Tom Hanoi, a travel destination that is fast becoming a popular city for Singaporeans and European travellers. Not only is the standard of living lower as compared to Singapore (means you can stretch your dollar further), there are actually interesting things that you can do while you’re there as well. In this post, we’ll cover 18 Hanoi Travel Experiences NOT TO BE MISSED during your next visit there!
#1: Hanoi-Style Haircut
At 40K VND ($2.50 SGD), the Hanoi-style haircut along the streets was probably the cheapest and unique haircut experience we’ve tried so far. If you’re adventurous enough, you can even ask for shaving and ear waxing services!
#2: Hanoi Roadside BBQ Buffet
At 140k VND ($8 SGD), we were able to enjoy a roadside BBQ buffet together with the locals. Even though it was priced at $8 SGD, you will be able to find a respectable selection of ingredients such as beef, pork, liver, octopus, squid and chicken wings. An especially unique experience by the roadside in the evenings where the temperatures become colder.
Check out our review of Vietnamese Roadside BBQ Buffet at Chat Nuong Quan Hanoi!
Book with Klook Here: Hanoi Street Food Walking Tour
#3: Hanoi Local Cuisine
While you’re in Hanoi, don’t miss out a piping hot bowl of Pho right by the roadside. These were probably some of the best and authentic tasting pho we’ve had – and at incredibly affordable prices as well. Ban Cuon was another interesting dish that we tried – prepared fresh upon order in-house. Enjoy!
Check out Banh Cuon Thanh Van Hanoi Review: Freshly Prepared Rice Sheet Rolls for a Vietnamese Breakfast!
Book with Klook Here: Hanoi Street Food Walking Tour
#4: Coffee, People Watch and Shoe Cleaning
You’ve heard about Vietnamese coffee but you’ll have to try them at one of the many coffee houses along the streets of Hanoi. Not only will you be able to people watch like the locals do. You’ll also be able to get your shoes cleaned or polish while you’re at it!
Check out Cafe4H (4h Ca Phe) Hanoi Review: Nice little cafe for coffee and people watching in Vietnam
Book with Klook Here: Hanoi Coffee Lovers Walking Tour
#5: Experience a Railway Train Crossing – RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!
@2bearbeartravel Visit Rail Cafe Hanoi for the best experience when the train passes by! #train #railcafe #cafe #cafehop #eggbeer #cafehopping #exciting ♬ original sound – 2bearbear
Have you ever experienced a train passing by right in front of you as you sip on your coffee or beer? We had a fantastic experience at Railway Cafe Hanoi where the train passed while the ground trembled and wind gushed by. Definitely a highlight of our trip!
Check out Railway Cafe Hanoi Review: For the best and ORIGINAL Railway Train Crossing Experience!
Book with Klook Here: Deluxe Train from Hanoi to Sapa
#6: Cafe Hopping in Hanoi
What we enjoyed about cafe hopping in Hanoi is that the venues are always so intricately decorated. One of our most memorable visit was to Tree Bee Coffee in Hanoi where the structures are hexagonally built – just like a bee hive and overlooks West Lake! The drinks are also very affordable at about $3 SGD. Shiok!
Check out
Tree Bee Coffee Hanoi Review: Didn’t know Cafes could be THIS elaborate…
Highlands Coffee Review: Floating Boat Cafe at Truc Bach Lake
Phe La Ba Dinh Hanoi Review: A Popular Cafe to Chill and Hang Out
Book with Klook Here: Hanoi Coffee Lovers Walking Tour
#7: Vietnamese Massage and Foot Spa
Although massages in Vietnam is generally more expensive than Thailand, you’ll be able to easily find skilled masseuse over the city. Our favourites are Fuji Spa Center as well as La Belle Vie Spa. Particularly at La Belle Vie, we were able to snag a 2 hours massage at $68 and it includes a pretty decent meal at the restaurant next door.
Check out
La Belle Vie Spa Review: Hanoi’s Top Few Massage Venues
Fuji Spa Center Hanoi Review: Quality Massage at Affordable Prices!
Book with Klook Here: La Belle Vie Spa Experience in Hanoi
#8: Pedicure and Manicure in Hanoi
Although the technology used is not the latest, at $7 SGD for a pedicure, it was certainly a pretty good deal. Check out both manicure and pedicure options while you’re in Hanoi.
Book with Klook Here: Nail Experience at Tiny and Nail Spa Hanoi
#9: Buy a Roadside Balloon #SupportLocal
We didn’t need a Lotso (Toy Story) Bear Balloon. But it was just so cute! Accompanied us as we travelled around West Lake that day. Many cute photo moments ensued. Plus, we’d be helping the aunty’s business this way as well right? #supportlocal
Book with Klook Here: Hanoi in a Day
#10: Leisure Stroll Around West Lake (Ho Tay) & Catch The Sunset
The walk around West Lake Hanoi was around 16km but we broke it down to many stops along the way which made it enjoyable and leisurely. The 16km walk took us an entire day from 9am to 7pm. That pretty much explained how slowly we took it that day. Plus, we were rewarded with an amazing sunset as well. Enjoy!
Check out Day Trip in Hanoi: Strolling Around Ho Tay Lake…
Book with Klook Here: Hanoi in a Day
#11: Watch a Movie – In STYLE
The Gold Class tickets in Hanoi CGV was about 300K VND ($17 SGD) which was cheaper than in Singapore. Also, it comes with unlimited snacks and drinks (soft drink and water). For a 3 hours movie (Avatar), being able to recline and relax while watching the movie was certainly a great experience.
Book with Klook Here: Hanoi Film Photography Tour
#12: Find Out For Yourself Which Egg Coffee in Hanoi is Better
Egg Coffee was created in Hanoi due to the lack of milk during the First Indochina War (or the Anti-French Resistance War) in Vietnam. Today, its fame has travelled to many parts of Vietnam as well. However, Cafe Dinh and Cafe Giang are the descendents of Mr Nguyen Van Giang – the creator of the egg coffee. So which version of the egg coffee is better?
Check out Egg Coffee Hanoi Review: Cafe Dinh vs Cafe Giang – Which is the Best?
Book with Klook Here: Hanoi Coffee Lovers Walking Tour
#13: Night Walking Street Over The Weekends In Hanoi
On the weekends in Hanoi, the old quarter is converted into a huge pedestrian-only walking street. It happens from 6:30pm to 12 Midnight from Fridays to Sundays and transforms the busy streets of Hanoi into a pedestrian-friendly area for friends and family to hang out. There will be night markets, buskers and even groups of people doing line dancing. Enjoy the festivities each weekend!
Check out Night Walking Street Hanoi: 6:30pm to 12 Midnight from Fridays to Sundays
Book with Klook Here: Private Night Market Street Food Tour in Hanoi
#14: Splurge at a Fine Dining Restaurant – T.U.N.G Dining
If you’re celebrating an anniversary or birthday while you’re in Hanoi, T.U.N.G dining could be an unforgettable dining experience for you and your loved ones. However, it was definitely not cheap. In total, we spent about $400 SGD for 2 pax, inclusive of a bottle of wine. Expensive by Vietnamese standards. However, if you’re familiar with Michelin standard dining, you’ll find the creations, choice of ingredients and presentation styles totally worth it. Certainly a matter of time before they clinch their first Michelin Star. Our favourites were definitely the cold water, deep sea creatures such as carabinero and toothfish. Oh so good!
Book with Klook Here: Best Restaurants in Hanoi
#15: Enjoy Amazing Cocktails at Unicorn Pub
@2bearbeartravel Bitter Sweet Dreams cocktail from Unicorn Cocktail Bar in Hanoi. Presentation with woody fragrance… #2bearbear #travel #hanoi #vietnam #unicorn #cocktail #cocktails #pub #bar ♬ original sound – 2bearbear
Fancy having pho in your cocktail? Unicorn Pub has created such a drink that was actually tasty, complete with a flamboyant presentation as well (see videos above). During happy hours from 6pm to 8pm daily, you’ll be able to get 1-for-1 cocktails which brings these amazing creations to about 100k VND ($6 SGD) per cocktail. Amazing cocktails at amazing prices. Definitely not to be missed as well!
Check out The Unicorn Pub Hanoi Review: Delicious 1-for-1 Artisanal Cocktails during Happy Hours!
Book with Klook Here: Best Restaurants in Hanoi
#16: Experience the Flower Fields in Hanoi
Visit Flower Gardens in Hanoi. These days, they not only have many instagrammable spots with the flower fields, we’ve even found one that comes with glamping, performances at night and outdoor BBQ!
Check out
Vuon Hoa Phuong Linh Review: Hanoi Botanical Garden next to Red River!
Cafe Thung Lũng Hoa Review: Lake Tay Ho (West Lake Hanoi) Flower Garden!
#17: Grab Food for Unique Local Food Finds
If you’re staying in Hanoi, particularly in AirBnB like us, you’d be able to know that Grab Food options are freely available via the same Grab App that we use in Singapore. Using the app, we were able to find amazing street foods such as the skewer stall shown above. It was so good that we ordered it a couple of times during our stay! Of course, there were horrible finds such as the stone-hard steamed chicken. But these are experiences that we gather during our travels right? Now, you can do it in the comfort of your room as well!
#18: Check Out The Local Craft Beer Scene
The craft beer scene in Hanoi is indeed brewing. During our stay in Hanoi, we visited no less than 4 craft beer breweries, each serving their unique blends of IPA, Hefe, Stout and Cider. At prices half of that in Singapore, this is definitely an experience not to be missed if you’re in Hanoi!
Book with Klook Here: Hanoi Street Food Walking Tour
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We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the 18 Hanoi Travel Experiences NOT TO BE MISSED! Let us know what you think and add on to share your travel experiences in Hanoi in our comments section below!
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