Vietnam
Hanoi
Old Quarter chaos, the best coffee culture in Asia, and food we still think about.
Hanoi is dense, fast and beautifully unbothered. Crossing the road is a skill you learn in about four hours. After that, it is one of the best-value cities on the continent.
Best time to go
October to December for dry, mild weather. Summer is intensely humid.
What it costs
£35–£50 a day for two.
What we'd actually do
Breakfast pho, then egg coffee
Pho bo on a street corner before 9am, then ca phe trung in a café up a staircase you would never find on purpose.
Train Street, carefully
Access comes and goes depending on enforcement. Go through a café that has permission and check the timetable.
Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay
Two nights on a smaller boat in Lan Ha beats one night in the Ha Long crowds.
Where to stay
- Old Quarter — chaotic and central, best for a short first visit
- Tay Ho (West Lake) — expat area, calmer, where longer stays and sits happen
- Ba Dinh — leafy, colonial architecture, close to everything
Things we wish we'd known
- Vietnam's e-visa is straightforward but apply at least a week ahead.
- Grab bikes are the cheapest way across town and faster than cars in the Old Quarter.
Suggested Hanoi itinerary
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