Astrid Freja

2025-10-17

Having called Vietnam home for eight enriching years, I've gathered countless authentic stories that I'm now eager to share with you. As a VietAdvisor contributor, my passion lies in the freedom of discovery, allowing me to deeply immerse myself in Vietnam's rich, diverse cultures from north to south. Let my experiences help you forge a deeper connection with this extraordinary country.

So you’re coming to Hanoi for a week. Good choice. But forget the perfect, color-coded itineraries you’ve seen online. Hanoi isn’t a city you check off a list; it’s a place you survive, and then fall in love with. I’ve lived here for years and I’ve seen so many people do it wrong – they overplan, they get stressed, they miss the point.

This is my brain dump of how I’d tell a friend to spend 1 week in Hanoi. This is the mid-budget plan. We’re not doing hostels, but we’re not doing the Metropole either. We’re doing it right, focusing on the real stuff.

The Cheat Sheet (If You’re Too Busy to Read)

Look, if you have the attention span of a goldfish, here’s the quick version.

Thinking of spending 1 week in Hanoi? This is the ultimate no-BS guide for a mid-budget cultural trip. The detailed 7-day itinerary shows you how to eat like a local (Phở, Bún Chả), see the essentials (Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison), and experience the unique (Train Street, Water Puppets). Includes a full plan for a Ninh Binh day trip, tips on where to stay, and how to get around. Stop planning and start experiencing.
Day 1: Get In, Get Phở, Get Your Bearings
- Arrive & Survive: Grab a taxi from the airport (use the Grab app!), get a local SIM card, and check into your hotel in the chaotic Hanoi Old Quarter. Your first meal is a proper bowl of Phở, followed by a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and a legendary Vietnamese Egg Coffee in a hidden alley.
Day 2: The Important Stuff & The Weird Stuff
- History & Oddities: Gawk at the massive Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (from the outside), then find peace at the Temple of Literature (Vietnam’s first university). In the afternoon, visit the essential Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. End the day with a traditional Water Puppet Show and the adrenaline rush of Hanoi Train Street.
Day 3: The “Just Eat Everything” Day
- Total Food Immersion: A self-guided street food tour for breakfast and lunch (think Bún Chả, the ‘Obama dish,’ and Bánh Mì). Spend the afternoon learning the secrets in a Vietnamese cooking class. The evening is for Bia Hoi Corner, drinking $0.30 draft beer on tiny plastic stools with the locals.
Day 4: Get Out of the City
- Escape to Nature: Take a day trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, aka ‘Ha Long Bay on Land.’ A pre-booked tour is the easiest way. You’ll take a boat trip through stunning limestone karsts in Tam Coc and hike up Mua Caves for that famous panoramic view.
Day 5: French Buildings, a Depressing Prison, and a Big Lake
- Colonial Past & Modern Chill: Explore the grand architecture of the French Quarter. Then, face the intense history of Hoa Lo Prison (the ‘Hanoi Hilton’). Decompress in a hidden cafe before heading to West Lake (Tay Ho) for a relaxed sunset and dinner away from the Old Quarter bustle.
Day 6: Markets and Getting Lost On Purpose
- Markets & Mazes: Brave the sensory overload of Đồng Xuân Market in the morning. Spend the afternoon doing the best thing in Hanoi: getting intentionally lost in the Old Quarter’s tiny back alleys. If it’s a weekend, hit the lively Hanoi Weekend Night Market.
Day 7: The Last Coffee and Getting Out
- One Last Fix & Departure: No rushing. Enjoy a final, strong Vietnamese coffee, grab one last Bánh Mì or bowl of Phở, buy any last-minute coffee beans as souvenirs, and then head to the airport.

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Where to Stay

Just stay in the Hanoi Old Quarter. That’s it. It’s where everything is. It’s loud, it’s crazy, but it’s convenient and you can walk everywhere. A decent hotel room is like $30-60 a night. Don’t stay out in Tay Ho on your first trip; it’s a pain to get in and out of.

Getting Around

Download the Grab app on your phone right now. It’s for cars and motorbike taxis. It’s cheap as hell. A ride that would be $15 at home is like $3 here. Otherwise, your feet are your best transportation.

Money

The currency is the Vietnamese Dong (VND). The numbers are huge, it’s confusing at first. You’ll feel like a millionaire. A good mid-range budget is maybe $50-70 a day. Use ATMs to get cash. You need cash for street food and small shops. Bigger places take cards.

Phone/Internet

Get a SIM card at the airport when you land. It’s easy. Go to the Viettel or Vinaphone counter. For like $10 (250,000 VND), you get a ton of data for a month. Don’t wander around looking for Wi-Fi, just get the SIM.

Day 1: Get In, Get Phở, Get Your Bearings

Okay, you land at Noi Bai (HAN). You’re tired. Walk out of baggage claim and you’ll be swarmed by taxi guys. Ignore them all. Open your Grab app, type in your hotel’s address in the Hanoi Old Quarter, and a driver will find you. The ride is maybe 45 minutes and costs around 350,000 VND ($15).

Check in. Drop your bags. The first thing you’ll notice is the traffic. The sound of a million motorbikes honking is the official theme song of Hanoi. You don’t get used to it, you just learn to live with it.

Don’t try to do a museum or anything ambitious today. Your only job is to acclimate. And eat. You need a proper bowl of phở bò (beef noodle soup). Not from your hotel. Go to a real phở joint.

I always send people to Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư. It’s famous, it’s hectic, and it’s delicious. You queue up, pay first (like 70,000 VND), and they shout out your order. You find a seat wherever you can, maybe sharing a table. Slurp it down. Welcome to Hanoi.

After you’ve eaten, just walk over to Hoan Kiem Lake. It’s the big lake in the middle of everything. If it’s a weekend, they close the streets around it and it’s a giant party. People are walking, playing games, singing. It’s a great vibe. You’ll see the red bridge to a temple in the middle. It’s called Ngoc Son Temple, costs like 30,000 VND to go in. It’s fine, worth a look.

Then you have to try an egg coffee. I know, it sounds disgusting. It’s not. It’s like a dessert. The place to go is the original, Giảng Cafe (39 Nguyễn Hữu Huân). It’s hidden down a dark, narrow alley that looks like you shouldn’t go down it. You should. Go in, find a tiny stool, and order a hot one, a cà phê trứng nóng. It will change your life. Probably.

Hanoi Old Quarter cafe giang Vietadvisor

Day 2: The Important Stuff & The Weird Stuff

Alright, day two. You’ve slept, maybe. Time for some culture.

First, go see the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. It’s this massive, imposing block of stone where the former leader is embalmed. Honestly, don’t bother trying to go inside. The queues are insane, there are a million rules, and they’re often closed. Just see it from the outside in Ba Dinh Square. It’s impressive enough.

Nearby is the Temple of Literature. This place is actually really cool and peaceful. It was Vietnam’s first university, a thousand years ago. It’s a bunch of courtyards and temples and it’s a nice break from the noise. Look for the big stone turtles with names on their backs. Those are the graduates. Entrance is cheap, 70,000 VND.

Now, in the afternoon, you have to go to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. This is my favorite museum in Vietnam. Seriously. If you only go to one, make it this one. You’ll need to Grab a taxi, it’s a bit out of the way, but it is so worth it. It’s about the 54 different ethnic groups in the country.

The best part is outside, where they’ve rebuilt traditional houses from all over Vietnam. You can climb up into a stilt house and wander through a communal hall. It makes you realize how diverse this country is. Give yourself a couple of hours here. Cost is 40,000 VND.

For the evening, let’s do two very Hanoi things. First, the Thang Long Water Puppet Show. Yeah, it’s touristy. Whatever. It’s also a genuinely unique, centuries-old art form you won’t see anywhere else. Puppets dance on water. There’s live music. It’s a little weird, but cool. A ticket is like 100,000 VND. You should probably book it a day ahead.

Thang Long Water Puppet Show Vietadvisor

After that, find Hanoi Train Street. Okay, so this place is complicated. The government officially “closed” the cafes, but they’re not really closed. You’ll see locals who will quietly invite you into their homes, which double as cafes right on the tracks. It feels a bit weird but just go with it. Grab a beer, sit down, and wait. Check the schedule, but really, just ask the owner when the next train is. The feeling of a giant locomotive roaring a foot away from your knees is something you won’t forget. A must-do for a 1 week in Hanoi.

Day 3: The “Just Eat Everything” Day

Today is about food. That’s it. No big museums. Just eating.

You can book a formal Hanoi street food tour, they’re fine. Or you can just walk around and do it yourself. Here’s your hit list for the morning:

Bún Chả: Grilled pork in a sweet-savory broth with noodles. This is what Obama ate with Bourdain. The place they went, Bún Chả Hương Liên, is fine. A bit of a tourist factory now. I prefer Bún Chả Đắc Kim on Hàng Mành street. It’s more… aggressive. In a good way.
Bánh Mì: The Vietnamese sandwich. Don’t just get it from a random cart. Bánh Mì 25 is the famous one. It’s good, clean, and made for foreigners. No shame in that. If you want something a little more local-feeling, just look for a cart with a line of Vietnamese people.
Phở Cuốn: These are fresh rice noodle rolls with beef and herbs. Not a soup. You need to go to Ngũ Xã street for this. It’s a whole street of restaurants that only serve this stuff. Just pick one, they’re all basically the same.

In the afternoon, take a cooking class. It’s one of the best things I’ve done here. You go to a market with a chef, they explain all the weird vegetables, and then you go back and cook a few dishes.

I like the Hanoi Cooking Centre. You get to eat what you make, and it’s a great way to understand the food better. It’s not cheap, maybe $40-50, but it’s an experience, not just a meal. This is a great plan for one day of your 1 week in Hanoi.

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We have a longer post on the best street food in Hanoi if you want to go really deep.

You won’t be hungry for dinner after all that. So instead, go to Bia Hoi Corner. It’s the intersection of Tạ Hiện and Lương Ngọc Quyến streets. They sell bia hơi, which is fresh draft beer that’s brewed daily.

It costs something insane like 15,000 VND ($0.60) a glass. You sit on a tiny blue plastic stool that was made for a 5-year-old and watch the chaos unfold. It’s loud, it’s crowded, it’s awesome.

Day 4: Get Out of the City

By day 4, Hanoi’s chaos can start to wear you down. You need to get out. Ha Long Bay is too far for a day trip, don’t even try. The answer is Ninh Binh. People call it “Ha Long Bay on Land.”

Look, don’t try to be a hero and do this with public transport. It’s a nightmare. Just book a small group tour. Your hotel can do it, or you can find one on Klook or Getyourguide. It’ll cost maybe $50 and includes transport, a boat trip, lunch, and entrance fees. It’s worth it for the lack of hassle.

Most tours do the same things. You’ll go on a boat trip in Tam Coc, where a local rows you with their feet down a river through rice paddies and under limestone mountains.

Then you’ll go to Mua Caves (Hang Múa). This isn’t really about the cave. It’s about climbing 500 steep, uneven steps to the top of a mountain. It’s a leg killer, especially if it’s hot. But the view from the top is absolutely incredible.

Ninh Binh Day Trip Guided Group 2 Vietadvisor

Ninh Binh Day Trip Guided Group 3 Vietadvisor

That photo you’ve seen of a river winding through mountains? It’s from here. You’ll get back to Hanoi in the evening, completely exhausted. It will be a highlight of your 1 week in Hanoi.

For more details on booking, check out our guide to a Ninh Binh day trip from Hanoi.

Day 5: French Buildings, a Depressing Prison, and a Big Lake

Today, a change of scenery. Start in the French Quarter. It’s right next to the Old Quarter but feels like a different world. The streets are wide, there are big trees, and the buildings are these grand, crumbling yellow colonial mansions. The centerpiece is the Hanoi Opera House. It looks like it was plucked out of Paris. You can’t really go inside unless there’s a show, but it’s great to see from the outside.

Then, prepare yourself for Hoa Lo Prison. The American POWs called it the “Hanoi Hilton.” It’s heavy. Really heavy. The museum focuses mostly on how the French treated Vietnamese political prisoners, and it is brutal. There’s a small section on the American pilots. It’s not a “fun” tourist stop, but it’s an important piece of history to see. It costs 50,000 VND.

You’ll need a break after that. Hanoi’s cafe scene is epic. Find a hidden one. Go to The Note Coffee, where every surface is covered in little post-it notes from visitors. Or find Cafe Dinh, hidden up some sketchy stairs overlooking the lake. It’s run by the family of the guy who invented Vietnamese egg coffee. It feels like you’re in someone’s living room from 1970.

As evening approaches, Grab a taxi to West Lake (Hồ Tây). This is the biggest lake, and it’s where a lot of expats and rich Hanoians live. The vibe is much more chill. You can go to a rooftop bar for a fancy cocktail, or just do what I do: find a lakeside spot, order a fresh coconut, and watch the sunset. It’s a completely different side of the city. There are tons of great restaurants here for dinner, from amazing pizza at Pizza 4P’s to high-end vegetarian at Ưu Đàm Chay.

Day 6: Markets and Getting Lost On Purpose

Time to dive back into the chaos. Start your morning at Đồng Xuân Market. It’s the biggest market in Hanoi, a giant, sprawling wholesale place. It smells weird. It’s loud. People will shove past you with giant carts. You probably won’t buy anything here, but it’s an incredible thing to see. It’s the real, beating commercial heart of the city. Just walk through and try not to get run over.

After that, the afternoon’s plan is simple: get lost. This is the best way to see the Hanoi Old Quarter. Put Google Maps away. Just pick a direction and walk. Turn down a tiny alley that looks like it goes nowhere. It probably goes somewhere amazing. You’ll find hidden temples, people cooking on the sidewalk, ancient wells, and the real life of the city that happens away from the tourist shops.

This is more valuable than any museum. Finding these hidden corners is the best part of any Hanoi itinerary 7 days.

If it’s a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday evening, the Hanoi Weekend Night Market takes over a long stretch of the Old Quarter. The streets are shut down and it’s a massive river of people, food stalls, and vendors selling cheap clothes and phone cases. It’s more about the experience than the shopping. It’s a great, energetic way to spend your last real night here.

Day 7: The Last Coffee and Getting Out

It’s your last day. Don’t try to cram anything in. Wake up, and go have one last amazing Vietnamese coffee. Maybe an iced one with condensed milk (cà phê sữa đá). Go back to your favorite cafe, or try a new one.

For your last meal, you could have phở again. Or, try something different. Go to Phở Thìn on Lò Đúc street. Their phở is different – they stir-fry the beef with garlic before putting it in the soup. It’s greasy and amazing.

Pick up any last souvenirs. If you want to take coffee beans home, a place like Oriberry Coffee sells good, ethically sourced stuff.

Then it’s time to go. Book a Grab to the airport. Give yourself at least 3 hours before your flight. The traffic can be a monster.

That’s it. That’s my guide to 1 week in Hanoi. It’s not about seeing everything. It’s about experiencing the city. You’ll leave feeling exhausted, a little overwhelmed, and probably desperate to come back.

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments. I’ll probably answer them.

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The Cheat Sheet (If You’re Too Busy to Read)