The Turtle Tower on Hoàn Kiếm Lake in Hanoi, with the Central Post Office behind
  1. Home
  2. Destinations
  3. Vietnam
  4. Hanoi
  5. 1 day itinerary

Hanoi in 1 day

  • 1 day
  • 8.5 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

One day in Hanoi goes a long way if you get up early. This plan is for travellers passing through, before heading out to the bay or after a long flight: three walking routes linking the Old Quarter, imperial Hanoi and the city of lake legends. No lengthy museums; instead you get the city's pulse, its hidden temples and two of its best-loved dishes.

One day in HanoiA thousand years in a single day

Head out early, while the light is still soft, for “From the iron bridge to the Opera”: Long Biên Bridge, Đồng Xuân Market in full swing and Hoàn Kiếm Lake before the heat kicks in. Have bún chả at Đắc Kim on Hàng Mành and hop in a Grab to the Temple of Literature: in the afternoon, “A thousand years of Thăng Long” carries on through the Imperial Citadel to Ba Đình Square. As the sun goes down, head back to the centre for “Sacred turtles, a magic sword and jailbreaks”, from Hỏa Lò Prison to the White Horse Temple, and eat chả cá on the street named after it.

  1. Morning

    From the iron bridge to the Opera: Hanoi highlights

    Mixed · 3.1 km · 2 h

    1. Long Biên BridgeAn iron bridge from 1902 that survived the bombing and, despite what you may hear, was not designed by Eiffel.
    2. Đồng Xuân MarketThe Old Quarter's great covered market, built by the French in 1889 and rebuilt after a fire.
    3. 87 Mã Mây Ancient HouseA merchants' tube house, restored with help from Toulouse, that shows how people lived in the Old Quarter.
    4. Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ngọc Sơn TempleThe heart of Hanoi: a lake, a red bridge and a temple dedicated to letters and to an unbeatable general.
    5. Hanoi Opera House (Nhà hát Lớn)A little Palais Garnier in the tropics, whose square launched the August Revolution of 1945.
    6. National Museum of HistoryA building blending France and Asia, created for the school of Orientalists that uncovered ancient Vietnam.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Bún chả at Bún chả Đắc Kim. Phố Hàng Mành, 1

  3. Afternoon

    A thousand years of Thăng Long: from mandarin academy to Ba Đình

    History · 3.2 km · 2 h 5 min

    1. Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu)The temple to Confucius that housed Vietnam's first university for seven centuries.
    2. Flag Tower of Hanoi (Cột cờ Hà Nội)The brick lookout that survived when the French tore down the citadel.
    3. Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long: Đoan Môn GateThe south gate through which emperors entered the heart of a thousand years of power.
    4. North Gate (Cửa Bắc)The only citadel gate still standing bears the wounds of the French attack of 1882.
    5. Ba Đình Square and Hồ Chí Minh MausoleumThe square where independence was declared in 1945, and the mausoleum its protagonist never wanted.
    6. One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột)A tiny shrine on a single pillar, born of an imperial dream and rebuilt after being blown up.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Early evening

    Sacred turtles, a magic sword and jailbreaks: legendary Hanoi

    Mysteries & legends · 2.2 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Hỏa Lò Prison (Maison Centrale)The colonial jail American pilots called the "Hanoi Hilton", from which a hundred prisoners escaped through the sewers.
    2. St Joseph's Cathedral (Nhà thờ Lớn)A neo-Gothic cathedral built on the site of a pagoda whose twelve-storey tower vanished without trace.
    3. Turtle Tower (Tháp Rùa)In the middle of the Lake of the Returned Sword, a tower full of rumours: vanished coffins and a Statue of Liberty.
    4. Ngọc Sơn Temple and the lake turtleThe Temple of the Jade Mountain keeps the body of a giant turtle from the lake, a creature caught between science and myth.
    5. White Horse Temple (Đền Bạch Mã)The Old Quarter's oldest temple keeps the legend of the horse that showed the emperor where to build the walls.
    6. Ô Quan Chưởng GateThe last gate of the old city wall, and the mystery of an officer said to have died defending it.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Chả cá Lã Vọng at Chả Cá Lã Vọng. Phố Chả Cá, 14

The map

Hanoi in 1 day, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Hanoi in 1 day

  • To cross through the scooters, walk slowly and at a steady pace, without running or stopping suddenly: riders steer around you as long as they can read where you are going.
  • Keep shoulders and knees covered, or carry a scarf in your bag: it is expected at the Temple of Literature, in pagodas and around the mausoleum.
  • The Old Quarter and the Temple of Literature are a fair way apart; a Grab spares you a walk along traffic-choked avenues and saves your energy for the afternoon.

Questions

Hanoi in 1 day: your questions

Can you see Hanoi in one day?

The essentials, yes: the Old Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm Lake, the Temple of Literature, the Citadel and Ba Đình all fit into one long day. What gets left out is unhurried museum time, West Lake and the water puppets; that is what the 2-day plan is for.

How many kilometres will I walk?

The three routes add up to about 8.5 km: 3.1 km in the morning, 3.2 km in the afternoon and 2.2 km at dusk. Walking to lunch and dinner adds a bit more, but the Grab ride to the Temple of Literature cuts out the most tiring stretch.

Can I visit the Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum on the same day?

It only opens for a few hours in the morning and closes on certain weekdays and for maintenance periods, so check the opening times. If it is a must for you, go first thing and do the Old Quarter route afterwards; the afternoon route passes it from outside.

Other itineraries for 1 day

Hanoi

More or less time?

2 day itinerary 3 day itinerary All about Hanoi