Hanoi, Vietnam
A thousand-year-old capital that still runs on motorbikes and plastic stools
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, a city of around 8.5 million on the Red river, and the older, slower, more political counterpart to Ho Chi Minh City. It has been a capital for most of a millennium and looks it, in a way few Asian cities can.
Emperor Lý Thái Tổ moved his capital to the site in 1010 and named it Thăng Long, 'ascending dragon'; the Lý and Trần dynasties built the citadel whose remains are now a World Heritage site, and the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university, opened in 1070. The Nguyễn moved the court to Huế in 1802 and renamed the city Hà Nội, 'inside the rivers', in 1831. The French took it in the 1880s and made it the capital of French Indochina, laying out the villas and boulevards of the French Quarter and the Opera House. Hồ Chí Minh declared independence at Ba Đình square in 1945; the French left after Điện Biên Phủ in 1954; the American bombing of December 1972 hit the city hard. Since the Đổi Mới reforms of 1986 it has grown from a poor, austere capital into a booming one, absorbing Hà Tây province in 2008 and roughly tripling its area.
Hoàn Kiếm lake is the centre, and the Old Quarter of 36 streets — each once named for its trade, Hàng Bạc for silver, Hàng Gai for silk — is packed north of it on a medieval plan, the densest few blocks in Vietnam. South and east of the lake is the French Quarter: the Opera House, the Metropole hotel and the wide streets of Hai Bà Trưng district. West is Ba Đình, the political capital — Hồ Chí Minh's mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, the citadel, the One Pillar pagoda and the ministries. Tây Hồ, West Lake, north of that, is the largest lake and the expat district, with villas, cafés and the Trấn Quốc pagoda. Đống Đa and Cầu Giấy hold the universities and the newer middle-class blocks; the Red river, crossed by the 1902 Long Biên bridge, was the old eastern edge, though the city now runs far beyond it. Hà Đông and Mỹ Đình, out west, are where the towers are going up.
Hanoi eats on the pavement, on plastic stools, and the food is the city's genius: phở was born here or nearby, and bún chả, chả cá, bún riêu, bánh cuốn and egg coffee are all Hanoian. Bia hơi, the fresh draught beer sold by the glass on street corners, is the evening ritual. The city is more reserved and formal than Saigon, prouder of its literature and its Confucian past, and its cafés are a serious culture — old ones up shophouse staircases, new ones around West Lake. Water puppetry at the Thăng Long theatre is the tourist show and the Museum of Ethnology is the best museum. Football is the passion: the national team plays at Mỹ Đình and the whole city takes to the streets on motorbikes when it wins. At weekends the streets around Hoàn Kiếm close to traffic and everyone walks; Sunday mornings at the lake are for badminton and tai chi.
The hard parts begin with the air: Hanoi's fine-particulate pollution is among the worst of any capital, particularly from October to March, when the smog sits on the delta for weeks. The traffic is a river of motorbikes that pedestrians learn to walk into slowly, and the pavements are for parking and cooking. Summers are brutally hot and humid, winters surprisingly cold and damp, and the city floods in heavy rain. It is a one-party state, with the limits on speech and press that implies, and a bureaucracy that moves in its own time; scams around the Old Quarter are minor but constant. What it offers is a capital of real depth and beauty, some of the best and cheapest food on earth, a café on every corner, a low cost of living, a metro finally running, and the northern mountains and Hạ Long bay a few hours away.
Where People Live
The Old Quarter
The 36 streets north of Hoàn Kiếm lake: tube houses, street kitchens, the Đồng Xuân market, the Bạch Mã temple and the bia hơi corner at Tạ Hiện. Chaotic, noisy and the reason most people come.
Hoàn Kiếm Lake & the French Quarter
The lake with Ngọc Sơn temple on its island and the weekend walking streets, then the Opera House, the Metropole, St Joseph's cathedral and the tree-lined boulevards of villas and ministries south of it.
Ba Đình
The political quarter: Hồ Chí Minh's mausoleum and stilt house, the Presidential Palace, the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long, the One Pillar pagoda and the flag tower, with the embassies along the quiet streets around.
Tây Hồ (West Lake)
The expat district on the largest lake: the Trấn Quốc pagoda, the lakeside cafés and restaurants of Quảng An and Xuân Diệu street, international schools and villas, and the road around the lake that everyone cycles.
Đống Đa
The Temple of Literature, the Cát Linh metro terminus, the university district and the old apartment blocks and back-lane food of a working city; the Hàng Đẫy football stadium is here.
Hai Bà Trưng
The southern district of markets, French villas, Thống Nhất park and the Bạch Mai hospital; less visited, and where a good deal of the city's everyday food is eaten.
Long Biên & the Red River
The 1902 Eiffel-company bridge, the riverside banana groves and the Long Biên wholesale market at dawn, and the newer districts and shopping malls across the river.
Cầu Giấy & Mỹ Đình
The new west: the national stadium and convention centre, Keangnam and Lotte towers, Korean and Japanese enclaves, and the offices and apartments where the city's growth is happening.
Restaurants & places to go
Airports
Hanoi Nội Bài International Airport (HAN) 22 km to the centre
Hanoi (Soc Son), RRD, VN — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 32 airlines (Vietnam Airlines, Royal Air Cambodge, Japan Airlines Domestic, Air France…) · direct flights to 46 destinations incl. Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Danang, Ho Chi Minh City… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 32 airlines, 46 direct destinations
- Vietnam Airlines VN (A321, ATR 72, 777, 330, A330-200) · 39 routes: Bangkok, Beijing, Buonmethuot, Busan, Can Tho, Chengdu, Chu Lai, Dalat, Danang, Dienbienphu, Dong Hoi, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Hue, Kaohsiung, Kuala Lumpur, Luang Prabang, Moscow, Nagoya, Nha Trang, Osaka, Paris, Phnom-penh, Phucat, Phuquoc, Pleiku, Seoul, Shanghai, Siem-reap, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo, Tuy Hoa, Vientiane, Vinh, Yangon
- Royal Air Cambodge VJ (A320) · 7 routes: Bangkok, Buonmethuot, Dalat, Danang, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Nha Trang
- Japan Airlines Domestic JL (A321, 767) · 4 routes: Fukuoka*, Nagoya*, Osaka*, Tokyo
- Air France AF (A321, 777) · 2 routes: Paris*, Siem-reap*
- Alitalia AZ (777) · 2 routes: Frankfurt*, Paris*
- Cambodia Angkor Air (K6) K6 (A321) · 2 routes: Phnom-penh, Siem-reap
- China Eastern Airlines MU (A321, 737) · 2 routes: Nanning, Shanghai*
- China Southern Airlines CZ (A321, 777, Embraer 190) · 2 routes: Beijing*, Guangzhou
- Jetstar Pacific BL (A320) · 2 routes: Danang, Ho Chi Minh City
- Korean Air KE (A321, A330-200, A330-300, 73J) · 2 routes: Busan, Seoul
- Lao Airlines QV (A320, ATR 72) · 2 routes: Luang Prabang, Vientiane
- Aeroflot Russian Airlines SU (A330-300) · 1 route: Moscow
- Air Macau NX (A319) · 1 route: Macau
- AirAsia AK (A320) · 1 route: Kuala Lumpur
- All Nippon Airways NH (767-300) · 1 route: Tokyo
- American Airlines AA (767-300) · 1 route: Tokyo
- Asiana Airlines OZ (A321, A330-300) · 1 route: Seoul
- Cathay Pacific CX (A320, A321) · 1 route: Hong Kong
- Cebu Pacific 5J (A319) · 1 route: Manila
- China Airlines CI (A330-300, A340-300) · 1 route: Taipei
- Dragonair KA (A320, A321) · 1 route: Hong Kong
- EVA Air BR (A321, M90) · 1 route: Taipei*
- Hong Kong Airlines HX (A320) · 1 route: Hong Kong
- Malaysia Airlines MH (737-800) · 1 route: Kuala Lumpur
- Mandarin Airlines AE (Embraer 190) · 1 route: Taichung
- Qatar Airways QR (777-300ER) · 1 route: Bangkok
- SilkAir MI (A320) · 1 route: Singapore
- Singapore Airlines Cargo SQ (A330-300) · 1 route: Singapore
- Thai AirAsia FD (A320) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Thai Airways International TG (330, A330-300) · 1 route: Bangkok
- Tiger Airways TR (A320) · 1 route: Singapore
- Uni Air B7 (M90) · 1 route: Kaohsiung
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Cat Bi International Airport (HPH) 93 km to the centre
Haiphong (Hai An), RRD, VN — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 3 airlines (Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific, Royal Air Cambodge) · direct flights to 2 destinations incl. Ho Chi Minh City, Danang (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 3 airlines, 2 direct destinations
- Vietnam Airlines VN (A321, ATR 72) · 2 routes: Danang, Ho Chi Minh City
- Jetstar Pacific BL (A320) · 1 route: Ho Chi Minh City
- Royal Air Cambodge VJ (A320) · 1 route: Ho Chi Minh City
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Hoa Lac Airfield 38 km to the centre
Hanoi (Thach That), RRD, VN
Haiphong Kien An Airport 82 km to the centre
Haiphong (Kien An), RRD, VN
Getting there by ferry
Bến đò Kim Lan
Ferry terminal · 8.5 km from the centre
Bến đò Văn Đức
Ferry terminal · 9.2 km from the centre
Bến thuyền Gondola
Ferry terminal · 15 km from the centre
Bến đò Lệ Chi
Ferry terminal · 16 km from the centre
Bến đò Tri Phương
Ferry terminal · 16 km from the centre
Đò Kim Lan - Lĩnh Nam
Ferry route
Local transit
Hanoi Metro
Metro · Hanoi's first metro lines; Transerco runs the buses. · Fares: Ticket or card · Airport: Bus 86 from Noi Bai airport to the Old Quarter
Trains & rail
Vietnam Railways
Rail operator
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.
Air Charter Service
Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
ExecuJet
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Flexjet
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Global Jet
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Jet Aviation
Charter, management, FBO, MRO · Managed fleet worldwide · General Dynamics company: charter, completions and FBOs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.
Tours & experiences
Hanoi City Map and Tours
Sightseeing
City Sightseeing Ticketing Counter
Bus Tour
Living Here
Getting about
- Hanoi Metro's first line, from Cát Linh to Hà Đông, opened in 2021 and the elevated section of the Nhổn line followed in 2024; buses are cheap and extensive. A single fare card across all modes is still being rolled out, so keep small notes for buses.
- Grab, for both motorbike and car, is how most people move; a xe ôm motorbike taxi can be flagged on any corner. Nội Bài airport is about 30 kilometres north, 45 minutes by taxi or on the express bus 86 to the Old Quarter.
- Trains leave Hanoi station for Lào Cai and Sapa overnight, Hải Phòng for Hạ Long bay in about two and a half hours, and Ho Chi Minh City in around 30 hours on the Reunification line.
- Crossing the road is a skill: walk slowly and steadily and the motorbikes flow around you. Riding one yourself requires a licence Vietnam recognises, and most foreigners' do not qualify.
Health
- Dial 115 for ambulance, 113 for police, 114 for fire. Bạch Mai and Việt Đức are the big public hospitals; the Hanoi French Hospital, Vinmec and Family Medical Practice are the international ones, with English-speaking staff.
- International hospitals bill upfront and are not cheap, so visitors need travel insurance; residents use employer or private cover. Public hospitals are crowded and mostly Vietnamese-speaking.
- Do not drink the tap water. Dengue is a risk in the rainy months, and the winter smog is hard on anyone with a chest condition; a mask and an air purifier are standard equipment.
Work & study
- Vietnam National University, Hanoi, is the country's top institution, with Hanoi University of Science and Technology, the Foreign Trade University and the National Economics University close behind; RMIT runs a Hanoi campus.
- Government is the city's business, with manufacturing in the surrounding provinces — Samsung's plants in Bắc Ninh and Thái Nguyên among them — plus software outsourcing led by FPT, banking, and a large tourism trade. English teaching remains the common foreign job.
- A work permit and a temporary residence card take time and a sponsor; the e-visa allows stays of up to 90 days. Offices are hierarchical and relationships matter more than contracts.
Money & manners
- Vietnamese đồng, in large numbers; cash is still normal but QR payments are now everywhere, and foreign cards work in hotels and larger restaurants. Tipping is not customary though small tips are welcome; VAT is included in prices.
- Shoes off in homes and some shops, both hands for giving and receiving, cover shoulders and knees in pagodas, and bargain politely in markets. Tết, the lunar new year in late January or February, closes the city for about a week.
- Winter, December to February, is cool, grey and damp at 10 to 18 degrees; spring is drizzle; summer, May to September, is 35 degrees with storms; October and November are the best months.