Old Quarter
Old Quarter
4.5
NeighborhoodsHistoric Walking Areas
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Hanoi’s lively Old Quarter comprises nearly 40 streets packed with shops selling all kinds of goods, each street named for its primary good or service.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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Admission tickets
from $4.90
All you need to step foot in the door.
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Top ways to experience Old Quarter
See what travelers are saying
  • William Chen
    Singapore, Singapore2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Charming Place
    Charming and bustling neighborhood located in the heart of the city. The area is known for its narrow streets, historic architecture, and traditional culture. It's a fantastic place to wander and explore, with plenty of shops, restaurants, and cafes to discover.
    Visited February 2023
    Written March 20, 2023
  • Laura
    Greve, Denmark3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Authentic part of Hanoi
    Such a nice authentic place of Hanoi. Stayed here all the nights in different hostels. We really felt like we were where everything happened and in walking distance to everything. The old quarter is charming. Definitely worth a visit and I 100 % recommend booking your accommodation somewhere here.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written March 23, 2023
  • Upendra P
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Life in Hanoi
    Walking through Old quarter gives you a good idea how Vietnam was several years ago under French and the new Vietnamese government. The food street during weekend was so crowded. Again gave you how normal life goes on here.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 26, 2023
  • TravelBrianCO
    Pearland, Texas867 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Goes on forever
    Similar to other jammed packed areas in large southeast Asian cities but fun nonetheless. Overwhelming everything. Fun to walk around and see the sites. Close to the lake and a lot of good restaurants. Cyclo tours everywhere if that is your thing. Suggest going late afternoon so you can see the transformation as it gets dark. It comes to life at night! It is very busy so watch where you are walking.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 28, 2023
  • Hana
    Melbourne, Australia9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting place, a must see when visit Hanoi
    Old Quarter Hanoi is a must-see destination for anyone visiting Vietnam. With its scenic lakes, hidden gems, and bustling riverfront, it's the perfect place to explore and experience the city's vibrant culture. From the iconic Hoan Kiem Lake to the narrow alleyways of the Old Quarter, there's something for everyone. The food is delicious and the nightlife is vibrant. Whether you're looking for a quiet stroll by the river or a night out on the town, Old Quarter Hanoi has it all.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 5, 2023
  • errearra
    Budapest, Hungary86 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Full of life
    Fascinating to see how people live on the streets and do not hide in their flats. Streetfood is the norm not a fashion. As other neighbourhoods of Hanoi are much more advanced, not sure the Old Quarter will resist modernisation. Come to see and experience as long as you can. The atmosphere may have been similar in many other cities a few centuries or decades ago.
    Visited April 2023
    Written April 6, 2023
  • Jimmy
    12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Charming old quarter
    There are more than 60 streets here and do have a from the hotel for you to navigate. There are night markets on Fri, sat and sun at old quarter from 7 pm to 11 pm. Do check the season when you plan your tour to Hanoi. Beware of heavy traffic
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 10, 2023
  • Dji
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We love the history, culture and street food
    The narrow streets are packed with shops, cafes, temples and vendors selling everything from souvenirs to snake wine. You can easily spend hours wandering around and soaking up the atmosphere of this vibrant and chaotic place. The best way to explore the Old Quarter is by foot or by cyclo, a traditional bicycle taxi. You will be amazed by the sights, sounds and smells of this ancient part of the city. Don't miss the night market, where you can find bargains on clothes, accessories and handicrafts.
    Visited April 2023
    Written April 19, 2023
  • parakeets
    Melbourne, Australia166 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We loved it.
    Easy to walk around. We saw many of the well known sites in it all on foot. If you're a good walker and the weather allows. Apart from the mental traffic it's easy to do on foot and you see so much more.
    Visited April 2023
    Written April 25, 2023
  • must_travel_soon_10
    Mississauga, Canada1,706 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sensory overload
    The old quarter has an amazing energy, some good, some not so good. The 2 & 4 wheel vehicles are just bursting through the streets, so be cautious. The shops, vendors and people are overflowing with activity. Unique experience with some good shopping and eating.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 25, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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71emma
Kuching, Malaysia530 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Wow, it really took great courage to cross the busy noisy streets here, fighting our way through a sea of motorcyclists:) No looking back once you decide to cross. Like reviewers said, they'd zig-zag around you and you'd be totally untouched!
It was a real experience, walking along the colourful streets lined with street food stalls, people perched on low stools. We enjoyed some street food like pho gia, ban cuon, goi cuon and nem, King Roti too. As advised by some TA members, we went where locals go. Taste of food was good everywhere.
Shopping at Old Quarters could be challenging. There're lots of fake branded goods which outwardly look like the real thing (internally it's a slightly different story). The prices vary from store to store. They could start with 700,000 dong and finally agree with 300,000 dong even. It was fun haggling.
It being Tet Festival, prices of food was higher. Good thing it was not difficult to find food at all. Most restaurants were open.
If coming to Hanoi, Old Quarters is surely a must-visit.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ChevySim
Halong Bay, Vietnam44 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
I think it's worth a visit to check out Hanoi's culture of street food, cafes, local merchandises, coffee, bars and etc. If you're looking to shop, north face jackets and bags might be worthwhile to take a look at. You may also want to visit some of the museums and churches around this area. Would recommend to visit this place on the weekends as well where there is a night market and some streets are closed so you will not have to worry about the crazy traffic while shopping.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

chadhavivek
New Delhi, India58 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
There is something about the old quarters that draws you in despite the constant honking, crazy traffic, pavements barely available and people buzzing past in a constant frenzy. I think it is the unique character of the place that can be associated with the Old Quarters. It is fun staying in this area and eating out can be a traditional experience. This is further made unique with the rickshaws that ply around the area. A must see if one wants to understand Hanoi better.
Written January 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Eichiro A
14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
The area consists of stone paved narrow street’s that come alive at night. Street food restaurants, mini pubs, small clubs, street vendors and street food hawkers could be found in abundance. This is where most tourists and locals come for a cheap & entertaining night out. You could also find street performers from traditional dance & musical acts to western music bands. Great place for sampling local cuisine, local beer and partying on the streets.
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jane P
7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
With lots of info from friends who'd visited before, we had great accommodation at La Vision but can also recommend Supreme Premier. Jack was a godsend and organised our Halong Bay trip when we arrived. Hanoi Kids was our first tour and gave us a wonderful insight into the old quarter. Our friend's son who lives in Hanoi advised us to "be predictable" when crossing the road and that was great advice.
Wifi is everywhere and so are ATMs. We had Vodafone $5 per day roaming and had better coverage than at home!!
Egg coffee at Giang is the original and a must do and so is beer on the street with the locals. People watching is half the fun as the scooters whip by.
Functional chaos at it's best, we loved the energy of Hanoi.
Written January 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cary L
Ennis, Ireland240 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
the Old Quarter of Hanoi is alive and well. Shops line the streets and you are walking the streets because motor scooters are all parked on the sidewalks. You have to keep your head on a swivel because traffic comes at you from every angle. If you decide to cross the street...once you see your opening you go for it and don't stop or hesitate. Just keep your eyes wide open and you will do fine. After the second day it becomes like second nature to you and you get into the groove of the city. It is incredible. Buildings that go back 150 to 200 years are still occupied and being lived in and worked in. Once you check into your hotel get a street map and walk every square inch of the city. We did! We walked 16 miles one day and close to 12 the next day just up and down streets and side streets. 7.5 million people live in Hanoi and you definitely feel it. People are everywhere and moving all the time. Motor scooters are flying by and everyone has something to sell. You definitely want to go to the big open central market. They have everything you can think of and if you are into exploring then this is the place to go.

Incredible history and incredible buzz.

Have a great tour.
Cary
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hewee55
Rome, Italy6 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
It was an awesome experience except for the bike's horn and the trash being thrown on the street. Our guide from Tonquin Travel describes the area as the "Market Grid" in the ancient time where people from all around gathered on the 1st and 15th of every month in Lunar Calendar as something that never change over time and how they lived in the past. Kind of a "journey on the line between the Ages" that you can see small details in the way of people and architecture. It hinted at the atmosphere in the past and nowadays and you can feel it your way.
Also, you can only find a good taste of food from the real locals here, not the 5 stars restaurant, that is the way people explore gastronomy here, in the Old quarter.
Written November 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lizzy T
Auckland, New Zealand61 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
I was glad that my hotel was right in the centre of the Old Quarter where everything was just there out the door from street food to nail salon, spa, cafe and etc. beautiful spot for photo shooting with all the heritage buildings surrounding. Worth hiring a motorbike to go around if you can ride :)
Written January 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paul Devon-Row
Kent, UK621 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
If your staying in Hanoi it’s best you stay in the old quarter as there is so much going on within walking distance. Weekends the road around the lake is closed which allows you relax and soak up the beauty of the area and the architecture. This time of year you might need a lite coat for the evenings.

Been here a week and loved it, now off to Sapa
Written January 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TMOH8
Guildford, UK2,151 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
If you've never been to an Asian city before then you'll either love or hate the frenetic activity of the Old Quarter.

The streets are alive with cars, bikes, scooters, people, dogs etc. Markets pop up and disappear at different times of the day and street food vendors and their stools block the pavements.

You'll spend half your time walking in the road but just go with the flow, walk confidently and you'll be fine. It's real.
Written March 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Old Quarter - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Old Quarter

Old Quarter admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost $4.90, while a popular guided tour starts around $5.00 per person.