Hanoi street food walking tour in the Old Quarter
US$20 per person on Hanoi Street Food Tour's site, seen
Hanoi
Vietnam's capital in the Red River Delta, with the narrow trade streets of the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and the UNESCO-listed Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.
Hà Nội
When should I visit Hanoi?
Vietnam's tourism authority names September to November, cool and sunny, as the time to visit Hanoi, and May for its flowering flame trees. December to March is cool and often misty with lows near 10°C, and June to August is hot, humid and rainy.
How do I get to Hanoi?
- Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) serves Hanoi with domestic and international flights.
- Flights to Ho Chi Minh City average about 2 hours 10 minutes, and to Da Nang about 1 hour 20 minutes (Vietnam Airlines).
- Reunification Express trains reach Da Nang in about 15 to 17.5 hours and Saigon in about 33 to 39 hours (Seat61).
Tours and experiences from Hanoi
Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre tickets, Hanoi
100,000 VND per person on Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre's site, seen
Decide before you go
Should I apply for a Vietnam e-visa myself or use an agency?
Apply on evisa.gov.vn for US$25 single or US$50 multiple entry, or pay an agency more for form checks and support. What each route costs and what it adds.
Questions people ask
Does Hanoi still have districts such as Hoan Kiem?
Not as districts. Vietnam abolished district-level government on 1 July 2025, leaving provinces or cities above wards and communes. Hanoi kept its boundaries and now has 126 wards and communes; the former Hoan Kiem district became Hoan Kiem and Cua Nam wards.
What is the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long?
The Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the middle of Hanoi, inscribed in 2010. The citadel was built in the 11th century by the Ly dynasty and served as a centre of political power for many centuries.
When is Hanoi cold?
From December to March, according to Vietnam's tourism authority: cool to cold, misty and cloudy, with lows near 10°C. Pack a warm layer and a light rain jacket for those months, and expect hot, humid and rainy weather from June to August.
Sources
Checked on by the Top Tours Vietnam editor. Rules and prices change: the sources below are where we checked them.
- vietnam.travel, Hanoi checked
- vietnam.travel, weather and climate in Vietnam checked
- Wikidata, Hanoi (coordinates) checked
- UNESCO, Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long checked
- Government news portal, 12 June 2025: Hanoi among the units not merged checked
- Vietcetera: post-merger guide to Hanoi wards checked
- Tuoi Tre News, 16 June 2025: district-level administration abolished from 1 July 2025 checked
- Vietnam Airlines, flights from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City checked
- Vietnam Airlines, flights from Hanoi to Da Nang checked
- Seat61, Vietnam train guide (timetable updated 10 June 2026) checked
Nearby
Ha Long BayVịnh Hạ Long
A bay of limestone islands and islets in Quang Ninh province, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago, seen by day boat or overnight cruise.
Ninh BinhNinh Bình
Limestone karsts, rice fields and river caves south of Hanoi, home to the UNESCO-listed Trang An Landscape Complex and the old royal capital at Hoa Lu.