24 HOURS IN HANOI: THE HIGHLIGHTS

Arrival: From Nội Bài International Airport, take an official airport taxi to your hotel. Use the official taxi stand on the island across from the exit doors.  Check the official sign at the taxi stand for latest flat fare).  Do not, under any circumstances, accept a ride from someone intercepting you in the airport lobby offering to ‘help’ you or offering you a taxi ride, even if it’s at the going fare - just push your way through the gauntlet and head out to the official queue.  Driving time:  Approximately 45 minutes from the airport to most places downtown.  West Lake area will be closer. Itinerary at a Glance: Ba Đình Square > Temple of Literature > lunch at Quan An Ngon > Old Quarter walk dinner at Highway 4 > optional stroll around Hoàn Kiếm Lake or after dinner drinks A Day in Hanoi Breakfast: Ask your hotel to recommend a nearby pho stall, or go for a bowl at Phở bò Gia Truyền, at 49 Bát Đàn Street on your way up to Ba Đình Square; if your hotel is near the Opera House (Nhà Hát Lớn) or south of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, tryPhở Thìn at no. 13 Lò Đúc.  Driving time from Hoàn Kiếm Lake to Ba Đình Square: < 15 minutes AM: Soak in the expansive Ba Đình Square and imposing Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.  If you arrive between 8AM and 11AM, Tuesday-Thursday, or on the weekend, you can go inside to pay your respects to Uncle Ho.  The viewing is free, but you’ll still need to stop by the bag check and wait in line to be escorted in.  If you a not a fan of the embalmed look, visit Ho Chi Minh’s residence instead, including his wooden stilt house and gardens.  The residence is open daily between 7:30AM and 4PM, but closes for lunch between 11AM and 1:30PM.  Another quick but interesting stop in this area is the Chùa Một Cột (One Pillar Pagoda). If the weather is nice, consider walking from Ba Đình Square to the Templeof Literature.  Walk down Điện Biên Phủ, say hello to Lenin’s statue in the small park directly across from the Army Museum, then head West on Trần Phú Street.  Turn left at Phố Hoàng Diệu, then right on either Cao Bá Quát or Nguyễn Thái Học; head straight down (South) Phố Văn Miếu, which runs along the eastern wall of the Temple of Literature.  Near the end of the street, you will see Craft Link, KOTO, and Pho 24 on your left.  Turn right along the wall and you will see the main entrance of the Temple of Literature immediately on your right.  Approximate walking time:  30 minutes.  If it’s hot, take a taxi. Driving time:  < 10 minutes Rest stops: Stop to enjoy a coffee or cool drink at Highlands Coffee under the trees just inside the walls of the Army Museum, on Điện Biên Phủ.  Or, wait until you arrive at the Temple of Literature and either duck into KOTOto enjoy a coffee or fruit shake, or snack on a bowl of pho at Pho 24, both around the corner from the main entrance.    Soak up the history, quiet gardens, traditional architecture and scholarly atmosphere at the Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu).  Rub the head of a stone tortoise supporting the scholars stellae for luck in studies.  And keep on going through the series of courtyards and buildings until you reach the one with the museum (of sorts) inside, flanked by bell and drum towers.  To get to this last area, you’ll have to skirt around the actual temple structure on a narrow walkway.   Note:  Don’t buy anything (except maybe postcards) in the gift shop at the Temple of Literature, or you will pay at least 10 times more than just about anywhere else. If you have time before you move on to lunch, stop by Craft Link (note: they close for lunch between 12:15 and 1:15PM), also on Văn Miếu Street, just a few yards up from KOTO and Pho 24, which is a quality non-profit handicraft cooperative offering great one stop shopping for a range of tableware and house wares. Lunch: Feast at Quan An Ngon Restaurant, sampling street food from all regions of Vietnam.  If the menu is too overwhelming, simply browse the stalls around the perimeter and point at anything that looks interesting.  Take a taxi from the Temple of Literature.  It’s walkable, but the route is a torrent of motorbikes, cars and buses, and is not very pleasant for pedestrians. Driving time: < 10 minutes Afternoon: Explore the Old Quarter on foot (or by pedicab, but you’ll have a lot more flexibility to nose around if you are on foot). You can pretty much make your own route through the narrow winding streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter.  Of the guidebooks, Insight Guide’s Hanoi book offers the best detailed descriptions of different walking routes with an excellent accompanying map.  Even without a map, it’s a very small city, so you can wander at will and if you get lost, just ask for Hồ Hoàn Kiếm (Hoàn Kiếm Lake) and people will point you back toward the lake. Barebones shopping geography:  North of the lake, you can find all you need and more without going further from the Hàng Bè, Hàng Bạc, Đinh Liệt, Cầu Gỗ loop. For those interested in propaganda art, there are two shops north of the lake, one on Hàng Bạc (between Hàng Ngang and Đinh Liệt, on the north side) and the other on Cầu Gỗ (between Hàng Bè and the alley leading to the Hàng Bè market, on the north side). There is another interesting propaganda art store near St. Joseph Cathedral.  Facing the cathedral, head left on Nhà Chung street; keep your eyes peeled on the same side of the street as the church.  You will see a small sign and a small metal spiral staircase in a small recessed area.  Head up the stairs and you’ll find the shop.  Don’t mistake the run of the mill propaganda poster shop across the street for this place. To the west of the lake, Hàng Gai is chock full of silk shops, Hàng Hòm haslacquerware and bamboohandbags, bed and table linens, home décor andclothing.  For ceramics shopping that’s a cut above what you’ll see everywhere else in design and quality, try Hanoi Moment at no. 101 Hàng Gai Street.  For cotton bedding, quilts and embroidered linens (including great children’s items), visit Tân Mỹ, at both no. 66 Hàng Gai and around the corner at no. 62 Hàng Trống.  Two popular shops that sell house wares, and home furnishings are Dome, at no. 71-B6 Hàng Trống, near the intersection with Nhà Thờ, and Mosaique, at no. 22 Nhà Thờ, to your right as you face the cathedral. tableware and home wares, and Hàng Trống and Phố Nhà Thờ are lined with all manners of Hanoi’s high end shops selling Besides soaking up the busy street scenes, fascinating store fronts and French colonial architectural detail, there is shopping for local trinkets and handicrafts on pretty much every street and corner.  Do not miss the openHàng Bè Market that runs east-west on a small alley between Hàng Bè and Đinh Liệt, parallel to and between Hàng Bạc and Cầu Gỗ.  Also take the time to wander over the little red arched bridge to Ngọc Sơn Temple at the northeast corner of Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Rest stops in the Old Quarter:  Slogging through Hanoi’s frenetic streets and sometimes earsplitting traffic will take its toll on you.  Sneak up to the top floor of the Secret Café at the head of Hàng Gai, or rest your feet and clear your head at Hapro Coffee (formerly Highlands Coffee) on Hoàn Kiếm Lake.  Small cafes and restaurants are also dotted around St. Joseph Cathedral.  To escape inside but keep an eye on the activity below, head upstairs to Highlands Coffee or Legends Beer at the top of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, on the east side of the traffic circle.  A seat on the balcony will offer a mesmerizing perspective on the vehicular chaos below.  If you opt to stay on the street, stop and try a local bia hơi anywhere you see a plastic keg (yellow on both ends, with a green belly); there’s usually a small sign propped nearby indicating the price per glass. (1,500-3,000 Dong) Dinner: Highway 4 (Hàng Tre or Mai Hắc Đế locations). If you are exploring the Old Quarter, you may want visit the Hàng Tre restaurant, since you can walk over.  Approximate walking time:  10 minutes from the traffic circle at the top of Hoàn Kiếm Lake The rooftop seating at the Mai Hắc Đế location offers a nice al fresco dining option and after dinner, you can also walk up Phố Huế/Hàng Bài back toward Hoàn Kiếm Lake, experiencing Hanoi’s street life at night.  The road will be packed with young people on motorbikes, heading out for the evening or just catching a breeze.  Driving time:  10 minutes from the traffic circle at the top of Hoàn Kiếm Lake PM: Enjoy a walk around Hoàn Kiếm Lake, observing the night life and traffic around the lake.  You’ll see dancing or aerobics in front of the statue of Lý Thái Tổ, hordes of young couples huddled together on the backs of motorbikes.  If it’s summer, stop at Fanny’s Ice Cream, across from the Hapro Coffee on the southwest corner of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, to sample some lychee, durian, or soursop sorbet (the dark chocolate is also excellent). Estimated time for an idle lap around the lake:  45 minutes to one hour. Or, watch the action through the giant plate glass window from the bar ofBobby Chinn’s.  To escape the din entirely, retreat for a quiet drink at theLy Club, or Le Club Bar in the Sofitel Metropole Hotel.  Check our Night Life in Hanoi page for more late night options. Departure: Most international flights have a late night departure out of Nội Bài Airport.  Allow an hour for the drive to the airport, just to be safe.  The same companies that run airport taxis from the airport also have fixed rates for rides out to the airport (VND150,000 from Nội Bài and VND120,000 from Hanoi to Nội Bài).  These are much cheaper than taking a taxi out on the meter.  Note that it costs more for a ride out than a ride in.  Keep a card from the company if you are satisfied with your trip in, and be sure to call a day ahead to book a pick up at your hotel.