We spent 2 days in Hanoi during our visit to Vietnam. This gave us sufficient time to explore some of the Vietnamese capital’s top attractions. In reality, they weren’t consecutive days, as we also used the city as a base for a trip to the spectacular Halong Bay, some 95 miles to the east of Hanoi.
Note: One of Hanoi’s top attractions in Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which is only open 5 mornings a week. If you want to see the revered former leader lying is state, it is worth planning your itinerary around these opening times.
How to to get to Hanoi
We flew the 900 miles to Hanoi from Ho Chi Minh City. If you have more time, a train up the coast is a popular alternative. Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport is 16 miles north of the city. There is a public bus (86) and a shuttle bus into town, but we opted to take a private transfer arranged by our hotel.
Getting around Hanoi
We mostly explored on foot, with a couple of taxi rides. We didn’t enjoy our taxi rides in Hanoi, which involved being taken in circles, rip off fares and even being held hostage by a taxi driver.
Where to stay in Hanoi
We stayed at the Serene Boutique Hotel & Spa, a haven of calm and serenity amidst the chaos of the city. The rooms, like the rest of the hotel, were immaculate. The room price includes wifi and an excellent breakfast.
Hanoi in 2 Days Itinerary
| Day 1 | Flight to Hanoi Accommodation – Serene Boutique Hotel & Spa Hoan Kiem Lake Dinner at Luc Thuy Restaurant and Lounge Ho Lao Prison |
| Day 2 | Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Ho Chi Minh Museum Museum of Military History Hanoi Flag Tower Temple of Literature Dinner at Don Duck Old Quarter |
Hanoi Day 1
Flight to Hanoi
Today, we fly to Hanoi, arriving early enough in the day to take a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake and visit the infamous Hanoi Hilton prison. My Day 1 itinerary covers a total distance of 2 miles, much of it along the shores of the lake.
Accommodation – Serene Boutique Hotel
We arrive in Hanoi and check into our hotel; Serene Boutique Hotel & Spa, which is indeed most serene – much appreciated in the midst of such a bustling city.
Hoan Kiem Lake
We go for a walk along the shores of the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake. The lake is a popular spot for recreation, from walking round the lakeside path to practicing t’ai chi in parks along the shores. In the middle of the lake, on small islands, are Ngoc Son Temple and the ramshackle Thap Rua (Turtle Tower).
Dinner at Luc Thuy View
Luc Thuy Restaurant & Lounge is a restaurant with lakeside seating, which offers diners a great view of the lake. This almost makes up for the food, which is not quite so great.
Hoa Lo Prison
Originally built by the French in 1896, predominantly for political prisoners, Hoa Lo Prison was later used by the Vietnamese to detain American PoWs. It was these prisoners, which included former US Senator John McCain, who ironically nicknamed the prison the Hanoi Hilton.
Most of the prison, which once held up to 2000 inmates, has been demolished. But a small section remains, which now houses a museum. Here, you can see displays which show the barbaric conditions the Vietnamese prisoners endured, with plenty of sad, emaciated life size models.
There is also a section on the US prisoners who, it is alleged, lived an idyllic lifestyle eating pineapples, laughing and playing basketball. Eventually, the propaganda gets tiring and we rush through the Heroes of the Revolution Shrine, fight our way across several roads of rush hour traffic and return to our hotel.
Hanoi Day 2
Today’s itinerary takes in some of Hanoi’s top attractions. We took a taxi to first point on the itinerary, then walked round the rest of attractions, before taking another taxi back to our hotel. Total walking distance; around 2 miles.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum houses the body of the revered former Vietnamese leader. Five mornings a week, it is possible to visit the mausoleum. It is closed on Mondays and Fridays. We visited the site on a Friday when the mausoleum was closed, but there is still plenty to see here. The complex includes the Presidential Palace, the House on Stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda and Ho Chi Minh Museum. The gardens where Ho Chi Minh used to relax and meditate are now lined with stalls where you can buy tourist tat and Coca Cola. I’m sure if he knew this, he’d be turning in his grave. Except he doesn’t have a grave, he’s been embalmed and put in a Perspex box for thousands of tourists to gawk at.
The mausoleum is open every day except Monday and Friday from 8 am until 11:00 am (11:30 on weekends). Entry for foreigners costs VND 25,000 (around £0.70). Note: Visitor numbers are strictly limited, so arriving early is recommended.
Presidential Palace
You can glimpse the grand Presidential Palace from the gardens.
House on Stilts
The far more simple House on Stilts is where Ho Chi Minh preferred to live.
One Pillar Pagoda
One Pillar Pagoda is, as the name suggests, a pagoda built on a single pillar, which sits in the middle of a lake.
Ho Chi Minh Museum
At the Ho Chi Mihn Museum you can learn all about Uncle Ho’s life.
Amidst the statues, you can see various artifacts relating to his life, including his desk and official vehicles.
The museum is open every day except Monday and Friday from 8 am until 12 pm and from 2 pm until 4.30 pm. Entry costs VND 40,000 (around £1.10).
Museum of Military History
Our next stop is the Museum of Military History. This, too was closed when we visited, but we were still able to visit the grounds. These contain a huge number of old American aircraft and tanks captured during the war. The centre piece is a steampunk style collection of engines and aircraft bits with a downed French plane at its core.
There’s also a great collection of communist sculptures.
The museum is open every day except Monday and Friday from 8 am until 11.30 am. Entry costs VND 40,000 (around £1.10).
Hanoi Flag Tower
From here, you can climb the Hanoi Flag Tower, symbol of the city. It is three levels high and the top level offers a great view across Hanoi.
Temple of Literature
Our last stop is the Temple of Literature; an 11th century Confucian temple.
You can walk through the temple grounds, past a gardens and ornate gates to the temple itself.
Dinner at Don Duck Old Quarter
In the evening, we have dinner at Don Duck Old Quarter; a restaurant which specialises, not surprisingly, in duck. We have duck spring rolls and the house special marinated duck, washed down with Hanoi beer. All excellent and the beer makes the walk home seem less daunting.
- Trip taken: April 2018
- Updated: December 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
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