Hanoi itinerary
7 days, hour by hour · VietnamOctober–May
- Days
- 7
- Stops
- 33
- Per day
- ≈ 857,150 VND
- First stop
- 07:00
Short answer
The TripWalkers Hanoi itinerary runs 7 days and lays out 33 stops, hour by hour, for October–May. The first three days:
- Day 1 Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem
- Day 2 Ho Chi Minh complex and Temple of Literature
- Day 3 Train Street, French Quarter and egg coffee
Staying less? Start with the first days — TripWalkers uses the opening days of this plan for shorter trips too. Days 4 and 5 are day trips out of the city. Food, entry fees and local transport come to about 857,150 VND a day (excluding accommodation and flights).
Day 1 · 07:00–13:15
Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem
Nature
Hoan Kiem Lake
Tai chi and aerobics in the morning; The Huc Bridge and Ngoc Son Temple (30,000 VND), Turtle Tower.
FreeFood
Pho Gia Truyen Bat Dan
Hanoi's legendary pho bo, open since 1966; pay in the queue and carry your bowl to a table.
≈ 60,000 VND per personLandmark
Hanoi Old Quarter 36 Sokak
Guild streets (Hang Ma for paper, Hang Bac for silver); the old house at 87 Ma May (10,000 VND).
FreeShopping
Dong Xuan Market
The Old Quarter's wholesale market, with street food behind it.
FreeFood
Bun Cha Huong Lien
The bun cha Obama and Bourdain ate: grilled pork patties with noodles, on Le Van Huu.
≈ 80,000 VND per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Bun Cha Ta HanoiBun cha in the Old Quarter; an alternative to Huong Lien.
- Bach Ma TempleHanoi's oldest temple, inside the Old Quarter.
Day 2 · 08:00–15:15
Ho Chi Minh complex and Temple of Literature
Culture
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
The embalmed body of Uncle Ho; open 08:00-11:00 in the morning, closed Monday and Friday, no shorts, silent queue.
FreeCulture
Ho Chi Minh Stilt House & One Pillar Pagoda
A wooden stilt house and the single-pillar pagoda, right next to the mausoleum.
≈ 40,000 VND per personCulture
Temple of Literature
A Confucian temple from 1070 and Vietnam's first university; stelae resting on turtles.
≈ 70,000 VND per personFood
KOTO Van Mieu
A social enterprise restaurant that trains street children; opposite the temple.
≈ 150,000 VND per person- 1 h · travel, break, free time
Culture
Hoa Lo Prison
The "Hanoi Hilton": a French guillotine and the cells of American pilots, air-conditioned.
≈ 50,000 VND per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Cha Ca Thang LongTurmeric fish fried in a pan (cha ca), a Hanoi speciality.
- Vietnam Museum of Ethnology54 ethnic groups, with tribal houses in the garden; an alternative to the prison.
Day 3 · 09:00–14:15
Train Street, French Quarter and egg coffee
Landmark
Hanoi Train Street
Cafes along Train Street (entry with a cafe purchase); ask the cafe for train times, as access is sometimes closed.
≈ 50,000 VND per personCulture
St. Joseph's Cathedral
A neo-Gothic cathedral with cafes around it.
FreeFood
Cafe Giang
The inventor of egg coffee (ca phe trung), since 1946; on Nguyen Huu Huan.
≈ 35,000 VND per personLandmark
Hanoi Opera House & French Quarter
Colonial boulevards; the Metropole hotel and the opera house facade.
FreeFood
Quan An Ngon Phan Boi Chau
Street food stalls gathered under one roof in a garden; try everything.
≈ 120,000 VND per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Cafe DinhGiang's sister's hidden cafe with a lake view; egg coffee.
- National Museum of Vietnamese HistoryHistory in a colonial building, next to the opera house.
Day 4 · 10:00–16:00Day trip
Ha Long Bay
Nature
Ha Long Bay Boat Tour
2.5 hours from Hanoi (by expressway); a day tour (~1,200,000 VND, lunch included) or a 1-night cruise (~2-3 million), among 1,600 limestone islands.
≈ 1,200,000 VND per personFood
Ha Long Seafood Lunch on Board
Included in the tour; prawns and squid.
FreeNature
Sung Sot Cave
The Surprise Cave, with stalactites; included in the tour.
FreeNature
Ti Top Island
A beach, and 400 steps up to a view over the bay; kayaking is optional.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Lan Ha Bay TourA quieter neighbouring bay (Cat Ba); an alternative to Ha Long.
- Ha Long City Seafood MarketA market restaurant on land.
Day 5 · 09:00–16:30Day trip
Ninh Binh
Nature
Trang An Boat Tour
2 hours from Hanoi; a 3-hour river tour by rowed sampan through caves, the Ha Long of the land, UNESCO-listed.
≈ 250,000 VND per personCulture
Bai Dinh Pagoda
Southeast Asia's largest pagoda complex, with 500 arhat statues.
FreeFood
Ninh Binh Goat Meat Restaurant
Ninh Binh's specialities: de nui (goat) and com chay (crispy rice).
≈ 150,000 VND per person- 30 min · travel, break, free time
Nature
Hang Mua Viewpoint
500 steps up the dragon hill; views over the Tam Coc rice fields (yellow in May-June).
≈ 100,000 VND per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Tam Coc Boat Tour2 hours among rice fields; an alternative to Trang An.
- Trang An Restaurant Ninh BinhA restaurant by the Trang An dock; fish instead of goat.
Day 6 · 08:30–17:30
West Lake and Bat Trang
Culture
Tran Quoc Pagoda
A 6th-century pagoda on West Lake; best in morning light.
FreeNature
West Lake Walk Quang Ba
The lake's east shore; flower market in the morning, cafes.
Free- 45 min · travel, break, free time
Shopping
Bat Trang Ceramic Village
13 km from Hanoi; a 700-year-old pottery village where you can make your own bowl in a workshop (50,000 VND).
FreeFood
Bat Trang Village Restaurant
Pho and banh cuon in the village.
≈ 100,000 VND per person- 2 h 30 min · travel, break, free time
Landmark
Long Bien Bridge
Eiffel's iron bridge; trains and motorbikes at sunset, banana groves below.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Banh Cuon Gia Truyen Thanh TriSteamed rice rolls, a breakfast classic.
- Lotte Observation DeckOn the 65th floor; a view instead of the bridge.
Day 7 · 09:30–14:00
Water puppet morning, easy farewell
Culture
Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
Water puppet show (if there is a morning session; evening at 17:00); Hoan Kiem.
≈ 100,000 VND per personShopping
Hang Gai Silk Shops
The silk street; good for souvenirs.
FreeFood
Banh Mi 25
Hanoi's famous banh mi, on Hang Ca.
≈ 40,000 VND per personFood
Ta Hien Bia Hoi Corner
A corner for fresh draught beer; quiet at midday, a farewell toast.
≈ 15,000 VND per personLandmark
Noi Bai Airport Bus 86
45 minutes from the Old Quarter on bus 86; time to say goodbye.
Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
- Xoi YenA sticky rice (xoi) classic.
- Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic MuralA 4 km ceramic wall; an alternative to the silk shops.
Good to know: 6 things that make a Hanoi trip easier
- Grab (motorbike/car) is cheap; the Old Quarter is walkable, so cross among the motorbikes at a steady pace. For Ha Long and Ninh Binh, a tour (hotel pickup included) is the most practical.
- October to December is best (20-25°C, dry); January to March is 10-15°C, grey and drizzly, so bring a cardigan; shops are closed during Tet (January-February).
- Pho 50-70,000 VND, bun cha 70-80,000, egg coffee 35,000, bia hoi 10-15,000; bring cash in small notes.
- The mausoleum is closed Monday and Friday and open in the morning only; cover shoulders and knees in temples, and keep quiet in the mausoleum.
- Access to Train Street varies; cafe owners will tell you the times, and keep away from the tracks.
- Haggle 30-50% at markets; use Grab for taxis, as street taxi meters can be rigged.
Spending: ≈ 6,000,000 VND per person for 7 days
- Food2,200,000 VND
- Entry and tours2,400,000 VND
- Local transport900,000 VND
- Other500,000 VND
Excludes accommodation and flights. 2026 price estimate, per person.
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Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Hanoi?
This itinerary is built for 7 days. With 3 days, do the first 3 — TripWalkers uses the opening days of the plan for shorter trips too. The day trip is on day 4 and 5; skip it on a short stay.
How much does a day in Hanoi cost?
In this plan, food, entry fees and local transport come to about 857,150 VND per person per day. Accommodation and flights are not included. Figures are 2026 estimates.
What time should you start the day in Hanoi?
The first stop is at 07:00. Most days start early so you arrive before the crowds, and evenings end with dinner.
Which season is this itinerary for?
This page covers October–May. There is a separate plan for June–September: opening hours, the sea and the weather change the route.