WHERE TO STAY
Most foreigners stay in the Old Quarter: it’s when Hoan Kiem Lake is, a bunch of sigfhts, the best food, etc. It’s also pretty crazy packed and busy.

Most foreigners that live in Hanoi choose Tây Hồ. Nice views of a massive lake, more spacious, but also very Westernized.

Somewhere in between (Trúc Bạch or Phu Yen) gives you a nice balance between the two, a bit quieter but convenient and close to the stuff you’ll be doing and need.

The hotel game in Hanoi is a bit weak, I thoroughly recommend an Airbnb. Gets you into quieter alleys too and will help you end up in a more local, authentic neighborhood.

MOTORBIKE RENTAL
Tigit is the most reliable usually.

ENTERTAINMENT

Ca Trù is traditional Northern Vietnamese storytelling with accompanying music that mostly only exists in Hanoi these days. There’s a theater dedicated to the artform and it’s pretty gorgeous.

There are two Water Puppet Theaters around Hoan Kiem where you can see authentic Vietnamese puppetry which is truly beautiful and unique and is accompanied by singing and traditional Vietnamese instrumentation. Google what it looks like. Love it.

Hanoi National Opera and Ballet has local productions and world-class touring shows worth checking out.

Binh Minh Jazz Club near the opera house is open most nights, check out their calendar, highly recommend the Vietnamese jazz nights.

ESCAPE ROOMS

I’m a TERPECA member/judge and have done 250+ rooms around the world. I actually highly recommend Miss Terry in Hanoi. Most other rooms in the city are mediocre at best, but Miss Terry (say it out loud) is super solid.

MISC
Blind massage: look up nearest one to you with good reviews, it’s a unique experience … someone ‘discovering’ your body piece by piece as they touch you and reacting. Usually someone sees you head-to-toe and makes whatever assumptions they are to, but in this case they didn’t know my height or build until they touched relevant parts and were able to make (accurate) assessments of even my age and ethnicity (and random medical history) as they touched my body.

I don’t have a specific rec but tailor-made suits and custom-built dress shoes are a big thing here, and a more useful souvenir than a random trinket.

STREET FOOD

#1 Bánh Mì: my favorite is Madam Khanh, aka “TheBánh Mì Queen”. The BBQ grilled pork (“thịt nướng”) is my favorite. Slightly sweet, it might be my favorite sandwich of all-time.

RESTAURANTS

Mid-range: Purple Lantern in A Bang has a variety of dishes, highlights incl the lime leaf chicken, eggplant-pork, couple of fish dishes. Say hi.

DESSERT

Also pressed milk (incl sesame, green bean and sweet corn) is delicious. Chè is a very authentic Vietnamese dessert that comes in many forms and the chè bưởi (made with pomelo skin and coconut milk) is incredible and a local delicacy.

Try to pickup local yoghurts (Sữa chua), esp the fresh ones. My favorite flavors are Aloe (nha đam), Black Rice (nếp cẩm), Corn (bap) and Butterfly Pea Flower (hoa đậu biếc).

ENTERTAINMENT

Memories Show: huge production

DAY TRIPS
Since Danang is just a 30-45min drive away, here are a few restaurant recs whilst you’re there
The best cao lầu I’ve ever had is at Mỳ Quảng Cao lầu Hàat. Their mỳ quảng is also great. Go early because they run out.
nén is maybe the best restaurant in Central Vietnam another local-forward seasonal tasting menu. It’s around $100 USD but quality that would cost 2-3 times or more in other countries
Visiting the Lady Buddha is a fun drive, though if you’re on bike parts of it are blocked off to automatic scooters, you’ll need at least a semi-automatic.