5 places you must visit when in Hanoi

Considered the cultural center of the country, Hanoi should be your first stop if you’d like to gain a deeper insight into Vietnamese history and heritage. Situated in the north of the country, this city’s 1,000-year-old heritage is strongly shaped by Southeast Asian, Chinese and French influences. Absorbing the capital’s atmosphere is an organic process, best achieved by looping the lakes and burrowing into the alleyways to unearth temples, pagodas, churches and other storied sights. As you explore, make sure to visit these iconic attractions.

Ngoc Son Temple

Visit this bustling religious shrine when it opens at 8am to beat the crowds and observe incense-clasping worshippers pay tribute to a handful of heroes and deities, including Tran Hung Dao, who thwarted a Mongol invasion in the 13th century. The temple graces an island on Hoan Kiem Lake, accessible by a picturesque scarlet bridge. Interestingly, Hoan Kiem Lake is home to semi-mythical turtles. One such cryptid died in 1967, but was preserved, and the turtle lives (again) in the temple.

St Joseph’s Cathedral

From banh mi to café culture, iconic bridges to the national railway, French colonists made their mark on Vietnam. In Hanoi, this is most apparent in the architecture, evidenced by the grandiose neo-gothic bell towers of St Joseph’s Cathedral. Opening hours are sporadic, but Sunday morning scenes are always photogenic, as ao dai-wearing churchgoers gather in the small garden in front. Enjoy the basilica like a Hanoian – squat in one of the adjacent cafés and nurse an iced lemon tea.

Phan Dinh Phung Street

Probably Vietnam’s most cinematic street, particularly for walkers, photographers and heritage architecture enthusiasts, Phan Dinh Phung bulges with dracontomelum trees that envelop gigantic French mansions. While strolling along the broad, shaded pavements, look out for the pineapple-yellow Cua Bac Church and imposing Cua Bac citadel gate opposite. Side streets north of Phan Dinh Phung are packed with eclectic cafés. Stop for some fuel after your stroll at Café Yen, Bluebird’s Nest, Tranquil, La Viet or Manzi.

The Railway

Over the past decade or so, Instagrammers have made Hanoi’s (in)famous train street, where locomotives squeeze through a densely packed neighborhood, a true hotspot. These days, however, nervous city officials don’t always allow pedestrians access for safety reasons. If you’re turned away from visiting, enjoy the optical illusions of the murals on Phung Hung Street instead. There are also other worthwhile sights nearby: follow the tracks northeast to Long Bien Bridge, a Hanoi landmark that is often (incorrectly) attributed to Gustave Eiffel of the Eiffel Tower.

Tran Quoc Pagoda

Tran Quoc Pagoda, one of the city’s oldest religious complexes, perches dramatically on tree-lined Thanh Nien Street, a causeway that divides Truc Bach Lake and West Lake. It’s an excellent spot to watch the sunset. Whereas Tran Quoc Pagoda is Buddhist and Ngoc Son Temple is Daoist, many Hanoians aren’t particularly fussy and will worship at both.

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