Stories from Hanoi
Long-form writing on Hanoi and northern Vietnam — an evening of street food in the Old Quarter, a night aboard a Ha Long Bay cruise, and the practicalities of riding the Ha Giang Loop.
More stories
Best Time to Visit Hanoi: How I Actually Plan Around the Seasons
Bia Hoi: Hanoi's Draught Beer Culture, Not a Craft Beer Crawl
How to Cross the Street in Hanoi (Without Panicking)
Northern Vietnam's Ethnic Communities: What I Wish I'd Understood Sooner
Etiquette and Everyday Customs in Northern Vietnam
Vietnam's Other Festivals and Public Holidays, Beyond Tet
Hanoi in April: What It's Actually Like
Hanoi in August: What It's Really Like
Hanoi in December: What Winter Actually Feels Like
Hanoi in February: Grey Skies, Mountain Cold and a Wandering New Year
Hanoi in January: What to Expect
Hanoi in July: What I Tell Friends Before They Book
What Hanoi Is Actually Like in June
Hanoi in March: What the Weather Is Really Like
Hanoi in May: The Month the North Turns Hot and Humid
Hanoi in November: What I Actually Pack and Where I Go
Hanoi in October: My Case for the Best Month in the North
Hanoi in September: A Month of Transition
Sapa and Ha Giang Have a Different Climate Than Hanoi
Why Northern Vietnamese Food Tastes So Different From the South
What I Actually Pack for Northern Vietnam, Season by Season
Photographing Northern Vietnam: What I Wish I'd Known
Rainy Season in Northern Vietnam: What I'd Actually Plan Around
Rice Terrace Seasons in Northern Vietnam: Planting or Harvest?
Getting a SIM Card and Staying Online in Northern Vietnam
Solo Female Travel in Hanoi and Northern Vietnam
Tipping in Vietnam: What I Actually Do in Hanoi
Toilets, Hot Water and Comfort in the Northern Mountains
Tourist Scams and Overcharging in Northern Vietnam: What to Actually Watch For
Vietnamese Coffee Culture: What I Learned Sitting Still in Hanoi
What I Wish I'd Known About Vietnamese Before Visiting Hanoi
Water and Basic Health Precautions in Northern Vietnam
What Tet Means for a Trip to Hanoi
Good to know about the Hanoi Trip blog
The blog covers the seasonal and practical topics that don't fit neatly into a single evergreen guide. A recurring theme is timing trips around the north's climate: articles addressing which months suit a Ha Long Bay cruise comfortably given the typhoon season, and how the golden rice season around Mu Cang Chai shifts slightly from year to year. Seasonal posts track specific windows worth planning around, such as the cooler, drier stretch from October to April and the colder conditions that reach Sapa and the northwest mountains in winter.
Practical posts address changes to train schedules on the Hanoi-Sapa route, updates to procedures at Noi Bai International Airport, and shifts in how the Ha Giang loop is typically arranged, whether self-driven or with an easy rider. Event-driven posts cover the Perfume Pagoda's spring festival season, changes at Hanoi's museums including the Museum of Ethnology and the Vietnamese Women's Museum, and any notable developments among Ninh Binh's boat routes at Trang An and Tam Coc.
Day trip posts revisit specific excursions with updated logistics, from boat operator options in Ninh Binh to access arrangements at Bat Trang and Duong Lam, and periodically address common misconceptions, such as travellers assuming every northern region is a quick day trip from Hanoi when travel times to Sapa, Ha Long Bay and Ha Giang vary considerably. Because tourism infrastructure across the north continues to develop, particularly around transport and cruise operators, the blog is where updates and corrections to the more static guides get published first.
Frequently asked questions about the Hanoi Trip blog
Why does the blog focus so much on seasonal timing for Ha Long Bay?
Because the typhoon season, roughly July to September, can disrupt or cancel cruises at short notice, so timing a visit around the more stable months matters more here than in many destinations.
Does the blog cover the golden rice season at Mu Cang Chai?
Yes, posts track roughly when the terraced fields turn golden each September and October, since the exact window shifts slightly from year to year.
How often is the blog updated with train or airport changes?
Posts are updated whenever a meaningful change occurs to the Hanoi-Sapa train schedule or to procedures at Noi Bai International Airport, rather than on a fixed schedule.
Does the blog cover the Perfume Pagoda's festival season?
Yes, posts track when the spring festival is taking place and how it affects crowds on the boat ride and around the cave temple.
Will the blog tell me how far the northern regions actually are from Hanoi?
Yes, and it directly addresses the assumption that every region is a quick day trip: travel times to Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay, Sapa and Ha Giang vary considerably.
Ha Long Bay Cruises and Sea Excursions
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GetYourGuide does not provide a product photo for this activity — the image shows the meeting point, photographed by us.
