All guides
138 in-depth guides covering every aspect of a Hanoi trip.
Accessible Activities in Northern Vietnam: What Actually Works
Ao Dai Photoshoots in Hanoi: What to Expect
Arriving in Hanoi at Night: Noi Bai Airport After Dark
Ba Dinh District, Hanoi: A Guide to the Political Quarter
Bai Tu Long Bay Cruise Guide
Bat Trang Ceramic Village: Market, Workshops and Pottery Wheel
Bat Trang Pottery Village: A Half-Day Trip from Hanoi
Bia Hoi: Hanoi's Street-Corner Draught Beer
Cao Bang & Ban Gioc Loop: The Northeast Motorbike Route
Cat Ba Island or Ha Long City: Which Base for the Bays?
Caves of Ha Long Bay: What You'll See on the Water
Combining Ninh Binh and Halong Bay in One Trip
Common Scams in Hanoi and How to Avoid Them
Countryside Two-Wheel Tours from Hanoi: Vespa and Motorbike Rides Beyond the City
Craft Village and Workshop Day Trips from Hanoi
Cruise Departure: From Hanoi vs From Cat Ba or Hai Phong
Cuc Phuong National Park and Its Primate Rescue Center
Cuc Phuong National Park Day Trip from Hanoi
Cyclo Tour Around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter
Day Cruise or Overnight Cruise: Which Halong Bay Trip Fits You
Day Trips from Hanoi: Where to Go and How to Choose
Dong Xuan Market: Hanoi's Biggest Covered Market
Duong Lam Ancient Village Day Trip: What to Expect
Duong Lam Ancient Village: A Living Village of Laterite Houses
Easy Rider or Self-Drive? Choosing How to Ride the Ha Giang Loop
Fansipan Cable Car: Reaching Vietnam's Highest Peak Without Trekking
Fansipan on Foot or by Cable Car: Which Way Up Suits You
Getting Around Hanoi: Walking, Grab, Taxis and Buses
Getting from Hanoi to Ninh Binh: Bus, Minibus, Transfer or Tour
Group Day Trip or Private Day Trip: Which Should You Book?
Group Tour or Private Tour in Northern Vietnam?
Group vs Private Multi-Day Tour: Which Fits Your Trip
Guided Motorbike Tours for Non-Riders in Hanoi
Ha Long Bay Cruise Season: When to Sail the Gulf
Ha Long Bay vs Lan Ha Bay vs Bai Tu Long Bay: Which One Is Right for You?
Ha Long Bay with Kids: What to Check Before You Book
Ha Long, Lan Ha or Bai Tu Long: Which Bay Should You Cruise?
Halong Bay Cruise Guide: Choosing Your Bay, Boat and Route
Halong Bay Day Trip from Hanoi
Hanoi Evening Scooter Food Tour: What It Actually Is
Hanoi Full-Day City Tour Guide
Hanoi Half-Day City Tour: What It Covers and Who It Suits
Hanoi Layover Tours: What to See Between Flights at Noi Bai
Hanoi Night City Tour: Streets, Light and Neighborhood Life After Dark
Hanoi Nightlife: Ta Hien Street and the Old Quarter Night Market
Hanoi Old Quarter: A Neighborhood Guide
Hanoi Tickets and Entrance: What Needs a Ticket, What's Free
Hanoi to Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island: Getting There
Hanoi to Sapa: Bus, Limousine or Night Train
Hanoi Vespa Night Street Food Tour: What to Expect
Hanoi with Kids: What Actually Works, and What Doesn't
Hanoi's Free Walking Tours with Local Students
Hanoi's Museums: Which One Fits Your Interests
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Dinh District: A Visitor's Guide
Hoa Lo Prison: A Guide to Hanoi's Memorial Museum
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital: A Walking Guide to Vietnam's First Royal Citadel
Hoa Lu and Tam Coc Day Trip: The Ancient Capital and the Boat Ride
How Hard Is That Trek, Really? Reading Difficulty Levels in Northern Vietnam
How Long Is the Ha Long Bay Day Trip, Really?
How Many Days for Northern Vietnam? A Time-Budget Guide
How Tet Affects Travel in Hanoi and the North
How to Choose a Cruise Boat Category on Halong Bay
How to Plan a Rest Day After Trekking Around Sapa
Is a Two-Night Halong Bay Cruise Worth It?
Kayaking and Caves on a Ha Long Bay Cruise: What's Actually Included
Lan Ha Bay Cruise Guide
Large Cruise Ships on Ha Long Bay: What to Expect
Limousine Bus vs Standard Bus in Northern Vietnam
Mai Chau by Motorbike: Riding the Valley of the White Thai
Mai Chau Homestay Tours: Multi-Day Trips from Hanoi
Mai Chau vs Pu Luong: Which Rice Valley Should You Choose
Massage and Spa in Hanoi: A First-Time Guide
Mobility and Accessibility in Northern Vietnam
Money and Payments in Dong: A Practical Guide to Vietnam's Currency
Motorbike License and Insurance in Vietnam: What Actually Covers You
Motorbike Season and Mountain Fog in Northern Vietnam
Mua Cave: The Staircase Climb and Viewpoint, Explained
Multi-Day Tours from Hanoi: A Guide to Your Options
Multi-Day Tours to Cao Bang and Ban Gioc Waterfall
Ninh Binh Day Trip from Hanoi
Ninh Binh vs Ha Long Bay: Which Karst Landscape Should You Choose?
Noi Bai Airport to Ha Long Bay: The Direct Transfer, Explained
Noi Bai Airport to Hanoi: Choosing Your Transfer
Northern Vietnam with Kids: How to Plan a Family Itinerary
Old Quarter Markets and Shops: A Street-by-Street Guide
Old Quarter Street Food Walking Tour: A Guide to Choosing One
One Pillar Pagoda and Tran Quoc Pagoda: A Guide to Hanoi's Two Landmark Pagodas
One-Night vs Two-Night Ha Long Bay Cruise: Which Fits Your Trip?
Perfume Pagoda Day Trip from Hanoi
Perfume Pagoda: A Working Pilgrimage Site in the Karst Southwest of Hanoi
Pho vs Bun Cha: Understanding Hanoi's Two Signature Dishes
Plastic Stools and Street Eating: How to Read a Hanoi Food Stall
Private Tour with a Driver in Hanoi: How It Actually Works
Private vs Group Food Tour in Hanoi: How to Choose
Pu Luong Multi-Day Tours: Terraces, Lodges and Slow Travel
Pu Luong Trekking Guide: Walking the Rice Terraces and Karst Ridges
Red Dao Herbal Bath in Sapa: A Guide
Riding Pu Luong by Motorbike: A Practical Guide
Sapa Multi-Day Tours from Hanoi: How to Plan the Trip
Sapa Trekking Guide: The Hub for Walks in Vietnam's North
Sapa vs Ha Giang Loop: Which Northern Vietnam Mountains Fit Your Trip
Short Motorbike Loops from Hanoi
Sidecar Motorbike Tours in Hanoi: What to Expect
Silk and Incense Villages Near Hanoi
Small-Group Cruise Boats: What Actually Changes on Board
Tam Coc Boat Ride: The Rowing-Boat Guide to Ninh Binh's Rice-Field River
Tay Ho: A Guide to Hanoi's West Lake District
Temple of Literature: Hanoi's Confucian Temple and First University
Thang Long Imperial Citadel: A Guide to Hanoi's Royal Site
The Dong Van Karst Plateau: Ha Giang's High Ground
The French Quarter: Hanoi's Colonial-Era District
The Ha Giang Loop in 3 or 4 Days: How the Itinerary Is Built
The Ha Giang Loop: A Multi-Day Motorbike Tour, Not a Day Trip
The Ha Giang Loop: What It Is and How to Plan It
The Night Train to Lao Cai: Hanoi's Rail Gateway to Sapa
The Rowers of Ninh Binh: Hands, Feet and River Boats
The Sapa Homestay: A Night With a Local Family
The Valleys Around Sapa: Terraces, Villages and How They Connect
Traditional Music and Performance in Hanoi
Trang An Boat Guide: Caves, Temples and How It Differs from Tam Coc
Trekking in Cat Ba National Park
Trekking in the Rain: How Mud Changes Northern Vietnam's Trails
Typhoon Season and Halong Bay Cruise Cancellations
Understanding the Karst of Northern Vietnam
Vegetarian and Vegan Food Tours in Hanoi
Vespa, Cyclo or Sidecar? A Guide to Two-Wheel Tours in Hanoi
Vietnamese Coffee and Egg Coffee in Hanoi: The Full Guide
Visa and E-Visa for Vietnam: What to Know Before Flying Into Hanoi
Walking in Mai Chau: Rice Fields, Stilt Houses and Valley Trails
Walking the Terraces of Mu Cang Chai
Water Puppet Show in Hanoi: A Guide to Vietnam's Folk Art
What an Overnight Cruise on Ha Long Bay Actually Includes
What to Book Ahead in Hanoi: A Practical Guide
What to Book Ahead in Northern Vietnam, and What to Leave for Hanoi
What's Included in a Multi-Day Tour From Hanoi
Where to Stay in Hanoi: Choosing the Right Neighborhood
Why Halong Bay Cruises Get Cancelled in Typhoon Season
Why Two Tours With the Same Number of Days Can Feel Completely Different
Good to know about guides to Hanoi
The guides on this site are organised around the practical questions that come up when planning a Hanoi and north Vietnam trip rather than around a generic list of attractions. Neighbourhood guides cover the character and practicalities of areas like the Old Quarter, West Lake and the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake, including where each fits for accommodation versus sightseeing. Activity-focused guides go deeper into specific interests: how to choose between a Trang An and a Tam Coc boat ride in Ninh Binh, what a Ha Long Bay day cruise actually includes compared with an overnight cruise, and how a Sapa trek differs depending on the season and the village route chosen.
Transport guides explain the practical mechanics of getting around, from how to reach Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay and Sapa from Hanoi, to the choice between a night train and a road transfer, and how the Ha Giang loop works for both self-driven riders and those travelling with an easy rider. Regional guides address each of the six main areas directly: Hanoi city itself, the Hanoi countryside around Bat Trang and the Perfume Pagoda, Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba, the northwest around Sapa and Mu Cang Chai, and the northeast highlands around Ha Giang and Cao Bang, since these routes require different amounts of travel and different seasonal timing.
Practical guides deal with the realities of visiting Vietnam as a tourist, including how to time a trip around the wet and dry seasons and the typhoon risk affecting Ha Long Bay, without ever overstating conditions that can vary year to year. Together, these guides are meant to answer the questions a traveller has before booking anything, rather than simply describing what a destination looks like.
Frequently asked questions about guides to Hanoi
Do the guides cover both Hanoi city and the regions around it?
Yes, the guides span the city's neighbourhoods and landmarks as well as the excursions around it, including Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba, the northwest and the northeast highlands.
Is there a guide comparing a Ha Long Bay day cruise and an overnight cruise?
Yes, a dedicated guide sets out what each option typically includes and how the choice affects how much of the bay and Lan Ha Bay you actually get to see.
Do the guides recommend specific prices for tours or transport?
No, prices for cruises, treks and transfers can change, so the guides focus on practical logistics and comparisons rather than fixed figures that would quickly become outdated.
Is there a guide specifically about the Ha Giang loop for beginners?
Yes, a dedicated guide explains the difference between self-driving and travelling with an easy rider, and what the route through the karst plateau and Ma Pi Leng Pass involves.
Are the Sapa trekking guides aimed at complete beginners?
Yes, they're written for visitors with no prior trekking experience, covering how routes are graded and how to choose between a short village walk and a longer multi-day trek.
Ha Long Bay Cruises and Sea Excursions
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