{"id":84823,"date":"2025-02-19T14:13:21","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T14:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/?p=84823"},"modified":"2025-02-19T14:13:25","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T14:13:25","slug":"things-to-do-in-hanoi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/inspiration\/things-to-do-in-hanoi\/","title":{"rendered":"9 of the best things to do in Hanoi"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-sidebar-content\" data-ad=\"first\"><div id=\"wak-acf-block-839682\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-content-layout-default wak-acf-block-advert wak-ad-first\" data-placement-id=\"63374\" data-advert-visible=\"1\">\n    <style type=\"text\/css\">.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-advert .wak-advert-container{display:flex;justify-content:center;width:100%}<\/style>\n    <div class=\"wak-advert-container\">\n        \n            <div id=\"div-gpt-ad-63374\">\n                <script>\n                    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h1,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h2,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h3,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h4,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h5,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h6{margin:0;padding:0;word-break:break-word}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h1{font-family:Noe Display;font-size:3.75rem;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:4.0625rem}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h2{font-family:Noe Display;font-size:3rem;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:3.25rem}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h3{font-family:Noe Display;font-size:2.25rem;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:2.5rem}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h4{font-family:Noe Display;font-size:1.75rem;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:2.0625rem}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h5{font-family:Noe Display;font-size:1.25rem;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.5625rem}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h6{font-family:Jost;font-size:.75rem;font-weight:500;letter-spacing:.08313rem;line-height:.875rem}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content+.wak-acf-block-article-image,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content+.wak-acf-block-copy-content,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content+.wak-acf-block-image-carousel{margin-top:80px}<\/style>    <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>Spread around a series of lovely pagoda-dotted lakes where the meandering Red River meets the South China Sea, <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderlustmagazine.com\/destination\/vietnam\">Vietnam<\/a>\u2019s capital Hanoi is a beauty with a history stretching back millennia. Alongside ancient Confucian temples and medieval streets of shop houses are modern skyscrapers, the wrecks of B-52s left to rot in city suburbs and a massive Soviet-style mausoleum to contemporary Vietnam\u2019s founding father.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Chinese, French, tribal peoples and Western digital nomads all come together in Hanoi. Yet the city remains resolutely Vietnamese. The nation was born here; literally and metaphorically.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A few days exploration of the city is an essential on any Southeast Asia itinerary \u2013 and if you\u2019re wondering how to spend your time while in town, here are nine of the best things to do in Hanoi.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>9 of the best things to do in Hanoi<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-916086\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <style type=\"text\/css\">.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image{flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:center}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image .wak-title{text-align:left;width:100%}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image .wak-title+picture{margin-top:40px}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image .wak-caption{color:gray;margin-top:8px;text-align:right;width:100%}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image+.wak-acf-block-article-image,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image+.wak-acf-block-copy-content,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image+.wak-acf-block-image-carousel{margin-top:80px}<\/style>        \r\n        <h3 class=\"wak-title wak-h3\">1. Wander the Old Quarter<\/h3>\r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2379250067-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2379250067-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2379250067-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2379250067-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2379250067-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2379250067-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2379250067-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2379250067-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2379250067-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-84825\" alt=\"An elderly Vietnamese man rides his bicycle in Hang Bac, in the Old Quarter of Hanoi\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Hang Bac in the Old Quarter of Hanoi (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-570491\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>Chinese shop houses, a clutter of streetside markets hawking everything from handicrafts and wriggling snakehead fish to radishes and paper lanterns, roadside caf\u00e9s serving treacle-black Vietnamese coffee, backpacker bars, massage spas\u2026 Hanoi\u2019s Old Quarter is a mesmerising maze.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been the centre of city commerce for centuries, and streets are still named after the goods that were once sold there. Hang Bac for instance means Silver Street and Hang Gai, Silk Street. The best way to see the area is to get lost in the Brownian motion, stopping for coffee or cooling beer along the way or lunching streetside on Pho or Bun Cha.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read next:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/inspiration\/six-alternative-places-to-visit-in-vietnam\/\">6 alternative places to visit in Vietnam<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-280407\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        <h3 class=\"wak-title wak-h3\">2. Visit the French Quarter<\/h3>\r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1062736136-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1062736136-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1062736136-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1062736136-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1062736136-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1062736136-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1062736136-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1062736136-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1062736136-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-84826\" alt=\"St. Joseph's Cathedral in Hanoi at sunset. The building looks like a gaudy, mini Notre Dame\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">St. Joseph\u2019s Cathedral in Hanoi at sunset (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-sidebar-content\" data-ad=\"in_content_1\"><div id=\"wak-acf-block-943021\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-content-layout-default wak-acf-block-advert wak-ad-in_content_1\" data-placement-id=\"63376\" data-advert-visible=\"1\">\n    \n    <div class=\"wak-advert-container\">\n        \n            <div id=\"div-gpt-ad-63376\">\n                <script>\n                    googletag.cmd.push(() => { \n                        googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-63376'); \n                    });\n                <\/script>\n            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div id=\"wak-acf-block-784757\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>With its broad, tree-lined boulevards, Belle Epoque mansions and grand Opera House, the French Quarter stands in opulent, colonial contrast to the old part of town. This is where the city\u2019s Grand Dame hotel, the Sofitel sits in anachronistic Indochine splendour, ceiling fans wafting, Vietnamese staff mouthing French and the bar looking like a period film set.<\/p>\n<p>Close by is St. Joseph\u2019s Cathedral \u2013 a gaudy, mini Notre Dame built on the site of the ruined B\u00e1o Thi\u00ean Pagoda, once home to the huge <em>Chuong Gi\u00e1c Th\u1ebf<\/em> bell \u2018that awakens all the people of the world\u2019 that reputedly weighed some 12,000 kg. Sacked by the Chinese army in the 15th century, nothing remains of the what was once part of the Four Great Treasures of Annam.<\/p>\n<p>Vietnam\u2019s colonial history can be explored here, too. Hundreds of Viet Minh fighters were tortured and guillotined in French Quarter\u2019s Hoa Lo Prison Museum. In 1945, Do Muoi (later Secretary General of the Communist Party) escaped through the sewer system, together with 100 fellow prisoners. In the Vietnam War, American prisoners, including senator John McCain, were kept here, with Hoa Lo earning the nickname \u2018The Hanoi Hilton\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read next: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/inspiration\/most-beautiful-temples-vietnam\/\">9 of the most beautiful and intriguing temples in Vietnam<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-873452\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        <h3 class=\"wak-title wak-h3\">3. Admire Hoan Kiem Lake<\/h3>\r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2247992093-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2247992093-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2247992093-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2247992093-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2247992093-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2247992093-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2247992093-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2247992093-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2247992093-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-84827\" alt=\"Sunset view of the Turtle Tower in middle of the Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword)\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Turtle Tower in Hoan Kiem Lake (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-685299\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>Hanoi is a city of lakes and rivers, and the prettiest of them all might just be Hoan Kiem, which lies south of the Old Quarter and immediately East of the French Quarter. It\u2019s a lovely place for a wander, and like so much in Vietnam it\u2019s steeped in myth.<\/p>\n<p>Hoan Kim means \u2018Lake of the Returned Sword\u2019, and Vietnam\u2019s very own version of Excalibur came from here. As legend goes, Emperor L\u00ea L\u1ee3i, who finally fought off Ming China in the 15th Century to become the first King of post-China Vietnam, was boating on the lake when a Golden Turtle appeared to him. The turtle asked him for the Emperor\u2019s magic sword, Heaven\u2019s Will, which had been given to him by the Dragon King himself. The Emperor dutifully returned it, and it lies with the turtles (who are still abundant in Hoan Kiem) until it is need to defend Vietnam once more.<\/p>\n<p>The rather worn Th\u00e1p R\u00f9a Pagoda, which is found on an island in the centre of the lake, honours the turtle. It\u2019s beautifully illuminated at night. Another island here is home to the Temple of the Jade Mountain, a homage to military leader Tr\u1ea7n H\u01b0ng \u0110\u1ea1o \u2013 who astonishingly fought off the Mongol Hordes in the 13<span style=\"font-size: 13.3333px;\">th<\/span>\u00a0Century. A lovely red wooden bridge connects the island to the shore.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-640024\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        <h3 class=\"wak-title wak-h3\">4. Walk around the Confucian temple and university V\u0103n Mi\u1ebfu <\/h3>\r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1446193982-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1446193982-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1446193982-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1446193982-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1446193982-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1446193982-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1446193982-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1446193982-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1446193982-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-84830\" alt=\"Main gate at V\u0103n Mi\u1ebfu, a Confucian Temple and former University\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">The entrance to V\u0103n Mi\u1ebfu (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-sidebar-content\" data-ad=\"in_content_2\"><div id=\"wak-acf-block-910490\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-content-layout-default wak-acf-block-advert wak-ad-in_content_2\" data-placement-id=\"63377\" data-advert-visible=\"1\">\n    \n    <div class=\"wak-advert-container\">\n        \n            <div id=\"div-gpt-ad-63377\">\n                <script>\n                    googletag.cmd.push(() => { \n                        googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-63377'); \n                    });\n                <\/script>\n            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div id=\"wak-acf-block-623857\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>This leafy complex of buildings (which is often mistakenly called the Temple of Literature) was Vietnam\u2019s first university, founded a century before Oxford to educate princes and bureaucrats. Walking around its flower-filled gardens and stately 11th Century pavilions you will notice Chinese characters everywhere; a testament to North Vietnam\u2019s considerable historical and cultural links with the Middle Kingdom.<\/p>\n<p>Learning in medieval Vietnam was resolutely rooted in the traditions of the great 6th Century BC Chinese scholar Kong Qiu, aka Confucius. Statues of Confucius and his four key disciples \u2013 Mencius, Yan Hui, Zengzi and Zisi (T\u1eed T\u01b0), and (M\u1ea1nh T\u1eed) \u2013 adorn the grounds together with the Chinese Zhou Dynasty noble who championed Confucianism, and 72 other Confucian scholars. Stone stelae commemorate the names of successful graduates. The university remained open from 1076 until the founding of the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th Century, who relocated the royal capital from Hanoi to Hu\u00e9.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read next:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/inspiration\/8-incredible-books-to-read-before-you-visit-vietnam\/\">8 incredible books to read before you visit Vietnam<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-760000\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        <h3 class=\"wak-title wak-h3\">5. Marvel at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum<\/h3>\r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-84831\" alt=\"Changing of the guards outside of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Exterior view of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum \u2013 taking photos inside is not permitted (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-188294\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>Vietnam has fought off the Chinese, the Mongols, the Americans and, of course, the French. And Ho Chi Minh, the man responsible for defeating them and founding the Vietnamese Republic lies embalmed in a glass coffin in the heart of a huge mausoleum (modelled on that of Vladimir Lenin) in Hanoi\u2019s vast Ba \u0110\u00ecnh Square Square.<\/p>\n<p>As rebel leader of the Viet Minh, Uncle Ho \u2013 as he is known to Hanoi locals \u2013 read the Declaration of Vietnam\u2019s Independence near here on 2 September 1945. But the French didn\u2019t surrender until 1954 and under President Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam remained divided despite his best efforts, up until his death exactly 24 years later.<\/p>\n<p>It should be noted that the Mausoleum is closed on Mondays and Fridays, as well as in the afternoons, and the building is closed for two months for maintenance of Ho Chi Minh\u2019s body from September to November.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-259214\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        <h3 class=\"wak-title wak-h3\">6. Wake up early to see the Long Bi\u00ean Bridge<\/h3>\r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1336096610-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1336096610-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1336096610-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1336096610-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1336096610-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1336096610-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1336096610-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1336096610-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1336096610-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-84834\" alt=\"View of Long Bi\u00ean Bridge. Half the image shows scooters passing along the bridge, while the other half shows nearby houses\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Long Bi\u00ean Bridge connecting Ho\u00e0n Ki\u1ebfm and Long Bi\u00ean (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-sidebar-content\" data-ad=\"in_content_3\"><div id=\"wak-acf-block-369006\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-content-layout-default wak-acf-block-advert wak-ad-in_content_3\" data-placement-id=\"63378\" data-advert-visible=\"1\">\n    \n    <div class=\"wak-advert-container\">\n        \n            <div id=\"div-gpt-ad-63378\">\n                <script>\n                    googletag.cmd.push(() => { \n                        googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-63378'); \n                    });\n                <\/script>\n            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div id=\"wak-acf-block-722484\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>No location in the city mixes myth and modernity like the Long Bi\u00ean Bridge.<\/p>\n<p>While the bridge itself is French, having been built around the time of the Eiffel Tower, its current moniker comes from the first name for Hanoi, the \u2018City of Interweaving Dragons\u2019. Founded in 200 BC along the Red River, Long Bi\u00ean comes from the myth of the father of the Vietnamese, ostensibly by the Dragon King of Lac.<\/p>\n<p>The son of a water goddess who had a turbulent marriage to the immortal daughter of the Flame Emperor, the Dragon King eventually divorced his wife, telling her \u2018fire and water cannot live together in harmony\u2019, and divided their myriad children between them. Fifty sons followed their mother into the mountainous north, fifty followed their father south. They became the Vietnamese and North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and a divided nation was born.<\/p>\n<p>Best visited in the early morning, motor scooters, trains and pedestrians stream across it on their way to work while the ancient Red River gushes beneath.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-498266\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        <h3 class=\"wak-title wak-h3\">7. Sample the street and caf\u00e9 Food<\/h3>\r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1995520166-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1995520166-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1995520166-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1995520166-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1995520166-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1995520166-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1995520166-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1995520166-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1995520166-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-84835\" alt=\"Customers eat at a street food stall in the historic old quarter of Hanoi\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Street food stalls in the Old Quarter (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-557445\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>There\u2019s great street food everywhere in Vietnam, but it reaches new heights in Hanoi. You will find food vended on every other corner, especially in the Old Quarter.<\/p>\n<p>Stop to sample the familiar, like the country\u2019s famous Pho meat and noodle soup or Bun Cha, a local dish of grilled pork served with rice noodles and herbs, or branch out by cooling down at an air-conditioned caf\u00e9 with an Egg Coffee. It\u2019s much nicer than it sounds \u2013 think sweet, caffeinated egg nog \u2013 made with whipped yolks, sugar, and condensed milk. It\u2019s all easily sampled on a self-guided tour. But if you want some guidance then many of the myriad small agencies in Hanoi\u2019s streets offer street food tours.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read next:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/inspiration\/history-culture-vietnam-food\/\">Foodie adventures in Vietnam: exploring the history and culture behind the country\u2019s unique cuisine<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-795268\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        <h3 class=\"wak-title wak-h3\">8. Take a selfie on Train Street<\/h3>\r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2444644629-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2444644629-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2444644629-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2444644629-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2444644629-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2444644629-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2444644629-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2444644629-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2444644629-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-84836\" alt=\"Hanoi train street as seen from above with tourists walking along or sitting by the train tracks\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Hanoi\u2019s famed Train Street (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-sidebar-content\" data-ad=\"in_content_4\"><div id=\"wak-acf-block-302039\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-content-layout-default wak-acf-block-advert wak-ad-in_content_4\" data-placement-id=\"63379\" data-advert-visible=\"1\">\n    \n    <div class=\"wak-advert-container\">\n        \n            <div id=\"div-gpt-ad-63379\">\n                <script>\n                    googletag.cmd.push(() => { \n                        googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-63379'); \n                    });\n                <\/script>\n            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div id=\"wak-acf-block-861371\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>This narrow street where trains pass within inches of homes, shops and cafes has been made famous by Instagrammers the world over.<\/p>\n<p>And it is an astonishing sight, with the North-South, or Reunification, Express, trundling at little more than walking pace along the tracks as seemingly oblivious traders hawk their wares, locals sip coffee and play Xiangqi (Vietnamese draughts) until the very last second, when everything is rapidly swept away from the trains passage before resuming again as if nothing had happened. Safety concerns have led the authorities to try and close train street down, so far unsuccessfully. Tourist interest has even led to makeshift restaurants popping-up along the tracks.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read next:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/inspiration\/vietnam-reunification-express\/\">The Reunification Express: Explore Vietnam\u2019s history by rail<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-644738\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        <h3 class=\"wak-title wak-h3\">9. See the Drowned B-52 Bomber at Huu Tiep Lake<\/h3>\r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_389974075-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_389974075-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_389974075-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_389974075-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_389974075-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_389974075-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_389974075-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_389974075-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_389974075-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-84839\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">The drowned B-52 Bomber in Huu Tiep Lake (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-817065\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>Hanoi was headquarters of the Viet Minh who fought the French, and later the Vietnamese Army, during the Vietnam War. It was heavily bombed, especially during the Christmas Campaign of 1972, when B-52s pummelled the city. Some were shot down by North Vietnamese forces, and the wreckage of one lies nose down in this little lake in Ba Dinh District, a short cab ride from central Hanoi. It\u2019s poignant site and reminder to Vietnamese both of the cost of war and of their resilience and resistance.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-739961\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><blockquote>\n<h4><em><strong>Alex\u2019s insider tip<\/strong>:\u00a0 Most flights from Europe arrive into Hanoi early morning. Avoid airport hassle and having to wait in a caf\u00e9 for hours for an early check-in by pre-booking a driver and an early check-in.\u00a0<\/em><\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-sidebar-content\" data-ad=\"last\"><div id=\"wak-acf-block-419433\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-content-layout-default wak-acf-block-advert wak-ad-last\" data-placement-id=\"63380\" data-advert-visible=\"1\">\n    \n    <div class=\"wak-advert-container\">\n        \n            <div id=\"div-gpt-ad-63380\">\n                <script>\n                    googletag.cmd.push(() => { \n                        googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-63380'); \n                    });\n                <\/script>\n            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From visiting the Instagram-famous Train Street to learning about the city&#8217;s myths and legends, here&#8217;s what to do in the Vietnamese capital&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":84837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"13724,29681,50421,44191,13739,39941","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"elementor-post":[],"inspiration":[14],"seo-content-tag":[],"seo-continent":[],"seo-country":[],"coauthors":[340],"class_list":["post-84823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","inspiration-culture-heritage"],"acf":{"destination":[3257],"header_video":"","header_image_caption":"","thumbnail_video":"","thumbnail_video_image":"","promoter_image":"","promoter_name":"","promoter_url":"","wak_author_name":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.4 - 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