Day 1
Morning
A perfect start to a trip to Hanoi is to have breakfast and coffee by Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter. It's a good idea to wake up as early as possible to enjoy the fresh air before the streets get crowded.
One of the suggested pho shops is Thin Bo Ho, which is nearly 70 years old. Some other options are Pho Suong Trung Yen alley, Pho Tu Lon (Au Trieu), Pho Ly Quoc Su, Pho Lam (Hang Vai). These are all familiar addresses for locals and tourists alike.
Photo: Pho Thin
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A cup of coffee around the old town and Hoan Kiem lake is the next experience. You can choose Dinh coffee on the small attic in Dinh Tien Hoang street, Giang coffee or Lam coffee in Nguyen Huu Huan or newer shops such as Pho Cho coffee in Hang Be market, Loading T in Chan Cam or surrounding shops with panoramic views of the lake. Drinks to try in these places are traditional black/brown coffee and egg coffee. If you have time, you should also visit Trang Tien Ice Cream to try one of the snacks.
If you wander Hoan Kiem Lake on the weekend, go to the Water Puppet Theater on Dinh Tien Hoang Street to watch the show at 9:30 am every Sunday. There are also performances in the evening, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Image: Hieu Luong
Read also: Cafes to try when coming to Hanoi
If you like history, you can visit places like Hoa Lo Prison, Revolution Museum, History Museum, Military History Museum. If you like architecture, stop by works such as O Quan Cuong, Opera House, Cathedral, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, One Pillar Pagoda, Long Bien Bridge, Government Guest House, State Bank...
These places are all located within a radius of 1-2 km around the Hoan Kiem lake area, so it is convenient to travel. If you haven't reached all of the above points in the morning, save it for the afternoon. Visitors can walk or use public transportation such as buses, taxis, or motorbike taxis.
Image: Tam Anh
By the way in the old quarter, enjoy lunch with another typical dish of Hanoi is vermicelli. Bun cha consists of vermicelli, pork patties (minced or whole) grilled on charcoal, served with sweet and spicy and sour fish sauce and raw vegetables and pickles. This is a typical dish of the North, one of the special features of Hanoi cuisine. Some reference addresses around the central area: Hang Quat bun cha, Dak Kim bun cha, Huong Lien bun cha (Obama).
A serving of Dak Kim vermicelli is a lot, so you need to be careful not to be overstocked. Bun Cha Hang Fan and Huong Lien Dong at noon.
Photo: Xuan Phuong
Read also: Enjoy a lunch of vermicelli and iced tea in Hanoi
Evening
If you don't know the atmosphere of West Hanoi, spend the whole evening "disturbing" in the Ta Hien - Luong Ngoc Quyen area, also known as the "international crossroads" or "the street that never sleeps".
Ta Hien is peaceful and quiet during the day but vibrant and bustling from evening until late at night. Drinks in Ta Hien are simply snacks such as fried sour spring rolls, cheese sticks, potatoes, sweet potatoes, roasted quails that are served with cups or bottles of cold beer. But what Ta Hien scores points with tourists is that the happy atmosphere is always overflowing. You can sit in small groups along the street or go to bars to listen to music and dance to the music. Prices in Ta Hien are average.
If you come to Hanoi on the weekend, you can walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, Dong Xuan night market before stopping at Ta Hien.
Image: Jiang Hui
Day 2
Morning
You should spend time with West Lake, which has an area of 5.2 km2, next to Thanh Nien Street and Truc Bach Lake. This is a famous relaxation space complex, with many delicious dishes and entertainment activities.
The space around the 15 km lake will be very suitable for sports lovers. You can go for a jog or ride a bike. Along Nguyen Dinh Thi and De Sai streets, there are many bicycle rental shops with prices ranging from 40,000 VND to 50,000 VND for two hours. In addition, there is also SUP or kayaking service for 200,000 VND to 250,000 VND for two hours.
Noodle soup is a suggestion for breakfast in the West Lake area. Bun snail in Hanoi is a combination of rustic, easy-to-eat ingredients. You will feel the rich, chewy flavor of snail meat, and the sour taste of the broth. Two rows of snail noodles should be visited: Grandma snail noodles (To Ngoc Van street), Co Hue snail noodles (Dang Dung street). At Grandma's restaurant, you can also try cold snail noodles.
Photo: TTStudio
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Midday
Visiting the West Lake Palace is the next suggestion. This is a place to worship Princess Lieu Hanh, built in the 17th century. Phu is located on a large peninsula in Nghi Tam village, jutting out into West Lake. The festival opens on two main holidays, 3/3 and 13/8 of the lunar calendar. On non-public occasions, Tay Ho is a space for you to relax, admire the scenery and calm down. Here is a different corner of Hanoi from the crowded and noisy Hanoi.
For lunch, enjoy shrimp cakes around the area covered by Tay Ho. There are many restaurants such as Nham Thin, Phuong Dung, Thanh Mai with the most popular dish being shrimp cake along with steamed snails with lemon leaves, steamed snails with Northern medicine. A full meal for one person is about 200,000 VND to 300,000 VND.
Photo: @tomcat239/Thanh Mai shrimp cake/Vu Ngoc Thien
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Evening
Taking photos and watching the sunset at West Lake will give you an unforgettable experience. You can arrive around 4 pm, "pedal ducks" by Truc Bach Lake, then walk across Thanh Nien Street to watch the sunset of West Lake. There are two types of duck pedaling in Truc Bach Lake: a large duck for a family costs 200,000 VND an hour, a small duck for two people costs 100,000 VND an hour. The starting point is on Lac Chinh Street. Note, it is recommended to wear a life jacket, follow the rules of safety and maintain general hygiene.
For dinner, if you still want to continue to enjoy Hanoi specialties, you can visit Ngu Xa food street with the most typical dish, pho rolls. This dish is made up of a thin layer of noodle soup, rolled with beef and raw vegetables, dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce. Some famous pho roll shops: Hung Ben, Huong Mai, Huong Lien.
Photo: Shutter Stock
If you want to change your taste, try Western-style food. The area around West Lake with Xuan Dieu, To Ngoc Van, Dang Thai Mai streets is the ideal place for you to find a cozy and quiet restaurant for European meals such as French, Italian or South American style such as Argentina and Brazil. Some recommended restaurants: Los Fuegos - Argentinian Steak and Grill, El Gaucho Argentinian Steakhouse, Cugini, Paolo & Chi Italian Restaurant...
Some alternative suggestions: Shopping at shopping centers such as Trang Tien Plaza, Vincom Ba Trieu; take a double-decker bus to see the streets and tourist attractions, listen to music in tea rooms...
According to VnE