City: Hanoi
Top Things to do in Hanoi
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Top 10 Things to do in Hanoi, Vietnam
The charming Vietnamese capital has aged well, preserving the Old Quarter, monuments and colonial architecture, while making room for modern developments alongside. Hanoi may have shrugged off several former names, including Thang Long, or "ascending dragon," but it hasn't forgotten its past, as sites such as Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and Hoa Lo Prison attest. Lakes, parks, shady boulevards and more than 600 temples and pagodas add to the appeal of this city, which is easily explored by taxi.
Restaurants in Hanoi
1. Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 13,508 reviews
A rare breed of turtle enjoys this popular lake almost as much as countless locals and tourists. Hoan Kiem Lake is a dynamic daily tableau, from morning walks amid locals doing exercises on the shore, to young couples water-gazing on park benches, to the multiple shopping and sight-seeing opportunities in the vicinity. Centrally located in the city, Hoan Kiem Lake serves as a massive home base, and provides endless people-watching and recreational opportunities on the edge of the Old Quarter.
Reviewed By travelwithanda - Slovenia, null
If you only have a day or two to spend in Hanoi, I recommend you to walk around the Hoan Kiem lake. This way you will be able to see it all: the hustle and bustle of the Old Quarter with milions of crazy motorcycles, beautiful and well maintained parks and gardens, temples and monuments, local people and tourists, old and new buildings... it is really hard to describe it, you need to live it. The walk around the lake takes about 30 minutes, but add at least 30 for photo stops. I can't wait to go back.
2. Temple of Literature & National University
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10,990 reviews
Reviewed By Eviltreelady
Beautiful historic site, walk through series of courtyards to arrive at temple shrine ,then a centre with plenty of interest and information.Definitely worth a visit. Craftlink near by with beautiful homemade crafts.
3. Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,576 reviews
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a unit under Vietnam Academy of Scocial Sciences. Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is both a research centre and a public museum exhibiting the ethnic groups of Vietnam. The mission of the Museum is scientific research, collection, documentation, conservation, exhibition and preserving the cultural and historic patrimony of the nation's different ethnic groups. The museum also serves to guide research, conservation, and technology that are specific to the work of an ethnographic museum.
Reviewed By srablair - Lytham St Anne's, United Kingdom
We visited here as part of our highlights of Indochina tour. This is a great museum with brilliant outdoor exhibits showing examples of the houses used by each of the ethnic groups that came together to form modern Vietnam. We spent a good few hours here as the indoor exhibits are also excellent with translations in English. There is also a good cafe in the grounds serving hot meals as well as tea coffee cakes etc. This was a good visit and would recomend it to anyone wanting to know more about the people of Vietnam and their origins.
4. Vietnamese Women's Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,216 reviews
Focused on the contribution of women to Vietnam's history and culture, this museum highlights their roles in Vietnam's many military conflicts as well as in commerce, including features on female street vendors, women's role in the family, and more recently, single mothers in Vietnam.
Reviewed By Sakuraplatz - Ichihara, Japan
Perfectly located, just two blocks away from Hoan Kiem Lake, this is an excellent museum to learn Vietnamese culture and history from the women's perspective through their daily family life and special occasions such as marriage, pregnancy, birth and wartime. Displays were well-organized including videos. Exhibition about traditional costumes and artifacts showed cultural diversity in Vietnam, which was all the more interesting for me because I was just returned from a trek at Sapa. Their museum shop was also great. The entrance fee was only 30,000 VND and I got a Japanese booklet, which I found very informative, at the same price. Highly recommended.
5. Lotte Observation Deck
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 298 reviews
The Lotte Observation Deck is on the 65F, 267m high from the ground with large space.We have the Photo Zone in B1F, the Photo Counter and the Photo at Skywalk in the 65F so you can taking and buying photo, including photo frame. The Media Gallery is exciting, including Inner U&I machine to test the romantic degree for couple. We also have the Lotteria and Angel In Us Coffee
Reviewed By Seaside59009163022 - Singapore, Singapore
Admission might be rather pricy, but certainly worth the view. Practically the tallest building around, allowing for far reaching views throughout Hanoi.
6. Hoa Lo Prison
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 10,616 reviews
Colloquially known as "Hanoi Hilton," this famous prison has been mostly torn down. A museum occupies the remaining structure.
Reviewed By 985peteb - Doncaster, United Kingdom
Former prison in the centre oh Hanoi built by the french when Vietnam was a French colony, later used during the Vietnam war to captured American pilots well worth a visit .
7. Hanoi Opera House
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,353 reviews
Resembling the Opéra Palais Garnier, Hanoi Opera House, built in 10 years since 1911 by two French architects. The magnificent building became one of the top landmarks in Hanoi. The Opera House hosts cultural entertaining performances, bamboo cirque, contemporary dance, orchestra concerts and government events. Come to the front gate to check availability and ticket to a performance in this iconic building.
Reviewed By rachelmM7276UP - London, United Kingdom
We went to the opera house in Hanoi in the hope we could buy tickets on the door. We arrived at 7pm and were able to buy three tickets to a Brahms concert performed by the Vietnam Symphonic Orchestra for £13 each, the same evening (we were really lucky and able to get a box near the front for this price). A very beautiful place and it was a highlight of our visit to Hanoi, cannot recommend a visit here enough whether for a tour or a concert.
8. St. Joseph's Cathedral
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 2,871 reviews
Entering this majestic church is like walking into 1886, as little has changed since it first opened its doors.
Reviewed By livettp
It's structure and definitely the stained glass windows are stunning. I happened to go to 1 day there was really a wedding party and this was prepared to accept the public. Privileged. It is worth obtaining a glance plus one may get lots of cafe/restaurants near by to combine with morning tea or maybe lunch.
9. Long Bien Bridge
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,153 reviews
The Long Bien bridge across the Red River connects Hanoi with the main port of Haiphong. Designed by Gustave Eiffel, the bridge sustained significant damage during the Vietnam War. Only half of the bridge retains its original shape, but a rebuilding project supported by the French government is currently in progress to restore the bridge to its original appearance.
Reviewed By simonebM549DR - London, United Kingdom
Well worth the walk over this historic bridge designed by famous French architect who built Eiffel Tower . Amazing watching everyone commuting on their bikes . Great views . Deffinately a must do
10. Hanoi
Hanoi’s lively Old Quarter comprises nearly 40 streets packed with shops selling all kinds of goods, each street named for its primary good or service.
Reviewed By ihamsy
Every time you walk the streets there is something different to see and experience... Fantastic!!! From amazing street food to a wide variety of shops, everyone is so Friendly and the traffic will allow you through..
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