Tips for a Visit to Hanoi

Visa requirements

Americans need a visa in order to enter Vietnam.  Americans may wish to consult this site for further details about entry requirements for Vietnam: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/vietnam.html

E-visas are available for travel to Vietnam.  Instructions and applications are available online, via https://www.immigration.gov.vn/  There are other e-visa services available, but they may be less reliable and more costly than going directly with the Government of Vietnam's process.

Nationals of other countries may wish to check with the Vietnamese embassy or consulate nearest to them for entry and exit requirements for Vietnam.

Do I need any vaccinations?

It seems the main health concerns for travelers here are mosquito-borne ailments, including malaria and dengue, so travelers may wish to bring their favorite mosquito-repellent.  However, here's a link to what the experts recommend in terms of vaccinations: 

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/vietnam

May I bring prescription medication with me?

Here's a link to comprehensive expert advice for Americans traveling to Vietnam, which seems to indicate no problem for bringing personal prescription medication to Vietnam: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/vietnam.html

What's the weather like?

Travelers may wish to consult their favorite weather site for up-to-date information about and forecasts for the weather in Hanoi.  One such site might include this one:
http://www.timeanddate.com/weather/vietnam/hanoi

Getting to town and around

If arriving from an international flight, you'll arrive at the fairly new Noi Bai Airport, about 35 -45 minutes away from the Hoan Kiem Lake area.

Grab a taxi from the stand outside of the arrivals hall; should cost about VD 400,000, or about $20, to get to the Hoan Kiem Lake area, where the Metropole and the Hanoi Opera House are also landmarks.

Uber operates here, sometimes making getting around town comfortable and affordable.  Many of the Uber vehicles I've been in have been Toyota Camrys, but there are also Kias and Honda CRVs serving as Uber black vehicles.  UberX is also here.  But don't get your hopes up too much.  I've had enough disappointments with Uber that I'd just as soon hail a taxi from the street.  Taxis are plentiful and very reasonably priced - just make sure the meter's on and keep an eye on it to make sure it's working right.

Hanoi Taxi Group is great, and they have an app that I have found to be much more reliable than Uber.

House guests have told me that Hanoi Transfer Service is very good.  You can book online, and rates appear to be very reasonable.

Where to stay

The legendary Metropole Hotel, near scenic Hoan Kiem Lake and the old quarter.  Doesn't get better than this for luxurious accommodations in Hanoi.

Hilton Opera House, also near Hoan Kiem Lake, and adjacent to the Opera House.

The award-winning JW Marriott, a bit of a trek from the city center, but worth the journey.  Designed by an American architect who sought to evoke the Vietnamese legend of the dragon and the fairy, and I believe succeeded.

There are a number of budget, but (I've heard) still comfortable, hotels around, including The Conifer, near Hoan Kiem Lake, and the various Essence Hotels around the Old Quarter.

What to do

Take a tour.  You may wish to consider:

- Sophie's Art Tour

- Electric Cart Tour of Hanoi's Old Quarter

- Hanoi Street Food Tour

- Day Tours Hanoi

Relax at Anam QT Spa, in the Old Quarter (42 Hang Trong)

Stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake

Visit the Old Quarter

Check out Art Vietnam, a modern art gallery near the cathedral, steps away from Hang Gai Street, one of the main expat shopping streets in the old quarter.

Explore the Museum of Ethnology.  This is a bit of a trek from Hoan Kiem Lake, but worth a visit. The museum has two main buildings - the older one, designed to resemble a drum, focuses specifically on Vietnam and its people.  The newer building houses a collection of art from throughout Southeast Asia.  You can also wander around the extensive grounds of the property and discover examples of ancient Vietnamese housing structures and medicinal plants.  Plus, at certain times, you can watch water puppet shows. There is a stand-alone cafe on the premises.

The Women's Museum is a beautifully maintained museum, conveniently located in Central Hanoi.  Worth a visit.

Visit the Temple of Literature, an ancient complex dedicated to learning, knowledge.

Try egg coffee, a delightful concoction that tastes kind of like tiramisu.

Take in a water puppet show.

Experience Thanh Chuong's Viet Palace, a wonderland of Vietnamese art and traditional design on the outskirts of Hanoi.

Where to shop

I'd recommend spending an hour or two strolling down Hang Gai Street, near Hoan Kiem Lake. You'll come across three lovely stores: Khai Silk, Tan My Design, and Hanoi Moment - each of which offers handsomely presented and packaged higher-end products from Vietnam, in attractive spaces.  You'll find scarves and ties at Khai Silk, all kinds of home wares, clothing, and gifts at Tan My Design, and home wares and gifts at Hanoi Moment.  Across the street from Tan My Design is Tan My's embroidery shop, featuring beautiful clothing and accessories, as well as bed linens, napkins, and related items, at very good value.

Shopping virtuously:

Mekong Quilts - A non-profit organization that helps women bring their beautiful crafts to market.

Craft Link - Another non-profit organization that helps women bring their beautiful crafts to market. These crafts include scarves, beads, greeting cards, home decor items, iPad covers, purses, and the like.

Where to eat

Home (near Ho Tay/West Lake), Ngon Villa, Ly Club (near the Opera House), and Madame Hien (Old Quarter) offer Vietnamese fare in casually elegant surroundings, as do Wild Rice, Club Opera, and Club de l'Oriental, among others.  There are also any number of much more casual local restaurants and cafes around the capital, including Cha Ca La Vong, featuring the famous fish cutlets fried at your table.  A new  favorite of mine is La Verticale, where you can savor excellent French cuisine in an attractive French colonial space at very reasonable prices.

Metropole - Their French restaurant, Le Beaulieu, is charming.  They have an ample, decadent weekend brunch.  Spices Garden offers delicious Vietnamese-French cuisine.  Angelina, the upscale Italian restaurant and bar (yes, named, I understand, after Ms. Jolie) is much improved from my earlier visit - I understand there's a new chef.  I love their risottos, especially the pumpkin risotto.

Casa Italia - Great little neighborhood restaurant/cultural center.  The predominant theme of the place is the Vespa.  The fare is delicious and not exorbitantly priced.  The pizzas are all right, the daily specials are often interesting and delicious, and the desserts are pretty good.  They're open most days (including Sundays and most holidays), from 9am - 9pm.

Speaking of Italian cuisine, my new favorite spot is Mamma Mia, also in the Hoan Kiem district, near the Old Quarter.  World-class, unpretentious dining experience, from start to finish.

French Grill - Located in the beautiful JW Marriott, a bit of a hike from central Hanoi (maybe 40 minutes away from Hoan Kiem), French Grille is extraordinarily good.  Their set menu showcases the best of French cuisine, artfully presented.

Farther afield

Ha Long Bay, about a three hour's drive from Ha Noi, is worth a visit.  Altogether, it's about a two-day trip - you leave Ha Noi in the morning, explore the bay in the afternoon, overnight on a boat, explore a bit more in the morning, and then you're back in Ha Noi later that afternoon.  More information about visiting the World Heritage Site is available here.

Alternatively, there's Tam Coc - the inland Ha Long Bay, just a two-hour drive from Hanoi.

Hue and Hoi An are also worth a visit, if you have the time.  Each city is about an hour's flight from Ha Noi.  For more information about visiting Hue, click here.  For more information about Hoi An, click here.

Tour operators/Travel agencies

You may wish to consider any of the following tour operators/travel agencies to assist in making your travel plans and booking tours:

Haivenu Tours

Journeys to the East

EXO Travel

Buffalo Tours