Old Quarter ReviewHanoi essentials, answered straight
The questions first time visitors ask us most, answered in a few lines each and checked on 1 November 2026. Every answer links to the full guide behind it, and nothing here is padded: if a question needs the street to answer honestly, we say so in the longer guide instead of guessing here.
Before you fly
Do I need a visa for Vietnam?
Most visitors use the e-Visa: it is open to citizens of all countries, lasts up to 90 days, and costs exactly 25 USD for a single entry or 50 USD for multiple entries, only on the official portal evisa.gov.vn. Citizens of 24 countries can instead enter visa free for 45 days. Processing takes about 3 working days, so apply at least a week before you fly.
What is the pre-arrival declaration form?
Vietnam is rolling out a digital pre-arrival declaration at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn, extended to Noi Bai during 2026. Official sources currently differ on whether completing it is required or only recommended, so our visa page keeps a status box and we recheck it weekly. The form itself is free, and only the official gov.vn domain is real.
How do I get from Noi Bai airport to the Old Quarter?
The number 86 bus runs from the airport to the Old Quarter for 45,000 VND and takes about an hour with traffic. A Grab car usually costs 250,000 to 350,000 VND and takes around 45 minutes. Our airport guide walks the route step by step, including the arrivals hall traps and how to spot a fake Grab driver.
Should I sort a SIM or eSIM before I land?
Yes, if you want data working the moment you land: an eSIM bought before the flight is the calmest route, and airport and city shops sell physical SIMs as the backup. Our eSIM guide explains the choices and carries a clearly labelled partner link, so you can see exactly what we earn if you use it.
Do I need travel insurance for Vietnam?
We think yes, mainly for medical cover: private hospitals in Hanoi are good, and they are pay first without insurance. Our insurance guide names the four clauses that matter (medical limits, motorbike cover, trip interruption and baggage), and labels its partner link at the point of placement.
When is the best time to visit Hanoi?
The cooler, drier months from October to April suit most first trips. May to September is hot, humid and rainy, with the best prices and the greenest streets. Our weather page shows today's conditions and air quality from public data, so you can check the week you actually travel, not a generic season chart.
How many days do I need in the Old Quarter?
Two full days cover the Old Quarter core, and three days is the sweet spot for most first trips: the Quarter plus a Ninh Binh day trip or a slow food day. Four days earns the Ha Long Bay overnight. Our day shapes page lays out 2, 3, 4 and 6 day versions as decisions, not timetables.
Is 3 days enough for Hanoi?
For most first trips, yes: two days for the Old Quarter itself and one for Ninh Binh as a day trip, or a slower food day in the Quarter. With a fourth day, Ha Long Bay becomes worth it as an overnight rather than a long day trip.
Where should I stay for a quiet night's sleep?
Room position matters more than the hotel name: a high floor, rear facing room, confirmed in writing before you arrive, is the single most repeated happy ending in Old Quarter reviews. The French Quarter edge is calmer and still a 10 to 15 minute walk away, and Tay Ho is the quietest of all but taxi dependent.
Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh?
Ninh Binh is about 2 hours away, works as a day trip and costs less. Ha Long Bay is 2.5 to 3 hours each way, so a day trip means 11 to 13 hours door to door for 4 to 5 hours on the water: choose it as an overnight when you have four days or more.
Who is Suzy, and what is Old Quarter Girl?
Suzy hosts Old Quarter Girl, our YouTube and Facebook channel of honest reviews from Hanoi's Old Quarter: food, crafts, real prices and the people who keep the old trades alive. This website, Old Quarter Review, is the home base: the map, the walks, the guides and the news desk behind the films.
While you are here
Is Train Street closed?
No. Access is controlled rather than closed: you watch from a cafe seat inside the section, and the honest move is to arrive 30 to 45 minutes early, because train times vary and no timetable can be promised. Our Train Street page explains how it actually works today.
Do I have to pay to enter Train Street?
There is no entrance fee, and anyone charging one is running the wrong place redirection our guide describes. The only cost is the drink at the cafe whose seats you sit in, ordered from its printed, priced menu.
How do I spot a fake Grab driver at the airport?
The real driver is the one inside your app: match the plate and the photo at the app pickup point. A stranger who finds you first in the arrivals hall, shows a price typed on his phone and later demands 600,000 to 800,000 VND is the fake version; the same ride in the app runs about 250,000 to 350,000 VND.
What are the emergency numbers in Hanoi?
Police is 113, fire is 114, and an ambulance is 115. The national tourism hotline is 1800 599 920, and the Hanoi Department of Tourism hotline is 1800 556 896. Save our emergency card before you fly: it also carries the phrases that settle a price dispute calmly and the steps for a lost passport.
How much cash should I carry each day?
Published budget guides put a budget day in Hanoi at about 35 to 50 USD and a mid range day at 45 to 95 USD, and Budget Your Trip's measured average is about 58 USD per person per day. Carry your dong in small notes. Our own price index opens once we hold 10 receipt backed prices of our own, because we would rather show you our receipts than repeat other people's numbers.
Do I tip in Vietnam, and how much?
Tipping is not expected, and it is appreciated when you do. Published norms visitors go by: 20,000 to 50,000 VND for porters and housekeeping, 50,000 to 100,000 VND for a driver, and about 100,000 to 200,000 VND a day for a private guide. At street stalls, rounding up is the local shape of a thank you.
Can I pay by card at street stalls?
Assume no. Street stalls, small eateries and market shopping run on cash, while hotels, larger restaurants and malls take cards. When you withdraw dong at an ATM, decline the home currency conversion the machine offers: it costs more than your own bank's rate.
Which banknotes cause confusion?
The 20,000 and 500,000 dong notes. Both are blue toned and look similar at a glance in poor light, and mixing them up is the most common money mistake visitors make here. Organise your wallet with small notes in front, and count the zeros before you hand a note over.
What do Hanoians eat for breakfast?
Pho and banh cuon lead the morning, roughly from 05:30 to 09:00, when the broth pots are freshest and the rolling trays are busiest. Our eat by the clock guide maps the whole day: bun cha belongs to lunch, egg coffee to the afternoon pause, and bia hoi to the evening.
What time is bun cha served?
Lunchtime, about 11:00 to 13:30. Many bun cha kitchens cook one service and close when the tray is empty, so arriving at two in the afternoon is the classic way to miss it.
Will street food make me sick?
Most visitors eat street food happily by following three rules: choose the busy stall with fast turnover, eat food cooked hot in front of you, and drink bottled water. If your stomach is sensitive, go easy on ice and raw herbs for the first day or two while you settle in.
Is the Old Quarter safe for visitors?
The risks visitors actually meet here are mostly about money rather than safety: inflated prices, copycat booking sites and motorbike traffic at crossings. Cross slowly, steadily and predictably, agree prices first, and learn the scripts in our scam field guide so you can end them in one line.
After your trip
How do I read or share traveller stories from the trip?
Our Facebook group, Old Quarter Travellers, is where visitors swap what actually happened, and the stories shelf on this site gathers the ones travellers agree to publish. Post trip questions and corrections are welcome in both places; they are how the guides get better.
How do I leave a review that actually helps?
Review on the platform you booked through, name the date, and say what was good and what was not in the same breath: that is the review other travellers trust. Our own review system is built to accept only guests who booked and completed a trip, which is why you will never see a wall of imported stars on this site.
A question we have not answered?
Ask it in our Facebook group, Old Quarter Travellers, or on WhatsApp from the links page. Real questions from visitors become guides and films here, and the good ones join this page once they are checked.