Hanoi Happenings: 2 Days in the Capital of Vietnam

Caitlinepstein415/ January 29, 2020/ Asia/ 0 comments

Hanoi was my last stop on my two week trip through Vietnam, and although I didn’t spend a lot of time there, I enjoyed exploring the busy and quirky capital city. Here’s the low-down on my two days in Hanoi.

The Basics

Getting There

Hanoi can be reached by bus, plane, and train from all over Vietnam, but because my time in the country was short, I opted for a cheap flight from Da Nang, the city I flew into to visit Hoi An, to Hanoi. I flew VietJet and the flight cost $40 including a checked bag up to 15 kilograms. The flight was delayed by three hours, and when I did finally get on a plane, it was a plane with some of the smallest legroom I have ever encountered. But, the flight was cheap and it did eventually get me where I needed to go.

Accommodations

While in Hanoi, I stayed at the Hanoi City Backpackers Hostel. It was located in a great area for walking to major sights, and the pod-beds were fantastic. Additionally, the free breakfast was one of the best hostel breakfasts I have ever had – so many wonderful options made fresh right then. And the cherry on top was that my dorm bed at Hanoi City Backpackers Hostel cost less than $5 a night!

Currency

The Vietnamese currency is the Dong, and right now the exchange rate is roughly 23,000 Dong to 1 U.S. dollar. Hanoi has plenty of ATMs available for visitors to pull out money.

Hanoi Happening – What I Did There

A Free City Walking Tour

Another bonus about my hostel is that they offered a free three hour walking tour of the city every other day. Despite my flight not getting in until very late the night before, I got myself out of bed my first morning in Hanoi to join the 8 am tour. Our guide, Minh, took our group to a lot of the cities main sights, such as St.Jospeh’s Cathedral, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Long Bien Bridge, the Dong Xuan Market, and train street.

I learned a lot about the history of the city and got to experience a lot of local culture while walking around the lively community areas surrounding the lake, visiting a local coffee shop known for creating Hanoi’s famous egg coffee, and wandering through the market and marveling at all of the crazy goods found there.

The Hoa Lo Prison

This former prison, sometimes jokingly referred to as the ‘Hanoi Hilton,’ housed Vietnamese revolutionaries during the French colonial period as well as American prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Hoa Lo where the late Senator John McCain was imprisoned as a POW. Tickets to the museum within the former prison cost 30,000 dong ($1.30) for adults and 15,000 dong ($0.65) for students with a valid student ID.

The museum provided a lot of interesting information about the history of the prison, and in turn, history of the country and city of Hanoi. It is definitely worth a visit.

The Temple of Literature

This beautiful temple in the center of the city is where students flock to pray for knowledge and success in their studies. The temple was originally built as a university way back in the year 1070, and it still stands incredibly well preserved today. I can easily see how the spacious and peaceful courtyards would make for superb study spaces. Admission to the temple is 30,000 dong ($1.30) for adults and 15,000 dong ($0.65) for students with a valid student ID.

Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum

When I was in Hoi An, I spoke with a Polish couple that told me that they really didn’t like this museum, but I decided to give it a shot because I do really love art. This turned out to be the right decision, because I absolutely adored the art in this museum. There was a huge variety, from ancient ceramics to propaganda posters to religious sculptures. There was a temporary exhibit that really excited me about Dong Ho woodblock printing, a traditional Vietnamese printing art form. If you know me, you know that I learned about printing and letterpress in Florence, Italy, and fell completely head over heels in love with the practice. So, I was ecstatic to be able to learn about a traditional form of printing in Vietnam.

Entrance to the museum cost 40,000 dong ($1.70), and for me, it was worth every cent!

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Located not far from the Temple of Literature and the Fine Arts Museum is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where visitors can see the preserved body of one of Vietnam’s most famous leaders, Ho Chi Minh. I went on a Sunday, so the mausoleum was not open, but I was able to go through security and walk around that area.

Hanoi Night Market

Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night, Hanoi hosts a huge night market chock full of foods, souvenirs, clothes, and shoppers weaving every which way. It was so lively and vibrant in the way that people interacted and enjoyed a night out. I had a blast trying different foods and even stopping to chat with adorable little Vietnamese kids that wanted to practice their English.

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Hanoi was a great way to cap off my two weeks in Vietnam. In the two days I spent there, I was able to learn even more about Vietnam’s people, culture, and history through chaotic streets, delicious food, interesting museums, and key landmarks in the city. I am incredibly thankful for the time I was able to spend in this marvelous country, from the South to the North. I could have easily spent two more weeks there, and I would not be disappointed to find myself back in Vietnam in the future.