Hanoi, a thousand years of history by the lake

Hanoi reveals itself on foot, with an appetite.

A thousand years of history layer on top of each other here — in streets named for old guilds, around a sacred lake said to house legendary turtles, all the way to the mausoleums of the communist era. You explore it by neighbourhood, leaving plenty of room in the schedule for street food. To exchange money locally, head to Quôc Trinh Jewellers.

The Old Quarter — 36 streets, 36 guilds

Old Quarter · Dong Xuan · Ta Hien

Hanoi's beating heart for centuries: every street still carries the name of the trade once practised there — silk, silverware, votive paper, leather.

36 streets, 36 guilds

The guild streets

The Old Quarter takes its nickname from its 36 historic guilds, each of which gave its name to a street. Wander here with no fixed plan, past silk stalls and goldsmiths' workshops.

Hang Dao — silk
Hang Bac — silverware, goldsmiths, jewellery and accessories of every kind
Ma May — an "ancient house", a preserved 19th-century home
Hang Lan Ong — traditional medicinal herbs and plants
Hang Duong — sweets, candies and ô mai (sweet-and-spicy dried fruit)
Hang Da — leather street
Hang Gai — silk and made-to-measure clothing
Hang Ma — traditional votive paper, colour-coded for each festival (Lunar New Year, mid-autumn, Christmas, and now even Halloween)
Ta Hien — terrace cafés, beer and street food; packed on weekends
+ Dong King Nghia Thuc Square, the district's central plaza

A view over the Red River

Long Bien Bridge

This historic steel bridge is best visited at sunset. For an elevated view over the whole structure and the Red River, head to Serein Café, right next door.

Best at sunset

« In Hanoi, you never ask for directions — you just follow the smell of pho. »

Around Hoan Kiem Lake — the sacred heart

Lac Hoan Kiem · Opéra · Cathédrale

The epicentre of Hanoi's public life, where legends of giant turtles, water-puppet shows and remnants of the French colonial era all meet.

The epicentre of old Hanoi

Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple

Early in the morning you can see locals practising Tai Chi along the shore. Ngoc Son Temple sits on a small island at the north end of the lake, reached by the Rising Sun Bridge, an old red wooden footbridge. To the south, Turtle Tower stands on its own islet — the lake's giant turtles are considered sacred in Vietnamese culture.

Ngoc Son Temple · €1.20

Traditional and colonial arts

Water puppets & the Opera House

The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre stages a water-puppet show, a traditional art form unique to Vietnam. Not far away, the Hanoi Opera House, a superb early-20th-century building modelled on the Palais Garnier, can be visited on Mondays and Fridays.

Opera House: Mon & Fri 10:30am–12pm

French colonial heritage

St Joseph's Cathedral & Hoa Lo Prison

Built by the French in 1886, St Joseph's Cathedral is worth a look for its neo-Gothic style — ideally in the evening, from one of the many rooftop bars nearby, or at Cong Caphe just across the street, over a coconut coffee. The Hoa Lo Prison museum, built by the French in 1896 and later nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton" by the American pilots held there, displays photos and artefacts from the era.

Hoa Lo: daily 8am–5pm

Ba Dinh — the Hanoi of empire and politics

Mausolée Hô Chi Minh · Temple de la Littérature

Hanoi's seat of power, old and new: a thousand-year-old citadel, a Soviet-style mausoleum, and the country's first university.

20th-century Hanoi

The Ho Chi Minh Complex

Ba Dinh Square gathers the major modern monuments: the National Assembly, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the Presidential Palace, and the mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh's body lies, guarded by two soldiers in white. It was here that he delivered the declaration of independence in 1945. Nearby, the delicate One Pillar Pagoda (1049) evokes a lotus flower emerging from the water.

Mausoleum free · 8am–10:30/11:30am
Closed Mon & Fri
Strict dress code

Dedicated to Confucius

Temple of Literature

Built in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius, this temple honours Vietnam's finest scholars. The country's very first university was founded here a few years later.

8am–5pm
€1.10

A thousand-year citadel and an unusual street

Thang Long Imperial Citadel & the Train Street

The Thang Long Imperial Citadel, a collection of relics tied to Vietnamese dynasties since 1010, spans over 13 centuries of history. Also not to be missed: the Train Street, at the junction of Dien Bien Phu and Ton That Thiep, where houses sit barely 1.5m from the tracks — spectacular after dark.

Citadel · €1.20
Train Street: free, at night

West Lake — pagodas and quiet

Pagode Tran Quoc · Temple Quan Thanh

Hanoi's largest lake, lined with ancient pagodas and craft villages — the calm counterpoint to the bustle of the centre.

The city's oldest pagoda

Tran Quoc Pagoda & Quan Thanh Temple

Built in the 6th century, Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest in Hanoi — particularly beautiful at sunset, it's nicknamed "Defence of the Nation". Nearby, Quan Thanh Temple, an 11th-century Taoist temple dedicated to Tran Vo, shelters a giant banyan tree and a famous bronze statue in its shaded courtyard. Extend the walk along P. Truc Bach street.

Tran Quoc · 7:30am–6pm · free

Half-day excursions

Craft villages around Hanoi

On the edges of the city, a handful of villages each keep one traditional craft alive — an easy trip for anyone who wants to see the making-of up close.

Bat Trang ceramics village
Chuông conical hat village
Ha Thai lacquer village
Van Phuc silk village
Dong Ho woodblock print village
Quat Dong embroidery village
Quang Phu Cau incense village

Tell us when, we'll tell you where.

That's the Les Voyagistes principle: tell us your dates, and we'll reveal the destinations that are in perfect season — Hanoi is especially mild between November and April.

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Hanoi isn't seen in a day — you savour it, one street at a time.