Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is not only a city with a rich history and culture but also a famous tourist destination with many scenic spots. However, when exploring Hanoi, visitors need to keep in mind a number of locations and situations to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip. Below is a detailed list of places to avoid or keep in mind when traveling to Hanoi.
Dong Xuan Night Market and Old Quarter Night Market are popular destinations for tourists looking to experience shopping and street food. However, on weekend evenings, these markets often become very crowded with thousands of shoppers and tourists.
Reasons not to go:
Advice:
The railway area on Phung Hung Street has become a famous tourist attraction thanks to unique photos of trains running through the neighborhood.
Reasons not to go:
Hanoi is famous for street foods such as pho, bun cha, banh cuon, and fried spring rolls, but not all sidewalk restaurants ensure food hygiene and safety. Some shops may not have good food preservation conditions and are susceptible to flies, mosquitoes and dust, leading to the risk of food poisoning.
Advice:
Some areas in Hanoi can become deserted and poorly lit at night, especially small alleys or neighborhoods far from the center. Traveling in these places may be unsafe, especially for travelers unfamiliar with the locality.
Advice:
Although traditional motorbike taxi services and ride-hailing apps like Grab are very popular, there are still spontaneous motorbike taxi drivers who lack credibility. They may not use the meter or claim higher prices than they actually do.
Advice:
Some souvenir shops near famous tourist destinations often sell goods at much higher prices than the actual price. They can use marketing tricks to convince tourists to buy.
Advice:
Hanoi is a developing city, so it is inevitable that there are areas under construction or maintenance. These areas often do not have safety measures for tourists and are at high risk of occupational accidents. Traveling through construction areas may encounter construction materials, machinery, and unstable terrain conditions. During construction or remodeling, these areas have nothing interesting to visit, wasting your time. Unfinished projects often do not bring tourism value or cultural experiences.
Advice:
Some bars, clubs and entertainment areas in Hanoi can become too busy on weekends or holidays. This can lead to crowding, difficulty controlling and even security problems such as clashes and theft.
Advice:
West Lake is one of Hanoi’s most famous and romantic places, attracting a large number of tourists and locals.
Reasons not to go:
Some areas in Hanoi still have poor environmental sanitation, such as affordable boarding houses or some suburban areas. Garbage and wastewater that are not properly treated can affect the health and experience of visitors.
Advice:
Although tourist destinations on the outskirts of Hanoi such as Bat Trang Pottery Village, Duong Lam Ancient Village, or Perfume Pagoda are very attractive, traveling to these places can take a lot of time and effort. Furthermore, tourism support services in these areas may be inadequate.
Advice:
Hanoi has many attractive and diverse destinations for tourists to explore. However, as with any destination, there are areas and situations that travelers should be aware of to avoid unwanted experiences. To have a safe and enjoyable trip, you should avoid locations with security, hygiene and safety risks as listed above. Please read the information carefully and choose suitable destinations. By carefully preparing and being vigilant, you will have an enjoyable and safe trip exploring this thousand-year-old cultural capital, experiencing culture and life in Hanoi to the fullest.
Don’t forget to regularly follow our Facebook page and Website for more interesting information about traveling to Hanoi and to book Hanoi tours at the best prices.
We will explore the most amazing places in the north of Vietnam. First, North Vietnam Hanoi Tour will bring you to explore Hanoi charming city, with a half-day city tour, you will visit the most iconic attractions in Hanoi such as President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake and the old quarter of Hanoi. After Hanoi, we are going to Tam Coc, Ninh Binh where we visit the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, enjoy the boat trip in Tam Coc and to discover the countryside. For ending two days of Inspirational Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Halong Tour, we will spend one night stay on a cruise to explore the seven natural wonder of the world. Let’s explore the Magnificent North of Vietnam with Impress Travel.
Email:northvietnamtour@impresstravel.com or contact the hotline (Whatsapp, Zalo, Viber, Skype) at +84.912 379 189 – Mr. Alex.
Day Inclusions: Private A/C transfer, English-speaking tour guide in Hanoi, lunch, entrance fee, hotel in Hanoi
Day Inclusions: Car/Mini-Van, Outstanding English speaking guide, Lunch – Vietnamese Cuisine at Tam Coc Nature Eco Lodge, All sightseeing tickets, Good bike with gears, 02 bottles of Mineral water, Services charges and government tax, Rowing boat to visit Tam Coc, One conical hat as souvenir, Demonstration of teaching to learn how to write, speak Vietnamese, and catch fish
Day Inclusions: Hotel breakfast, shuttle bus A/C transfer, English speaking tour guide on CRUISE only, entrance fee, full board, joint Cruise in Halong bay with private cabin (2 persons share 1 cabin)
What’s included in this trip :
3 STAR HOTELS & CRUISES IN VIETNAM SELECTED
Destination |
Room Type |
HOTEL NAME, ROOM TYPE & WEBSITE |
Hanoi 3-star Hotels |
Adamas Deluxe City |
ADAMAS HANOI HOTEL Refer: http://swancruiseshalong.com/ |
3-star Halong Bay Cruises |
Swan Cruise Deluxe |
SWAN CRUISE HALONG BAY Refer: http://swancruiseshalong.com/ |
4 STAR HOTELS & CRUISE IN VIETNAM SELECTED
Destination |
Room Type |
HOTEL NAME, ROOM TYPE & WEBSITE |
Hanoi 4-star Hotels |
The light deluxe with window |
THE LIGHT HOTEL HANOI Refer: thelighthotelhanoi.com/en/ |
4-star Halong Bay Cruises |
Sealife Suite Canbin |
HUONG HAI SEALIFE CRUISE HALONG BAY Refer: www.sealifegroup.com |
5 STAR HOTELS & CRUISE IN VIETNAM SELECTED
Destination |
Hotel Category |
HOTEL NAME, ROOM TYPE & WEBSITE |
Hanoi 5-star hotels |
Deluxe Sketch Apricot Hotel |
APRICOT HOTEL HANOI Refer: apricothotels.com/room/sketch |
5-star Halong bay Cruises |
Deluxe Room with Ocean View Margaret |
MARGARET CRUISE HALONG BAY Refer: https://margaretcruises.com |
The hotels and cruise are subject to change to similar category in case of fully booked
We went on a private trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, the whole trip plan was organized for us by the Impress Travel Company from Vietnam, the company did an amazing job, the whole trip was organized in a wonderful way with an amazing match between the various parties, their choices were correct and the quality of the hotels chosen were very high quality and it is important to note that the price was low in comparison To other agencies, thanks to Impress Travel and especially to Daniel who was tolerant and open to changes and organized the route for us.
Impress travel were amazing. Did my bookings with Daniel for our tour of Vietnam and I must say Daniel was very professional and prompt with his services. All the arrangement, plans, pick-up & drop-off services, hotels, vehicles, sightseeing tours and guides were spot on and excellent. Did 4 nights Hanoi, 1 night Hà Long Bay cruise, 3 nights Hoian, 4 nights Saigon and 1 night in Can Tho. It was totally awesome. Every part of the journey was superbly arranged and planned. I will highly recommend Impress Travel for anyone interested in visiting Vietnam. Very organized and reliable!
I booked with Impress Travel in July. My contact person was Tommy Thang. He is an amazing person. He was very helpful. He changed my program twice for me. Very accommodating!
We started our holiday in the north (Sapa)of Vietnam and travelled down to HCMC.
The tour was fantastic, Tommy's arrangements were to the"T".
I will always use them if I have to visit the area again and recommend them to one and all.
Thank you once again Mr.Tommy and the Impress Team.
Sulaiman Pochee
Great value for money with 4 stars hotel accommodation for 4 couples. The tour guide has been very helpful and brought us to amazing places in Sapa. We want to thanks Thuy the tour guide and especially Mark from Impress Travel for his great service and assurance throughout our trip. We’ll definitely use his service for other tour packages in other parts of Vietnam.
This is the second time we travel to Vietnam with IMPRESS Travel. First time, we booked our holiday to Hanoi, Halong Bay & Sapa during Dec 2018 with Impress.
Second time, we travel to Hoi An, Hue & Danang (Central Vietnam) during Jan 2019.
My friends & I are very glad & happy with all the hotels stay in Central Vietnam, the meals provided are delicious. We are greatly appreciated with all the tour arrangement by Tommy & his team (tour guide).
Especially, Mr. NHAT C.V. He is helpful, cheerful, knowledgeable and very professional. He always volunteer to take a nice pictures for six of us (group) .
We enjoyed our holiday with Impress travel. We will definitely come back to Vietnam again with Impress
All the latest breaking news & travel information on Hanoi travel. Browse The Independent’s complete collection of articles and commentary on Hanoi travel: Hanoi attractions, travel news, gallery, culture, history and tips.