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The Old Quarter is not only a popular attraction for foreign tourists but also a favorite meet-up and entertaining spot for young Vietnamese people.
The Hanoi Old Quarter is a familiar, if not the most familiar, destination for international tourists in Hanoi. However, exploring this cultural and historical center of North Vietnam to the fullest, without the knowledge of the locals, you will be missing out a lot. You are probably wondering where to go and what to do in Hanoi's Old Quarter. This article will provide you with some information to help you effectively plan your trip to Hanoi.
1. Things to do in Hanoi Old Quarter
1.1. Stroll on the 50 roads of the Old Quarter
In our culture, road and street have distinctive meanings, while “Đường” means ordinary street, “phố” means road consists of stores, houses providing commercial activities as well as living space for the owners. In the beginning, the Old Quarter was made of 50 roads, each of them sold a certain type of goods, shown on the street’s names (for example Hang Bac (silver road): selling jewelry, even to this day…). Because of this special originality, tourists tend to find mostly everything on the streets, from foods to goods. That is why taking a walk through the streets of the Old Quarter is recommended.
Some of the recommended activities in the streets are: enjoying a cold draft beer in Ta Hien street, people watching near Hoan Kiem Lake in the early morning, looking for a handcrafted souvenir near Thang Long water puppet theater, trying out street snacks in Dong Xuan lane,...
1.2. Taste the street gourmets
Hanoi's food
The Old Quarter is the capital of street food in Hanoi, offering great diversity. Save your empty stomach for all the delicious options here. Forget about fine dining and fancy restaurants, one of the top things to do in the Old Quarter is to explore Vietnamese cuisine on the plastic stools in the streets. As a French gastronome said: “Eating the local food is one of the most effective and powerful ways to overcome the gap between tourists and the culture they visit”. So what are you waiting for, here are some of the must-try dishes in the Old Quarter:
- Pho: the quintessential dish of Vietnam that you probably have tried at least once. Pho is a well-balanced dish, providing authentic Vietnamese aroma, rich broth, and fresh ingredients including herbs, lean beef, and flat rice noodles.
- Cha ca: savory grilled and stir-fried fish eaten with vermicelli and many kind of herbs
- Banh mi: culture mix between east and west, the famous baguette is customizable for your liking with the best of ingredients and spices for an affordable price.
- Banh cuon: Steam rice pancake topped with minced pork, mushroom and deep-fried shallots; combined with sweet and sour fish sauce to create a light and delicious meal.
- Bun cha: sizzling grilled pork with typical Vietnamese seasonings, dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce. Served with cold rice vermicelli and tons of herbs, this dish is perfect for summer days.
- Nom bo kho: Another dish for the summer or can be a healthy snack at any time, Hanoian beef jerky papaya salad is a must-try if you are looking for something light, cool and still packed with flavors.
- Che: Hanoian’s favorite sweet and coconutty dessert. With so many variations, made from different ingredients, this dish is promised to please your midday sugar cravings.
- If you feel adventurous, there are so many more dishes to try such as Balut (premature duck eggs); snail vermicelli; vermicelli with tofu, pork, sausages, and shrimp paste.
Recently, Vietnamese cuisine has been adapting to the world. This is why vegetarian and vegan options are widely available but with touches from Vietnamese culture and cuisine.
>> See more: Must-Try Food in Hanoi - The Top 10 Hanoi Dishes You Cannot Miss
Vietnamese Coffee
A daily dose of delicious Vietnamese coffee is a must thing to do in the Old Quarter. Locals and travelers enjoy caffeine several times a day, whether hot or iced, black or sweet and milky, or even as unique concoctions with egg, coconut, and other fruity ingredients. Many coffee shops will serve traditional Vietnamese filtered coffee, but a range of third-wave coffee shops is elevating the coffee culture in Vietnam even further.
The capital city Hanoi is a fantastic destination for cafe hopping, with a pleasant mix of heritage cafes in the Old Quarter such as Giang cafe, Dinh cafe,... as well as more modernized spots in the French Quarter especially Trieu Viet Vuong street. So try waking up early, take a sip of the famous Vietnamese coffee while people-watching and you will find so many fascinating things about our culture.
Here are some destinations that you can visit for your coffee and food tour of Hanoi:
1.3. Enjoy a water puppet show
Water puppetry is a traditional artistic performance of Vietnamese people, originated in the early days of the Red River delta civilization. It has been an entertainment for all ages, backgrounds and social status. It includes the singing of Cheo, a northern Vietnam’s type of opera, along with the acting of the water puppets. Each act builds up a perfect scene which gives the audience a glimpse of how life was in the past.
Water puppetry is a simple yet interesting and relaxing art form with humorous twists, which promises to give you a good time. Don’t worry if all of the show is in Vietnamese because for a 50.000VND rental fee, the theaters will provide audio guides with helpful explanations of what goes on in the show without missing a beat!
There are two theaters within walking distance of Hanoi Old Quarter: Thang Long water puppet theater and Lotus water puppet theater. They provide many shows consecutively from 5pm - 10pm, each show lasts around 50min.
Thang Long water puppet theater
- Address: 57B, Dinh Tien Hoang Street
- Ticket price: 100.000 - 200.000VND (depends on seating position)
Lotus water puppet theater
- Address: 17B, Le Thai To Street
- Ticket price: 80.000 - 100.000VND
1.4. Experience the daily life of the locals
Get a haircut at the sidewalk barber
Getting a haircut might not be a must-do. But to be able to immerse yourself into Hanoian culture, then putting the skills of the street barbers to the test is a good thing to do in the Old Quarter. It may appear to be strange and risky but really, local people usually trust the street barbers more than some of the hair saloons. Although not having proper grooming education, there is something very skillful and careful about the way street barbers work; they will give you a very satisfying quick trim or shave. That is why this activity is recommended more towards men.
For women, we recommend you to visit local hair salons and beauty spas, scattering around the Old Quarter.
Spend time at local beauty spas
While the street barbers are for the gents, the ladies are suggested to visit the nail salons and spas. In many parts of the world, Vietnamese have proven to be the best nail technicians. The quality and craftsmanship are outstanding while the designs are always trendy and eye-catching, ready to please any demands. On the other hand, the spa service is also considered to be one of the best, including a wide range of options. May your trip be an adventurous or a leisure one, embellishment is just going to make it better.
>> See more: The Best Spa and Massage in Hanoi Old Quarter
Go shopping at the local markets
The Old Quarter used to be one of the busiest trading ports of Vietnam for centuries. Until now, local people still choose to visit the Old Quarter when they need a certain type of goods because you can find anything there, and I mean everything!
Suit yourself to the Dong Xuan Market - a French mixing with traditional Vietnamese style market where you can spend hours there looking for a perfect piece of souvenir. Moreover, on the weekend, there will be a night market within the walking street from Hang Dao all the way to the Dong Xuan market; you can try many street food, fresh draft beer and purchase loads of clothes and souvenirs for yourself - Remember to haggle and watch your belongings though!
2. What to see in the Hanoi Old Quarter?
Are the above activities not enough for you? Let’s explore more about what we can see in this Old Quarter.
2.1. Ngoc Son Temple Complex
Learn about the root of Vietnamese culture by visiting Ngoc Son Temple Complex. The complex includes several symbolic structures: Pen Tower on top of the Undisputed Mound, Ink Slab, The Huc Bridge, Ngoc Son Temple, and Hoan Kiem Lake. All of them combine together to form a great meaning: Put down the swords, pick up the pen. Retiring from war and starting to build peace and prosperity.
2.2 Ma May Ancient House
Experience the life of merchants in the 18th - 19th century in Ma May Ancient House. The house is a typical living and trading space of merchants from around the globe in the Old Quarter. With typical eastern architectural features, along with special Taoist feng shui, Ma May ancient house remains on top of the must visit list in the Old Quarter.
2.3. Bach Ma Temple - White Horse Temple
Hanoi has been the capital of Vietnam for over 1000 years. Since the 11th century, many battles had occurred here, showing the resilience of Vietnamese people against the invaders. To strengthen the efforts and raise the morale of the people, we believe that there are many supernatural forces fighting alongside us. And one of the most famous of them all is worshiped in Bach Ma Temple. The God mentioned here is Long Do, in the shape of a dragon, who was believed to help uniting Dai Viet (Vietnam’s name in the 10th century).
Later on when Hanoi was chosen to be the capital, God sent a white horse to assist King Ly to build the citadel wall. Furthermore, Bach Ma temple is one of the four most important spiritual strongholds of Hanoi. With special architectural features, advantageous location and interesting spiritual stories, Bach Ma temple is promised to be an exciting place to see in Hanoi Old Quarter.
2.4. The Great Church - Saint Joseph Cathedral
Find out how Catholic planted its roots and grew up to be the second most popular religion of Vietnam through The Great Church - Saint Joseph Cathedral. With great architectural features and history, the church is a standing witness of the resilience characteristic of Vietnamese people, wars after wars. Moreover, the church is a symbol of harmony between religions in Vietnam.
>> See more:
2.5. Hanoi train street
Let’s take a break from all the cultural and historical destinations. The Instagram famous Train Street is where you must see. Located within walking distance from Hanoi Old Quarter, the train street is narrow and surrounded by local houses, cafes and some antique shops. Make sure you get hold of the train schedule before visiting and enjoy a cup of the famous Vietnamese coffee to make the trip worthwhile.
2.6. Long Bien bridge
You are probably wondering where the train street leads to. There are many answers to this question including Sapa (Lao Cai province, ethical culture amongst nature), Hai Phong province (street food heaven), Ha Long (the famous Ha Long Bay),... However, all of these trains will have to cross the Red river, on Long Bien bridge.
Long Bien Bridge is not only a focal point of railroad now and traffic, in general, then; it is a standing witness of the united Vietnamese people, fighting against giant invaders to protect our freedom and independence.
Although being heavily damaged, the bridge is still being preserved as an important historical site. Furthermore, it has been a favorite place for many Hanoians throughout the year and also a must-see thing in the Old Quarter for tourists from around the world. Tag along a tour guide to hear about many incredible stories attached to this historical destination.
These are some of the most popular things to see and do in Hanoi Old Quarter. Through the years, the Old Quarter has been proven to be an important cultural, historical and leisure destination for tourists in Hanoi. However, many more activities and hidden places are still waiting to be explored by you. We hope that this guide helps shape your traveling plan. See you in the Old Quarter!
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