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Hanoi, Vietnam is a bustling city filled with food adventures around every corner. If this is your first trip to the city or to Southeast Asia, planning the important details can be daunting. This episode recounts my personal experiences in Hanoi and navigating the planning process.
Before booking your tickets, schedule an appointment with a travel clinic or a doctor who specializes in travel vaccines. Traveling to less developed countries with unfamiliar diseases will ruin your trip and turn fun memories into travel nightmares. No one wants to spend thousands of dollars and 12 hours flying to waste their precious time in a hospital or hotel room sick. Travel clinics will review the right vaccinations with you and discuss food safety procedures.
Click here to see my tips to avoid getting sick while eating street food.
Understanding entry requirements for Hanoi is crucial to avoiding unwanted headaches from immigration and spending money on unnecessary fees. The process is simple. Go to Vietnam’s E-visa site and follow the directions, but triple-check your information before submission. The $25 fee is non-refundable, even if you submit the wrong information. If this happens, you will need to start over and pay the fee again.
Official Vietnam E-visa Site: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/trang-chu-ttdt
Deciding where to stay determines how you spend your time. I recommend staying in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, which keeps you around the action for site seeing and amazing food spots. The eastern side of Old Quarter houses your more traditional conceptions of Southeast Asian travelers with western backpackers, foreign style bars, and international restaurants. The eastern side tends to keep shops, bars and restaurants open later into the night facilitating a youthful party life.
The western side of Old Quarter holds more authentic neighborhood restaurants, a locals only vibe and quieter evenings once it’s dark. Depending on the experience you are looking for, pick accommodations with these facts in mind. And if you feel like you chose the wrong part of Old Quarter, it’s only a short walk to the other side. Delicious and amazing restaurants are all over Old Quarter so no matter your decision, it’s the right choice!
Food is definitely the highlight of visiting Hanoi. Although the street food stalls may seem strange to new travelers, in my personal experience, the best food happens sitting on a tiny stool hunched over a small plastic table.
Click here for the Hanoi restaurants mentioned in this episode.
Here are some other notable places you should check out:
The Note Coffee Shop
A unique coffee shop with its walls covered in Post-it notes filled out by the various patrons while sipping their fresh brewed lattes. Try the coconut coffee and enjoy the day making your mark on the walls of the iconic coffee shop.
64 Lương Văn Can, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Polite & Co
A modern cocktail bar with robust concoctions and house-infused gins sourced from local fruits, veggies, and spices. One of my favorite bars in Asia that I visited. Delicious drinks at a reasonable price.
5b Ng. Báo Khánh, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 111000, Vietnam
Valhalla Grill
Need a break from Vietnamese food? This small burger joint located on the eastern side of Old Quarter gives your taste buds a break from the local fare. After my third week in Hanoi, this
17 Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Tannin Wine Bar
Need a night to wine and dine? Tannin wine bar is awesome for a classic meat and cheese platter with a nice bold red wine.
46 Hàng Vải, Hàng Bồ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
The Nest Board Game Cafe
For a chill afternoon, head out to this cafe that boasts an enormous selection of boardgames, most of which I’ve never heard of. Go with new friends you just met or ask to join someone else’s game. Just make sure to offer them some coffee first.
4A Tràng Thi, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
To find Secret Pho (Pho Hang Trong):
- Go to the address: 8 Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
- Enter the center hallway (1st picture)
- Walk until you see pho sign (2nd picture)
- Walk up staircase (3rd picture)
- Turn right and you are in the living room/ dining room (4th picture)
Although I ran out of time during the podcast, here are a few sites that I found super fun in Hanoi:
Temple Of Literature
58 Quốc Tử Giám, Văn Miếu, Đống Đa, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam
Weekend Night Market Hanoi
8 Hàng Đào, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Ngoc Son Temple
Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam
Tran Quoc Pagoda
Đ. Thanh Niên, Yên Phụ, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam
Chris Kretzer has traveled the world visiting over 35 countries and eating his way through every city. With his wife Tiarra, they explore different food cultures and create food guides, podcasts, and travel articles helping everyone experience the world through food.