Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, impresses both domestic and international tourists with its ancient serenity mixed with modern characteristics. Traveling to Hanoi, you will be attracted by its beauty with many attractions that are worth visiting. Let’s find out the top 09 Hanoi attractions you should not miss with Handspan Travel Indochina!

Through the article, you will learn more detailed information about these attractions below.

Hoan Kiem Lake

Hoan Kiem Lake, or Sword Lake, is the heart of Hanoi, associated with the Hanoi people’s culture and history. It is indeed one of the Hanoi attractions you should drop in when you travel to the city. 

Hoan Kiem Lake

The lake has Pearl Island in the north of the lake and Turtle Island in the middle of the lake. On Turtle Island, you can see the three-floor Turtle Tower with unique and meaningful architecture. Besides taking photos of the Turtle Tower, and walking along the Hoan Kiem Lake, you can visit these places below.

• Ngoc Son Temple

Ngoc Son Temple is located on Pearl Island, with The Huc Bridge connecting it to the land. The temple’s architecture has religious colors through many Vietnamese history’s king generations, with many horizontal lacquered boards decorated inside. 

• But Tower (Writing Brush Tower)

But Tower has five floors with the shape of a pen pointing straight up to the sky on the tower’s peak. The tower is located near the Writing Pad (Dai Nghien) next to The Huc Bridge, creating artistic and historical work. 

Especially if you come to Hoan Kiem Lake at the weekend, you can enjoy the crowded atmosphere in the pedestrian streets around the lake.

Hanoi Old Quarter

Hanoi Old Quarter is also among the famous Hanoi attractions that you should not miss. Coming to the Hanoi Old Quarter, you will have the chance to learn about the life, culture, and people in Hanoi. To fully experience the Hanoi Old Quarter, you can go out for both day and night walks here. Let’s find some activities you can do here!

• Visiting the Ma May Ancient House and Bach Ma Temple

Ma May Ancient House is the place to promote and introduce the ancient architecture of Hanoi and the ancient Hanoi people’s life. Besides, coming here, you will have a chance to enjoy cultural events like Ceremonial singing performances. 

Bach Ma Temple is a long-standing ancient temple that preserves the historical imprints of Hanoi. It is also a familiar place for everyone to pray for luck.

• Going shopping in Dong Xuan Market

If you want to go shopping or experience the locals’ day-to-day life, Dong Xuan Market is the best choice for you. It is the largest Hanoi market where you can find all daily goods, from local handicrafts to specialties.

Dong Xuan Market

• Exploring the crowded atmosphere in Hang Ma Street

Wandering around Hang Ma Street, you can immerse yourself in splendid items, such as masks, balloons, decorations, lights, etc.

• Trying street food around the Hanoi Old Quarter

Walking along the Hanoi Old Quarter, you can catch up with various food stalls and restaurants. You can try many local street foods, such as Pho Hanoi, Banh Mi, Bun Dau Mam Tom, etc.

Bun Dau Mam Tom

• Drinking beer in Ta Hien Street

Ta Hien Street is one of the best places to enjoy Hanoi nightlife. Coming to Ta Hien Street at night, you will feel impressed with the stalls lying side by side that serve Hanoi street food and beers.

Drinking beer in Ta Hien Street

Let’s come to the Hanoi Old Quarter and enjoy the crowded atmosphere here!

Hanoi Opera House

• Address: 01 Trang Tien, Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Hanoi Opera House is one of the most memorable Hanoi attractions due to its unique architecture. With one hundred years of history, it has witnessed the changes of Hanoi through the years. 

Hanoi Opera House

From the outside, you can see the combination of European and Asian architecture with exquisite texture lines and classical patterns. Stepping inside the Hanoi Opera House, you will see a luxurious space with delicate decorations, pictures, carpets, wooden stairs, chandeliers, iron railings, curtains, main doors, etc. The stage in the middle and the grandstand are designed in the shape of an arc inspired by the Colosseum that helps audiences enjoy the best music sound and performances. There are 598 seats reasonably distributed on three floors, creating the most comfortable space for audiences. 

Coming to the Hanoi Opera House, you can enjoy various types of unique and typical art forms from many countries. It can be Pop, ballad, Jazz, and Opera music shows, bale, contemporary dance, and traditional dance performances. You can see more information about the Hanoi Opera House, and performing schedules here. 

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

• Address: 02 Hung Vuong, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 07. 30 a.m. - 10.30 a.m. (Closed on Monday & Friday)

Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum is among the Hanoi attractions that you cannot ignore. The mausoleum was started construction on September 2, 1973, and completed on August 19, 1975, to keep President Ho Chi Minh’s body. The building is 21.6 meters high, and 41.2 meters wide, made entirely of various precious stones, and looks like a stylized lotus flower overall.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Traveling to Hanoi, everyone wants to visit Uncle Ho's Mausoleum once. When visiting this place, please pay attention to dress appropriately. Besides, there is Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh President read the Declaration of Independence giving birth to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Here you can also visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum, which holds memorabilia about Ho Chi Minh, One Pillar Pagoda, stilt houses, and Uncle Ho fish pond. It is a significant sightseeing place, especially for those who come to Hanoi for the first time.

Temple of Literature (Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam)

• Address: 58 Quoc Tu Giam Street, Van Mieu, Dong Da, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 08.00 a.m. - 04.30 p.m.
• Entrance fee: VND 70,000 for adults 

Known as the first university in Vietnam, Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam is also one of the Hanoi attractions you should visit. It was built in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong to serve as a learning center in Vietnam.

Hanoi Temple of Literature

Coming to the Temple of Literature, you will have a chance to visit the architectural works and learn about the unique architecture here. There are five distinct areas inside, each zone has separate walls and gates linked together and different functions. 

Today, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam is also the place to organize poetry festivals, and praise excellent students. It is also a famous tourist spot attracting a large number of domestic and international tourists. Simultaneously, Van Mieu is the meeting place "asking for words" of Vietnamese in traditional Tet holidays with the wish of a peaceful or prosperous new year, especially for students before essential exams.

Let’s come to the Temple of Literature and learn more about its history and architecture!

St. Joseph's Cathedral

• Address: 40 Nha Chung, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 08.00 a.m. - 11.00 a.m. & 02.00 p.m. - 05.00 p.m.

As one of the first Christian architecture built in Hanoi, the Cathedral has experienced many ups and downs in the history of Vietnam and Hanoi. It is not only a place of pilgrimage for Catholics but also one of the Hanoi attractions appealing to both domestic and international tourists. 

St Joseph's Cathedral

St. Joseph’s Cathedral has a European medieval Gothic architectural style, with terracotta bricks and raw paper as the main materials. It is majestic with a length of 65 meters, a width of 21 meters, and two 32-meter-high bell towers. At the top of the church is a stone cross, below is a clock and a statue of a saint, creating a highlight for the church's architecture. Stepping into the cathedral, you will feel impressed with the magnificent architectural features not changed over time. 

After visiting and admiring the cathedral’s architecture and design, you can drop in the lemon tea stalls around the cathedral and enjoy a cup of tea, juice, coffee, etc. They are the gathering place for friends to talk with each other. 

West Lake

West Lake is also on the list of the Hanoi attractions you should not miss. It is the largest natural lake in Hanoi, with a total area of 50 hectares and 20 kilometers surrounding the lake. 

The lake is not only an exciting place in the daytime but at night as well. Coming to West Lake in the daytime, you can experience these activities below.

• Visiting some famous temples and pagodas

West Lake is not only an amusement place for tourists when traveling to Hanoi but also contains the cultural values ​​of the nation. Around the lake, there are more than 20 famous temples and pagodas like Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple, Phu Tay Ho, Tao Sach Pagoda, Van Nien Pagoda, etc. Both local people and tourists come to these temples and pagodas to pray for luck, and health and learn about their architecture and history. 

Tran Quoc Pagoda

• Cycling around the West Lake

Coming to West Lake in the early morning, late afternoon, and evening, you can catch up with many people biking around the lake. Surrounding the lake are airy and clean streets, suitable for cycling, such as Thanh Nien Street, Vong Thi, Trich Sai, lakeside roads, etc. 

Cycling around the lake, you can enjoy the romantic atmosphere and Hanoi's life rhythm and know about the city life every day. 

• Trying street food around the lake
• Dropping in a café to enjoy a panoramic view of the lake
• Enjoying the crowded atmosphere in the exciting bars and pubs around the lake

Let’s visit the lake and experience exciting activities here!

Hoa Lo Prison

• Address: 01 Hoa Lo, Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 08.00 a.m. - 05.00 p.m.
• Entrance fee: VND 50,000

Hoa Lo Prison is one of the witnesses of a period of arduous history, symbolizing the indomitable and resilient spirit of patriotic Vietnamese. It was built in 1896 by France to detain political prisoners and patriots opposing the colonial government.

If you would like to learn more about the history of Vietnam during the fight for independence times, Hoa Lo Prison is indeed one of the Hanoi attractions you should visit. Coming here, you will learn about the ways prisoners were brutally tortured and weapons used for torturing. Especially, you can see the guillotine which puts the prison in the top 10 most notorious prisons in the world. For more information about Hoa Lo Prison, you can refer here. 

One Pillar Pagoda

• Address: Chua Mot Cot, Doi Can, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 07.00 a.m. - 06.00 p.m.

One Pillar Pagoda is not only a unique art architecture in Vietnam but also a spiritual destination and a thousand-year cultural symbol of Hanoi. The pagoda impresses tourists with its Vietnamese cultural traditional architecture, with a curved tiled roof at 4 corners and two dragons on the top of the roof. 

Besides unique architecture, One Pillar Pagoda is also associated with Vietnamese legend. Each of the details brings many interesting discoveries for visitors when visiting. 

In front of the pagoda, you can find the Tam Quan gate with three arched entrances, including a large entrance in the middle and two small entrances on either side. This design is the typical design for traditional religious architecture in Vietnam. Stepping foot inside the pagoda, you will feel more impressed with its design and arrangement. 

Let’s come to One Pillar Pagoda and learn about the pagoda’s architecture yourself! 

In conclusion, you have just learned about the top 09 Hanoi attractions you should not miss during your trip. Hope that with these pieces of information, you will have a memorable trip to Hanoi!