19 Unforgettable Things to do in Hanoi, Vietnam (2025 Update)

Hanoi is one of the most vibrant cities in the world. Within minutes of setting foot in the city, we felt instantly captivated by its seemingly non-stop nature and bustling feel.

It was once said that you’ll remember Hanoi for a lifetime, and it won’t remember you for a second. After a few days in Hanoi, we very quickly understood why! 

The constant sensory stimulus and things as simple as crossing the road being an event won’t be for everyone. But for others, you’ll instantly fall in love with everything Hanoi has to offer. We have yet to visit a city quite as vibrant as Hanoi!

Our guide below will help you get your head around this bold city and give you some of our tried and tested suggestions of the best things to do in Hanoi for a truly unforgettable experience.  

We were in a fantastic position to be able to go back to Hanoi again after originally writing this article, at the start of April 2025. This is part of a longer trip through Vietnam.

This has put us in a unique position where we could focus on seeking out some interesting new places off the tourist trail. This means that our article brings you the best of both worlds.

We’re excited to show you that you can have a really unique experience in Hanoi by ticking off those must do items. Alongside some things to do in Hanoi that offer more unique and authentic experiences.

Editor’s note: Having visited Hanoi again in April 2025, we’ve fact checked the information in this article to make sure everything is still up to date. We’ve also added in lots more locations to visit to get the very best out of your trip. We’ve also added more information and things to know to help everything run as smoothly as possible.

Things to do in Hanoi

We were very much aware within minutes of stepping foot in the city that Hanoi seems to be pretty much always on. No matter what time of day you’re there, you’ll always find something to do, and something vying for your attention.

If you’re looking for unique and unforgettable things to do in Hanoi, Vietnam that will also give you a more authentic experience, our 14 suggestions will give you a really good starting point.

Of course, our  suggestions based on where we visited only just scratch the surface, and simply spending some time walking around and going where looks interesting will lead you to discover the city more like a local too! 

Insider Tip: We found flight to Hanoi can be pricey! We always use a combination of sites like booking.com, trip.com and cheapOair.com to find and compare the best possible deals on flights. 

1. Walk Around Hoan Kiem Lake

Walking around Hoan Kiem Lake, a natural freshwater lake in the heart of the city is without a doubt one of the best things to do in Hanoi. It’s also known as Luc Thuy Lake (Emerald Lake) due to its year-round green color. The lake is at the intersect between numerous popular streets in the Old Quarter which you’ll no doubt spend quite a lot of time exploring.

We loved our time here – Hoan Kiem Lake can give you a sense of peace amongst an otherwise busy city and you can expect to see Tai Chi sessions, performance artists and families simply enjoying their time.

There are also lots of exceptional restaurants nearby, shopping centers and weekend activities, so it’s always busy. It’s easy to reach Hoan Kiem Lake by foot from most hotels in the Old Quarter and by bike, taxi etc from other areas.

If you want some of the best views of the lake, where you can see Ngoc Son Temple, head to near the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, where the view of the Temple is just in front of you.

How to find Hoan Kiem Lake, Vietnam:

Hoan Kiem Lake Hanoi, Vietnam

2. Visit the Old Quarter

Think bustling streets with everything you can imagine on sale from food to homewares, to textiles and art as well as buildings decorated with street art, the Old Quarter should absolutely be at the top of your list when visiting Hanoi.

We personally think one of the best things to do in Hanoi Old Quarter is to just walk around and take it all in. If you’re staying at a hotel in the Old Quarter, you have a head start, but it is also easily reachable on foot from other areas or by taxi.

We’d suggest walking from anywhere in the Old Quarter down to Hoan Kiem Lake, taking in the various little boutiques and street sellers along the way, as well as trying some of the food and drink offerings from the local specialty street food vendors.

Hanoi’s Old Quarter can seem overwhelming at first – there’s just so much going on! Fortunately, there’s plenty of guided tours you can book onto. We’d really recommend this one which gives some local insight on this buzzing area.

Some of the best streets to check out are Hang Dao Street, Hang Duong Street, Hang Ma Street and Hang Bac Street. A word of warning – keep your eyes peeled for mopeds!

How to find Hanoi Old Quarter:

Insider Tip: When we visited Hanoi, we found that you spend a lot of your time around the Old Quarter and we think it makes sense to stay in a hotel that puts you right in the middle of, or at least very close to this area. Fortunately, there are plenty of hotels, apartments and hostels in the Old Quarter with options available to suit every budget.

Hanoi Old Quarter

3. Indulge in Hanoi’s Foodie Scene

Hanoi is well known for its foodie scene – and offers a whole range of food for all tastes and budgets. Hanoi, and Northern Vietnamese food is unique in that it takes a lot of elements from other areas of Vietnam and makes its own special thing. Expect for dishes to be lighter and more fragrant; making use of fresh herbs and spicier than some of the dishes you may expect to find in the South.

The food in Hanoi is delicious and its inexpensive nature means it’s possible to eat out every meal of your trip and try some of the best food Hanoi has to offer. Quite simply, eating is one of the very best things to do in Hanoi, it’s just so good!

You’ll find street food sellers offering grab and go as well or little sit-down areas as well as more traditional sit down restaurants and some of the biggest, most choice laden buffets you could ever experience here.

From our experience, we think that one of the best ways to experience an authentic taste of Hanoi, is to book onto one of the many local-run street food tours that are offered. These cater for different diets (for example, there are specific vegan food tours available) and offer the chance to try food from numerous vendors.

Some of the most popular foods in Hanoi are Pho (pronounced ‘fuh’) the traditional noodle soup usually involving chicken (Ga), Beef (Bo) or Tofu, Banh Mi, Nem (Spring rolls) and Summer Rolls, amongst a huge array of others.

It’s also extremely possible to eat vegan and vegetarian in Hanoi as there is a big Buddhist population. Look for dishes or places marked as ‘chay’ meaning vegan or ‘an chay’ which means you eat vegetarian food the same way Vietnamese Buddhists do, which is usually vegan. Some notable restaurants to try out are:

  • Katze, Old Quarter: Offering homestyle cooking, the traditional way
  • Veggie Castle: Offering healthy and hearty food in the form of an extremely reasonably priced buffet
  • Huong Thien: Two floor restaurant offering hearty and healthy buffet style food
  • Uu Dam Chay: Luxurious Restaurant, higher end
  • Banh Mi 25: One of the most iconic Banh Mi Places in Hanoi
Hanoi street food

Insider tip: If you’re visiting Vietnam, we would always recommend getting travel medical insurance. We recommend SafetyWing as we think they offer some of the best coverage out there.

Things can of course take a curveball; plans can get delayed and unexpected medical issues can come up. We think it’s really important to go with an insurer who is quick to deal with claims, especially when you’re already traveling.

What we love is that you can actually begin your coverage whilst abroad already, and they have various plans to suit your needs. Their Nomad insurance has two main coverages at present – essential, which will cover you for 4 weeks at a time, and their complete insurance, which is cover that will take you through the whole year.

We personally love their plans as they are geared towards both longer and short term travel, which is ideal for Vietnam, especially if you’re taking a longer trip. They also allow you to adjust the coverage to include things like adventure sports and electronic theft. 

We’d really recommend looking through their plans and upfront pricing for your trip to get a better feel of what’s available, which you can do on their website here.

4. Buy Affordable Art from Local Artists

When we revisited Hanoi in April 2025, we stumbled across a small boutique chain of shops called Tired City. These are dotted around Hanoi, and particularly the Old Quarter.

Offering art, clothing, prints and a lot more from local artists, they give you the chance to take back a lasting memory that isn’t the most obvious. When visiting we had a really great conversation with one of the staff about how the concept of the store is to support local Vietnamese artists.

Their prints particularly are beautiful, well priced and it’s refreshing to see the contemporary side of Vietnamese art and culture. Rather than the recycled images you often see in more touristy areas.

tired city hanoi

5. Try an Authentic Banh Mi

One of the best comfort foods you can ever imagine: the Banh Mi. An ever-popular dish in Vietnam and an iconic street food of Hanoi. You’ve likely tried a Banh Mi before, but nothing compares to the authentic taste of a Banh Mi here, and trying one is one of the best things to do in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Crispy, warm, pillowy bread, filled with fresh crunchy veg, herbs, chili and the protein of your choice. It’s a culinary combination of two cuisines and a great example of how food is tied to history and culture. Taking it’s starts from French Colonialism; the Banh Mi is a signifier of modern Vietnam.

The Banh Mi is often eaten for breakfast and is seen as a cheap, filling street food and there are some great places to check out in the city for this delicious bite. Banh Mi 25 in the Old Quarter has a cult following, as does Banh Mi Hoi An. Whilst these places have vegan and vegetarian options, if you’re looking for somewhere exclusively vegan, try Banh Mi Vegan.

We also found ourselves loving Banh Mi from Tự Châu Veggie when we returned. Having landed fresh off a flight from China, the next morning these pillowy and crispy baguettes really hit the spot from here!

Banh Mi in Hanoi

6. Get Involved in Hanoi’s Art Scene

Hanoi has a bustling art scene, and spend any time walking around the Old Quarter down towards Hoan Kiem Lake and you’ll see a lot of impressive street art that is begging to be explored in more detail. However, this isn’t all that Hanoi has to offer those with a creative eye.

There are plenty of small galleries (such as the Nguyen Art Gallery) of local artists and traditional crafts to check out around this area too, but there is also an interesting collective of artists working in Hanoi who both show their work – mixing modern art with traditional techniques.

A great way to indulge in the art scene Hanoi has to offer is by taking a class – many of these being offered to learn silk painting in calm and relaxed settings with locals and international travelers alike.

Hanoi Art Tours offers interesting looks into the art scene of Hanoi and you can often find workshops happening near or around the Temple of Literature (you’ll find notices and leaflets advertising events happening locally), which is well worth exploring in its own right. Alternatively, there are plenty of art and craft workshops including pottery and jewellery-making. We tried some of these and you can easily book in advance

When we visited, we tried out a silk painting workshop with local artists. This was one of the nicest afternoons we spent in Hanoi and it felt very far away from the touristy things surrounding it. We even got interviewed whilst doing this for Vietnamese TV who were doing a segment on the workshop, which was very random but all part of the fun! 

Hanoi art scene

7. Try Vietnamese Specialty Coffee

Not to be confused with our section below on specific Vietnamese coffee, which has its own set of interesting characteristics, is the explosion in specialty coffee that has arisen in Hanoi.

This wasn’t surprising to us as Vietnam has a strong French influence from the colonial period. Now it seems extremely good coffee shops offering everything from intense espresso based drinks to interesting extractions are popping up everywhere.

Like many places in Europe, there’s also a great social aspect to the specialty coffee spaces, often using locally produced beans. They’re a great place to sit with your drink and watch the world go by.

We particularly loved some of the tea based iced americano’s that seem to be really popular. Think a jasmine tea base with a shot of espresso on top or offered as a cold brew. Delicious!

One coffee shop we really loved visiting was Hào Càfê. Who offered some of the best espresso we had in Hanoi.

8. Visit The Temple of Literature

The Temple of Literature is one of the most impressive buildings and significant cultural landmarks in the area and is one of the best unique things to do in Hanoi. Not only is it stunning to look around, but it is also significant in that it was founded in 1070 and then became the first university in Vietnam until it was later closed after being open for over 700 years due to colonialism.

From our experience, you only need an hour to look around, and it provides a great, calming respite from the bustle of the city close by. It’s very popular to visit, so we recommend going earlier on in the day. For more information on opening hours and up to date costs, visit their website here.

How to find The Temple of Literature:

Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam

9. Take an Overnight Trip to Ha Long Bay

Whilst not technically in the city, a trip to Hanoi wouldn’t be complete without exploring the magnificent Ha Long Bay. This area is one of the most unforgettable things to do in Hanoi. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it isn’t hard to see why – it is absolutely beautiful.

Ha Long Bay itself can be very touristy and busy – you’ll notice when you take a tour that you will not be the only people there – and it is possible to visit the lesser seen Bai Tu Long Bay instead. Depending on the tour you take, you can visit here instead, and it takes the same route at the beginning before turning off in a different direction.

You can only visit Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay through a tour, as much of this area is heavily protected, and there are a whole range of tours on offer from a number of companies.

You can take day tours, overnights and longer tours on small, medium or larger boats (often referred to as traditional junks). It takes about 3 hours by car to get to Ha Long Bay where you’ll board your boat, and most tours will collect you from Hanoi.

Tours can really vary in price, from group tours to individual charters. We booked a private tour with Origin Vietnam, who offer individually planned and curated experiences, off the beaten track adventures and local guides who give you an insight you likely wouldn’t get otherwise. However, as noted above, there are plenty of other options available including group tours of varying length and catering to a range of different budgets. 

The tour we went on of Ha Long Bay felt so different to some of the other tours we’d seen and we had such a memorable experience! If you want to visit some more incredible natural sites on your trip, you should also read our article things to do in Vietnam

Ha Long Bay Vietnam

10. Experience Finely Prepared Artisanal Tea

Whether you like your tea hot or cold, you won’t find a shortage of beautiful, aromatic and complex teas in Hanoi. You can choose between more traditional tea houses, or newer contemporary new wave Vietnamese and Chinese tea houses.

The reality is, that if you enjoy tea you will likely experience the best tea you’ve had between China and Vietnam. This isn’t hard to understand with green tea so deeply entrenched in the heritage here.

The popularity of boba has become ever present in Hanoi too. But unlike some of the more watered down, extremely sweet versions back home, you can expect a more rounded experience of flavor and subtle notes.

We particularly enjoyed Cha Hong Pao for their new wave teas. They specialize in both milk tea and fruit tea. These can be enjoyed hot or cold. Interesting combinations are the order here.

Of course, you also have plenty of matcha based cafes such as Dao Matcha which is ever popular for very intense green hits of beautiful tasting matcha. Let’s not forget  teaspresso too. Just try it. You won’t be dissapointed. For teaspresso we’d recommend trying Rincha Teaspresso.

tea in vietnam

11. Visit Hanoi Train Street Differently

Train Street has become one of the top things to do in Hanoi in recent years. A long street with a still functioning train that passes through the narrow street at various points in the day has had tourists hooked. The idea that you can go sit and have a drink in one of the cafes along the street is a sheer draw.

However, it has become contentious in recent times and many of the locals to the area are becoming increasingly worried and distraught about the actions of some tourists, usually not realizing just how dangerous this street can be.

Because it has become so popular, it attracts a lot of people and problems with crowding have happened and have made the experience less safe. It is still possible to take in this experience but do it in a different way, and you can still get a feel for the interesting scenes of life along the train tracks.

Many access points to Train Street itself are closed off and heavily guarded, apart from to residents, but step away from these touristy areas and you’ll see that it’s possible to experience a similar feel from different areas. For example, the train areas run very close to Banh Mi 25, where you can take a peek without the worry of recent events.

Whilst it’s not so easy to just walk onto Train street anymore, there are still ways to experience it up-close. We’d recommend an organised street food tour which you can book in advance that takes in a stop along the side of the tracks. 

Hanoi Train Street

12. Enjoy a Hanoi Water Puppet Show

The Thang Long Water Puppet show is such a fun thing to do and one we’d recommend to anyone visiting Hanoi, especially if this is your first time. The charming show has been going since 1969 and is now seen as one of the leading arts and cultural hotspots in the city. Each showing lasts about 50 minutes and there are various showings on throughout the day and into the evening.

It’s a fantastic way to enjoy ancient art – water puppetry is very traditional in Vietnam and is tied to the cultural identity very strongly. It has been practiced for over a thousand years and the plays performed by the talented artists in each show are based on myths and legends in Vietnamese history.

There can sometimes be lengthy lines for tickets to the Water Puppet shows. You can skip the queues by purchasing tickets in advance

How to find the Hanoi Water Puppet Show:

Hanoi Water Puppet theater

13. Drink Local Craft Beer

Like so many places around the world, Hanoi has started (or has perhaps had brewing for some time) a specialty craft beer scene. Hanoi is well known for cheap beer halls, but this is watered down.

When revisiting Hanoi, we were happy to spot and try a few really great, relatively new to the scene, craft beer places. These were serving locally produced brews which each had distinct flavor profiles and interesting infusions.

If you’re into craft beer like we are, then you’ll love checking out some of the craft beer bars in Hanoi. We found it a great way to unwind on the backstreets away from the busiest areas.

A favorite was Old Quarter Beer which was ideally located pretty close to Hoan Kiem Lake. They have a number of local options on tap which are well worth trying your way through.

14. Discover Vintage Vietnam

One thing we loved about Vietnam are the old propaganda posters from the 1960’s – 1980’s. Last time we visited, we picked up a couple which now sit proudly in our living space at home.

Whilst some of the posters are overtly militaristic, and may not sit too well with your own beliefs, many of them – encouraging preservation of the environment, are beautiful and technically very accomplished pieces of art.

There are several shops in Hanoi that sell modern reprints from the original printing plates. And these large scale display posters are an affordable way to get what we think is a beautiful and unique hand made piece of art.

The main location we’d recommend for this is Vu Gia Gallery. This shop is well priced and packages all of the art up extremely well to bring back in your luggage. Each poster weighs very little so is easy to transport, even if traveling through Vietnam.

vintage vietnam posters

15. Peruse the Hanoi Night Market

The Night Market in Hanoi is a market situated in the Old Quarter and is always bustling and full of energy – it’s a great thing to do in Hanoi at night. Here you’ll find all sorts of trinkets, crafts, painted goods as well as clothes and everything in-between.

You’ll also likely find sellers offering kumquat iced tea and fruit dipped in chili powder. There’s also a big focus on barbeque- where you can choose skewers already pre prepared with different meats, fish and vegetables as well as tofu to be griddled and served with different sauces and dips.

The Hanoi Night Market is on every weekend from Friday to Sunday, 6pm until 12am, but it’s always best to head down later after about 8pm to get the best atmosphere. We’d recommend a guided walking and food tour of the Hanoi Night Market to help you experience it from a local perspective. 

How to find Hanoi Night Market:

Hanoi Night Market

16. Learn to Cross the Road

One of the most unique things to do in Hanoi is learn to cross the road again! In fact, you can always tell the people who may have arrived just yesterday because of their hesitation to cross the road and those that have been there longer by their confidence.

This might seem like a strange thing to add into a guide to Hanoi, but you’ll soon see why. The traffic in Hanoi is intense, and you’ll find mopeds, motorbikes, rickshaws heavily congesting the streets pretty much from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep (and whilst you sleep, too).

There aren’t really many crosswalks in Hanoi, especially in the Old Quarter, so you need to cross the road by weaving in and out of the traffic. This may sound scary at first, but just watch how the locals do it and you’ll soon see that the best way is to walk very slowly so that the bikes can weave around you. Certainly an experience you won’t forget in a hurry!

Hanoi street scene

17. Try Vietnamese Coffee

The coffee culture in Vietnam is pretty strong – if you like good coffee then you’ll really want to try a Vietnamese Coffee. If you love espresso, then Vietnamese Coffee will give you what you’re looking for as it’s really strong and aromatic.

There are so many different options to try, making use of yoghurt, butter, coconut, egg coffee, condensed milk and drip coffee. It can be extremely sweet, but the aroma and the whole experience (especially if you try one from a street seller) is a fantastic, unique thing to do when visiting Hanoi.

As you might expect, there are plenty of guided activities you can book focussing on coffee. These include hands on coffee-making workshops and historical café-culture walks. 

Vietnamese Coffee

18. Visit the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and Saint Joseph’s Cathedral

If you want to learn more about Vietnamese history, culture and its religious aspects, check out some of the museum and architectural offerings Hanoi has in abundance. We’ve added these together as you can do these activities in a day.

You’ll get to see some iconic places on this mini tour, but be aware, you’ll need to make sure you have your legs and arms covered to visit some of them – especially the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. You can find out up to date opening times and entry costs for each location via the websites we’ve listed below.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Hanoi

19. Indulge in a Hanoi Cooking Class

With food being such a big part of the culture in Hanoi, and so many of the flavors being perfect balances of unique ingredients you may not have experienced back home, a cooking class can be a great way to get a real feel for the food you’re trying out in Hanoi, and allow you to take home some of your newly learned skills in order to recreate your favorite dishes.

There are so many cooking classes on offer in Hanoi, some which will take you for a market visit (which we highly recommend) as well as ones that take place in small home stays or similar.

It’s also possible to organize cookery classes either as part of a group or one on one if that’s more your thing. You can find a whole range of classes available from the likes of Get Your Guide and other reputable tour operators. This is such a memorable thing to do! 

Hanoi cookery classes

Best Travel Tips for Hanoi, Vietnam

Vietnam may be unlike anywhere you’ve ever visited before, it’s unique, it’s vibrant and there is a lot to see and do. Below, we’ve outlined some of our key travel tips for visiting Hanoi to help you have the best experience and make some incredible memories.

How to Get to Hanoi

Hanoi has one main airport serving it – Noi Bai International. Being the capital, there are international flights departing and arriving every day and it’s easy to get to Hanoi from a huge variety of places around the world.

You may find you cannot fly directly and need to fly in from a connecting flight. For example, Doha or Dubai are the main connecting hubs for flights into Asia.

From the airport, the easiest way to get into Hanoi is by taxi. Uber works in Hanoi, but you can also usually pick up a taxi from the front of the airport and they run on a meter, which isn’t expensive.

What is the Weather Like in Hanoi? 

The weather in Hanoi, and the North of Vietnam can be extremely different from the weather in the South and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The best time to visit is ideally between October and April, but this will depend on where else you plan to visit in Vietnam as well. Be sure to read our guide on the best time to visit Vietnam to help you plan accordingly with the rest of your trip.

Smog and humidity play a big part in the weather too. Having visited again in April 2025, the humidity was at around 97%. This was quite intense and took some getting used to.

If you struggle with allergies, be sure to bring plenty of medication or know this in advance. The pollution and irritants can lead to a sore throat and coughing, which we found went away in a few days.

traditional street seller

How to Get Around Hanoi

There are three main ways to get around Hanoi, these are:

Taxi

One of the easiest ways to travel around Hanoi is by taxi – these are very reasonably priced and can sometimes be the cheapest option aside from walking. Uber works in Hanoi, which is a great way to be able to travel cashless and know exactly what you’re spending.

You can also hail a cab on the street, and usually pay in cash for these. There are always plenty of taxis around so you should never be waiting long.

We also like to use the Grab app.  This is a great way to book rides too. You can either book motorbike rides or car rides. This is also a great app to use for ordering food or other items you might need, like pharmacy care. 

On Foot

If you’re able, exploring Hanoi on foot and walking is a great way to discover the city – especially in the Old Quarter, it can actually be easier than taking a cab, and sometimes take less time too. Whilst the city is big, the main areas you’ll want to explore are generally quite concentrated, so walking is a really viable option.

Bike

You’ll see lots of rickshaws being pedaled around Hanoi, and this is also a pretty viable mode of transport around the city – though it is certainly the more touristy option, and you’ll likely pay over the odds for it. You can also use the Grab app to get rides both in cars and on bikes to your destination too.

How Many Days Should I Spend in Hanoi?

Whilst you could spend a good long while in Hanoi, between 6-7 days will give you enough time to explore everything. Some guides will say that 4 days is enough, but this doesn’t give you the opportunity to really immerse yourself and just feels like you’re dashing from one place to another trying to tick things off as quickly as possible.

Give yourself a bit longer and take some time for spontaneity. 5 days will give you enough if you are shorter on time, but you may have to decide which places are most important to you to explore.

Use an eSIM for Your Phone

An e-SIM is the best way to keep connected whilst you’re in Vietnam. There are plenty of places selling physical SIM cards, but we use eSIM’s every time we travel now as it means you’re less likely to lose your original SIM card.

We like to use Saily for our eSIMs as they’re well priced and have really good coverage. We’d advise downloading the Saily app in advance.

Once you’re in Hanoi, and on your hotel’s Wi-Fi, you can buy the package right for you based on how long you’re travelling. We also have an article on how to use eSIMs while traveling, to help you install it easily!

How to Get Laundry Done Whilst Traveling Through Vietnam

Many hotels will offer laundry services pretty cheaply. This is usually charged per kg and is roughly 40,000 VND (about 2 dollars) per kg.

The second time we visited Vietnam, we made great use of this. Though we did have it recommended to us to check the weight before you send it off, so you get back the same amount!

There have been instances of items going missing. So, it’s advised to keep pictures of any really important items in your laundry. Your hotel will help you if you enquire with them and may have a local service, they use with discounts available for guests.

Cash, Card or Mobile Payments

When we first visited Hanoi, we mostly used cash. The second time we visited, we also did the same. Some places did not accept card, and we always thought it was a good idea to have cash to hand.

This was still the case when we visited in April 2025. However there was more acceptance of things like Apple Pay and general card payments.

MoMo is widely used for card payments in Vietnam, which you can download, as is ZaloPay. Likewise, VNPay is used a lot and is a QR code system.

If you’re prefer to use an app, we’d say have a bit of cash on hand too. In case you’re ever in a situation where this doesn’t work.

hanoi street seller

Enjoy Hanoi, Vietnam

As you can see, there is so much to explore in Hanoi, and you could spend a really long time just taking in everything this incredible city has to offer. Hanoi will stay in your memories for a long time.

Some people will say you either love it or hate it, but if you allow yourself to get swept along by everything going on and really get into the moment, you’re sure to love it.

We hope our guide has given you some ideas for what Hanoi has to offer, and some off the beaten track suggestions too. So, whether you’re visiting Hanoi as a spring board for a bigger trip to Vietnam or visiting the city alone, we hope you enjoy it to its fullest.

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