Let's discover Hanoi: what to see in the Vietnamese capital

Hanoi is an amazing city with many, many things to see and to do

Vietnam is a country to be discovered and it attracts many travelers every day: a stop in Hanoi is absolutely not to be missed!

Most of the backpackers stop here for a few days, just long enough to see the famous Halong Bay with their own eyes, but we want to invite you to stay a bit longer and get involved with its countless beauties.

What to see in Hanoi: let's start from the Old Quarter

The old district of Hanoi has a charm difficult to explain in a few words.

It's the city life hub, not only because it's the historic centre, but because most of the commercial activities are concentrated here.

Here you will find many great hostels like the BC Family Homestay or the Cocoon Inn, but also bars, markets and craft stores.

At first sight, it may seem like a tourist place, but it will be enough to get lost in its alleys maze to discover a hidden world that goes beyond appearance.

Visit the Temple of Literature

About 2km from Hoan Kiem you can find this amazing temple, one of the very few examples of Vietnamese architecture. It dates back to 1070 and it housed the University of Vietnam for a while.

The temple consists of 5 courtyards, all enclosed by high walls.

When you get to the Turtle Steles (stone slabs engraved with the names of the students of the University of Vietnam), don't forget to bend down to touch the turtle's head... it seems like this will brings you good luck!

Take part in the traditional puppet show on the water

There is a tradition in Hanoi that remembers the waters of Lake Hoan Kiem, not to forget the flooded rice fields of the eleventh century.

Accompanied by beautiful live music, a show of wooden puppets tells the ancient legends of Vietnam.

Try to take the front seats, if you can, since the puppets are very small.

The Ho Tay lake and the Chùa Một Cột pagoda

Hanoi is also called the city of lakes since there are many lakes nearby. We already mentioned one above, the Hoan Kiem lake, but also the Ho Tay lake deserves a visit.

Here, Emperor Ly Thai Tong had built the Chùa Một Cột pagoda, based on a single pillar.

What we see today is just a replica, since the original was destroyed in 1954, but still remains one of the most visited places in Hanoi.

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Here is where the Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh rest.

It's not a coincidence that the mausoleum is located in the Ba BaÐnh square, where in 1945 he wrote the declaration of independence of Vietnam.

This is just a part of what you can expect from Hanoi, there are many other things just waiting for you...so let's take a trip to Hanoi starting from the form below: