Ho Chi Minh City Vs Hanoi: What to Pick When Travelling to Vietnam

Vietnam is one of the most popular countries to visit in Southeast Asia, being a rewarding and fascinating destination. A raging debate when traveling to Vietnam is about Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Owing to a subtle yet obvious difference between the two parts of the country, it is integral to compare the Northern and Southern sections of the country before you decide to visit either region of the country. Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and a major northern city, whereas Ho Chi Minh City is a major southern city and the former capital of Vietnam. So the ultimate question becomes: Where does the trip start, Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?

Here are 9 factors you should consider when deciding between the two:

Food in Hanoi Vs Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnamese cuisine is absolutely mouth-watering - a medley of meat, seafood, vegetables, and spices artfully combined. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City each have their distinct tastes.

Hanoi
Hanoi opts for a slightly more traditional outlook, creating the perfect array of traditional Vietnamese cuisine. The major attraction of the food culture in Hanoi is street food, which is probably the best selection of Vietnamese street food in the country. Home to many street food joints through narrow lanes and family-owned restaurants, Hanoi is also popular as the place to get the best 'pho' in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City
Known as the food capital of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City has a more diverse set of options to choose from. With thousands of restaurants across the city, you can enjoy cuisines ranging from French, Japanese, Mediterranean, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Ho Chi Minh City has everything from street food joints to pizza bistros and fine dining restaurants. Read more about Street Food in Ho Chi Minh City.

Sightseeing in Ho Chi Minh City Vs Hanoi

Hanoi
Hanoi is a more traditional city. You can practically feel the history flowing through the entirety of the city, with tourist destinations like the Old Quarter, Temple of Literature and Hoan Kiem Lake. Most of the tourist spots in Hanoi reflect Vietnam's rich culture and history. Scenic spots like Halong Bay and Ninh Binh are day trips from Hanoi.

Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is more cosmopolitan, and its attractions also reflect that. Popular attractions include the Water Puppet Theatre, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the War Remnants Museum. The Cu Chi tunnels are a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City. You can also ride a boat through the Mekong Delta from here.

Nightlife in Hanoi Vs Ho Chi Minh City

Hanoi
Hanoi is known for its backpacker-style nightlife, with the Old Quarter transforming into a Bia Hoi junction as soon as the sun sets. Hanoi has a relaxed nightlife with chilled-out vibes and cheap booze. Beers are as inexpensive as VND 5,000. Bia Hoi junction is just a bunch of people sitting around tables on plastic stools. Hanoi also has dance clubs, but breweries are aplenty and the chief attraction among those looking to let loose with a cold one. Read more about nightlife of Hanoi.

Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, being the cosmopolitan city it is, caters to a more upmarket clientele with swanky nightclubs and fancy rooftop bars. It is more on the expensive side. However, Ho Chi Minh City has a set of comparatively smaller nightclubs, karaoke bars, and pubs for those on a shoestring budget. Read more about the nightlife of Ho Chi Minh City.

Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City Vs Hanoi

Hanoi
Hanoi offers a more traditional shopping experience, with markets and colonial-style family-run shops selling handicrafts, silverware, and fresh produce. The Old Quarter has small shops specializing in a wide variety of products, from shoes to silks. Hanoi Night Market is one of the best places to shop in the city, offering an authentic experience of shopping in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's shopping hub. Filled up with a number of shopping malls, fashion boutiques and shopping streets, Ho Chi Minh City offers a unique shopping experience. You can even buy authentic art from art galleries and get a dress designed for yourself at one of the numerous fashion boutiques.

Weather in Hanoi in Ho Chi Minh City

Despite being part of the same country, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have marked differences in their weather conditions.

Hanoi
Hanoi is located up north in the Red River Delta region. Hanoi experiences hot, wet summers and cool, dry winters. It can get quite cold in winter. The best time to visit Hanoi is either from September to November or March to May.

Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is located in the southern part of Vietnam, in the Mekong Delta region. It experiences a tropical climate and hence has only two seasons - wet season and dry season. It is comparatively hotter here than in Hanoi. The best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City is during the dry season, from December to April.

Cost

Vietnam, in general, is a very cheap place to travel in. Prices may be slightly inflated in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, but generally, it is very inexpensive. Ho Chi Minh City is highly modernized, owing to which it has both highly expensive and very cheap food joints, restaurants, etc. Hanoi, on the other hand, houses medium-range prices. Ho Chi Minh City is the place for you if you are traveling on a shoestring budget.

Accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City Vs Hanoi

Hanoi
Hanoi tends to offer mostly medium-range accommodation, with many boutique-styled hotels and expensive hotels. Backpackers will definitely find the occasional economic accommodation, but Hanoi generally caters to wealthy travellers.

Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is known as Vietnam's financial and ex-pat hub, owing to which it has a variety of accommodations, ranging from sprawling five-star hotels catering to the rich and elite to the small, inexpensive rooms that comfortably accommodate backpackers, Ho Chi Minh City has got it all.

Safety in Hanoi Vs Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnamese people are not aggressive or violent, but scams, pickpocketing, and petty thievery are uncommon.

Hanoi
Hanoi is known for its scams. You might be tricked into buying expensive and overpriced tour packages to Sapa or Halong Bay. People might offer to pose with you in photographs and then demand money.

Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is known for its elaborate pickpocketing schemes. Bag snatching and people stealing your belongings from motorbikes are not uncommon. Try to protect all your belongings as well as you can, whether you are in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

Lifestyle in Ho Chi Minh City Vs Hanoi

Hanoi
Hanoi has still maintained a slightly traditional outlook owing to which people may seem slightly blunt and rough around the edges. Hanoi is home to a thriving Buddhist community and has maintained its conventional charm with narrow lanes, tiny family-run coffee shops, local markets, and the elderly practicing Tai Chi.

Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, on the other hand, has been subjected to rapid modernization owing to the enormous influence of the French and American cultures. Ho Chi Minh city is filled with swanky skyscrapers, sleek hotels, fancy rooftop bars and trendy shopping malls.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City might have some subtle differences, but by large they are very similar and are reflections of the rich Vietnamese Culture. Both cities are worthy tourist destinations, each with its own uniqe essence. So figure out what it is you are looking for from your trip to Vietnam, and the question Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City will answer itself!