2 Days in Hanoi
- Alba
- May 7, 2017
- 10 min read
Hanoi was the first stop on our journey across Vietnam. As the centre of the Nationalist revolution during 1945, Hanoi has witnessed important events of Vietnamese modern history to become the capital of the independent Vietnam in 1954. During the American War, the city suffered serious damage and ended its political isolation in 1975 when Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops took Saigon and started the process towards Reunification.
In a city with more motorbikes than households, our first impression was of chaos. Inhaling the fumes becomes unbearable and its honking somewhat annoying but there is some charm behind this apparent chaos that happens on its own terms and order.
Discover Hanoi with our 2 days itinerary!
Day 1
We arrived from the airport around 11am from our connection in Hong Kong.
After reading about all the very likely scams from taxi drivers, I realised I had forgotten to book my taxi so I texted the hotel before departure hoping a taxi would be waiting for us at arrival. A cab from Noi Bai airport to Hanoi Old Quarter costs around $15-$18. It’s always safer to do it through the hotel which tend to charge around the same anyway.
Our hotel check in time was 2pm but the room was already being cleaned when we arrived. We just waited at reception where we were offered some refreshment and given loads of information and recommendations.
After dropping our bags in the room and getting changed, we decided to head to Hoan Kiem Lake which was only 5min away from the hotel. The lake is located at the centre of Hanoi and is the heart of the city, with many amenities nearby. Our first stop was Den Ngoc Son "Temple of the Jade Mound", a temple secluded on an island at the lake and accessed by a beautiful arched red-lacquered wooden bridge also called the "place where morning sunlight rests". It was founded in the 14th century but the current structure dates from the 1800s and is typical of the Nguyen Dynasty. The entrance is 20,000 dong (£0.70) per person.
Most of the main sights in Hanoi are closed at lunchtime and open back up again at 2pm, so bear that in mind when you go sightseeing. Given that we wanted to visit the Old Quarter and the French Quarter in the first day, we decided to head South first and cover the French Quarter so we could get around the lake and get into the narrow streets of the Old Quarter where the hustle and bustle, and nightlife take place. Find our approximate walking tour below:
We walked passed the iconic Metropole hotel and the Opera House, which is only open during performance times.
The French Quarter is the area of Hanoi that was occupied by the French during the colonisation of Vietnam. Their influence can be appreciated in a great part of the city's architecture but this area in particular also has a distinctive French flare in the layout of the streets, reminding of Parisian avenues.
A must-visit within the French Quarter is the Hoa Lo Prison. This jail was witness to the worst of horrors during the two great wars that Vietnam suffered during the 20th Century. It was sarcastically nicknamed ‘Hanoi Hilton’ by the Americans due to the harsh and brutal conditions. The entrance is only 30,000 dong (£1) per person and has a fair bit of history that is explained on panels hanging on the walls of every chamber.
After this brutal shot of reality, we were in need of some fresh air. We walked back up to the Old Quarter going by St Joseph's Cathedral, a Christian church that contrasts greatly with the low-rise façades of the surrounding streets. The façade itself is not well preserved but the interior is meant to be imposing. Whilst we did not go in the entrance was free.
Back into the heart of the Old Quarter, we discovered a gem inside the maze, Dinh Kim Ngan. This dinh or ‘communal house’ underwent restoration in 2009 but the exact age is unknown, possibly built in the 18th Century. The entrance gate reminds of a temple and leads to a courtyard where an urn burns incense sticks. The place is located on Hang Bac street and the entrance is completely free.
After this long walk, we were dying for a fresh beer! A great spot to grab a drink is at any of the hundreds of cafes and bars scattered around the Old Quarter, with many of them taking up entire four-storey buildings. Chance it to the top floors for a balcony vista and enjoy the views and craziness from the comfort of your chair. We stumbled upon Cong Cafe which soon realised had been recommended by our hotel staff. We had a couple of drinks here with beer prices ranging between 35,000 to 45,000 dong (£1.5)
All I could think about after this very loooong day (we had been awake for 30h with a 14h flight in between) was the reduced priced massage from our hotel spa.
As soon as we got back into reception, we booked one for each and got back into the room to have a shower.
We paid 215,000 dong (£7) for the massage and we both swear it was the best massage we ever had. You don't get that back home! I almost fell asleep half way through but the session left me extremely relaxed.
It wasn't exactly dinnertime by the time the massage was over but we were so looking forward to sleeping that we just ventured around the corner and ended up eating at a very popular restaurant, Newday Restaurant, in Ma May St. We ordered four assorted small plates: squid, clams, pork ribs and spring rolls with beer for 420,000 dong (£15). The food was quite good but probably a bit overpriced if you compare it with the countless street food sit downs in the Old Quarter. Maybe we should’ve been braver on our first night!
After this we got back to the hotel for a well-deserved beauty sleep!
Day 2
Another intense day awaited. After breakfast at the hotel, I had in my mind that to grab a moto-taxi, that very classic transportation of Vietnam and particularly Hanoi, where there are more scooters than anywhere I have ever seen. It is in fact amazing how they keep order in the apparent chaos and manage not to crash into each other. Cars, motorbikes and bicycles alike don't stop to allow for pedestrians to cross the road but go around whilst still keeping an eye for other vehicles passing by! I had to try that!
We asked at reception and the girl kindly booked a couple of moto-taxis to pick us up at the hotel. Although her phone was in Vietnamese, I noticed some familiarity with the app she was using to book the motorbikes thinking how similar it was to Uber. And surprise, this app was actually Uber!! Uber in Hanoi gives you the option to grab motorbikes, cars or tuk-tuks. We also discovered another app called Grab that serves the same purpose. If you are backpacking around the country and buy a sim card with data you will probably find this useful, either way, you can ask your hotel to grab one for you.
They dropped us at the Temple of Literature for a mere 14,000 dong (£0.50) per person.
On this second day we had planned to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the One Pillar Pagoda and the Hanoi Citadel but the first stop was the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first Confucian sanctuary and Centre of Learning. The entry to the complex is through Van Mieu Gate giving access to five walled courtyards.
The first two are less impressive with only a garden separated by a pavilion.
The Third courtyard features a rectangular pond, the ‘Well of Heavenly Clarity’, and is surrounded by stone stelae mounted on tortoises.
The Fourth courtyard, also called the ‘Courtyard of Sages’, with pavilions either side, is dedicated to the disciples of Confucius. The House of Ceremonies and a temple sanctuary featuring a large statue of Confucius is also in this courtyard.
Coinciding with the end of the school year in Vietnam, we came across many children, teens and university students celebrating their Graduation day in the temple. As we made our way through the courtyards, the average age group seemed to increase, with the eldest taking their Graduation pictures at the Fifth and last courtyard, regarded as Vietnam's first university.
Just north of the Temple, some 10 minutes walk away is Ba Dinh Square. As you arrive to the square on your left hand side, you find the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the One Pillar Pagoda, an unusual temple supported on a single column rising from the middle of a pond. The wooden sanctuary, intending to resemble a lotus blossom, is only 3m2. The current column is made of concrete and replaces one which was blown up by the French troops in 1954. There was an enormous queue to go inside the small space so we skipped the visit.
Probably because it was a Saturday and also the Buddhist New Year (Theravada New Year), the area was flooded with hordes of national tourists. That meant that we came across with more tourists than you would usually expect, even at a place like this.
We went back to Ba Dinh Square to pay our respects to Uncle Ho inside the Mausoleum but unfortunately it has very restricted opening times and had missed the slot. The embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh is on public display here since 1975. If you decide to visit the mausoleum bear in mind that your belongings must be left by the entrance and you will be guarded inside. No vests or shorts are allowed.
Just after the mausoleum is the Presidential Palace, which can't be visited. The Botanical Gardens are behind the Palace if you fancy having a break from the city.
From here on, things started getting a little messy as we got lost whilst looking for something to eat. We were near the West lake, at the northwest of the city. This is a popular base for expats living in Hanoi and it has a 17km path that runs around the lake. Some attractions near the area are the Museum of Ethnology as well as a number of temples, pagodas and exclusive developments and spas.
We sat for a bit on a bench by the lake, however it wasn't the best of spots and the humidity and haze was pretty nasty, so we started walking in search of lunch!!
After walking for about 30-40min we couldn't find anything good so we searched back through our hotel successful recommendations. Luckily, one of the "restaurants" was only two streets away. Bun Cha Dac Kim is one of a hundred similar places in Hanoi where food is cooked by the footpath (? it’s in a building?). We were directed to the upstairs room of a narrow and cluttered building and sat at an already busy table. The food was served immediately and only then we realised that there was no menu to choose from. I guess it can't get more local than that, not many tourists were inside the venue and the food was terrific and very filling! Absolutely delicious! I do recommend you go there 100% if you want to have a feel of local food habits and taste authentic Vietnamese street food. I did not see a toilet in the restaurant and don't expect the cleaning standards you may be accustomed to, though do not let this spoil this truly local experience! You know what they say...When in Rome... By the way, lunch at this place with drinks was only 215,000dong (£7.5) for both of us.
We finished our lunch around 2pm, perfect time to visit the citadel. The meal had been plentiful so we decided to walk to help digestion.
Hanoi Citadel costs 30,000dong (£1) per person and is comprised of several courtyards including an archaeological site. The complex was first erected by the Chinese in the 8th century but nothing remains from that time. Ly Thai To is considered as the rightful founder of the citadel and it has been added to by succeeding dynasties until the capital of Vietnam was moved to Hue in 1802.
One of the buildings hosts an underground bunker command centre, used by the Vietnamese during the American War (known in the West as the Vietnam War).
I personally didn't find this citadel to be particularly beautiful and think the grounds could be better looked after but if you got some time is worth a visit.
Again, large groups of graduates were congregated here for their photoshoots.
Tired as we were, we left the Citadel around 3:30pm and did not fancy walking back to the Old Quarter. After some haggling with a bike driver (rickshaw), we agreed a ride back for 100,000dong (£3.5) to Ma May street. Although not the cheapest considering the moto-taxi ride earlier that day, we were exhausted so were not in the mood for further haggling.
Back in the Old Quarter, we visited what would be our last site in Hanoi, the "Heritage House" or "Memorial House". This is a traditional Vietnamese house that has been restored to its former glory and gives you an idea of the layout of the so-called ‘tube-houses’. The fine carvings on the doors, balustrades and furniture as well as silk paintings and ceramics display makes it a unique visit to add to your Hanoi must-sees. Entrance is only 10,000dong (£0.40) per person.
It was 5pm when we went back to the hotel to have a rest before dinner. We were pretty full from the earlier lunch and any mention of food was overwhelming! We had good 2h rest at the room before we headed out for dinner again near Hang Than street.
Hang Than street in Hanoi is a busy street with a Night Market selling every imaginable item. Some of the side streets are also bustling with nightlife and street food stalls, making them a popular destination for backpackers, travellers and locals alike. The streets were all closed to traffic when we were there and there was street music and theatre performances.
As we walked down one of the side streets, a woman cooking by the road caught our eye. The smell from the food was entrancing and it looked very appealing. They only had small tables with low plastic stools and it seemed really popular amongst the locals. My boyfriend is 190cm tall (6ft 3in) and he looked somewhat uncomfortable and funny on the childrens chairs but we were served quickly and confirmed our suspicions about the great quality of the food. We had two Pho Bo (beef and veggie noodles) with beers for 170,000 dong (£6).
By the way, on Saturdays and Sundays some parts of the central streets are closed to allow pedestrians only, which bearing in mind the madness of the traffic was music to my ears!
Opening times of different attractions at the time of writing:
* Den Ngoc Son - Daily 7.30-17.30
* Opera House - only during performance
* Hoa Lo Prison - Daily 8-17
* St. Joseph's Cathedral - Daily 5-11.30 & 14-19.30
* Dinh Kim Ngan - Daily 7.30-11.30 & 14-17.30
* Temple of Literature - Daily 7.30-17.30
* Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - Daily 7.30-11.30
* Hanoi Citadel - Tuesday to Sunday 8-11.30 & 14-17
* Heritage House - Daily 8-12 & 13.30-17
There’s also an interesting railway market located between Lê Duân and Khâm Thin streets in Hanoi's Old Quarter. Trains run at 3.30pm and 7.30pm and get rather close to the buildings, so make sure you mind the train times.
Hope you enjoy Hanoi as much as we did. This is a city of experiences, make sure to get the most out of it!
Xxx
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