American magazine suggests 9 best things tourists should do in Hanoi

Hanoi is charming and never boring. Ancient temples and pagodas sit side by side with shiny new buildings. And because urban life seems to take place on the sidewalks, visitors can get a firsthand feel of the city’s unique habits and people.

Lonely Planet, a globally famous American travel magazine, shared this in an article about the Vietnamese capital titled "9 best things to do in Hanoi, according to the experience of a local travel expert".

Inside a crowded noodle shop in the morning in the old quarter

PHOTO: JACK SOLOMAN/LONELY PLANET

1. Street food and draft beer

If you love exploring new cities by discovering the best local food spots, Hanoi is the perfect adventure. The city is alive with street food, with delicious smells everywhere.

You’ve surely heard of pho, the fragrant bowl of broth and noodles that first put Vietnamese cuisine on the world map. And if you ask 10 locals where the best pho in Hanoi is, you’ll get 10 different answers. Everyone has their favorite spot, usually a small roadside stall where the same family has perfected the recipe for generations.

Hanoi street food is not limited to pho but also includes Southern beef noodle soup, traditional rice rolls, vermicelli with grilled pork...

Besides, Bia Hoi is one of the best things to try in Hanoi. Hanoians drink Bia Hoi in the afternoon, right after a football match or during meetings with friends after work.

Ta Hien Street at night is crowded with tourists and locals

PHOTO: DINH HUY

2. Coffee

Hanoi’s coffee scene is vibrant and diverse. While trendy cafes serving espresso drinks are increasingly popular, traditional cafes serving local coffees like iced brown coffee, egg coffee and coconut coffee still have a loyal following.

Start your café wanderings in the Old Quarter, where it’s easy to walk between cafes. Don’t miss Café Giảng, where Mr. Giảng created Hanoi’s famous egg coffee in 1946 during a milk shortage. Topped with a thick layer of yellow egg foam and condensed milk, the steaming robusta tastes like a decadent dessert, with a powerful caffeine kick. Or head to the Cong Cafe chain…

Egg coffee

PHOTO: THANH NAM

3. Visit the Museum of Ethnology

Before heading to mountainous areas like Sa Pa or Ha Giang, visit the Museum of Ethnology to get an overview of the ethnic groups in Vietnam and the cultures they may encounter on their journey.

The museum displays a remarkable collection of art, artifacts, and everyday objects from 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. Spread over two floors, the artifacts are arranged geographically and ethnically, highlighting costumes, architecture, and customs. The most interesting feature is the museum garden, where different ethnic groups have built traditional houses similar to those you would see in their villages, such as the towering communal house of the Ba Na people, the long house of the Ede people, etc.

4. Lost among the 36 streets

A small alley in the old town

PHOTO: GETTY

Forget maps or any walking routes: In Hanoi's Old Quarter - a maze-like area with hundreds of alleys and lanes intertwined with each other - you can create your own adventure, getting lost in the small streets, capturing the daily life of the locals on every corner.

5. Morning at the Lake

Want to laugh out loud at dawn? Around 6am, in front of King Le Thai To Temple or many other areas around the lake, you can join "laughter yoga" sessions, which are open to everyone. If you don't want to join a group, you can freely watch the elderly laughing in the early morning sun.

Hoan Kiem Lake is picturesque at dawn. It’s worth getting up early to take a walk and see what Hanoians do at the start of the day. If you smile and say “hello!”, you might have a memorable experience joining the locals in their morning workouts.

Hoan Kiem Lake on a foggy morning

PHOTO: LUU QUANG PHO

6. Watch water puppetry

The traditional art of water puppetry – with folk music genres such as Cheo, Quan Ho and Chau Van, performed in a waist-deep pool – brings interesting folk tales to life. The puppets themselves are cute and funny, the dialogue and music bring a lot of joy to the audience.

7. Stroll around Banana Island

Banana Island, a vast green area along the Red River, has been home to local banana farmers for decades. Due to rapid urban development, this riverside area has become an important green space for the city. Locals now regularly visit Banana Island to breathe fresh air, hike, swim and camp.

8. Visit Thang Long Imperial Citadel

Thang Long Imperial Citadel takes visitors back a thousand years

PHOTO: JACK SOLOMAN/LONELY PLANET

To better understand the formation and development of Hanoi through the ages, visit the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, this special site with ancient architecture, monuments and impressive collections of artifacts dating back to the Dinh and Tien Le dynasties - about 1,200 years ago. In the centuries since then, this place has been the center of power, and today is an important historical treasure of Vietnam.

9.Ride around Hanoi like a local on a motorbike

Hanoi is a city of scooters. To explore the city like a local, don’t hesitate to hop on a Vespa or Minsk (with a tour guide – a driver, of course) and explore the narrow alleys of the old town or the rural roads outside the city. Motorbike tours offer a unique way to see both famous and lesser-known landmarks, while sampling delicious local cuisine.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tap-chi-my-goi-y-9-dieu-tuyet-nhat-du-khach-nen-lam-o-ha-noi-185250828142830839.htm