Two days in Hanoi
Saturday is phở, Hoan Kiem, and the bia hơi corner. Sunday is the mausoleum before 10:15, then the ethnology museum and West Lake.
| Day | Where | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanoi | Old Hanoi, then bia hơi |
| 2 | Hanoi | Mausoleum, ethnology, West Lake |
1 Day 1: Old Hanoi, then bia hơi
Eat phở before you walk. Keep the citadel if you still want the walls on this day.
- Phở first. Phở Thin is the bowl with a following.
- Hoan Kiem Lake, then Ngoc Son Temple on the island. The lake path is free. The Ngoc Son ticket is 50,000 VND. Hours differ by source.
- A cyclo through the Old Quarter when your feet need a break. Silk Street is Hàng Gai.
- Lunch at Spices Garden in the Metropole, 780,000 VND for the Vietnamese buffet, or the stalls on Ngõ Tràng Tiền, about two dollars a plate.
- Temple of Literature after a street coffee. The daytime adult ticket is 70,000 VND.
- The citadel, if you still want it today. An adult ticket is 100,000 VND.
- Evening food: barbecue chicken on Lý Văn Phức, or phở cuốn on Ngũ Xã by Trúc Bạch.
- Bia hơi where Tạ Hiện meets Lương Ngọc Quyến. A glass is 15,000 VND.
Search Old Quarter hotels for the night.
2 Day 2: Mausoleum, ethnology, West Lake
Reach the mausoleum before 10:15. That is the last entry. The building is closed from 4 September through 4 November.
- Egg coffee at Giảng to start.
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Dress modestly and go early. Free on the operator FAQ, and 40,000 VND on Vietnam Tourism.
- One Pillar Pagoda while you are in Ba Dinh. The ticket is 25,000 VND.
- Bún chả. The queued bowl is Bún chả Hương Liên.
- Museum of Ethnology, a 20-minute taxi from the centre. The adult ticket is 40,000 VND and covers the complex. The water-puppet show there is at 14:00.
- West Lake on the way back. A bike from Hanoi Bicycle Collective is 60,000 VND for up to six hours. The lake fee is Check on arrival.
- Evening: rượu at Highway 4, then a rooftop. The Summit, on the Pan Pacific, is the named seat.
Stops
-
Pho
Start with a bowl. Phở Thin is the named shop.
-
Hoan Kiem Lake
The lake path is free. Walk it after phở.
-
Ngoc Son Temple
On the island at the north end. The ticket is 50,000 VND. Hours differ by source.
-
Temple of Literature
After lunch. The daytime adult ticket is 70,000 VND.
-
Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
Still on day one if you want the walls. An adult ticket is 100,000 VND.
-
Pho cuon
Saturday evening alternative, on Ngũ Xã by Trúc Bạch.
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Egg coffee
Sunday starts at Giảng with cà phê trứng.
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Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Last entry is 10:15. Closed 4 September through 4 November. Free on the operator FAQ, and 40,000 VND on Vietnam Tourism.
-
One Pillar Pagoda
The ticket is 25,000 VND.
-
Bun cha
Bún chả Hương Liên is the named bowl.
-
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Adult ticket 40,000 VND. Water puppets in the garden at 14:00.
20 min by taxi. About 20 minutes by taxi from the centre.
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Water puppets
The ethnology garden show is at 14:00. A separate theatre ticket is Check on arrival.
-
West Lake
On the way back from the museum. The lake fee is Check on arrival. A bike rental is 60,000 VND for up to six hours.
