Asia / Vietnam
Places to go. A little room to wander.
THE SHORTLIST
Hanoi
A pleasant park in the centre of town, an easy walk from anywhere in the Old Quarter. A great place to watch people practising tai chi in the morning or to sit and read in the afternoon. At weekends the park becomes even more popular as the normally busy road around it is pedestrianised, and instead filled with children driving electric cars or riding hoverboards.
Allow about 60 minutes · planning estimate
No 1 Trang Tien Street and 216 Tran Quang Khai Street
Actually two museums: one covers Vietnam from prehistoric times to 1945 and the other covers 1945 to present. This museum gives a very informed and detailed account of the Vietnamese struggle against first the French (starting in 1858—on the first floor), then against the US, ending on 30 Apr 1975 (on the ground floor). It is housed in a colonial French building which was completed in 1932. The building, designed by the architect Ernest Hébrard is considered as a successful blend between the colonial French architecture and traditional Vietnamese architecture, called Indochina architecture.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
Hanoi
The city down south may have his name, but only Hanoi has the man himself, entombed in distinctly Lenin-esque fashion. Against his wishes, but that's how it goes. No talking, revealing clothing (shorts should be knee length and no exposed shoulders), or other signs of disrespect allowed while viewing; photos are allowed only from outside, in the grand Ba Dinh Square. Purses are allowed into the tomb, but expect them to be searched by several bored soldiers along the way.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
1 Bach Thao, Ba Dinh
The exit from the mausoleum takes you right into the grounds of the, uh, vestige, where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked from 1954 until his death in 1969. The nicely landscaped complex includes Ho Chi Minh's two homes (one a small one-story house, the other a traditional stilt house), kept shiny and "as he left them" by the authorities, as well as a garage with two of Ho's presidential cars and a carp-filled pond. You also get to see Ho Chi Minh's work room and Politburo meeting room.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
Hanoi
Buildings press up nearly to the railroad ties of the railway through central Hanoi, creating a narrow corridor for trains to pass through. Two stretches of rail corridor, just to the north and the south of Hanoi Station, are lined by restaurants and cafes. Several times a day, trains quickly pass close to the cafe seating. Safety concerns prompt occasional closures.
Allow about 60 minutes · planning estimate
A note before you go. Start with Hoàn Kiếm Lake, then decide whether National Museum of Vietnamese History deserves a separate visit rather than rushing both. The suggested days are an editable grouping, not a timed tour. Visit allowances exclude transfers, meals and queues; confirm the exact entrance and current visiting arrangements for Hanoi Train Street before setting off.
Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. Suggested days and time allowances are editorial starting points. Check the linked visitor information for opening hours, access, and reservations.
BEFORE YOU SET OFF
Getting around Hanoi can be a challenge: traffic slows to a crawl for most of the day, and the public transport system has not kept up with the city's explosive growth. Download the BusMap Hà Nội mobile app (Google Play, Apple Store) for directions and live time estimates (not very accurate). Pick up a physical map with printed bus lines at the Trang Tien street (the book street by the Opera house). Find your bus stop (there are usually blue signs) and wait for the bus to arrive.
Hoàn Kiếm Lake and National Museum of Vietnamese History are about 0.8 km apart in a straight line. Use the route link to compare the actual streets or transport connections before putting both in the same morning; the measurement is not a walking distance or a transfer estimate.
A LITTLE STRUCTURE. ROOM FOR DISCOVERY.
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This city guide includes selected, abridged material by Wikivoyage contributors, adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. The adapted guide text is available under the same license; photographs and website design retain their separate terms. Selected and abridged reference descriptions; operational prices and timetables omitted. Elsewhere added the shortlist, geographic grouping and planning notes.
Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. It is community-edited background, not firsthand reporting or a live opening-hours service.
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