Flights to Hanoi

From Noi Bai

Noi Bai lies about 30 km north of the centre, and the drive to the Old Quarter takes 45 minutes to an hour. Taxis queue outside arrivals, ride-hailing apps work well, and the number 86 airport bus stops near Hoan Kiem Lake. Many hotels offer pick-ups, which help if you arrive late at night. Crossing the road takes practice: walk slowly and steadily, and the motorbikes will flow around you.

Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem

The Old Quarter's streets were once grouped by trade, and names such as Silk Street and Silver Street survive. Hoan Kiem Lake, at its southern edge, has the red Huc Bridge leading to Ngoc Son Temple, and the roads around it close to traffic on weekend evenings. Water puppet theatres nearby continue a tradition that began in the rice paddies.

Temples and museums

The Temple of Literature, founded in 1070, was the country's first university. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the stilt house where he lived stand in the Ba Dinh area, and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology covers the country's many peoples. Hoa Lo Prison museum tells the story of both the colonial era and the war. West Lake, north of the centre, has waterside cafés, the island pagoda of Tran Quoc and a quieter pace in the evenings. Street food tours around the Old Quarter are a good introduction to the city's dishes.

When to plan your trip

October to April is cooler and drier, though January and February can be grey and chilly. Summer is hot, humid and wet. Tet, the lunar new year, closes many businesses for several days, and trains and flights fill up quickly around it.

Planning to add Ha Long Bay or Sapa? Call 020 7871 4545 and we'll plan your flights around them.