Top 10 best fun things to do in Hanoi

Strolling Sword Lake (Hoan Kiem Lake, Hoàn Kiếm Lake) in the morning or travelling the city tour by bus is only two of the 10 things visitors should try when visiting Hanoi, a city with a thousand years of civilization.

Here are best fun things to do in Hanoi you should try when visiting this city.

1. Go to market soon

Quang Ba flower market and Long Bien wholesale market are two places tourists should visit in Hanoi. The main goods here are flowers and foods. These markets are open almost all night. It is not only buyers and sellers who visit these markets, but also many visitors who want to take in the different sights of the special culture in people’s lives in Hanoi.

2. Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake in the early morning

TRISTON Yeo- a famous photographer who is quite attached to Vietnam used to say that Sword Lake in the early morning is the most amazing thing to visit here. Guests do not only see the gentle, loving beauty of nature, but also the exercise routines exercise of the Hanoi people, regardless of whether it is winter or summer. Guests can stroll along the lake to enjoy the fresh, cool air or rest on a rock to observe and even join in on yoga, aerobics and so on.

3. Eat at a roadside shop

Hanoi is famous for vendors and teahouses on the street. Everybody is surprised by the many kinds of food sold here such as “pho”, which is a special flavor of Vietnam, “nem chua” or snacks like fried cheese sticks, sugarcane juice, and even the dishes that made the soul of Kinh Ki like Thanh Tri rolls or “bun cha”, etc. Visitors can look for good food in Hanoi at any time of the year. Be observant and find delicacies that follow each season to taste the full culinary on the sidewalk in Hanoi.

4. Look around Hanoi from a high place

Travelers who visit Hanoi should not forget to find a convenient location to see the entire city from a high place. This is not a new way, but brings a pleasant surprise to everyone. Depending on the time or location of choice, visitors can observe the city during the day or evening. My advice is to try both of them at the same location to see the differences.

5. Walk around Hanoi Old Quarter

The ancient town is the most attractive place with many visitors in Hanoi. As it is designed like a checkerboard with parallel and perpendicular streets, not everyone can easily find their way in the “maze”. It will be a pleasant experience for any visitor to set foot here whether they walk around the crowded narrow streets or visit the souvenir shops deep in the alleys. If you feel tired, you can find a cafe located on the balcony of an old house to observe the bustling life here with a coffee with the flavor of Hanoi.

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Hanoi Old Quarter

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6. Enjoy the sunset at West Lake

Located in the northwest of Hanoi, West Lake is an interesting destination that attracts many tourists. Lots of people often enjoy special foods here, but others come to drop into the large space so placidly. Especially, West Lake becomes fanciful in sealed dyed orange color on the horizon at twilight. Visitors can stop to take some impressive and memorable pictures.

7. Go around the city by bus

Beside the tram and cyclos, taking the bus is the next transport that travelers should try once setting foot in Hanoi. It isn’t only quite cheap, but also has abundant routes that pass almost all famous destinations in Hanoi. The bus can make your pictures more impressive with two eye-catching colors, red and yellow.

8. Participate in the lowering of the flag ceremony at President Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum

If you can not get up early to witness the ritual flag raising ceremony, visitors can join in the lowering of the flag at mausoleum everyday at 9pm. This is a sacred ritual that many domestic tourists, foreign tourists and even the Hanoi people are waiting for. All activities at Ba Dinh Square are stopped when loudspeakers begin to prepare the ceremony for the lowering of the flag. The National flag will be lowered by a troop of 34 soldiers marching from the right to the music “Uncle Ho is still marching along us.” Many tourists who visit the square are surprised to witness so many people standing around solemnly watching the flag slowly being lowered.

9. Walk on Long Bien Bridge

It doesn’t only cross the Hong River, but the Long Bien Bridge is witness to the history of Hanoi. Many tourists come by the capital to visit in this place. This bridge was built in 1898 with two lanes, and a third mid-lane for trains. Having an ancient and impressive looking architecture, the Long Bien Bridge has appeared many times in the works of foreign artists as well as a number of young Vietnamese projects. Tourists should try to walk on the bridge in the early morning or late afternoon when coming Hanoi. It is an interesting experience that is hard to forget.

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Long Bien Bridge

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10. Walk around Hanoi at night

Although during the daytime Hanoi is a vibrant and bustling city, it is the complete opposite at night. The daytime streets with colorful shops are replaced by silence, the noisy center also seems to take on a rare calm. Visitors can walk along the streets, or the places that are still crowded to enjoy another dimension of Hanoi.

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