Hanoi and around

Hoan Kiem Lake and around

The Old Quarter

The French Quarter

Ba Dinh District

West Lake and around

Arrival and departure

Drinking and nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping and markets

Galleries and exhibitions

Highlights

1 The Old Quarter Wander through the intoxicating tangle of streets that make up Hanoi’s commercial heart.

2 The Opera House Check out this stately signature-piece of French colonial architecture, modelled on the one in Paris.

3 Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum The ghostly figure of “Uncle Ho”, embalmed against his wishes, remains a strangely moving sight.

4 Temple of Literature Vietnam’s foremost Confucian sanctuary and centre of learning provides a haven of green lawns amid the hubbub of Hanoi.

5 Museum of Ethnology Discover the staggering variety and creativity of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities.

6 Pho bo Join the locals and slurp on Hanoi’s traditional beef-and-noodle breakfast soup.

7 Bia hoi bars As night falls parties gather for a few refreshing jars of the local brew.

8 Water puppets Vietnam’s quirky but charming art form developed in the floodlands of the Red River Delta.

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Brief history

When Tang Chinese armies invaded Vietnam in the seventh century, they chose a small Red River fort as capital of their new protectorate, named, optimistically, Annam, the “Pacified South”. Three centuries later the rebellious Vietnamese ousted the Chinese, in 939 AD. After that, the citadel lay abandoned until 1010 when King Ly Thai To, usually credited as Hanoi’s founding father, recognized the site’s potential and established his own court beside the Red River. It seems the omens were on his side for, according to legend, when the king stepped from his royal barge onto the riverbank a golden dragon flew up towards the heavens. From then on Thang Long, “City of the Ascending Dragon”, was destined to be the nation’s capital, with only minor interruptions, for the next eight hundred years.

Growth of the city

Ly Thai To and his successors set about creating a city fit for “ten thousand generations of kings”, choosing auspicious locations for their temples and palaces according to the laws of geomancy. They built protective dykes, established a town of artisans and merchants alongside the Imperial City’s eastern wall, and set up the nation’s first university, in the process laying the foundations of modern Hanoi. From 1407, the country was again under Chinese occupation, but this time only briefly before the great hero Le Loi retook the capital in 1428. The Le Dynasty kings drained lakes and marshes to accommodate their new palaces as well as a growing civilian population, and towards the end of the fifteenth century Thang Long was enjoying a golden era under the great reformer, King Le Thanh Thong. Shortly after his death in 1497, however, the country dissolved into anarchy, while the city slowly declined until finally Emperor Gia Long moved the royal court to Hue in 1802.

International intervention

By the 1830s Thang Long had been relegated to a provincial capital re-named Hanoi, and in 1882 its reduced defences offered little resistance to attacking French forces, led by Captain Rivière. Initially capital of the French Protectorate of Tonkin, a name derived from Dong Kinh, meaning “Eastern Capital”, after 1887 Hanoi became the centre of government for the entire Union of Indochina. Royal palaces and ancient monuments made way for grand residences, administrative offices, tree-lined boulevards and all the trappings of a colonial city, more European than Asian. However, the Vietnamese community lived a largely separate, often impoverished existence, creating a seedbed of insurrection.

Modern times

During the 1945 August Revolution, thousands of local nationalist sympathizers spilled onto the streets of Hanoi and later took part in its defence against returning French troops, though they had to wait until 1954 for their city finally to become the capital of an independent Vietnam. Hanoi sustained more serious damage during the air raids of the American War, particularly the infamous Christmas Bombing campaign of 1972. Political isolation after the war ended in 1975 together with lack of resources preserved what was essentially the city of the 1950s, somewhat faded, heavily battered and very overcrowded.

These characteristics are fading fast today, as Hanoi enjoys one of the fastest GDP growth rates in Asia. New market freedoms combined with an influx of tourists since the early 1990s have led to an explosion of privately run hotels and restaurants, several of international standard, and in boutiques, craft shops and tour agencies. As ancient – and antiquated – buildings give way to glittering high-rises, and as traffic congestion increases, the big question is how much of this historic and charming city will survive the onslaught of modernization.

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HANOI ORIENTATION

Hanoi city centre comprises an area known as Hoan Kiem District, which is neatly bordered by the Red River embankment in the east and the rail line to the north and west, while its southern extent is marked by the roads Nguyen Du, Le Van Huu and Han Thuyen. The district takes its name from its present-day hub and most obvious point of reference, Hoan Kiem Lake, and includes the narrow lanes of the endlessly diverting Old Quarter in the north, and the tree-lined boulevards of the French Quarter, arranged in a rough grid system, to the south. West of this central district, across the rail tracks, some of Hanoi’s most impressive monuments occupy the wide open spaces around the Hanoi Citadel, including Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum in Ba Dinh Square and the ancient walled gardens of the Temple of Literature. A vast body of water called West Lake sits to the northwest of the city, harbouring a number of interesting temples and pagodas, but the attractive villages that once surrounded it have now largely given way to upmarket residential areas and luxury hotels.

Hoan Kiem Lake and around

Hoan Kiem Lake is the city’s spiritual, cultural and commercial heart, so makes a good place to start exploring Hanoi. The lake itself has a magical quality that fully deserves the legend of its naming. The streets to the east, south and west of the lake are home to the city’s biggest banks, airline offices and the general post office, as well as some swanky hotels and stylish restaurants. Just a block west of the lake, the trendy shopping street of Nha Tho leading to St Joseph’s Cathedral is a dedicated homage to fashion. The north end of the lake signals the beginning of the Old Quarter, with its maze of narrow lanes.

A LEGEND COMES TO LIFE

Hoan Kiem, which means “Lake of the Restored Sword”, refers to a legend of the great Vietnamese hero, Le Loi, who led a successful uprising against the Chinese in the fifteenth century. The story goes that while out fishing in a sampan on the lake, then known as Luc Thuy, Le Loi netted a gleaming sword, which helped him to defeat the Chinese in battle. When he returned to the lake years later as King Ly Thai To, a golden turtle surfaced, took the sword and disappeared with it. The king believed that the turtle had been sent by the gods to reclaim the weapon, and he renamed the lake accordingly.

The legend is not mere fantasy, as the lake is still home to one hardy giant turtle, but it is thought to be the last remaining specimen here. It was captured and examined in early 2011 when wounds on its leg and head were identified, though it still managed to elude captors twice before being netted. Its wounds were thought to be caused by the sharp edges of debris in the lake. It is an extremely rare species of enormous, soft-shelled turtle known as rafetus swinhoei, of which there are only a few other specimens remaining in Vietnam and China, so it is sadly destined for extinction. This one weighed in at around 170kg and measured about 1.8 metres in length. Scientists estimate its age at around 80–100 years, but of course Hanoians believe it is one and the same creature that took Ly Thai To’s sword over five hundred years ago. Though you’re unlikely to spot this last turtle, you can get an idea of their enormous size at Den Ngoc Son, where a preserved turtle is on display.

Hoan Kiem Lake

Early morning sees Hoan Kiem Lake at its best, stirring to life as walkers, joggers and tai chi enthusiasts limber up in the half-light. The lake itself is small – you can walk round it in thirty minutes – and not particularly spectacular, but to Hanoians this is the soul of their city. Space is at a premium in this crowded city, and the lake’s strip of park and shady trees meets multiple needs, at its busiest when lunch-hour hawkers are out in force, and easing down slowly to evenings of old men playing chess and couples seeking twilight privacy on benches half-hidden among weeping willows whose branches brush the lake.

A good way to get your bearings is to make a quick circuit of the lake, a pleasant walk at any time of year and stunning when the flame trees flower in June and July. The sights here are given in a clockwise order, beginning at the iconic The Huc Bridge (possibly the most photographed sight in the city), at the lake’s northeast corner.

Den Ngoc Son

Daily 7.30am–5.30pm • 20,000đ

Crossing over the striking The Huc Bridge, an arch of red-lacquered wood poetically labelled the “place where morning sunlight rests”, you find the secluded Den Ngoc Son, “Temple of the Jade Mound”, sheltering among ancient trees on a small island at the northeast corner of the lake. This temple was founded in the fourteenth century and is dedicated to national hero General Tran Hung Dao, who defeated the Mongols in 1288, and whose image sits on the principal altar, and to Van Xuong, God of Literature. The temple buildings date from the 1800s and are typical of the Nguyen Dynasty; in the back room, look out for a stuffed and varnished specimen of a giant turtle that once lived in the lake. On the east side of the The Huc Bridge stands a nine-metre-high obelisk, the Ink Brush Tower, on which three outsized Chinese characters proclaim “a pen to write on the blue sky”.

Statue of King Ly Thai To

On the eastern side of the lake stands an imperious statue of Hanoi’s founding father, King Ly Thai To, which was erected in 2004 in anticipation of celebrations to mark the city’s millennium in 2010. At dusk, the expanse of polished stone paving around it provides an incongruous venue for Hanoi’s small but enthusiastic band of roller bladers.

The Turtle Tower

A squat, three-tiered pavilion known as Thap Rua, or the Turtle Tower, ornaments a tiny island at the southern end of Ho Hoan Kiem. It’s illuminated after dark, and is another of Hanoi’s most prevalent icons, with its reflection shimmering in the lake. It was built in the nineteenth century to commemorate the legend of the golden turtle and the restored sword, but is not accessible to the public.

The General Post Office

At the southeast corner of the lake stands the enormous General Post Office, which marks the northern fringe of the French Quarter. Opposite the post office, on the shore of the lake, stands a small and ancient brick tower. This is all that remains of an enormous pagoda complex, Chua Bao An, after French town planners cleared the site in 1892 to construct the administrative offices and residences of their new possession.

St Joseph’s Cathedral

Nha Tho • Daily 5–11.30am & 2–7.30pm • Free • Service times at web_icon saintjosephcathedral.org

Just a block west of Hoan Kiem Lake stands St Joseph’s Cathedral, one of Hanoi’s most iconic buildings. Its solemn façade makes a stark contrast to the colourful boutiques and cafés that line fashionable Nha Tho (“Big Church”) street in front of it. The cathedral was constructed in the early 1880s, partly financed by two lotteries, and though the exterior is badly weathered, its high-vaulted interior is still imposing. Among the first things you notice inside are the ornate altar screen and the stained-glass windows, most of which are French originals. Over the black marble tomb of a former cardinal of Vietnam is one of several statues commemorating martyred Vietnamese saints, in this case André Dung Lac, who was executed in 1839 on the orders of the fervently anti-Christian emperor Minh Mang.

The cathedral’s main door is open during services; at other times walk round to the small door in the southwest corner.

Chua Ba Da

3 Nha Tho

Hidden down a narrow alley at the eastern end of Nha Tho Street, Chua Ba Da, or the Stone Lady Pagoda, makes a delightful contrast to the grandeur of St Joseph’s Cathedral. A temple has stood on this site for a thousand years but it acquired its current name when a stone statue of a woman was discovered during reconstruction in the fifteenth century. These days it is the headquarters of the Municipal Buddhist Association. A recent restoration has left the pagoda in fine shape, and a wander through its halls lined with Buddha images can be a serene experience. It’s not visible from the street; look for a narrow alley and sign beside number 3 Nha Tho.

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The Old Quarter

North of Hoan Kiem Lake are the tumultuous streets of the Old Quarter, also known as “the 36 Streets”, after the guilds which once operated here, though there are many more than 36 streets these days. It occupies a congested square kilometre that was closed behind massive ramparts and heavy wooden gates until well into the nineteenth century. Apart from one gate, at the east end of Hang Chieu, the walls have been dismantled, though the crowded enclave still has a distinctive character. To explore it, the best approach is simply to dive into the maze of twisted lanes and wander at will, equipped with a map to find your way out again. Alternatively, you might like to see it first from the seat of a cyclo or one of the electric cars that zigzag through, to help you pinpoint places you’d like to come back to.

Everything spills out onto pavements which double as workshops for stone-carvers, furniture-makers and tinsmiths, and as display space for merchandise ranging from pungent therapeutic herbs and fluttering prayer flags to ranks of Remy Martin and shiny-wrapped chocolates. With so much to attract your attention at ground level, it’s easy to miss the architecture, which reveals fascinating glimpses of the quarter’s history, starting with the fifteenth-century merchants’ houses otherwise found only in Hoi An. As you explore the quarter you’ll come across some sacred sites – temples, pagodas, dinh and venerable banyan trees – tucked away between the houses.

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OLD QUARTER ARCHITECTURE

A dinh is a kind of communal house that can be found all over Vietnam, but the Old Quarter is peppered with them. They often look like temples, and indeed they operate as places of worship with altars and urns to hold incense. However, they also serve as administrative centres and as training centres for the various guilds, which is why there are so many in the Old Quarter. Another use is as a meeting place for local communities, and some are open to the public, such as Dinh Kim Ngan on Hang Bac, while others only open on special occasions.

The most distinctive type of buildings in the Old Quarter, however, are the aptly named tube-houses, which evolved from market stalls into narrow single-storey shops, windows no higher than a passing royal palanquin, under gently curving, red-tiled roofs. The moniker comes from their narrow facades (some are just two metres wide), the result of taxes levied on street frontages, and deep interiors, which accommodate a succession of storerooms and living quarters up to 60m in length, interspersed with open courtyards to give them light and air. As royal palanquins no longer pass through the Old Quarter, many owners have now added several stories, giving rise to a new architectural term – rocket houses.

The heart of the Old Quarter

The small area enclosed by Hang Buom, Ma May, Hang Bac and Hang Ngang constitutes the heart of the Old Quarter, and it contains a wealth of interesting detail typical of the quarter’s patchwork architecture: simple one-storey shophouses, some still sporting traditional red-tiled roofs; elaborate plaster-work and Art Deco styling from colonial days; and Soviet chic of the 1960s and 1970s – each superimposed on the basic tube-house design. Nowadays, the majority of facades bear distinctly European touches – faded wooden shutters, sagging balconies and rain-streaked moulding – dating from the early 1900s when the streets were widened for pavements. Certain occupants were too wealthy or influential to be shifted and you can find their houses still protruding onto the pavements standing out of line.

These streets are also home to some of the city’s most popular lodgings and restaurants, especially for those on a budget, though there’s no shortage of boutique hotels as well. It’s a good area to soak up local culture, whether in the form of a cup of super-strong Vietnamese coffee, a glass of draught beer at bia hoi corner, watching a local rock band in one of the bars on Ta Hien, or a performance of traditional music. Both Heritage House and Dinh Kim Ngan stage evening performances of ca tru music, which provide a revealing insight into the uses of traditional Vietnamese instruments.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The Old Quarter’s street names date back five centuries to when the area was divided among 36 artisans’ guilds, each gathered around a temple or a dinh dedicated to the guild’s patron spirit. Even today many streets specialize to some degree, and a few, such as Hang Bac (“Silver Street”), are still dedicated to the original craft or its modern equivalent. The most colourful examples are Hang Quat, full of bright-red banners and lacquerware for funerals and festivals, and Hang Ma, where paper products have been made for at least five hundred years. Nowadays gaudy tinsel dances in the breeze above brightly coloured votive objects, which include model TVs, dollars and cars to be offered to the ancestors. A selection of the more interesting streets with an element of specialization is listed here. Note that hang means “merchandise”, not “street”.

Street name	Meaning	Modern speciality
Hang Trong	Drum skin	Bag menders, upholsterers
Hang Bo	Bamboo baskets	Haberdashers
Hang Buom	Sails	Imported foods and alcohol, confectionery
Hang Chieu	Sedge mats	Mats, ropes, bamboo blinds
Hang Dau	Oil	Shoes
Hang Dieu	Pipes	Cushions, mattresses
Hang Duong	Sugar	Clothes, general goods
Hang Gai	Hemp goods	Silks, tailors, souvenirs
Hang Hom	Wooden chests	Glue, paint, varnish
Hang Ma	Paper votive objects	Paper goods
Hang Quat	Ceremonial fans	Religious accessories
Hang Thiec	Tin goods	Tin goods, mirrors
Hang Vai	Fabrics	Bamboo ladders

Heritage House

87 Ma May • Daily 8am–noon & 1.30–5pm • 10,000đ

To get a better idea of the layout of tube-houses, pop into the beautifully restored Heritage House (sometimes called “Memorial House”). There’s usually a volunteer on hand to show you through the various rooms and courtyards, pointing out the fine carving on the doors and balustrades, as well as examples of traditional fine arts and handicrafts such as ceramics and silk paintings on display. You might also see a calligrapher practising his art in a corner or a seamstress working on an embroidered painting. Some items are on sale, and might make a distinctive souvenir.

Dinh Kim Ngan

42–44 Hang Bac • Daily 7.30–11.30am & 2–5.30pm • Free

Hang Bac (“Silver Street”) retains its own dinh, or communal house, which has long been home of the silversmiths’ guild. The entrance is similar to that of a temple, with huge walls and wooden gates leading on to a courtyard where a large urn holds burning incense sticks. Infomation panels fill in on the backround to communal houses in general and this one in particular, including its restoration in 2009; though its exact age is unknown, references on a stele in the grounds suggest that it was established in the eighteenth century. The altar in the main hall is dedicated to the worship of Hien Vien, a legendary figure believed to be the founder of all crafts. You’ll find some interesting books and pamphlets about Vietnamese architecture and crafts on sale, and there are performances of ca tru music here some evenings.

Bach Ma Temple

Hang Buom • Tues–Sun 7.30–11.30am & 1.30–6pm • Free

Hang Buom is home to the quarter’s oldest and most revered place of worship, Bach Ma Temple. The temple was founded in the ninth century and later dedicated to the White Horse (Bach Ma), the guardian spirit of Thang Long who posed as an ethereal site foreman and helped King Ly Thai To overcome a few problems with his citadel’s collapsing walls. The present structure dates largely from the eighteenth century and its most unusual features are a pair of charismatic, pot-bellied Cham guardians in front of the altar. In front of them stands an antique palanquin, used each year to celebrate the temple’s foundation on the twelfth day of the second lunar month.

Cho Dong Xuan

On the northern side of the Old Quarter, the city’s largest covered market, Dong Xuan, occupies a whole block behind its renovated facade. Its three storeys are dedicated to clothes and household goods, while fresh foodstuffs spill out into a bustling street market stacked with multicoloured mounds of vegetables. Nguyen Thien Thuat, running south from the market’s southeast corner, is a great place to sample some unusual types of street food.

WEEKEND NIGHT MARKET

From around 7pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Hang Dao and its northerly continuation almost as far as Dong Xuan Market, is closed to traffic and vendors set up stalls selling all kinds of trinkets at the Weekend Night Market. Though it’s a fun place to touch the pulse of modern Hanoi, there’s not much on sale that would interest most Western visitors; most shoppers are Vietnamese youngsters snapping up fashion accessories like mobile phone covers. It can get very crowded at times (so watch out for pickpockets), but winds down after 11pm. Sections of Ha Tien, Hang Buom and Ma May are also technically closed to traffic on weekend evenings, though many motorbikes ignore this.

The Ceramic Wall

Tran Quang Khai, Tran Nhat Duat, Yen Phu, Nghi Tam and Au Co streets

On the eastern fringe of the city, running along the dyke that protects the city from flooding by the Red River, is the Ceramic Wall, which was created as part of Hanoi’s one-thousand-year celebrations in 2010. It stretches for nearly 4km and adds a splash of colour to the traffic-choked streets. It also has a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest ceramic mosaic in the world. It depicts scenes from Vietnam’s history, famous places in the country and the lifestyles of minority groups.

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The French Quarter

The first French concession was granted in 1874, an insalubrious plot of land on the banks of the Red River, southeast of where the Opera House stands today. Once in full possession of Hanoi, after 1882, the French began to create a city appropriate to their new protectorate, starting with the area between the old concession and the train station, 2km to the west. In the process they destroyed many ancient Vietnamese monuments, which were replaced with Parisian-style buildings and boulevards. Elegant villas gradually filled plots along the grid of tree-lined avenues, then spread south from Hoan Kiem Lake in the 1930s and 1940s towards what is now Thong Nhat Park, a peaceful but rather featureless expanse of green marking the French Quarter’s southern boundary. The streets south of Le Lai on the east side of Hoan Kiem Lake, which include the Metropole Hotel and the State Guest House, are also generally considered part of the French Quarter because of their architectural features.

COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE

After the hectic streets of the Old Quarter, the grand boulevards and wide pavements of Hanoi’s French Quarter are a welcome relief. Again it’s the architecture that’s the highlight, running the gamut of early twentieth-century European styles from elegant Neoclassical through to 1930s Modernism and Art Deco, with an occasional Oriental flourish. One of the most splendid examples is the former residence of the governor of Tonkin, now the State Guest House, at the junction of Ngo Quyen and Le Thach. There are several other elegant colonial mansions along Phan Dinh Phung and Dien Bien Phu in Ba Dinh District, which is sometimes referred to as Hanoi’s “other” or “second” French Quarter.

The Opera House

Near the eastern end of Trang Tien • Open during performances only • tel_icon 04 3993 0113, web_icon hanoioperahouse.org.vn

A grand example of the Parisian-style architecture for which the quarter is famous, the stately Opera House (now officially known as the Municipal Theatre) is modelled on the neo-Baroque Paris Opéra, complete with Ionic columns and grey slate tiles imported from France. The theatre was erected on reclaimed land and opened in 1911 after ten years of construction; it was regarded as the jewel in the crown of French Hanoi, the colonial town’s physical and cultural focus, until 1945 when the Viet Minh proclaimed the August Revolution from its balcony. After Independence, audiences were treated to a diet of Socialist Realism and revolutionary theatre, but now the building has been restored to its former glory after a massive face-lift. Crystal chandeliers, Parisian mirrors and sweeping staircases of polished marble have all been beautifully preserved, although, unfortunately, there’s no access to the public unless you go to a performance. Otherwise, feast your eyes on the exterior – particularly stunning under evening floodlights or, better still, the soft glow of a full moon.

The History Museum

1 Trang Tien • Daily (closed first Monday of each month) 8am–noon & 1.30–5pm • 40,000đ; with camera 55,000đ • web_icon baotanglichsu.vn

One block east of the Opera House, the building that houses the National Museum of History is a fanciful blend of Vietnamese palace and French villa, which came to be called “Neo-Vietnamese” style. The museum was founded in the 1930s by the Ecole Française d’Extrême Orient, but after 1954 changed focus to reflect Vietnam’s evolution from Paleolithic times to Independence. Exhibits, including many plaster reproductions, are arranged in chronological order on two floors covering everything from prehistory to 1945, while the building across the street at 216 Tran Quang Khai covers the post-1945 era.

The ground floor

On the ground floor, the museum’s prize exhibits are those from the Dong Son culture, a sophisticated Bronze Age civilization that flourished in the Red River Delta from 1200 to 200 BC. The display includes a rich variety of implements, from arrowheads to cooking utensils, but the finest examples of Dong Son creativity are several huge, ceremonial bronze drums, used to bury the dead, invoke the monsoon or celebrate fertility rites. The remarkably well-preserved Ngoc Lu Drum is the highlight, where advanced casting techniques are evident in the delicate figures of deer, birds and musicians ornamenting the drum’s surface. Other notable exhibits on this floor include finds from excavations in Hanoi’s citadel, a willowy Amitabha Buddha of the eleventh century, pale-green celadon ware from the same era and a group of wooden stakes from the glorious thirteenth-century battle of the Bach Dang River.

The second floor

Displays on the museum’s second floor illustrate the great leap in artistic skill that took place in the fifteenth century following a period of Chinese rule. Pride of place goes to a 3m-tall stele inscribed with the life story of Le Loi, who spearheaded the resistance against the Chinese and founded the later Le dynasty, which ruled the country from 1428 to 1788. Also on display is an extensive collection of ceramics and exhibits relating to the nineteenth-century Nguyen Dynasty and the period of French rule. A series of ink-washes depicting Hue’s Imperial court in the 1890s is particularly eye-catching, as are the embroidered silks and inlaid ivory furniture once used by the emperors cloistered in the citadel.

216 Tran Quang Khai

The former Museum of Vietnamese Revolution is now a part of the History Museum and catalogues the “Vietnamese people’s patriotic and revolutionary struggle”, from the first anti-French movements of the late nineteenth century to post-1975 reconstruction. Much of the tale is told through documents, including the first clandestine newspapers and revolutionary tracts penned by Ho Chi Minh, and illustrated with portraits of Vietnam’s most famous revolutionaries; among them are many photos you won’t see elsewhere. There’s good coverage of Dien Bien Phu and the War of Independence, and a small but well-presented exhibition on the American War, a subject that is treated in greater depth at the Military History Museum.

Trang Tien

Trang Tien, the main artery of the French Quarter, is still a busy shopping street where you’ll find bookshops and art galleries, as well as the recently renovated Trang Tien Plaza with its flash boutiques and somewhat incongruous supermarket. South of Trang Tien you enter French Hanoi’s principal residential quarter, consisting of a grid of shaded boulevards whose distinguished villas are much sought after for restoration as embassies and offices or as desirable, expatriate residences. To take a swing through the area, drop down Hang Bai onto Ly Thuong Kiet and start heading west.

THE METROPOLE LEGEND

The bright, white Neoclassical facade of the Metropole – nowadays Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel – opened in 1901 as the Grand Metropole Palace, and soon became one of Southeast Asia’s great hotels. Even during the French War, Bernard Fall, a journalist killed by a landmine near Hue in 1967, described the hotel as the “last really fashionable place left in Hanoi”, where the barman “could produce a reasonable facsimile of almost any civilized drink except water”. After Independence it re-emerged as the Thong Nhat or Reunification Hotel, but otherwise stayed much the same, including en-suite rats and lethal wiring, until 1990 when Sofitel transformed it into Hanoi’s first international-class accommodation. The Metropole’s illustrious visitors’ book includes Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard on honeymoon in 1936; and Graham Greene, who first came here in 1952. Twenty years later Jane Fonda stayed for two weeks while making her famous broadcast to American troops.

Museum of Vietnamese Women

36 Ly Thuong Kiet • Daily 8am–5pm • 30,000đ • tel_icon 04 3825 9936, web_icon womenmuseum.org.vn

This museum has undergone a complete overhaul in recent years and is now one of Hanoi’s most interesting attractions, with detailed video presentations on each floor about different aspects of the lives of Vietnamese women. It starts off with a look at street vendors, whose presence on the streets of the city with their baskets of goods suspended from bamboo poles is one of the country’s most indelible icons. Women’s role in the country’s wars is the focus of the second floor, while the third floor focuses on family life and the top-floor features an eye-catching display of ethnic minority costumes.

Hoa Lo Prison

1 Hoa Lo • Daily 8am–5pm • 20,000đ

The Hanoi Towers complex looms over the sanitized remnants of French-built Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton” by American prisoners of war as a wry comment on its harsh conditions and often brutal treatment. The jail became famous in the 1960s when the PoWs, mostly pilots and crew members, were shown worldwide in televised broadcasts. There’s a heavy dose of propaganda in the two rooms dedicated to the PoWs, peddling the message that they were well treated, clothed and fed.

The museum mostly concentrates on the pre-1954 colonial period when the French incarcerated many nationalist leaders at Hoa Lo, including no fewer than five future general secretaries of the Vietnamese Communist Party. Some of the cells – which were still in use up to 1994 – have been preserved, along with rusty shackles, a guillotine and instruments of torture. Other rooms display photos and information on the more famous political prisoners.

Chua Quan Su

73 Quan Su, near the junction with Tran Hung Dao • Daily 8–11am and 1–4pm

Chua Quan Su, the Ambassadors’ Pagoda, was founded in the fifteenth century as part of a guesthouse for officials from neighbouring Buddhist countries, though the current building dates only from 1942. Nowadays Quan Su is one of Hanoi’s most active pagodas: on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, worshippers and mendicants throng its forecourt, while inside an iron lamp, ornamented with sinuous dragons, hangs over the crowded prayer-floor and ranks of crimson-lacquered Buddhas glow through a pungent haze of burning incense. The compound, shaded by ancient trees, is headquarters of the officially recognized Central Buddhist Congregation of Vietnam and is a centre of Buddhist learning, hence the well-stocked library and classrooms at the rear.

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Ba Dinh District

Hanoi’s most important cultural and historical monuments are found in the Ba Dinh District, immediately west of the Old Quarter, where the Ly kings established their Imperial City in the eleventh century. The venerable Temple of Literature and the picturesque One Pillar Pagoda both date from this time, but nothing else remains of the Ly kings’ vermilion palaces, whose last vestiges were cleared in the late nineteenth century to accommodate an expanding French administration. Most impressive of the district’s colonial buildings is the dignified residence of the governor-general of Indochina, now known as the Presidential Palace; part of its former gardens now house two great centres of pilgrimage – Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and Museum.

East of Ba Dinh Square, the recently opened Hanoi Citadel was the seat of power for all Vietnamese dynasties apart from the Nguyen dynasty. To the south of the Citadel stands the Cot Co Flag Tower, which is accessed via the Military History Museum.

There’s a lot to see in this area, and though it’s possible to cover everything described here in a single day, in order to digest everything it’s best to spend one day exploring the sites around Ba Dinh Square and the Citadel, then return another day to see the Temple of Literature, the Fine Arts Museum and the Military History Museum.

Ba Dinh Square

Two kilometres west of Hoan Kiem Lake, the wide, open spaces of Ba Dinh Square are the nation’s ceremonial centre. It was here that Ho Chi Minh read out the Declaration of Independence to half a million people on September 2, 1945, and here that Independence is commemorated each National Day with military parades. You’ll see the National Assembly Hall, venue for Party congresses, standing on the square’s east side.

Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum

Ba Dinh Square • April–Oct Tues–Thurs 7.30–10.30am, Sat & Sun 7.30–11am; Nov–March Tues–Thurs 8–11am, Sat & Sun 8–11.30am • Free

In the tradition of great Communist leaders, when Ho Chi Minh died in 1969 his body was embalmed, though it was not put on public view until after 1975. The mausoleum is probably Hanoi’s most popular sight for domestic tourists, attracting hordes of visitors at weekends and on national holidays; from school parties to ageing confederates, all come to pay their respects to “Uncle Ho”.

Visitors to the mausoleum (note the very limited opening hours) must leave bags and cameras at a kiosk by the entrance, from where you’ll be escorted by soldiers in immaculate uniforms. Respectful behaviour is requested, which means appropriate dress (no shorts or sleeveless vests) and removing hats and keeping silence within the sanctum. Note that each autumn the mausoleum usually closes for a few weeks while Ho undergoes maintenance.

HO CHI MINH’S MAUSOLEUM

Inside the mausoleum

Inside the building’s marble entrance hall Ho Chi Minh’s most quoted maxim greets you: “Nothing is more important than independence and freedom.” Then it’s up the stairs and into a cold, dark room where this charismatic hero lies under glass, a small, pale figure glowing in the dim light, his thin hands resting on black covers. Despite the rather macabre overtones, it’s hard not to be affected by the solemn atmosphere, though in actual fact Ho’s last wish was to be cremated and his ashes divided between the north, centre and south of the country, with each site marked only by a simple shelter. The grandiose building where he now lies seems sadly at odds with this unassuming, egalitarian man.

The Presidential Palace

Just north of Ho’s mausoleum lie the grounds of the Presidential Palace. The palace was built in 1901 as the home of the governor-general of Indochina – all sweeping stairways, louvred shutters and ornate wrought-iron gates of the Belle Époque – and these days is used to receive visiting heads of state. It’s closed to the public but you can admire the outside as you walk through the palace gardens to Ho Chi Minh’s house.

Ho Chi Minh’s house

Tues–Sun • April–Oct 7.30–11am & 1.30–4pm; Nov–March 8–11am & 2–4pm • 20,000đ

Ho Chi Minh’s house, built in 1954 and modelled on an ethnic minority stilthouse, is a simple structure with open sides and split-bamboo screens. Since it stands almost next to the grandiose Presidential Palace where he declined to live, it’s tempting to see it as a succinct comment by Ho on the excesses of colonialism; it certainly looks like a cosier place to call home. Ho and his Politburo used to gather in the ground-level meeting area, while his study and bedroom upstairs are said to be as he left them, sparsely furnished, unostentatious and very highly polished. Ho lived here for the last eleven years of his life, even during the American War, tending his garden and fishpond; tradition has it that he died in the small hut next door.

Hanoi Botanical Gardens

3 Hoang Hoa Tham, between West Lake and the mausoleum • Daily 7am–10pm • 2000đ

After the rather solemn sights around Ba Dinh Square, particularly the mausoleum, many visitors feel in need of a breath of fresh air, and the Botanical Gardens (signed Vuon Bach Tao at the entrance) is just the place for that. Established by the French in 1890, it’s more of a park than a botanical garden, but it does have tall, shady trees, grassy lawns, a couple of small lakes, a network of footpaths, benches to rest on, and some intriguing modern sculptures.

The One Pillar Pagoda

Ong Ich Khiem

Just south of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the One Pillar Pagoda rivals the Turtle Tower as a symbol of Hanoi. It is the most unusual of the hundreds of pagodas sponsored by devoutly Buddhist Ly Dynasty kings in the eleventh century, and represents a flowering of Vietnamese art. The tiny wooden sanctuary, dedicated to Quan Am whose statue nestles inside, is only three square metres in size and is supported on a single column rising from the middle of an artificial lake, the whole structure designed to resemble a lotus blossom, the Buddhist symbol of enlightenment. In fact this is by no means the original building – the concrete pillar is a real giveaway – and the last reconstruction took place after departing French troops blew up the earlier structure in 1954.

Ho Chi Minh Museum

19 Ngoc Ha • Tues–Thurs, Sat & Sun 8–4.30pm; Mon & Fri 8am–12pm • 20,000đ • web_icon baotanghochiminh.vn

The angular, white building housing the Ho Chi Minh Museum was built with Soviet aid and inaugurated on May 19, 1990, the hundredth anniversary of Ho’s birth. The museum celebrates Ho Chi Minh’s life and the pivotal role he played in the nation’s history; not surprisingly, this is also a favourite for school outings. Exhibits around the hall’s outer wall focus on Ho’s life and the “Vietnamese Revolution” in the context of socialism’s international development, including documents, photographs and a smattering of personal possessions, among them a suspiciously new-looking disguise Ho supposedly adopted when escaping from Hong Kong. Running parallel on the inner ring are a series of heavily metaphoric “spatial images”, six tableaux portraying significant places and events, from Ho’s birthplace in Nghe An to Pac Bo cave and ending with a symbolic rendering of Vietnam’s reunification. Go in for the surreal nature of the whole experience, but don’t expect to come away having learnt much more about the man.

Hanoi Citadel

9 Hoang Dieu • Tues–Sun 8–11.30am & 2–5pm • 30,000đ • tel_icon 04 3734 5927, web_icon hoangthanhthanglong.vn

While not as impressive a sight as the Hue Citadel, Hanoi’s Imperial Citadel is still of sufficient interest to warrant its World Heritage status (granted in 2010 to coincide with the city’s one-thousandth birthday) and to feature on any visitor’s itinerary. It comprises two sections – the Central Sector of the Citadel to the east of Hoang Dieu, and the archaeological site on the west side of Hoang Dieu. Note that two other surviving fragments of the citadel are accessed separately; the flag tower, or Cot Co, through the nearby Military History Museum, and the northern gate, or Cua Bac (which still bears huge scars from cannon fire), from Phan Dinh Phung Street.

A citadel was first erected here in the eighth century by the Chinese, though nothing remains from that time, and Ly Thai To is usually credited as the founder of the Imperial Citadel, which was then added to by succeeding dynasties – Tran, Le, Mac and Nguyen – until the capital was moved to Hue in 1802. Though most of its buildings were subsequently razed by the French, enough remains in the twelve-acre complex to keep visitors busy for at least a couple of hours.

The central sector

The central sector of the Citadel is accessed through the Doan Mon Gate, where you’ll find the ticket desk. This huge wall, topped with a double-roofed pavilion and with five arches leading through it, was once the main entrance to the king’s forbidden realm. Inside the gate is an excavated area that reveals an ancient irrigation system.

The next building, Kinh Thien Palace, was once the grandest structure in the citadel, but all that remains today are two beautiful stone dragons flowing down a flight of steps that led to the building. Among these ancient remains, it comes as a shock to encounter the D67 Building, which dates from 1967 and functioned as command centre for the Northern forces during the American War. The name of military mastermind Vo Nguyen Giap, among others, still sits on the conference table here, and the reinforced underground bunker acts as a reminder of the threat of aerial bombardment in that era.

The final building in this complex is the Hau Lau, or “back pavilion”, a mix of Eastern and Western styles. It is sometimes referred to as the “Princess pavilion”, as it once housed concubines of the Nguyen kings.

The archeological dig

Once you’ve seen the central sector, it’s worth retracing your steps to the west of Kinh Thien Palace and crossing Hoang Dieu through a side gate to visit the archaeological dig on the other side of the road. This huge site was discovered in 2002 when foundations were being dug for a new National Assembly, and it has revealed the remains of more grand palaces and relics from various dynasties, some of which are now on display in the History Museum.

The Military History Museum

28 Dien Bien Phu • Tues–Thurs, Sat & Sun 8–11.30am & 1–4.30pm • 20,000đ

Dien Bien Phu, a road lined with gnarled trees and former colonial offices, interspersed with gingerbread villas, is home to the white, arcaded building of the Military History Museum, opposite a small park with a statue of Lenin. The museum chronicles national history from the 1930s to the present day, a period dominated by the French and American wars, though it’s noticeably quiet on China and Cambodia.

The forecourt

The museum forecourt is full of weaponry: pride of place goes to a Russian MiG 21 fighter, alongside artillery from the battle of Dien Bien Phu and a tank from the American War, while the second courtyard is dominated by the mangled wreckage of assorted American planes piled against a tree.

Inside the museum

The exhibition proper starts on the arcaded building’s second floor and runs chronologically from the 1930 Nghe Tinh Uprising, through the August Revolution to the “People’s War” against the French, culminating in the decisive battle of Dien Bien Phu. If there’s sufficient demand, they’ll show an English-language video to accompany the battle’s diorama; despite the heavy propaganda overlay, the archive footage is fascinating, including Viet Minh hauling artillery up mountain slopes and clouds of French parachutists. Naturally, General Giap and Ho Chi Minh make star appearances – after the ubiquitous still images, it’s a shock to see Ho animated. The American War, covered in a separate hall at the rear, receives similar treatment with film of the relentless drive south to “liberate” Saigon in 1975.

Cot Co

In the northwest corner of the museum compound stands the 30m Cot Co (Flag Tower), one of the few remnants of Emperor Gia Long’s early nineteenth-century citadel, where the national flag now billows in place of the emperor’s yellow banner. Built in 1812, it features 36 flower-shaped and six fan-shaped windows. When the French flattened the ramparts in the 1890s they kept Cot Co as a handy lookout post and signalling tower. It is possible to climb a spiral staircase inside for a view of the surrounding area, though the door to the upper part is sometimes locked. There’s also a convenient café at its base.

Vietnam Fine Arts Museum

66 Nguyen Thai Hoc • Daily 8.30am–5pm • 30,000đ • Guided tour 150,000đ • web_icon vnfam.vn

A couple of blocks southwest of the Military History Museum, a three-storey colonial block with chocolate-brown shutters houses the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. It not only boasts the country’s most comprehensive collection of fine art, but it is also unusually well presented, with plenty of information in English. Arranged chronologically, the museum illustrates the main themes of Vietnam’s artistic development, kicking off with a collection of Dong Son drums and statues of graceful Cham dancers. Though many items are reproductions, there are some fine pieces, notably among the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Buddhist art, which spawned such masterpieces as Tay Phuong’s superbly lifelike statues. Other highlights include extensive collections of folk art and ethnic minority art, and an interesting exhibition of twentieth-century artists charting the evolution from a solidly European style through Socialist Realism to the emergence of a distinct Vietnamese school of art.

The Temple of Literature

Nguyen Thai Hoc, entrance on Quoc Tu Giam • Daily: mid-April to mid-Oct 7.30am–5.30pm; mid-Oct to mid-April 8am–5pm • 20,000đ

Hanoi’s most revered temple complex, the Temple of Literature, or Van Mieu, is both Vietnam’s principal Confucian sanctuary and its historical centre of learning. The temple is also one of the few remnants of the Ly kings’ original city and retains a strong sense of harmony despite reconstruction and embellishment over the nine hundred years since its dedication in 1070.

Entry is through the two-tiered Van Mieu Gate. The temple’s ground plan, modelled on that of Confucius’s birthplace in Qufu, China, consists of a succession of five walled courtyards. The first two are havens of trim lawns and noble trees separated by a simple pavilion.

BECOMING A MANDARIN

Examinations for admission to the Imperial bureaucracy were introduced by the Ly kings in the eleventh century as part of a range of reforms that served to underpin the nation’s stability for several centuries. Vietnam’s exams were based on the Chinese system, though they also included Buddhist and Taoist texts along with the Confucian classics. It took until the fifteenth century, however, for academic success, rather than noble birth or patronage, to become the primary means of entry to the civil service. By this time the system was open to all males, excluding “traitors, rebels, immoral people and actors”, but in practice very few candidates outside the scholar-gentry class progressed beyond the lowest rung.

First came regional exams, thi huong, after which successful students (who could be any age from 16 to 61) would head for Hanoi, equipped with their sleeping mat, ink-stone and writing brush, to take part in the second-level thi hoi. These national exams might last up to six weeks and were as much an evaluation of poetic style and knowledge of the classic texts as they were of administrative ability. Those who passed all stages were granted a doctorate, tien si, and were eligible for the third and final test, the thi dinh, or palace exam, set by the king himself. Some years as few as three tien si would be awarded whereas the total number of candidates could be as high as six thousand, and during nearly three hundred exams held between 1076 and 1779, only 2313 tien si were recorded. Afterwards the king would give his new mandarins a cap, gown, parasol and a horse on which to return to their home village in triumphal procession.

The third courtyard

You enter the third courtyard via the imposing Khue Van Cac, a double-roofed gateway built in 1805, its wooden upper storey ornamented with four radiating suns. Central to this section of the complex is the Well of Heavenly Clarity – a rectangular pond – to either side of which stand the temple’s most valuable relics, 82 stone stelae mounted on tortoises. Each stele records the results of a state examination held at the National Academy between 1442 and 1779, though the practice only started in 1484, and gives brief biographical details of successful candidates. It’s estimated that up to thirty stelae have gone missing or disintegrated over the years, but the two oldest, dating from 1442 and 1448, occupy centre spot on opposite sides of the pond.

The fourth courtyard

Passing through the Gate of Great Synthesis brings you to the fourth courtyard, the Courtyard of Sages, and the main temple buildings. Two pavilions on either side once contained altars dedicated to the 72 disciples of Confucius, but now house souvenir shops. During Tet this courtyard is the scene of calligraphy competitions and “human chess games”, with people instead of wooden pieces on the square paving stones.

The House of Ceremonies

This long, low building whose sweeping tiled roof is crowned by two lithe dragons bracketing a full moon, stands on the courtyard’s north side. Here the king and his mandarins would make sacrifices before the altar of Confucius, accompanied by booming drums and bronze bells echoing among the magnificent ironwood pillars. Within the ceremonial hall lies the temple sanctuary, at one time prohibited even to the king, where a large and striking statue of Confucius sits with his four principal disciples, resplendent in vivid reds and golds. Between the altar and sanctuary is a Music Room, where musicians playing traditional instruments sometimes provide a great opportunity for photos.

The fifth courtyard

The fifth and final courtyard once housed the National Academy, regarded as Vietnam’s first university, which was founded in 1076 to educate princes and high officials in Confucian doctrine. In 1947 French bombs destroyed the academy buildings but they have now been painstakingly reconstructed, including an elegant two-storey pavilion housing a small museum and an altar dedicated to a noted director of the university in the fourteenth century, Chu Van An. Upstairs, three more statues honour King Ly Thanh Tong, the founder of Van Mieu; Ly Nhan Tong, who added the university; and Le Thanh Tong, instigator of the stelae. The pavilion is flanked by an imposing drum tower as well as a bell tower.

B52 Victory Museum

157 Doi Can, Ba Dinh District • Tues–Sat 8–11.30am & 1–4.30pm • Free

For war buffs, it’s worth checking out this intensely patriotic museum that commemorates the shooting down of 15 B-52 bombers during the USA’s Operation Linebacker II in December 1972. This operation is often referred to in the West as “the Christmas bombings”, which were initiated by President Nixon: between December 18 and 29 (with a day off for Christmas), over 15,000 tons of ordnance was dumped on industrial and military targets in and around Hanoi, with a few stray bombs destroying hospitals and schools, causing untold damage and loss of life. However, the event is remembered by Vietnamese as “Dien Bien Phu in the air”, since it did not bring about the capitulation of Viet Cong forces so dearly sought by the USA.

The museum is located between Ba Dinh Square and the Ethnology Museum, so can be combined with a visit to either of these attractions to the west of the city centre. It is also just a short distance from Huu Tiep Lake, where one of the bombers came down, and the exhibits, as you’d guess, consist of a bunch of wreckage of B52 bombers.

< Back to Hanoi and around

West Lake and around

As in the days of Vietnam’s emperors, West Lake (Ho Tay), to the northwest of the city centre, has once again become Hanoi’s most fashionable address, complete with exclusive residential developments, lakeside clubs, spas and a clutch of luxury hotels. Don’t be surprised if you see lots of foreign faces around here, especially along Xuan Dieu, as it’s a popular base for expats working in Hanoi. In the seventeenth century, villagers built a causeway across the lake’s southeast corner, creating a small fishing lake now called Truc Bach and ringed with little cafés. Attractions around West Lake include several temples and pagodas, and a short distance from its southwest corner stands the Museum of Ethnology.

THE WEST LAKE CIRCUIT

A path runs right around the 17km circumference of West Lake, making it ideal for a long walk (3–4 hours), a bike ride, or a ride in an electric car. The electric car ride begins at Tran Quoc Pagoda, costs 80,000đ per person (or 560,000đ for the whole car, which holds seven people) and takes an hour and fifteen minutes, making brief stops at around twenty sights along the way, including Quan Thanh and Tay Ho Temples. There’s often a fresh breeze coming off the lake, though as it’s surrounded by dense human habitation, the lake also suffers badly from pollution. A favourite activity for Vietnamese is to rent a swan-shaped pedal boat (80,000đ per hour) from the southeast corner of the lake, opposite Quan Thanh Temple, and pedal across the waters.

The causeway and Truc Bach Lake

The name Truc Bach derives from an eighteenth-century summer palace built by the ruling Trinh lords which later became a place of detention for disagreeable concubines and other “errant women”, who were put to work weaving fine white silk, truc bach. The causeway, or Thanh Nien, is an avenue of flame trees and a popular picnic spot in summer when a cooling breeze comes off the water and hawkers set up shop along the grass verges.

Quan Thanh Temple

Quan Thanh • Daily 8am–4.30pm • 10,000đ

Although the summer palace no longer exists, the eleventh-century Quan Thanh Temple still stands on the lake’s southeast bank, erected by King Ly Thai To and dedicated to the Guardian of the North, Tran Vo, who protects the city from malevolent spirits. Quan Thanh has been rebuilt several times, most recently in 1893, along the way losing nearly all its original features.

Tran Vo statue

It’s well worth wandering into the shady courtyard to see the 334-year-old black bronze statue of Tran Vo, seated on the main altar. The statue, nearly 4m high and weighing four tonnes, portrays the Taoist god accompanied by his two animal emblems, a serpent and turtle; it was the creation of a craftsman called Trum Trong whose own statue, fashioned in stone and sporting a grey headscarf, sits off to one side.

The Shrine Room

The shrine room also boasts a valuable collection of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century poems and parallel sentences (boards inscribed with wise maxims and hung in pairs on adjacent columns), most with intricate, mother-of-pearl inlay work.

US Anti-Aircraft Gunners Memorial

North of Quan Thanh Temple, where Thanh Nien bears gently right, on the east side of the road stands a small memorial, which is dedicated to teams of anti-aircraft gunners stationed here during the American War. In particular the memorial commemorates the downing of Navy Lieutenant Commander John McCain, who parachuted into Truc Bach Lake in October 1967 and survived more than five years in the “Hanoi Hilton”. He went on to run for US president in 2008, only to be beaten by Barack Obama.

Tran Quoc Pagoda

Thanh Nien • Daily 7.30–11.30am & 1.30–6.30pm • Free • Visitors are requested not to wear shorts

Tran Quoc Pagoda, Hanoi’s oldest religious foundation, occupies a tiny spur of land off Thanh Nien, which separates West Lake from Truc Bach. The pagoda’s exact origins are uncertain but it’s usually attributed to the sixth-century early Ly Dynasty during a brief interlude in ten centuries of Chinese domination. In the early seventeenth century, when Buddhism was enjoying a revival, the pagoda was moved from beside the Red River to its present, less vulnerable location.

Entry is along a narrow, brick causeway lying just above the water, past a collection of imposing brick stupas, the latest of which – towering over its more modest neighbours – was erected in 2003 on the death of the then master of the pagoda. The sanctuary’s restrained interior and general configuration are typical of northern Vietnamese pagodas, though there’s nothing inside of particular importance.

THE LEGEND OF WEST LAKE

Back in the mists of time, a gifted monk returned from China, bearing quantities of bronze as a reward for curing the emperor’s illness. The monk gave most of the metal to the state but from a small lump he fashioned a bell, whose ring was so pure it resonated throughout the land and beyond the mountains. The sound reached the ears of a golden buffalo calf inside the Chinese Imperial treasury; the creature followed the bell, mistaking it for the call of its mother. Then the bell fell silent and the calf spun round and round, not knowing which way to go. Eventually, it trampled a vast hollow, which filled with water and became West Lake. Some say that the golden buffalo is still there, at the bottom of the lake, but can only be retrieved by a man assisted by his ten natural sons.

More prosaically, West Lake is a shallow lagoon left behind as the Red River shifted course eastward to leave a narrow strip of land, reinforced over the centuries with massive embankments, separating the lake and river. The lake was traditionally an area for royal recreation or spiritual pursuits, where monarchs erected summer palaces and sponsored religious foundations, among them Hanoi’s most ancient pagoda, Tran Quoc.

Kim Lien Pagoda

Sunrise to sunset • Free

About a kilometre north of the causeway, the red-tiled roofs of Kim Lien Pagoda provide an incongruous neighbour for the Intercontinental Hotel. Though it may appear to be closed, you can usually enter through a small gate to the left of the main building. The pagoda’s best attributes are its elaborate carvings and unplastered brick walls dating from an eighteenth-century rebuild. Even if pagodas aren’t your thing, you could always come out here to indulge yourself at the nearby Zen Spa.

Tay Ho Temple

Sunrise to sunset • Free

This temple, located at the end of the Ho Tay Peninsula on the east side of the lake, is dedicated to Thanh Mau, the Mother Goddess, who in the seventeenth century appeared as a beautiful girl to a famous scholar out boating on the lake. She refused to reveal her name, just smiled enigmatically, recited some poetry and disappeared. But when the scholar worked out her identity from the poem, local villagers erected a temple where they still worship the goddess, especially on the first and fifteenth day of each lunar month, when the place takes on a carnival atmosphere and vendors line the approach roads. At other times, Tay Ho Temple attracts few tourists and the petitioners here are mostly women and young people asking for favours by burning their fake dollars under the banyan trees.

Museum of Ethnology

Nguyen Van Huyen • Tues–Sun 8.30am–5.30pm • 40,000đ; guide 50,000đ; camera use 50,000đ • Water puppet shows held in a small pond in the grounds Sat & Sun at 10am, 11.30am, 2.30pm and 4pm • tel_icon 04 3756 2193, web_icon vme.org.vn • City bus #14 from Dinh Tieng Hoang, just north of Hoan Kiem Lake, to Nghia Tan, on the main road 500m from the museum; a taxi from the Old Quarter costs around 100,000đ

The Museum of Ethnology is 7km west of the city centre and about 1km southwest of West Lake, although it more than repays the effort of getting here, particularly if you’ll be visiting any of Vietnam’s minority areas. Spread across two floors, the displays are well presented and there’s information in English on all the major ethnic groups. Musical instruments, games, traditional dress and other domestic items that fill the displays are brought to life through musical recordings, photos and plenty of life-size models, as well as captivating videos of festivals and shamanistic rites (but don’t watch the one on buffalo sacrifice if you’re squeamish). This wealth of creativity amply illustrates some of the difficulties ethnologists are up against – the museum also acts as a research institute charged with producing ethnologies for Vietnam’s 54 main groups plus their confusion of sub-groups. The grounds contain a collection of minority buildings relocated from all over Vietnam, dominated by a beautiful example of a Bahnar communal house.

Southeast Asia Museum

Entry included in Museum of Ethnology ticket

Right next door to the Museum of Ethnology, the striking, kite-shaped Southeast Asia Museum is new and still not fully functional, but displays on the ground floor focus on daily life, social activities, garments, performing arts and religion in eleven countries in the region. Exhibits will be added on the second and third floors later.

HANOI ACTIVITIES

If you tire of sightseeing in Hanoi, there are plenty of other activities to keep you occupied, ranging from learning how to cook Vietnamese cuisine to pampering yourself in the city’s luxurious spas.

COOKING CLASSES

Blue Butterfly 61 Hang Buom web_icon bluebutterflyrestaurant.com. This centrally located restaurant in the Old Quarter offers morning and afternoon cookery classes at $35 per person.

Hanoi Cooking Centre 44 Chau Long web_icon hanoicookingcentre.com. This school offers a range of classes, from Vietnamese Street Food to regional cuisine, at $63 per person.

Hidden Hanoi 147 Nghi Tam, near the Sheraton Hotel web_icon hiddenhanoi.com.vn. Classes are held Mon–Sat at 11am–2pm and cost $45 per person with a minimum of three people.

Highway 4 31 Xuan Dieu web_icon highway4.com. After a trip to the market, students are shown their own cooking station at the school and then spend two hours learning how to make four dishes. Prices start at $45 per person, depending on number in the group (maximum ten).

LANGUAGE COURSES

Hidden Hanoi tel_icon 0912 254045, web_icon hiddenhanoi.com.vn. Hidden Hanoi runs a range of language classes, from the survival basic course to the advanced course (twenty classes for $200–240). They also offer private tuition.

The Vietnamese Language Centre of Hanoi Foreign Language College 1 Pham Ngu Lao, tel_icon 04 3826 2468. Individual instruction from $10 per hour; the centre also arranges student exchanges and student visas.

SPAS AND SALONS

Salon 15 Ma May tel_icon 04 3926 2036. A handy beauty salon in the Old Quarter where you’ll pay from around $10 for a foot massage and $12–14 for a body massage.

SF Spa 30 Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem District tel_icon 04 3747 5301, web_icon sfcompany.net. This highly rated spa on the western fringe of the Old Quarter offers a range of treatments, from their signature 2hr, $50 package to an hour-long foot massage for $17.50, and includes a free taxi ride.

Zen Spa 100 Xuan Dieu tel_icon 04 3719 1266, web_icon zenspa.com.vn. For pure pampering, indulge yourself at Zen Spa near West Lake. The treatments, which include facials, flower baths and foot and body massages, are derived from traditional minority therapies and come complete with wooden tubs and mood music. Prices start at $27.50 for a 1hr foot rejuvenation, up to $200 for a 4hr 30min “Together Forever” session, which includes a foot treatment, a body scrub, a herbal steam bath, herbal therapy and a collagen facial treatment.

SWIMMING

All the five-star hotels have swimming pools and fitness centres that are sometimes open to non-residents for a daily fee ($10–20).

Army Hotel 33c Pham Ngu Lao. Large, open-air saltwater pool which is significantly cheaper than other hotel pools, and popular in summer.

GOLF

Dao Sen Driving Range 125 Nguyen Son, Gia Thuy, Long Bien tel_icon 04 3872 7336, web_icon daosen.com.vn. This sixty-lane driving range is located about 3km from the city centre.

Hanoi Club 76 Yen Phu tel_icon 04 3823 8115, web_icon hanoi-club.com. One part of the club is the Arena Golf Driving Range, where you can drive floating balls out over West Lake.

The Kings’ Island Golf Course 36km west of Hanoi at Dong Mo in Ha Tay Province tel_icon 04 3368 6555, web_icon kingsislandgolf.com. Kings’ Island has two eighteen-hole courses open to non-members, though members get priority at weekends. The weekday walk-in fee for eighteen holes is 2,190,000đ.

WALKING

Hidden Hanoi web_icon hiddenhanoi.com.vn. Apart from improvised walks around Hoan Kiem and West Lakes, it’s possible to sign up for guided walks of the Old Quarter, the French Quarter or street food outlets with this bunch. Walks last around 2 hours and cost around $20 a person.

< Back to Hanoi and around

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: HANOI

As a major gateway into Vietnam and transit hub for the country, Hanoi is well-served by long-distance transport. When it’s time to move on, many visitors make a beeline east to the splendours of Ha Long Bay, while more adventurous head either southwest to Mai Chau to begin a tour of the northwest and Sa Pa, or directly north to the stunning landscapes of the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark in Ha Giang Province. For those eager to see as much of the country as they can in a single visit, the next step is a plane or train ride south to the Imperial City of Hue, the beaches of Nha Trang, and eventually the sensory pleasures of Vietnam’s second city, Ho Chi Minh City. Note that travellers planning on crossing the Lao, Cambodian or Chinese borders should first read the information in Basics.

BY PLANE

Noi Bai airport ( tel_icon 04 3886 5047, web_icon hanoiairportonline.com) is 45km north of the city. It boasts a brand-new international terminal (opened April 2015) with all the usual facilities.

City buses #7 and #17 (roughly every 20min from 5.30am to 10.30pm; 2hr; 9000đ) depart from outside the arrivals hall; #7 takes you to Kim Ma bus station, to the west of the centre, and #17 to Long Bien station on the northern edge of the Old Quarter. City buses are not a good idea if you have bulky luggage.

Shuttle buses run by Vietnam Airlines (45min–1hr; $2, be prepared to haggle) also leave from outside the terminal and drop you near the airline’s main office just south of Hoan Kiem Lake.

Taxis cost around 350,000đ but beware of scams. The safest option is to get your hotel to send a taxi to meet you.

Airlines Airlines flying from Hanoi include: Aeroflot tel_icon 04 3771 8742; Asiana Airlines 04 3747 4848; British Airways 04 3934 7239; China Airlines 04 3936 6364; China Southern Airlines 04 3771 6611; Japan Airlines 04 3826 6693; Lao Airlines 04 3942 5362; Thai Airways 04 3826 7921; Viet Jet tel_icon 04 3584 4494; Vietnam Airlines, 25 Trang Thi 04 6270 0200.

Destinations Buon Ma Thuot (2 daily; 1hr 40min); Da Lat (3 daily; 1hr 40min); Da Nang (17 daily; 1hr 15min); Dien Bien Phu (2 daily; 1hr); Dong Hoi (1 daily; 1hr 30min); Ho Chi Minh City (41 daily; 2hr); Nha Trang (9 daily; 1hr 40min).

BY TRAIN

Hanoi train station The station is roughly 1km west of centre, at 120 Le Duan. Note there are two gateways: arriving from and departing for Ho Chi Minh City and all points south, or from China, you’ll use the main station platforms on Le Duan. However, trains arriving and departing from the east and north (Haiphong, Sa Pa and Lao Cai) pull into platforms at the rear of the main station, bringing you out among market stalls on a narrow street called Tran Quy Cap.

Tickets are available in the main station building (daily 7.30am–12.30pm & 1.30–7.30pm). It’s best to make onward travel arrangements well in advance, especially for sleeper berths to Lao Cai, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City. If the station has sold out of tickets for Lao Cai or Hue, try the tour agents as they get their tickets from intermediaries who buy them in bulk. Current timetables and prices can be found at web_icon vietnam-railway.com.

Destinations Da Nang (6 daily; 14–20hr); Dong Dang (2 daily; 6hr); Dong Ha (4 daily; 12–16hr); Dong Hoi (6 daily; 9–13hr); Haiphong (2 daily; 2–3hr); Ho Chi Minh City (6 daily; 30–40hr); Hue (6 daily; 11–16hr); Lao Cai (5 daily; 7–9hr); Ninh Binh (5 daily; 2hr 20min); Thanh Hoa (5 daily; 3–5hr); Vinh (6 daily; 5–9hr).

BY BUS

Hanoi’s four main long-distance bus stations are all located several kilometres from the centre, and you’ll need to catch a city bus or hop on a xe om to get to or from the city centre.

From the south Buses from the south generally terminate at Giap Bat station, 6km south of town on Giai Phong, though many sleeper buses from Ho Chi Minh City terminate at Luong Yen, 3km southeast of the centre on Tran Quang Khai.

From the north and northeast Buses from Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Long and Haiphong usually arrive at Gia Lam station, 4km away on the east bank of the Red River. However, some Ha Long and Haiphong services, including the through bus from Cat Ba operated by Hoang Long company, drop you at the more central Luong Yen bus station on the eastern edge of the French Quarter.

From the northwest Services from Son La, Mai Chau and Lao Cai arrive at either Giap Bat or My Dinh, about 10km west of centre. Note that some buses from Mai Chau and Hoa Binh terminate in Ha Dong, a suburb of Hanoi also roughly 10km west on Highway 6; jump on one of the waiting city buses for the 40min ride into town.

Open-tour buses The ubiquitous open-tour buses leave from the offices of their respective tour companies every night to make the trek down to Hue, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City, but it’s a long, uncomfortable and noisy journey: many wish they’d shelled out on a train or plane ticket instead.

Destinations from Gia Lam Bai Chay (Ha Long City; 4hr); Cao Bang (8hr); Haiphong (2hr 30min); Lang Son (3hr); Thai Nguyen (3hr).

Destinations from Giap Bat Hoa Binh (1hr 30min); Hue (12hr); Mai Chau (4hr); Ninh Binh (2hr); Son La (6–7hr); Thanh Hoa (3hr).

< Back to Arrival and departure

GETTING AROUND

Despite the chaotic traffic, getting around on foot remains the best way to do justice to Hanoi’s central district, taking an occasional xe om to scoot between more distant places. Alternatively, enjoy a leisurely tour by cyclo. Bicycle and motorbike hire is not recommended for the city itself, since traffic discipline is an unfamiliar concept in Hanoi: teenagers on their Hondas ride without fear, and everyone drives without signalling, preferring to sound the horn constantly to warn others of their presence. If you prefer something solid between you and the maelstrom, there are numerous taxi companies operating in Hanoi and tariffs aren’t exorbitant. Finally, the much improved city buses are mainly useful for getting out to the long-distance bus stations, and a new metro system is on the horizon.

ECO TRANSPORT – HANOI STYLE

An alternative way to explore the Old Quarter is on electric cars that follow a route along its narrow streets and round neighbouring Hoan Kiem Lake. You can hop on board in front of Dong Xuan Market or hire one for a group opposite the Water Puppet theatre on the northeast corner of Hoan Kiem Lake. The cost is 15,000đ per person or 150,000đ for the whole car. While these vehicles themselves are quiet and eco-friendly, and the thirty-minute ride is a fascinating introduction to the Old Quarter, their drivers still hit the horn in a typically relentless Hanoi way.

Metro It’s not there yet, but work is well advanced on Hanoi’s metro, which will run partly under and partly over ground along several routes connecting key areas of the capital. The first line is scheduled to begin operation in 2016, and the project should be complete by 2020, but don’t bet on it.

Xe om These motorbike taxis hover at every intersection and provide the main form of cheap, inner-city transport. An average journey within the city centre should cost around 20,000đ and a trip out to Ho’s Mausoleum or West Lake in the region of 40,000đ. Always negotiate a fare before setting off. Drivers are obliged to carry spare helmets for passengers, but it can still be a hair-raising ride.

Metered taxis With a short ride across the city centre averaging 40,000đ, and 80,000đ to the suburbs, taxis are definitely worth considering for hopping around the city. Ask your hotel to call one for you, or call yourself: Hanoi Taxi ( tel_icon 04 3853 5353), CP Taxi ( 04 3826 2626), Mai Linh Taxi ( 04 3822 2666) and Van Xuan Taxi ( 04 3822 2888) all have a decent reputation. Note that prices are metered in dong, though it looks like dollars – for example, 20.00 on the meter means 20,000đ, not $20.

Cyclo Cyclo have been replaced by xe om as the most popular form of public transport, and they now mainly cater to tour groups taking a leisurely amble round the Old Quarter. If you fancy doing the same, the simplest option is to get your hotel to arrange it for you. Otherwise, be prepared to bargain hard, aiming at around $5 per hour. Cyclo are banned from certain roads in central Hanoi, so don’t be surprised if you seem to be taking a circuitous route or are dropped off round the corner from your destination.

Motorbike rental Motorbikes are only for the brave in the inner city but are definitely worth considering for exploring sights further afield; some agencies will even arrange for you to pick up a vehicle somewhere like Mai Chau or Ninh Binh. Most rental outlets are located in the Old Quarter – especially along Ta Hien and Hang Bac – offering a standard 110cc Honda Wave for around $5 per day, with the helmet thrown in. Cuong’s Motorbike Adventure buys, sells, rents out and repairs bikes, while Rentabike (6b Tam Thuong tel_icon 091 3026878, web_icon rentabikehanoi.com) offers new machines at reasonable rates (from $45 a month). Staff at the Minsk Club ( minskclubhanoi.wordpress.com) is an invaluable source of information and occasionally arrange one-off motorbiking excursions and other events. Always use the designated parking areas (gui xe may); the rate for motorbikes should be 5000đ or under.

Car rental Though traffic congestion makes this a cumbersome method of sightseeing in the central districts, for day-trips out of Hanoi, car rental offers greater flexibility than tours. Virtually every tour agency can arrange an a/c car with driver, starting at around $80 per day for; as few drivers speak English, you may also want to hire a guide for an extra $20–30 a day.

City buses These are mostly only used by travellers as a means to get to or from Noi Bai Airport but other useful routes connect the far-flung long-distance bus stations. Buses run approximately every fifteen to twenty minutes between 5am and 9pm, and are fairly empty except during rush hour (7–9am and after 4pm), when some routes can be hideously overcrowded. The fares are heavily subsidized, with a flat rate of 7000đ within the city centre and 9000đ to the airport and the outer suburbs; pay the ticket collector on board.

Routes #3 runs between Gia Lam and Giap Bat (30min), with stops on Hang Tre (or Tran Quang Khai, heading south), Tran Hung Dao and outside the train station; #34 covers Gia Lam and My Dinh (40min) via Hai Ba Trung and the Opera House.

< Back to Getting around

INFORMATION

Tourist information and tours The big state-run tour agencies, such as Vietnamtourism at 114 Lang Ha, Dong Da District ( tel_icon 04 3943 7072, web_icon vietnamtourism.com), are more interested in signing you up for a tour than dishing out information. A far better option is to try one of the well-established and reliable private agencies, which can provide information on visas, tours, transport and so forth. For a free guided tour, check out web_icon hanoifreewalkingtours.com.

Maps of the Old Quarter are given out free by most hotels but for in-depth exploration of the city, you can’t beat Nancy Chandler’s Map of Hanoi (around $15; check web_icon nancychandler.net for outlets).

Listings are carried in several publications, but the most useful are The Word: Hanoi, AsiaLife and Citypass Guides. Look out for free copies of these magazines in tourist-oriented hotels, cafés, restaurants and bars.

TOUR AGENTS

Hanoi’s tourist-service industry has become increasingly diversified over the years, and now comprises a dizzying array of companies – many of which, it has to be said, are dubious, fly-by-night operators who specialize in ripping off foreign tourists. There are so many outfits claiming to be affiliated to Sinh Café, for example, that the original Sinh Café was forced to change its name to The Sinh Tourist. To be on the safe side, it’s best to go to one of the longer-established and more reliable agents such as those listed here. Most also arrange day city tours, starting at around $20 a person for a half-day tour up to $150 for a luxury option, including meals.

Buffalo Tours 70–72 Ba Trieu tel_icon 04 3828 0702, web_icon buffalotours.com. Long-established experts in organizing tailor-made private tours throughout IndoChina, with a particular focus on adventure and special interest holidays; prices are a little high but the service is extremely professional.

Cuong’s Motorbike Adventure 46 Gia Ngu tel_icon 0918 763515, web_icon cuongs-motorbike-adventure.com. Group and custom tours on modern or classic Minsk bikes to all parts of the coutry, including the wild landscapes of Ha Giang Province.

Ethnic Travel 35 Hang Giay tel_icon 04 3926 1951, web_icon ethnictravel.com.vn. Popular operation with a genuine passion for low-impact, environmentally conscious travel; a maximum group size of six also makes for a more personal adventure.

Exotissimo 3rd floor, 66a Tran Hung Dao tel_icon 04 3828 2150, web_icon exotissimo.com. One-stop travel shop offering all travel-related services from visas and ticketing to tours aimed at the middle market and above. It’s a highly professional operation, with a strong focus on adventure tours and responsible tourism.

Explorer Tours 85 Hang Bo tel_icon 04 3923 1430, web_icon explorer.com.vn. Specializes in private group tours of Ha Long Bay, but also offers Hanoi day-trips and tours of the northern mountains.

Far East Tours 5 Ly Nam De tel_icon 04 3747 5876, web_icon fareastour.com.vn. Reputable company offering everyuthing from one-day city tours to three-week tours of the whole country.

Handspan Adventure Travel 78 Ma May tel_icon 04 3926 2828, web_icon handspan.com. Environmentally conscious adventure-tour specialist. Options range from sea-kayaking in Ha Long Bay to exploring the north on foot or by mountain bike, staying in minority villages. The tours are well organized, with good equipment and back-up, and are restricted to small groups.

Kangaroo Café 22 Bao Khanh tel_icon 04 3828 9931, web_icon kangaroocafe.com. This Australian-run café is recommended for its innovative, well-organized small-group and adventure tours.

Kim Tours 137 Hang Bac tel_icon 04 3993 5766, web_icon kimtours.net. This long-standing tour company is best known for its open-tour bus services, which operate countrywide.

Queen Travel 65 Hang Bac tel_icon 04 3826 0860, web_icon queentravel.vn. Aims at the middle market and above with tailor-made and small-group tours.

The Sinh Tourist 52 Luong Ngoc Quyen tel_icon 04 3926 1568, web_icon thesinhtourist.vn. Perhaps Vietnam’s most famous tour operator, frequently imitated but still reliable, especially for open-tour bus journeys.

Vietnindo Travel 5-239/71 Bo De tel_icon 04 3872 7754, web_icon vietnamholidays.biz. A small but enthusiastic and efficient company offering customized tours countrywide.

< Back to Information

ACCOMMODATION

The best place to find budget accommodation is in the Old Quarter, and to the west of Hoan Kiem Lake, where you’ll find dozens of hotels and hostels ranging from the most basic dormitories to increasingly ritzy places with air-conditioning, wi-fi access and satellite TV. For the cheapest of the cheap, look around Ngo Huyen, just north of the cathedral, where dorm rooms go for $5 a night. The city’s most sought-after addresses are in the French Quarter, headed by the venerable Sofitel Legend Metropole and its neighbour, the Hilton Hanoi Opera. Northwest of the centre, there are also a few high-end hotels on the eastern shores of West Lake. Some of the best deals to be found throughout the city are in mid-range mini-hotels, where you can often find four-star facilities and service at two-star prices.

THE OLD QUARTER AND WEST OF HOAN KIEM LAKE

Art Hotel 65 Hang Dieu tel_icon 04 3923 3868, web_icon hanoiarthotel.com; map. This newish place is great value; its twenty rooms are kitted out with the latest gadgetry, such as two-way a/c units (hot and cold), and staff fall over each other to help guests. $45

Camellia Hanoi 12c Chan Cam tel_icon 04 3828 5936, web_icon camelliahanoihotel.com; map. Friendly staff and spruced-up rooms make this little hotel near the cathedral a decent option; deluxe rooms with balconies are bright and roomy. Rates include free internet access and buffet breakfast. $15

Central Backpackers Hostel II 11 Hang Manh tel_icon 04 3938 7064 web_icon centralbackpackershostel.com; map. This place offers a great deal for backpackers – cheap bunk beds with lockers in a good Old Quarter location, plus free wi-fi, free breakfast and even free beer in the evening. The private rooms are not such a good deal but the helpful staff give this place a warm vibe. There’s another, older branch at 16 Ly Quoc Su. Dorm $5, double $20

Discovery 22 Luong Ngoc Quyen tel_icon 04 3926 2462, web_icon discoveryhotel.com.vn; map. This friendly, family-run hotel tucked up an alley off Luong Ngoc Quyen is one of the best budget deals in the Old Quarter. Its six rooms come with fridges, phones, TVs, a/c and minuscule en-suite bathrooms, though some rooms have no windows. $10

author_pick Essence Hanoi 22 Ta Hien tel_icon 04 3935 2485, web_icon essencehanoihotel.com; map. The comfortable rooms, ideal location and flawless service at Essence Hanoi make this one of the best deals in the Old Quarter. Add the fact that on the ground floor you have one of the best restaurants in the whole city and you know you’re on to a winner. Reservations highly recommended. $65

author_pick Garden Queen 65 Hang Bac tel_icon 04 3826 0860, web_icon hotelgardenqueen.com; map. In the heart of the Old Quarter, this homely hotel (only eight rooms) stands out for its eye-catching entrance hall lined with vintage bicycles and mopeds, and for its friendly, family atmosphere. The rooms are decked out in restful creams and beiges offset by the dark wooden floorboards and bamboo furniture, plus there’s a wonderful little Zen garden on the roof. $50

Hanoi Backpackers’ Hostel 48 Ngo Huyen tel_icon 04 3828 5372; 9 Ma May 04 3935 1890, web_icon vietnambackpackerhostels.com; map. Both locations of this popular hostel, especially the newer one on Ma May, are usually packed to the rafters with fun-seeking backpackers. With friendly staff, free internet access and breakfast, long happy hours, comfort food and dorm rooms, budget travellers have all they need under one roof. There are also regular barbecue nights and staff organize hugely popular – some might say debauched – tours of Ha Long Bay. Dorm $8, double $50

Hanoi Crystal 9 Hang Thung tel_icon 04 3934 3608 web_icon hanoicrystalhotel.com; map. Recently renovated place close to Hoan Kiem Lake in the southeast corner of the Old Quarter. Rooms are bright and well equipped, breakfast is included and there’s a bar on the 8th floor. It’s worth paying a few dollars more for a deluxe room, which is half as big again as the superior rooms. $30

Hanoi Guest House 85 Ma May tel_icon 04 3935 2572, web_icon hanoiguesthouse.com; map. One of the best budget options in the Old Quarter, with friendly staff, smart but compact rooms and an excellent location. Not every place at this price provides an elevator, free breakfast and computers for guests’ use. They even have a honeymoon suite. Rooms $20, suite $40

Hanoi Moment 15 Hang Can tel_icon 04 3923 3988, web_icon hanoimomenthotel.com; map. This boutique hotel in the Old Quarter makes good use of limited space, with sixteen tiny but tastefully equipped rooms. All have double glazing (a definite plus), and some even have glassed-in balconies that look like conservatories. $55

JW Marriott 8 Do Duc, Me Tri Ward, South Tu Liem District tel_icon 04 3833 5588, web_icon marriott.com; map. OK, so it’s a long way west of Hoan Kiem Lake and the French Quarter, but this new place is worth a mention for its stunning architecture, its wonderfully appointed and spacious rooms, its comprehensive facilities and its reliable and seamless service. It boasts six dining and drinking options, including the French Grill, which serves divine lobster and steaks. $160

Meracus II 32 Hang Trong tel_icon 04 3938 2526, web_icon meracushotels.com; map. This is the newer of two branches of Meracus (the older being at 11 Hang Dzau, on the east side of the Old Quarter). Its 13 rooms are beautifully appointed, with deep mattresses and restful decor in a great location between Hoan Kiem Lake and St Joseph’s Cathedral. Staff are very friendly and the complimentary breakfast is a good way to start the day. $60

Oriental Central 39 Hang Bac tel_icon 04 3935 1117, web_icon orientalcentralhotel.com; map. This mini-hotel is typical of many mid-range places in the Old Quarter that offer good quality at competitive rates. Rooms are bright and clean with all the facilities you might need, and they’ll throw in a free airport transfer if you book for three nights. A generous breakfast is included, and it’s in the heart of the action. $50

Silk Path 195–199 Hang Bong tel_icon 04 3266 5555, web_icon silkpathhotel.com; map. Located in the southwest corner of the Old Quarter, this four-star business hotel offers supreme comfort, with thick-piled carpets, tasteful furnishings and a totally relaxing vibe. $133

Thu Giang 5a Tam Thuong alley tel_icon 04 3828 5734, web_icon thugianggh.com; map. A family-run hotel with inexpensive dorm beds and tiny, no-frills doubles for not much more. Little in the way of facilities but an interesting location in a quiet alley and the hosts make you very welcome. Dorm $3, doubles $8

Tirant 36–38 Gia Ngu tel_icon 04 6269 8899, web_icon tiranthotel.com; map. Typical of many mid-range places that offer top-end facilities, the Tirant also has a rooftop pool. Staff quickly learn guests’ names and enjoy helping out with things like restaurant bookings and calling taxis. Go for a front-facing room on the top floor for views of Hoan Kiem Lake. $65

Tung Trang 13 Tam Thuong alley tel_icon 04 3828 6267, web_icon tungtranghotel.com; map. A step above the rest along this alley, located right opposite Yen Thai Temple, the Tung Trang offers small but clean rooms, all with TVs, a/c and en-suite bathrooms. It’s worth paying a couple of dollars extra for a bigger room with a window. $16

BEWARE THE COPYCAT SCAM

Be warned that copyright counts for nothing in Vietnam, so as soon as someone starts a successful business, the copycats jump on the bandwagon. This is especially true of hotels, so for example there are multiple Queen, Prince and Camellia hotels. However, they are not all under the same management, so you’ll need to insist on being taken to the hotel you’ve specified; check the address with staff when you arrive. Some taxi drivers, especially those at Noi Bai Airport, will try to persuade you that your chosen hotel has closed, moved or changed name, or simply take you to a place with the same name and a different address, in order to get a commission. If this happens, make a note of the vehicle registration number and report it to the hotel you were aiming for so that they can make a complaint.

THE FRENCH QUARTER

Artist 22a Hai Ba Trung tel_icon 04 3825 3044, email_icon artisthotel22A@gmail.com; map. One of the few cheap options in the French Quarter, this quirky hotel was undergoing a long-overdue renovation at the time of this update. It’s located by the Hanoi Cinematheque at the end of a long alley. $24

author_pick Hilton Hanoi Opera 1 Le Thanh Tong tel_icon 04 3933 0500, web_icon hilton.com; map. Arguably Hanoi’s top city-centre address for all-round value, this five-star hotel is carefully designed to blend in with the neighbouring Opera House. Facilities include 269 cheerful and well-proportioned rooms with excellent bathrooms and some local touches in the ceramics, contemporary paintings and chunky furniture. In-house services include three restaurants, a business centre and a fitness room with outdoor swimming pool and spa services. $175

Hotel de l’Opera 29 Trang Tien tel_icon 04 6282 5555, web_icon hoteldelopera.com; map. If the nearby Metropole’s room rates seem a bit steep, consider this stylish alternative, a recently opened top-class hotel operated by M Gallery. It has a fantastic location, just down the road from the Opera House, and rooms are beautifully designed with amazingly deep mattresses and a choice of five different pillow styles. There’s a gym, a small pool and a sun terrace, as well as two classy restaurants. $150

Mövenpick 83a Ly Thuong Kiet tel_icon 04 3822 2800, web_icon moevenpick-hotels.com; map. Standard-setting business hotel housed in a colonial-style building near the train station. Rooms are tasteful, but the hotel’s most distinctive feature is a female-only floor, which has slightly different rooms with features like a make-up mirror at the work desk for those who like to primp in natural light, padded hangers for silk blouses and ultra-high-powered hairdryers, as well as direct access to the excellent fitness centre. $110

author_pick Sofitel Legend Metropole 15 Ngo Quyen tel_icon 04 3826 6919, web_icon sofitel.com; map. Opened in 1901 since when it has hosted numerous illustrious guests, the Metropole remains the most sought-after hotel in Hanoi despite increasingly fierce competition. Though rooms in the modern Opera Wing exude international-class luxury, they lack the old-world charm of the original building, with its wooden floorboards and louvred shutters. In-house services include a business centre, a small open-air swimming pool, fitness centre and a choice of bars and restaurants, notably Spices Garden, serving upmarket Vietnamese fare. $300

Somerset Grand Hanoi 49 Hai Ba Trung tel_icon 04 3934 2342, web_icon somerset.com; map. These serviced apartments, with up to three bedrooms and fully equipped kitchens, can be rented by the night and make a more homely alternative to an upmarket hotel. They also represent surprisingly good value, including access to facilities such as an open-air pool, a gym and a creche. Make sure you book well in advance. $117

Sunway 19 Pham Dinh Ho tel_icon 04 3971 3888, web_icon hanoi.sunwayhotels.com; map. An award-winning, four-star boutique hotel where consistently high standards of service and comfortable rooms make up for a slightly inconvenient location to the south of the French Quarter, from where it’s quite a trek to the city’s major sights. There’s an in-house restaurant and a health spa. $90

author_pick Zephyr 4–6 Ba Trieu tel_icon 04 3934 1256, web_icon zephyrhotel.com.vn; map. This three-star place offers value for money with its 44 spacious and carpeted rooms in a prime location just a stone’s throw from Hoan Kiem Lake. $70

< Back to Accommodation

EATING

The choice of eating options in Hanoi is staggering and you could easily plan your entire stay in the city around a tour of its restaurants and street food outlets. You’ll find everything from humble food stalls and street kitchens, the best dishing out top-quality food for next to nothing, to a dizzying range of stylish international restaurants: check English-language listings magazines such as The Word: Hanoi ( web_icon wordhanoi.com) or the New Hanoian website ( tnhvietnam.xemzi.com) for the latest newcomers. There’s no shortage, either, of cafés, whether one-room coffee houses serving thick, strong cups of the local brew, or fancy Western-style places serving cappuccinos and café lattes. Juice stalls are wonderful places to sample Vietnam’s wide range of tropical fruits; just look for glass cabinets on the street displaying fruit, then squat on a stool and salivate as they whisk up the juice while you wait.

STREET FOOD

For sheer value for money and atmosphere your best option is to eat either at the rock-bottom, stove-and-stools food stalls or at the slightly more upmarket street kitchens, most of which specialize in just one or two types of food. You’ll find both these sorts of places scattered across the city, often with no recognizable name and little to choose between individual establishments, but there are a few that stand out from the crowd: we’ve listed some of the best here.

Pho bo is Vietnam’s national dish, a beef noodle soup served with chopped spring onion, usually eaten for breakfast and costing around 30,000–40,000đ. Novels have been written extolling its virtues, and the addresses to head for are 10 Ly Quoc Su, 49 Bat Dan, and our favourite, Suong Pho at 24b Ngo Trung Yen (map).

Bun cha, consisting of pork patties served with cold rice noodles and dipping sauce (about 35,000đ), is a popular lunchtime dish and can be found all over the city. The most famed locations are 1 Hang Manh (map) and 1 Pho Hue (map) in the French Quarter.

Bun bo nam bo is a southern dish, and a hot favourite with most Westerners. It consists of lean beef with noodles and beansprouts, topped with roasted peanuts, garlic and basil. Join the lunchtime queue at 67 Hang Dieu (map), throw on a spoonful of chilli sauce, stir it up and fill your belly for 50,000đ.

Banh cuon is a Hanoi snack consisting of almost transparent rice-flour pancakes usually stuffed with minced pork and black mushrooms and sprinkled with fried shallots. Give it a try at 14 Hang Ga (map).

Banh goi, sometimes called “pillow cake”, is a fried pastry, somewhat like a samosa, filled with vermicelli, minced pork and mushrooms, and eaten with a thin sweet sauce, parsley and chilli. Sample a serving of two per plate (9,000đ) at 52 Ly Quoc Su (map).

Bun rieu cua, a crab noodle soup laced with tomatoes, tofu, spring onions and fried shallots, is another popular breakfast dish, especially on cold winter mornings. Try it at 34 Cau Go (map).

RESTAURANTS

THE OLD QUARTER AND WEST OF HOAN KIEM LAKE

69 Bar & Restaurant 69 Ma May; tel_icon 04 3926 1720; map. Exposed beams and brickwork give a rustic feel to this traditional house which functions as a restaurant. The menu includes several innovative dishes such as caramelized pork claypot with coconut cream, with most main courses priced at around 100,000–140,000đ. Daily 9am–11pm.

Ba Le Long Beach 18 Bao Khanh tel_icon 04 3938 0190; map. This simple place offers a good range of comfort food, as well as vegetarian dishes, traditional Vietnamese such as bun cha (65,000đ) and cha ca (129,000đ), and delicious shakes. It’s handy for Hoan Kiem Lake and there’s an a/c room upstairs. Daily 7am–10pm.

Bittet Ong Loi 51 Hang Buom tel_icon 04 3825 1211; map. Hidden down a long, dark passage, this small and bustling restaurant, with limited opening hours, serves platters of bittet – a Vietnamese corruption of French biftek – with lashings of garlic and chips for 110,000đ. Or you can opt for roast chicken, roast pigeon, crab or prawn. Daily 5–9pm.

Café de Paris 12 Luong Ngoc Quyen tel_icon 04 3926 1327; map. This tiny French bistro, complete with black-and-white tiled floor and brass rail round the bar, serves up a short but excellent range of Western dishes such as beef bourguignon (170,000đ) and fish fillet, as well as good breakfasts for 120,000đ. It’s also a/c and right in the heart of the Old Quarter. Daily 7.30am–11pm.

Cha Ca Thang Long 31 Duong Thanh tel_icon 04 3824 5115; map. Patronized by locals, this is the best place to sample tasty, inexpensive cha ca – fried fish with turmeric, dill and other condiments (120,000đ) – which is one of Hanoi’s most famous dishes. Daily 11am–9pm.

author_pick Essence 22 Ta Hien tel_icon 04 3935 2485; map. Hotel restaurants can sometimes be rather bland, but Essence offers some of the best gourmet food in Hanoi – both Vietnamese and Western – at reasonable prices. Go for one of the set menus (400,000–600,000đ), which include three courses and a glass of wine, or sample the delicious beef in bamboo. Daily 11am–10.30pm.

Gecko 85 Hang Bac tel_icon 04 3935 2702; map. There seems to be a branch of this self-styled “cheap and cheerful” eatery on every street in the Old Quarter, and while you shouldn’t expect gourmet food, you should expect prompt and friendly service, a cosy, a/c environment and rock-bottom prices. The menu covers everything from spring rolls to pancakes to cocktails. Daily 9am–midnight.

author_pick Green Tangerine 48 Hang Be tel_icon 04 3825 1286, web_icon greentangerinehanoi.com; map. The setting is a 1920s Art Deco villa and its lovely, plant-filled courtyard. It’s worth reserving a table to sample the Vietnamese–French fusion cuisine: rich and unusual flavour combinations such as smoked duck breast with goat’s cheese and red tuna carpaccio with frozen yoghurt and lime, though the menu changes regularly. The two-course set lunch (218,000đ) is excellent value. Otherwise, this is definitely one for a splurge – a meal for two will set you back 800,000đ or more. Daily 11am–11pm.

Highway 4 5 Hang Tre tel_icon 04 3926 4200, web_icon highway4.com; map. With several locations scattered round town, Highway 4 offers moderately priced mainly north Vietnamese dishes – steamboat and earthen-pot dishes, as well as more innovative fare such as their famous catfish spring rolls – to accompany traditional rice wine liquors. These come in more than thirty varieties, the medicinal benefits of which are explained in the English-language menu. Daily 10am–1am; food served to 11pm.

La 25 Ly Quoc Su tel_icon 04 3928 8933; map. Standing out among a clutch of restaurants near the cathedral, this mellow dining room is a good place to collect your thoughts and enjoy either a hearty Western dish like an imported steak (260,000đ) or a Vietnamese mild chicken curry (100,000đ). Good range of drinks too. Daily 8am–10.30pm.

La Place 6 Au Trieu tel_icon 04 3928 5859, web_icon laplacehanoi.com; map. Sweet little place with views of the cathedral square from its picture windows. The dishes are small but well prepared, and the coconut chicken curry is a deservedly popular choice (100,000đ). Daily 7.30am–10.30pm.

La Salsa 25 Nha Tho tel_icon 04 3828 9052, web_icon lasalsa-hanoi.com; map. Decently priced tapas (40,000–80,000đ), paella (260,000đ) and French cuisine too in a knockout location near the cathedral. Of an evening, the ground-floor bar is also a popular drinking hole for local expats. Daily 8.30am–10.30pm.

author_pick Mam 11–13 Hang Mam tel_icon 04 3935 2888, web_icon mamrestaurant.vn; map. Excellent Vietnamese cuisine, superb service (as long as there’s not a tour group in) and a refined ambience combine to make dining at Mam a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Go for one of the set menus and wash it down with a reasonably priced bottle of wine. Daily 10am–10pm.

Moose & Roo 42b Ma May tel_icon 04 3200 1289, web_icon mooseandroo.com; map. This Canadian- and Aussie-run gastropub is a bit pricier than most places in the Old Quarter, but it seems there are plenty of visitors willing to splash out on a steak, burger or home-made pie (most mains 200,000–300,000đ), including backpackers from the hostel opposite. The short menu includes some unusual but tasty items, such as scotch egg with piccalilli (140,000đ) and pulled pork sandwich (180,000đ), so this is a good spot for a break from Vietnamese fare. Daily 9.30am–midnight.

New Day 72 Ma May tel_icon 04 3828 0315, web_icon newdayrestaurant.com; map. This no-frills diner turns out consistently delicious Vietnamese staples for rock-bottom prices, and customers are welcome to wander in the kitchen to select from pre-prepared dishes. If it’s full out front, muscle your way in and they’ll find a spot for you somewhere. Daily 8am–10.30pm.

Tamarind Café 80 Ma May tel_icon 04 3926 0580; map. A little pricey but worth it for the well-presented contemporary vegetarian food (organic where possible), fresh fruit juices and herbal teas, with a laidback vibe and decor to match: plump sofas and arty Asian-style seating platforms at the rear. Daily 6am–11pm.

Tandoor 24 Hang Be tel_icon 04 3824 5359, web_icon tandoorvietnam.com; map. A perennially popular Indian restaurant with simple decor but cracking curries, Goan fish curry, mutton vindaloo and an extensive range of mouthwatering vegetarian dishes. The thali set meals (Mon–Fri only) offer reasonable value at 140,000–180,000đ. Daily 10.30am–10.30pm.

HANOI’S UNUSUAL EATS

In addition to the traditional favourite street food, it’s not uncommon to find dishes featuring goat, dog, rat, snake and porcupine. Some readers may find this ethically challenging, but the eating of animals is deeply entrenched in Vietnamese culture, and an invitation to share in the feast is to be considered an honour.

If you want to sample dog meat (thit cho), a northern speciality eaten mostly in winter but never during days one to ten of the lunar calendar month, then head out of Hanoi along the Red River dyke to Nghi Tam Avenue. There are dozens of stilthouse restaurants to choose from; your best bet is to head for the busiest. The dog meat comes boiled (luoc) or grilled (cha nuong) and served with green banana and tofu (rua man), and is washed down with rice wine.

Le Mat snake village – 4km over Chuong Duong Bridge in the Gia Lam District – is home to a slew of snake-meat restaurants, some of which play to the crowd with elaborate theatrics, including killing the snake in front of you. It’s then served up in every possible form, from soup and crispy-fried skin accompanied by rice wine liquors laced with blood and bile. The guest of honour gets to eat the still pumping heart – beware, it’s alleged to have amphetamine properties. Though not the cheapest of Le Mat’s restaurants, Quoc Trieu (74/161 Hoa Lam, tel_icon 04 3827 2988; daily10am–10pm) has a reliable reputation and leaves out the gory bits.

THE FRENCH QUARTER

A la folie…! 63 Ngo Hue tel_icon 04 3976 1667; map. This newly opened French restaurant is managed by the folks from neighbouring Chim Sao, and adds a welcome option to Hanoi’s dining scene. Head upstairs for a/c comfort and choose from dishes like braised shredded duck (150,000đ) and red snapper fillet (170,000đ), or go for the well-priced set menus. Attentive service too. Tues–Sun 11am–2pm & 6–10pm.

Al Fresco’s 23l Hai Ba Trung tel_icon 04 3826 7782, web_icon alfrescosgroup.com; map. This is the place to head for when you’re really hungry, as portions are huge. Café, bar and grill in one, the menu includes good-quality Aussie and international fare, including great ribs, salads, steaks and a choice of thin- or thick-crust pizzas from 125,000đ upwards. There are several other locations around town, including on Nha Tho near the cathedral; see the website for details. Daily 9am–11pm.

Chim Sao 65 Ngo Hue tel_icon 04 3976 0633, web_icon chimsao.com; map. It’s worth hunting down this quirky restaurant for its laidback atmosphere (dining upstairs is on floor cushions around low tables) and its menu of unusual items such as buffalo sautéed with morning glory (95,000đ), bamboo shoot salad (50,000đ) and freshwater crab with ginger sauce (85,000đ). Daily 8am–10.30pm.

Com Chay Nang Tam 79a Tran Hung Dao tel_icon 04 3942 4140, web_icon nangtam.com.vn; map. Small, vegetarian restaurant down a quiet alley off Tran Hung Dao and named after Vietnamese Cinderella character. Goi bo, a main-course salad of banana flower, star fruit and pineapple, is recommended, or try one of the well-priced set menus all around 60,000–100,000đ a head. The food’s all tasty and MSG-free, though purists might not like the way some dishes (mostly made of tofu) emulate meat. Daily 9am–9pm.

Indochine 14 Nam Ngu tel_icon 04 3942 4097, web_icon indochinehanoi.com; map. Food of consistently high quality keeps this well-established restaurant up there with its younger rivals, though prices are a bit expensive. Classic Vietnamese cuisine includes seafood spring rolls, steamboat and the famous prawn on sugar cane at 140,000–300,000đ, or try the set meals from 340,000đ. Evenings are popular with tour groups, so reservations are recommended. Traditional Vietnamese music performed on Thurs (7–9pm). Daily 11am–2pm & 5.30–10pm.

author_pick La Verticale 19 Ngo Van So tel_icon 04 3944 6317, web_icon verticale-hanoi.com; map. Spice is the word at this recently refurbished colonial house – the laboratory-like ground floor is pungent with French chef Didier Corlou’s cooking. These are possibly the most carefully constructed dishes in the country, such as muscovy duck with lemongrass, ginger, honey and Thai basil (680,000đ). The open top level is perfect for an evening drink. Set lunch 350,000đ, a la carte 540,000–900,000đ. Daily 11am–2pm, 6–9.30pm.

Le Cine Café 22a Hai Ba Trung tel_icon 04 3433 9362; map. Duck down the alley of the Hanoi Cinémathèque to find this delightful courtyard café-bar. It serves a great range of ready-made Vietnamese dishes at lunchtime, and there are several Western items like steak and chips (200,000đ) in the evening. It’s a good people-watching spot, and sometimes there is live music, at showtime. Daily 9am–11pm.

Pane e Vino 3 Nguyen Khac Can tel_icon 04 3826 9080; map. Popular with the local Italian community for its authentic cuisine and relaxed atmosphere. The menu ranges from caprese salad and minestrone soup through osso buco, roast lamb and veal saltimbocca to zabaglione and the obligatory tiramisu – not to mention the gourmet pasta and pizza dishes. Count on around 600,000đ per head for three courses, 160,000–220,000đ for a pizza. Daily 8am–10pm.

Pots ’n Pans 57 Bui Thi Xuan tel_icon 04 3944 0204, web_icon potsnpans.vn; map. One of the most exciting new arrivals on Hanoi’s culinary scene, this slick venue with minimalist decor is run by graduates of KOTO. While many chefs tend to make a mess of fusion food, this place produces some innovative twists on classics like duck breast and beef tenderloin. It isn’t cheap, but you get what you pay for, and the set lunch is good value at around 200,000đ. Daily 11.30am–9.30pm.

Press Club 59a Ly Thai To tel_icon 04 3934 0888, web_icon hanoi-pressclub.com; map. If you’re looking to splurge on a meal in Hanoi, you could do worse than the Press Club, which has an exclusive feel about it with plush leather chairs and starched tablecloths. The menu, featuring mostly fusion and international dishes (mains 500,000đ), is constantly changing, though you’ll always find steaks and exotics like lobster available. Friday evening is party night, when a live band lets rip on the terrace. Daily 11am–2pm & 6–10.30pm.

author_pick Quan An Ngon 18 Phan Boi Chau tel_icon 04 3942 8162, web_icon ngonhanoi.com.vn; map. Quite possibly the city’s most popular restaurant, Ngon (meaning “delicious”) is often packed full, especially at peak eating hours. The concept is simple, to provide upmarket street food in pleasant surroundings at easily affordable prices. Choose from the menu or see what takes your fancy at stalls cooking up Hanoi and Hue specialities around the garden seating area – there are more tables in the colonial villa behind. Check out their website for other venues. Daily 6.30am–10pm.

WEST AND NORTH OF THE CENTRE

Foodshop 45 59 Truc Bach tel_icon 04 3716 2959, web_icon foodshop45.com; map. It’s worth going out of your way to eat at this welcoming Indian restaurant in an interesting residential district overlooking Truc Bach Lake. The Indian-trained chef cooks up a tasty tandoor dishes and a cracking Kadhai chicken with big chunks of meat. Excellent value for money, and if you’re too lazy to go there they’ll deliver to your hotel room. There’s also a small branch in the Old Quarter, at 32 Hang Buom. Daily 10am–10.30pm.

Khai’s Brothers 26 Nguyen Thai Hoc tel_icon 04 3733 3866; map. Through a traditional entranceway on this busy main road, you’ll find a peaceful courtyard restaurant with tables set out under the trees. They only serve buffets, which are well priced at $12.50 for lunch and $18.50 in the evening (weekends $23, with wine thrown in). Daily 11.30am–2pm & 6.30–10pm.

Kitchen 30 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho District tel_icon 04 3719 2679; map. This place with a shady patio and a/c interior (seating upstairs too) is a handy spot for refreshment if you’re exploring the West Lake area. They serve Mexican dishes, sandwiches, salads and pasta (all 140,000–220,000đ), as well as yummy juices and shakes. Mon 7am–3pm, Tues–Sun 7am–10pm.

author_pick Koto 59 Van Mieu tel_icon 04 3747 0337; map. Deservedly popular restaurant staffed by erstwhile street kids, under a charity programme to train them in hospitality skills. Start the day with muesli and fresh fruits or a full buffet breakfast, or stop by later for a gourmet sandwich or a barbecued duck salad (most main courses are around 100,000–140,000đ), but make sure you leave room for dessert. Views from the rooftop terrace overlook the Temple of Literature. All proceeds are ploughed back into the charity, and they offer cooking classes too. Daily 7.30am–10pm.

CAFÉS

Hanoi’s French legacy is particularly apparent in the city’s adoption of café culture. The city boasts hundreds of local cafés, offering minimum comfort but great coffee – usually small, strong shots of the local brew. Two streets that are lined with atmospheric establishments are Nguyen Huu Haan, on the east side of the Old Quarter, and Hang Hanh, near the northwest corner of Hoan Kiem Lake.

WATCH OUT FOR THE WEASELS

Since Vietnam is one of the world’s foremost producers of coffee, a bag of aromatic beans makes an ideal gift for friends back home, or even something for your own kitchen to remind you of sitting in Vietnamese cafés. Most coffee vendors sell something they call weasel coffee (caphe chon in Vietnamese), which is produced by passing the beans through the digestive system of civet cats. This results in a distinctive taste – slightly smoky with a hint of chocolate – and the beans often fetch up to $100 a kilo. Not surprising, then, that some clever coffee producers have managed to mimic the taste using biotechnology, so it’s difficult to know whether you’re getting the real thing. Also, some countries like Australia now ban the import of this coffee, so think twice before buying some to take home.

Café Lam 60 Nguyen Huu Huan tel_icon 04 3824 5940; map. This shabby but atmospheric one-room café made its name in Hanoi’s lean years as a place for artists and young intellectuals to hang out and subsequently has a bohemian vibe. A few paid their bills with paintings, some of which still adorn the walls. If you’re not an artist, a coffee will cost you around 25,000đ. Daily 7am–10pm.

City View Café 7 Dinh Tien Hoang tel_icon 04 3934 7911, web_icon cityviewcafe.com.vn; map. This aptly named café has the best views possible of Hoan Kiem from the fifth floor of the tall building at the northern end of the lake. Look for the entrance in the southwest corner of the building, take the lift up, and bag a seat overlooking the peaceful waters and frantic traffic below. Fruit shakes and beers at reasonable prices, plus an extensive menu of Vietnamese and Western cuisine. Daily 10am–11pm.

Cong Caphe 35a Nguyen Huu Huan web_icon congcaphe.com; map. One in a café chain whose premises are designed like Viet Cong bunkers, (complete with bullet holes in the walls); staff wear Viet Cong gear, and coffee is served in war-style enamel mugs – all very 1970s. Daily 7am–11.30pm.

Fanny 51 Ly Thuong Kiet tel_icon 04 3937 8170, web_icon fanny.com.vn; map. Hanoi’s top ice-cream parlour serves up a bewildering array of flavours, such as cinammon, avocado and durian. They have recently moved to a new, bigger location in the French Quarter, where there are two floors and an open-air courtyard. Daily 7am–11pm.

Hanoi Social Club 6 Hoi Vu tel_icon 04 3938 2117; map. Set in an atmospheric, 1924 building, this is a great place to hang out while checking your email or browsing the web. Choose from three floors of quirky seating (including a rooftop garden), from old sofas to hard-backed chairs, and order from the equally quirky menu (porridge, pumpkin salad, potato pancakes with chorizo and, of course, coffee). Only problem is that the staff sometimes get too wrapped up in the laidback vibe and forget to work. Daily 8am–11pm.

Highlands Coffee 1-3-5 Dinh Tien Hoang tel_icon 04 3936 3228, web_icon highlandscoffee.com.vn; map. A Vietnamese Starbucks clone with an increasing number of outlets; the best location is on the third floor of the building overlooking the north end of Hoan Kiem Lake, followed by the one outside the Hanoi Opera House. Prices are higher than elsewhere but the quality coffee and comfy seating make it worthwhile. Daily 7am–9pm.

Hue Café 26 Hang Giay; map. This tiny store sells strong coffee from the Central Highlands. The quality is high, every cup is freshly ground and prices are very low (30,000–50,000đ). Also available is “weasel coffee”, though this unusual beverage has its complications. Daily 8am–10pm.

Loft Stop Café 11b Bao Khanh tel_icon 04 3928 9433; map. An ideal spot for refreshment while slogging round the lake and the Old Quarter, this recently renovated café provides a cheaper alternative to its sister restaurant upstairs (the Millennium), serving good juices and coffees and a decent range of Western and Vietnamese dishes. Daily 8am–11pm.

Love Chocolate 26 To Ngoc Van tel_icon 04 2243 2120, web_icon lovechocolatecafe.com; map. Located some distance from the centre near the northern side of West Lake, but it’s well worth the hike to this faux English living room; think mint paint, pot plants and flowery curtains, with batches of delicious home-made cookies rustled up daily. A bit pricey but worth it for the unique atmosphere. Mon–Sat 10am–10pm.

Moca 14–16 Nha Tho tel_icon 04 3825 6334; map. Located in the hip cathedral area, Moca’s huge picture windows are ideal for people-watching over a mug of the creamiest, frothiest café latte in town, and prices aren’t steep either. In winter hunker down by the open fire. Daily 8am–11pm.

author_pick Nola Alley beside 89 Ma May tel_icon 04 3926 4669; map. This is another difficult-to-find place, despite being almost next door to Heritage House, though well worth the effort. Down the twisting alley and up the stairs, you’ll find a variety of cosy, high-ceilinged rooms with retro decor, cool beats (Louis Armstrong, vintage Dylan), interesting snacks and cheap beers. Daily 10am–11pm.

Pho Co 11 Hang Gai tel_icon 04 3928 8153; map. Finding this fascinating place is half the fun: go through the souvenir shops at number #11, then along a narrow passage and into a hushed courtyard, where you place your order. Head up the stairs, past the family altar, up a spiral staircase and one more flight of regular steps, and you’ll finally reach a roof terrace high above Hoan Kiem Lake, where you can sample coffee with added egg white, if you dare. Prices are very reasonable for such a central location. Daily 8am–11pm.

Puku 16–18 Tong Duy Tan tel_icon 04 3938 1745; map. This popular café located a couple of blocks north of the railway station offers round-the-clock service, so it’s handy for early arrivals looking for a 4am breakfast. It’s one of the main hangout venues for Hanoi expats, and deservedly so, offering “couch-surfing food and wifi-enabled coffee”, plus sports on TV. Not cheap but worth it for the ambience. Daily 24hrs.

Saint Honore 5 Xuan Dieu tel_icon 04 3933 2355, web_icon sainthonore.com.vn; map. Excellent patisserie and bistro in the West Lake area, serving delicious cakes and main dishes such as steak tartare. Daily 8am–10pm.

Thuy Ta 1 Le Thai To tel_icon 04 3828 8148; map. A breezy lakeside café that’s a great spot for breakfast, afternoon tea, ice cream or an evening beer, though the food is only average quality. Very popular among tourists and a bit pricey, but you pay for the location. Daily 7am–10pm.

< Back to Eating

DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFE

For a capital city, Hanoi sleeps pretty early: most bars outside the big hotels sweep up around midnight and nightclubs don’t stay open much later. The authorities blow hot and cold over enforcing a midnight curfew, but one or two places always seem to keep pouring until the last customer leaves: check the English-language listings magazines for the current situation. The choice of nightspots is constantly increasing, however, particularly on Ta Hien, a street packed with lively, dimly lit bars, and nearby Dau Duy Ta, where more of the clientele is Vietnamese. Nevertheless, the busiest venues are without doubt the bia hoi outlets selling pitchers of the local brew.

BIA HOI CORNER

During the day it’s just like any other corner in the Old Quarter, but if you go to the junction of Luong Ngoc Quyen and Ta Hien any time after 5pm, you’ll find the crossroads full of Westerners squatting on tiny stools set out by one of a few bia hoi bars around here, drinking fresh draught beer poured straight from the barrel. Bia hoi needs to be drunk quickly before it loses its fizz, but there are usually plenty of takers as it’s tasty, refreshing and only 5000đ a glass. If you’d rather sup your suds in the company of locals rather than backpackers, head for Lan Chin, at 2 Trang Tien, directly opposite the History Museum.

Binh Minh Jazz Club 1 Trang Tien tel_icon 04 3933 6555, web_icon minhjazzvietnam.com; map. Hanoi’s premier jazz club has moved to a spot right behind the Opera House – look for the dimly lit lane with a small sign on Trang Tien. It’s run by Hanoi’s living jazz legend, the charismatic and highly accomplished saxophonist Quyen Van Minh. Sit back and enjoy a 2hr set of mainstream classics every night between 9pm and 11pm. No cover fee but pricey drinks. Daily 8pm–midnight.

author_pick CAMA ATK 73a Mai Hac De tel_icon 0915 631120, web_icon cama-atk.com; map. One of the few nightspots in the French Quarter, this intriguing venue frequently hosts visiting musicians as the owners are also concert organizers. Check out the website to see what’s coming up. Friendly vibe and well-stocked bar. Wed–Sat 6pm–midnight.

The Cheeky Quarter 1 Ta Hien tel_icon 0169 368 3773; map. Good music, great food and table football are on the cards here, though given the size and layout things can feel decidedly dead on a midweek night. Daily 6pm–2am.

Funky Buddha 2 Ta Hien tel_icon 04 3297 7614, web_icon linkhanoi.com; map. A focus on fixtures, fittings and pulsating lighting has made this one of Hanoi’s most popular lounge bars, with beers costing around $3–4. There’s an excellent sound system which plays dance music extremely lound, so don’t even think of having a conversation here. It attracts 20-something lounge lizards of every nationality. Daily 6pm–1am.

Hair of the Dog 32 Ma May tel_icon 0938 385382; map. Classic dark night club with flashing lights and dancefloor downstairs and a chill-out area with shisha pipes upstairs. It attracts plenty of young locals as well as backpackers from the hostel across the street. Daily 8pm–2am.

Hay 12 Ta Hien; map. This place seems to change its name every few months, but it stands out from other Ta Hien bars for its live music featuring talented locals playing original compositions. Just look for number #12, about 20m north of bia hoi corner on the left. Daily 7pm–midnight.

Irish Wolfhound 4 Luong Ngoc Quyen tel_icon 04 2212 6821, web_icon irishwolfhoundpub.com; map. Appealing bar on the eastern side of the Old Quarter where you’ll find imported beers, sports on TV and a welcoming smile. There’s usually a live band on Friday and Saturday nights – check out the events calendar on the website. Daily 11am–2am.

author_pick La Bomba Latina 46 Ngo Huyen tel_icon 0917 245155; map. This music club is a must-visit for lovers of merengue, bachata, zouk, reggaeton, salsa or any other Latin beats. Located along a narrow lane of budget hotels near the cathedral, it attracts a mixed crowd of Vietnamese and foreigners with one thing in common; they all love to dance. Daily 6pm–2am.

Le Pub 25 Hang Be tel_icon 04 3926 2104; map. A good range of drinks at reasonable prices – including genuinely cold beers – plus above-average food, decent music and friendly bar staff ensures a real pub atmosphere in an Old Quarter tube-house. There are different drink promotions most days. Daily 8am–1am.

Mao’s Red Lounge 7 Ta Hien tel_icon 04 3926 3104; map. Cheap prices and strong cocktails make this two-level bar one of the most popular places on Hanoi’s nighttime strip; at weekends, it can achieve rowdiness quite at odds with its loungey setting and mood music. Daily 6pm–2am.

Polite Pub 5b Bao Khanh tel_icon 0904 198086; map. It claims to be the oldest pub in town, and it certainly has a loyal clientele of expats who drop in after work for a beer or a single malt scotch and maybe a cigar. There’s a pool table, cool tunes and ice-cold drinks. Daily 5pm–midnight.

R&R Tavern 256 Nghi Tam tel_icon 04 6295 8215, web_icon rockandrolltavern.com; map. One of Hanoi’s longest-running live music venues, now relocated to the West Lake area, the Tavern is still pumping out Sixties and Seventies classics on Friday nights. There’s also an open-mic night on Mondays and quiz night on Tuesdays. Daily 9am–2am.

Rock Store 61 Ma May tel_icon 0987 132586, web_icon linkhanoi.com; map. With a choice location on Ma May, this two-floor bar always has some event going on, whether it’s a sexy nurse party, a live band or a visiting DJ. Cocktails around 100,000đ. It’s run by Link Hanoi, which now operates around half a dozen bars in the Old Quarter. Daily 10am–1am.

< Back to Drinking and nightlife

ENTERTAINMENT

Hanoi offers an unusual mix of highbrow entertainment, from traditional Vietnamese water puppetry to performances of traditional music, such as ca tru, and theatres featuring classical opera. The shows at the Golden Bell and Hong Ha theatres offer a glimpse of traditional Vietnamese folk music and drama, but apart from these and a few tourist-oriented restaurants that feature traditional music in the evenings (such as Indochine), there are no other venues regularly showcasing Vietnamese traditional culture in Hanoi. However, things are changing fast, so it’s worth asking the concierge at your hotel if there’s anything interesting happening in your part of town. For movie buffs, there are cinema complexes in shopping malls that screen English-language films, and the unique Cinémathèque showing art-house films.

author_pick Ca Tru Recognized by UNESCO in 2009 as an intangible heritage in need of safeguarding, ca tru music is performed by an ensemble consisting of just three musicians, one of whom is a female singer. The haunting sounds are not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you can open your ears and close your eyes for an hour, you might just find it very moving. Currently shows start at 8pm on Tues, Thurs and Sat at 87 Ma May and Wed, Fri and Sun at 42 Hang Bac (see map), but check tel_icon 0122 3266897, web_icon catruthanglong.com for any changes. Tickets cost $10.

Cinema Megastar, at the top of Vincom Towers (191 Ba Trieu tel_icon 04 3974 3333; map), shows English-language films with tickets priced at $4–5. If you’re in Hanoi for a while, it’s well worth joining the members-only Hanoi Cinémathèque (22a Hai Ba Trung 04 3936 2648; map) for its range of international non-mainstream movies (200,000đ per year, 60,000đ donation for non-members). There’s often live music before movie showings at Le Cine Café in front of the cinema.

Opera Hanoi’s Opera House (1 Trang Tien tel_icon 04 3933 0113, web_icon hanoioperahouse.org.vn; map) makes a grand setting for performances of classical music and opera; this historic building features a truly sumptuous interior of plush red fabrics, mirrors and chandeliers. Tickets are available from the foyer (200,000–700,000; daily 8am–5pm) or can be booked by phone or online. The Hong Ha Theatre (51 Duong Thanh tel_icon 04 3825 2803; map) hosts performances of Vietnamese classical opera (Hat Tuong), usually on Thurs from 6pm to 7pm, but call to check. Admission 150,000đ.

Theatre The Golden Bell Theater (72 Hang Bac tel_icon 098 8307 272, web_icon goldenbellshow.vn; map) is housed in a beautiful colonial building in the heart of the Old Quarter. One-hour shows geared to tourists (Sat 8–9pm; 150,000đ) present eight performances of traditional folk styles.

Water puppets The Thang Long Water Puppet Troupe is by far the most popular, and polished, of Hanoi’s water-puppeteers; though aimed at tourists, their shows feature modern stage effects to create an engaging spectacle. Catch them at the small, a/c Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre (57b Dinh Tien Hoang tel_icon 04 3936 4335, web_icon thanglongwaterpuppet.org; map), located by the northeast corner of Hoan Kiem Lake. Performances are held daily at 1.45pm, 3pm, 4.10pm, 5.20pm. 6.30pm, 8pm and 9.15pm, with an additional 9.30am show on Sundays; front row tickets cost 100,000đ, rear rows 60,000đ.

< Back to Entertainment

SHOPPING AND MARKETS

When it comes to shopping for crafts, silk, accessories and souvenirs, Hanoi offers the best overall choice, quality and value for money in the country. Specialities of the region are embroideries, wood- and stone-carvings, inlay work and lacquer; the best areas to browse are the south end of the Old Quarter, such as along Hang Gai and the streets around St Joseph’s Cathedral. Though smarter establishments increasingly have fixed prices, at many shops you’ll be expected to bargain, and the same goes, naturally, for market stalls. Hanoi has over fifty markets, selling predominantly foodstuffs – you’ll rarely be far from one.

FOOD AND FLOWER MARKETS

Cho Dong Xuan Dong Xuan; map. This is Hanoi’s largest covered market, covering two enormous floors with numerous sections to explore. It’s the most convenient market for the Old Quarter and also the starting point of electric car tours of the area. Daily 8am–5pm.

Cho Hoa Quang Ba 236 Au Co; map. This flower market, sometimes called Quang An market, is located near West Lake at the northern junction of Au Co with Xuan Dieu; it’s at its busiest from midnight to early morning, though some stalls open all day. It’s where hotels, restaurants and street vendors go to stock up for each day’s business, and as you’ll imagine, the air is thick with the scent of tropical blooms. It’s particularly busy in the weeks before Tet (January/February), when everyone wants flowers to brighten their home. Daily midnight–5pm.

Cho Hom Pho Hue; map. Though it’s quite a trek from the Old Quarter, this market is one of the best places to buy fabrics in the city, and it functions as a fresh market as well. Daily 6am–5pm.

ANTIQUES AND INTERIORS

It’s illegal to export antiques from Vietnam, but you’ll find plenty of fake “antique” jewellery or watches on sale, and beautifully crafted copies of ancient religious statues. The following outlets supply elegant if pricey home accessories and gifts.

54 Traditions Gallery 30 Hang Bun tel_icon 04 3715 0194, web_icon 54traditions.com.vn; map. This place deals in genuine antiques and artefacts of the ethnic minority groups, and provides full documentation for each item. These items include tribal textiles, tribal tools for living and shamanic arts. It’s worth a visit to their gallery even if you’re not buying. Daily 8am–6pm.

Dome 10 Yen The tel_icon 04 3843 6036 and 27 Au Co 04 3719 0099, web_icon dome.com.vn; map. The tempting displays here show off items of home decor such as lacquerware boxes, candle holders and vases at their best. Daily 9am–5.30pm.

Hanoi Moment 101 Hang Gai tel_icon 04 3928 7170, web_icon hanoimoment.vn; map. Classy souvenirs are laid out in an uncluttered manner, unlike at most souvenir shops, making it easy to view products like tea sets, original jewellery and bags. Daily 9am–6pm.

La Casa 51 Xuan Dieu tel_icon 04 3718 4084, web_icon lacasavietnam.com.vn; map. An upmarket souvenir and home decor store, this place sells eye-catching items from an Italian designer and made by Vietnamese craftsmen. Daily 9am–5pm.

Mosaïque 6 Ly Quoc Su tel_icon 04 6270 0430, web_icon mosaiquedecoration.com; map. The new location of Mosaique displays three floors of gorgeous interiors that feature elegant drapes, graceful vases, silk hangings, lamps, ready-to-wear items and silver jewellery. Daily 9am–5pm.

BOOKS AND NEWSPAPERS

There’s not a great choice of English-language reading material in Hanoi, though wandering vendors in the Old Quarter and near the lake sell pirated English-language publications, including guides, phrasebooks and novels.

Bookworm 44 Chau Long tel_icon 04 3715 3711, web_icon bookwormhanoi.com; map. Located to the north of the Old Quarter, this is probably Hanoi’s best bookshop with a great selection of new and secondhand English-language books for sale or exchange. There’s a second branch at Lane 1/28, Nghi Tam Village. Daily 9am–7pm.

Hanoi Book Store 43 Luong Ngoc Quyen tel_icon 016 9566 7777, web_icon hanoibookstore.com; map. Your best bet for books in the Old Quarter, stocking new guidebooks and thousands of secondhand books. Exchange accepted as well. Daily 8.30am–9.30pm.

Love Planet Travel 25 Hang Bac tel_icon 091 4846 452; map. This place buys and sells used books, and also stocks a few guidebooks, but it’s only open for limited hours. Daily 10.30am–noon and 3–8pm.

CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES

Although the selection is limited, you’ll find no shortage of places to buy embroidered and printed T-shirts, notably along Hang Gai and Hang Dao. To complete your look, head for Hang Dau, near the northeast corner of the lake, and pick up a pair of sneakers or high heels.

Contraband 23 Nha Chung tel_icon 04 3928 9891, web_icon prieure.com.vn; map. Operated by the owners of Things of Substance, this place sells versatile fabrics that are comfortable to wear. Daily 9am–9pm.

Marie-Linh 74 Hang Trong tel_icon 093 9286 309, web_icon marie-linh.com; map. Beautiful handmade silk clothes are available here, with the emphasis on modernity, glamour and simplicity. Daily 8am–7pm.

Metiseko 71 Hang Gai tel_icon 04 3935 2645, web_icon metiseko.com; map. Promoting an “eco chic” lifestyle, this store has become hugely popular for its organic and eco-friendly clothing in sensible yet eye-catching styles. Daily 8.30am–9pm.

Things of Substance 5 Nha Tho tel_icon 04 3828 6965, web_icon prieure.com.vn; map. This Aussie-run store features designs for Western sizes, mostly in soft cotton jersey and linens, that look and feel good for both work and leisure. Daily 9am–9pm.

Tina Sparkle 17 Nha Tho tel_icon 04 3928 7616, web_icon ipa-nima.com; map. If you’re looking for accessories that make heads turn, here’s your place. They make outrageous bags – and the decadent decor is worth a look. Daily 8.30am–8.30pm.

EMBROIDERY

Embroideries and drawn threadwork make eminently packable souvenirs. Standard designs range from traditional Vietnamese to Santa Claus and robins, but you can also take along your own artwork for something different. Many of the silk and accessories shops also sell embroidered items.

Mekong Quilts 13 Hang Bac tel_icon 04 3926 4831, web_icon mekong-quilts.org; map. Mekong Quilts is a non-profit organization that raises funds for a variety of causes through the sale of bright, patterned quilts, oven gloves and other items; all are made by women in rural provinces. Daily 9am–6pm.

Tan My Design 61 Hang Gai tel_icon 04 3938 1154, web_icon tanmydesign.com; map. This is the place to go for the very finest, albeit expensive, embroidered bedlinen, tablecloths, cushion covers and so forth. Daily 8am–8pm.

HANDICRAFTS

Silk lanterns, waterpuppets and silver items – both plated and solid silver – make manageable souvenirs, as do hand-painted greetings cards, usually scenes of rural life or famous beauty spots on paper or silk; the best are unbelievably delicate and sell for next to nothing. Most ordinary souvenir shops also stock ethnic minority crafts, particularly the Hmong and Dao bags, coats and jewellery that are so popular in Sa Pa. Though it’s virtually impossible to tell, in fact the majority of these are now made by factories in and around Hanoi, partly to meet the huge demand and partly to get a slice of the action. Of course, everyone will insist their goods are genuine, and they are very well made, but it’s something to be aware of.

Craft Link 43–51 Van Mieu tel_icon 04 3733 6101, web_icon craftlink.com.vn; map. One of the more interesting craft outlets, Craft Link is a not-for-profit organization working with small-scale producers of traditional crafts, particularly among the ethnic minorities, helping develop increasingly high-quality modern designs. Daily 9am–6pm.

XQ 110 Hang Gai tel_icon 04 3938 1905, web_icon tranhtheuxq.com; map. This place produces exquisite silk embroidered paintings that make distinctive souvenirs, and it’s fascinating to watch the painstaking process by which they are made. Daily 8.30am–6pm.

LACQUERWARE

Lacquerware makes a pretty portable souvenir: chopsticks, boxes, bowls, vases – the variety of items coated in lacquer is endless. Natural lacquer gives a muted finish, usually in black or rusty reds. However, lacquerware in a rainbow array of colours – made from imported synthetic products – is now very popular in Old Quarter souvenir shops, especially on Hang Be and Ma May. Some designs incorporate eggshell to give a crazed finish, and gold leaf on black lacquer for a more dramatic effect.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

For more unusual mementoes, have a look at the traditional Vietnamese musical instruments on sale at a clutch of little workshops on Hang Non and round the corner on Hang Manh.

Ta Tham Music Shop 16a Hang Manh; map. Sells tiny percussion instruments and jew’s harps, which make great little gifts, as well as bamboo xylophones and the classic dan bau. Daily 9am–6pm.

Thai Khue Music Shop 1a Hang Manh tel_icon 04 3828 9469; map. This tiny but excellent shop sells a range of unusual instruments from packable pipes and flutes to lithophones and bronze gongs from the central highlands. Daily 8am–8pm.

PROPAGANDA

Several small shops on Hang Bong supply Communist Party banners and badges as well as Vietnamese flags. Reproduction posters are another popular souvenir from the Communist days, and you’ll find these in shops throughout the Old Quarter.

SILK

Hanoi has so many silk shops concentrated on Hang Gai, at the southern edge of the Old Quarter, that it’s now referred to as “Silk Street”; competition is fierce, but take care since you’ll find a fair amount of shops selling tat standing alongside more reputable outlets. Classy designer boutiques offering excellent quality at premium prices now also concentrate around the cathedral. Most bigger places have multilingual staff, accept credit cards and also offer less expensive souvenirs, such as ties, purses, mobile-phone holders and sensuous, silk sleeping bags.

Emerald Silk 9 Bao Khanh tel_icon 04 3824 7215, web_icon ngocdiepsilk.com; map. This place is filled with a rainbow array of silk items at very reasonable prices. Well worth rooting around. Daily 9am–8pm.

Hanoi Silk Sheraton, 11 Xuan Dieu; Thang Long Opera Hotel, 1 Tong Dan web_icon hanoisilkvn.com; map. Hanoi Silk specializes in design and tailoring of exclusive silk items; prices are high but the quality is top-notch. Daily 9am–5pm.

Kenly Silk 108 Hang Gai tel_icon 04 3826 7236, web_icon kenlysilk.com; map. Kenly specializes in expensive but high-quality Vietnamese silks (raw, taffeta, satin and even knitted) as well as other fabrics. It also stocks ready-made clothes and has a reputation for reliable tailoring. Daily 9am–6pm.

Khai Silk 113 Hang Gai tel_icon 04 3928 9883, web_icon khaisilkcorp.com; map. Exclusive and expensive silk creations from Vietnam’s leading fashion designer. Daily 9.30am–6pm.

SUPERMARKETS

If you are self-catering, there are two well-stocked and easily accessible supermarkets: one is on the top floor of Trang Tien Plaza at the southeast corner of Hoan Kiem Lake, and the other is Intimex, at 22 Le Thai To on the west side of Hoan Kiem Lake.

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GALLERIES AND EXHIBITIONS

As Vietnamese art continues to attract international recognition, so ever more art galleries appear on the streets of Hanoi. Many of these are merely souvenir shops selling reproduction paintings of variable quality but usually at affordable prices, while some of the big galleries, such as Apricot Gallery and Thang Long Art Gallery, deal exclusively with the country’s top artists. However, a number of the galleries listed here showcase more experimental work and promote promising newcomers; web_icon hanoigrapevine.com is one of the best sources of up-to-date information. At the cheap end of the spectrum, you can watch artists running up bootleg “masterpieces” at a number of shops at the north end of Hang Trong. A few photographers have also set up shops which double as exhibition space.

Apricot Gallery 40b Hang Bong tel_icon 04 3828 8965, web_icon apricotgallery.com.vn; map. This is a great place to get an idea of where the latest trends in Vietnamese art are going, but if you ask the prices of any, the answer will probably make your hair stand on end, because they are very expensive. Daily 8am–8pm.

Centre for Exhibition & Art Exchange 2f/43 Trang Tien tel_icon 04 3824 0038, web_icon ceae-artgallery.com; map. This government-run gallery combines a small rental space, which changes every month or so with a regular, commercial gallery at the rear. Daily 8am–5pm.

Dien Dam Gallery 4b Dinh Liet tel_icon 04 3825 9881, web_icon diendam-gallery.com; map. Shop-cum-gallery of award-winning photographer Lai Dien Dam. Daily 9am–9pm.

Goethe Institute 56–58 Nguyen Thai Hoc tel_icon 04 3734 2251, web_icon goethe.de/ins/vn/han; map. Puts on an interesting programme of films, concerts and exhibitions. Daily 8am–6pm.

Green Palm Gallery 15 Trang Tien tel_icon 04 3936 4757, web_icon greenpalmgallery.com; map. Big, well-established gallery showcasing the big names alongside lesser-known artists. Daily 8am–8pm.

Hanoi Studio 13 Trang Tien tel_icon 04 3934 4433, web_icon arthanoistudio.com.vn; map. Commercial gallery hosting three or four interesting and well-displayed exhibitions a year promoting young local artists. Daily 10am–8pm.

Institut Français L’Espace 24 Trang Tien tel_icon 04 3936 2164, web_icon ifhanoi-lespace.com; map. Extensive programme of films (subtitled in English), concerts and exhibitions, plus a members-only media centre. Mon–Fri 8am–8.30pm.

Mai Gallery 113 Hang Bong tel_icon 04 3938 0568, web_icon maigallery-vietnam.com; map. This commercial contemporary art gallery, which also fosters new talent, was actually the first private art gallery to be established in Hanoi, back in 1993. Daily 9am–6pm.

Thang Long Art Gallery 41 Hang Gai tel_icon 04 3825 0740, web_icon thanglongartgallery.com; map. Like Apricot Gallery, Thang Long represents both established artists and up-and-coming newcomers, and often displays large canvases with dramatic compositions in its exhibition space. Daily 8am–6pm.

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ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: THE PERFUME PAGODA

By car or tour The easiest and most popular way to visit the pagoda is on an organized tour out of Hanoi ($25–35, including the boat ride, lunch and entry fee), or with a hired car and driver. One big advantage of this is that your guide will shield you from the persistent hawkers who want to sell you postcards and other souvenirs.

By bike and boat To go it alone, it’s a two- to three-hour motorbike ride: follow Highway 6 through Ha Dong, from where a sign points you left down the QL21B heading due south through Thanh Oai and Van Dinh, to find My Duc Village and the Ben Yen (Yen River boat station). A six-person boat costs 240,000đ (though the rower will expect a tip too), or it’s 40,000đ to join a group. Memorize your boat number for the return journey from where you are dropped off, as there are hundreds of identical craft.

Thay Pagoda

Daily 8am–5pm • 10,000đ

Thay Pagoda, or the Master’s Pagoda – also known as Thien Phuc Tu (“Pagoda of the Heavenly Blessing”) – was founded in the reign of King Ly Nhan Ton (1072–1127) and is an unusually large complex fronting onto a picturesque lake in the lee of a limestone crag.

Despite many restorations over the centuries, the pagoda’s dark, subdued interior retains a powerful atmosphere. Nearly a hundred statues fill the prayer halls: the oldest dates back to the pagoda’s foundation, but the most eyecatching are two seventeenth-century giant guardians made of clay and papier-mâché, which weigh a thousand kilos apiece and are said to be the biggest in Vietnam. Beyond, the highest altar holds a Buddha trinity, dating from the 1500s, and a thirteenth-century wooden statue of the Master.

THE MASTER

The Master was the ascetic monk and healer Tu Dao Hanh (sometimes also known as Minh Khong) who “burned his finger to bring about rain and cured diseases with holy water”, in addition to countless other miracles. He was head monk of the pagoda and an accomplished water-puppeteer – hence the dainty theatre-pavilion in the lake – and, according to legend, he was reincarnated first as a Buddha and then as the future King Ly Than Ton in answer to King Ly Nhan Tong’s prayers for an heir. To complicate matters further, Ly Than Ton’s life was then saved by the monk Tu Dao Hanh. Anyway, the Thay Pagoda is dedicated to the cult of Tu Dao Hanh in his three incarnations as monk (the Master), Buddha and king.

The highest altar in the pagoda holds a thirteenth-century wooden statue of the Master as a bodhisattva, dressed in yellow garb and perched on a lotus throne. On a separate altar to the left he appears again as King Ly Than Ton, also in yellow, accompanied by two dark-skinned, kneeling figures, who are said to be Cambodian slaves, while to the right sits a mysterious, lavishly decorated wooden chamber. The monk’s mortal remains and a statue with articulated legs repose in this final, securely locked sanctuary – though a photo on the altar shows the statue’s beady eyes staring out of a gaunt, unhappy face – to be revealed only once a year: at 1pm on the fifth day of the third lunar month the village’s oldest male bathes Tu Dao Hanh with fragrant water and helps him to his feet.

Traditionally, this event was for the monks’ eyes only, but nowadays anyone can see, as long as they’re prepared to put up with the scrum. The celebrations, attended by thousands, continue for three days and include daily processions as well as a famous water-puppet festival held on the lake (fifth to seventh days of the third lunar month).

The grounds of the pagoda

In front of the pagoda are two attractive covered bridges with arched roofs built in 1602 (though recently renovated) and dedicated to the sun and moon: one leads to an islet where spirits of the earth, water and sky are worshipped in a diminutive Taoist temple; the second takes you to a well-worn flight of steps up the limestone hill. In the middle of the lake is an ancient pavilion, which is still occasionally used for performances of water puppets.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: THAY PAGODA

By car or bike The pagoda lies 30km from Hanoi in Sai Son Village. As this isn’t a popular tour destination for Western visitors, you’ll probably need to hire a car and driver for the excursion, or rent a motorbike. The easiest route is via the new Thang Long Highway, heading west of Hanoi; after about 25km look out for a right turn to Chua Tay and Sunny Garden City, a new satellite development. Note that this is a popular weekend jaunt for domestic visitors, at its busiest on Sun.

Tay Phuong Pagoda

Daily 8am–5pm • 10,000đ • Though Tay Phuong Pagoda is only about 6km west of the Thay Pagoda, a complex network of lanes between them makes it difficult to find alone. It’s best to arrange a customized tour of this pagoda, the Thay Pagoda and Tram Gian Pagoda through one of Hanoi’s recommended tour operators

The small “Pagoda of the West”, Tay Phuong Pagoda, perches atop a 50m-high limestone hillock supposedly shaped like a buffalo. Among the first pagodas built in Vietnam, Tay Phuong’s overriding attraction is its invaluable collection of jackfruit-wood statues, some of which are on view at Hanoi’s Fine Arts Museum. The highlights are eighteen arhats, disturbingly lifelike representations of Buddhist ascetics as imagined by eighteenth-century sculptors, grouped around the main altar; a torch would help pick out the finer details.

As Tay Phuong is also an important Confucian sanctuary, disciples of the sage are included on the altar, each carrying a gift to their master, some precious object, a book or a symbol of longevity, alongside the expected Buddha effigies. Tay Phuong’s most notable architectural features are its heavy double roofs, whose graceful curves are decorated with phoenixes and dragons, and an inviting approach via 237 time-worn, red-brick steps.

Tram Gian Pagoda

Daily 8am–5pm • Free • Coming from Hanoi, the pagoda’s signed to the right of Highway 6 at the 21km marker

With time to spare, you could combine a day’s outing to the Thay and Tay Phuong pagodas with a quick detour to the Tram Gian Pagoda. Again, the large, peaceful temple sitting on a wooded hill is best known for its rich array of statues. Though not as fine as those of Tay Phuong, they are numerous, including more arhats in the side corridors, alongside some toe-curling depictions of the underworld, and an impressive group on the main altar. Among them sits the unmistakable, pot-bellied laughing Maitreya, the carefree Buddha, in stark contrast to the black emaciated figure behind him. According to legend, this is the mummified and lacquered body of Duc Thanh Boi (St Boi), who was born nearby in the thirteenth century. He is credited with numerous miracles, including the ability to fly, and with saving the country from a catastrophic drought by summoning rain, though he had to wait for sainthood until a century after his death when devotees disinterred his body to find it in a perfect state of preservation.

Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum

Mon–Sat 7.30–11.30am & 1.30–4.30pm • 20,000đ, camera 10,000đ • The museum is set back to the right of Highway 6, just beyond the 14km marker as you leave Hanoi

While this museum is not really worth making a special trip to see, with a bit of forethought it can be combined with visits to the Perfume Pagoda, the Tram Gian or Tay Phuong Pagodas, or on the way to Mai Chau. Once you’re here, there’s much to learn, including the fact that the Ho Chi Minh Trail was never a single trail but a complex network of muddy tracks that crisscrossed the border with Laos and Cambodia. Its purpose was to carry men, ammunition and supplies from the north to Communist strongholds in the south. Though the Americans were aware of its presence and frequently bombed it, repairs were almost instant and the supply route was never blocked for long, which is why this trail became one of the key factors in the outcome of the American War.

Visitors are first shown an informative, twenty-minute video about the construction of the trail. Exhibits include some of the equipment used in the trail’s construction, along with some of the shrapnel-, nail- and cigarette-bombs that were employed to slow down the trail’s progress. Outside are a few vehicles that once used the trail, and behind the museum is a forgettable mock-up of an underground operations centre.

THE HO CHI MINH TRAIL

At the end of its “working” life, the Ho Chi Minh Trail had grown from a rough assemblage of animal tracks and jungle paths to become a highly effective logistical network stretching from near Vinh, north of the Seventeenth Parallel, to Tay Ninh Province on the edge of the Mekong Delta. Initially it took up to six months to walk the trail from north to south. By 1975, however, the trail – comprising at least three main arteries plus several feeder roads leading to various battlefronts and totalling over 15,000km – was wide enough to take tanks and heavy trucks, and could be driven in just one week. It was protected by sophisticated anti-aircraft emplacements and supported by regular service stations (fuel and maintenance depots, ammunition dumps, food stores and hospitals), often located underground or in caves and all connected by field telephone. Eventually there was even an oil pipeline constructed alongside the trail to take fuel south from Vinh to a depot at Loc Ninh.

The trail was conceived in early 1959 when General Giap ordered the newly created Logistical Group 559 to reconnoitre a safe route by which to direct men and equipment down the length of Vietnam in support of Communist groups in the south. Political cadres blazed the trail, followed in 1964 by the first deployment of ten thousand regular troops, and culminating in the trek south of 150,000 men in preparation for the 1968 Tet Offensive. It was a logistical feat that rivalled Dien Bien Phu in both scale and determination: this time it was sustained over fifteen years and became a symbol to the Vietnamese of their victory and sacrifice. For much of its southerly route the trail ran through Laos and Cambodia, sometimes on paths forged during the war against the French, sometimes along riverbeds and always through the most difficult, mountainous terrain plagued with leeches, snakes, malaria and dysentery.

On top of all this, people on the trail had to contend with almost constant bombing. By early 1965, aerial bombardment had begun in earnest, using napalm and defoliants as well as conventional ordnance, to be joined later by carpet-bombing B-52s. Every day in the spring of 1965 the US Air Force flew an estimated three hundred bombing raids over the trail and in eight years dropped over two million tonnes of explosives, mostly over Laos, in an effort to cut the flow. Later they experimented with seismic and acoustic sensors to eavesdrop on troop movements and pinpoint targets, but the trail was never completely severed and supplies continued to roll south in sufficient quantities to sustain the war.

The craft villages

Hanoi tour agents offer organized day-trips to a selection of craft villages for $20–30, or can include some in a visit to the various pagodas

For centuries, villages around Vietnam’s major towns have specialized in single-commodity production, initially to supply the local market, and sometimes going on to win national fame for the skill of their artisans. A few communities continue to prosper, of which the best known near Hanoi are Bat Trang for pottery and Van Phuc for silk. These feature well-run, commercial operations where family units turn out fine, hand-crafted products, and they are used to foreigners coming to watch them at work. Most other villages are far less touristy, and the more isolated may treat visitors with suspicion. Nevertheless, it’s worth taking a guide for the day to gain a rare glimpse into a gruelling way of life that continues to follow the ancient rhythms, using craft techniques handed down the generations virtually unchanged.

Bat Trang

BAT TRANG village, across the Red River in Hanoi’s Gia Lam District, has been producing bricks and earthenware since the fifteenth century, and the oldest quarter beside the river has a medieval aura, with its narrow, high-walled alleys spattered with handmade coal-pats (used as fuel in the kilns) drying in the sun. Through tiny doorways, you catch glimpses of courtyards stacked with moulds and hand-painted pots, while all around rise the squat brick chimneys of the traditional coal-fired kilns. Around two thousand families live in Bat Trang, producing time-honoured blue and white ceramics alongside more contemporary designs as well as mass-produced floor tiles and balustrades to feed Hanoi’s building boom. The village has expanded rapidly in recent years, thanks largely to a healthy export market, and now boasts some 2500 kilns. Most are now gas-fired, but air pollution and respiratory infections remain a problem.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: BAT TRANG

Bat Trang is an easy jaunt by road over Chuong Duong Bridge from Hanoi, then immediately right along the levy. To reach the old quarter of narrow lanes and workshops, continue straight ahead at the end of the main street (Duong Giang Cao) and keep going generally west.

By bicycle Note that pedal cyclists have to use Long Bien Bridge, a short distance further north from the Chuong Duong Bridge. After 10km heading generally south, following signs to Xuan Quan, where a right turn indicates the village entrance.

By xe om A half-day xe om excursion is expensive when waiting time is included – around 400,000đ.

By bus The bus is better value than travelling by xe om. Number #47 (7000đ) departs from Long Bien bus station every fifteen minutes or so and Bat Trang is the last stop.

SHOPPING

Ceramics Showrooms along Bat Trang’s main drag offer a bewildering choice of pottery. Prices are not necessarily any cheaper than in Hanoi itself, though the range is superior and it’s easier to bargain. At some of the bigger workshops (such as Hoa Lan Ceramics, 81 Duong Giang Cao), you can paint your own design and have the piece delivered to your hotel once it’s fired.

Van Phuc

The silk village of VAN PHUC is 11km southwest of Hanoi. In the village, the clatter of electric looms from the thirty-odd workshops fills the air. You’re welcome to wander into any of them, and will be given a brief explanation, but there’s nothing much to detain you unless you’re shopping for silk. Material is a shade cheaper than in Hanoi, while finished items such as scarves and clothes can be as little as half the city price.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: VAN PHUC

By bicycle or motorbike Van Phuc lies to the north of Highway 6, about a kilometre north of Ha Dong post office on the Quoac Hai Road.

By bus Take a #1 bus from Long Bien Station, which costs 7,000đ and takes around half an hour.

Chuong

Conical hats are the staple product of CHUONG village (also known as Phuong Trung), which is best visited on market days (held six times each lunar month), when hats are piled high in golden pyramids. At other times it’s possible to see artisans deftly assembling the dried leaves on a bamboo frame. Traditionally the designs varied according to the different needs: thick and robust for working in the fields, more delicate for outings to the temple and other special occasions, and flat, ornamented hats for fashion-conscious aristocrats.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: CHUONG

By bicycle or motorbike Chuong lies just off Highway 21b a couple of kilometres south of Thanh Oai on the road to the Perfume Pagoda.

Co Loa Temple Complex

Daily 7.30am–5.30pm • 10,000đ

The earliest independent Vietnamese states grew up in the Red River flood plain, atop low hills or crouched behind sturdy embankments. First to emerge from the mists of legend was Van Lang, presided over by the Hung kings from a knob of high ground marked today by a few dynastic temples north of Viet Tri (Vinh Phu Province) known as the Hung Kings Temple. Then the action moved closer to Hanoi when King An Duong Vuong defeated the last of the Hung kings and ruled Au Lac (258–207 BC) from an immense citadel at Co Loa (Old Snail City). At the time it was the first fortified Vietnamese capital, but these days the once massive earthworks are barely visible and all that remains are a couple of quiet temples with an interesting history set among the streets of modern Co Loa.

THE HISTORY OF THE CITADEL

King An Duong Vuong built his citadel inside three concentric ramparts, spiralling like a snail shell, separated by moats large enough for ships to navigate; the outer wall was 8km long, 6–8m wide and at least 4m high, topped off with bamboo fencing. After the Chinese invaded in the second century BC, Co Loa was abandoned until 939 AD, when Ngo Quyen established the next period of independent rule from the same heavily symbolic site.

Archeologists have found rich pickings at Co Loa, including thousands of iron arrowheads, displayed in Hanoi’s History Museum, which lend credence to at least one of the Au Lac legends. The story goes that the sacred Golden Turtle gave King An Duong Vuong a magic crossbow made from a claw that fired thousands of arrows at a time. A deceitful Chinese prince married An Duong Vuong’s daughter, Princess My Chau, persuaded her to show him the crossbow and then stole the claw before mounting an invasion. The king and his daughter were forced to flee, whereupon My Chau understood her act of betrayal and nobly told her father to kill her. When the king beheaded his daughter and threw her body in a well, she turned into lustrous, pink pearls.

Den An Duong Vuong

The principal temple, Den An Duong Vuong, faces a refurbished lake, with a graceful stele-house to one side. Looking across the fields from the stele-house, you can just make out the earthen ramparts of the former citadel. Inside the rebuilt temple, a sixteenth-century black-bronze statue of king An Duong Vuong resides on the main altar, resplendent in his double crown, while a subsidiary altar is dedicated to Kim Quy, the Golden Turtle.

Other buildings

About 100m east of Den An Duong Vuong, a statue of King An Duong Vuong holding his magic crossbow stands in a small pond. The lane beside the pond leads to a second group of buildings, where a large, walled courtyard contains the beautifully simple, open-sided Dinh Da Quy, furnished with huge, ironwood pillars, and containing ornate palanquins. Next door is a small temple, Den My Chau, dedicated to An Duong Vuong’s daughter, the Princess My Chau. Inside, she is still honoured in the surprising form of a dumpy, armchair-shaped stone clothed in embroidered finery and covered in jewels but lacking a head.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: CO LOA TEMPLE COMPLEX

By motorbike Co Loa is about 13km due north of Hanoi, signposted to the right of busy Highway 3.

By bus Take bus #46 from My Dinh bus station, which costs 9,000đ and takes around 45 minutes.

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