HANOI

When people ask whether to do Saigon or Hanoi, I definitely choose Hanoi. There is a much better vibe and I feel the culture when I walk the streets. The variety of food options is incredible, you won’t run out of places to eat. One of the great things about Hanoi is the city is buzzing and old town streets is the ultimate spot for people watching and getting immersed in the cities culture.

Hanoi is a great central spot to both Sapa and Halong Bay so we used Hanoi as a mid point destination between those two places. I would recommend to stay here for at least 2-3 days to be able to see the city. We spent majority of our time site seeing and eating, what I would do to go back just to EAT!

Location

Hanoi is a pretty large city but the best area if you want to be emerged in the culture is definitely Old Town. The small streets are filled with bars, restaurants, hotels, and cafes. The streets are buzzing pretty much 24 hours a day with something to see on almost every street corner. We walked everywhere from Old Town so it’s a great area to be central to most sites.

Accommodation: Vietnam Backpackers Hostel – Downtown

This spot was definitely the highlight of Hanoi. The hostel was absolutely massive with lots of activities to do here. The staff were extremely friendly and accommodating. They had group activities with a promotion every night. Free breakfast, free water, and free beer from 5pm-6pm, can’t beat that! The rooms were pretty small but really clean bathrooms and warm showers. They had a free walking tour every day which I definitely recommend, by far one of the highlights of Hanoi.

  • Cost per night: $20

Activities

Walking Tour

The free walking tour through the hostel was definitely the highlight. Our tour guide took us to the center of the city, showing us the culture and history of different areas. She also took us to some great spots to try the local street food and the Vietnamese coffee, which is a must! There is a coffee that has egg in it giving it a creamy, sweet flavor. Sounds a little weird but definitely need to try it!

Hoa Lo Prison

This famous prison is where they held many prisoners during the Vietnam War. It’s definitely not as impressive and moving as the museum in Saigon, however I’d say its worth it for a couple of hours if you have some free time.

  • Entry fee: 30,000VND

Nightlife

The nightlife here was pretty good. Of course the streets are buzzing with people crowded in the streets enjoying beer and food. We did one of the hostel pub crawls that took us to a few spots in Old Quarter that were pretty much. You can’t really go wrong here if you want to go out to enjoy the nightlife.