How many days in Hanoi?
The capital and the north’s hub — best explored on foot and through food.
Our itineraries spend 2–4 nights in Hanoi in total — sometimes split across visits, as a base between side trips. Our day plans for Hanoi fill 4 days, carried on across visits — any longer and you are into slack days.
Day by day in Hanoi
Day 1 · arrival
Grab to the Old Quarter. Jet-lag day: a bowl of pho, a slow loop of Hoan Kiem Lake, early night.
Day 2
The real city: breakfast pho on a plastic stool, French Quarter walk, egg coffee, Temple of Literature, then West Lake at sunset and bun cha for dinner.
Day 3
One neighbourhood, properly: the Ba Dinh / mausoleum area (closed Mondays and Fridays), a Dong Xuan market run, or a half day at Bat Trang ceramic village.
Day 4
Slow Hanoi: a cooking class or street-food walk, a massage, and a beer hoi corner at dusk. Skip Train Street — it’s a queue now.
Staying longer? Slack day — cover for rain or a late bus, a second visit to a favourite, or nothing at all. Itineraries without one are the ones that fail.
Hanoi in our itineraries
- 2 nights2 weeks in Vietnam: Ha Giang, Hoi An and a spare day
- 3 nightsover 2 visits5 days in Vietnam: Hanoi and one night on the bay
- 3 nightsover 2 visitsVietnam north to south in 2 weeks — the least-rushed version
- 3 nights3 weeks in Vietnam: north to south without the rush
- 4 nightsover 3 visits7 days in Vietnam: Hanoi, the bay, and Ninh Binh — no flights
- 4 nightsover 3 visits10 days in Vietnam: the north, done properly
- 4 nightsover 3 visitsNorthern Vietnam in 2 weeks: Ha Giang, Sapa and the bay
When to go to Hanoi
Best: April, September–November. Avoid: July–August.
Month by monthGetting there and away
- HanoiSapaLimousine van · 5–6h · $13–20 · +2 more
- HanoiHa GiangSleeper bus · 6–7h · $11–17 · +1 more
- HanoiHalong BayTaxi / transfer · 2.5–3.5h · $12–22 · +1 more
- HanoiNinh BinhTrain · 2–2.5h · $5–10 · +1 more
- HanoiHueFlight · 1h15 · $40–75 · +2 more
- HanoiDa NangFlight · 1h20 · $35–70 · +1 more
- HanoiHo Chi Minh CityFlight · 2h10 · $45–90 · +1 more
More on Hanoi
Hanoi — common questions
- How many days do you need in Hanoi?
- Our itineraries spend 2–4 nights in Hanoi in total — sometimes split across visits, as a base between side trips. Our day plans for Hanoi fill 4 days, carried on across visits — any longer and you are into slack days.
- When is the best time to visit Hanoi?
- Best: April, September–November. Avoid: July–August.
- How do you get to Hanoi?
- From Sapa: limousine van, 5–6h. From Ha Giang: sleeper bus, 6–7h. From Halong Bay: taxi / transfer, 2.5–3.5h. From Ninh Binh: train, 2–2.5h. From Hue: flight, 1h15. From Da Nang: flight, 1h20. From Ho Chi Minh City: flight, 2h10.