Hello again Hanoi! Following on from fond memories of chaotic Hanoi from our first visit years back, we very much enjoyed our return visit a couple years ago. Enough that we couldn’t wait to make it back again, finding ourself wandering its crazy scenic streets and searching out more great Hanoi photo spots barely 2 years later.
Last time we were coming from tidy, orderly, quiet Japan, which meant Hanoi was always going to be a shock to the system, and not just because we’d be subsisting on an ever-so-slightly different kind of noodle. This time it was straight from mid-winter Saskatchewan, meaning we were more well-equipped than most to deal with the unseasonable cold snap Hanoi was suffering through (10C at night!). Don’t get me wrong, though, we still complained.
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Weather aside, Hanoi is busy and wild and there are millions of scooters and bikes and walkers and even a few cars here and there. But the stuff we never used to even think about were the sounds and smells, especially in comparison to quiet, odorless Japan or completely frozen Saskatchewan.
Hanoi, on the other hand, is an assault on the nasal senses – vehicle exhaust, fruit, grilling fires, cigarettes, deep fryers, dogs, the list goes on. And is mostly unpleasant. But very evocative and memorable. Don’t worry, though, India, you’re still the champ in that department.
Hanoi traffic, on the other hand, well, walking the streets of Hanoi is essentially a sport. A very challenging, occasionally dangerous sport that is only fun in very short stretches. And never when you’re in a hurry to get somewhere.
Navigating Hanoi’s Old Quarter, even on foot, is truly an art form (at one point Laynni insisted she needed to just follow behind because it felt like her “street mojo” was off that day). Knowing when to stay on the sidewalk and when to move to the street because the sidewalk is about to be completely blocked by tables, chairs, construction, flower arrangements or BBQs. To tuck in behind a local or speed up and pass. To wait for a break in the traffic to cross or just step out and Frogger your way across. Stop or go. Fast or slow.
Whatever you decide, though, always – always! – give a quick shoulder check for scooters that can appear anywhere, anytime, heading in any direction, at any speed. A rule I failed to follow one night on our first return visit, unpredictably and unwisely veering into the street, resutling in a bruised leg, plenty of demonstrative hand gestures, an overturned and quite mysterious shoebox, followed by plenty of apologies (in both directions, for some reason).
Luckily, thanks to the low speeds, no lasting damage was done, depending, I suppose, on what exactly was in the box. Hopefully just some mildly shaken baby chicks or scattered dominoes and not some time-sensitive transplant organs or very specific bull semen.
The 23 Best Hanoi Instagram Spots
Anyway, enough about the unique mobility challenges of Hanoi. We’re here to show you some of the best photo spots in Hanoi – the reasons millions of tourists are willing to brave the chaos every year.
Now, obviously, Hanoi is a very big city and it would take months to explore every nook and cranny so we can’t claim these are the ONLY great Hanoi photo spots. Plus, the quality of any given photo spot can change significantly depending on weather, where your arrival falls within the tour group crowd’s schedule and how many scooters race past in front of you while you’re taking it.
Finally, these best Hanoi photo spots are NOT listed in order from best to worst, or most popular to least popular, or even by their proximity to speeding trains. Nope, instead I’ve gone with the ever-popular “as they occurred to me” method.
1. Old Quarter – Everywhere
The Hanoi Old Quarter why people come to the city. Well, for the Old Quarter and because a lot of flights leave and arrive from there. But the wild, turbulent streets of the Old Quarter are the reason most people choose to stay longer than they absolutely have to.
Definitely our favourite thing to do in Hanoi is simply wandering the hectic streets, stopping off at another little food stall, perfectly placed set of plastic bar stools or unexpected market whenever the mood strikes.
Yes, the traffic is crazy. And, yes, it is loud. And it pretty much always smells like… something. And eventually the novelty will wear off and you’ll want to get the hell out. But in the meantime, it is a truly fun and memorable place.
2. Hanoi Train Street (old)
Supposedly making one of the big lists of top bucket list items IN THE WORLD a couple years back, at all times of day and evening there are large groups of people jockeying for photos and settling in at one of the many bars and restaurants lining the tracks of Hanoi Train Street.
The unique part is that the train passes down a narrow street lined with homes and, now, bars and cafés, basically brushing right past you within a metre or two while you casually sip your latte. Or drunkenly and boisterously cheer and holler, as the case may be.
Things to know:
The trains only pass through every few hours so ask around for the schedule (most hotels will know it).
The drinks (and, presumably, the food) are quite overpriced. Which still means cheaper than most drinks in North America or Europe. However, there is no entrance fee so maybe just think of the markup as, well, that.
And if you stay at WeCozy Hanoi, like we did, you can actually see the train, the street and a couple of the cafés from your bedroom window. And, most definitely, hear it.
There is talk of the city shutting down Hanoi Train Street in the future. Not sure the exact reason but it’s easy to guess – one wrong move, or lean in at the wrong time as the train is passing, and things could go badly wrong very quickly. Sure, 999 out of 1,000 people won’t be so foolish. But…
3. Hanoi Train Street (new)
Located about a 15-20-minute walk south of the more popular version, this second Hanoi train street has a similar setup and similar rules, but fewer cafés, fewer tourists and less hassle.
4. Hoan Kiem Lake
A terrific little lake with a scenic red bridge, a cute little island (Turtle Island, for some reason) and loads of Vietnamese people out for their morning/evening constitutionals, tai-chi or just to relax. We even saw a Vietnamese version of my dad (short, wiry, grey) doing typical Barry-stuff. Specifically, doing chin-ups on a tree branch while wearing long pants but no shirt.
5. Hanoi Flag Tower
Not a main highlight but conveniently located right on the route between the Old Quarter and the palaces and other big attractions. Plus, the street in front features a row of ATMs that are just about shabby enough to seem retro (but probably too shabby to trust with your bank card) and the flag tower is directly across the street from a park where they rent out a fleet of little children’s cars. Only to children, presumably.
6. Thang Long Imperial Citadel
Much larger and more expansive than we realized, and quite enjoyable despite (or because of?) the massive single-file lines of small children touring the grounds while holding each other’s identical shirts for security.
There is a good mix of photo spots here, from the classic citadel shot to the tunnel with a flag in the distance to the odd umbrella lawn.
7. National Assembly
This seemingly very important building is fittingly both very large and very square. It also has a pretty photogenic golden arch out front (no, not those ones).
8. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Quite a nice-looking building from the outside, surrounded by flowers and neatly groomed shrubs. However, the (free) entrance to the grounds comes with some conditions.
1) No water bottles inside. And even if you stand there and guzzle 750 ml of downtown-Hanoi-temperature water as the guard watches, he will insist you leave behind the empty bottle, leaving you to wonder why he didn’t stop you from guzzling it in the first place. Then you’ll need to return before that particular gate closes (at 11 am!) or risk forever losing Laynni’s personal favourite Nalgene bottle, the one with around 30 countries under its belt.
2) You will be ushered into a line shuffling across the tarmac in a very military way. That line will eventually make its way inside the mausoleum and continue on, slowly, steadily, formally, into and around the room holding the body of famous, revered Ho Chi Minh.
3) The body is preserved in a very official-looking glass case, which seems to agree with him since he could easily pass for your average-run-of-the-mill revolutionary leader sleeping off a wild night on beer street.
4) No hats, no sunglasses on your head (a type of hat, I suppose), no talking, no dressing provocatively. I’m guessing, no mocking of the corpse, although I was too scared to test this.
5) Once you emerge from the other side, that’s it. Your guards all just disappear and you’re suddenly on your own, like a dog who considered itself loved until one day if finds itself all alone in the middle of an unfamiliar forest.
9. The Stilt House
Apparently old Ho Chi was a simple, yet practical, soul who, despite the nearby palace, preferred his basic little stilt house on a pond. I’ll be honest, it’s not one of the most amazing Hanoi photo spots. But it’s okay, and it’s literally right there when you exit the mausoleum. Although I wouldn’t recommend getting stuck behind a large tour group with a lot of time on their hands slowly making their way around the narrow, fenced path around the pond. That part was, um, unpleasant.
10. One Pillar Pagoda
Very close to the main mausoleum entrance/exit, the One Pillar Pagoda is spiritually important and architecturally unique, although it is also fairly small and not quite as impressive as some of the larger pagodas around the city. You’ll probably get to see lots of women dressed in traditional clothing posing in front of it, though, if that happens to be on your Hanoi bucket list.
11. Beer Street
Street Level
Quite famous and predictably raucous. This narrow street in the Old Quarter is filled with low tables and small plastic stools from each of the many, many bars along the way. First you’ll have to run the gauntlet of people trying to get you to choose their crappy plastic chairs. And if you decline they may want desperately to grab you, but show admirable restraint, settling for running their finger down your arm in as creepy a way as possible. Don’t choose that one.
Once you do pick a place, you’ll face a barrage of beer girl/reps who will swarm you, trying to convince you their particular brand is the way to go (and that Carlsberg is somehow “the best local beer”).
Strangely, though, once you have chosen, ordered and enjoyed your Hanoi Beer, Saigon Beer, Viet Beer or “local” Carlsberg, it may suddenly become confusingly difficult to get anyone’s attention so that you might order a second, or try something new, or even just to talk.
Regardless, there are some fun photos to be had and plenty of people watching. On a related note, is it just me, or are tourists getting less and less attractive? Are humans? Discuss.
From Above
The typical Beer Street experience is worth at least one visit but for return visits we much preferred enjoying the view from one of the several rooftop bars in the area. Our personal favourite was Northern Soul, with great views from both terraces and much cheaper beer than other rooftop bars. Of course, the prices are still only half that down below.
12. Tran Quoc Pagoda
The pagoda and temple are nice and the location on a narrow isthmus on Tay Lake has the potential to be spectacular, if not for the clouds and haze the day we went there and the long-term construction project completely blocking off large chunks of the lakeshore. However, based on the pictures featured on the construction hoardings, the malecón is going to be quite something once it’s done.
Also, on the temple grounds, you’ll find a fascinating board illustrating all the many Laws of Karma. Most are pretty garden variety (do good things, experience good things, blah blah blah) but a few caught my attention, being, potentially, relevant to my long-term plans.
“Doing business involving loud music” apparently leads to “Bringing an idiot”. Not sure if they are saying I will be the idiot or that I will be surrounded by idiots, but either one seems plausible.
And we may need to seriously reshuffle our plans for the rest of our time in Vietnam, since “Rebirth as poisonous snakes in the next life” seems like too steep a price to pay for the otherwise tempting “Pretending to be a monk/nun to destroy the Buddhism”. For the record, I think I could pull it off (along with the nasty sneer and evil goatee).
13. Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural
Well, the name is certainly a mouthful. Although that is probably fitting, considering this intricate wall of tile mosaics runs for at least a couple kilometres, featuring hundreds of impressive murals.
Of course, those couple of kilometres are entirely along a very loud and busy street – a freeway, almost – which takes a little of the lustre off. Still worth a look, though.
14. Long Bien Bridge
We saw some very cool photos of the classic metal bridge featuring trees, the river, the bridge and distant hills. Lots of cool stuff, really. But we also did not manage to find that spot, or even anything similar, ending up somewhat trapped on the bridge walkway itself (along with quite a few other tourists, it must be said, or maybe not “must”, but definitely “will”). I recommend you do better than we did. The spot marked on the map is my best guess for where you might get the best view. I promise nothing.
15. Phung Hung Street Murals
These are regular, painted murals (no tiles) and they only extend for about a block. But they are also closer to the Old Quarter, really interesting and the street itself is quiet and pleasant. So, considerably different than the other mural street, is what I’m saying.
16. Dong Xuan Market
A big covered local market that spills out onto the streets certain days of the week. The type of place where you can buy a deformed squash in one area, a lightly used rag in another, and a beautiful wreath of funeral flowers in a third. And probably even a few other things.
17. Saint Joseph Cathedral
The only Christian church we saw in Hanoi, it sort of feels out of place, like something you’d find on every corner in a classic old European city. But in Hanoi it feels a bit random. Random enough to make it one of the MOST important Hanoi photo spots? No, no it is not.
18. Bay Mau Lake
This big lake is another popular hangout for local families. There is the National Circus – where tourist shuttles pickup and drop-off (among other things, I assume), some playgrounds, several restaurants, an island, quite a few fishermen, some giant pigs made out of discarded water bottles. And some artistic depictions of the relative distances between the planets. Illuminating, but in a boring sort of way.
19. Jeweler Street
The entire street is lined with jewelry shops that are, apparently, also money changers, although there are no signs to that effect, as though it was a black market enterprise, except that it’s definitely not, because there are loads of other money changers advertising openly in other places. Yet we have it on good authority, Jeweler Street is the place to go to change money. Unfortunately, we had no money to change, rendering this otherwise valuable inside knowledge rather useless.
20. Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
A famous Hanoi tradition, these bizarre shows take place a few times each day near Hoan Kiem Lake and, supposedly, some people really love them. Other people post reviews that say things like “you’ll either have to be embarrassed to leave after 5 minutes or suffer for a whole hour”. We didn’t go to one, so it’s your best guess as to how you’ll feel.
21. Walking Street
Not always a “walking street”, for most of the week it is actually more of a “driving street”. However, on the weekend they block it off and it becomes a festive, bustling hangout and shopping area for locals and tourists alike. Not to mention one of the only places in the city you can walk without worrying about having your elbow smoked by a scooter mirror.
22. People’s Committee of Hanoi City
This government building doesn’t really have any romantic or dramatic story but it very much looks the part, with its rather utilitarian shape spruced up by statues, flowers and a quite large bust of ol’ Uncle Ho himself. Located right next to Hoan Kiem Lake you won’t be able to miss it if you schedule in a morning circuit of the lake every morning. Which is something we would certainly suggest, if for no other reason than the non-zero chance of coming across a large group of women randomly performing The Chicken Dance.
23. Terraço Sky Bar
Located on the top floor of the La Sinfonia del Rey Hotel, this beautiful open-air bar boasts some of the best views of Hoan Kiem Lake that you’ll find anywhere in the city. Drinks are a bit pricey by Vietnam standards, although that really just means they are still a fair bit cheaper than your average alcoholic beverage back home. There is a good mix of tables and bar stools with various views and you can order food as well, if that’s something you’re into.
Hanoi Photo Spots Map
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Recommended Hanoi Tours
As much as the chaos of Hanoi is a big part of the charm, sometimes it can be very helpful (and far more relaxing) to let an expert handle the getting around part of things. Here are some excellent Hanoi tours that could make your city visit even more personal and memorable.
Hanoi Food Tour and Train Street Visit
If you’re planning to hit Train Street anyway, and presumably eat at some point, why not let a guide take you to the best location and help you find the best photos?
Eat Like a Local Street Food Tour
One of our favourite things about Hanoi (and Vietnam, in general) is the food. And not necessarily the fancy restaurants, just all the amazing little shops, stalls and holes in the wall you can find on literally every block. However, knowing which ones to choose is the trick. One that a local guide is specifically qualified to help you with.
Oh, you thought it was all going to be about food, didn’t you? Well, that’s what happens when you do your writing on an empty stomach, I guess. Anyway, if you’re looking for something a little more adventurous than, say, eating banh mi, maybe you should consider going airborne for a very unique view of the city. I only just discovered that this a thing, so we haven’t done it yet, but I guarantee we’ll back, so time will tell.
Where to Stay in Hanoi
On our most recent visit, we chose the very friendly Hanoi Amorita Boutique Hotel so that we would be close to Hoan Kiem Lake. And it really is just around the corner, along with Walking Street and plenty of restaurants, etc. that make the location perfect.
The rooms are simple but clean, the wifi is good and the included breakfast was excellent, including your choice of eggs and a fairly extensive buffet.
Check prices and availability at Hanoi Amorita Boutique Hotel
On a previous visit, we spent a week at WeCozy Hanoi, a friendly, well-equipped hotel located on a terrific little street full of restaurants. On the other side of the hotel is famous Hanoi Train Street, which means you literally can’t get any closer than this. In fact, we stayed in the (surprisingly huge) two-bedroom apartment and you could see the train passing by out the window, along with one of the most popular café viewing spots.
The downside: the noise from the trains, obviously. There were usually only a couple in the night, and as long as they didn’t feel the need to blast their horn we didn’t notice much. Of course, they almost always felt the need to blast their horn, especially during the 5:30 am passing.
The other rooms on the other side of the hall might not be as loud and, either way, if you can handle a bit of noise it is a pretty great location and an excellent value apartment.
Check prices and availability at WeCozy Hanoi
For a more conventional choice right in the heart of the Old Quarter, try Media Central Hotel & Spa. Located in the most evocative area of Hanoi, this comfortable, affordable hotel has a restaurant, bar, shared lounge and a popular breakfast buffet.
Check prices and availability at Media Central Hotel & Spa
If you don’t mind staying a little bit of a walk outside the Old Quarter, Somerset West Point is a beautiful hotel located along the shores of Tay Lake. It is a little pricier than the first two options but it shows in the facilities. This 5-star luxury hotel has a pool, restaurant, fitness centre and beautiful views, all for the price of your average mid-range hotel.
Check prices and availability at Somerset West Point Hanoi
Hanoi Photo Spots Summary
Hanoi is a burgeoning favourite on the Southeast Asia tourist trail. While it used to be mainly visited by shoestring backpackers on their way to the limestone karsts of Tam Coc, the gorgeous islands of Ha Long Bay or the lush hills of Sa Pa, these days you can find every variation of traveller from high-end Westerners pulling large rollie luggage to grubby youngsters with high socks and Crocs.
And to a certain extent, they all find Hanoi a bit wild, a bit hectic and occasionally overwhelming. But photogenic, for sure. Which is why you could do worse than checking off a list of the best Hanoi photo spots as you enjoy the standard Old Quarter wanderings.
Be sure to let us know if you find any other cool spots that deserve to be on the list!
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About the Author
Dean Johnston
Dean Johnston quit his job as a financial planner in 2008 to travel the world, and has now visited all 7 continents and more than 85 different countries. He wrote his first blog entry in a sweltering internet cafe in Bali in 2000 and has been writing about their travels ever since, including publishing 3 travel books.
As Routinely Nomadic, Dean remains focused on providing informative travel guides, entertaining stories and useful social media content to readers from all over the world.