Hanoi

Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội), the capital of Vietnam and its second largest city, is a fascinating blend of East and West, with Chinese influence from centuries of dominance, and French je ne sais quoi from its colonial past. It was largely unspoiled by the modern architecture of the 1970s and 80s, and is now undergoing a rapid transformation that makes it a rising star in Southeast Asia.

Invading forces from every direction agree: Hanoi makes a fine capital. It has held that title for more than a thousand years, through several invasions, occupations, restorations, and name changes. The Chinese conquered the imperial city of Đại La in 1408 and renamed it Tống Bình. Le Loi repelled the invaders in 1428 and applied the name of Lê Thái Tổ (黎太祖). For his efforts, he received the crown and a slew of legends about his heroic exploits, many centred around the Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter. The Nguyen Dynasty gave the city its modern name of Ha Noi in 1831, but they had transferred power to Hue by then. Hue remained the capital until 1887, when the French made Hanoi the capital of all Indochina. It changed hands again in 1954, when it was ceded to Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh after almost a decade of fighting, and it became the capital of North Vietnam. Upon reunification in 1975, it assumed that title for the entire country.

The first Western-style universities in Vietnam were founded in Hanoi, and today, it is the leading centre of scientific study and research in the country. Hanoi retains much of its older colonial charm, despite the battles that have raged over it. Conflict had the effect of making it largely oblivious of modern architecture, and as a result, few buildings in the city centre area are higher than five stories. The Old Quarter is second only to Hoi An for uninterrupted stretches of colonial and pre-colonial architecture, well-preserved on dense warrens of narrow, wonderfully atmospheric streets. It trades the commercial boom and sprawl of Ho Chi Minh City in the south for a more understated charm, worth enjoying for an extra day or two, and with countless transport options and travel agents, it makes a perfect base for exploration of the North. See also Indochina Wars.

As you walk along the street, you may find that people start talking to you. It is a cultural norm there to make conversation with strangers. They might ask you where you are from and other general questions. But if you are a man, be cautious if a comely young lady approaches you and initiates a conversation as she is likely after something. It may take a while to get used to such overt friendliness, however there are times when this could be useful, such as when you are lost or need help.

• Tourist Information Centre, Dinh Tien Hoang (just north of Hoan Kiem Lake, +84 4 926 3366. Can provide a fairly useful map (bewilderingly, the blow-up of the old town is missing) and other English-language advice, as well as limited free Internet.

There are self-help information booths around the Old Quarter, but their purpose mostly is give the impression that Vietnam "has arrived" technologically.

The Tet holiday (Lunar New Year) is in the spring. Flowers are most beautiful during this time of the year. The weather warms up, with occasional light rain during the week. Locals believe that these light rains bring prosperity and luck in the new year.

Summer, on the other hand, borders on intolerable. The heat alone would be alright, but it's coupled with oppressive humidity. At this time, visitors should be wary of mosquitoes as they abound. Hanoi has a perfect climate for the proliferation of insects.

There is something unique about Hanoi’s autumn. The weather is perfect, with less humidity in the air. The temperature drops, allowing people a chance to flaunt their sweaters and jackets. There is a species of tree, "cay hoa sua", which only flowers in autumn. The flower has a very distinct odour. If you visit Hanoi during the fall, ask locals about this tree and where you might sniff its distinct aroma.

Winter can be uncomfortable because it is not only cold, but also humid. Winter in Hanoi feels even colder than it is because Vietnamese houses lack central heating. Many houses have no heating at all.

January is a drizzly month, and it may rain for one or two days or all week long.

Tourist Information Centre, Dinh Tien Hoang (just north of Hoan Kiem Lake, +84 4 926 3366. Can provide a fairly useful map (bewilderingly, the blow-up of the old town is missing) and other English-language advice, as well as limited free Internet.

• Vietnam Military History Museum, Dien Bien Phu St. Tu-Th Sa Su 08:00-11:30 and 13:00-16:30. Vietnam's military history extends back some two millennia, and this museum covers it in four buildings. Item descriptions on museum exhibits are in Vietnamese, French, and English. On display outside are the ubiquitous MiG-21 jet fighter, T-54 tank, and many bombs and articles captured in the Indochina and Vietnam wars. The flag tower is also on the museum site. 30,000 dong, additional 20,000 dong to take pictures (rarely enforced).
• Fine Arts Museum, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc St (opposite Temple of Literature, +84 24 3733 2131. Daily 08:30-17:00. Only party-approved art is shown here and there is no information in English and not much in Vietnamese. But it is an interesting museum, on three floors of a colonial building, with another 3 galleries in the west wing. Pieces include soldiers on boats depicted on prehistoric bronze drums, Buddhist art, and revolutionary art of the 20th century wars. Also some interesting silk paintings. Adult 40,000 dong.
• Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Tu-Th Sa Su 08:00-11:30. The city down south may have his name, but only Hanoi has the man himself, entombed in distinctly Lenin-esque fashion. Against his wishes, but that's how it goes. No talking, revealing clothing (shorts should be knee length and no exposed shoulders), or other signs of disrespect allowed while viewing; photos are allowed only from outside, in the grand Ba Dinh Square. Purses are allowed into the tomb, but expect them to be searched by several bored soldiers along the way. Left luggage is handled in a complicated scheme: there is an office near the street for large bags, with separate windows for Vietnamese and foreigners, and a further office for cameras, which will be transported to a third office right outside the exit of the mausoleum. Items checked in at the first office, however, will stay there. The mausoleum is closed for a couple months around the end of the year, when the body is taken abroad for maintenance. It is closed in the afternoons for maintenance. Free.
• One-Pillar Pagoda. Visitors find this either charming and lovely or utterly pointless, depending on how many tour groups are crammed into the small grounds at the time of their visit. It has a long history attached to it. Regarded as one of Vietnam's iconic temples, it was built by Emperor Lý Thái Tông. The emperor was childless and dreamt that he met the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who handed him a baby son while seated on a lotus flower. He then married a peasant girl that he had met and she bore him a son. The emperor constructed the temple in gratitude for this in 1049 having been told by a monk to build the temple, by erecting a pillar in the middle of a lotus pond, similar to the one he saw in the dream. Before the pagoda was opened, prayers were held for the longevity of the monarch. The temple is built of wood on a single stone pillar 1.25 m in diameter, and it is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, which is a Buddhist symbol of purity, since a lotus blossoms in a muddy pond. In 1954, the French Union forces destroyed the pagoda before withdrawing from Vietnam after the First Indochina War, it was rebuilt afterwards. Free.
• Ho Chi Minh Museum, 19 Ngoc Ha St, Ba Dinh, +84 4 846-3572. Daily 08:00-11:30, and Tu-Th Sa Su 14:00-16:00. This gleaming white museum and its gloriously ham-handed iconography is the perfect chaser to the solemnity of the mausoleum. The building, completed in 1990, is intended to evoke a white lotus. Some photos and old letters are on display on the second floor, but the main exhibition space is on the third floor. It includes cars crashing through walls to represent the chaos of post-war American capitalism, soldiers charging around with electric plugs, a cave hideout re-imagined as the inside of Ho Chi Minh's brain, and several other postmodern confections integrated with the detailed main story of the man's life and his country's struggle. There are plenty of photographs, prison documents and newspaper cuttings tracing his life along the way. The tour ends with a burnt bridge signifying the separation of Vietnam, followed by a reconstructed bridge showing the unification of Vietnam after the war. One of the more informative museums in Vietnam. Free guides are available in English, French, Chinese and Russian. The displays are labelled in English and French. 40,000 dong.
• Ho Chi Minh's Vestige in the Presidential Palace Area, 1 Bach Thao, Ba Dinh, +84 4 0804 4529. Summer 07:30-11:00, 14:00-16:00; Winter 08:00-11:00, 13:30-16:00, closed M F afternoons. The exit from the mausoleum takes you right into the grounds of the, uh, vestige, where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked from 1954 until his death in 1969. The nicely landscaped complex includes two of Ho Chi Minh's houses, kept shiny and "as he left them" by the authorities, as well as a garage with two of Ho's "used cars" and a carp-filled pond. You also get to see Ho Chi Minh's work room and politburo meeting room The presidential palace is nearby, but it's not always open to visitors. Pamphlets are available in English, Chinese, French and Korean. Guided tours are usually available if you wait. 40,000 dong.

• National Museum of Vietnamese History, No 1 Trang Tien Street and 216 Tran Quang Khai Street. Daily 08:00-12:00 and 13:30-17:00, except first Monday of month. Actually two museums: one covers Vietnam from prehistoric times to 1945 and the other covers 1945 to present. This museum gives a very informed and detailed account of the Vietnamese struggle against first the French (starting in 1858—on the first floor), then against the US, ending on 30 Apr 1975 (on the ground floor). It is housed in a colonial French building which was completed in 1932. The building, designed by the architect Ernest Hébrard is considered as a successful blend between the colonial French architecture and traditional Vietnamese architecture, called Indochina architecture. He created double-walls and balconies for a natural ventilation system and protection from sunshine. 40,000 dong for both.
• Vietnamese Women's Museum, 36 Ly Thuong Kiet St, Hoan Kiem District (Central Hanoi, 1 km S of Hoan Kiem Lake, +84 4 3825 9938. Daily 08:00-17:00. This often overlooked museum has benefited from an extensive renovation of its permanent exhibitions. The modernised interior is well laid out with information in Vietnamese, English and French, and contains a huge amount of information on the fearsome female heroines of Vietnamese history. There are also exhibitions on the rituals and traditions surrounding women in family, as well as a beautifully presented collection of intricate hand-made ethnic costumes. A highlight is the regularly updated special exhibitions on a diverse range of subjects, from contemporary issues such as single mothers and street vendors to traditional medicine and Mother Goddess worship. English language tours are available on request. 30,000 dong.

• Museum of Ethnology, Nguyen Van Huyen St, Cau Giay District (Bus 14 from Hoan Kiem Lake - ask the conductor when to stop, and take a 500 m walk towards the museum (backtrack a little from the bus stop, and when you see a large street perpendicular to the street that you dropped off, take that street and walk down the street until you see the Museum of Ethnology to your left). Bus 38 goes from right outside the Temple of Literature to the street the museum is on. Tu-Su 08:30-17:30. Exhibitions cover mainly the culture and ritual practices of the various ethnic groups in the whole of Vietnam. One of the key attractions of the museum is the open-air exhibition, which has houses of some ethnic groups, which even comes with inhabitants in costumes. The museum features actual explanations of the exhibits in Vietnamese, French and English. There is an excellent café on the premises. 40,000 dong for foreigners, extra 50,000 dong for photography..
• Hanoi Museum, Pham Hung St, Cau Giay District. Tu-Su 08:00-11:30 & 13:30-17:00. Local natural and human history down the ages. Free.
• Air Force Museum, Truong Chinh St (SW of city centre. There's a UH-1 helicopter, Soviet-built MiG fighters, a huge Mi-6 helicopter and other aircraft. Unfortunately they've been exposed to the elements for some time and local children climb over them.

Museum of Ethnology, Nguyen Van Huyen St, Cau Giay District (Bus 14 from Hoan Kiem Lake - ask the conductor when to stop, and take a 500 m walk towards the museum (backtrack a little from the bus stop, and when you see a large street perpendicular to the street that you dropped off, take that street and walk down the street until you see the Museum of Ethnology to your left). Bus 38 goes from right outside the Temple of Literature to the street the museum is on. Tu-Su 08:30-17:30. Exhibitions cover mainly the culture and ritual practices of the various ethnic groups in the whole of Vietnam. One of the key attractions of the museum is the open-air exhibition, which has houses of some ethnic groups, which even comes with inhabitants in costumes. The museum features actual explanations of the exhibits in Vietnamese, French and English. There is an excellent café on the premises. 40,000 dong for foreigners, extra 50,000 dong for photography..

Hanoi Museum, Pham Hung St, Cau Giay District. Tu-Su 08:00-11:30 & 13:30-17:00. Local natural and human history down the ages. Free.

Air Force Museum, Truong Chinh St (SW of city centre. There's a UH-1 helicopter, Soviet-built MiG fighters, a huge Mi-6 helicopter and other aircraft. Unfortunately they've been exposed to the elements for some time and local children climb over them.

Vietnam Military History Museum, Dien Bien Phu St. Tu-Th Sa Su 08:00-11:30 and 13:00-16:30. Vietnam's military history extends back some two millennia, and this museum covers it in four buildings. Item descriptions on museum exhibits are in Vietnamese, French, and English. On display outside are the ubiquitous MiG-21 jet fighter, T-54 tank, and many bombs and articles captured in the Indochina and Vietnam wars. The flag tower is also on the museum site. 30,000 dong, additional 20,000 dong to take pictures (rarely enforced).

Fine Arts Museum, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc St (opposite Temple of Literature, +84 24 3733 2131. Daily 08:30-17:00. Only party-approved art is shown here and there is no information in English and not much in Vietnamese. But it is an interesting museum, on three floors of a colonial building, with another 3 galleries in the west wing. Pieces include soldiers on boats depicted on prehistoric bronze drums, Buddhist art, and revolutionary art of the 20th century wars. Also some interesting silk paintings. Adult 40,000 dong.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Tu-Th Sa Su 08:00-11:30. The city down south may have his name, but only Hanoi has the man himself, entombed in distinctly [[Moscow#Main sites|Lenin-esque]] fashion. Against his wishes, but that's how it goes. No talking, revealing clothing (shorts should be knee length and no exposed shoulders), or other signs of disrespect allowed while viewing; photos are allowed only from outside, in the grand Ba Dinh Square. Purses are allowed into the tomb, but expect them to be searched by several bored soldiers along the way. Left luggage is handled in a complicated scheme: there is an office near the street for large bags, with separate windows for Vietnamese and foreigners, and a further office for cameras, which will be transported to a third office right outside the exit of the mausoleum. Items checked in at the first office, however, will stay there. The mausoleum is closed for a couple months around the end of the year, when the body is taken abroad for maintenance. It is closed in the afternoons for maintenance. Free.

One-Pillar Pagoda. Visitors find this either charming and lovely or utterly pointless, depending on how many tour groups are crammed into the small grounds at the time of their visit. It has a long history attached to it. Regarded as one of Vietnam's iconic temples, it was built by Emperor Lý Thái Tông. The emperor was childless and dreamt that he met the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who handed him a baby son while seated on a lotus flower. He then married a peasant girl that he had met and she bore him a son. The emperor constructed the temple in gratitude for this in 1049 having been told by a monk to build the temple, by erecting a pillar in the middle of a lotus pond, similar to the one he saw in the dream. Before the pagoda was opened, prayers were held for the longevity of the monarch. The temple is built of wood on a single stone pillar 1.25 m in diameter, and it is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, which is a Buddhist symbol of purity, since a lotus blossoms in a muddy pond. In 1954, the French Union forces destroyed the pagoda before withdrawing from Vietnam after the First Indochina War, it was rebuilt afterwards. Free.

Ho Chi Minh Museum, 19 Ngoc Ha St, Ba Dinh, +84 4 846-3572. Daily 08:00-11:30, and Tu-Th Sa Su 14:00-16:00. This gleaming white museum and its gloriously ham-handed iconography is the perfect chaser to the solemnity of the mausoleum. The building, completed in 1990, is intended to evoke a white lotus. Some photos and old letters are on display on the second floor, but the main exhibition space is on the third floor. It includes cars crashing through walls to represent the chaos of post-war American capitalism, soldiers charging around with electric plugs, a cave hideout re-imagined as the inside of Ho Chi Minh's brain, and several other postmodern confections integrated with the detailed main story of the man's life and his country's struggle. There are plenty of photographs, prison documents and newspaper cuttings tracing his life along the way. The tour ends with a burnt bridge signifying the separation of Vietnam, followed by a reconstructed bridge showing the unification of Vietnam after the war. One of the more informative museums in Vietnam. Free guides are available in English, French, Chinese and Russian. The displays are labelled in English and French. 40,000 dong.

Ho Chi Minh's Vestige in the Presidential Palace Area, 1 Bach Thao, Ba Dinh, +84 4 0804 4529. Summer 07:30-11:00, 14:00-16:00; Winter 08:00-11:00, 13:30-16:00, closed M F afternoons. The exit from the mausoleum takes you right into the grounds of the, uh, vestige, where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked from 1954 until his death in 1969. The nicely landscaped complex includes two of Ho Chi Minh's houses, kept shiny and "as he left them" by the authorities, as well as a garage with two of Ho's "used cars" and a carp-filled pond. You also get to see Ho Chi Minh's work room and politburo meeting room The presidential palace is nearby, but it's not always open to visitors. Pamphlets are available in English, Chinese, French and Korean. Guided tours are usually available if you wait. 40,000 dong.

National Museum of Vietnamese History, No 1 Trang Tien Street and 216 Tran Quang Khai Street. Daily 08:00-12:00 and 13:30-17:00, except first Monday of month. Actually two museums: one covers Vietnam from prehistoric times to 1945 and the other covers 1945 to present. This museum gives a very informed and detailed account of the Vietnamese struggle against first the French (starting in 1858—on the first floor), then against the US, ending on 30 Apr 1975 (on the ground floor). It is housed in a colonial French building which was completed in 1932. The building, designed by the architect Ernest Hébrard is considered as a successful blend between the colonial French architecture and traditional Vietnamese architecture, called Indochina architecture. He created double-walls and balconies for a natural ventilation system and protection from sunshine. 40,000 dong for both.

Vietnamese Women's Museum, 36 Ly Thuong Kiet St, Hoan Kiem District (Central Hanoi, 1 km S of Hoan Kiem Lake, +84 4 3825 9938. Daily 08:00-17:00. This often overlooked museum has benefited from an extensive renovation of its permanent exhibitions. The modernised interior is well laid out with information in Vietnamese, English and French, and contains a huge amount of information on the fearsome female heroines of Vietnamese history. There are also exhibitions on the rituals and traditions surrounding women in family, as well as a beautifully presented collection of intricate hand-made ethnic costumes. A highlight is the regularly updated special exhibitions on a diverse range of subjects, from contemporary issues such as single mothers and street vendors to traditional medicine and Mother Goddess worship. English language tours are available on request. 30,000 dong.

• Hoan Kiem Lake. A pleasant park in the centre of town, an easy walk from anywhere in the Old Quarter. It's the locals' favorite leisure spot, and a great place to watch people practising tai chi in the morning or to sit and read in the afternoon. At weekends the park becomes even more popular as the normally busy road around it is pedestrianised, and instead filled with children driving electric cars or riding hoverboards. Hoan Kiem means "returned sword", and the name comes from a legend in which King Le Loi was given a magical sword by the gods, which he used to drive out the invading Chinese. Later, while boating on the lake, he encountered a giant turtle, which grabbed the sword and carried it down to its depths, returning it to the gods from whom it had come. (You can see a version of the legend at the Water Puppet Theatre.) The giant soft-shell turtles, whom Vietnamese biologists assigned to a separate species, Rafetus leloii, resided in the lake until the early 21st century. One of them, who died in 1968, has been preserved by the wonders of taxidermy, and can be viewed in a glass box (sarcophagus?) in a pavilion adjacent to Ngoc Son Temple on the island in the lake. Park is free; 30,000 dong admission to the island temple (玉山祠)..
• Ly Thai To Statue & Park. The park faces Hoan Kiem lake with a beautiful view of the busy Hang Bai St and the serenity of the willows on the bank of the lake. Many locals view this mini-park as their favourite place because it is a symbol of the integration of modernity and tradition. One might encounter a group of youths practising hip-hop, break dancing, or playing foot-badminton, while at the same time seeing a three-generation family enjoying a walk in the park.
• Ho Tay. Mostly a residential hub of the well-to-do. Hotel Intercontinental and Hanoi Sheraton are on this lake front.
• Lenin Statue & Park. You can always feel the diversity and liveliness of Hanoi there. In the morning, there are low-energy aerobics class for elders and aerobics class for the young in the morning. During the day, one can enjoy the tranquility in the park since everybody is either at work or in school. In the afternoon, it becomes a playground for children, students, soccer teams, and badminton players.

Hoan Kiem Lake. A pleasant park in the centre of town, an easy walk from anywhere in the Old Quarter. It's the locals' favorite leisure spot, and a great place to watch people practising tai chi in the morning or to sit and read in the afternoon. At weekends the park becomes even more popular as the normally busy road around it is pedestrianised, and instead filled with children driving electric cars or riding hoverboards. Hoan Kiem means "returned sword", and the name comes from a legend in which King Le Loi was given a magical sword by the gods, which he used to drive out the invading Chinese. Later, while boating on the lake, he encountered a giant turtle, which grabbed the sword and carried it down to its depths, returning it to the gods from whom it had come. (You can see a version of the legend at the Water Puppet Theatre.) The giant soft-shell turtles, whom Vietnamese biologists assigned to a separate species, Rafetus leloii, resided in the lake until the early 21st century. One of them, who died in 1968, has been preserved by the wonders of taxidermy, and can be viewed in a glass box (sarcophagus?) in a pavilion adjacent to Ngoc Son Temple on the island in the lake. Park is free; 30,000 dong admission to the island temple (玉山祠)..

Ly Thai To Statue & Park. The park faces Hoan Kiem lake with a beautiful view of the busy Hang Bai St and the serenity of the willows on the bank of the lake. Many locals view this mini-park as their favourite place because it is a symbol of the integration of modernity and tradition. One might encounter a group of youths practising hip-hop, break dancing, or playing foot-badminton, while at the same time seeing a three-generation family enjoying a walk in the park.

Ho Tay. Mostly a residential hub of the well-to-do. Hotel Intercontinental and Hanoi Sheraton are on this lake front.

Lenin Statue & Park. You can always feel the diversity and liveliness of Hanoi there. In the morning, there are low-energy aerobics class for elders and aerobics class for the young in the morning. During the day, one can enjoy the tranquility in the park since everybody is either at work or in school. In the afternoon, it becomes a playground for children, students, soccer teams, and badminton players.

• Bach Ma Temple, 76 Hang Buom St, Hoan Kiem District. Time: the 12th to the 13th day of the second lunar month. Objects of worship: Bach Ma God (the symbol of the sun god), Long Do God ("the god who defends the east"), confer a title of "Thang Long Capital of Nation royal tutelary god". Xuan Nguu presenting rite.
• Ngoc Son Temple. Located on a small island in the Hoan Kiem Lake, connected with the mainland by a bridge. With small but attractive grounds, the temple displays on Vietnamese history and, more memorably, displays on the giant turtles, including a mummified specimen (who died in 1968). The two on-site gift shops vend a variety of souvenirs, many of them turtle-themed. 20,000 dong.
• Temple of Literature, Quoc Tu Giam St (A few blocks south of the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. Daily 08:00-18:00. The Temple was founded in 1070 and became the country's first university six years later. The overall design is somewhat similar to the "original" Confucian Temple in Qufu, with 5 courtyards. Most of the architecture is named with titles indicating reverence to literature and language itself. The showpiece of the complex is the third courtyard with eighty-odd stone tablets, each mounted on the back of a tortoise (known as bixi in Chinese), inscribed with the names of graduates. Another courtyard is full of gift shops, which also sell stamps, coins, and books. A reduced-size replica of the famous giant softshell turtle (the original being at the Ngoc Son Temple at the Lake of the Returned Sword) can be seen in one of the pavilions as well; it was made by Vietnamese artisans out of ceramic, and gold-plated. The fourth courtyard contains a temple and statues devoted to Confucius and his four disciples. The fifth and last courtyard, which was recently built, contains a mini-museum showcasing information on Emperor Lý Thánh Tông and his successors who built and renovated the temple. You may find a Vietnamese band playing local instrumental music in front of this museum. There are explanatory wall-hangings in English and French all along the way, and you don't need a guide. Adult 30,000 dong.

Bach Ma Temple, 76 Hang Buom St, Hoan Kiem District. Time: the 12th to the 13th day of the second lunar month. Objects of worship: Bach Ma God (the symbol of the sun god), Long Do God ("the god who defends the east"), confer a title of "Thang Long Capital of Nation royal tutelary god". Xuan Nguu presenting rite.

Ngoc Son Temple. Located on a small island in the Hoan Kiem Lake, connected with the mainland by a bridge. With small but attractive grounds, the temple displays on Vietnamese history and, more memorably, displays on the giant turtles, including a mummified specimen (who died in 1968). The two on-site gift shops vend a variety of souvenirs, many of them turtle-themed. 20,000 dong.

Temple of Literature, Quoc Tu Giam St (A few blocks south of the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. Daily 08:00-18:00. The Temple was founded in 1070 and became the country's first university six years later. The overall design is somewhat similar to the "original" Confucian Temple in [[Qufu]], with 5 courtyards. Most of the architecture is named with titles indicating reverence to literature and language itself. The showpiece of the complex is the third courtyard with eighty-odd stone tablets, each mounted on the back of a tortoise (known as bixi in Chinese), inscribed with the names of graduates. Another courtyard is full of gift shops, which also sell stamps, coins, and books. A reduced-size replica of the famous giant softshell turtle (the original being at the Ngoc Son Temple at the Lake of the Returned Sword) can be seen in one of the pavilions as well; it was made by Vietnamese artisans out of ceramic, and gold-plated. The fourth courtyard contains a temple and statues devoted to Confucius and his four disciples. The fifth and last courtyard, which was recently built, contains a mini-museum showcasing information on Emperor Lý Thánh Tông and his successors who built and renovated the temple. You may find a Vietnamese band playing local instrumental music in front of this museum. There are explanatory wall-hangings in English and French all along the way, and you don't need a guide. Adult 30,000 dong.

• Hanoi Citadel. Built as a residence for the Vietnamese king, the citadel was mostly destroyed by the French, used as a military headquarters during the Vietnam War and nowadays it is described on the UNESCO World Heritage list as "Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi".
• St. Joseph's Cathedral, Nha Tho, Hoàn Kiếm District. A late 19th-century Gothic Revival church that serves as the cathedral of the RC Archdiocese of Hanoi. Built in 1886, the exterior is gaunt and grey, but within is light and peaceful. Mass is held several times a day, and for Sunday evening mass at 18:00 the crowds are huge: the service is broadcast to those outside who can't get in.
• Presidential Palace, 2 Hùng Vương, Ngọc Hồ, Ba Đình. Completed in 1906 as the residence of the French Governor-General of Indochina. It became the official residence of the President of North Vietnam following independence in 1954, and later of the President of Vietnam following reunification in 1975. Ho Chi Minh was said to have refused to live in the palace for symbolic reasons, though he used it to receive state guests. The building itself is not open to the public, but you can view it from the outside and take photographs.

Hanoi Citadel. Built as a residence for the Vietnamese king, the citadel was mostly destroyed by the French, used as a military headquarters during the Vietnam War and nowadays it is described on the [[UNESCO World Heritage list]] as "Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi".

St. Joseph's Cathedral, Nha Tho, Hoàn Kiếm District. A late 19th-century Gothic Revival church that serves as the cathedral of the RC Archdiocese of Hanoi. Built in 1886, the exterior is gaunt and grey, but within is light and peaceful. Mass is held several times a day, and for Sunday evening mass at 18:00 the crowds are huge: the service is broadcast to those outside who can't get in.

Presidential Palace, 2 Hùng Vương, Ngọc Hồ, Ba Đình. Completed in 1906 as the residence of the French Governor-General of Indochina. It became the official residence of the President of North Vietnam following independence in 1954, and later of the President of Vietnam following reunification in 1975. Ho Chi Minh was said to have refused to live in the palace for symbolic reasons, though he used it to receive state guests. The building itself is not open to the public, but you can view it from the outside and take photographs.

• B-52 Lake, Ngoc Ha Precinct, Ba Dinh District. Until 19 Dec 1972, this was just a small brackish pond just off Hoang Hoa Tham St, about 1 km west of the mausoleum. On that day, in a twisted retelling of the Hoan Kiem legend, Vietnamese anti-aircraft missiles blasted the enemy's eight-engine, 100-ton aircraft and sent it to the shallow bottom of the lake, where it remains today.
• Downed Aircraft Memorial. A stone plaque commemorating the shooting down of a US Navy (not "USAF" as depicted) aircraft in 1967. Read the Vietnamese script and you can pick out the name of John McCain, the late U.S. senator, one of the airmen.
• Hoa Lo Prison, 1 Hoa Lo, Hoan Kiem. 08:30-12:00, 14:00-16:30 (Mondays and Fridays 8-12). This prison was built by the French at the turn of the 20th century, in classical French prison design. This is where the French imprisoned and executed Vietnamese freedom fighters. It is now a museum since two thirds of the prison was torn down to make way for the Hanoi Towers, the museum exhibits the plight of the jailed political revolutionaries, their plight under the French colonial regime and the struggle of the Vietnamese people against imperialism in chilling detail. The prison was also known as the "Hanoi Hilton" during the Vietnam War as it held US POWs. Little emphasis is given to this period however, and to some the exhibits may seem to be propaganda, such as showing photos only of prisoners being treated well and playing basketball and playing chess. The museum claims to have John McCain's flight suit from when his plane was shot down. Most of the exhibits are self-explanatory in English and a guide may not be required. You can still get one for 25,000 dong. 30,000 dong.

B-52 Lake, Ngoc Ha Precinct, Ba Dinh District. Until 19 Dec 1972, this was just a small brackish pond just off Hoang Hoa Tham St, about 1 km west of the mausoleum. On that day, in a twisted retelling of the Hoan Kiem legend, Vietnamese anti-aircraft missiles blasted the enemy's eight-engine, 100-ton aircraft and sent it to the shallow bottom of the lake, where it remains today.

Downed Aircraft Memorial. A stone plaque commemorating the shooting down of a US Navy (not "USAF" as depicted) aircraft in 1967. Read the Vietnamese script and you can pick out the name of John McCain, the late U.S. senator, one of the airmen.

Hoa Lo Prison, 1 Hoa Lo, Hoan Kiem. 08:30-12:00, 14:00-16:30 (Mondays and Fridays 8-12). This prison was built by the French at the turn of the 20th century, in classical French prison design. This is where the French imprisoned and executed Vietnamese freedom fighters. It is now a museum since two thirds of the prison was torn down to make way for the Hanoi Towers, the museum exhibits the plight of the jailed political revolutionaries, their plight under the French colonial regime and the struggle of the Vietnamese people against imperialism in chilling detail. The prison was also known as the "Hanoi Hilton" during the Vietnam War as it held US POWs. Little emphasis is given to this period however, and to some the exhibits may seem to be propaganda, such as showing photos only of prisoners being treated well and playing basketball and playing chess. The museum claims to have John McCain's flight suit from when his plane was shot down. Most of the exhibits are self-explanatory in English and a guide may not be required. You can still get one for 25,000 dong. 30,000 dong.

• Backstreet Academy, 11A Nam Trang, Truc Bach, +84 979 545 707. 08:00-18:00. An alternative tour experiences platform, they enable locals to offer authentic and unique activities to tourists such as silk weaving, wood carving workshops, paper stencilling, traditional music instruments and even a course where you can make your own traditional paper masks or leather products with local craftsmen. A social enterprise, they work with many underprivileged people who either serve as hosts or facilitators/guides. A great way to interact with local people and take in the culture.

• August Movie Theater. 35,000-60,000 dong.
• CGV Cinemas (formerly Megastar), 191 Ba Trieu (On the 6th floor of the Vincom City Towers. The movies are relatively new, perhaps one or two months later than in the US. The movies are not dubbed although there are subtitles so both non-Vietnamese speakers and locals can enjoy them. 70,000-115,000 dong for 2D movies depending on day and time. 90,000-230,000 dong for 3D movies.

August Movie Theater. 35,000-60,000 dong.

CGV Cinemas (formerly Megastar), 191 Ba Trieu (On the 6th floor of the Vincom City Towers. The movies are relatively new, perhaps one or two months later than in the US. The movies are not dubbed although there are subtitles so both non-Vietnamese speakers and locals can enjoy them. 70,000-115,000 dong for 2D movies depending on day and time. 90,000-230,000 dong for 3D movies.

• EZ Cooking Class, 49 Lane, 49 Huynh Thuc Khang St.
• EDUMA, 94 Lane, 49 Lo Duc St.
• Hanoi Cooking Centre, 44 Chau Long St (close to Truc Bac lake, +84 4 3715 0088. Cooking school, retail outlet and beautiful courtyard cafe with an excellent menu of Asian and Western favourites. Hands-on cooking classes and short courses in a relaxed atmosphere.
• Hidden Hanoi, 137 Nghi Tam Rd (aka Duong An Duong Vuong), Tay Ho (On the bund road in the Tay Ho District. Hidden Hanoi runs walking tours and cooking classes. There are many options including the 1 hr walking tour of the local market, followed by the 3 hr cooking class. Cooking class menus change daily, and there are other walking tours available. They also run language classes, and there is a dance school in the same building. USD50 per person.
• Vietnam Culinary School. Fully equipped facilities to learn Vietnamese cooking. A typical day will commence with a visit to the morning market accompanied by an instructor to select ingredients for your cooking lesson. The class will be followed by a meal in a restaurant sampling your own cooking as well as traditional Vietnamese dishes.
• Học Viện Ẩm Thực, 60 Tran Nhan Tong.

EZ Cooking Class, 49 Lane, 49 Huynh Thuc Khang St.

EDUMA, 94 Lane, 49 Lo Duc St.

Hanoi Cooking Centre, 44 Chau Long St (close to Truc Bac lake, +84 4 3715 0088. Cooking school, retail outlet and beautiful courtyard cafe with an excellent menu of Asian and Western favourites. Hands-on cooking classes and short courses in a relaxed atmosphere.

Hidden Hanoi, 137 Nghi Tam Rd (aka Duong An Duong Vuong), Tay Ho (On the bund road in the Tay Ho District. Hidden Hanoi runs walking tours and cooking classes. There are many options including the 1 hr walking tour of the local market, followed by the 3 hr cooking class. Cooking class menus change daily, and there are other walking tours available. They also run language classes, and there is a dance school in the same building. USD50 per person.

Vietnam Culinary School. Fully equipped facilities to learn Vietnamese cooking. A typical day will commence with a visit to the morning market accompanied by an instructor to select ingredients for your cooking lesson. The class will be followed by a meal in a restaurant sampling your own cooking as well as traditional Vietnamese dishes.

Học Viện Ẩm Thực, 60 Tran Nhan Tong.

• No Name, 88 Hang Buom St. If you want to do some mild weight training on a budget. Locals apparently pay 130,000 dong/month. Be aware, however, that the gym is in very poor condition. The floor is hazardous and no one will spot you while benching so ensure your last rep you are able to place the bar back or go with a friend. The front of the gym is full of scooters and the rear wall has pictures of Uncle Ho exercising. Drinks are 10,000 dong. 30,000 dong per visit.

No Name, 88 Hang Buom St. If you want to do some mild weight training on a budget. Locals apparently pay 130,000 dong/month. Be aware, however, that the gym is in very poor condition. The floor is hazardous and no one will spot you while benching so ensure your last rep you are able to place the bar back or go with a friend. The front of the gym is full of scooters and the rear wall has pictures of Uncle Ho exercising. Drinks are 10,000 dong. 30,000 dong per visit.

• SF Salon and Spa, 30 Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem, +84 4 926 2032. Nice, not too expensive spa with a range of services, including massages, manicures/pedicures, facials. They will pay for your one-way taxi fare to the spa. Friendly staff.

SF Salon and Spa, 30 Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem, +84 4 926 2032. Nice, not too expensive spa with a range of services, including massages, manicures/pedicures, facials. They will pay for your one-way taxi fare to the spa. Friendly staff.

• VietClimb, So 40 Ngo 76 An Duong, +84 9 1454 8903. Daily except M, 14:00-22:00. 200 m² climbing surface, a 50 m² café & terrace to chill out, and a climbing pro-shop. Also a great place for finding out where to climb immediately outside of Hanoi.

VietClimb, So 40 Ngo 76 An Duong, +84 9 1454 8903. Daily except M, 14:00-22:00. 200 m² climbing surface, a 50 m² café & terrace to chill out, and a climbing pro-shop. Also a great place for finding out where to climb immediately outside of Hanoi.

• Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, 57 Dinh Tien Hoang St (Across from Hoan Kiem Lake, +84 4 824 9494. Musicians accompany folk legends from Vietnamese history, told with wooden men, women, and dragons, dancing and splashing on the face of the water. The narratives are sung in Vietnamese, but lyrics are available in several languages. Or just ignore the dialogue and narration and focus on the special effects. There are several performances throughout the day. Don't worry about getting wet, but the seats are very small, and visitors with above-average height will have to squirm a bit. 60,000 and 100,000 dong. Camera passes are an extra 20,000 dong.
• Hong Ha Theatre, 51 Duong Thanh Street (Inside Old Quarter) (Walk: from northern tip of Hoan Kiem Lake go along Hang gai street to the west about 500m then turn right at Duong Thanh street, the theater is on the right at number 51. By bus: take bus 01 stop at bus stop 30 Duong Thanh then walk about 30m toward the north., +84 984545228. M Th 18:00-19:00. Hát tuồng (Hanoi: [háːt tûəŋ]) or hát bội (Saigon: [háːk ɓôjˀ]) is a form of Vietnamese theatre. Hát tuồng is often referred to as classical "Vietnamese opera" influenced by Chinese opera which combines acting, singing, and dancing. Tuồng employs the use of stock characters who are recognizable from their make-up and costumes, which are typically very elaborate and extravagant.Usually, a character's personalities can be revealed through three features: the color of the face, the eyebrows, and the beard.
  In this 1 hour show, the artists will perform most interesting, unique and typical recitals from famous Tuongs (which typically last 1-2 hours). The show starts at 18:00 but from 17:30 the theater is open so the guests can interact with the artists, observe the performance preparation and try to sing, dance, play drum with the artists and enjoy traditional royal tea. The english leaflets will be provided for every guest which will introduce the content of each recital throughout the show. 150,000 dong.
• Cong Nhan Theater, 42 Trang Tien street (From the Opera House walk down Trang Tien street 1 block, the Theater is on the right. From southern side of Hoan kiem lake, walk toward Trang tien street for 2 block, the theater is on the left, +84 90 219 5650 (VI), +84 90 703 3553 (EN). Th Sa 18:00-18:45, 19:30-20:15. "Four Palaces” refers to the belief in the worship of Four Mother Goddesses, including Mother Goddess of Heaven, Mother Goddess of Forest, Mother Goddess of Water and Mother Goddess of Earth.The late 19th and early 20th centuries were the most flourishing periods of Mother Goddess religion in Viet folklore. There are times when Mother Goddess religion is considered as a manifestation of superstition and thus prohibited. However, the rituals of “Tứ Phủ” (Four Palaces), known by several other names, for instance, Tứ Phủ Công Đồng or Four Palaces Council, hát văn, chầu thánh, etc., still have a remarkable presence and strong reflection in Viet folk arts for several reasons:
  1. Four Palaces is considered as a medium of lively communication of humans with Gods or Saints, divine beings who are familiar to Vietnamese both spiritually and in real life. The communications are organized as rituals by psychics or mediums who play roles of middlemen connecting people to divines. As such, it connected with Vietnamese in general.
  2. Four Palaces is a lively form of art which collected many materials of folk arts, for example, hát chầu văn or chầu thánh (a traditional folk art which combines trance singing and dancing) and rites (ceremonies) as well as music with drum, flute and folk instruments; ritual dancing, rites of hầu đồng (hiển thánh) or ritual dress of sorceresses, etc.
  You can buy ticket online via website https://viettheatre.com/en USD5.49-12.95.
• Hanoi Cheo Theatre, 15 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street (It's opposite the East gate of the Thong Nhat Park., +84 4 3943 7361. Th 17:30-18:30. Chèo (Vietnamese: [cɛ̂w]) is a form of generally satirical musical theatre, often encompassing dance, traditionally performed by Vietnamese peasants in northern Vietnam. It is usually performed outdoors by semi-amateur touring groups, stereotypically in a village square or the courtyard of a public building, although it is today increasingly also performed indoors and by professional performers. Chèo stage art is one of the great cultural heritage of the Vietnamese folk treasure. Chèo has been a popular art form of the Vietnamese people for many generations and has fostered the national spirit through its lyrical content. Show Long Thanh Dien Xuong introduces to the visitors different types of folk arts/performances which used to be common in the history, when Hanoi was the royal capital of Viet Kingdom: cheo, ca tru, chau van, xam, water puppet. 150,000 dong.

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, 57 Dinh Tien Hoang St (Across from Hoan Kiem Lake, +84 4 824 9494. Musicians accompany folk legends from Vietnamese history, told with wooden men, women, and dragons, dancing and splashing on the face of the water. The narratives are sung in Vietnamese, but lyrics are available in several languages. Or just ignore the dialogue and narration and focus on the special effects. There are several performances throughout the day. Don't worry about getting wet, but the seats are very small, and visitors with above-average height will have to squirm a bit. 60,000 and 100,000 dong. Camera passes are an extra 20,000 dong.

Hong Ha Theatre, 51 Duong Thanh Street (Inside Old Quarter) (Walk: from northern tip of Hoan Kiem Lake go along Hang gai street to the west about 500m then turn right at Duong Thanh street, the theater is on the right at number 51. By bus: take bus 01 stop at bus stop 30 Duong Thanh then walk about 30m toward the north., +84 984545228. M Th 18:00-19:00. Hát tuồng (Hanoi: [háːt tûəŋ]) or hát bội (Saigon: [háːk ɓôjˀ]) is a form of Vietnamese theatre. Hát tuồng is often referred to as classical "Vietnamese opera" influenced by Chinese opera which combines acting, singing, and dancing. Tuồng employs the use of stock characters who are recognizable from their make-up and costumes, which are typically very elaborate and extravagant.Usually, a character's personalities can be revealed through three features: the color of the face, the eyebrows, and the beard.
In this 1 hour show, the artists will perform most interesting, unique and typical recitals from famous Tuongs (which typically last 1-2 hours). The show starts at 18:00 but from 17:30 the theater is open so the guests can interact with the artists, observe the performance preparation and try to sing, dance, play drum with the artists and enjoy traditional royal tea. The english leaflets will be provided for every guest which will introduce the content of each recital throughout the show. 150,000 dong.

Cong Nhan Theater, 42 Trang Tien street (From the Opera House walk down Trang Tien street 1 block, the Theater is on the right. From southern side of Hoan kiem lake, walk toward Trang tien street for 2 block, the theater is on the left, +84 90 219 5650 (VI), +84 90 703 3553 (EN). Th Sa 18:00-18:45, 19:30-20:15. "Four Palaces” refers to the belief in the worship of Four Mother Goddesses, including Mother Goddess of Heaven, Mother Goddess of Forest, Mother Goddess of Water and Mother Goddess of Earth.The late 19th and early 20th centuries were the most flourishing periods of Mother Goddess religion in Viet folklore. There are times when Mother Goddess religion is considered as a manifestation of superstition and thus prohibited. However, the rituals of “Tứ Phủ” (Four Palaces), known by several other names, for instance, Tứ Phủ Công Đồng or Four Palaces Council, hát văn, chầu thánh, etc., still have a remarkable presence and strong reflection in Viet folk arts for several reasons:
1. Four Palaces is considered as a medium of lively communication of humans with Gods or Saints, divine beings who are familiar to Vietnamese both spiritually and in real life. The communications are organized as rituals by psychics or mediums who play roles of middlemen connecting people to divines. As such, it connected with Vietnamese in general.
2. Four Palaces is a lively form of art which collected many materials of folk arts, for example, hát chầu văn or chầu thánh (a traditional folk art which combines trance singing and dancing) and rites (ceremonies) as well as music with drum, flute and folk instruments; ritual dancing, rites of hầu đồng (hiển thánh) or ritual dress of sorceresses, etc.
You can buy ticket online via website https://viettheatre.com/en USD5.49-12.95.

Hanoi Cheo Theatre, 15 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street (It's opposite the East gate of the Thong Nhat Park., +84 4 3943 7361. Th 17:30-18:30. Chèo (Vietnamese: [cɛ̂w]) is a form of generally satirical musical theatre, often encompassing dance, traditionally performed by Vietnamese peasants in northern Vietnam. It is usually performed outdoors by semi-amateur touring groups, stereotypically in a village square or the courtyard of a public building, although it is today increasingly also performed indoors and by professional performers. Chèo stage art is one of the great cultural heritage of the Vietnamese folk treasure. Chèo has been a popular art form of the Vietnamese people for many generations and has fostered the national spirit through its lyrical content. Show Long Thanh Dien Xuong introduces to the visitors different types of folk arts/performances which used to be common in the history, when Hanoi was the royal capital of Viet Kingdom: cheo, ca tru, chau van, xam, water puppet. 150,000 dong.

Backstreet Academy, 11A Nam Trang, Truc Bach, +84 979 545 707. 08:00-18:00. An alternative tour experiences platform, they enable locals to offer authentic and unique activities to tourists such as silk weaving, wood carving workshops, paper stencilling, traditional music instruments and even a course where you can make your own traditional paper masks or leather products with local craftsmen. A social enterprise, they work with many underprivileged people who either serve as hosts or facilitators/guides. A great way to interact with local people and take in the culture.

Many places accept US dollars, and cash is king. Most shops quote much higher prices for tourists (including Vietnamese people from other regions) than for locals, and the belief that tourists are rich and hence should pay more than locals is firmly entrenched in the local culture. As such, most vendors will insist that as a tourist, you pay the tourist price and will refuse to let you bargain the price down to the local price even if you know what it is. If you have a trusted local friend, you can save a fair bit of money by getting your friend to buy the item you want in your absence.

ATMs are common but the vast majority have a transaction limit of 2 million dong. They charge varying fees and a single ATM can charge different fees for different cards - once you've found a cheap one, stick with it.

Exceptions to the low transaction limit include the local Techcombank and Military Bank, and the international (and rarer) ANZ (ATMs), HSBC (ATMs) and Citibank, with higher transaction limits of 5,000,000-7,000,000 dong for MasterCard and Visa. You should expect to pay an ATM fee of around 40,000 dong, but reported fees range from 0 to 150,000 dong (both for HSBC). HSBC ATMS in the Old Quarter have limits of 8,000,000 dong with a 150,000 dong fee, which is still more economical than making multiple withdrawls (April 2017).

The airport, top end hotels such as the Melia, Sheraton and Sofitel Metropole, and expat-oriented shopping centres such as Hanoi Towers and the Syrena Centre in Tay Ho are a good place to find international ATMs. Google Maps is also reasonably accurate.

• Bookworm Hanoi, 44 Chau Long (Hanoi Cooking Center), +84 43 715 3711, +84 912 561800. New and used books.
• Small Vietnamese bookstores (nhà sách) line Phố Đinh Lễ St, just south of the large post office east of Hoan Kiem Lake. Most of them stock a variety of bilingual dictionaries, but hardly any books in English. Among them, as of 2016, Nhà Sách Lam seemed to have the best selection of maps (both Hanoi City and Vietnam regional).
• Most of the numerous souvenir shops inside the Temple of Literature (see under Museums; admission fee needs to be paid to get in) also carry a selection of books about Vietnam in English and other foreign languages (French, Spanish, Japanese, ...), as well as culture- and history-oriented books in Vietnamese. Not a good place to shop for dictionaries or maps, though.

Bookworm Hanoi, 44 Chau Long (Hanoi Cooking Center), +84 43 715 3711, +84 912 561800. New and used books.

• Cho Hom, Pho Hue. A huge range of goods, and famous for the fabric market on the second floor. There are many kiosks selling different types of fabrics ranging from cheap, affordable to best quality with a high price. When shopping, take your time and never rush into buying anything. Sellers often quote a very high initial price that you can bargain down considerably.
• Dong Xuan. Famous for being the market for wholesalers. They have school supplies, stuffed animals, clothing. It is quite an experience to spend some time in the market observing the sellers and buyers.
• Hang Da. A 6-storey building to house the market is under construction. All the kiosks are now in the neighbouring area, either on Phung Hung (second-hand clothing), Duong Thanh, or Ly Nam De Streets. Sell a huge range of goods including pets, groceries, prepared foods and fabrics. It is now mostly empty.
• Night Market. 19:00-. This market gathers on a walking street in the old quarter. Has anything from pirated DVDs to traditional ornaments. Prices are negotiable, but watch out for the "foreigner pricing" which is fairly common.

Cho Hom, Pho Hue. A huge range of goods, and famous for the fabric market on the second floor. There are many kiosks selling different types of fabrics ranging from cheap, affordable to best quality with a high price. When shopping, take your time and never rush into buying anything. Sellers often quote a very high initial price that you can bargain down considerably.

Dong Xuan. Famous for being the market for wholesalers. They have school supplies, stuffed animals, clothing. It is quite an experience to spend some time in the market observing the sellers and buyers.

Hang Da. A 6-storey building to house the market is under construction. All the kiosks are now in the neighbouring area, either on Phung Hung (second-hand clothing), Duong Thanh, or Ly Nam De Streets. Sell a huge range of goods including pets, groceries, prepared foods and fabrics. It is now mostly empty.

Night Market. 19:00-. This market gathers on a walking street in the old quarter. Has anything from pirated DVDs to traditional ornaments. Prices are [[Bargaining|negotiable]], but watch out for the "foreigner pricing" which is fairly common.

Although most grocery shopping still happens in street markets (see above), supermarkets and convenience stores are becoming more common. As well as local mid-level and luxury brands, many supermarkets stock imported products such as California pistachios and almonds, European cheese, chocolates and wine, Korean kim chi, or Japanese seaweed snacks. Consumer staples, such as fresh produce or tofu may be considerably more expensive than in traditional markets.

Vinmart is a fast growing chain of convenience stores and by far the most common brand in Hanoi, offering a selection of fresh products (including the "clean" Vineco range with less pesticides) as well as the staples you'd expect at similar stores worldwide. L's Place has a few branches, including one just south of the Hoa Loa prison on Ly Thuong Kiet and focuses on the expat market.

Aeon Fivimart is a large supermarket with a central branch east of Hoan Kiem Lake (27A Ly Thai To, at Tran Nguyen Han). The similarly named but separately owned Aeon Citimart is in Hanoi Towers on the site of the former Hoa Loa prison. Meanwhile the huge but further afield Lotte Mart, located in the basement of the Lotte tower (a high-rise building at the corner of Kim Ma and Sanh Lieu, a few blocks south of the West Lake - the word "Lotte" on the tower makes it easy to find), may be one of the best of the breed, with a good bakery and cafeteria section. Open 08:00-22:00.

If you've a particular desire to spend two or three times the usual price on a selection of boutique imported Western goods (French Comte cheese, Iberico ham, British ale), Annam have a store in the Syrena Centre on Xuan Dieu in Tay Ho.

Money changers found in most guest houses and banks give bad rates. Jewellery shops consistently offer a better rate, the best ones are located along Ha Trung Rd (5-min walk from Hoan Kiem Lake) and Hang Bac. Just walk into the shop and ask them if they change money. Ask 5 or more shops to see which one gives the best rate. Don't exchange money from the black market people on the streets.

Contact lens solution is rare in Vietnam, and many pharmacies don't stock it. The pharmacy at the corner of Trang Tien and Dinh Tien Hoang (southeast corner of Hoan Kiem Lake) may have some in stock.

Since the mid 1990s, Vietnamese cuisine has grown in quality and variation. Most famous remains "pho ga" (chicken noodle soup), "pho bo"(beef noodle soup), or "pho chay" (tofu noodle soup). There are various dishes including chicken, beef, fish and seafood, and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of restaurants nowadays in Hanoi catering to everyone's taste.

In Hanoi, there are hundreds of street restaurants in small kiosks on the sidewalk, with plastic tables and chairs on the pavement. Eating at these restaurants is a great way to experience the local food and culture. It is worth mentioning that food quality, freshness, and hygiene can vary greatly. A bowl of noodle soup goes for 30-40,000 dong (Apr 2015) and market food stalls offer fruit portions, sausages, doughnuts and other foods for 10,000 to 20,000 dong (Jan 2011). Check your change as a few vendors seem to forget to give it, and learn a little Vietnamese because vendors often will not speak any or much English.

Next to Beijing, Hanoi is probably the second in the running to the world's exotic food paradise.

• Snake Restaurants. The suburb of Le Mat (aka Snake Village) has numerous restaurants specializing in cobra foodstuffs. Live cobras are stored on the premises much the same way one would find live lobsters at a Western seafood restaurant. If one orders cobra blood wine from the menu, the waiter will take a live cobra, kill it on the spot, drain the blood into a shot glass of rice wine and top it off with the cobra's still beating heart for you to gulp down. Not for animal lovers or the ecologically-minded. Cobras are not cheap, at around 400,000-1,000,000 dong (USD50+), but one snake becomes a dozen unique dishes, and enough to share between 3-4 people. Rượu rắn is cobra steeped whole in rice wine – or, especially in tourist areas, perhaps a cheaper, non-poisonous snake with similar coloring whose body has been stretched to give it the expected shape. Carefully investigate customs restrictions before deciding to bring a few bottles home, as some of the snakes used are endangered species.

A local delicacy in the Hanoi area is dog meat (thịt chó), which is especially popular in the winter. There are a number of dog restaurants in the Tay Ho district. Another exotic regional taste is ca cuong, an extract from the belostomatid or giant water bug. Just a few drops are added to noodles for the unique aroma.

Boiled duck foetus eggs are sold by pedlars almost everywhere, and cost about 5,000 dong. The experience consists of the vendor cracking the egg in front of you, and peeling the shell and dropping the contents in a plastic bowl, then garnished with julienned ginger, basil leaf and sprinkled with chili sauce. You can see the severed head and beak of your chick that fell off if you are lucky enough to have your first bite from a different spot.

Snake Restaurants. The suburb of Le Mat (aka Snake Village) has numerous restaurants specializing in cobra foodstuffs. Live cobras are stored on the premises much the same way one would find live lobsters at a Western seafood restaurant. If one orders cobra blood wine from the menu, the waiter will take a live cobra, kill it on the spot, drain the blood into a shot glass of rice wine and top it off with the cobra's still beating heart for you to gulp down. Not for animal lovers or the ecologically-minded. Cobras are not cheap, at around 400,000-1,000,000 dong (USD50+), but one snake becomes a dozen unique dishes, and enough to share between 3-4 people. Rượu rắn is cobra steeped whole in rice wine – or, especially in tourist areas, perhaps a cheaper, non-poisonous snake with similar coloring whose body has been stretched to give it the expected shape. Carefully investigate customs restrictions before deciding to bring a few bottles home, as some of the snakes used are endangered species.

• Bun Cha, 1 Hang Manh, 67 Duong Thanh (Old Quarter near Hang Da Market, +84 16 9777 6666. 08:00-19:00. Some rate this as one of the best examples of bun cha in Hanoi, and therefore Vietnam (apparently in the south, bun cha is specifically advertised as Hanoi-style). For 100,000 dong each, you'll get a bowl full of tiny minced-pork rissoles that have been char grilled over an open flame and a massive plate of pork rice paper rolls that have been fried in oil twice. With this you also get a phenomenal dipping sauce (fish sauce, made from sugar, garlic, peppers usually), a massive plate of greens and herbs and more bun (rice noodle) than you can handle. It is now more touristy than it used to be. Great food, but expect rude service.
• Bun Thang (noodles in chicken broth) No. 32 and 48 Cau Go Street. It would be a shortcoming if you skip Bun thang. Bun thang looks simple but the way of processing it is very complicated. The main ingredients to make this noodle include fried chicken eggs, chopped chicken breast, pork pie and the rice noodles.
• Cafe 69, 69 Ma May St (Opposite Friendly Hotel. Good place to eat Western food in the heart of the Old Quarter, although some visitors have found it expensive and the food inferior.
• The Cart Nghi Tam, 8B, Lane 1 Au Co, Nghi Tam Village, Tay Ho (Follow the road between the back doors of the Sheraton and the Intercontinental till it takes a right. The Cart Nghi Tam is just around the corner., +84 4 3718 6967. 07:00-19:00. Good for an early breakfast or a takeaway coffee. Their bacon baguette with back bacon is a rarity in Hanoi. Try the meat and potato pie or the veggie cheese, onion and potato pasty. 60,000 dong for a sandwich, 45,000 dong for a Punto Italia latte.
• Com Binh Dan. 11:00-14:00. Inexpensive, home-cooked Vietnamese meals. 15,000-30,000 dong.
• Com Chay Au Lac, 277 Ngo Van Chuong (Take Le Duan S, past train tracks, turn into alley after #114. Daily, 07:00-20:30. Typical local vegetarian restaurant like you'll find everywhere in Vietnam except Hanoi, a little off the beaten track in an atmospheric alleyway. 30,000 dong.
• Com Chay Nang Tam Vegetarian Restaurant, 79A Pho Tran Hung Dao (A few streets S of the lake, +84 9 36 42 41 40, +84 24 39 42 41 40. Daily 10:00-21:00. This excellent restaurant is a good vegetarian option, and will please both vegetarians and non-vegetarians with its wide range of innovative dishes, which include fake meat dishes. Restaurant is comfortable with good ambience, and is good value. Well worth the short walk out of the old town. From 50,000 dong.
• Hebe Cafe, 33 Luong Van Can St (Inside Hanoi Youth Hotel, near Hoan Kiem Lake, in the centre of Old Quarter. Cheap local and Western food. Breakfasts, USD1; pizza, USD2; hot pot, USD8.
• Huy Café & Pizza Inn, 32 Dinh Liet St. Large Italian dinner combo (garlic bread, soup/salad, pizza/pasta, drink). 65,000 dong.
• Joma Bakery Café, 22 Ly Quoc Su, & 54 To Ngoc Van (Near the cathedral, and west lake. 07:00-21:00. Fair-trade certified, organic coffee. A good range of freshly made sandwiches, other savouries and cakes. Excellent breakfast menu and lunch/dinner options. 20,000-80,000 dong.
• Kem Tràng Tiền, 54 Phố Tràng Tiền. Popular spot for ice cream on a hot day. Beware of motorbikes when entering the establishment, since it is sort of a drive-thru/drive-in ice cream shop. Recommended is the local cóm or đậu xanh flavours. Ice cream bars 5,000-8,000 dong. Cones are a bit more expensive..
• Papa Joe's Coffee, 112 Cau Go, +84 4 926 2544. 08:00-23:00. Despite the name, this is a restaurant, serving pasta, soup, salads, sandwiches and burgers including vegetarian option. Pizzas leave a lot to be desired. Drinks and desserts. A small balcony affords a view over the frantic traffic square and the shores of the Hoan Kiem Lake below. 45,000-65,000 dong.
• Pho. All of the soups and sides include beef (bo), so this isn't for vegetarians. Large bowl of pho, 12,000 dong; Coke or beer, 3,000 dong.
• Pho Tu Lun (Au Trieu), 10 Ly Quoc Su. Many pho varieties. 15,000-30,000 dong.
• Quan An Ngon, 18 Phan Boi Chau St. Wide range of choices of dishes from everywhere in Vietnam at reasonable prices. Limited seating and many customers, so a wait is certain. Fortunately, they have a large seating area so customers do not have to wait long. Serves both lunch and dinner.
• Quan Bia Minh (Minh's), 7A Dinh Liet (100m N of the lake, +84 4 3934 5323. 07:30-23:30. Popular restaurant with lovely casual upstairs terrace. Minh speaks English well and keeps her staff attentive. Variety of Western, vegetarian and Vietnamese food. Reasonably priced.
• Sen (Lotus), 10 Lane 431, Au Co Rd, Tay Ho District (Next to the water park. Buffet-style restaurant. They have a wide range of dishes from many regions in the country. The dishes are divided into stations where customers can order noodles, rice cakes or rice vermicelli. Serves both lunch and dinner.
• Tinh Dau Vape, 266/17 Nguyen Van Cu st, Long Bien, Hanoi

Bun Cha, 1 Hang Manh, 67 Duong Thanh (Old Quarter near Hang Da Market, +84 16 9777 6666. 08:00-19:00. Some rate this as one of the best examples of bun cha in Hanoi, and therefore Vietnam (apparently in the south, bun cha is specifically advertised as Hanoi-style). For 100,000 dong each, you'll get a bowl full of tiny minced-pork rissoles that have been char grilled over an open flame and a massive plate of pork rice paper rolls that have been fried in oil twice. With this you also get a phenomenal dipping sauce (fish sauce, made from sugar, garlic, peppers usually), a massive plate of greens and herbs and more bun (rice noodle) than you can handle. It is now more touristy than it used to be. Great food, but expect rude service.

Bun Thang (noodles in chicken broth) No. 32 and 48 Cau Go Street. It would be a shortcoming if you skip Bun thang. Bun thang looks simple but the way of processing it is very complicated. The main ingredients to make this noodle include fried chicken eggs, chopped chicken breast, pork pie and the rice noodles.

Cafe 69, 69 Ma May St (Opposite Friendly Hotel. Good place to eat Western food in the heart of the Old Quarter, although some visitors have found it expensive and the food inferior.

The Cart Nghi Tam, 8B, Lane 1 Au Co, Nghi Tam Village, Tay Ho (Follow the road between the back doors of the Sheraton and the Intercontinental till it takes a right. The Cart Nghi Tam is just around the corner., +84 4 3718 6967. 07:00-19:00. Good for an early breakfast or a takeaway coffee. Their bacon baguette with back bacon is a rarity in Hanoi. Try the meat and potato pie or the veggie cheese, onion and potato pasty. 60,000 dong for a sandwich, 45,000 dong for a Punto Italia latte.

Com Binh Dan. 11:00-14:00. Inexpensive, home-cooked Vietnamese meals. 15,000-30,000 dong.

Com Chay Au Lac, 277 Ngo Van Chuong (Take Le Duan S, past train tracks, turn into alley after #114. Daily, 07:00-20:30. Typical local vegetarian restaurant like you'll find everywhere in Vietnam except Hanoi, a little off the beaten track in an atmospheric alleyway. 30,000 dong.

Com Chay Nang Tam Vegetarian Restaurant, 79A Pho Tran Hung Dao (A few streets S of the lake, +84 9 36 42 41 40, +84 24 39 42 41 40. Daily 10:00-21:00. This excellent restaurant is a good vegetarian option, and will please both vegetarians and non-vegetarians with its wide range of innovative dishes, which include fake meat dishes. Restaurant is comfortable with good ambience, and is good value. Well worth the short walk out of the old town. From 50,000 dong.

Hebe Cafe, 33 Luong Van Can St (Inside Hanoi Youth Hotel, near Hoan Kiem Lake, in the centre of Old Quarter. Cheap local and Western food. Breakfasts, USD1; pizza, USD2; hot pot, USD8.

Huy Café & Pizza Inn, 32 Dinh Liet St. Large Italian dinner combo (garlic bread, soup/salad, pizza/pasta, drink). 65,000 dong.

Joma Bakery Café, 22 Ly Quoc Su, & 54 To Ngoc Van (Near the cathedral, and west lake. 07:00-21:00. Fair-trade certified, organic coffee. A good range of freshly made sandwiches, other savouries and cakes. Excellent breakfast menu and lunch/dinner options. 20,000-80,000 dong.

Kem Tràng Tiền, 54 Phố Tràng Tiền. Popular spot for ice cream on a hot day. Beware of motorbikes when entering the establishment, since it is sort of a drive-thru/drive-in ice cream shop. Recommended is the local cóm or đậu xanh flavours. Ice cream bars 5,000-8,000 dong. Cones are a bit more expensive..

Papa Joe's Coffee, 112 Cau Go, +84 4 926 2544. 08:00-23:00. Despite the name, this is a restaurant, serving pasta, soup, salads, sandwiches and burgers including vegetarian option. Pizzas leave a lot to be desired. Drinks and desserts. A small balcony affords a view over the frantic traffic square and the shores of the Hoan Kiem Lake below. 45,000-65,000 dong.

Pho. All of the soups and sides include beef (bo), so this isn't for vegetarians. Large bowl of pho, 12,000 dong; Coke or beer, 3,000 dong.

Pho Tu Lun (Au Trieu), 10 Ly Quoc Su. Many pho varieties. 15,000-30,000 dong.

Quan An Ngon, 18 Phan Boi Chau St. Wide range of choices of dishes from everywhere in Vietnam at reasonable prices. Limited seating and many customers, so a wait is certain. Fortunately, they have a large seating area so customers do not have to wait long. Serves both lunch and dinner.

Quan Bia Minh (Minh's), 7A Dinh Liet (100m N of the lake, +84 4 3934 5323. 07:30-23:30. Popular restaurant with lovely casual upstairs terrace. Minh speaks English well and keeps her staff attentive. Variety of Western, vegetarian and Vietnamese food. Reasonably priced.

Sen (Lotus), 10 Lane 431, Au Co Rd, Tay Ho District (Next to the water park. Buffet-style restaurant. They have a wide range of dishes from many regions in the country. The dishes are divided into stations where customers can order noodles, rice cakes or rice vermicelli. Serves both lunch and dinner.

Tinh Dau Vape, 266/17 Nguyen Van Cu st, Long Bien, Hanoi

• Cam Chan Quan, 108 K1 Giang Vo St & Ciputra Entrance, +84 12 3259 7696. This eatery has 2 outlets. The one at Ciputra Estate entrance has staff that speaks English, Chinese, and Vietnamese. A good pit stop for those craving for Asian food upon arrival or before departure, as they are at the mid-point of the city and airport. They serve Asian fare, Singaporean-influenced. Free Wi-Fi. Clean toilets. Their noodles as their not the usual pho, but a more typically Singaporean. Noodles, 65,000 dong.
• Cha Ca La Vong, 14 Cha Ca St & 107 Nguyen Truong To St. This establishment is so famous, the street is named after it. There's only one dish on the (Vietnamese-only) menu, fried fish in grease, but they've been serving it now for five generations. The traditional shrimp paste is now an optional extra. If you really love fish and shrimp, this experience might be for you. Authentic as it may be, it is a rip-off according to the locals. For the same price, you could eat 3 meals at a decent cafe street-side. 170,000 dong, 1,000 dong charge per napkin.
• Ciao Cafe, 2 Hang Bai St. Cosy place for coffee and cake. Not full of cigarette smoke Unlike many other cafes in Hanoi.
• Huong Ly. This is a fantastic bar and restaurant on the ground floor and top floor of a building. The middle floor is a clothes shop. Fantastic food, serving anything from traditional noodles to salmon steak, beautifully presented and delicious. Friendly staff. 55,000-120,000 dong for a main course.
• Huyen Houng Restaurant, 20 Bao Khanh, +84 4 828 8430. Choose from a wide variety of seafood dishes (many of which are swimming around in tanks) and other Vietnamese specialities. Friendly staff complements the tasty food. 80,000-120,000 dong.
• Kaiser Kaffee Restaurant, 34A Ba Trieu. Interesting little place which has excellent Vietnamese and Western food.
• Little Hanoi, 21 Pho Hang Gai, +84 4 928 5333. Upscale cafe serving mainly Westerners in a pleasantly lit restaurant.
• Mediteraneo. Authentic Italian food, probably the best you'll get in Hanoi. Prices are steep and portions small.
• Moka Café. Excellent selection of Western and Vietnamese food served in a coffee shop environment.
• Paradieso Restaurant, 7 Nguyen Sieu (Old Quarter, +84 4 39974861. Small, warm restaurant with both local Vietnamese and Western food. Good quality and affordable prices. You can have traditional Vietnamese food: cha ca, bun cha, pho, nem (spring rolls), also can have very good crepes. All very good quality in a nice decor.
• Paris Deli. Offers delicious European fare for hearty appetites.
• Pepperoni's. Part of a small international chain of pizza restaurants. Locally run, they do regular special offers such as free desserts, eat-all-you-can buffets and loyalty schemes, whereby collecting tokens with each take-out entitles you to a free pizza. Pizzas, burgers, ice cream and apple crumble. Pizzas, 65,000+ dong.
• La Salsa. French food and expat hang-out.
• Tamarind Café, Ma May 80 (Old Quarter, +84 4 926 0580. Has a menu full of inventive vegetarian dishes, lots of fresh fruit juices, and a relaxed, stylish interior. Don't come here if you're hungry as the portions aren't very big, and it's a tad pricey.
• Tan My Design Cafe, 61 Hang Gai (Inside the fashion shop, +84 4 3938 1451. One of the Hanoi's best shops for fashion where you can also get nice Asian and Western foods in a cosy ambience.

Cam Chan Quan, 108 K1 Giang Vo St & Ciputra Entrance, +84 12 3259 7696. This eatery has 2 outlets. The one at Ciputra Estate entrance has staff that speaks English, Chinese, and Vietnamese. A good pit stop for those craving for Asian food upon arrival or before departure, as they are at the mid-point of the city and airport. They serve Asian fare, Singaporean-influenced. Free Wi-Fi. Clean toilets. Their noodles as their not the usual pho, but a more typically Singaporean. Noodles, 65,000 dong.

Cha Ca La Vong, 14 Cha Ca St & 107 Nguyen Truong To St. This establishment is so famous, the street is named after it. There's only one dish on the (Vietnamese-only) menu, fried fish in grease, but they've been serving it now for five generations. The traditional shrimp paste is now an optional extra. If you really love fish and shrimp, this experience might be for you. Authentic as it may be, it is a rip-off according to the locals. For the same price, you could eat 3 meals at a decent cafe street-side. 170,000 dong, 1,000 dong charge per napkin.

Ciao Cafe, 2 Hang Bai St. Cosy place for coffee and cake. Not full of cigarette smoke Unlike many other cafes in Hanoi.

Huong Ly. This is a fantastic bar and restaurant on the ground floor and top floor of a building. The middle floor is a clothes shop. Fantastic food, serving anything from traditional noodles to salmon steak, beautifully presented and delicious. Friendly staff. 55,000-120,000 dong for a main course.

Huyen Houng Restaurant, 20 Bao Khanh, +84 4 828 8430. Choose from a wide variety of seafood dishes (many of which are swimming around in tanks) and other Vietnamese specialities. Friendly staff complements the tasty food. 80,000-120,000 dong.

Kaiser Kaffee Restaurant, 34A Ba Trieu. Interesting little place which has excellent Vietnamese and Western food.

Little Hanoi, 21 Pho Hang Gai, +84 4 928 5333. Upscale cafe serving mainly Westerners in a pleasantly lit restaurant.

Mediteraneo. Authentic Italian food, probably the best you'll get in Hanoi. Prices are steep and portions small.

Moka Café. Excellent selection of Western and Vietnamese food served in a coffee shop environment.

Paradieso Restaurant, 7 Nguyen Sieu (Old Quarter, +84 4 39974861. Small, warm restaurant with both local Vietnamese and Western food. Good quality and affordable prices. You can have traditional Vietnamese food: cha ca, bun cha, pho, nem (spring rolls), also can have very good crepes. All very good quality in a nice decor.

Paris Deli. Offers delicious European fare for hearty appetites.

Pepperoni's. Part of a small international chain of pizza restaurants. Locally run, they do regular special offers such as free desserts, eat-all-you-can buffets and loyalty schemes, whereby collecting tokens with each take-out entitles you to a free pizza. Pizzas, burgers, ice cream and apple crumble. Pizzas, 65,000+ dong.

La Salsa. French food and expat hang-out.

Tamarind Café, Ma May 80 (Old Quarter, +84 4 926 0580. Has a menu full of inventive vegetarian dishes, lots of fresh fruit juices, and a relaxed, stylish interior. Don't come here if you're hungry as the portions aren't very big, and it's a tad pricey.

Tan My Design Cafe, 61 Hang Gai (Inside the fashion shop, +84 4 3938 1451. One of the Hanoi's best shops for fashion where you can also get nice Asian and Western foods in a cosy ambience.

• Green Tangerine, 48 Hang Be, +84 24 3825 1286. Daily 11:00-23:00. Excellent French restaurant offering rich and delicious French food with both an à la carte selection and a set menu. Popular with expats.
• Le Petit Bruxelles, 25 Ly Quoc Su (Near St Joseph's Cathedral in the Old Quarter, +84 24 3938 1769. Authentic Belgian fare plus, surprise surprise, the beers.
• Ly Club, 4 Le Phung Hieu, Hoan Kiem, +84 4 39363069. Daily 11:00-23:00. Top-notch Vietnamese and European cuisine in a French colonial mansion. On the expensive side for Hanoi, but the atmosphere and good quality of food make up for it. A pianist alternates with piped music. Starters 150,000, mains 350,000 dong.
• Pane e Vino Italian Restaurant and Wine Shop, 3 Nguyen Khac Can & 98 Hang Trong (100 m east of Hoan Kiem Lake, +84 4 3826 9080, +84 4 3928 6329. Daily 09:00-23:45. Serves a wide range of traditional regional Italian dishes. An extensive wine list with Italian wines from Veneto, Tuscany, Puglia, Sicilia, and Piedmont. Friendly service. A great place to relax and get recover after a long walking and shopping day. A/c within, extensive seating outside. Pizza 150,000, mains 450,000 dong.
• Press Club, 3rd floor, 59A Ly Thai To St, +84 4 3972 0888. Daily 11:30-14:30 & 18:00-23:30. Fine dining with Western cuisine and a good selection of wines. 70 seat restaurant, private wine room for 12 and another cosy private room for 4. A combination of old and contemporary features with a classically trained chef. Mains from 900,00 dong.

Green Tangerine, 48 Hang Be, +84 24 3825 1286. Daily 11:00-23:00. Excellent French restaurant offering rich and delicious French food with both an à la carte selection and a set menu. Popular with expats.

Le Petit Bruxelles, 25 Ly Quoc Su (Near St Joseph's Cathedral in the Old Quarter, +84 24 3938 1769. Authentic Belgian fare plus, surprise surprise, the beers.

Ly Club, 4 Le Phung Hieu, Hoan Kiem, +84 4 39363069. Daily 11:00-23:00. Top-notch Vietnamese and European cuisine in a French colonial mansion. On the expensive side for Hanoi, but the atmosphere and good quality of food make up for it. A pianist alternates with piped music. Starters 150,000, mains 350,000 dong.

Pane e Vino Italian Restaurant and Wine Shop, 3 Nguyen Khac Can & 98 Hang Trong (100 m east of Hoan Kiem Lake, +84 4 3826 9080, +84 4 3928 6329. Daily 09:00-23:45. Serves a wide range of traditional regional Italian dishes. An extensive wine list with Italian wines from Veneto, Tuscany, Puglia, Sicilia, and Piedmont. Friendly service. A great place to relax and get recover after a long walking and shopping day. A/c within, extensive seating outside. Pizza 150,000, mains 450,000 dong.

Press Club, 3rd floor, 59A Ly Thai To St, +84 4 3972 0888. Daily 11:30-14:30 & 18:00-23:30. Fine dining with Western cuisine and a good selection of wines. 70 seat restaurant, private wine room for 12 and another cosy private room for 4. A combination of old and contemporary features with a classically trained chef. Mains from 900,00 dong.

Bia Hơi is abundant in the streets of the Old Quarter. At the crossing of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen five separate venues fill up with travellers in the evenings, but you can get more local atmosphere on some of the side streets.

Hanoi is a lively city on the weekends, but the Old Quarter closes relatively early (at midnight) on weekdays, so you might want to start your night early. Other places outside the Old Quarter stay open later and vary in closing times. Local young people gather around the cathedral located in Ly Quoc Su to have lemon ice tea (tra chanh) and sunflower seeds in street bars. After dark it gets quite crowded.

Sit on a plastic chair in front of one of the bia hoi (fresh beer) establishments which are invariably situated on the corners of many of Hanoi's Old Quarter streets. This preservative-free light beer is the perfect drink to sip as you watch the city's frenetic bustle. The beer costs less than 5,000 dong and gives you an excuse to relax and take photos of the passing local characters: should not be missed. In the Old Quarter, you will find that almost every corner is filled with stalls selling pho (Vietnamese noodle) and cafe (the name is not limited only to coffee, but also tea, sweets and grocery items, and even to pho).

On Tô Tich, a small street connecting Hang Quat and Hang Gai, you can help yourself to a refreshing fruit milkshake (sinh tố) at one of the stalls (~7,000 dong).

If you are looking for something less watery than Bia Hoi, excellent freshly brewed Czech or German-style beer is available at several breweries, including: Hoa Vien (Czech), Goldmalt (Czech), Legend beer (German), with several branches around the city; prices are around 45,000-60,000 dong for 0.5 L. The craft beer revolution that's been simmering in Ho Chi Minh City since 2014 has been slow to reach Hanoi, but a few breweries are now coming online, although prices are higher still and 100,000 dong might not even get you 0.5 L.

• Hoa Vien.
• Goldmalt.
• Legend Beer.
• Furbrew, 8b, Ngo 52 To Ngoc Van. 16:00-23:00. Danish-owned, Danish-style craft brewery 80,000-100,000 dong/beer.

Hoa Vien.

Goldmalt.

Legend Beer.

Furbrew, 8b, Ngo 52 To Ngoc Van. 16:00-23:00. Danish-owned, Danish-style craft brewery 80,000-100,000 dong/beer.

• Green Lake (Ho Guom Xanh), 32 Le Thai To. A crowded bar with weekly performances by popular local singers. A place for the definitive Vietnamese entertainment scene. Has an 80,000 dong cover charge on the weekends. Seems to combine part live singing with drag performances and a host club.
• Mao's Red Lounge, 30 Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem (Down the street from Tet and Cheeky Quarter. Small, but lively bar in the heart of the Old Quarter. Has two levels, the top floor which is usually packed with Westerners smoking loads of cigarettes. Mao himself is usually in presence, playing all kinds of music from his iPod. He's extremely friendly and will strike up a conversation with anyone willing to listen. Daily specials and LaRue for about 20,000 dong.
• Minh's Jazz Club, 1 Trang Tien, Ha Noi (Alley behind the opera house. This longtime institution of the Hanoi music scene is still run by the same Mr Quyen Van Minh. It seems to move venue every couple of years, so worth checking in advance. In 2015 it was in an alley behind the opera house. No cover charge, beers get more expensive (around 75,000 dong) shortly before the music starts at 21:00, but cocktails are the same price (around 100,000 dong). Offers food.
• Standing Bar, 170 Trấn Vũ, Trúc Bạch. 16:00-00:00. Wide variety of Vietnamese craft beer, mostly from the south, but with a limited selection from the local Long Bien brewery. Despite the name, seats are available upstairs.

Green Lake (Ho Guom Xanh), 32 Le Thai To. A crowded bar with weekly performances by popular local singers. A place for the definitive Vietnamese entertainment scene. Has an 80,000 dong cover charge on the weekends. Seems to combine part live singing with drag performances and a host club.

Mao's Red Lounge, 30 Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem (Down the street from Tet and Cheeky Quarter. Small, but lively bar in the heart of the Old Quarter. Has two levels, the top floor which is usually packed with Westerners smoking loads of cigarettes. Mao himself is usually in presence, playing all kinds of music from his iPod. He's extremely friendly and will strike up a conversation with anyone willing to listen. Daily specials and LaRue for about 20,000 dong.

Minh's Jazz Club, 1 Trang Tien, Ha Noi (Alley behind the opera house. This longtime institution of the Hanoi music scene is still run by the same Mr Quyen Van Minh. It seems to move venue every couple of years, so worth checking in advance. In 2015 it was in an alley behind the opera house. No cover charge, beers get more expensive (around 75,000 dong) shortly before the music starts at 21:00, but cocktails are the same price (around 100,000 dong). Offers food.

Standing Bar, 170 Trấn Vũ, Trúc Bạch. 16:00-00:00. Wide variety of Vietnamese craft beer, mostly from the south, but with a limited selection from the local Long Bien brewery. Despite the name, seats are available upstairs.

• Highlands Coffee. On the 3rd floor in a ship-shaped 5-storey building overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake and Vietnam's "Piccadilly Circus". Great spot to relax in scenic location where you can watch all the traffic and pedestrians go about their business below you along their outside balcony or stay inside their comfy air conditioned interior. They also serve food and beer. 45,000 dong.
• Cong Caphe. Several locations across the city, although the most central is probably the one at 54 Ma May. Serves various coffees, chocolates and teas including their speciality coconut coffee smoothie (around 45,000 dong). Popular with a young and relatively hip but well off crowd, and open late.

Highlands Coffee. On the 3rd floor in a ship-shaped 5-storey building overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake and Vietnam's "Piccadilly Circus". Great spot to relax in scenic location where you can watch all the traffic and pedestrians go about their business below you along their outside balcony or stay inside their comfy air conditioned interior. They also serve food and beer. 45,000 dong.

Cong Caphe. Several locations across the city, although the most central is probably the one at 54 Ma May. Serves various coffees, chocolates and teas including their speciality coconut coffee smoothie (around 45,000 dong). Popular with a young and relatively hip but well off crowd, and open late.

Walking the streets of Hanoi is not for the faint of heart. As is the case everywhere in Vietnam, traffic in Hanoi is dominated by an incredible number of motorbikes, all of which seem to be making a mad, desperate dash for something just out of reach, all of the time. The simple act of walking can be intimidating for visitors, especially in the narrow streets around the Old Quarter.

There is no such thing as one-directional traffic in Vietnam. When you leave the curb, look not only left and right, but to the front and back. Even up and down would not be amiss. Take each step deliberately but resolutely. Patiently allow the motorbikes to pass. Don't rush. Do not make any erratic movements. This way the drivers are aware of you, and can anticipate your vector (along with all of the other motorbikes). It may look chaotic, but be patient and pay attention when you're crossing any street, large or small, and you will be fine.

Be vigilant when taking a taxi. Drivers have been known to jump out at the destination and remove most of the bags from the trunk. While the passenger is busy putting on a rucksack the driver takes off with the remaining bags. Ask your hotel which taxi companies are reliable.

Be careful of hustler hawkers. In Vietnam, there is a two-tier pricing system, for locals and for foreigners. No other place in Vietnam is this practised more emphatically than in Hanoi (and in Ho Chi Minh City's Ben Tanh Market) where vendors charge differently according to how they gauge your net worth.

You've read warnings about pick pockets a hundred times, but in all of Asia, it's rarely as true as for Hanoi's busy and narrow Old Quarter or the Dong Xuan Night Market. The crowd, the loads of tourists, the distraction of heavy traffic and the narrow confines guarantee opportunities for thieves. And the general belief that tourists have too much money creates a moral climate in which thieves abound. Even if you're attentive, you'll get some pockets of your backpack opened, maybe even twice a day. Expect female pickpockets. Don't let them surround you. Approaching you with "Hello, I'm a student" seems to be a quite popular pick-up line for them, so be forewarned.

Public hospitals are generally poorly equipped and overcrowded, and staff tend to speak little to no English. As such, foreigners are highly advised to rely on private hospitals instead.

• Vietduc University Hospital. Is Vietnam's best-regarded private hospital with treatment standards that are on par with the West, and also staffed by doctors and nurses who are able to speak French and English.
• Bác sĩ chuyên khoa Thận - Tiết Niệu, 138 đường Khương Đình, Phường Hạ Đình, Quận Thanh Xuân, Hà Nội, 0846 138 138 (domestic). expatriate-oriented private hospital with international accreditation and English-speaking staff

Vietduc University Hospital. Is Vietnam's best-regarded private hospital with treatment standards that are on par with the West, and also staffed by doctors and nurses who are able to speak French and English.

Bác sĩ chuyên khoa Thận - Tiết Niệu, 138 đường Khương Đình, Phường Hạ Đình, Quận Thanh Xuân, Hà Nội, 0846 138 138 (domestic). expatriate-oriented private hospital with international accreditation and English-speaking staff

• Hanoi code: 4. Note the "3" that has been added in front of all local numbers. Examples:

* Old dialling style: 1234567 (from within the city) or 04 1234567 (inter-provincial) or +84 4 123456 (from overseas)

* New dialling style: 3 1234567 (from within the city) or 04 3 1234567 (inter-provincial) or +84 4 3 123456 (from overseas)

There are plenty of Internet cafés all over the city. Most are used by Vietnamese teens playing online dance or battle games. Rates vary, but can be as low as 3,000 dong/hr. Some of the better cafés, particularly in the Old Quarter, have computers that are Skype-capable for international phone calls. The cafes that charge you for using the Internet usually provide desktop computers. There are also cafes where they have free wireless. All you have to do is order something from their menus and use their Wi-Fi for as long as you want. The Wi-Fi cafes are concentrated around Hoan Kiem Lake.

• Argentina Argentina, 4F, Sentinel Pl, 41A Ly Thai To St, +84 4 3831-5262.
• Australia Australia, 8 Dao Tan St, +84 4 3774-0100.
• Canada Canada.
• China China, 46 Hoang Dieu Rd, +84 4 3845-3736.
• Czech Republic Czech Republic, 13 Chu Van An St, +84 4 3845-4131.
• Denmark Denmark, 19 Dien Bien Phu St, +84 4 3823-1888.
• Egypt Egypt, 63 To Ngoc Van St, Tay Ho, +84 4 3829-4999. 09:00-16:00.
• Finland Finland, Central Building, 31 Hai Ba Trung, +84-4-3826 6788. M-Th 08:00-12:00, 13:00-17:00, F 08:00-13:00.
• France France, 57 Tran Hung Dao St, +84 4 3944-5700.
• Germany Germany.
• Greece Greece, 28 Thanh Nien Rd, Tay Ho District, +84 4 3715 2254, +84 4 3715 2263.
• India India, 58-60, Tran Hung Dao, +84 4 253409, +84 4 252310.
• Indonesia Indonesia, 50 Ngo Quyen St, +84 4 825 3353, +84 4 825-7969.
• Italy Italy, 9 Le Phung Hieu, +84 4 3825-6256.
• Japan Japan, 27 Lieu Giai, Ba Dinh District, +84 4 3846 3000.
• MalaysiaMalaysia, 43-45 Dien Bien Phu, +84 4 3734 3849.
• Netherlands Netherlands, 6F, Daeha Office Tower, 360 Kim Ma St, +84 4 3831-5650.
• Norway Norway, 10F, Vincom City Towers, 191 Ba Trieu St, +84 4 3974-8900.
• Pakistan Pakistan, Villa 44/2, Van Bao Street, Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound, +84 4 375-62251. M-F 0900-1700.
• Poland Poland.
• Romania Romania, 5 Le Hong Phong St, +84 43 8452014.
• Russia Russia, 191 La Thanh St, +84 4 833-6991. Visa application for foreigners on long-term visa only (3 months+)
• Singapore Singapore, 41-43 Tran Phu St, +84 4 3848-9168.
• Spain Spain, 4 Le Hong Phong, Ba Dinh District, +84 24 3771 52 07 (08/09).
• Sweden Sweden.
• Switzerland Switzerland, 15F Hanoi Central Office Bldg, 44B Ly Thuong Kiet St, +84 4 3934-6589.
• Taiwan Taiwan, +84 24 38335501.
• Thailand Thailand, 63-65 Hoang Dieu St, +84 4 382-35092.
• Ukraine Ukraine, 6 Le Hong Phong St, Ba Dinh District, +84 4 3734-4484.
• United Kingdom United Kingdom, Central Bldg, 31 Hai Ba Trung, +84 4 936-0550.
• United States United States, 7 Lang Ha Street, +84 24 3850-5000.

Argentina Argentina, 4F, Sentinel Pl, 41A Ly Thai To St, +84 4 3831-5262.

Australia Australia, 8 Dao Tan St, +84 4 3774-0100.

Canada Canada.

China China, 46 Hoang Dieu Rd, +84 4 3845-3736.

Czech Republic Czech Republic, 13 Chu Van An St, +84 4 3845-4131.

Denmark Denmark, 19 Dien Bien Phu St, +84 4 3823-1888.

Egypt Egypt, 63 To Ngoc Van St, Tay Ho, +84 4 3829-4999. 09:00-16:00.

Finland Finland, Central Building, 31 Hai Ba Trung, +84-4-3826 6788. M-Th 08:00-12:00, 13:00-17:00, F 08:00-13:00.

France France, 57 Tran Hung Dao St, +84 4 3944-5700.

Germany Germany.

Greece Greece, 28 Thanh Nien Rd, Tay Ho District, +84 4 3715 2254, +84 4 3715 2263.

India India, 58-60, Tran Hung Dao, +84 4 253409, +84 4 252310.

Indonesia Indonesia, 50 Ngo Quyen St, +84 4 825 3353, +84 4 825-7969.

Italy Italy, 9 Le Phung Hieu, +84 4 3825-6256.

Japan Japan, 27 Lieu Giai, Ba Dinh District, +84 4 3846 3000.

MalaysiaMalaysia, 43-45 Dien Bien Phu, +84 4 3734 3849.

Netherlands Netherlands, 6F, Daeha Office Tower, 360 Kim Ma St, +84 4 3831-5650.

Norway Norway, 10F, Vincom City Towers, 191 Ba Trieu St, +84 4 3974-8900.

Pakistan Pakistan, Villa 44/2, Van Bao Street, Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound, +84 4 375-62251. M-F 0900-1700.

Poland Poland.

Romania Romania, 5 Le Hong Phong St, +84 43 8452014.

Russia Russia, 191 La Thanh St, +84 4 833-6991. Visa application for foreigners on long-term visa only (3 months+)

Singapore Singapore, 41-43 Tran Phu St, +84 4 3848-9168.

Spain Spain, 4 Le Hong Phong, Ba Dinh District, +84 24 3771 52 07 (08/09).

Sweden Sweden.

Switzerland Switzerland, 15F Hanoi Central Office Bldg, 44B Ly Thuong Kiet St, +84 4 3934-6589.

Taiwan Taiwan, +84 24 38335501.

Thailand Thailand, 63-65 Hoang Dieu St, +84 4 382-35092.

Ukraine Ukraine, 6 Le Hong Phong St, Ba Dinh District, +84 4 3734-4484.

United Kingdom United Kingdom, Central Bldg, 31 Hai Ba Trung, +84 4 936-0550.

United States United States, 7 Lang Ha Street, +84 24 3850-5000.

• Immigration Department, 40A Hang Bai, +84 4 826-6200. For visa extensions.

Immigration Department, 40A Hang Bai, +84 4 826-6200. For visa extensions.

If you are the adventurous type or simply bored temporarily of the city atmosphere, then consider a circuit through the northern countryside. A round trip will take you to a lot of charming villages and through hills and valleys with charming views. Main roads are generally in good condition and you can easily do a couple of hundred kilometres a day. The villages and provinces are generally safe at night, and you get to see a lot of Vietnamese culture such as various tribespeople. While bus services are available (albeit not always reliable), a recommended alternative is to rent a bike or car and make the trip on your own. Motorbikes in decent quality can be rented for as little as USD5 a day, and many places have suggestions for routes.

• Ha Long Bay's spectacular ocean karst topography is the most popular side-trip from Hanoi.
• The Sapa mountain region, home to ethnic minorities, gorgeous mountain scenery, and trekking paths connecting many tiny mountain villages is the second most popular trip. It is accessible by bus or train to Lao Cai, then onward by minibus or hired motorbike.

• Perfume Pagoda. An ancient Buddhist pilgrimage site about 60 km southwest of Hanoi. A full-day excursion that involves a boat trip to the main site, where you will hike (30-45 min) or take a cable car up a mountain. Near the top is a large limestone cave containing Buddhist shrines and statues. There are various other temples and grottoes along the way. Tour from USD15 including transport, lunch, and admission.
• Bat Trang, a village famous for its pottery, 9 km southeast of Hanoi. It is accessible by taking Bus 47, which originates at Long Bien. Just hop on (the bus will be clearly labelled with the number 47 and the text "Long Bien - Bat Trang"; bus fare is ~5,000 dong one-way. Take it to the last stop, which is directly opposite the pottery market (haggle for lower prices, and insist on paying in dong). Head back up the street to the factories to the products being made.
• Cao Bang, featuring the beautiful Ban Gioc Waterfall, is five hours away by bus, near the Chinese border.
• Cuc Phuong National Park, is the largest national park in Vietnam and an easy day-trip from Hanoi.
• Co Loa is the oldest ancient capital in the region; a little-visited site slightly northeast of Hanoi.
• Tam Coc/Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh Province, is a day trip is combining heritage tourism and natural landscape tourism. Hoa Lu is the site of the first capital of Vietnam in the 10th century, and was home to two kings, Dinh Bo Linh (Dinh Tien Hoang) and Le Hoan. There are now two shrines dedicated to these two kings. About 30 min away from Hoa Lu is Tam Coc [three grottoes], also known as Halong Bay on land. It features karst landforms surrounded by paddy fields, and is accessed by little wooden boats. Boats are for hire at USD3.50/trip, which takes about one hour. This is an excellent alternative to Halong Bay for those who have short attention spans, as the boat trip takes a mere hour versus Halong Bay tourist boats which take 5 hours. One minor annoyance involves peddlers on boats hawking their wares, and your boat rower trying to sell you embroidery. A trip can be booked in Hanoi for about USD20.
• Laos, long haul buses to Laos leave from Hanoi daily and can be booked at any travel agent. Buses to Vientiane, USD30, 24 hours; Luang Prabang, USD40-45, 27-30 hours; Vang Vieng, USD37 plus USD8 to transfer to a Lao bus at a junction, 27-30 hours. You will be on the same bus as Luang Prabang, but changes buses at a small town in Lao. Going directly to Vang Vieng is a good choice for travellers looking to skip Vientiane, and just go to Luang Prabang and then onto Thailand. Buses to Southern Laos are available as well. All buses are double-bed sleeper buses.

Perfume Pagoda. An ancient Buddhist pilgrimage site about 60 km southwest of Hanoi. A full-day excursion that involves a boat trip to the main site, where you will hike (30-45 min) or take a cable car up a mountain. Near the top is a large limestone cave containing Buddhist shrines and statues. There are various other temples and grottoes along the way. Tour from USD15 including transport, lunch, and admission.