One day in Hanoi: Where to go and What to do?

Walk around The Old Quarter

Walking in The Old Quarter.

Hanoi Old Quarter has a long history of 2000 years of development which is the beating heart old the city. Today, the streets are still grouped by what they sell, with names to match, such as Bat Su, Cha Ca, Hang Bac, Hang Dau, Hang Gai, To Tich, Hang Luoc…You can taste some local specialties, if you wish, and continue to the Hoan Kiem Lake area to visit Ngoc Son Temple.
Eat Bun Cha

Eat Bun Cha in lunch.

It’s basically a cold noodle soup with pork. You’ll be served by a plate of rice noodles, fresh herbs, and a bowl of cold broth with grilled pork. The rice noodles and fresh herbs are pretty common in a Vietnamese restaurant. The broth and the pork are the ones make this dish unique. Bun cha is a lunch food; it means you can only find it between 12pm – 3pm.
Visit Hoa Lo Prison

Visit Hoa Lo Prison.

This thought-provoking site is all that remains of the former Hoa Lo Prison, ironically nicknamed the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ by US prisoners of war (POWs) during the American War. Most exhibits relate to the prison’s use up to the mid-1950s, focusing on the Vietnamese struggle for independence from France.
Drink Lemon tea

Drink Lemon tea in Nha Tho.

The drinks were first sold at some small street coffee shops and then spread widely in Hanoi in recent years. To many young people, you can’t say that you’ve been to the capital city without having a cup of lemon tea on Nha Tho, Ly Quoc Su or Dao Duy Tu streets.
Drink Egg coffee

Drink Egg coffee.

The very first cup of egg coffee was made in early 20th century by Nguyen Van Giang, who used to be a barista at the 5-star Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel. An egg coffee is traditionally prepared with egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk and Robusta coffee. The drink is made by beating egg yolks with sugar and coffee, then extracting the coffee into the half of the cup, followed by a similar amount of egg cream, which is prepared by heating and beating the yolks.
Eat Trang Tien ice cream

Eat Trang Tien ice cream.

Trang Tien ice cream is well known for its special flavour, which a countless number of Hanoi generations have a passion for. Visitors who have an opportunity to visit Hanoi and enjoy Trang Tien ice cream will not forget the distinctive feature of Hanoi’s culinary culture of standing and eating ice-cream.
There are no chairs; people eating ice cream on Trang Tien Street have to stand and enjoy the cool and sweet flavour melting on their tongue. Despite the inconvenience, a lot of people come here everyday.
Visit The Vietnamese Women’s Museum

Visit The Vietnamese Women’s Museum.

Despite being a patriarchal society, Viet Nam still reserves a special, if not sacred, place to honour Vietnamese women. Not only is October 20th is made Vietnam’s Women day but there also exists a museum dedicated to women.
The museum displays rather recent history of women, such as women and ethnicity; women and the national struggle; Vietnam women association and the feminism; women and traditional costumes; and women’s cultural traits expressed through handicrafts.