Hidden by a walled compound sheltering five separate courtyards, the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) was built in 1070 under the Ly Thanh Tong dynasty to honor Confucius. Wander the peaceful gardens of the Temple of Literature © CharlieTong / Getty Images Find calm at the Temple of Literature The Hanoi Social Club in Hoan Kiem also regularly hosts arts events, besides being a favorite all-day meeting spot to socialize over coffee and beers. Savage in Tay Ho District opened in 2016 to quickly rise as the city's electronic music club of choice, where both resident and international DJs come to spin the best house and techno beats.įor real strings and shiny brasses head to Binh Minh Jazz Club in the Old Quarter, where a selection of good whiskey pairs to live local jazz ensembles on most nights. Since 2010, Hanoi Rock City has hosted live bands, electronic and experimental music, art events and a regular open mic night on Wednesdays. Check out the music and art sceneįrom DJ nights to jazz and alternative rock bands, Hanoi’s nightlife has a few well-established venues basking in music and arts. If exotic meat doesn't appeal, Ba Vi's homegrown hill chickens, fried with fresh peppers, are the best alternative.

It's usually served fried, as a meatloaf, or boiled with vegetables in a hot pot. The Ba Vi mountains near Son Tay, a favorite weekend getaway for Hanoi locals, are a popular spot to try the meat of the African bird while in Asia. Learn to cross the roadīelieve it or not, ostrich farming has become one of North Vietnam's most profitable enterprises. Visitors can enter the church’s hall only during mass, which takes place at 6:15pm daily on weekdays and seven times per day on Sundays. It's the oldest church in Vietnam's capital and serves the city’s small catholic population. Built in 1886, its neo-Gothic style is modeled after Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral. Joseph Cathedral is one of Hanoi's most iconic architectural landmarks. Standing guard between the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake, St. Hanoi’s most famous Water Puppet theater is Thang Long in the city center, hosting up to five multi-lingual shows per day. Expert puppeteers maneuver wooden figurines tied to long poles over pools that serve as liquid stages, using water splashes to choreographic three-dimensional effect. Vietnamese water puppetry originated in the 11th century from the flooded paddy fields of the Red River Delta, and visitors shouldn't miss this unique local form of art when in Hanoi. Yes, going to see water puppet theatre is touristy but it's also very traditional and a very unique experience ©Greg Elms/Lonely Planet

Two good places to start are Lotte Center Hanoi in Ba Dinh and Bún Chả Ba Duc in Quan Ba Dinh. Bún Chả Hương Liên, the hole-in-the-wall restaurant where the duo dined in 2016, has become legendary, but the fun is going around town scouring for worthy competitors. If the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain chose to treat Barack Obama to a taste of this quintessential bowl of grilled pork, herbs and noodles, Hanoi’s bun cha must really be quite special. Signing up for a walking food tour with a local is another good way to explore the quarter’s 36 streets and the best dishes that represent them. Come right after sunrise when the light casts ethereal hues over the century-old facades, and find only the most industrious locals busy setting up shop for the day. Buzzing motorbikes maneuver around people in large conical straw hats pushing carts laden with goods along streets lined with French colonial buildings. Located in Ba Dinh district near the business area, Hanoi's Old Quarter is the city's busiest attraction, and it’s an unmissable attack to the senses. Hanoi's Old Quarter is best explored on a street food tour © Rolf_52 / Shutterstock

Hanoi travel