What to do at night in Hanoi
A one-of-a-kind guide
Among numerous fascinating places and activities in Hanoi, newcomers don’t know where to start. Click here to find out the top 10 most outstanding activities to enjoy a wonderful night in Hanoi.
Hanoi’s vibrant nightlife has always fascinated tourists and is one of the most unique and not-to-miss experiences of the capital city.
If you are a newcomer to this beautiful city and have no clue what to do at night in Hanoi, you’ve come to the right place! Let us become your guide to the top 10 most must-try activities to have an unforgettable night in Hanoi.
1.Drink beer at Ta Hien Street
It would be a great mistake not to mention the famous Ta Hien Beer Street when it comes to listing the most interesting places at night in Hanoi.
Apart from the official name “Ta Hien”, this street is known by many “lovely” names such as Beer Street (mostly used), No-sleeping street, or International Intersection by both locals and foreigners.
It is so named because this street is open from late night to morning for tourists and locals coming to have dinner and having fun. The small space of Ta Hien is jam-packed with restaurants from the beginning to the end of the street, so you will have a wide variety of choices to fill up your hungry stomach.
After a satisfying dinner, there is nothing better than enjoying a cold beer – a “speciality” of Ta Hien, and chatting with friends. If you are not a fan of beer, there is still a long list of other drinks waiting for you to try such as iced tea, lemon tea, coffee. Gathering in a small group, sipping a cold beer, enjoying time together with friends, listening to the typical vibrant and bustling noise around are going to make your trip to Hanoi more memorable.
Besides, Ta Hien is also a street famous with many lively bars like “1900” or “Local”. They are great places to listen to local and foreign music and have fun dancing.
2. Visit the farmers market near Long Bien Bridge
If you still have energy after a jubilant night at Ta Hien Street, take a short walk to Long Bien bridge to visit one of the most distinctive farmers’ markets in Hanoi.
This is the place where you can truly feel the nightlife of the capital city. The streets are no longer crowded with people and vehicles like in the rush hours. The typical hustle and bustle are replaced with a pleasant quietness, sometimes broken by the murmur of early sellers and buyers in the market.
Choosing a good spot on the historic Long Bien Bridge overlooking the magical beauty of Hanoi at night, treating yourself with a few pounds of unexpectedly cheap but delicious fruits bought from the market, and enjoying the night breeze are valuable moments that you don’t want to miss in Hanoi.
3. Take a food tour at Hang Buom Food Street
Food lovers will find it hard to resist the mouth-watering taste of delicious food spreading from this street.
There is no exaggeration to say that Hang Buom Food Street is the most popular food street in the Old Quarter in particular and in Hanoi in general. There are more than 40 eye-catching food stalls with a diverse and rich selection of food types, ranging from traditional Vietnamese dishes to Asian-European street food, creating an attractive hard-to-say-no aroma.
The space for each stall is quite small so they focus on providing take away food so you can enjoy while walking around. Moreover, the price is pretty cheap and reasonable so you don’t have to worry about the status of your wallet.
One thing to keep in mind is that this food street only opens from 19:30 – 24:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Thus, save the date and come here to immerse in the crowded flow of people and savour the tasty dishes like a true Hanoian.
4. Cycle around West Lake
West Lake is the largest natural lake in Hanoi with an area of up to 50 hectares and 20 km of road embracing the lake.
This place is often more filled up with people at night going out to enjoy the spacious and refreshing atmosphere. Hire a bike and cycle around, randomly choose a spot to stop and take in the amazingly gorgeous view of the lake at night is what makes a night in Hanoi become unforgettable.
A beautiful lotus lagoon near West Lake is also an ideal background for taking lifetime photos or romantic dating.
5. Immerse in a unique cultural space of the capital at Hoan Kiem Lake
When night falls, Hoan Kiem Lake becomes sparkling with colourful and bustling lights. The normally busy roads full of vehicles around the lake make way for the walking streets at weekends with many interesting activities.
There is a countless number of fascinating places around Hoan Kiem Lake that can keep you busy all night discovering such as Ngoc Son Temple, The Huc Bridge, Thuy Ta ice- cream, Thang Long water puppet theatre, Egg-coffee shop, and so on.
In addition, don’t forget to try many representative dishes of Hanoi-style cuisine within the walking distance from the lake.
6. Watch an art show
If you ask me what to do in Hanoi, Thang Long Water Puppet Theater is a number one destination to enjoy an impressive art show at night.
Dating back from the 11th century, puppet dance art was created by farmers during their leisure time to retell old stories and legends, using puppets as the main characters and water surface as a stage.
If you’re more into excitement and modernity, come to Hanoi Rock City, Savage, and other exciting bars in Tay Ho District to set your soul free with the fresh melodies of electronic music. At these bars, they hold a lot of music shows with all kinds of music, from folk, reggae, jazz, to indie, grunge, hardcore and provide one of the best music performances in Hanoi.
7. Take a sip of the famous Egg coffee
In addition to delicious milk coffee appearing in every street, you can try egg coffee – a Hanoi speciality – at a coffee shop around the Old Quarter. These coffee shops are usually located on high floors, below are shops selling clothes or souvenirs.
The perfect blend of coffee aroma, the sweetness of condensed milk and rich egg yolk flavour are all combined to create a distinctive and irresistible drink. There is hardly anything better than sipping a cup of hot and delicious egg coffee, chatting with friends over a plate of sunflower seeds, and admiring the view of Hoan Kiem Lake at night from a balcony.
8. Show your ability to bargain with sellers at the Night Market
Dong Xuan Night Market has long been a favourite stopover at night of both locals and foreigners. The market offers more than 4000 stalls stretching along many streets, selling a huge number of diversified items from clothes, decorations, toys, school supplies, souvenirs, household furniture to handicraft items and snack food.
Your bargaining abilities are going to be tested with the agile sellers at the market. This is the best place to buy cute little souvenirs for friends and family for a fair price (if you know how to bargain).
9. Treat yourself with a bouquet of flowers at Quang Ba Flower Market
The flower market opens all night but the most crowded time is around 3 – 4 am when the place is filled with sellers and buyers.
The lights on the streets illuminate countless colourful and gorgeous bouquets of different types of flowers. Wandering aimlessly around the market at night, rewarding yourself with lovely flowers, and inhaling the refreshing scent of them are what you need to kick off a new day.
10. Get lost in the Old Quarter
Forget exact addresses and let your feet lead the way is the best way to discover colourful and nostalgic streets of Hanoi at night. No destination, no planning ahead, only turn right, turn left, and go straight.
The Old Quarter is created by 36 streets, each of which is named after the types of goods sold by the shops there. The products are varied, ranging from toys, shoes, clothes, to antiques, tombstones and motor parts.
On the sidewalk, which is also jam-packed with people as the roads, an endless row of plastic chair, a long line of parked motorbikes, people laughing and talking at the stalls along the street are the common images of the Old Quarter at night.
So we have come through the top 10 must-try activities at night in Hanoi. Save this guide immediately to know what to do in Hanoi to have a wonderful trip.