Hanoi in 3 Days: What I’d Do Every Time

Hanoi takes a day to like and a lifetime to understand

My first morning in Hanoi I was overwhelmed — the traffic, the noise, the narrow streets, the motorbikes on the pavement. By evening I’d eaten the best bun cha of my life, drunk bia hoi (draft beer, 10,000 VND per glass) on a corner stool, and started to fall for the place. That’s a typical Hanoi arc.

Day 1: Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem

The Old Quarter’s 36 guild streets are still partially organized by trade — Hang Bac (silver), Hang Gai (silk), Hang Thiec (tin). Walk without a specific destination and let the density of it wash over you. Hoan Kiem Lake is 15 minutes’ walk south — a beautiful urban lake with Turtle Tower in the middle and Ngoc Son Temple on a small island (30,000 VND entry). Evening: bia hoi at the corner of Luong Ngoc Quyen and Ta Hien, which Hanoians call “bia hoi junction.” Sit outside on plastic stools, drink 10,000 VND beers, watch the intersection.

Day 2: Temple of Literature and west Hanoi

Vietnam’s first university (1070 AD) is beautiful — five courtyards, stone stele listing Vietnam’s first scholars, excellent architecture. 30,000 VND. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex is nearby — his preserved body is on display (free, proper dress required, queues in the morning). West Lake for lunch at one of the banh tom (shrimp cake) restaurants on the lakeside.

Day 3: Day trip to Ninh Binh

Two hours south by bus or train. The limestone landscape here is Ha Long Bay without the water — karst mountains, rice paddies, ancient temples. Boat trips through the caves at Trang An: 200,000 VND and worth every dong. Most people skip Ninh Binh for a Ha Long day trip — I’d reverse that choice every time.