Early this year, my friend and I flew to the Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi for a quick 3-day weekend getaway. We came across a ₱1 base fare ticket mid-last year and immediately took the chance to visit this beautiful city. We have heard great things about the place, so we decided to give it a go.
We did not get the chance to plan things out before the trip. We showed up to the airport with only a return ticket, a booked place to stay (accommodation) and an airport transfer – no planned itineraries, no booked tours and no whatsoever. Thankfully, the trip turned out fun and memorable despite everything being decided on the spot.
Allow me to share with you details and photos of this spontaneous and fun-filled trip to Vietnam’s beautiful capital city, Hanoi.
Hanoi
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam; it is the second-most populous city next to Ho Chi Minh City. The city is in the northern part of the country, within the Red River Delta. The city used to be the capital of French Indochina back in the day. The influence is evident in the city’s centuries-old architecture and rich culture, particularly in the Old Quarter area.
Airfare
We took advantage of Cebu Pacific Air’s ₱1 base fare promotion in August 2022 and got our return tickets for a little over ₱5,000. The ticket included the usual 7-kilogram carry-on baggage allowance per way and a randomly assigned seat on both flight sectors.
My friend booked a return ticket to Hanoi and paid ₱5,338.17. On the other hand, I paid for a ticket to Hanoi and back from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and paid ₱5,059.62. I spent a few more days in Saigon after Hanoi and met up with friends whom I had not seen in a long while.
The return fares above are a little bit pricier than the recent ₱1 base fare tickets in recent months. However, considering the high prices of everything, including jet fuel, these days, the tickets we paid for are still a bang for the buck.
After Hanoi, I flew to Ho Chi Minh City with Vietnam Airlines and tried their widebody business class product in a domestic flight. Check out the Vietnam Airlines business class flight report here.
Accommodation
Hanoi has thousands of affordable accommodations to choose from. The city’s accommodation rates are on the affordable side compared to the other capital cities in Southeast Asia. It also has a wide range of popular and local hotels, family-owned guesthouses, and backpacker-friendly hostels and homestays.
My friend and I booked a 3-night stay with Hanoi House Hostel & Travel. We paid VND 1,950,000 (roughly ₱4,500) for a twin room with a private toilet and shower. We paid around ₱750 per person per night for a large twin room with a refrigerator, television, work table, and fast Wi-Fi. We also enjoyed complimentary breakfast for 3 mornings.
Hanoi House Hostel & Travel is a nice place to stay when in Hanoi. The hostel’s location in the Old Quarter is central and very close to pretty much everything, including Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ta Hien Beer Street (Beer Street Hanoi).
Going around Hanoi
Going around Hanoi is easy. Like any other Vietnamese city, the best way to go around the city is by driving a motorcycle. These are available for rental practically everywhere. If you do not know how to drive a motorcycle, you can opt to take the local bus, a taxi, or Grab (GrabCar or GrabBike). Another way to explore the city is by renting a bicycle and riding it around the city.
The best way to explore the city during a cold month (like our visit in January) is by foot. One can easily walk to many places within and nearby the Old Quarter.
Places Visited in Hanoi
We arrived in Hanoi with no pre-trip research or plans. We managed to visit a few places even without any plans. Let me share with you the ones we visited.
Day 1 – Mausoleum Complex & Old Quarter
After dropping our stuff at the hostel, we took a GrabCar to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex. We went inside the Mausoleum, checked out the Presidential Palace, Stilt House, and the Museum. Then, we walked to the nearby Hanoi Botanical Garden to check out the place before heading back to the Old Quarter for lunch.
We went inside our room afterwards and took a nap. A few hours later, we explored the Old Quarter area and walked to St. Joseph Cathedral and Hoàn Kiếm Lake. We met with another Indonesian friend for dinner and finished the day with drinks at Ta Hien Beer Street (Beer Street Hanoi).
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Presidential Palace
Stilt House
Ho Chi Minh Museum
Hanoi Botanical Garden
Hanoi Old Quarter
Bún Chả + Beer for Lunch
St. Joseph’s Cathedral
Hanoi Old Quarter at Night
Ta Hien Beer Street
Day 2 – Halong Bay Cruise Day Tour
We went to Halong Bay on our second day in Hanoi. The cruise day tour included pick-up from and drop-off at Hanoi after the tour, seafood lunch onboard the cruise, and visits to a local pearl store, Ti Top Island, Luon Cave, and Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave.
After the day tour, we headed back to our hostel to freshen up. Then, we met up with new friends we met on the tour for dinner in Old Quarter and drinks on the Beer Street.
Ha Long Pearl
Ha Long Bay Cruise
Hòn Ti Tốp / Ti Top Island
Hang Luồn / Luon Cave
Hang Sửng Sốt / Sung Sot Cave
Hanoi Old Quarter at Night – Part 2!
Hủ Tiếu Khô + Beer for Dinner
Ta Hien Beer Street Again!
Day 3 – Walkathon Around the City
We spent our last day literally walking around the city with new friends from the tour the day before. We went to the controversial Hanoi Train Street, the Temple of Literature, and Trấn Quốc Pagoda. We had delicious local dishes and banana coffee in between the long walks. Our last day ended with another party night at Beer Street.
Hanoi Old Quarter in the Morning
Hanoi Train Street
Hủ Tiếu Khô again for Lunch!
Temple of Literature
Trấn Quốc Pagoda
Ta Hien Beer Street for the Last Time!
This pretty much sums up everything about our 3-day trip around Hanoi. The 3 days around the city went by smoothly, despite everything being planned on the spot. The spontaneity of the itinerary made the visit exciting, interesting, and memorable.
Have you been to Hanoi on your previous trips? How did you find the city? Share your memorable experiences and discoveries in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about the details mentioned and shown above? Feel free to post them in the comments section below. You may also send these questions via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.
Thank you for joining me in today’s blogpost. I will surely visit Hanoi again in the future and I will take time to visit the nearby city of Ninh Binh and the iconic town of Sa Pa. I do not know when exactly will that be but I hope it will be in the next few years.
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PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.