Vietnam Hanoi 2-Day 1-Night Itinerary: Best Places to Visit & Eat

After coming out of the airport, you can exchange some money first to take a ride to the city. For more details, see the previous two posts on exchanging money and taking a ride.

📍St. Joseph’s Cathedral

It is said that this cathedral was built in imitation of Notre Dame in Paris, with a black French style. Since the homestay is near the church, and it’s not yet check-in time, I came here to drop off my luggage and check in.

📍Pho 10
A popular noodle shop, where I had lunch. The signature dish is the half-cooked beef pho for 65k.
Don’t worry about the beef being undercooked; it will be fully cooked after soaking in the broth for a while.
The broth is a bit sweet, so adding some lemon to balance it out is recommended.
The half-cooked beef is still quite tender, but not as delicious as expected.
It gets crowded, and you may need to queue. Recommendation: 🌟🌟🌟

📍Hoan Kiem Lake
Taking a walk here after eating is quite nice.
The weather in October is very comfortable, with clear autumn skies and a gentle breeze.
There are many currency exchange shops here, making it convenient to exchange money.
You can also buy tickets for the double-decker bus near the KFC at Hoan Kiem Lake.

📍Flat Rice
Back near the church, there are many tea and coffee shops.
There are also many women carrying yokes or riding bicycles selling a type of green flat rice wrapped in leaves.
They come in original and coconut-palm seed flavors.
The original flavor becomes increasingly salty and fragrant the more you chew, while the coconut flavor is sweet and delicious. Many locals buy a pack, find a coffee or juice shop, grab a small stool, order a drink, and start their leisurely and relaxing day.

📍Homestay
Make sure to book a room with a balcony to enjoy the city view.
The surrounding colorful houses are beautiful, with a lovely French vintage feel, perfect for photos.
Since I caught an early flight, I rested for a while in the afternoon before preparing to take the sightseeing bus.

📍Double-Decker Sightseeing Bus
Near the KFC and fountain at Hoan Kiem Lake, there is a red booth where you can buy tickets.
It costs 150k per person for a 1-hour ride. If you don’t have much time, the sightseeing bus allows you to see all the attractions you want to visit. They also provide headphones for commentary.
I recommend the 5:30-6 PM trip, which includes enjoying the sunset.

📍QUAN AN NGON
I saw a lot of people here while on the sightseeing bus. It’s a place to eat authentic Vietnamese cuisine.
It’s also a popular noodle shop and a Michelin restaurant, with many people queuing up.
However, the place is large and the environment is beautiful.
The food tastes good, and the prices are slightly above average.
It costs around 120 yuan per person.

📍Train Street
At night, Train Street is lit up with neon lights. Find a spot on the first floor, order a drink, and wait for the train to pass by, which is very exciting and fun.
I also got a beer cap badge as a souvenir.

📍Pho Ga Nguyet
I recently discovered a bustling noodle shop that seemed to be a local favorite. The star of the menu is their chicken pho, which I was eager to try.

I decided to sample a variety of dishes and ordered dry noodles, soup noodles, fried dough sticks, and a refreshing cup of tea. Both the dry and soup versions of the chicken pho were absolutely delightful, each bowl priced at a very reasonable 50k. The chicken was incredibly tender and smooth, melting in my mouth with every bite.

A basket of four fried dough sticks, costing just 5k, added a nice crunch to the meal. While they were a bit firm when eaten on their own, they transformed into a delicious treat once soaked in the flavorful broth, absorbing all the rich, savory flavors.

This place comes highly recommended! It’s a must-try for anyone looking for an authentic and satisfying pho experience. As an added bonus, the staff, including the handsome gentleman who took my order, were friendly and even spoke a little Chinese.

Recommendation: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟