Wondering what to do in Hanoi if you are booking a local tour or a family staycation? Why not check out the top places of interest amongst locals?

Modern yet ancient, lively yet quaint, Hanoi is a city of contrasts. Once named as Thang Long, or Ascending Dragon, the over 1000-year-old city is a smorgasbord of culture, history and food. 

While the capital city of Vietnam is known for famous attractions such as the Hoan Kiem Lake and the Temple of Literature (featured on the back of the $100,000 Vietnamese banknote), there are some lesser known Hanoi local places of interest begging to be explored. 

The team at Pan Pacific Hanoi invites you to join us as we unravel 10 local favourites that are perfect for your next Hanoi local staycation.

As a Vietnamese city, coffee culture in Hanoi is unlike any other. If there is one cafe you simply must try, it is Note Coffee. Located in front of the Hoan Kiem Lake, the cafe offers a wide variety of coffee choices and a generous view of the lake.

The must-tries here are the famous Vietnamese egg coffee and coconut coffee. Both these caffeinated concoctions are less sweet than those from other cafes but no less authentic. The WiFi is known to be good here, as is its Iced Lattes. 

Look out for the sheer number of post-it notes that adorn Note Coffee’s walls—you can even find them on the cafe’s facade. Read the messages left by others, and leave some of your own here too! 

Get directions to the Note Coffee

Prisons might not be the top of any attraction list, but the notorious “Hanoi Hilton” may just be an exception. The Hoa Lo Prison was where Vietnamese colonial subjects and American Prisoners Of War (POWs) such as famed American politician John McCain were kept. 

Hoa Lo, which translates to the fiery furnace, was named after the wood stove shops surrounding its location. Today, the heritage site has a legacy of being one of the country’s most notorious prisons, housing a century of torture. 

Opened in 1886, the prison—a symbol of France’s oppression of Vietnam— housed mostly political agitators. It infamously once kept up to 2,000 prisoners who lived in squalid conditions, chained to the walls.

The prison-turned-museum now exhibits its time under French rule all the way till the period when it incarcerated American POWS during the Vietnam War. Mannequin “prisoners” are shackled to the wall, giving visitors an idea of the sordid conditions which prisoners in the past used to live in. 

Get directions to the Hoa Lo Prison

Longing for an idyllic afternoon away from the hectic Hanoi city life? Make a day trip to the Duong Lam Ancient Village—Vietnam’s first ancient village—and experience how life was like in the past. 

With narrow alleyways that lead you around the village’s traditional architecture, you will be transported back into centuries past. Take a tour that leads you around the village and chat with locals to learn more about their way of life. Along the way, you will also gain fresh insights into Hanoi’s formerly rural life. 

Two of the places you have to visit here are the King Ngo Quyen Temple and the King Phung Hung Temple. Both kings were born in Duong Lam, led resistance wars against invasion from the North—and won—and were hence crowned as kings. 

After your walkabout of the village, enjoy a countryside meal with the local host and bask in their warm hospitality. 

Get directions to the Duong Lam Ancient Village

Hoping to savour an authentic local experience in Hanoi? Make Long Bien Market a must-see destination in your itinerary. The city’s street vendors are one of the most hard-working folks in Hanoi—they begin their day way before the city stirs to life in the morning at Long Bien Market. 

Between 1 to 6 am in the morning is when the market operates. If you wish to visit, 4 am is a good time as this is when the market is in full swing. Mountains of fruits, buckets of herbs, and containers of vegetables fill the marketplace. Constant chattering, vehicles honking, and motorcycles zooming by are also a common sight during this ungodly hour. 

The commotion is a magnificent sight to behold and carries with it the essence of Hanoi—colourful, bustling, and full of life.

Get directions to the Long Bien Market

Wondering where you can stay for your Hanoi local staycation? Your Hanoi staycation is sweeter with Pan Pacific Hanoi, your home away from home. Offering sweeping views of the West Lake, the hotel is centrally located, providing convenience and comfort during your stay.