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The Hanoi hotel blog

Honest advice on neighborhoods, budgets, transport and seasons — direct answers with real numbers to the questions actual visitors ask. New articles added regularly.

Neighbourhood picks

2 articles

Budget & prices

3 articles

Comparisons & rankings

6 articles
Every Michelin-star restaurant in Hanoi in hanoi
2026-01-18
Every Michelin-star restaurant in Hanoi in hanoi
Hanoi now holds 3 one-star restaurants and a fistful of Bib Gourmands — here are all 10 top picks ranked by what you actually get for your money.
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 Best museums in Hanoi, ranked
2026-01-22
Best museums in Hanoi, ranked
A historical traveller's ranking of Hanoi's top 10 museums — with honest notes on which of the $2 tickets are worth your morning.
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 Best hikes near Hanoi, ranked
2026-02-02
Best hikes near Hanoi, ranked
Eight walks within 3 hours of the Old Quarter, ranked for effort, scenery and how much history you get along the way.
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 Ninh Binh vs Ha Long Bay: which should you actually do?
2026-05-04
Ninh Binh vs Ha Long Bay: which should you actually do?
If you only have 1-2 days outside Hanoi, one wins clearly — and it's not the famous one. Here's the honest comparison across 6 categories.
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 Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh City: which should you visit?
2026-06-05
Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh City: which should you visit?
The North-South rivalry is real — 1,760 km apart, and different in weather, food, pace and politics. Here's how to pick if you only have time for one.
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 Sustainable stays in Hanoi: how to pick a lower-impact hotel
2026-08-11
Sustainable stays in Hanoi: how to pick a lower-impact hotel
Plenty of Hanoi hotels print a towel-reuse card and call themselves green. Here is how to tell a genuinely lower-impact stay from the marketing, which certifications hold up, and which neighbourhood cuts your car trips to almost nothing.
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Culture & sights

4 articles
Is Hanoi safe? An honest answer for 2026
2026-03-02
Is Hanoi safe? An honest answer for 2026
Violent crime is genuinely rare — but 3 specific scams cost tourists real money every week, and traffic kills more visitors than anything else.
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 Kids in Hanoi: 8 things that actually work
2026-04-02
Kids in Hanoi: 8 things that actually work
Tested with under-10s: 8 activities that hold attention for more than 20 minutes, plus the 3 famous sights that don’t.
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 A perfect history day: Ba Dinh & French Quarter
2026-04-12
A perfect history day: Ba Dinh & French Quarter
One 6-hour walking route through the seat of Vietnamese power — 4 sights, 2 meals, 1912 to 1969 in a straight line.
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 The perfect 3-day Hanoi itinerary
2026-08-04
The perfect 3-day Hanoi itinerary
Three days is exactly enough for Hanoi: one day in the Old Quarter, one for the museums and lakes, one for a day trip. Here is the hour-by-hour plan with real 2026 prices.
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Transport

3 articles

Food & drink

5 articles
The 5 best rooftop bars in Hanoi
2026-03-14
The 5 best rooftop bars in Hanoi
Ranked by view, drink quality and how much history you can see from the rail — with cocktails from $6 to $18.
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 Best coffee shops in Hanoi to work from
2026-03-28
Best coffee shops in Hanoi to work from
Seven cafes with reliable wifi (25 Mbps+), power sockets and no time limits — from $1.20 egg coffee to $4 flat whites.
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 Vietnamese coffee styles in Hanoi, explained
2026-04-22
Vietnamese coffee styles in Hanoi, explained
Seven Hanoi-invented or Hanoi-perfected coffee drinks, ranked, from the 1946 original egg coffee to the current $2 coconut craze.
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 Is Hanoi street food safe? A working guide
2026-05-10
Is Hanoi street food safe? A working guide
90%+ of visitors eat street food with no issues — here are the 5 concrete rules that keep you in the safe majority.
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 Food in Hanoi: what and where locals actually eat
2026-08-25
Food in Hanoi: what and where locals actually eat
Where Hanoians really eat — the pho counters that sell out by 10am, the noon bun bowls, the plastic-stool bia hoi corners and the egg-coffee alleys — with real dishes, addresses and 2026 prices, and the tourist traps to walk straight past.
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Seasons & events

3 articles

Day trips & escapes

5 articles
Best beach alternatives near Hanoi
2026-02-10
Best beach alternatives near Hanoi
Hanoi is 100 km from the coast — here are 7 lakes, rivers and karst waterways that beat a cramped bus to Ha Long for the day.
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 Is a Ha Long Bay day trip from Hanoi worth it?
2026-04-16
Is a Ha Long Bay day trip from Hanoi worth it?
Short answer: no — the 3.5-hour each way drive eats the day, and you get 2 hours on water. Here's what to do instead, and when the day trip actually makes sense.
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 Duong Lam ancient village: the historical day trip nobody takes
2026-04-28
Duong Lam ancient village: the historical day trip nobody takes
45 km west of Hanoi, 400 years of laterite houses and 2 emperors' birthplaces — for $20 and a rented bike, this beats every commercial tour.
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 Sapa from Hanoi: is the overnight train worth it?
2026-05-28
Sapa from Hanoi: is the overnight train worth it?
300 km northwest, 1,600 m elevation, and 5 ethnic minorities — here's the honest breakdown of a 2-night Sapa trip in 2026.
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 Bat Trang pottery village: half-day guide
2026-06-14
Bat Trang pottery village: half-day guide
600 years of ceramics, 13 km east of the Old Quarter — this $8 taxi ride is the best half-day trip from Hanoi you’ve never heard of.
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Area guides

2 articles
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