Best things to do in Hanoi

Visit Hoan Kiem Lake / Turtle Tower

Hoan Kiem Lake is situated in the middle of Hanoi city. If you look for some peace and want to get away from the noise, busy and hectic Hanoi traffic, Hoan Kiem Lake is the place to go to. My host child told me that once there was a Vietnamese king defeating a Chinese king with the help of a golden sward. One day he was walking along the lake and a turtle came and took his sword. The name of the lake means “The lake of the returned sward”. Today there is a Turtle Tower in the middle of the lake in honour of the turtle.

Stoll through the markets

Have a look around the markets. You will not only find cheap clothes and souvenirs to buy, but also lots of exotic fruit and the most delicious food you can imagine. “Dong Xuan Market” is the largest market and you can find everything from fruit and vegetables to clothes, sunglasses, suitcases and bags and much more.

Walk along Train Street

One must-see every tourist goes to when in Hanoi is Train Street. The street is crowded with tourists all trying to get the best shot for their Instagram page. This place is pretty unique. Train Street is surrounded by buildings which serve as a home to locals and café shops where tourists enjoy their smoothies and fruit juices. Twice a day a train passes straight through the narrow street.

Visit Hoa Lo Prison Museum

While I was pretty disappointed with The Vietnam Military History Museum and all its propaganda and questionable information, I highly recommend Hoa Lo Prison Museum. The museum focuses on the Vietnamese struggle for independence from France and give lots of details to the conditions they lived in. I often was totally shocked by the cruelty and the things that were done to the prisoners. Towards the end of the museum the focus lies on the Vietnam War (or American War, how it is called in Vietnam) Again, very interesting with lots of emotional pictures and information. Unfortunately, a few facts were left out and certain information was not given in order to make the Vietnamese appear in a better light. However, I still recommend this place. Note: Definitely get an audio guide. Of course you can walk through the museum and merely read your way through. You will be missing out a lot though. The audio guide provides you with stories from prisoners who wrote about their life in prison.

Walk around in Old Quarter

One of the main districts and main tourist destination is Old Quarter. When you walk along Old Quarter there will be lots of shops with cheap clothes, post cards and souvenirs on one side, while multiple motorbikes and cars are hectically passing you on the other side. Watch were you are going! Don’t expect any motorbike driver to stop simply because you want to cross the road at a zebra crossing.

Visit the Vietnamese Women’s Museum

This museum depicts the role of Vietnamese women in Vietnam’s society and culture. You are provided with information about Vietnam’s history and what role women played in it, which clothes they wore, what jobs they had, etc. For me the most striking part was the section about women in the Vietnam War. Not only did they fight just like their male counterparts, they also had to face much more difficulties then males. One story of a woman in the war got stuck in my head. During the war they often could not stop to clean themselves and when on their period, they would have to continue bleeding and had to hope that the rats don’t bite their private parts in the night.

Take a trip to Bat Trang Pottery Village

Vietnam is famous for its pottery. The village is situated in an area that is rich in clay and lies beside Red River. Therefore, it has always been easy for the villagers to create pottery and trade it. By walking through the market you can find plates, bowls, little Buddhas, bracelets, cups, and so much more.

Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda

Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest pagoda in Hanoi (from 6th century) and is located on an island in West Lake, the biggest lake in Hanoi. It is free to enter but keep in mind that you have to cover you shoulders and don’t forget to take off your shoes.