Where to Stay in Hanoi
Budget to Luxury

November 30, 2025
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Vietnam’s capital is a buzzing maze of flavourful street food, affordable stores, amazing coffee and thousands of motorbikes. The best way to explore the city and get a feel for its lively atmosphere is by walking around, grabbing one of the tiny plastic stools for a local meal when hunger strikes. But where is best to stay in Hanoi and what are the price points to expect?

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Table of Contents

Where to stay in Hanoi, Vietnam for any traveller:

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.

Vietnam is super affordable and while accommodation in Hanoi is some of the priciest in the country, basic hotel rooms start at just $20 a night with luxury stays at only about $100. Hostel dorms can be as cheap as $7 per night.

Affordable hostels in Hanoi

Hanoi Wanderlust Hostel & Travel (my favourite in Hanoi, nice dorms right in the centre. Even cheaper to book in person)
Wanderlust Station Hostel (a little outside the centre but great prices and decent rooms)

Hotels at different price points in Hanoi:

$ Moonlight Tay Ho (located by West Lake, kind owners and a great price)

$ Evelyn Indochine Chic in Central Hanoi (a great, budget-friendly stay, not too far walk from Old Quarter)

$$ Media Central Hanoi Hotel (right in the heart of Old Quarter, good value for money)

$$ Le Premier Hotel & Rooftop Bar (one of the best hotels in Hanoi at a fair price)

$$$ H Hôtel L’Art Hanoi (lovely spacious rooms)

$$$ L’Signature Hotel & Spa (exceptional hotel in peak location)

When is the best time of year to visit Hanoi?

While Hanoi is an interesting destination year-round, I would avoid it in the rainy season. For Northern Vietnam this is May until early November. I visited in November and had occasionally downpours, but usually October and November are drier than this year.

December to February are dry if a little cooler. March is sometimes referred to as the ideal month, though I think it depends on the year.

How many days should I spend in Hanoi?

I would recommend three to four days in Hanoi. I personally split this up and did two days when I arrived in Vietnam and two after doing the North (Sapa, Ha Giang).

4 days allows for a day trip to Ha Long Bay for example while still enough time to explore all that Hanoi has to offer (about 2 days) and a day for shopping and souvenirs.

Is Hanoi safe to visit?

As a solo, female traveller, I felt very safe in Vietnam and Hanoi. Even at night, it was fine to walk around and grab a Banh Mi at one of the stores. I was honestly surprised by just how safe Vietnam felt, even compared to nearby countries like Thailand. I was never bothered negatively here and even stares were minimal.

I would recommend to stick to the touristy areas, especially at night and keep your wits about you, as with any destination.

What was more common in Hanoi was scams, so be a little careful with buying off the street and ALWAYS ask them to show the card machine before tapping. I had a few bad surprises where they charged more without telling me or showing me the machine. Some were even weird about me wanting to see the card machine before tapping, leave those stores if that happens!