Hanoi at a glance
Hanoi has been Vietnam's capital for over a thousand years, and the Old Quarter still traces the same 36 guild streets that gave each lane its name — Silk Street, Silver Street, Paper Street. French-era villas and a lakeside old town sit within walking distance of each other, which makes Hanoi one of the few Vietnam cities where a full day of sightseeing can run entirely on foot and cyclo rides.
For agents, Hanoi's role is usually as the gateway to the north — most Ha Long Bay cruises, Sa Pa treks and Ninh Binh day trips depart from here, and Noi Bai International Airport, about 45 minutes from the city centre, is the main entry point for northern Vietnam itineraries. Hanoi also connects south by daily domestic flights to Da Nang, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City, so it works equally well as a first-night or last-night city on a multi-centre program.
The city runs on four distinct seasons — a cool, dry winter from November to February, a warm spring, hot and humid months from May to August, and a mild autumn — so the sightseeing pace and clothing advice you give clients changes noticeably by month, which is worth flagging when you quote a travel date.
Top experiences
Old Quarter walking tour
36 guild streets, colonial architecture and street-food stalls, best explored on foot in the early evening.
Ho Chi Minh Complex
The Mausoleum, Presidential Palace grounds and the stilt house where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked.
Temple of Literature
Vietnam's first national university, founded in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius.
Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple
The city's spiritual centre, linked by a red wooden bridge to a lake-island temple.
Museum of Ethnology
An indoor and outdoor museum covering Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups, useful for cultural-interest groups.
Ninh Binh day trip
Tam Coc boat rides through limestone karst and rice paddies, plus Bai Dinh Pagoda, about 2 hours south.
Practical information
| Best time to visit | November to February (cool, dry); hot and humid May-August |
| Getting there | Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), about 45 minutes from the city centre |
| Getting around | Taxi, Grab, cyclo in the Old Quarter, walking |
| Onward connections | Domestic flights to Da Nang, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City; road transfer to Ha Long Bay (2.5-3.5 hrs) and Ninh Binh (2 hrs) |
| Currency | Vietnamese Dong (VND) |
Our packages featuring Hanoi
Every Hanoi itinerary can be resequenced or extended with Ha Long Bay, Sa Pa or a run south to Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City — share your client's dates and group size and we will return a day-by-day plan with hotel options.