What to See in Hanoi?

Hoan Kiem Lake

The Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as the Sword Lake, symbolizes this thousand-year-old capital city. You can only be said to have visited Hanoi if you have set foot here. Hoan Kiem Lake covers an area of 12 hectares and is surrounded by bustling ancient streets. It is also an ideal location to begin exploring the life and people of the capital.

Hanoi 1 Day Itinerary - hoan kiem lake hanoi

Hoan Kiem Lake is a jewel in the heart of Hanoi city

Around the lake, you can visit many attractive destinations such as the Ngoc Son Temple, the But Thap - Dai Nghien, the Turtle Tower, The Huc Bridge, Ham Ca Map Building, etc. 

Hoan Kiem pedestrian zone serves as the city's vibrant entertainment hub, hosting various lively weekend activities such as dancing, performances, and musical shows. This establishment is open during the evenings of the last three days of the week - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Summer hours are from 7 PM to 12 AM, while the hours shift from 6 PM to 12 AM in the winter.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum 

  • Address: 1 Hung Vuong, Dien Bien, Ba Dinh

  • Opening hours: 7 AM - 5 PM

  • Ticket price: 25,000 VND ($0.98)/person

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is where the great leader of Vietnam is laid to rest. The place where you can learn about his persona and also admire the architectural and cultural essence, as well as witness solemn ceremonies on special occasions.

Hanoi 1 Day Itinerary

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is located at Ba Dinh Square

On the tour of the mausoleum complex, you will join the flow of people entering the mausoleum to pay respects. Afterward, you will visit the places where he worked and lived, such as the Presidential Palace, the stilt house, and the fish pond.

Hanoi 1 Day Itinerary - one pillar temple in hanoi

You can visit the temple with the most unique architecture

Finally, you will stop to visit the One Pillar Pagoda - a temple recognized by the Asia Records Organization as having the most unique architecture.

Tran Quoc Pagoda

  • Address: 46 Thanh Nien Road, Yen Phu, Tay Ho

  • Opening hours: 7:30 AM - 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM - 5:30 PM

  • Entrance fee: Free

Tran Quoc Pagoda is one of the oldest temples in Vietnam, with a history of up to 1,500 years. This pagoda has also been honored as one of the Top 10 most beautiful temples in the world, thanks to its unique architecture and colors.

Hanoi 1 Day Itinerary - tarn quoc pagoda sunset

Tran Quoc Pagoda is located at West Lake

The pagoda is located right by West Lake, making it quite spacious and peaceful. If you have the chance to visit Hanoi, don't miss this spiritual destination.

Temple of Literature

  • Address: 58 Quoc Tu Giam Street, Van Mieu, Dong Da

  • Opening hours: 8 AM - 5 PM

  • Ticket price: 70,000 VND ($2.75)

The Temple of Literature is the first university in Vietnam, where talented scholars were trained for the country. This historical site not only testifies to the scholarly spirit, but also has great value in terms of art, aesthetics, and architecture.

Hanoi 1 Day Itinerary - temple of literature hanoi

Temple of Literature is the first university of Vietnam

When visiting this place, you will be able to admire many precious documents and artifacts. Especially noteworthy are the 82 doctoral steles, which have been recognized by UNESCO as "World Documentary Heritage".

Bat Trang Pottery Museum

  • Address: Bat Trang, Gia Lam

  • Opening hours: 8 AM - 6 PM

  • Entrance fee: 50,000 VND ($1.97)

The most suitable option for you is to travel by bus to the museum, which will only take around 30 minutes. You can catch bus routes 08A, 08B, 34, 40, or 31, all of which have stops at Bat Trang or in the areas near the museum.

When you first step into the Bat Trang Pottery Museum, you will surely be in awe of the impressive structure that has been skillfully built. The building is created from graceful, free-flowing curved lines that interconnect to form seven giant spirals. 

Hanoi 1 Day Itinerary - bat trang pottery musseum vietnam

The impressive architecture of the Bat Trang Pottery Museum

This architectural design is inspired by the familiar "pottery wheel" that has been used by the ceramic village community for centuries.

The remarkable experiences you can have at the Bat Trang Ceramic Museum include:

  • Admiring the exquisite ceramic displays

  • Enjoying tea ceremonies and watching light sculpture art

  • Trying your hand at pottery-making

Duong Lam Ancient Village

  • Address: Duong Lam Village, Son Tay

  • Opening hours: 8 AM - 5 PM

  • Ticket price: 20,000 VND ($0.79)

This village is located 44km west of the center of Hanoi and is famous for preserving the traditional beauty of the northern Vietnam countryside.  You can take a motorcycle, taxi, or bus to reach the ancient village. Some common bus routes you can consider include:

  • Bus 77 (Ha Dong - Son Tay)

  • Bus 70 (Kim Ma - Son Tay)

  • Bus 71 (My Dinh - Son Tay)

Once you reach the bus stop, you can call a motorcycle taxi or walk about 1 km to arrive at the ancient village.

Hanoi 1 Day Itinerary - duong lam village vietnam

The gateway of the laterite village next to the 300-year-old banyan tree

Drawing from our first-hand experiences, we suggest checking out the following highlights during your visit to this ancient village:

  • The beehive stone area under the 300-year-old banyan tree

  • The 200-year-old Dinh House, where you can try the specialty of lid eugenia tea and Vietnamese nutty ginger sticky rice bar.

  • The Mong Phu communal house - a masterpiece of Vietnamese architecture

  • The 1649-built Hung House

  • The Ong The House, famous for its traditional rice paste

In addition, you can also rest at the village cafes, such as Cafe Lang, which is decorated in the traditional style of the North of Vietnam.

Ba Vi National Park

  • Address: Tan Linh, Ba Vi District

  • Opening hours: 6 AM - 5 PM

  • Ticket price: 60,000 VND ($2.36)

Hanoi 1 Day Itinerary - camping near hanoi

An ideal location in Hanoi for outdoor camping

If you are looking for a place to go on an outing and immerse yourself in the cool, lush natural environment, just visit Ba Vi National Park. It's about 60km from the center of Hanoi, so it's only about a 2-hour drive to get there. 

You can get here by motorcycle, taxi, or bus. The bus routes are 214, 71, 74, and 110, which depart from various bus terminals in the city center. However, you may want to consider this option carefully, as the final bus stop will be approximately 6 km away from Ba Vi National Park.

Hanoi 1 Day Itinerary - ba vi national park vietnam

Take a visit to Ba Vi National Park for the Hanoi in 1 day

In addition to camping, you can participate in many activities such as hiking, off-road jeep trips through the forest, cloud hunting, etc.

Ba Vi National Park covers an area of over 9,000 hectares. There are countless attractive destinations worth visiting. Such as an ancient church, primrose hills, a cactus greenhouse, a cool pine hill, the ruins of a political prison, Ngoc Hoa stream, and the Thien Son Suoi Nga ecotourism area.

Our Suggested Hanoi 1-Day Itinerary

Morning

Option 1: 

  • Visit Ho CHi Minh Mausoleum 

  • Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda

  • Explore the Temple of Literature

Option 2: 

  • Take a cyclo ride around Hoan Kiem Lake: visit Ngoc Son Temple, The Huc Bridge, and the Turtle Tower.

  • Stop by the Hanoi Opera House

  • Enjoy Trang Tien ice cream

Afternoon

  • Savor the delicious bun cha, pho cuon, bun dau mam tom, nem nuong

Option 1:

  • Go to the West Lake area: experience pedal boating, explore Tran Quoc Pagoda, and admire the Long Bien Bridge.

  • Admire the architecture at the Bat Trang Ceramic Museum.

Option 2: 

  • Visit Duong Lam Ancient Village

Option 3: 

  • Immerse yourself in nature at Ba Vi National Park.

Evening

  • Take an evening stroll through the Old Quarter.

  • Watch the water puppetry performance at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre.

  • Party at Ta Hien Street
 

Hanoi 1 Day Itinerary

What to do in Hanoi for 1 day

To gain more insights, navigate to our post about travel guide to Vietnam!

This wonderful city is waiting to welcome you. What are you waiting for? Let’s dive into the heart of this vibrant city with the Hanoi 1-day itinerary from New Asia Tours. If you have any other new ideas, please let us know right away. We are delighted to accompany you. Let’s make that trip unforgettable, shall we?