Hanoi for Resort Travellers: Before and After the Beach
Most Vietnam itineraries start or end in Hanoi. Here is how to spend 48 hours in the capital before heading north to Sapa or south to the coast.
Hanoi is not a beach city, but it is almost always part of a Vietnam resort holiday — as the arrival gateway, the layover night, or the urban counterpoint to several days of sand and jungle. Two days here is enough to fall for it. Four days and you will understand why expats choose to stay for years.
The Old Quarter
The 36 guild streets of the Old Quarter have been trading for 600 years and show no signs of stopping. Each street was historically dedicated to one trade — Hang Bac (silver), Hang Gai (silk), Hang Ma (paper) — and vestiges of those specialisations remain. Walk, not ride: the alleys are too narrow and interesting for a motorbike. Stay in the Old Quarter itself for atmosphere; the boutique hotels here are some of the city's best value.
Hoan Kiem Lake
The spiritual heart of the city is a small lake in the centre of the Old Quarter, home to a giant soft-shell turtle (or was — the last resident died in 2016, though locals will argue otherwise). Ngoc Son Temple on its small island is pretty and never crowded. Walk the lake perimeter at any time of day and you will see Hanoians doing tai chi, playing badminton, or simply sitting and watching the world go by.
Food
- Pho: Hanoi pho is different from the southern version — lighter broth, fewer garnishes, more precise. Pho Bat Dan (Bat Dan Street) opens at 6am and sells out by 10. Worth the queue.
- Bun cha: Grilled pork patties in a sweet-sour dipping broth, served with rice vermicelli and herbs. The unofficial dish of Hanoi — Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate it here in 2016.
- Egg coffee (ca phe trung): Whipped egg yolk and condensed milk beaten into a custard-like foam on top of strong black coffee. Giang Cafe in the Old Quarter invented it and still makes the best.
Day Trips
Ninh Binh (2 hrs south), Ha Long Bay (3.5 hrs east), and Sapa (overnight train) are all doable from Hanoi as pre- or post-resort extensions. If your resort stay is in Sapa, Hanoi is the natural starting and ending point for the whole trip.
