Getting around Hanoi with ease

How do tourists get around in Hanoi?

Mostly on foot in the centre and by app car or motorbike ride for longer trips. Buses, the metro, the hop-on hop-off bus, cyclos and tours with hotel pickup fill the gaps.

The table compares the main ways to move around the city, what each one is good for, and how you pay. The ride-hailing apps are the easiest choice for most visitors: you see the fare first, and the driver knows where you are going.

Is Hanoi a walkable city?

Yes, in the centre. The Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and the French Quarter sit close together and are easy to explore on foot; Ba Dinh and the Temple of Literature are about 2 to 3 km away, a short app ride.

Walking is the best way to see the Old Quarter. Its streets are short, and each one has its own shops, food stalls and small temples. Expect pavements to be used for parked scooters and street stalls, so you often walk along the edge of the road with everyone else. Go slowly, look around, and stop for a coffee when the heat builds.

To cross a street, walk at a slow, steady pace and let the traffic flow around you. Riders steer around a walker they can predict, so do not run or stop suddenly. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings the streets around the lake are closed to traffic, and the whole area becomes a walking street. More tips are in what to avoid in Hanoi.

Should you use Grab, Xanh SM or a taxi in Hanoi?

Use Grab or Xanh SM for most trips: both show the fare before you ride, take card payment in the app or cash, and offer cars and motorbike rides. Xanh SM runs an all-electric fleet.

Download one or both apps before you arrive and add your card, or choose cash. You set your pickup point on the map, see the fare, and track the car as it comes. This avoids any discussion about the route or the price, and it works well for trips to Ba Dinh, the Temple of Literature, Tran Quoc Pagoda and West Lake. Grab's Vietnam page explains the services.

If you prefer a street taxi, choose a well-known brand and check that the meter is running. On weekend evenings, when the streets around the lake are closed to traffic, set your pickup point a few streets away from the lake.

How do you get from Noi Bai Airport to the Old Quarter?

Book a Grab or Xanh SM car in the app, or take a taxi from the official rank outside the arrivals hall. Many hotels can also arrange a pickup if you ask ahead.

Noi Bai is north of the city, across the Red River, and the drive into the Old Quarter takes longer in the rush hour. In the app, use the pickup point the app shows for your terminal, and check the plate number before you get in. If you take a taxi, use the official rank, not a driver who approaches you inside the terminal.

If you land late or travel with children, an arranged hotel pickup is the calmest choice. Have your hotel address written down, ideally in Vietnamese, to show the driver.

Let the guide handle the driving: four hours by air-conditioned van with pickup at your hotel in the Old Quarter, the Temple of Literature, Ba Dinh and Tran Quoc Pagoda. Rated 4.8 from 453 reviews.

★ 4.8 (453) · 4 hours · Full refund up to 24 h ahead

Explore the half-day city highlights tour →

How do I pay for public transportation in Hanoi?

Pay cash in small notes on city buses. On the two metro lines, tap a contactless Visa card, a phone or a watch at the gate. Foreign cards do not work on the buses.

City buses: you pay the conductor in cash on board, so carry small notes. Residents can also tap to pay with the MoMo e-wallet, but foreign bank cards are not accepted. Buses are slow in traffic, so they suit long trips more than short hops in the centre.

Metro: Line 2A runs from Cat Linh to Ha Dong, and the elevated part of Line 3 runs from Nhon to Cau Giay. Since 23 March 2026 both lines accept contactless Visa cards and phones at the gate. Neither line reaches the Old Quarter or Hoan Kiem Lake yet; the underground section of Line 3 is still under construction. For most visitors the metro is a ride for the view, not a way to the sights.

Is the hop-on hop-off bus worth it in Hanoi?

Yes, for a first-day overview. The open-top bus passes the main sights every 30 minutes with audio in eight languages, then you go back on foot or by app car to what you liked.

Two companies run hop-on hop-off buses in Hanoi. The pass on this site (4.1 from 801 reviews) starts by the Frog Garden at Hoan Kiem Lake and runs from 9:15 am, with the last bus at 5:15 pm. The loop takes about an hour or more, with around 15 stops: the Opera House, the Old Quarter, the cathedral, the Flag Tower, the Imperial Citadel, Quan Thanh Temple, Tran Quoc Pagoda, the mausoleum area, the Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo and the Women's Museum.

The pass is valid for 24 or 48 hours and includes no entry tickets. The rating is lower than the guided tours because there is no guide and buses can be slow in traffic. A pass costs less than most guided tours. Reviewers say it works best on day one, to get your bearings.

One pass for 24 or 48 hours: an open-top bus every 30 minutes past the Temple of Literature, Ba Dinh and the Imperial Citadel, with audio in eight languages.

★ 4.1 (801) · 24 or 48 hours · Full refund up to 24 h ahead

Explore the hop-on hop-off bus pass →

Should you take a cyclo or a motorbike ride in Hanoi?

A cyclo is a slow, pleasant way to see the Old Quarter if you agree the total price, the route and the time before you get in. A motorbike ride through an app is quick for short trips alone.

Cyclos are pedal rickshaws with the passenger seat in front. Agree the total price, the route and how long the ride lasts, and confirm whether the price is per cyclo or per person. If you would rather not arrange it yourself, the Old Quarter cyclo and egg coffee tour (4.7 from 71 reviews) includes the ride, Ngoc Son Temple, bun cha and egg coffee.

Motorbike rides booked through Grab or Xanh SM come with a helmet for you. Hanoi is gradually creating a low-emission zone in the Old Quarter. Since July 2026 the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake are closed to motor vehicles on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, and the rules will widen from 2027. Motorbike and Vespa tours still run, adjusting their routes where needed; check your tour's route before you book.

Which Hanoi tours pick you up at your hotel?

Most city tours pick you up at your hotel in the Old Quarter: the half-day van tour, the army jeep tour, the motorbike tour and the cyclo tour all do. The walking tour includes pickup except on its small-group option.

A tour with pickup takes the transport out of your hands. The half-day city tour uses an air-conditioned van between stops. The vintage army jeep tour (4.9 from 820 reviews) drives an open jeep past the Imperial Citadel to West Lake and Banana Island. The motorbike tour (4.9 from 214 reviews) puts you behind a driver-guide, and reviewers say they felt safe in the traffic. The walking tour (5.0 from 158 reviews) covers Ba Dinh and Hoa Lo on foot.

Every tour here gives a full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead. The tours side by side are in Hanoi city tours compared, and the full list is on the homepage.

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