Hanoi travel attracts tourists with thousands of years of history, which is imbued with national identity and many exciting and attractive destinations. If you are planning to hit the road to Hanoi with your beloved, refer to the Hanoi travel guide in this article to be well-prepared for your trip.
Referring to tourism in the north of Vietnam, it is impossible not to mention Hanoi travel. As the capital of the country, Hanoi has a lot of entertainment spots and tourist attractions that will give visitors a chance to thoroughly explore Vietnamese history, culture and people. Below are some Hanoi tourist places that are strongly suggested for you:
1. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum – The top destination for Hanoi travel
- Address: 2 Hung Vuong, Dien Bien Ward, Ba Dinh District
- Ticket price: VND25,000 (US$1.07) per person
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is recognized as one of the most well-known buildings in Vietnam. It draws a sizable number of domestic and foreign tourists in their Hanoi travel thanks to its immense cultural and historical worth. By visiting this place in your Hanoi trip, you can deepen your understanding of Vietnam through the many artifacts and learn more about Ho Chi Minh’s life and significance in Vietnamese history.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum’s general design is a solid square building with three layers, measuring 21.6 meters in height and 41.2 meters in width. Its structure is intended to be extremely robust, able to withstand floods, bombings, and earthquakes of magnitude 7. There is a marble-walled area inside the mausoleum where the body of President Ho Chi Minh is placed in a glass box and set atop a stone pedestal on a bed.
The surroundings of the mausoleum are another unique feature. A lush garden with more than 250 different plant types surrounds the monument. Besides, in your Hanoi travel to Ho Chi Minh Museum, you should visit other attractions nearby, namely Ho Chi Minh Museum, Presidential Palace, House No. 54 and Ho Chi Minh’s House on stilts.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is one of the must-visit Hanoi tourist spots (Source: Collected)
2. Hanoi Old Quarter: Where to enhance cultural experiences in your Hanoi travel
- Address: Hoan Kiem District
Hanoi Old Quarter is known as the highlight of Hanoi travel. This central area of Hanoi has been a witness to the ups and downs of the city. You can clearly see this through the ancient houses, the streets, the buildings. This is the reason why the quarter can be considered to contain the “soul” of Hanoi.
Hanoi Old Quarter is commonly referred to as the “36 Old Streets”. Actually, there are more than 36 streets, each of which is named after a commodity or service that was sold there, namely Hang Bac Street, Hang Ma Street, Hang Trong Street, Hang Buom Street, etc. It can be said that Vietnam’s colorful heritage is reflected on every street of Hanoi Old Quarter.
This area of Hanoi boasts French colonial architecture, a thriving culinary scene and a long history. The streets are full of scooters, food carts, cyclists, and pedestrians. Walking through the streets and alleyways is the finest way to feel the soul of this historic city in your Hanoi travel.
There are a lot of exciting things which await you to explore in the Old Quarter in your Hanoi travel (Source: Collected)
3. Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, Turtle Tower, The Huc Bridge
- Address: Hoan Kiem District
As a natural freshwater lake in the heart of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake is an unmissable destination in every Hanoi travel. It is associated with the legend of King Le returning the sword to the turtle deity. You can see that many well-known streets in the Old Quarter, including Hang Dao, Luong Van Can, Hang Ngang, etc., intersect at this lake. Thanks to its prime location, you can stroll around the lake and visit nearby well-known attractions easily during your Hanoi travel.
In particular, around Hoan Kiem Lake is Hanoi’s pedestrian street. This area transforms into a huge fair with a variety of goods and activities on the weekends. There are nearby restaurants where you can dine in addition to shopping.
The poetic beauty of Hoan Kiem Lake captivates the hearts of many tourists in their Hanoi travel (Source: Collected)
Turtle Tower, Ngoc Son Temple, and The Huc Bridge are the three well-known landmarks at and near Hoan Kiem Lake that you should not miss out on in your Hanoi travel. Like Hoan Kiem Lake, these places have great cultural significance and a long history, thus have also become the ancient symbols of the capital.
Ngoc Son Temple is an ancient temple located at Hoan Kiem Lake (Source: Collected)
4. Temple of Literature – A historical site for your Hanoi travel
- Address: 58 Quoc Tu Giam, Van Mieu Ward, Dong Da District
- Ticket price: 15,000 – 30,000 VND (US$0.62 – US$1.27) per person
The Temple of Literature, or Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam, is one of the most famous symbols when it comes to Hanoi’s thousand years of history. It was constructed about 1000 years ago as a shrine dedicated to Confucius, sages, and scholars. Not only a prominent historical relic and an attractive tourist destination for a Hanoi travel, this place has also represented Vietnam’s education for generations.
In addition to its cultural, educational and historical values, the Temple of Literature has unique architecture bearing the imprint of time. Its architecture is deeply influenced by the yin and yang concept in Eastern philosophy. These two elements represent the harmony of heaven and earth, with people as the center, which is clearly shown by the temple’s structural features.
The temple is divided into 5 separate areas. Coming here in your Hanoi travel, you can see a bronze bell above the main gate. This bell was added in the 19th century and was used to mark the arrival of an important figure.
As the leading complex of relics of Hanoi, the Temple of Literature attracts a large number of tourists each year (Source: Collected)
5. One Pillar Pagoda – A highlight of your Hanoi travel
- Address: One Pillar Pagoda Street, Doi Can Ward, Ba Dinh District
- Ticket price: 25,000 VND (US$1.05) per person
One Pillar Pagoda (also known as Dien Huu Pagoda or Mot Cot Pagoda) is one of many iconic structures that contribute to the attractiveness of Hanoi travel. It received its unusual name from the fact that it was built entirely on a single pillar situated in the middle of a lotus pond. Supporting the primary structure are eight wooden beams that resemble eight flower petals. All the beams were perfectly in alignment when the pagoda was built, making it exceedingly sturdy.
Having a distinctive architectural design, One Pillar Pagoda was designated a National Historic Heritage in 1962, making it one of Hanoi’s outstanding historical landmarks. After 50 years, the Asian Records Association in India declared One Pillar Pagoda to be the most distinctive architectural monument in 2012.
One Pillar Pagoda, with unique architecture, has become an indispensable destination in every Hanoi travel (Source: Collected)
6. Hanoi Opera House – An ideal place for your Hanoi travel’s photo shoots
- Address: 1 Trang Tien, Chuong Duong Ward, Hoan Kiem District
- Ticket price: 120,000 VND/person for sightseeing tour and 400,000 VND/person for sightseeing tour with art performances
With an area of about 2,600 square meters, Hanoi Opera House is located on Cach Mang Thang Tam Square, overlooking Trang Tien Street. It was modeled after the Opéra Garnier in Paris, but smaller in size. The materials used in the construction were also different to suit the climatic conditions in Vietnam.
Hanoi Opera House is a historical proof of social and cultural growth in Hanoi and Vietnam during the French colonial period. Also, it is a remnant of Vietnam’s architectural development from the late 19th century to early 20th century.
Hanoi Opera House is one of the three opera houses that the French built during their time in Indochina. Since its construction, it has served as an important cultural center of the capital, where cultural activities and art performances take place regularly. It is also a great destination in your Hanoi travel.
The front of Hanoi Opera House is a great background for tons of stunning photos in your Hanoi travel (Source: Collected)
