Travel Hanoi (Hà Nội)
With a population of nearly five million people, Hanoi, the nation’s capital is Vietnam’s second-largest city. Steeped in history, it was Vietnam’s political center from 1010 until 1802 when the Nguyễn Dynasty unified the country and made Hue the capital. The French made Hanoi the center of government once again in 1902 and it would remain the capital of French Indochina until 1954. From 1954 until the end of the war in 1975 the city was the capital of North Vietnam. After the fall of Saigon, it became the capital of the reunified Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
traveltoasiaandback.com - Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi, Vietnam
Hoan Kiem District
Hanoi is a fascinating city which has become a very popular travelers’ destination. The main tourism hub is the “Old Quarter” area of the Hoan Kiem district, a busy neighborhood composed of buildings left over from the French Colonial period and Asian style shop-houses. This is a good place to find budget hotels, hostels, bars and restaurants. Numerous travel agencies have set up shop here aiming to take care of a traveler’s every need. Bus, plane and train tickets can be purchased through the agencies as well as day-long and multi-day sightseeing tours. The area is conveniently located close to Hanoi’s most visited sites including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, Hoan Kiem Lake and St. Joseph’s Cathedral.
traveltoasiaandback.com - The Old Quarter, Hanoi Vietnam
Things to do in Hanoi
A number of interesting museums are within easy reach of the Old Quarter such as the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the Fine Arts Museum, Hoa Loa Prison, the Vietnam Military History Museum and the B-52 Victory Museum. The Military History Museum is a fantastic place for history buffs in general and should be of particular interest to anyone planning a journey to Dien Bien Phu. The museum has an excellent diorama of the Dien Bien Phu battlefield which is displayed with an interesting audiovisual presentation narrated in both Vietnamese and English.
Hoa Loa Prison, known to Americans as the Hanoi Hilton, was built by the French in 1886 primarily to confine Vietnamese who resisted the colonial government. During the war with America it held POWs, many of whom were airmen including Senator John McCain. Most of the original prison was demolished in the mid 1990's to make way for luxury apartments and other commercial developments. The museum currently occupies the section that survived the wrecking ball and has become a very popular tourist attraction which is an easy walk from the Old Quarter's hotel district.
Less than 100 meters from Hoa Loa Prison is the recently opened Hanoi Police Museum. The museum’s exhibits are very impressive, particularly when compared to others in Southeast Asia. A visit here is a great way to learn about the history of the city and escape the heat as it is well air conditioned. As if museum entrance fees in Vietnam weren’t already a bargain, admission to this one is free.
traveltoasiaandback.com - Quang Phu Cau Incense village, Hanoi
Quang Phu Cau Incense Village
If you search Google Maps for Làng làm hương đỏ you will find what appears to be the largest incense factory in the commune. This is undoubtedly the site of the spectacular photos you’ve seen on social media, guide books, or in travel magazines.
It is not just a factory but a full-on tourist/photography attraction with semi-permanent displays of various colored joss sticks. Here you will see Vietnam’s yellow star on a field of red like the national flag, an outline or “map” of Vietnam, and a lotus flower. They remind me of art installations.
Surrounding the art installations are authentic joss sticks in various states of completion drying in the factory’s open-air “courtyard”.
Four balconies look down on the courtyard, they resemble scaffolding, allowing photographers to shoot down on the courtyard and take interesting photos.
When I arrived at 08:30 the workers were well into their shift, they told me the factory opens at 07:00, and there was already a significant amount of incense put out to dry. Three hours later, at 11:30, the courtyard was almost full.
If your goal is to photograph the workers; this is an early morning project. For selfies and family photos, any time will work but on a sunny summer day, I’d still plan to arrive earlier than later. This is certainly not a rainy-day excursion.
The admission fee to enter the factory is 50,000 VND.
If you search Google Maps, you’ll see that there are several other factories/showrooms with similar displays and the same 50,000 VND entrance fee.
You don’t need a tour or tour guide to visit any of the factories in the village. This inexpensive outing can easily be done by budget, independent, DIY travelers.
It is not just a factory but a full-on tourist/photography attraction with semi-permanent displays of various colored joss sticks. Here you will see Vietnam’s yellow star on a field of red like the national flag, an outline or “map” of Vietnam, and a lotus flower. They remind me of art installations.
Surrounding the art installations are authentic joss sticks in various states of completion drying in the factory’s open-air “courtyard”.
Four balconies look down on the courtyard, they resemble scaffolding, allowing photographers to shoot down on the courtyard and take interesting photos.
When I arrived at 08:30 the workers were well into their shift, they told me the factory opens at 07:00, and there was already a significant amount of incense put out to dry. Three hours later, at 11:30, the courtyard was almost full.
If your goal is to photograph the workers; this is an early morning project. For selfies and family photos, any time will work but on a sunny summer day, I’d still plan to arrive earlier than later. This is certainly not a rainy-day excursion.
The admission fee to enter the factory is 50,000 VND.
If you search Google Maps, you’ll see that there are several other factories/showrooms with similar displays and the same 50,000 VND entrance fee.
You don’t need a tour or tour guide to visit any of the factories in the village. This inexpensive outing can easily be done by budget, independent, DIY travelers.
traveltoasiaandback.com - Quang Phu Cau Incense village, Hanoi
Travel to Quang Phu Cau Incense Village
Located 40 kilometers (25 mi) south of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, in Ung Hoa district, the commune can be reached by car, motorcycle, taxi, hire car, Grab, or public transportation. To reach the commune by public transportation utilize Metro line 2A between Cat Linh and Yên Nghĩa stations and the number 91 bus runs between Yên Nghĩa and Quang Phu Cau.
traveltoasiaandback.com - The Old Quarter, Hanoi Vietnam
Travel to Hanoi
With its international airport, railway station and a multitude of public and privately run bus companies, Ha Noi is easy to reach and is northern Vietnam’s transportation hub. Many travelers will start their Vietnam adventure in this historic city, choosing to use it as a base to explore interesting destinations in the northern part of the country such as Ha Long Bay, Ha Giang Province, Ninh Binh, Mai Chau and Sapa. Others will choose to head south to the central highlands and the historic cities of Hue, Danang and Hoi An. A common overland route through mainland Southeast Asia often includes an overnight bus from Hanoi to destinations in Laos such as Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane.
Hanoi’s modern and efficient Noi Bai (Nội Bài) International Airport (HAN) receives daily flights operated by dozens of national and international air carriers. It is a hub city for discount carriers Viet Jet and Jet Star as well as Vietnam Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air. Noi Bai can be reached from popular Southeast Asian destinations and hubs such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Luang Prabang, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Singapore. Vietnam Airlines, the national airline, operates numerous domestic and international flights originating throughout Vietnam and around the globe.
Unfortunately, Noi Bai Airport and Hanoi Railway Station are famous for unscrupulous taxi drivers who often cheat unsuspecting tourists. In one of Hanoi’s most common taxi scams, dishonest drivers speed up the car’s meter increasing fares by as much as four or five times the correct price. Other scams involve driving passengers well off the shortest route or dropping people off at the wrong hotel. We recommend choosing a reputable taxi company such as the Mai Linh Group. Their easily recognizable green taxi cabs can be found in virtually every major city in Vietnam. The company provides excellent service and there is rarely a need to be concerned about being cheated. Another easy option, particularly for first time visitors to Hanoi is to simply organize transportation through one’s hotel or guest house.
Budget travelers often choose to utilize either the Vietjet airport shuttle or the Number 86 Express Bus. The large and comfortable orange express bus can be boarded at either of the airport’s two terminals. The trip to the Old Quarter in Hanoi takes roughly 45 minutes and costs a mere 45,000 VND or less than $2.00 USD.
traveltoasiaandback.com - The Old Quarter, Hanoi Vietnam
Bus travel in Hanoi
Numerous public and private bus companies operate in Hanoi, connecting the city to some of Vietnam’s most popular northern and southern destinations. Buses depart Hanoi’s newest bus station, My Dinh (Bến Xe Khách Mỹ Đình), daily for destinations such as Dien Bien Phu, Ha Giang City, Ha Long Bay, Lao Cai City, Mai Chau, Ninh Binh and Sa Pa. Giap Bat station is the gateway to the central and southern cities with service to Haiphong, and the central highlands via buses traveling to Ho Chi Minh City.
A word of caution: many Vietnam travel experts (including ourselves) highly discourage visitors from traveling by overnight buses. This is particularly true in the far northern part of the country where the winding mountain roads are often very narrow. In some places there is little in the way of guard rails and falling rocks are quite common. We prefer to travel during the day so we can admire the scenery and get a proper night of sleep.
A word of caution: many Vietnam travel experts (including ourselves) highly discourage visitors from traveling by overnight buses. This is particularly true in the far northern part of the country where the winding mountain roads are often very narrow. In some places there is little in the way of guard rails and falling rocks are quite common. We prefer to travel during the day so we can admire the scenery and get a proper night of sleep.
traveltoasiaandback.com - St Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi, Vietnam
Train travel in Hanoi
Hanoi’s main railway station, known locally as Ga Hà Nội or Hanoi Station, is the starting point of the 1072 mile (1726 km) rail line to Ho Chi Minh City. Often referred to as the Reunification Express, traveling on the line is particularly popular with budget travelers and back packers as it stops in some of the country’s most popular destinations such as Nah Trang, Danang and Hue. Traveling by train in Vietnam is a very safe, inexpensive and reliable option which provides visitors a fantastic opportunity to see the country’s breathtaking scenery while gaining a glimpse into the daily lives of its people. Vietnamese people are very friendly and you cannot help but interact with them on platforms and rail cars. They are more than willing to help visitors navigate the rail system and are generally up for a chat. Unlike railways in some other countries, trains in Vietnam run like clockwork and almost always depart on time; make sure not to arrive at the station late.
Many travelers journeying to Sa Pa from Hanoi will opt to take the train to Lao Cai Railway Station and then connect to a local bus or van for the remaining one-hour trip into Sa Pa. Some people feel that traveling by train is safer than riding by bus or car over the area’s steep and narrow mountain roads. The train is also the least expensive option with the additional bonus that utilizing the overnight service saves the cost of a hotel room. The downside of this means of transit is that it will take a minimum of nine hours to arrive in Sapa.
It is also possible to reach Halong Bay via trains departing from Hanoi’s Yen Vien Railway Station. However, the trains on this route are very old and uncomfortable so most tourists choose to travel to Halong Bay by bus or van.
Train tickets can be purchased in advance at train stations, travel agencies or online through the Vietnam Railways website. Another extremely useful website for planning train travel in Vietnam and all of Southeast Asia is the Man in Seat 61.
Many travelers journeying to Sa Pa from Hanoi will opt to take the train to Lao Cai Railway Station and then connect to a local bus or van for the remaining one-hour trip into Sa Pa. Some people feel that traveling by train is safer than riding by bus or car over the area’s steep and narrow mountain roads. The train is also the least expensive option with the additional bonus that utilizing the overnight service saves the cost of a hotel room. The downside of this means of transit is that it will take a minimum of nine hours to arrive in Sapa.
It is also possible to reach Halong Bay via trains departing from Hanoi’s Yen Vien Railway Station. However, the trains on this route are very old and uncomfortable so most tourists choose to travel to Halong Bay by bus or van.
Train tickets can be purchased in advance at train stations, travel agencies or online through the Vietnam Railways website. Another extremely useful website for planning train travel in Vietnam and all of Southeast Asia is the Man in Seat 61.
