Le’s Guidebook
Sightseeing
Hoan Kiem Lake (Turtle Lake) is a central feature of Hanoi and is a popular hangout spot throughout the day with locals and tourists. Ngoc Son Temple sits on a small island in the centre of the lake and linked by a bridge, makes a beautiful background for a few photos.
Around sunrise and sunset, this area becomes especially busy with joggers, couples enjoying the relaxing views across the lake, and the elderly practising Tai Chi and line dancing. Hoan Kiem Lake is free of charge, but there’s a fee of VND 20,000 to visit Ngoc Son Temple, which sits on a small island in the centre of the lake.
The lake and the temple offer plenty of trees and shaded spots in which to escape the busy city streets. To get there head towards the Old Quarter and the main post office which is located next to the lake. Tickets are purchased at a booth located on the left-hand side before you cross the bridge. The temple opens at 08:00 and closes at 17:00 every day and its best to get to the lake as early as possible to watch the locals do their morning yoga and Tai Chi. To get to the temple, walk across the flag-lined bright red Huc Bridge across to Jade Island.
Opening Hours: Daily 08:00 - 17:00
513 Einheimische empfehlen
Hoàn Kiếm Lake
Hoan Kiem Lake (Turtle Lake) is a central feature of Hanoi and is a popular hangout spot throughout the day with locals and tourists. Ngoc Son Temple sits on a small island in the centre of the lake and linked by a bridge, makes a beautiful background for a few photos.
Around sunrise and sunset, this area becomes especially busy with joggers, couples enjoying the relaxing views across the lake, and the elderly practising Tai Chi and line dancing. Hoan Kiem Lake is free of charge, but there’s a fee of VND 20,000 to visit Ngoc Son Temple, which sits on a small island in the centre of the lake.
The lake and the temple offer plenty of trees and shaded spots in which to escape the busy city streets. To get there head towards the Old Quarter and the main post office which is located next to the lake. Tickets are purchased at a booth located on the left-hand side before you cross the bridge. The temple opens at 08:00 and closes at 17:00 every day and its best to get to the lake as early as possible to watch the locals do their morning yoga and Tai Chi. To get to the temple, walk across the flag-lined bright red Huc Bridge across to Jade Island.
Opening Hours: Daily 08:00 - 17:00
The ancient art form of water puppetry has a long association with Hanoi and there are several theatres where guests can enjoy this uniquely Vietnamese take on Asia’s puppet tradition. The original – and widely regarded as the best – theatre in town is the Thang Long Puppet Theatre. Puppets dance and slide elegantly over the liquid stage, controlled by a whole troupe of puppet masters hiding behind a screen. Most shows also feature the famous Legend of the Restored Sword of King Le which tells the tale of Hoan Kiem Lake and the giant tortoise.
Opening Hours: Daily 15:00, 16:10, 17:20, 18:30 & 20:00
Address: 57B, Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Tel: +84 43 824 9494
Price Range: VND 100,000
207 Einheimische empfehlen
Thang-Long-Wasser-Puppen-Theater
57B Đinh Tiên HoàngThe ancient art form of water puppetry has a long association with Hanoi and there are several theatres where guests can enjoy this uniquely Vietnamese take on Asia’s puppet tradition. The original – and widely regarded as the best – theatre in town is the Thang Long Puppet Theatre. Puppets dance and slide elegantly over the liquid stage, controlled by a whole troupe of puppet masters hiding behind a screen. Most shows also feature the famous Legend of the Restored Sword of King Le which tells the tale of Hoan Kiem Lake and the giant tortoise.
Opening Hours: Daily 15:00, 16:10, 17:20, 18:30 & 20:00
Address: 57B, Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Tel: +84 43 824 9494
Price Range: VND 100,000
Ho Chi Minh has left an indelible mark on Vietnamese history and he is revered in Hanoi as the country’s greatest leader. Nicknamed ‘Uncle Ho’ by locals, his preserved body is now laid to rest in a glass case in the Ba Dinh area of Hanoi. This is more than a tourist attraction, it is a part of living history and a visit here stays long in the memory. The sombre building was modeled after Lenin’s mausoleum in Moscow
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 07:30 - 10:30, Saturday & Sunday 07:30 - 11:00
Address: 8 Hung Vuong, Dien Bien, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
Free ticket
114 Einheimische empfehlen
Ho Chi Minh Museum
19 Phố Ngọc HàHo Chi Minh has left an indelible mark on Vietnamese history and he is revered in Hanoi as the country’s greatest leader. Nicknamed ‘Uncle Ho’ by locals, his preserved body is now laid to rest in a glass case in the Ba Dinh area of Hanoi. This is more than a tourist attraction, it is a part of living history and a visit here stays long in the memory. The sombre building was modeled after Lenin’s mausoleum in Moscow
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 07:30 - 10:30, Saturday & Sunday 07:30 - 11:00
Address: 8 Hung Vuong, Dien Bien, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
Free ticket
The Temple of Literature is a charming temple complex in the centre of Hanoi that was originally built to be a centre of learning dedicated to the Chinese sage and scholar Confucius. Over the proceeding 1000 years many more buildings have been added and beautified o that now this large area is filled with ornate pavilions, shrines, and a rich garden. It has become a rite of passage for graduating doctors to visit The Temple of Literature and the whole place is steeped in Vietnamese history
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 8:30 - 11:30 & 13:30 - 16:30
Address: 58 Quoc Tu Giam, Van Mieu, Dong Da, Hanoi
Price Range: VND 10,000
246 Einheimische empfehlen
Temple Of Literature
Temple of LiteratureThe Temple of Literature is a charming temple complex in the centre of Hanoi that was originally built to be a centre of learning dedicated to the Chinese sage and scholar Confucius. Over the proceeding 1000 years many more buildings have been added and beautified o that now this large area is filled with ornate pavilions, shrines, and a rich garden. It has become a rite of passage for graduating doctors to visit The Temple of Literature and the whole place is steeped in Vietnamese history
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 8:30 - 11:30 & 13:30 - 16:30
Address: 58 Quoc Tu Giam, Van Mieu, Dong Da, Hanoi
Price Range: VND 10,000
Food scene
Situated on a small street Dinh Ngang, the bread shop looks simple but very crowded. It sells a variety of bread with mixed fillings, red wine sauce, fried egg rolls, etc.
Mixed bread’s fillings include pate, sausage, barbecue pork, etc. and some slices of cucumber and tasty sauces. The combination of these ingredients makes the bread more delicious. It costs VND 30,000 to 45,000/ bread.
Bánh Mỳ Trâm
Situated on a small street Dinh Ngang, the bread shop looks simple but very crowded. It sells a variety of bread with mixed fillings, red wine sauce, fried egg rolls, etc.
Mixed bread’s fillings include pate, sausage, barbecue pork, etc. and some slices of cucumber and tasty sauces. The combination of these ingredients makes the bread more delicious. It costs VND 30,000 to 45,000/ bread.
Bun Cha Ta is a Vietnamese dish of grilled pork and noodle, which is thought to have originated from Hanoi, Vietnam. Bun cha is served with grilled fatty pork (cha) over a plate of white rice noodle (bun) and herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce. The dish was described in 1959 by Vietnamese food writer Vu Bang (1913–1984) who described Hanoi as a town "transfixed by bun cha." Hanoi Bun Cha Ta ’s first bun cha restaurant was on Gia Ngu street, Hoan Kiem District, in Hanoi's Old Quarter and moved to 21 Nguyen Huu Huan street now Bun cha is popular in the Northern region of Vietnam. In the South, a similar dish of rice vermicelli and grilled meat is called bun thit nuong
Price: 70,000 to 200,000
6 Einheimische empfehlen
Bun Cha Ta Hanoi
21 Nguyễn Hữu HuânBun Cha Ta is a Vietnamese dish of grilled pork and noodle, which is thought to have originated from Hanoi, Vietnam. Bun cha is served with grilled fatty pork (cha) over a plate of white rice noodle (bun) and herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce. The dish was described in 1959 by Vietnamese food writer Vu Bang (1913–1984) who described Hanoi as a town "transfixed by bun cha." Hanoi Bun Cha Ta ’s first bun cha restaurant was on Gia Ngu street, Hoan Kiem District, in Hanoi's Old Quarter and moved to 21 Nguyen Huu Huan street now Bun cha is popular in the Northern region of Vietnam. In the South, a similar dish of rice vermicelli and grilled meat is called bun thit nuong
Price: 70,000 to 200,000
Hanoi is renowned for its coffee scene, especially with Vietnamese Coffee being one of the most distinctive coffee flavours on the planet. Ask any Hanoi coffee lover about the best coffee in Hanoi, and there’s a good chance that Vietnamese Egg Coffee will come up. After all, this coffee is nothing short of legendary.
Giang Café was founded by Mr Nguyen Giang in 1946. Although the café has been relocated twice, its egg coffee recipe is almost the same as in its early days, with its chief ingredients being chicken egg yolk, Vietnamese coffee powder, sweetened condensed milk, butter and cheese.
The coffee is brewed in a small cup with a filter before the addition of a well-whisked mixture of the yolk and other ingredients. The cup is placed in a bowl of hot water to keep its temperature.
Price: from 25,000 to 35,000
86 Einheimische empfehlen
Cafe Giảng
39 Nguyễn Hữu HuânHanoi is renowned for its coffee scene, especially with Vietnamese Coffee being one of the most distinctive coffee flavours on the planet. Ask any Hanoi coffee lover about the best coffee in Hanoi, and there’s a good chance that Vietnamese Egg Coffee will come up. After all, this coffee is nothing short of legendary.
Giang Café was founded by Mr Nguyen Giang in 1946. Although the café has been relocated twice, its egg coffee recipe is almost the same as in its early days, with its chief ingredients being chicken egg yolk, Vietnamese coffee powder, sweetened condensed milk, butter and cheese.
The coffee is brewed in a small cup with a filter before the addition of a well-whisked mixture of the yolk and other ingredients. The cup is placed in a bowl of hot water to keep its temperature.
Price: from 25,000 to 35,000
Ta Hien is a small street lying in famous Old Quarter of Hanoi, near Hoan Kiem Lake. The street just stretch 200 meters, but it is one of the most crowded streets in Old Quarter particularly and in Hanoi generally. Ta Hien has the most specific features of both old Hanoi and modern Hanoi. It is named “international crossroad”, drawing many foreign visitors and also Hanoi people. Ta Hien Street - the beer street Hanoi is known as the first street where the majority of foreign tourists set foot on when coming and before leaving Hanoi. Therefore, everyone is familiar to call Ta Hien Street with the name "Pho Tay" (foreigner street).
There are lots kinds of beer for you to choose, including draught beer, bottled beer, cask ale or black beer. Vietnamese beer is reviewed sweet and pretty slight, so you can take more than 5 mugs without getting drunk. The snack foods to serve with the beer are also diverse, from traditional ones such as nem Phung, fried nem, nem, boiled peanut to Western ones such as fried chip, cheese stick,… The prices are generally cheap.
Open throughout the day and late into the night, the ever-bustling beer haven is located at the corner of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen streets in Hanoi Old Quarter, where you can see hundreds of people sitting on plastic stools with a pint of bia hoi in hand. Available at numerous makeshift bars within the corner, Bia hoi is a type of Vietnamese draft beer that only contains about 4% alcohol. Although it’s weak compared to European standards, bia hoi is incredibly cheap where you can enjoy a tall glass of authentic Hanoi Beer.
Price: VND 10,000 ~ VND 15,000/Cup
Opening Hours: Daily 11:00 – Til late
Address: the corner of Ta Hien & Luong Ngoc Quyen streets, Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Price range: VND100,000 – 150,000/person
245 Einheimische empfehlen
Tạ Hiện
Phố Tạ HiệnTa Hien is a small street lying in famous Old Quarter of Hanoi, near Hoan Kiem Lake. The street just stretch 200 meters, but it is one of the most crowded streets in Old Quarter particularly and in Hanoi generally. Ta Hien has the most specific features of both old Hanoi and modern Hanoi. It is named “international crossroad”, drawing many foreign visitors and also Hanoi people. Ta Hien Street - the beer street Hanoi is known as the first street where the majority of foreign tourists set foot on when coming and before leaving Hanoi. Therefore, everyone is familiar to call Ta Hien Street with the name "Pho Tay" (foreigner street).
There are lots kinds of beer for you to choose, including draught beer, bottled beer, cask ale or black beer. Vietnamese beer is reviewed sweet and pretty slight, so you can take more than 5 mugs without getting drunk. The snack foods to serve with the beer are also diverse, from traditional ones such as nem Phung, fried nem, nem, boiled peanut to Western ones such as fried chip, cheese stick,… The prices are generally cheap.
Open throughout the day and late into the night, the ever-bustling beer haven is located at the corner of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen streets in Hanoi Old Quarter, where you can see hundreds of people sitting on plastic stools with a pint of bia hoi in hand. Available at numerous makeshift bars within the corner, Bia hoi is a type of Vietnamese draft beer that only contains about 4% alcohol. Although it’s weak compared to European standards, bia hoi is incredibly cheap where you can enjoy a tall glass of authentic Hanoi Beer.
Price: VND 10,000 ~ VND 15,000/Cup
Opening Hours: Daily 11:00 – Til late
Address: the corner of Ta Hien & Luong Ngoc Quyen streets, Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Price range: VND100,000 – 150,000/person
Souvenir
In our understanding, collective memory is far from an intangible thing. It is touchable. Visible. Usable. Edible. Smell-able. Collectable and Memorable. The concept comes from a collective cultural mindset that values local identity over global homogenization, originality over cliche, and quality over quantity.
Founded by a Vietnamese duo of travel writer and photographer, the concept for Collective Memory emerged from a shared enthusiasm for Vietnamese culture. While constantly on the move for assignments, the creators use these opportunities to scour the country for the best products that Vietnam can offer.
The concept brings together authentic and high-quality brands under one roof. While individually each brand has its own unique story, a collective of brands forms a larger narrative about a country that is constantly evolving.
Collective Memory styles itself on the idea of an independent and locally made magazine targeted to a global audience. Just as a magazine approaches its editorial content, Collective Memory plans to regularly curate its artifacts and product lineup in order to celebrate an ever-changing pool of local talent. It’s a hybrid between a mini salon-style gallery and a museum-style concept store.
Located centrally at 20 Nha Chung (historically known as Rue de la Mission), just a stone’s throw from the imposing St Joseph’s Cathedral, Collective Memory is in the heart of Hanoi’s Parisian-style chic designer district.
Address: 12 Nhà Chung, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 10000
Hours: 9:30AM - 7PM
Phone: 098 647 42 43
12 Nhà Chung
12 Phố Nhà ChungIn our understanding, collective memory is far from an intangible thing. It is touchable. Visible. Usable. Edible. Smell-able. Collectable and Memorable. The concept comes from a collective cultural mindset that values local identity over global homogenization, originality over cliche, and quality over quantity.
Founded by a Vietnamese duo of travel writer and photographer, the concept for Collective Memory emerged from a shared enthusiasm for Vietnamese culture. While constantly on the move for assignments, the creators use these opportunities to scour the country for the best products that Vietnam can offer.
The concept brings together authentic and high-quality brands under one roof. While individually each brand has its own unique story, a collective of brands forms a larger narrative about a country that is constantly evolving.
Collective Memory styles itself on the idea of an independent and locally made magazine targeted to a global audience. Just as a magazine approaches its editorial content, Collective Memory plans to regularly curate its artifacts and product lineup in order to celebrate an ever-changing pool of local talent. It’s a hybrid between a mini salon-style gallery and a museum-style concept store.
Located centrally at 20 Nha Chung (historically known as Rue de la Mission), just a stone’s throw from the imposing St Joseph’s Cathedral, Collective Memory is in the heart of Hanoi’s Parisian-style chic designer district.
Address: 12 Nhà Chung, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 10000
Hours: 9:30AM - 7PM
Phone: 098 647 42 43
Craft Link is a Vietnamese not – for – profit Fair trade organization which helps traditional craft producers to revive their culture and improve their livelihoods through handicraft production and marketing.
All groups with which Craft Link works meet basic criteria such as fair wages, environmental and employee safety. Craft Link does not work with state-owned factories or joint-venture organizations because these groups already have access to market opportunities. Craft Link works as closely as possible with the people who actually produce the handicrafts.
Craft Link gives preference to producers who are marginalized or disadvantaged, such as ethnic minority people in remote areas, street children, and people with disabilities. Producer groups, organizations, or small businesses that are investing in the handicraft producers' social welfare and not simply treating them as a means of production are given preference.
Nonprofit shop offering clothing & housewares made by ethnic minorities & disadvantaged groups.
Address: 43 &, 51 Văn Miếu, Đống Đa, Hà Nội
Hours: 9AM - 6PM
Phone: 024 3733 6101
Shop Craft Link
51 Văn MiếuCraft Link is a Vietnamese not – for – profit Fair trade organization which helps traditional craft producers to revive their culture and improve their livelihoods through handicraft production and marketing.
All groups with which Craft Link works meet basic criteria such as fair wages, environmental and employee safety. Craft Link does not work with state-owned factories or joint-venture organizations because these groups already have access to market opportunities. Craft Link works as closely as possible with the people who actually produce the handicrafts.
Craft Link gives preference to producers who are marginalized or disadvantaged, such as ethnic minority people in remote areas, street children, and people with disabilities. Producer groups, organizations, or small businesses that are investing in the handicraft producers' social welfare and not simply treating them as a means of production are given preference.
Nonprofit shop offering clothing & housewares made by ethnic minorities & disadvantaged groups.
Address: 43 &, 51 Văn Miếu, Đống Đa, Hà Nội
Hours: 9AM - 6PM
Phone: 024 3733 6101