Things To Do In Hanoi

Things to do in Hanoi

Start at Hoan Kiem Lake, the city's heart, with the red Huc Bridge leading to Ngoc Son Temple on its island. From Friday to Sunday evenings, the streets around the lake close to traffic and fill with families, street performers and food. North of the lake, the Old Quarter's Thirty-Six Streets were each named after the trade practised there, and some, such as Hang Ma with its paper goods, still sell one thing.

The Temple of Literature, founded in 1070, was Vietnam's first university; its courtyards and stone stelae, carved with the names of doctoral graduates, are a calm escape. Hoa Lo Prison, built by the French and later the 'Hanoi Hilton' for American pilots, tells both stories. The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, a short Grab ride west, is the best introduction to the country's 54 ethnic groups.

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum opens on weekday mornings except Mondays and Fridays, and closes for a few months each year for maintenance; dress modestly and expect a queue. A water puppet show at the Thang Long theatre is a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form.

Train Street, where trains pass inches from houses, has had its cafés repeatedly closed by the police; access depends on the current rules.