Good morning Vietnam! Good morning Hanoi!!!
Welcome to this beautiful country with so much to offer! But what happens when you don’t have as much time as you originally hoped and still want to get a good feel for it?
We spent 10 days in Hanoi with our kids, exploring Vietnam’s capital and taking a couple of trips outside the city.
Why didn’t we travel around more? And why did we spend all that time in a big city when we’re usually not big-city people?
Let me explain!
Why just Hanoi?
Originally, we planned to spend a month traveling around Vietnam, but our plans changed completely before we even arrived.
While exploring Mongolia, Luca broke his leg, just before we were supposed to head to Vietnam.
We weren’t worried about traveling with him with a broken leg, but we didn’t want him spending weeks somewhere warm where he’d be watching everyone else swim and play while he was stuck in a cast. So we extended our time in cooler Mongolia and shortened our Vietnam trip.
At the time of our trip in 2022, our Italian passports allowed us to enter Vietnam visa-free for 15 days, so since we already had our flights booked, we decided to use that time and stay in Hanoi.
Instead of trying to rush around the country with Luca in a wheelchair, we made Hanoi our base for 10 days.
And we definitely didn’t sit around doing nothing!
We explored as much of the city as we could, took a couple of trips outside Hanoi, and managed to do almost everything with Luca in his wheelchair.
So here are 15 things to do in Hanoi with kids, based on what our family actually experienced.
A bit about Hanoi first!
Before getting into everything we did, here’s a little background about Hanoi.
Hanoi sits along the Red River and is known for the many lakes scattered throughout the city. One of the most famous is Hoan Kiem Lake, right in the center of Hanoi, but you’ll find many others as you explore.
Hanoi has more than 1,000 years of history. In 1010, Emperor Ly Thai To moved the capital to the area and named it Thang Long, meaning “Ascending Dragon.” It remained an important political center for centuries.
The capital later moved south under the Nguyen Dynasty, and during the period of French colonial rule, Hanoi became the capital of French Indochina.
After the end of French colonial rule in 1954, Hanoi became the capital of North Vietnam. Following reunification in 1976, it became the capital of the unified country.
All of that history is still visible as you walk around Hanoi today. Ancient temples, narrow streets, French-influenced architecture, busy markets and modern buildings all somehow coexist in the same city.
1. Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi
Make sure to take a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, right in the heart of Hanoi.
It’s one of the city’s most famous places and offers a nice break from the traffic and craziness surrounding it.
The lake is also connected to one of Vietnam’s best-known legends. According to the story, Emperor Le Loi received a magical sword that helped him defeat his enemies. After the war, while he was boating on the lake, a giant golden turtle appeared and reclaimed the sword. The lake became known as Hoan Kiem, meaning “Lake of the Returned Sword.”
In the middle of the lake you’ll see Turtle Tower, one of Hanoi’s most recognizable landmarks.
While walking around the lake, you can also visit Ngoc Son Temple, located on a small island and reached by the bright red Huc Bridge.
The shores of the lake are always busy with locals and tourists walking, exercising and spending time together. Go early in the morning and you’ll see people exercising around the lake—a great way to experience a little local life!
2. Stop at the Note Cafe in Hanoi
While walking around Hoan Kiem Lake, look for one of the most original cafés we visited in Hanoi: The Note Cafe!
The entire coffee shop is covered with thousands of colorful sticky notes left by visitors from around the world.
There are inspirational quotes, love notes, life lessons and, of course, the occasional rude or funny one that makes you laugh!
You could easily spend ages reading them.
And don’t forget to leave your own note behind.
Even when you order your drink, the staff adds a little handwritten note to your cup.
It’s such a simple idea, but it makes this little café incredibly fun to visit with kids.
3. Visit Lotte Tower Observation Deck in Hanoi
If you want to understand just how enormous Hanoi really is, head up to the Lotte Observation Deck.
The observation deck is on the 65th floor, giving you incredible views over the city.
When we visited, there was also a rooftop area, but unfortunately, we went in the early afternoon and it was closed.
The building itself also has a hotel, restaurants, shops and a grocery store, so there is plenty to explore.
From above, you can really see how different parts of Hanoi fit together.
One architectural feature you’ll notice all over the city is the extremely long and narrow houses, often called tube houses. They’re especially noticeable in older neighborhoods where narrow building plots resulted in homes that are very slim at the front but extend far back.
Once you start noticing them, you’ll see them everywhere!
For more information about Lotte Tower, click here!
4. Try the egg coffee at Giang Cafe in Hanoi
Before coming to Hanoi, I had never heard of egg coffee.
Once I tried it, though, it somehow reminded me of eggnog with coffee, but so much better!
Vietnamese egg coffee is traditionally made by whipping egg yolk with sugar and condensed milk until it becomes thick and creamy, then serving it over strong Vietnamese coffee.
It is delicious!!!
And don’t worry if you don’t drink coffee. We also found variations such as egg hot chocolate.
But why go to Giang Cafe?
Because this is the café associated with the creation of Hanoi’s famous egg coffee. It was created by Nguyen Van Giang, who had worked as a bartender at Hanoi’s Metropole Hotel. During a period when milk was scarce, he experimented with whisked egg yolk as an alternative, eventually creating the drink Hanoi is now famous for.
So if you’re going to try egg coffee in Hanoi, trying it where the story began makes it even more fun.
Doesn’t this give you one more reason to go?!
For more information about Giang Cafe, click here.
5. Go to Train Street
Whether you’re lucky enough to see the train come by or not, Hanoi Train Street is certainly one of the most unusual places we visited.
We went during the day and walked along the railway, even pulling Luca in his wheelchair!
It was SO tight.
Standing there, it was difficult to imagine an actual train squeezing through such a narrow space between the buildings.
Because Train Street had already become such a tourist attraction, many locals had opened little cafés and restaurants along the tracks where people could sit, have something to drink and wait for a train.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see one come through during our visit.
Trust me, though, even just seeing how close the railway runs to the houses was fascinating.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: We visited Train Street in 2022, and access has changed several times since then because this is an active railway. If you’re visiting today, check the latest local restrictions and follow all barriers and instructions. Don’t use our old photos as a guide for where you’re currently allowed to walk or stand.
6. Visit the Temple of Literature in Hanoi
The Temple of Literature was one of the most interesting historical places we visited in Hanoi, especially because of its connection with education.
It was founded in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius. A few years later, the Imperial Academy was established here to educate members of the royal family and eventually other talented students.
Because of this, it’s often described as Vietnam’s first national university.
Education is still strongly connected to the temple today. Students come here, especially around exam time, hoping for a little extra luck!
Another fun detail to look for after your visit: the Temple of Literature appears on Vietnam’s 100,000 VND banknote.
We always love when something we’ve visited suddenly appears on the money we’re carrying around!
7. Admire Tran Quoc Pagoda in Hanoi
Tran Quoc Pagoda is considered the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, with a history stretching back around 1,500 years.
It was originally built near the Red River before eventually being relocated to West Lake, where it stands today.
One of the most striking things you’ll see is the tall red lotus-shaped stupa, surrounded by smaller historic stupas and beautiful temple grounds.
After the noise and traffic of central Hanoi, walking around this area felt much calmer.
It’s still an active place of worship, so remember to dress respectfully and be mindful of people who are there to pray rather than sightsee.
8. Take a trip to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi
You can’t really explore Hanoi without learning something about Ho Chi Minh.
He was one of the central figures in Vietnam’s independence movement and became the first president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
After French colonial forces were defeated at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, Vietnam was temporarily divided into North and South, with Ho Chi Minh leading North Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh died in 1969. Although he had expressed a preference for cremation, his body was preserved and placed inside the enormous Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which was modeled in part after Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow.
Visitors can enter the mausoleum and see his preserved body, but we decided not to.
We happened to visit on the first day it reopened after its annual maintenance period, and the line was incredibly long under the beating sun.
With three kids, and Luca in a wheelchair, we decided we didn’t need to see his body badly enough to stand in that line!
Instead, we explored the surrounding grounds, which are worth visiting on their own.
TIP: Opening days, hours and annual closure periods can change, so check the current schedule before planning your visit.
9. Try crossing the street in Hanoi
Yes, I’m actually including crossing the street as something to experience in Hanoi!
One of our biggest challenges when we first arrived was figuring out how on earth we were supposed to cross some of these roads.
Motorbikes were EVERYWHERE!
We’d stand on the side of the street waiting for the perfect moment…and quickly realize that the perfect moment might never come.
Eventually, we became much more comfortable navigating the city, but with three kids, and especially Luca in a wheelchair, we were obviously extra careful.
If you hate traffic and busy roads, Hanoi might take a little getting used to!
Rather than copying locals or relying on old advice about simply walking into traffic, use pedestrian crossings and traffic lights where available, stay alert and take your time. But I promise you, after a few days in Hanoi, simply crossing the street successfully can feel like an accomplishment!
10. Cyclo ride in the Old Quarter in Hanoi
This was one of our favorite ways of exploring Hanoi, especially with a child in a wheelchair. We all jumped on 3 cyclos, like Tuk Tuk but on bikes. They took us around the Old Quarter for one hour to admire much French colonial architecture.
France conquered Hanoi in 1873, and for more than 60 years, it was the administrative center of the colony of French Indochina. So, of course, the French left their mark all over the city, one of the most famous being the Hanoi Opera House.
I must admit, in some moments, it was a bit breathtaking to watch these cyclos get through traffic because, as I mentioned before, traffic is crazy in Hanoi!!! They don’t stop; they avoid you, so in some moments, I wondered if they could!
11. Watch a performance at Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi
Luca’s favorite experience in Hanoi was the water puppet show!
We watched a performance at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, one of Hanoi’s best-known places to experience this traditional Vietnamese art form.
Water puppetry has existed in northern Vietnam for centuries and developed in villages around the Red River Delta. Traditionally, performances took place in flooded rice paddies and village ponds, with puppeteers standing in the water behind a screen while controlling the wooden puppets.
Today, the theater brings those stories to the stage, with puppets moving across the water while musicians accompany the performance with traditional instruments and singing.
Many of the scenes represent village life, farming, fishing, legends and Vietnamese traditions.
Even if you don’t understand the language, the show is extremely visual, which is probably one of the reasons Luca enjoyed it so much.
Definitely one of our favorite things to do in Hanoi with kids!
12. Take a food tour in Hanoi
Of course, we couldn’t spend 10 days in Hanoi without exploring its street food!
Food is everywhere in Hanoi. People cook along sidewalks, tiny restaurants spill onto the streets, and meals are eaten sitting on those little plastic stools you see all over Vietnam.
We wanted to try local food, but we also wanted someone to explain what we were eating and how we were supposed to eat it!
That’s how we found HanoiKids, a student-run organization that connects visitors with young local volunteers who want to practice their English while sharing their city and culture.
Our two guides were fantastic.
We spent the evening walking through Hanoi, tasting different foods and learning things we never would have understood if we’d simply ordered everything ourselves.
This is exactly why we love doing food tours when we travel. It’s not just about eating—you learn so much about a place through its food and the people sharing it with you. And yes, we ate plenty!
13. Go to the street market in Hanoi
Before meeting our guides for the food tour, we walked through one of Hanoi’s street markets.
There was everything, fruit, vegetables, frogs, chickens, fish and plenty of things we couldn’t immediately identify!
And, of course, motorbikes were somehow squeezing through the crowds at the same time.
There was also an indoor market building full of stalls, but we arrived later in the evening when many of them were already closing, so we only managed a quick peek.
We love buying fresh fruit and vegetables when we travel, but we also simply enjoy walking through local markets.
You don’t necessarily have to buy anything.
Sometimes it’s enough to walk around, watch people shopping, see what they’re eating and get a little glimpse into everyday life.
14. Side trip to Halong Bay
To complete our time in Hanoi, we decided to take a couple of trips outside the city so we could experience a little more of northern Vietnam.
One of those trips was to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its incredible limestone islands and karsts rising out of the water.
It is definitely touristy, but there was another reason we were determined to go. We wanted to get Luca back in the water!
His cast was finally off after breaking his leg in Mongolia, so we booked a wooden boat for the day and headed out into the bay.
During the trip, we explored an enormous cave and later stopped at another little island where we could finally swim.
It wasn’t exactly the sunniest day, but that didn’t matter.
After everything Luca had been through with his leg, simply seeing him able to get into the water again made the day special for us.
There’s also a beautiful legend connected with Ha Long Bay. Its name is commonly translated as “Descending Dragon Bay.” According to legend, dragons sent by the gods helped protect Vietnam from invaders by dropping jewels into the sea, which became the islands and limestone formations scattered throughout the bay.
Whether you believe the legend or not, when you see all those formations rising from the water, it’s easy to understand how such stories began.
15. Side trip to Trang An
Trang An was our next adventure outside Hanoi, and our favorite!
We drove into the countryside for a very active day.
Our first stop was Bai Dinh Pagoda, an enormous Buddhist temple complex surrounded by beautiful countryside.
After the noise and constant movement of Hanoi, it felt incredibly peaceful.
Next came one of the highlights of our entire time in northern Vietnam: a boat ride through the Trang An Landscape Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for both its cultural and natural importance.
Sitting in a small boat, we traveled between dramatic limestone karsts, rice fields, temples and caves.
At times, the boat actually passed through long, low caves beneath the mountains.
It was truly magical and SO peaceful!
But apparently, we hadn’t exercised enough yet.
We ended our day at Mua Cave, where we climbed around 500 stone steps to reach the viewpoint at the top.
It wasn’t easy, especially after an already busy day, but once we reached the top and saw the landscape below us, it was absolutely worth it.
Of all the side trips we took from Hanoi, Trang An was definitely our favorite.
Looking Back at Our 10 Days in Hanoi With Kids
Hanoi wasn’t supposed to be our entire Vietnam experience.
We had planned to spend a month traveling around the country, but Luca breaking his leg in Mongolia changed everything.
Instead of trying to force our original itinerary to work, we slowed down and spent 10 days discovering Hanoi and its surroundings.
And looking back, I’m really glad we did.
We drank egg coffee, squeezed through traffic on cyclos, watched water puppets, tasted street food with local students, explored temples and markets, and somehow managed to experience so much of the city with Luca in a wheelchair.
We also escaped Hanoi for Ha Long Bay and Trang An, finally getting Luca back into the water after his cast came off and seeing a little more of northern Vietnam.
It wasn’t the Vietnam trip we’d originally planned, but that’s something traveling has taught us over and over again:
Sometimes you just have to change the plan and make the most of where you are.
We knew we’d eventually come back to Vietnam to experience some of the places we’d missed.
And we did.
Three years later, in 2025, we returned and finally traveled through the Mekong Delta, one of the experiences we’d originally hoped to have during this trip.
Sometimes a postponed adventure isn’t a canceled adventure.
Happy travels!!!
Continue the journey with:
If you are planning a trip to Asia, these unique destinations should definitely be on your radar:
- Brunei: The Family Trip That Became a Girls’ Adventure
- Meeting the Reindeer tribe: Our incredible travels in northern Mongolia
- A Family Journey Through India
- Discovering Cambodia: From Phnom Penh to the Magic of Siem Reap with Kids
- Visiting Bhutan with Kids: Inside the Magical Kingdom of Bhutan
- Oman Layover: Our Unexpected 15-Hour Family Adventure
I hope our experience helps you plan an unforgettable Asia adventure of your own!
