24 Hours in Hanoi: A Quick Guide for First-Time Visitors

December 9, 2025
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Hanoi is Vietnam’s vibrant metropole, a buzzing hotpot of culture, locals and tourists. Here you will find delicious food, affordable shopping and some of the most unique sights. If I only had 24 hours in the city, here is exactly how I’d spend them!

How to get to Hanoi?

You will likely either land in Hanoi at Nội Bài International Airport (HAN) or arrive overland via sleeper bus, either from within Vietnam or the neighbouring Laos. If you are coming from the South of Vietnam, there are also trains going straight into Hanoi.

Hanoi Airport to City Centre

You can get to the city centre either by public bus or Grab Car/Motorbike.

Public bus: There are a few public buses going directly from the airport to different areas of Hanoi. Bus 86 goes straight to Hanoi Central Railway Station for just 45,000VND ($1.70). I found Google Maps really helpful with planning the route, the timing is not super reliable.

Grab: I wouldn’t recommend getting a motorbike from Hanoi airport as the journey is long and rough if you have luggage. Grab Car costs around $15 from the Airport to the Old Quarter.

Sleeper buses to Hanoi

Sleeper buses are super common in Vietnam and there are many leading to Hanoi from e.g. Da Nang, Sapa, Ha Giang etc.

I took buses from a couple of different companies during my time in Vietnam, most had the dreaded three-row seats. They’re fine but tight and often dirty. The best company (though they were not great with organisation on the actual travel day) for me was HK Buslines. They had 2 rows of big beds and there were lots of other tourists on them. I have also heard good things about Sapa Express.

Whichever company you choose, make sure to research its safety as sleeper buses in Vietnam unfortunately have a reputation for reckless driving and accidents. I didn’t meet anyone who had any issues during my time there, but it is something to keep in mind.

Train to Hanoi

Vietnam also has many long-distance trains (called the Reunification Express) coming from all over the country to Hanoi. Many of them also have beds or bunks for night routes.

As a solo, female traveller, I chose not to travel by train as the 4-bed bunk rooms (one of the highest classes you can book) is still shared with 3 complete strangers. If you are travelling with someone, I think the trains are a decent choice with nice views and overall better safety.

The official booking website for trains can be found here.

Where to stay in Hanoi?

For Hanoi, I would highly recommend to stay close to the centre. It’s both for safety reasons (though the city is super safe but it’s best to stay where most tourists are) and sightseeing. That means staying between West Lake (a bit of a walk to the centre but a huge expat community here) and the Hoàn Kiếm Lake right by old Qarter.

Check out my full accommodation guide for Hanoi here.

Best hostels and hotels in Hanoi:

🛏️Hanoi Wanderlust Hostel & Travel (my favourite in Hanoi, nice dorms right in the centre. Even cheaper to book in person)
🏬Media Central Hanoi Hotel (right in the heart of Old Quarter, good value for money)
🏩’Signature Hotel & Spa (exceptional hotel in peak location)

How to get around Hanoi?

I found Hanoi pretty walkable, especially the Old Quarter, however there are some attractions a little further out.

Grab is SUPER affordable in Vietnam, especially the motorbike taxis. They can feel daunting in the chaos of Hanoi traffic, but you get used to it quickly. They also have cars as an option if you prefer, though it’s a little more pricy.

Hanoi also has public buses that cost around 1000 VND ($0.40) for one journey. They take a little longer but Google Maps is pretty reliable with showing bus stops.

1 Day in Hanoi, Vietnam

Map of things to do in Hanoi:

Start the day with Vietnamese Coffee

While in Vietnam, I quickly became OBSESSED with their coffee. It’s just that good (and strong). So, there is no better way to start your day in Hanoi than getting a cuppa.

My favourite is Coconut Coffee, ideally the iced, blended one with roasted coconut on top (most cafes have this, a great one is Vi Anh Coffee). If you are feeling adventurous, head to eggyolk and get the egg coffee, topped with whisked egg yolks. It wasn’t my “cup of tea”, but it’s certainly a must try when in Vietnam.

Wander around Hoan Kiem Lake

Hoan Kiem Lake is a beautiful area of Hanoi and the meeting point of most Old Quarter Streets. The area around the lake is where locals and tourists alike congregate. If you wander around the lake you’ll witness all kinds of activities, from exercise classes to music to games.

The lake itself has a fascinating history. It is said that King Le Loi received a magical sword by the Golden Turtle God here to defeat the invading Ming Dynasty which he returned after victory to a golden turtle. Hence the name of the lake: Hoan Kiem means the Lake of the Returned Sword.

Here you will also find the famous Note Coffee, where people from all over the world leave little notes. I think it’s mostly worth admiring from the outside, the coffee is said to be average here.

The beautiful St Joseph’s Cathedral is also just around the corner, worth a visit. It’s one of the first buildings by French colonists and survived two wars. There’s lots of great spas here too.

Visit Ngoc Son Temple

I think this is optional, but if you have the time, stop at Ngoc Son Temple on your wander around the lake. Entry was 50,000 ($2).

It is a beautiful temple with an interesting history that you can read about inside. There is a red bridge that leads to the temple and some beautiful murals on the walls.

The biggest surprise of the visit was that inside the temple are two preserved bodies of the huge turtles that used to live in the lake. They are important to the lake’s history but be prepared, they look nothing like the cute turtles we usually picture.

Explore Hanoi Old Quarter

Hanoi Old Quarter feels like a melting pot of everything that makes out Vietnam – delicious food, affordable shopping, thousands of motorbikes and so, so many colours. It’s my favourite area of Hanoi and one that you can easily spend hours exploring.

Make sure to check out some of the special streets too like Christmas street which has Christmas decorations spilling all over the pavement year-round, or Hang Ma Street where you’ll find countless of beautiful lanterns. Other noteworthy streets are Hang Dau (Shoe Street), Hang Bac (Silver Street) and Lan Ong (Traditional Medicine Street).

While in the Old Quarter, you should also visit the many affordable outdoor clothing stores and be prepared to haggle! I’ve found that this area of Hanoi will start with very high prices compared to outside the centre or other cities. Many say to start with 40-50% of the asking price here.

There were also so many stunning souvenir and art stores in the Old Quarter (Crabit Studio was one of my favourites), so I’d really recommend just having a wander and exploring all different corners.

Enjoy Bahn Mi for lunch

I ate at least one Bahn Mi a day while in Vietnam and can confidently say it’s one of my favourite foods ever. There’s just something about the fresh, crispy sandwich that makes it so special.

One of my absolute favourite Bah Mi stores was Xoi Banh Mi Kim Huong, they have incredible vegetarian options too and it’s super fresh! Bánh Mì ơi was also delicious, though honestly it’s hard to find a bad Bahn Mi in Hanoi.

Get some bargains at Đồng Xuân Market

For even more affordable shopping and endless haggling, head to Dong Xuan Market, the city’s trading hub with over 2000 stalls. You can find anything from clothing to shoes to food to souvenirs here.

It’s also worth noting that if you walk towards the market area from Old Quarter, the shops on the streets start to offer you better prices and accept counter-offers, something that can be a struggle in the centre.

The market can get very busy and crammed, so keep your valuables close to you.

Marvel at the beautiful street murals at train street

Continue on towards Phung Hung Street which is home to the vibrant train street murals, depicting modern life and history of Hanoi. It opened in 2018 as a sort of outdoor gallery and has been a popular photo spot since.

All of the artworks had little plaques with explanations of its meaning and relation to Hanoi, which was such a great way to learn about the city in a creative way.

Experience the famous Hanoi train street

Train street is probably the most famous (and most controversial) sight of Hanoi. It has been closed and re-opened multiple times due to safety concerns and accidents caused by the train passing at this extremely close proximity.

We arrived an hour before the train to take photos and find a café, which I’d recommend as the street is jam-packed once the train has passed. Cafés here are very expensive for Vietnam standards and we unfortunately got scammed with weird card fees at RAILWAY TUAN CAFE, so I’d research possible cafés before going and especially look at the negative reviews.

Most places you have to buy a drink to stay and watch the train. Some said you have to pre-book cafes but we were able to walk into train street and find a place both times without issues. There are two parts to train street, before and after Hanoi station. Both are slightly different and beautiful, so worth having a walk through and choosing your spot before the train comes.

Also be prepared for street vendors trying to sell you something every ten seconds. Keep safety in mind when the train passes! I saw some people reach out to try and touch it, which is super stupid. If you’re filming, keep your phone or camera close to you and keep as much distance to the train as you can.

Train timetable:

This is subject to change, for most accurate contact the cafes directly.
Mon – Friday: 8.50; 9.25; 11.40; 15.20; 21.15; 21.30; 22.00.
Weekend: 8.55; 9.20; 11.50; 15.20; 17.45; 21.15; 22.00.

Have Vietnamese food for dinner

There are SO many incredible dinner options in Hanoi, it can be hard to choose. For something special, head to Bún chả Hương Liên to try the same traditional Vietnamese Bun Cha (grilled pork with noodles) that Obama and Anthony Bourdain also enjoyed.

Another great Bun Cha place is Bun Cha Dac Kim, which is Michelin certified. For a vegetarian version of the delicious meal, head to Lian Hua Vegetarian – 212 Hang Bong. Another amazing vegetarian restaurant we tried is Buffet- Lẩu Chay Phước Tuệ with an amazing vegetarian hot pot.

Little tip: The Michelin Guide is a good way to find great restaurants while avoiding the many fake reviews.