Old Quarter, HanoiCity guide · Hanoi, Vietnam
Hanoi Old Quarter walking tour and street food guide
Hanoi happens on the pavement: plastic stools, charcoal smoke, a thousand motorbikes and a bowl of something brilliant for a couple of pounds. This walk loops the Old Quarter and the lake and stops to eat more than once. Open it in Tavvi and it talks you through each street as you reach it.
The walk
Old Quarter and the lake
Starts at The Huc Bridge, Hoan Kiem Lake. about 3.5 km, 2 to 3 hours with stops.
- 1
Hoan Kiem Lake and The Huc Bridge
The red wooden bridge leads to Ngoc Son Temple on its island. Come at dawn for tai chi, or on a Friday to Sunday evening, when the streets around the lake close to traffic.
- 2
The Old Quarter's guild streets
Many streets are named for what they once sold: Hàng Bạc for silver, Hàng Đường for sugar, Hàng Mã for paper offerings. A few still sell it.
- 3
Đồng Xuân Market
Hanoi's biggest covered market, at the north end of the Old Quarter. Wholesale clothes upstairs, street food around the edges.
- 4
Tạ Hiện
'Beer street'. Bia hơi, fresh draught beer brewed daily, poured cold for well under a pound a glass. Pull up a stool and say 'một, hai, ba, dzô!' as you clink.
- 5
St Joseph's Cathedral
A neo-Gothic cathedral finished in 1886, modelled on Notre-Dame de Paris. The lanes around it are full of cafés.
- 6
Bún Chả Hương Liên
On Lê Văn Hưu, the bún chả shop where Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate in 2016. Expect a queue, and order the 'combo Obama'.
The red bridge goes to Ngoc Son Temple. Legend says a golden turtle took back a magic sword from the emperor right here, which is how the lake got its name: the Lake of the Returned Sword.
In Tavvi, Live mode tells each stop's story as you reach it, in the style you pick: Wander, Learn, Eat or Reflect. Your first guided walk in Hanoiis free in Tavvi's voice.
What to eat
Eat like you live in Hanoi.
- Bún chả
- Grilled pork patties and belly in a sweet, smoky broth, with rice noodles and herbs. A Hanoi lunch, not a dinner.
- Cà phê trứng (egg coffee)
- Egg yolk whipped with sugar and condensed milk over strong coffee. Café Giảng has made it since 1946.
- Phở bò
- Beef noodle soup, a breakfast dish. The best places run out by mid-morning.
- Chả cá
- Turmeric fish fried at the table with dill and spring onions. Hanoi has a whole street named after it.
- Bia hơi
- Fresh beer made daily. Drink it the day it's poured, on a plastic stool.
Places open and close. Tavvi's Picks checks what's near you and open now.
Bún chả, HanoiStaying safe
Good to know in Hanoi
- To cross the road, walk slowly and steadily and don't stop or run. The motorbikes flow round you.
- Keep bags on the side away from the road. Bag snatching from motorbikes happens.
- Use Grab (the local Uber) for cars and motorbike taxis, so the price is fixed before you go.
- Agree a price before you sit down anywhere without a menu.
Travelling alone? Tavvi's Travel Buddies introduces you to face-verified travellers nearby, and Trusted Circle lets people at home follow your live location. Both are free.
Questions about Hanoi
Is there an app for a self-guided walking tour of Hanoi?
Yes. Tavvi narrates this Old Quarter walk as you go, and finds street food near you that's open now. Your first guided walk in Hanoi is free in Tavvi's voice.
Where did Obama eat bún chả in Hanoi?
At Bún Chả Hương Liên on Lê Văn Hưu street, with Anthony Bourdain, in May 2016. It still serves the same set, now called the combo Obama.
Is Hanoi safe for solo travellers?
Generally yes. Hanoi is friendly and busy late into the night. The main risks are traffic and petty theft. Tavvi's Travel Buddies can also introduce you to verified travellers nearby if you'd like company for dinner.
Look up in Hanoi.
Tavvi is the AI travel companion that walks with you: the story of each street, the next good table, and travellers to meet. Free to start.
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