The top things to do in Hanoi are exploring the Old Quarter’s trading streets, circling Hoan Kiem Lake to the red The Huc Bridge and Ngoc Son Temple, visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and the 1070 Temple of Literature, eating your way through the street-food and egg-coffee scene, and catching a water puppet show, with Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay as the natural day trips. Hanoi is Vietnam’s capital and the arrival city for almost every Indian itinerary through the north, so it is usually where you land and the base you plan the mountains and bays around. This guide covers what to do, getting around, where to stay and eating veg, framed for travellers flying in from India, and sits within our wider places to visit in Vietnam guide. Zurich Kotak General Insurance is an IRDAI-registered Indian general insurer, and this is part of its travel knowledge centre.
Hanoi in one paragraph: why it anchors every northern route
Hanoi anchors northern Vietnam because it is the region’s flight gateway and the launch point for Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh and Sapa. Most Indian northern-Vietnam trips begin here: Air India flies Delhi to Hanoi nonstop in about 4 hours 30 minutes, and IndiGo’s Kolkata to Hanoi nonstop takes roughly 2 hours 55 minutes, making Kolkata India’s closest and usually cheapest gateway (FlightsFrom; Air India). Give the thousand-year-old, walkable core two full days and one or two more for day trips, and the northern half of a Vietnam trip is sorted. If you are wondering what to do in Hanoi with that time, the essentials below are the answer.
Top things to do in Hanoi
The top places to visit in Hanoi cluster in and around the Old Quarter: the trading streets, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, the Temple of Literature, the street-food scene and a water puppet show. These Hanoi attractions mostly sit within a walkable core, so staying central keeps Hanoi sightseeing tight. Plan around the access-reality table below, because several of these Hanoi tourist places close on set days or open only in the morning.
Sight | When it opens | Plan around |
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum | Mornings only, closed Monday and Friday | Free entry; knees and shoulders covered, hats off; go early |
Temple of Literature | Open daily, including weekends | Covered clothing respected at a place of learning |
Train Street | Restricted access via licensed cafes only | Status is changing; check locally before going |
Water puppet theatre | Multiple shows daily | Book ahead in peak season |
Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake | Always open; lakeside goes car-free weekend evenings | Evenings and weekends are the best time |
Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake
Start with the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake, the historic and social heart of Hanoi. The Old Quarter dates to the 11th century, when King Ly Thai To moved the capital to Hanoi, and is still a maze of narrow trading streets where each lane historically sold one trade (The Sensible Fay). A few minutes south, Hoan Kiem Lake is the centre of city life: cross the red The Huc Bridge to Ngoc Son Temple on its island, and return on a weekend evening when the lakeside roads close to traffic and a night market runs up to Dong Xuan Market (Vietnam Tourism; Lonely Planet).
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and museums
Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in the morning and only on days it is open, because it is closed on Mondays and Fridays. Entry is free, and the complex also holds the Presidential Palace grounds, Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda, a half-morning in itself (Izitour). Opening is mornings only, roughly 07:30 to 10:30 in summer and 08:00 to 11:00 in winter, and it also shuts for an annually announced maintenance period, so confirm dates before you go (Vietnam Discovery). Dress modestly, with knees and shoulders covered and hats removed.
Temple of Literature and Train Street
The Temple of Literature, founded in 1070 as Vietnam’s first national university, is Hanoi’s calmest headline sight and open every day. Its walled courtyards are a genuine break from the traffic, open Monday to Friday 07:30 to 18:00 and later at weekends (Vietnam Discovery). Train Street, the narrow lane where a working railway runs past cafe tables, is the opposite story: group tours were banned in March 2025, and as of 2026 the lane is reachable only as an individual visitor through a licensed cafe, with train frequency being cut, so treat access as restricted and changing and check locally before visiting (Revitrip; VnExpress).
Street food, egg coffee and eating veg in Hanoi
Hanoi’s food is a headline attraction in its own right, and vegetarians eat well once they know the word “chay”. Adding chay to a dish name asks for the meat-free version, so pho chay, banh mi chay and goi cuon chay (vegetable spring rolls) are all available, and dedicated veg restaurants such as Chayfood and Uu Dam Chay sit in and around the Old Quarter (Vietnam Travelers). Two things suit Indian palates especially well: egg coffee (ca phe trung), a thick, sweet drink invented at Cafe Giang in the Old Quarter for anyone who loves South Indian filter coffee, and Che, coconut-and-mung-bean desserts close to payasam or rabri (The Sensible Fay). Say “chay” clearly, stick to veg kitchens and market stalls for cooked food, and you will not go hungry in a city that otherwise leans on pork and fish stock.
Water puppet theatre and evening Hanoi
Book a water puppet show for one evening: it is Hanoi’s signature performance and takes barely an hour. Water puppetry is an 11th-century art form from the Red River Delta villages around Hanoi, and the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre near Hoan Kiem Lake stages several shows a day (Lonely Planet). Pair it with an evening lake walk and a bowl of something from the night market for the classic first night in Hanoi.
Day trips from Hanoi
The best day trips from Hanoi are Ninh Binh as a full day and Ha Long Bay as an overnight rather than a rushed day trip, with Sapa the natural onward leg into the mountains. Hanoi is the base for all three, so plan them by how much time each really needs.
· Ninh Binh is about 95 km, roughly 1.5 hours south, and works cleanly as a day trip: limestone karsts, the Trang An boat rides and Tam Coc, often called “Ha Long Bay on land” (Bucket List Bri).
· Ha Long Bay is about a 3-hour drive each way, so a day trip means most of the day on a bus; an overnight cruise is far better. Pick your cruise from the wider places to visit in Vietnam guide.
· Sapa is not a day trip: reached by overnight train or a 5-to-6-hour bus, it is the onward northern leg after Hanoi (Where Goes Rose). Our guide to places to visit in Sapa covers the rice terraces and trekking.
Practical Hanoi: getting around, where to stay and daily costs
Base yourself in the Old Quarter or by Hoan Kiem Lake, walk the centre, and use Grab for everything else. The Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem area is the recommended first-timer base because it is central and walkable, with the quieter, more upmarket West Lake (Tay Ho) as the calm alternative (Bucket List Bri). Hanoi’s metro has only two lines so far (Cat Linh to Ha Dong, and Nhon to Cau Giay) and neither reaches the Old Quarter, so tourists rely on walking, Grab cars and bikes, and taxis (Wikipedia; Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide). From the airport, Noi Bai is about 30 km and 45 to 60 minutes out: bus 86 costs about 45,000 dong (roughly ₹160) to the Old Quarter, while a Grab or metered taxi runs about 250,000 to 480,000 dong (roughly ₹900 to ₹1,750) (Vietnam Airlines; Hanoi Local Tour); INR figures use the 2026-07-08 rate of about ₹1 to 275 to 278 dong (Xe). One caution: Old Quarter traffic is relentless, so renting a scooter is tempting but not casual, which matters for your cover.
Where Hanoi fits in a Vietnam route
Hanoi is the anchor of any northern Vietnam route and pairs naturally with Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay and Sapa before you head south. How many you fit depends on trip length and season: our places to visit in Vietnam pillar helps you choose the stops, the best time to visit Vietnam covers when to go, and Vietnam trip cost from India sets the budget. Indians enter on an e-visa; the full process is in our guide to the Vietnam visa for Indians .
Before you land in Hanoi
Sort travel insurance before you fly, because a Hanoi-based northern trip stacks up exactly the risks a policy is built for: weather-hit Ha Long cruises, day-trip road travel and the scooter you will be tempted to rent. That scooter carries a condition worth knowing: on Zurich Kotak’s Smart Travel cover, a two-wheeler accident claim requires a valid international driving licence and, where local law mandates one, a helmet, and the rental-vehicle excess benefit does not extend to motorbikes or mopeds. So ride only if you are properly licensed and geared up. A policy otherwise covers emergency medical treatment, trip delays and lost baggage up to plan limits, backed by a 24x7 assistance line. See what a policy covers on our travel insurance for Vietnam page.
Travelling to Vietnam? Get covered before you fly. Get a travel insurance for Vietnam quote in minutes: enter your trip dates and travellers, pick a plan, and download your policy instantly. Save the 24x7 assistance line, +91 22 6734 7863, in your phone before you land.
FAQ
Q: How many days do you need in Hanoi?
A: Two full days for the city, plus one or two more for day trips such as Ninh Binh or an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise. Two days covers the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, the mausoleum complex, the Temple of Literature and the food scene at a comfortable pace.
Q: What is Hanoi best known for?
A: Its Old Quarter of narrow trading streets, Hoan Kiem Lake and its street food, especially egg coffee, which was invented in the city. It is also the base for northern Vietnam’s day trips to Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay.
Q: Is Hanoi worth visiting for Indian travellers?
A: Yes, mainly for the food and the cost. Vegetarians eat well once they use the word “chay”, desserts like Che taste close to payasam, and daily costs are low. Direct flights from Kolkata and Delhi make it easy to reach.
Q: Can vegetarians manage in Hanoi?
A: Yes, with a little effort. Say “chay” to order the vegetarian version of a dish (pho chay, banh mi chay, goi cuon chay), and use dedicated veg restaurants such as Chayfood and Uu Dam Chay for a full meal in a city that otherwise leans on pork and fish stock.
