Hanoi is Vietnam's thousand-year-old capital, a layered city of a lakeside Old Quarter, wide French-colonial boulevards, and the solemn Ba Dinh government district. Three days covers the core neighborhoods, the national monuments, and a proper amount of sidewalk eating.
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
📍8:30 AM
Hoan 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.
🚶 ~10 min · 🚗 ~1 min · 0.4 mi
🌆12:00 PM
Old 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.
🚶 ~9 min · 🚗 ~1 min · 0.3 mi
🍽️6:00 PM
Dong 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
📍8:00 AM
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Arrive early for the monumental granite mausoleum on Ba Dinh Square; dress modestly and expect airport-style security and no bags.
🚶 ~15 min · 🚗 ~2 min · 0.6 mi
⛩️11:00 AM
Temple of Literature
Vietnam's first university, founded in 1070, a series of walled courtyards and lotus ponds honoring Confucius and generations of scholars.
🚶 ~36 min · 🚗 ~5 min · 1.3 mi
📍5:30 PM
Tran 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
📍9:00 AM
Hoa Lo Prison
The preserved fragment of the colonial-era prison, sobering exhibits on both its French and wartime history.
🚶 ~9 min · 🚗 ~1 min · 0.3 mi
⛪12:30 PM
St 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.
🚶 ~9 min · 🚗 ~1 min · 0.3 mi
🌆6:00 PM
Old 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.
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Best time to goOctober to April is drier and cooler, with a crisp autumn in October and November. The summer months are hot and humid with heavy afternoon rain, and January can be genuinely chilly and grey.
Getting aroundThe Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem are best on foot, chaotic traffic and all. Use the Grab app for cars and motorbike rides across the city, and cross busy streets at a slow, steady pace so drivers can flow around you.
Local tip: Eat where the plastic stools are full of locals and one dish is on the menu. Bun cha is a lunchtime food in Hanoi, egg coffee is the afternoon ritual, and the Old Quarter around Hoan Kiem closes to cars on weekend nights.
The full plan as text
The same day-by-day plan as text. Times are starting points, not homework.
Day 1: Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem
8:30 AM
Hoan 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.
12:00 PM
Old 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.
6:00 PM
Dong 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.
Day 2: Ba Dinh district
8:00 AM
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Arrive early for the monumental granite mausoleum on Ba Dinh Square; dress modestly and expect airport-style security and no bags.
11:00 AM
Temple of Literature
Vietnam's first university, founded in 1070, a series of walled courtyards and lotus ponds honoring Confucius and generations of scholars.
5:30 PM
Tran Quoc Pagoda
The city's oldest Buddhist pagoda, on a tiny peninsula in West Lake, glowing at sunset behind its red tower.
Day 3: French Quarter
9:00 AM
Hoa Lo Prison
The preserved fragment of the colonial-era prison, sobering exhibits on both its French and wartime history.
12:30 PM
St 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.
6:00 PM
Old 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.
Make this Hanoi plan yours
Forward your real booking confirmations to Petrel and it builds this exact day-by-day view for you: flights, hotels, reservations, live flight status, and the travel time between stops. Under a minute.