Old Quarter in Hanoi | What to Do, See and Eat

Old Quarter, Hanoi Overview

Old Quarter in Hanoi, also known as the Hoan Kiem District or simply 36 Streets, is one of Hanoi's oldest neighborhoods and most popular attractions. It is home to Hanoi's most popular hotels, historical attractions, tourist street shops, and cafes. Wander through the Old Quarter's alleys to witness a fusion of architectural styles. It is also a gastronomic paradise, offering a sensory journey through Vietnam's diverse cuisine.

The Old Quarter is the city's business and cultural hub and still retains the characteristic culture of Vietnam. Always busy, the district is filled with vendors, whizzing locals on their bikes and other tourists. The streets are teeming with local craftsmen selling traditional handicrafts, divided into guilds that specialise in different artefacts, and street vendors supplying mounds of delicious Vietnamese cuisine.

The nightlife in the centre of the Old Quarter is pretty exciting too. Bia Hoi junction situated right in the centre is the best spot in town to experience the nightlife of Vietnam the classic way. Many stalls line up the streets and place chairs and stools on the streets, where you can sit and sip on locally brewed beer late into the night. Be sure to feast on the delectable snacks such as beef jerky, summer rolls etc.

Must Know Before You Visit Old Quarter

Must Know :

Be careful of your belongings while out shopping in the Old Quarter, especially in the night markets - there are pickpockets and thieves around!
It is best to do the Hanoi Walking Tours in the morning, as the afternoon Vietnamese summer heat can be quite testing.
Most of Hanoi’s nightclubs and bars close by midnight, so make sure to plan your little night rendezvous accordingly.
Taxi drivers tend to try to charge exorbitant rates, particularly for travel from the airport to the Old Quarter, so be careful and use only trusted official airline operators!

Old Quarter Highlights

1. Thang Long Water Puppet Theater

The Thang Long Water Puppet Theater in Hanoi is a renowned cultural attraction that showcases the traditional art of water puppetry, a unique Vietnamese art form that dates back centuries. Its perform (Read More)ances combine live traditional music, colorful puppets, and a water stage to tell stories from Vietnamese folklore, history, and rural life.
Timings: Evening shows daily starting from 3:00 PM, and last show at 8:00 PM
Costs: Approximately VND 100,000

Located inside an ancient Soviet-style building, the market has a variety of items for sale ranging from fresh vegetables, meat and fish to local souvenirs and handicrafts, clothes and other goods. Lo (Read More)ok out for traditional sand paintings, embroiders and Dong Ho drawings.
Timings: 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Ngoc Son Temple, also known as the Temple of the Jade Mountain, is a historic and picturesque temple situated on a small island in the heart of Hoan Kiem Lake. The main temple building features intric (Read More)ate designs, ornate carvings, and vibrant colors, reflecting traditional Vietnamese architecture. Visitors can admire altars, statues, and historical artifacts inside the temple while soaking in the serene atmosphere.
Timings: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Entry Fee: Adults: VND 30,000Students: VND 15,000

Hoa Lo Museum is all that remains of the Hoa Lo Prison, which was used to capture Vietnamese and American political prisoners during the colonial period and the Vietnam War. It offers a glimpse into t (Read More)he prison's history through various exhibits and displays. Visitors can see original cells where Vietnamese revolutionaries were held captive by the French, artifacts showcasing the harsh conditions prisoners endured, and photographs depicting the prison's different eras.
Timings: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Entry Fee: Adults: VND 30,000, Students (with Identification): VND 15,000, Children (under 15 years): No Entry Fee

The neo-gothic Saint Joseph Cathedral in Hanoi, dating back to the late 19th century is a popular tourist attraction. Its architecture is inspired by the Notre Dame in Paris with its imported stained (Read More)glass windows, bell towers, paintings and beautifully carved ceiling and altar.
Timings : 6:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Located in the center of the Old Quarter, Bach Ma temple is a beautiful 11th-century Buddhist temple in Hanoi. It's dedicated to Bach Ma or 'White Horse', a legendary horse that is said to have led Em (Read More)peror Ly Thai to the best area to construct a temple. It is a great place to see the local traditions, especially on the 1st and the 15th day of every lunar month, for extended prayers, offerings, and ceremonies.
Timings: Tuesday - Sunday: 8:00 AM -11:00 AM, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Shopping in the Old Quarter in Hanoi

The alleys and roads of the Old Quarter are popular havens, offering a dizzying variety of choices such as clothes, paintings, souvenirs, shoes, jewellery, handicrafts, stationery, silk etc. The two must-visit shopping markets are the Dong Xuan Market and the Hanoi Night Market.

1. Dong Xuan Market

Dong Xuan Market, Shopping in Hanoi Old Quarter — Source

The Dong Xuan Market is an indoor market, and one of the largest in Hanoi. Hanoi. Located inside an ancient Soviet-style building, the market has a variety of items for sale ranging from fresh vegetables, meat and fish to local souvenirs and handicrafts, clothes, luggage and other goods. It is also an ideal place to try some exciting Vietnamese cuisine.

Timings: 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM

2. Hanoi Night Market

Hanoi Night Market, Shopping at Old Quarter Hanoi — The Hanoi Night Market draws tourists and locals to the Old Quarter every week (Source)

The Hanoi Night Market is a weekend market that takes place from Friday to Sunday. It offers a range of Vietnamese clothes, jewellery and other accessories at bargainable prices, as well as its tempting array of choicest Vietnamese street food. There are also local performances including traditional Vietnamese dances and music shows that gives a very lively vibe to the market.

Timings: Friday to Sunday: 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM

What to Shop at the Old Quarter in Hanoi

1. Silk

Vietnamese Silk, Shopping at Old Quarter Hanoi — Vietnamese Silk is a very popular item amongst tourists (Source)

Tourists often look for Vietnamese silk. The Hang Gai Street, or the Silk Street is popular in the Old Quarter for its array of colourful, fine silk items. They have both little boutiques, as well as local tailors - who can stitch up your choice of fabric into an item of clothing for you. Some of the best boutiques here include Khai Silk, Kenly Silk and Tan My Design.

Timings: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Some other famous silk stores are the Royal Silk Hanoi at Hang Trong in the Old Quarter where a choice variety of clothes are available in both silk and cotton. The other one is the widely popular Khaisilk Botique, Vietnam’s largest silk retailer. Here you can find a wide variety of silk clothing and accessories like ties, shoes, belts and bags. Tailors are also available to stitch your outfit within 24 hours.

2. Shoes

Hang Dao Street Old Quarter Hanoi — Hang Dao Street in Old Quarter of Hanoi is famous for Shoe-shopping (Source)

Hang Dao Street is a street that is famed for its hundreds and hundreds of varieties of just one thing - shoes. This is an ideal place to pick up branded items, rejected from Vietnamese factories usually because of small and minor imperfections. Collections of bags are also available.

Timings: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM

3. Silver

Hang Bac Street, Shopping in Old Quarter Hanoi — A Silver Shop in Hang Bac Street in Old Quarter Hanoi, known as Silver Street (Source)

Hang Bac Street, with Bac meaning silver, is an old and famous street renowned for its collection of jewellery and fashion items. You can pick up both traditional and modern items of jewellery like rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets etc.

Timings: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM

4. Art

Vietnamese Art, Hanoi Old Quarter — Oil Painting of the Old Quarter of Hanoi (Source)

Hang Gai Street is popular for its collection of local Vietnamese art and paintings. The street is also known for art that propagates material from the Red media and communism.

Timings: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Thang Local Art Gallery is a must-visit for all art lovers, with its beautiful collection of paintings and propaganda art depicting the Vietnamese war and life from the 1970s. It is located on Hang Gai Street.

Timings: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Another popular art hub is the Art Vietnam Gallery, located on Yen Lac Street. It houses a collection of contemporary art and paintings by established talent. It is open only by appointment, and you get a personal tour by its lovely owner herself, Suzanne Lecht.

Some other places to visit include - Asiga Hanoi for some wonderful Vietnamese handicrafts and souvenirs, Hang Can for stationery items, Cau Go for women’s accessories, Thouc Bac for tools, Hang Buom for some delicious sweets and wine, and Hang Hom for bamboo items.

Nightlife at the Old Quarter in Hanoi

Here Are the Things to Do to Enjoy the Nightlife at the Old Quarter in Hanoi -

1. The Water Puppet Show at the Water Puppet theatre is an enthralling performance offering a glimpse into traditional Vietnamese culture and lifestyles.

2. The Hanoi Weekend Night Market is another option to spend some time during the late hours, shopping, eating and watching some street dances and other performances by the locals.

3. There are many lively pubs and bars in the Old Quarter that are worth exploring.

For sports lovers, there is the modern Le Pub Hanoi with its courtyard and terraced seating area, as well as the less expensive and laid back Polite Pub Hanoi, which screen games and is a good place to enjoy some beers, whiskies and cigars with your buddies while watching the latest matches. The latter also has foosball and pool tables.
For those looking to relax after a long day, the Legend Beer Hanoi brewery, with its freshly brewed mugs and view overlooking the Hoan Kiem Lake is an ideal spot.
For the party lovers wishing to shake a leg and let down their hair, Infinity Club is the place to be, with its huge dance floors and in house DJ playing a fusion of the latest house and techno tracks.
Old Quarter also has some fun pubs like the pirates themed King Pirates Pub, famous for its rum-based concoctions and also its Walk the Plank challenge, which involves five shots of spicy Captain Morgan's for all the gallant fighters!
For some old school, local chilling, you could always head to the Bia Hoi Junction, for drinking cheap local beers and meeting interesting people.

Take a Walking Tour of the Old Quarter in Hanoi

The best way to explore the Old Quarter in Hanoi is on foot. Walking tours are organized by the locals, with many student guides, who take you across the town and show you the best places around, while also giving you anecdotes of the town’s history, tradition and culture. Since the tour guides speak English, it is the perfect way to soak up the local history and learn about life in Vietnamese. These walking tours are mostly free, and begin both in the morning and afternoon slots, and take typically around 3 to 4 hours. The earliest tours begin at around 9 AM, with the afternoon ones ending not later than 5 PM.

The tour guides cover most of the major attractions in the Old Quarter - including the Hong Kiem Lake and the famous temples, including the Ngoc Son Temple and the Bach Ma Temple. It takes you across different winding streets in the city, each with its own alleyway of historical stories and traditional artefacts, like Cha Ca Street, the Hang Duong Street and others. You also get to explore the famous bustling market of Dong Xuan, and have a little shopping spree picking up some Vietnamese souvenirs at bargain prices. The tour guides also ensure that you have your fair share of choice Vietnamese delicacies on the tour - going to popular street food places like Luong Ngoc Quyen Street or Hang Chieu for some local brews, to name a few!

What to Eat at the Old Quarter in Hanoi

There are many local restaurants, cafes as well as street vendors known for specific delicacies.

The Cha Ca Street is named after its famous Cha Ca, a sumptuously seasoned portion of white fillet fish, served with noodles and traditional sauces. At the Dong Xuan Market, there are some exotic offerings for the more daring ones willing to experiment - including fried frog, duck blood soup or tieh canh! The market also has its offerings of regular Vietnamese street food found all over the Old Quarter, including pork-stuffed buns or bun cha, crabmeat rolls or nem chua beh and rolled rice cakes or banh cuon.

There are also some popular cafes in the Old Quarter. The Highway4Restaurant Hoan Kiem is known for its menu divided into different sections of cooking - like wood-based, fire-based, metal or water. Some of the exotic dishes here include fried scorpion, cricket and frog - all served with freshly picked herbs. The rustic and beautiful Green Tangerine Restaurant serves delicious portions of pork, duck, eggplants and stuffed pigeon. The Xuan Xuan Hanoi is one of the most popular local food joints, with its servings of Vietnamese style barbeques.

For those looking for some local brews, the Beer Hoi on Ta Hien Street, gives some nice homemade Vietnamese beer.

History of the Old Quarter in Hanoi

Visiting the Old Quarter in Hanoi often gives one a feeling of travelling back in time. Popular since the imperial times, the Old Quarter used to be a residential and commercial area, divided into gilds or streets based upon the type of trade they were engaged in. It was during the French rule that much of the trading and infrastructure developed in the region.

Prior to the imperialist tide, the Le and Tran dynasties ruled over Old Quarter. At this time the area was surrounded by many rivers and lakes. It was even then known for trade, becoming one of the densest urban areas of Hanoi, and attracted many Chinese merchants to its growing commercial hubs.

How To Reach Old Quarter of Hanoi

The best way to travel around and within the Hanoi Old Quarter is definitely by foot. From any other location in Vietnam, it is convenient to take a cab and be dropped near the red bridge at Hoan Kiem Lake.
If you are travelling from the airport to the Old Quarter (as it is often the case that many hotels are located here), the Hanoi Airport Transport service taxis are a good option and would cost around VND 315,000.
For those looking for cheaper options, there are a number of private and public buses. The private buses cost around VND 40,000. The public buses include the public bus no. 86 for around VND 30,000 which will drop you off at Old Quarter, and the public bus no. 17 for around VND 9000 to the Long Bien Station, from where you can catch a quick tab to your location of choice in Old Quarter.