for most sights; Less traditional atmosphere
- Nearby
- Trấn Quốc Pagoda, Quảng An, Trúc Bạch Lake
Great on your own
Neighbourhood · Old Quarter
Old Quarter guild streets
Walk it in the morning when shops open and traffic is lighter, and look up to see the narrow façades above the shopfronts.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- History
- Photo spot
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Historic site · Ba Đình
Temple of Literature
Go early on a weekday; graduating students in gowns crowd the courtyards for photos at other times, especially in spring.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Landmark · Ba Đình
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Đình Square
Arrive early in the morning, dress with shoulders and knees covered, and leave large bags at the check-in; the mausoleum closes on some days and for maintenance periods, so check before you go.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours with the grounds
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Free
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Religious site · Ba Đình
One Pillar Pagoda
Visit it on the same morning as the mausoleum; it takes only a few minutes.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Historic site · Ba Đình
Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long
Look for the archaeological excavation site across Hoàng Diệu street; many visitors miss it.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Museum · French Quarter
Hỏa Lò Prison
Allow time for the audio guide; the exhibits are grim but give important context to the French colonial era.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Meeting people
- Evening street-food walk — Join a guided food walk or graze on your own through the Old Quarter: bún chả, nem, bánh cuốn and a bia hơi at a corner stall, all at plastic-stool tables.
- Coffee crawl — Try egg coffee, coconut coffee and iced coffee with condensed milk in cafés overlooking Hoàn Kiếm Lake or hidden up narrow staircases.
- Tạ Hiện and Lương Ngọc Quyến — The Old Quarter's 'beer street', packed with low stools, bars and street food, especially on weekend nights.
- Old Quarter bia hơi corners — Street-corner stalls serving fresh draught beer to locals from late afternoon.
Sensible precautions
Traffic is the biggest hazard: cross slowly and steadily and watch for motorbikes on pavements. Bag and phone snatching by passing motorbikes happens, and overcharging by cyclo drivers and unofficial taxis is common. Air pollution is often high in winter, so check air-quality readings on still days.
- Emergency number
- 113 police, 114 fire, 115 ambulance
- Staying connected
- Local SIMs and eSIMs with generous data are inexpensive, and most cafés, hotels and restaurants offer free Wi-Fi.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Hanoi good for solo travellers?
Hanoi is popular with solo travellers: hostels and tours are plentiful, street food is designed for one, and ride-hailing makes getting around simple and inexpensive.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Hanoi?
Tây Hồ (West Lake): Lakeside expat district of cafés, craft beer, villas and boutique hotels.