Hanoi

Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, is an elegant city set on the banks of the Red River. It is a city of many contrasts, from the traditional Old Quarter with its narrow streets and footpaths to the grand colonial buildings and wide boulevards of the French Quarter.

Hanoi is not as populous as Vietnam's southern capital, Saigon, nor is it as brash. The high-rise buildings that dominate the skyline of Saigon are a rarity in Hanoi, its centre dominated instead by its Old Quarter and its many tranquil lakes, foremost among them Hoan Kiem, which sits at the very heart of the city.

In Hanoi, as elsewhere in Vietnam, life carries on at the roadside, with food stalls, hairdressers and even dentists not an uncommon sight on the city’s narrow footpaths. Women carry heavy paniers over their shoulders plying their wares and robed monks can be observed making their way through the crowds and traffic. Hanoi is a great city to explore on foot, stopping to sample freshly brewed beer and noodle soup at one of the city’s many pavement bia hoi.

In and around Hanoi, Vietnam
The Old Quarter, located to the north of Hoan Kiem Lake, is an area of 36 streets, each one named after the trade that used to take place there. Today the names are only of historic interest, with the bustling streets home to a variety of shops, bars, restaurants and boutique hotels. A popular way to explore the Old Quarter is by ‘cyclo’.

Huge Ba Dinh Square is home to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, where visitors can join the solemn queue of mourners to see him lying in state. Nearby is the tiny One Pillar Pagoda and Ho Chi Minh’s simple stilt house, his preferred residence and a calculated contrast to the neighbouring Presidential Palace.

Hanoi is home to many temples, foremost among them the Temple of Literature, founded in the 11th-century as Vietnam’s first university, and Tran Quoc Pagoda, set on an islet in the West Lake, which buzzes every day with locals conducting their own private rituals.

As with any major capital, there's no shortage of museums in Hanoi, some more interesting than others. Take the time to visit the Museum of Ethnology, which houses artefacts from several of Vietnam's ethnic minority groups. The Military History Museum, which includes extensive coverage of the 20th century, and the Ho Chi Minh Museum, adjoining the mausoleum and dedicated to his life, offer interesting collections but aren't essential.