The best places to visit in Hanoi tell the story of a capital shaped by scholarship, trade, and generations of change. Begin at the Temple of Literature, where stone stelae preserve the names of scholars who passed royal examinations. At the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, explore archaeological remains from different periods of the city’s past. Continue to Hoa Lo Prison Relic to learn about its history under French colonial rule and during the Vietnam War. In the Old Quarter, look above the shopfronts to see how older buildings fit into a busy commercial district. Finish with a water puppet performance, where live music and scenes drawn from village life introduce another side of Vietnamese storytelling and performance traditions still enjoyed today.
