Hanoi's Old Quarter has been a trading centre for a thousand years, and its 36 streets (each historically named for the single trade once practised there) still carry that specialization, if now selling motorbike parts or tourist trinkets rather than silk or silver.
The Old Quarter
Crossing the street in Hanoi is a genuine skill, traffic doesn't stop, so the technique is to walk at a slow, steady pace and let the scooters flow around you. Once mastered, it becomes the best way to experience the Old Quarter's density up close.
Bia hoi corners, where plastic stools spill onto the pavement and locals drink cheap draft beer, are the best low-key way to spend an evening, pull up a stool, order a round, and watch the street go by.
Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay, a few hours from Hanoi, is one of the most striking landscapes in Southeast Asia, thousands of limestone karsts rising from emerald water. An overnight boat cruise, rather than a rushed day trip, is worth the extra cost for sunrise and sunset over the bay.
Book a smaller, better-reviewed operator rather than the cheapest option, Ha Long Bay's popularity has led to some genuinely poor boats, and the difference in food, cabin quality, and itinerary is significant.
Recommended Stay · Hanoi · French Quarter
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
A colonial-era landmark dating to 1901, with a preserved wartime bunker beneath the courtyard and a level of old-world service that anchors the French Quarter, steps from the Old Quarter and the opera house.
