Hanoi 3-Day Itinerary

Day 1 · Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter and a water puppet show Hoan Kiem & the Old Quarter

1. 1. Hoàn Kiếm Lake (Hồ Hoàn Kiếm)
   Hoàn Kiếm Lake, also known as Sword Lake (Hồ Gươm) or Tả Vọng Lake (Hồ Tả Vọng), is a fresh water lake, measuring some 12 ha in the historical center of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. Wikipedia
   Best time: Early morning or weekend evenings · Admission: Free — The lakeside streets become pedestrian-only on Friday to Sunday evenings / Mornings bring locals doing exercise and tai chi
2. 2. St. Joseph Cathedral (Nhà thờ Chính tòa Thánh Giuse)
   Best time: Morning · Admission: Free — The main door is often closed outside Mass / Sipping lemon tea at the cafés out front is a local ritual
3. 3. Hoa Lo Prison Relic (Di tích Nhà tù Hỏa Lò) Wikipedia
   Best time: Morning · Admission: Paid (small fee) — A colonial-era prison — the exhibits are heavy / The audio guide helps a lot
4. 4. Hanoi Train Street
   Best time: Train times (check) · Admission: Free (café purchase) — Access is sometimes restricted for safety — follow on-site instructions / When a train comes, step off the tracks as café staff direct
5. 5. Old Quarter (Phố cổ Hà Nội)
   Best time: Evening · Admission: Free to browse — The '36 streets', each once dedicated to one trade — explore on foot / Heavy motorbike traffic — cross slowly at a steady pace
6. 6. Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre (Nhà Hát Múa Rối Thăng Long)
   Best time: Evening show · Admission: Paid · book ahead — Traditional Vietnamese puppetry on water — under an hour / Front rows may get splashed
7. 7. Ta Hien Beer Street (Phố Beer Tạ Hiện)
   Best time: Night · Admission: Free to browse — Sit on tiny stools with draft beer (bia hoi) / Bars sometimes pack up early due to late-night enforcement

Day 2 · From the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to the Temple of Literature and West Lake Ba Dinh, Dong Da & West Lake

1. 1. Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum (Lăng Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh)
   Best time: Early morning (open mornings only) · Admission: Free — Usually closed Mondays and Fridays, plus an annual maintenance closure in autumn — check first / Modest dress required; silence and no photos inside
2. 2. One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột)
   The One Pillar Pagoda, formally belongs to an architecture complex called Diên Hựu tự which means 'pagoda of extended blessings'. Wikipedia
   Best time: Morning · Admission: Free — A tiny temple on a single pillar over a pond — a quick stop / Right next to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
3. 3. Imperial Citadel of Thang Long (Hoàng Thành Thăng Long)
   Best time: Morning · Admission: Paid (small fee) — A World Heritage citadel, including the excavation site / Little shade — bring a hat
4. 4. Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám)
   Best time: Early morning · Admission: Paid (small fee) — Site of Vietnam's first university, with a series of courtyards / Crowded with graduation photo shoots in season
5. 5. Tran Quoc Pagoda (Chùa Trấn Quốc) Wikipedia
   Best time: Sunset · Admission: Free — Hanoi's oldest pagoda, on a small island in West Lake / Cover shoulders and knees
6. 6. West Lake (Hồ Tây)
   Best time: Sunset · Admission: Free — Hanoi's largest lake — watch the sunset from a lakeside café / Many people cycle around it

Day 3 · A day trip to Ninh Binh: Trang An and Hang Mua Ninh Binh

1. 1. Trang An Eco-Tourism Complex (Khu du lịch sinh thái Tràng An)
   Best time: Morning · Admission: Paid (boat tour) — A 2–3 hour rowing-boat trip through limestone caves and rivers — bring a hat and sunscreen / About 2 hours by car from Hanoi; usually a day trip
2. 2. Hang Múa
   Best time: Sunset (or early morning) · Admission: Paid — Nearly 500 stone steps — brutally hot at midday / The top overlooks the Trang An fields and river

Sources

• Google Places — 장소 이름·위치
• Wikipedia — 장소 소개 (CC BY-SA 4.0)