How to Spend Three Days in Hanoi, Vietnam

Exploring the city of Hanoi in Vietnam will be a unique experience for visitors. You will notice many entrancing sights as you make your way around the city, such as buildings displaying French architecture intermingled with typical Southeast Asian temples and pagodas. There will be many locally-made products to buy and the cuisine is delectable. Provided below are some suggestions for experiencing this city if you have a few days to explore it. 

Explore the Old Quarter 

A great locality at which to commence your tour of Hanoi is the well-known Old Quarter. You will find that this part of the city is a striking sight, featuring an array of picturesque colonial-era buildings. There also are many interesting things to buy here, such as silk scarves in beautiful patterns and colours, baskets, tea sets, pottery and so on. Travellers would have the opportunity to join an informative walking tour of this locality on which they could learn a great deal about its highlights like the Bach Ma Temple, Dong Xuan Market and the Old City Gate.

Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake 

After enjoying some Vietnamese coffee, you could take a leisurely walk around the appealing Hoan Kiem Lake. You will notice many attractive sights as you stroll around the perimeter of the lake as this area is very scenic. You would encounter street vendors offering trinkets, people providing rides on bicycle rickshaws, sellers offering refreshing ice creams and so on. At Hoan Kiem Lake’s centre, you would find the captivating Ngoc Son Temple which formerly honoured a renowned Chinese general, yet today is devoted to the Buddha. 

Savour the local foods 

An important aspect of visiting Hanoi would be sampling the local foods as Vietnamese cuisine is tantalizing and delectable. Naturally, your visit to the city wouldn’t be complete without enjoying pho, a popular soup dish containing rice noodles, a tasty broth, meat and herbs. Another not-to-be-missed dish is bun cha which consists of fatty grilled pork with white rice noodles, alongside herbs and a dipping sauce. You may also try out banh mi, which may be described as a French-style crusty baguette with a filling of meat as well as other ingredients.

Admire Phan Dinh Phung Street 

It is always an enjoyable experience to stroll down the absorbing Phan Dinh Phung Street. Here, you would encounter an array of impressive mansions constructed during the French colonial period. Architecture lovers will be enthralled by the marvellous designs of these eye-catching edifices. Additionally, there is abundant greenery on this street which adds to the pleasure of strolling through one of the city's most romantic locales. Centrally located Hanoi apartments to consider staying at from which you could visit this street and other key attractions are those provided by Somerset Hoa Binh Hanoi. 

Visit the environs of West Lake 

The environs of West Lake may be regarded as another appealing locality for visitors to explore. In this scenic area, you will find a host of attractive cafes where you can relax and observe the beautiful sunset. Amongst the interesting attractions in this locality is the Quan Thanh Temple which presents a captivating sight for travellers to take in. Additionally, the charming and historical Buddhist temple known as the Tran Quoc Pagoda located on a small islet in the lake can be encountered here as well.

Experience Train Street 

An interesting attraction in Hanoi is the iconic Train Street which may be regarded as a well-known highlight of the city. This lively street happens to be a narrow lane filled with cafes, restaurants and residences. However, what makes this site special is the fact that a train runs through it several times each day! At these times, the owners of the cafes and restaurants must hurry to take their chairs and tables inside so that it is possible for the train to pass through. It makes for a truly captivating spectacle to witness firsthand.