How many days do you need in Hanoi?
Three days. That is the length of the itinerary we built for Hanoi.
Here is what each day holds. Every stop below carries its time, and every gap says how to get to the next stop, with the walk or drive time wherever both stops are mapped.
Hanoi ¡ 3 days Vietnam
Best time: October to April is drier and cooler, with a crisp autumn in October and November.
Old Quarter and Hoan KiemDay 1
đ8:30 AMHoan Kiem Lake
Start with a loop of the central lake and cross the red Huc Bridge to the small Ngoc Son Temple on its island.
đļ ~10 min ¡ đ ~1 min ¡ 0.4 mi
đ12:00 PMOld Quarter
Lose an afternoon in the 36 ancient trade streets, each historically named for its craft, and sit down to a lunch of grilled bun cha.
đļ ~9 min ¡ đ ~1 min ¡ 0.3 mi
đŊī¸6:00 PMDong Xuan Market
The largest covered market in the old town, busiest in the evening, with a street-food night market spilling from its edges on weekends.
Ba Dinh districtDay 2
đ8:00 AMHo Chi Minh Mausoleum
Arrive early for the monumental granite mausoleum on Ba Dinh Square; dress modestly and expect airport-style security and no bags.
đļ ~15 min ¡ đ ~2 min ¡ 0.6 mi
âŠī¸11:00 AMTemple of Literature
Vietnam's first university, founded in 1070, a series of walled courtyards and lotus ponds honoring Confucius and generations of scholars.
đļ ~36 min ¡ đ ~5 min ¡ 1.3 mi
đ5:30 PMTran Quoc Pagoda
The city's oldest Buddhist pagoda, on a tiny peninsula in West Lake, glowing at sunset behind its red tower.
French QuarterDay 3
đ9:00 AMHoa Lo Prison
The preserved fragment of the colonial-era prison, sobering exhibits on both its French and wartime history.
đļ ~9 min ¡ đ ~1 min ¡ 0.3 mi
âĒ12:30 PMSt Joseph's Cathedral
The neo-Gothic cathedral whose weathered facade anchors a cluster of cafes; the surrounding lanes are the place for an afternoon egg coffee.
đļ ~9 min ¡ đ ~1 min ¡ 0.3 mi
đ6:00 PMOld Quarter
Return to the lantern-lit old town for a last street-food crawl of banh mi, pho, and cold bia hoi on a low stool.
This is how Petrel lays out a trip. Upload your own confirmations and it builds this for your dates: flights and hotels included, with live flight status and the travel time between stops.
This is one of 126 free itineraries. Open it, change anything you want, and it becomes your trip.