Booking choice: The half-day city highlights tour, ★ 4.8 (453). Check dates Compare the options below
Most visitors come to Hanoi as the start or the end of a trip through Vietnam, and the city is often squeezed into a day. That is enough to see the highlights, but Hanoi rewards a slower pace: the best of it is in its mornings by the lake, its food and its small streets.
This guide gives a plan for one, two and three days, shows where guided tours fit, and covers day trips and the best months to come. How to move between the sights is in the guide to getting around, and which tour to choose is in Hanoi city tours compared.
The quick answer
Typical stay: 2 to 3 days in the city, plus a day each for Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh. One day: Ba Dinh and the Temple of Literature in the morning, the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake after lunch, street food in the evening. Two days: add Hoa Lo Prison, the French Quarter, the Imperial Citadel and a water puppet show. Three days: add a cooking class, Banana Island by jeep or bike, Long Bien Bridge and the Ethnology Museum. Mausoleum: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings only; closed for maintenance until 2 November 2026. Mondays: the Ethnology Museum is closed. Walking street: Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Best months: October to December and March to April. Tet 2027: Saturday 6 February, many family shops close for several days.
How long should you spend in Hanoi?
Two to three days in the city is the usual choice, plus one day each for Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh. That gives you the main sights, a food tour and an evening by the lake without rushing.
The centre is compact, so you see a lot in a short time. The Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and the French Quarter are walkable, and Ba Dinh and the Temple of Literature are a short ride away. A guided half day covers the main sights of Ba Dinh in one morning, which frees the rest of your stay for slower things.
Add a day for each trip out of the city. Ha Long Bay is 2 to 3 hours each way, and Ninh Binh about 2 hours each way. With day trips, a stay of 4 to 5 days based in Hanoi works well. If you come at Tet, read the guide to what to avoid for the holiday closures.
Is 3 days in Hanoi too much?
No. Three days is a comfortable stay that lets you see the sights, eat well and slow down. Only travellers in a hurry, or those who mainly want the countryside, need less.
With three days, you can keep the hottest hours for rest, coffee or a museum, and save the outdoor sights for the cool mornings and the evenings. You can also plan around the closures: the mausoleum mornings, the Monday closure at the Ethnology Museum, and the weekend walking street. If three days feels long, turn the third into a day trip to Ninh Binh or Ha Long Bay.
A good first evening helps the rest of your stay. Eat Like a Local: Hanoi Street Food Tour (4.9 from 1,105 reviews) is 3.5 to 4 hours on foot with seven or more dishes, and reviewers advise doing it on the first day to find the good spots.
Your first evening sorted: seven or more dishes at family-run eateries in the Old Quarter, with a guide who shows you where to eat for the rest of your stay.
Check dates for the Eat Like a Local food tourWhat can you see in one day in Hanoi?
In one day: Ba Dinh and the Temple of Literature in the morning, the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake after lunch, and a street-food walk or a water puppet show in the evening.
Start early. On a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday morning, the mausoleum is open when it is not in its maintenance period; arrive at opening time, because queues form early. Dress with your shoulders and knees covered. Then walk to the One Pillar Pagoda and the grounds of the Presidential Palace with the Stilt House. Take a short ride to the Temple of Literature, open every day from early morning to late afternoon.
After lunch, walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and cross the red The Huc Bridge to Ngoc Son Temple, then wander the Old Quarter. The easiest way to do the morning in one day is the half-day highlights tour, which picks you up at your hotel and covers Ba Dinh, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature and Tran Quoc Pagoda in four hours.
Four hours by air-conditioned van from your Old Quarter hotel: the Temple of Literature, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Ba Dinh Square and the One Pillar Pagoda, with entry fees and a drink. Rated 4.8 from 453 reviews.
Explore the half-day city highlights tourHow should you plan two days in Hanoi?
Day one: Ba Dinh, the Temple of Literature, then Hoa Lo Prison and the French Quarter, with street food in the evening. Day two: Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter, the Imperial Citadel and Tran Quoc Pagoda, with a water puppet show at night.
Put Ba Dinh on the day that falls on a mausoleum morning, and keep the other day for the sights that open every day. Hoa Lo Prison is open from 8 am to 5 pm every day, and the Hoa Lo official site lists any changes. The Imperial Citadel is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm; check the official page before a Monday visit. Since 29 September 2026, the restoration of Kinh Thien Palace has started inside the Citadel, so expect works areas.
On a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, keep the second evening for the walking street: the streets around the lake are closed to traffic and fill with families, music and stalls.
What does a 3-day Hanoi itinerary look like?
Day one for Ba Dinh and the history sights, day two for the lake, the Old Quarter and the Citadel, and day three for food, Banana Island and the river. The table shows each part of the day.
Make day one a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday so the mausoleum can be open, and day three anything but a Monday if you want the Ethnology Museum. Until 2 November 2026, see the mausoleum from Ba Dinh Square.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Ba Dinh: the mausoleum on open mornings, the Stilt House, the One Pillar Pagoda, then the Temple of Literature | Hoa Lo Prison and a French Quarter walk past the Opera House (outside only) | A street-food walk in the Old Quarter |
| Day 2 | Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, the Old Quarter and Dong Xuan Market | The Imperial Citadel, then Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake | A water puppet show; the walking street from Friday to Sunday |
| Day 3 | A cooking class with a market visit, or the Ethnology Museum (not on Mondays) | Banana Island by jeep or bike, then a walk on Long Bien Bridge | The Temple of Literature night tour on set evenings, or egg coffee by the lake |
A seat at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre by Hoan Kiem Lake: a 50-minute show with live musicians, booked for the time you want.
Check dates for the water puppet ticketsWhere do guided tours fit into a short stay?
A guided tour fits best on your first morning, to cover Ba Dinh and the Temple of Literature, and on your first evening, for food. The rest is easy to do on your own.
If going inside the mausoleum matters to you, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Guided Entry (4.7 from 67 reviews) gives you a guide and a separate security line into the complex, with the Ho Chi Minh Museum. The mausoleum itself is closed until 2 November 2026, and visits are in the morning only. The water puppet tickets (4.6 from 9,555 reviews) save you a trip to the box office at busy times; you collect the ticket 30 minutes before the show.
On day three, the cooking class with a market visit (5.0 from 999 reviews) takes 3.5 hours: an instructor, a market trip, five dishes and a recipe book. In the afternoon, the army jeep tour (4.9 from 820 reviews) takes you to West Lake and Banana Island in two hours.
Should you add Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh to your days in Hanoi?
Yes, if you have the time: each is a full day from Hanoi. Ha Long Bay is 2 to 3 hours each way and is better as an overnight cruise; Ninh Binh is about 2 hours each way and works well as a day trip.
Ha Long Bay is a bay of limestone islands in the sea. A day trip from Hanoi is possible, but the road takes up much of the day, so many travellers choose a night on board. Ninh Binh is rice fields and limestone hills inland, with boat rides at Trang An and Tam Coc and the old capital of Hoa Lu. It is closer, so a day trip feels less rushed.
Keep your Hanoi days and your day trips apart: plan the city first, then add the trips. If you have only four days in total, a common choice is two days in the city and one each for Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay. Ways to reach the meeting points and pay on the day are in the guide to getting around and the payments guide.
When is the best time of year to visit Hanoi?
October to December and March to April, when the weather is mild and drier. Winter, from December to February, is cool and grey. May to September is hot and wet, with July and August the wettest.
In the hot months, plan the outdoor sights for the early morning and the evening, and keep the middle of the day for museums, cafes and rest. Typhoon influence peaks in August and September; storms usually pass within a day or two, so leave a spare day if you travel then.
Tet, the Lunar New Year, falls on Saturday 6 February in 2027. Many family shops and eateries close for several days around it, and some sights change their hours. The city is quiet and decorated, which some visitors enjoy, but plan meals and tours in advance. The mausoleum opens on Tet days even if they fall on a Monday or Friday.
Seven or more dishes at family-run eateries, from papaya salad and bun cha to banh cuon, with a small group and a guide. A good first evening in any season. Rated 4.9 from 1,105 reviews.
Explore the Eat Like a Local food tourFrequently asked questions
Is one day in Hanoi enough?
For the highlights, yes, at a brisk pace: Ba Dinh and the Temple of Literature in the morning, the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake after lunch, and street food in the evening.
Which day is best for the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum?
A Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday morning, at opening time. It is closed on Monday and Friday, and in 2026 it is closed for maintenance until 2 November.
How many days do I need for Hanoi and Ha Long Bay?
Four is comfortable: two or three days in the city and one day, or one night on a cruise, for Ha Long Bay.
Is Hanoi busy at Tet 2027?
The city is quiet rather than busy. Tet falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, and many family shops close for several days, so plan meals and tours ahead.
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Choose your tour
Check your date and the live price on GetYourGuide; the refund terms are shown on each option.
Hanoi Half-Day City Highlights Tour
- A guide and an air-conditioned van, morning or afternoon
- Pickup and drop-off at your hotel in the Old Quarter
- Temple of Literature and Tran Quoc Pagoda, entry included
Eat Like a Local: Hanoi Street Food Tour
- A local guide on foot through the Old Quarter
- Seven or more dishes and drinks at family-run eateries
- Bun cha, pho, papaya salad, spring rolls, banh cuon and banh mi
Thang Long Water Puppet Show Tickets
A seat at the classic water puppet show by Hoan Kiem Lake, booked for the time you want
