One Month in Hanoi: Vietnam's Energetic Capital

The Gates Leading to the Infamous Red Bridge at Hoan Kiem Lake

Vietnam has always felt like this exotic, far-off destination that practically calls out to every traveler's soul. After hearing countless stories from fellow adventurers who couldn't stop raving about their Vietnamese experiences, we knew it was time to see what all the fuss was about.

A Very Hanoi Picture

Let's be honest – timing is everything when you're traveling.

After spending five months sweating through hot and humid climates, we were desperate for a break from the heat. Northern Vietnam in March? Perfect timing, sounds great to us! Hanoi offered us that sweet relief we were craving, plus so much more.

Walk Down as Many of these Narrow Streets as Possible!

This vibrant capital city is absolutely bursting with culture, rich history, and food that'll make your taste buds do a happy dance. While one month felt short for our usual extended stays, it gave us the perfect taste of what makes Hanoi so special.

Hanoi Has So Many Iconic Sites - St. Joseph Cathedral

Where We Stayed

Location is everything in Hanoi, especially since the city doesn't have a comprehensive mass transit system (buses are your main public transport option). We strategically chose accommodation on the edge of Hanoi's famous Old Quarter, just a stone's throw from the main train station and very close to train street.

Hanoi's Infamous Train Street is Just One of Those Things You Have to Experience!

This location was pure gold! We could easily walk to all the Old Quarter excitement, but still retreat to a quieter area when we needed to recharge. Trust me, Hanoi is wonderfully lively, but sometimes you need that peaceful escape.

Our Old Quarter Airbnb Apartment

Our newly renovated apartment was a traveler's dream – king-sized bed, washer, AND a dryer! If you've traveled extensively outside the US, you know how rare dryers are globally. We've actually grown to love line-dried (or rack-dried) clothes. But, if we do have a dryer, we'll give them a quick fluff to soften them up.

Our Airbnb Apartment Checked All of the Boxes!

The apartment hit all our must-haves: excellent water pressure with super hot water, secure building with key-card elevator access to our third-floor unit. We had everything we needed for a comfortable month-long stay in Hanoi.

Airport transportation couldn't be easier or more budget-friendly:

• Bus 86 from the airport to the train station: 1.5 hours, under $2 per person

• Grab taxi to the airport: around $13 for two people

Both options are incredibly affordable, though that bus fare is pretty hard to beat!

Hanoi Food Scene: Prepare to Be Amazed

Dining in Hanoi isn't just recommended – it's absolutely essential! The Vietnamese food scene here will completely transform how you think about flavor.

Vietnamese cuisine is all about that perfect harmony of five fundamental tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy. But here's the real secret – it's all about ingredient freshness. Once you experience those crisp, vibrant greens, your palate will never be the same.

Banh Mi Sandwiches Hit Different in Their Homeland

Must-Try Hanoi Dishes

With only a month to experience everything, we made eating out our top priority. And here's the best part – Hanoi street food is incredibly affordable! You'll be shocked at how little you spend for mind-blowing meals.

Essential Hanoi foods to try:

• Pho – Vietnam's iconic fragrant beef or chicken noodle soup

• Banh Mi – The legendary Vietnamese baguette sandwich

• Banh Cuon – Delicate steamed rice rolls

• Bun Cha – Grilled pork with rice vermicelli and fresh herbs

• Bun Bo Nam Bo – Vietnamese beef noodle salad perfection

• Banh Xeo – Crispy, savory Vietnamese pancakes (my personal obsession!)

Bun Bo Nam Bo - Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad

For dessert lovers: Don't miss Che – a unique sweet dessert with tapioca, coconut cream, or condensed milk, topped with fruits, beans, and crushed ice. It's refreshingly different from Western desserts!

The Must-Try Dessert Called Che

You'll literally eat Michelin Bib Gourmand quality food for under $10 per person. Every meal will leave you planning your next one. The way Vietnamese chefs blend flavors is absolutely unmatched!

Hanoi Coffee Culture: A Caffeine Lover's Paradise

Even if you're not typically a coffee person, you cannot visit Hanoi without trying egg coffee!

Vietnamese Coffee Specialties You Must Try

Egg Coffee (Ca Phe Trung) This rich, creamy masterpiece layers sweet custard-like egg cream over strong dark coffee. Think crème brûlée in coffee form! This Hanoi invention started in the 1940s during a milk shortage when a creative bartender substituted whisked egg yolk and condensed milk for frothed milk. Brilliant innovation!

Sinfully Delicious Egg Coffee and Check Out Those Floors!

Coconut Iced Coffee A blended paradise of coffee, coconut cream, condensed milk, and ice. Perfect for those hot Hanoi afternoons when you need a refreshing pick-me-up.

Iced Coconut Coffee at Hanoi 1990's on Train Street!

Salted Cream Coffee Simple yet magnificent – salted foam creates a creamy top layer that transforms bitter Vietnamese coffee into something resembling salted caramel. The perfect amount of salt makes all the difference.

Salted Cream Coffee at a Beautiful Cafe Near Our Apartment

We discovered 80+ Coffee Roastery – an exceptional local chain with multiple Hanoi locations serving seriously high-quality coffee drinks. Definitely worth seeking out!

80+ Coffee Roastery

Hanoi Grocery Shopping and Local Markets

Even food-obsessed travelers need some home cooking! We always hunt for apartments with basic cooking facilities, even in incredible food destinations like Hanoi.

• FujiMart – Large store with an excellent prepared food section

• BRG Mart – Great general grocery shopping and basics

• WinMart – Perfect for water, quick needs and basics

• L's Place – Our go-to for imported and Western foods when you're craving that taste of home

Hanoi grocery prices were totally reasonable and in line with other Southeast Asian destinations. Having access to both local ingredients and some familiar Western products gave us the perfect balance.

Exploring Hanoi's Old Quarter & Hoan Kiem Lake: The Heart of Vietnam's Capital

Hanoi's Old Quarter is hands down the most captivating part of the city! This ancient neighborhood, dating back over 1,000 years, is where Hanoi's soul truly comes alive. Walking through these narrow, winding streets feels like stepping back in time, but with all the energy and excitement of modern Vietnam.

The Iconic Huc Bridge that Leads to Ngoc Son Temple

The Magic of Hanoi's 36 Streets

The Old Quarter's famous 36 streets each have their own personality and history. Originally, each street specialized in a specific trade or craft – and many still do today! You'll find entire streets dedicated to silk, silver jewelry, traditional medicine, or paper goods. The French colonial architecture mixed with traditional Vietnamese shophouses creates this incredible visual feast that will fill your camera roll quickly.

These narrow Hanoi streets are lined with buildings that are fascinatingly skinny – sometimes just 10 feet wide! There's actually a historical reason for this: taxes were once based on street frontage, so clever merchants built tall and narrow to minimize costs. The result? This amazing maze of towering, colorful buildings that seem to lean into each other.

Hoan Kiem Lake: Hanoi's Peaceful Center

Right in the heart of all this beautiful chaos sits Hoan Kiem Lake – Hanoi's tranquil centerpiece and the perfect escape when the bustling streets get overwhelming. This legendary lake, whose name means "Lake of the Returned Sword," comes with an amazing story about a magical sword and a giant turtle that locals still believe lives in its depths. The turtle is revered as a protector of Vietnam's sovereignty and a symbol of good luck.

Beautiful Hoan Kiem Lake - The Turtle Temple

Walking around Hoan Kiem Lake is such a peaceful experience. The tree-lined path offers incredible people-watching opportunities – you'll see everything from tai chi sessions at dawn to couples taking romantic evening strolls and people taking beautiful photographs by the lake. The Ngoc Son Temple, perched on a small island and connected by the iconic red Huc Bridge, adds this perfect postcard-worthy touch to the whole scene.

The Gardens & Paths Around Hoan Kiem Lake are Lovely to Stroll

Weekend Scooter-Free Streets: Pure Magic!

Here's something absolutely brilliant that Hanoi does – every weekend, they close the Old Quarter streets to scooters (and cars)! Friday evening through Sunday night, the area around Hoan Kiem Lake and parts of the Old Quarter become completely pedestrian-friendly.

This weekend walking area transforms the entire neighborhood into this incredible street festival atmosphere. Local artists perform, couples dance, people stroll peacefully, and the whole area just buzzes with this amazing community energy.

The combination of historic Hanoi architecture, bustling street life, peaceful lake views, and that incredible weekend transformation makes the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake area absolutely unmissable. It's where ancient Vietnamese culture meets modern city life, and honestly, it's where you'll probably spend most of your time in Hanoi – just like we did!

Hoa Lo Prison Museum: A Sobering Piece of Hanoi History

Hoa Lo Prison, known grimly as the "Hanoi Hilton" by American POWs during the Vietnam War, is one of those historical sites that completely shifts your perspective on Vietnam's complex past. This Hanoi historical museum offers a raw, unfiltered look at both French colonial oppression and the Vietnam War era.

Hoa Lo Prison

The Dark History of Hoa Lo Prison

Built by the French in 1896, Hoa Lo Prison originally held Vietnamese political prisoners fighting against colonial rule. The conditions were absolutely brutal – tiny cells packed with dozens of prisoners, primitive sanitation, and harsh treatment that's difficult to imagine. Walking through the preserved French colonial prison cells gives you this heavy, sobering feeling about what Vietnamese revolutionaries endured.
During the Vietnam War, the prison housed American pilots and soldiers, including future senator John McCain. The museum presents the Vietnamese perspective on this period, showing how American POWs were treated – though this section is notably more sanitized than the earlier French colonial exhibits.

What to Expect at Hoa Lo Prison Museum

The Hoa Lo Prison Museum displays are intense and not for the faint of heart. You'll see original prison cells, leg irons, and guillotine equipment that the French used. The contrast between the two eras is striking – the French colonial section shows the harsh reality of prison life, while the American POW section focuses more on recreational activities and decent living conditions.

Visiting Hoa Lo Prison takes about an hour, and honestly, it's emotionally heavy but historically important. The museum provides crucial context for understanding Vietnam's struggle for independence and the complexity of the Vietnam War from a Vietnamese perspective.

Temple of Literature – A Peaceful Slice of Hanoi’s Scholarly Past

Tucked away in the heart of Hanoi, the Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu) is one of Vietnam’s most treasured cultural landmarks. Built in 1070, this historic site is not only the country’s most important Confucian temple, but also home to Vietnam’s first university.

The Temple of Literature Grounds are Beautiful & Peaceful

For centuries, it was where the nation's brightest minds studied literature, philosophy, and prepared for imperial exams. Today, the famous Stelae of Doctors—stone tablets perched on turtles—stand as proud symbols of wisdom, education, and Vietnamese heritage.

Temple of Literature Offering

Wandering through the temple’s five serene courtyards feels like stepping into another world. The elegant traditional Vietnamese architecture, ancient trees, and tranquil gardens make this spot a peaceful escape from Hanoi’s nonstop buzz.

Whether you're a history lover, culture seeker, or just looking to slow down, the Temple of Literature in Hanoi offers a meaningful look into Vietnam’s deep respect for learning and tradition.

Discover Vietnam's Artistic Soul at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum

If you're an art lover visiting Hanoi, the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum is a must-see. Located just steps from the Temple of Literature, this cultural gem showcases Vietnam’s rich artistic heritage—from ancient Champa sculptures and traditional lacquer paintings to vibrant contemporary works. The museum offers a deep dive into Vietnamese culture, history, and identity through art. Whether you're a history buff, a creative traveler, or just looking for a quiet afternoon escape, the Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi delivers an inspiring and educational experience. Don’t miss this stop on your Vietnam travel itinerary!

The Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi Has an Impressive Display With Multiple Rooms & Floors!

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre: Vietnam's Most Enchanting Cultural Experience

If you’re in Hanoi, don’t miss the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre—one of the most unique and magical cultural experiences in Vietnam. This ancient art form dates back over 1,000 years, originating in the rice paddies of the Red River Delta.

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre - A Must-Do Cultural Experience

Performed in a waist-deep pool, skilled puppeteers bring Vietnamese legends and folklore to life using hidden bamboo rods beneath the water. Dragons, farmers, and warriors dance across the stage in a beautifully choreographed show, all set to live traditional Vietnamese music played with drums, flutes, and gongs.

We Really Enjoyed This, the Music is Performed Live and it's Amazing!

Each show is a mesmerizing blend of puppetry, storytelling, and live music, offering a rare glimpse into Vietnam’s rich artistic heritage. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a returning traveler, this Hanoi water puppet show is an unforgettable highlight.

There Were Musicians on Both Sides

We did our best on this short stay to get in some gym time

We always like to find a gym to get a workout in. We typically go 3 days per week, but Hanoi was an exception. Since we were only in Hanoi for a month (truly less as you'll discover in the next section), we decided to just go once per week for a full-body workout. We found a local gym called X-Men Gym and it fit our needs perfectly. No contract, no joining fee, and we were just able to pay for the day we needed (on that day). It was just under $2 per person, per visit. That's pretty hard to beat!

Our Gym for the Month

A Dreamy Ha Long Bay Cruise to Celebrate a Special Occasion

Ha Long Bay Cruise - A True "Pinch Me" Moment

To celebrate Karen’s birthday, we embarked on a magical 2-night, 3-day Ha Long Bay cruise—and it was everything we hoped for and more. From exploring a stunning cave and biking around Cat Ba Island, to kayaking on emerald waters, every moment felt like a dream. It was a pinch-me moment for sure. We had only seen this on YouTube videos before, it was surreal to be there seeing this beauty with our own eyes. The onboard experience was just as incredible—delicious Vietnamese cuisine, thoughtful service, and beautifully appointed rooms with a private balcony we never wanted to leave.

Cat Ba Island - Bicycle Ride to a Local Village

This Ha Long Bay adventure was the perfect mix of relaxation, exploration, and celebration, and a must-do for anyone visiting Hanoi. There are numerous cruise companies and they offer transportation to and from the boat. It's a great excursion for your Hanoi visit. 

Final Thoughts: Why Hanoi Should Be on Your Travel List

One month in Hanoi barely scratches the surface of what this incredible city offers. From the moment you step into the bustling Old Quarter to your first sip of that legendary egg coffee, Hanoi captures your heart in ways you never expect.

The combination of rich Vietnamese culture, unbelievably delicious and affordable food, warm hospitality, and that perfect March weather made our Hanoi experience absolutely unforgettable. Vietnam truly lives up to its reputation as a traveler's paradise. We can't visit again and see more of this beautiful country!

Happy Birthday Karen!!!