5 Places You Need To Visit In Hanoi

Last Updated: December 6 2020

Hanoi is a city that most people either love or they hate. We can see why people may not like it. The traffic is crazy, the air quality isn’t great and the streets are so busy! However this doesn’t mean you should miss out on visiting this city as there is plenty to do in Hanoi! We personally really enjoyed Hanoi. We didn’t stay very long though as our visa was running out, so we had to book a flight out. Here are our top 4 places you must visit in Hanoi!

1. Observation Deck

The Observation deck is located in the Lotte Tower. It is a short Grab ride from the centre of town, and is definitely worth it! The tower is around 250m high and you have to get an elevator to the 65^th floor.

Even if you are afraid of heights it is definitely worth the trip. Me and Jack are both wary of heights but we found it to be a great experience! It is also something you won’t often get the chance to do by getting a birds eye view of the city. It is definitely one of the places you must visit in Hanoi.

There are two areas of the observation deck which have glass floors that you can walk upon which give you views of the city below. This part is a bit unnerving haha as it is so high up but it is definitely an experience! We travelled through Vietnam during wet season so the views were quite foggy. However on a clear day the views would be incredible! For more information on Hanoi’s observation deck read our blog post here.

2. Train Street

This street is probably what Hanoi is most famous for and it’s not hard to see why! The railway line runs through one of Hanoi’s smaller side streets making it a bit of a squeeze when the train comes through. Yes, the railway line is still in use!

You can find the location on google maps, just type in ‘Hanoi Street Train’. You can walk upon the railway line throughout the day, just obviously not when the trains are due. The locals will tell you where to stand when the train is due.

There are multiple cafe’s located along the train street, where you can grab a coffee or a bit to eat while you wait. The trains run at different times throughout the day, but if you want to see one go through make sure you get there at least 10 minutes early. We nearly missed the train because it came a few minutes early.

Also be sensible! We have heard stupid stories about people risking their lives to get selfies with the train in the background. It is just not worth it, and so silly! The trains run at multiple times throughout the day, and at the time of writing were:

7:05am, 8:46am, 11:40am, 15:20pm, 16:20pm, 17:38pm, 18:15pm, 18:30pm, 19:17pm, 19:20pm, 19:45pm, 21:06pm, 21:35pm

 

3. Saint Joseph Cathedral

The Cathedral was completed in 1886 and follows the gothic style of a Roman Catholic Cathedral. It is surrounded by plenty of shops, café’s and coffee shops where people come to relax and have a nice view of the cathedral.

It is definitely something different to do in Hanoi, and the architecture is wonderful. You can go inside, but at the time of our visit there was something going on inside the church so we decided to be respectful and stay outside.

This Cathedral gets really busy with tourists flocking around to take photos and explore. If you are looking to get some nice pictures of the cathedral, our advice is to get there relatively early.

4. Long Bien Train Bridge

To get to the Long Bien Train bridge, you have to go through Long Bien Train Station and walk onto the bridge from the railway line. It is literally a 30 second walk. As always be aware, and check for trains and train times. The railway is still in use, and although we didn’t see any trains during our time here they are definitely still running.

The railway bridge is awesome, and has a really cool design. It can get quite busy with tourists wanting to take pictures sometimes, but is definitely worth a visit. We found this place out of luck really, but we are glad we did!

You can also see Long Bien Train bridge from the path that runs alongside the railway, next to the road. Some people were climbing over onto the bridge this way, but we definitely don’t advise it!

 

These are our top 4 places to visit in Hanoi. As some of these places involve railway lines always make sure you are sensible and careful! Check the train schedule, and check your environment. It is never worth risking your life just to get a photograph! This applies to any situation.

Thank you for reading this post! We hope this has given you some ideas for your Hanoi Itinerary! If we have missed any spots out, we would love to hear what you guys have done in Hanoi!

P.S If you want to follow along with our journey, follow our Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/acouplescalling/

Thanks,

Jack & Abbie.