Best Things to Do in Hanoi: Local Activities & Experiences
Vietnam’s capital blends 11th-century imperial landmarks, French colonial boulevards, and sidewalks perfumed with simmering beef pho, charcoal-grilled bun cha, and egg coffee.
Top Activities & Experiences in Hanoi
Hanoi Old Quarter Back-Alley Street Food & Egg Coffee Walk
Taste 7 iconic northern dishes across family-run shophouses in Hanoi’s 36 guild streets, finishing with egg coffee overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake.
Hoan Kiem & Old Quarter (Hang Buom, Ta Hien, Ly Quoc Su, Dinh Tien Hoang)
Hanoi Egg Coffee & Vietnamese Phin Brewing Workshop
Learn to roast, drip-brew, and whip Hanoi’s famous 1946 Ca Phe Trung (Egg Coffee) and coconut coffee inside a heritage courtyard.
Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Key Sights & Landmarks in Hanoi
Temple of Literature (Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam)
Founded in 1070 under Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, Vietnam’s first national university honors Confucian scholarship across five walled courtyards.
Lake & RiverfrontHoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple
The emerald heart of Hanoi linking the 36 guild streets of the Old Quarter with the French Quarter, crossed by the scarlet Huc Bridge.
Museum & HeritageHoa Lo Prison Relic
Preserved gatehouse and cellblocks of the 1896 French colonial Maison Centrale prison in central Hanoi.