Hà Nội
A thousand-year-old capital that still lives on the sidewalk.
Hanoi has been Vietnam's capital, on and off, for over a thousand years, and it wears that history lightly. Ancient pagodas sit between French villas, and the Old Quarter's 36 guild streets still sell what their names promise — silk, tin, paper offerings — from narrow tube houses that open straight onto the pavement.
Life happens outside. Mornings start with tai chi and badminton around Hoan Kiem Lake; lunch is a bowl of bun cha on a plastic stool; evenings are for bia hoi on the street corner. The traffic is loud and constant, but the city rewards walking: give yourself time to get lost between the lake, the Old Quarter and the leafy French Quarter.
Hanoi has four real seasons. Autumn (October–November) is the favourite — dry, sunny and mild. Winter is cool and often grey, and summer is hot, humid and stormy.
Hồ Hoàn Kiếm & Cầu Thê Húc
The heart of the city. The red wooden bridge leads to Ngoc Son Temple on a small island; come early morning to see locals exercising, or on weekend evenings when the streets around the lake become a pedestrian zone.
Phố cổ Hà Nội
A maze of narrow streets north of the lake, each historically dedicated to one trade. Wander without a plan, look up at the tube-house facades, and stop wherever the smell of grilling pork pulls you in.
Hoàng thành Thăng Long
A UNESCO World Heritage Site layering eleven centuries of royal and military history, from excavated Ly dynasty foundations to the bunkers used during the American War.
Chùa Một Cột
A tiny wooden pagoda balanced on a single stone pillar in a lotus pond, built to resemble a lotus rising from the water. It sits next to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex.
Cầu Long Biên
A rusting steel cantilever bridge from the French era, still used by trains, scooters and pedestrians. Walk out at sunset for views over the Red River and the banana fields below.
Nhà hát Lớn Hà Nội
The centrepiece of the French Quarter, modelled on the Palais Garnier and completed in 1911. Check the programme — catching a performance is the only way to see the interior.
Cầu Nhật Tân
A modern cable-stayed bridge on the road to the airport, lit up in colour at night. The peach-blossom orchards of Nhat Tan village nearby are at their best just before Tet.
Local specialties worth seeking out in Hanoi.
Phở bò
Hanoi's signature beef noodle soup: a clear, slow-simmered broth scented with star anise and charred ginger. Locals eat it for breakfast; the best stalls sell out before mid-morning.
Bún chả
Grilled pork patties and pork belly served in a sweet-sour fish sauce broth, with rice vermicelli and a pile of fresh herbs on the side. A classic Hanoi lunch.
Cà phê trứng
Strong Vietnamese coffee topped with egg yolk whipped with sugar and condensed milk into a thick, custardy foam. Invented in Hanoi in the 1940s when milk was scarce.
Bánh cuốn
Paper-thin steamed rice sheets rolled around minced pork and wood-ear mushrooms, topped with fried shallots and dipped in light fish sauce.
The most comfortable months for sightseeing in Hanoi are usually February–April, November–December.
Hover a month for details. Compare with other places on the season calendar.
Vietnam season calendar arrow_forward| Month | High °C | Low °C | Rain mm | Wet days | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21.0 | 14.2 | 62 | 11 | Good |
| February | 22.1 | 15.2 | 51 | 10 | Great |
| March | 25.6 | 18.7 | 71 | 13 | Great |
| April | 29.0 | 21.6 | 103 | 13 | Great |
| May | 31.3 | 24.6 | 225 | 18 | Good |
| June | 33.2 | 26.5 | 281 | 19 | Fair |
| July | 32.8 | 26.3 | 329 | 22 | Fair |
| August | 31.7 | 25.8 | 433 | 25 | Wet / extreme |
| September | 30.8 | 24.8 | 352 | 21 | Fair |
| October | 28.3 | 22.0 | 203 | 14 | Good |
| November | 25.9 | 18.9 | 59 | 8 | Great |
| December | 21.7 | 14.8 | 34 | 7 | Great |
Averages for 2016-2025 from Open-Meteo (ERA5 reanalysis, CC BY 4.0). Model data can overstate light drizzle; treat wet-day counts as a guide. How the score works.
Noi Bai International Airport is about 30 km from the centre (45–60 minutes by taxi or Grab). Hanoi is also the northern end of the North–South railway and the hub for trips to Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh, Sa Pa and Ha Giang.
Getting around Vietnam arrow_forwardCompare places to stay and things to book.
15 days
The classic first trip: Hanoi, a night on Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh's karst valleys, imperial Hue, lantern-lit Hoi An, Saigon and a taste of the Mekong Delta.
7 days
A week in the wild northeast: a lakeside Tay homestay, Ban Gioc Waterfall on the Chinese border, caves and jade-green rivers — far from the crowds.
3 days
A long weekend in the capital: the Old Quarter, the lake, the citadel and a day trip to Bac Ninh's thousand-year-old pagodas and craft villages.
NorthNortheast mountains
Karst peaks, jade rivers and Southeast Asia's grandest border waterfall.
NorthNortheast mountains
Vietnam's largest natural lake, and stilt-house homestays on its shore.
NorthRed River Delta
Craft villages, ancient pagodas and UNESCO-listed Quan Ho folk song.