Secret Hanoi
Places to go in Hanoi, ranked in two ways: how awesome is it? And how much of a secret is it? Some things are barely secret but still awesome. Some things are legit hidden, but might only be sort of interesting. Let us know if you have a secret that should be on this list.
Start here
East side of West Lake
The flower market does operate on a small scale during the day, but the real action is after midnight. Worth checking out if you need several hundred pounds of flowers. As one does. Open from 10pm to 4am. Watch…
Watch & read
Hoan Kiem District
Hidden little alley where you can try more authentic Vietnamese food like Bún Chả Kẹp Que Tre, which is grilled pork patties on skewers, or Bún Riêu Cuốn, which is freshwater crab soup. Cash only, and do your b…
Hai Ba Trung District (The District of the Trung Sisters)
Large Ha Noi wet market. Fresh produce and meat on the main floor. Fabric and dry goods upstairs. Very good pricing on fruit. The seafood, most of which you won't recognize, is still moving if you get there in…
South of the French Quarter
Allison discovered this one recently. It's a coffee and tea shop where you order by putting your drink on a card and dropping it in a slot. Then you make a wish and get your fortune told. And a hand comes out o…
Old Quarter
This is the heart of Vietnam, so it's not much of a secret. But the 5am exercise and dance crowd is. To beat the heat, Vietnam gets up early. You can't go for a run at 11am. Too hot. Even in the attached video,…
Old Quarter
Not much of a secret, but it is the thing to check out. Allison took this video after a rainstorm. This is your classic Ha Noi Instagram moment. Trains are running less frequently so look up the schedules - whi…
Ha Dong District
It hides out in the western suburbs of Ha Noi. Maybe 15km from the Old Quarter, which means a one-hour Grab ride in rush hour. Might be a bit far, but if you are in the area (staying at JW Marriott, say, which…
Near Old Quarter
At Truc Bach lake, there is a statue commemorating the capture of US Senator John McCain. Allison discovered it on one of her Walking in Ha Noi videos. Apparently John McCain has visited it several times. The l…