My 2025 plan was to visit a new country, somewhere a little further than Southeast Asia. China was at the top of my list. But well… that plan went to shit thanks to all the restrictions on Cambodian female citizens.

First, there’s the money deposit requirement. Second, I’m a female under 30. Third, I’m not married yet. So I figured, maybe I’ll just wait until I’m over 30 and married to give it a try.

There’s an easier way to go, which is booking through Cambodian tour operators. But I seriously hate how they do false advertising. I saw some tours advertised at $499, but when I messaged them, it turned out to be $799 or more. It wasn’t just one company, but several of them. Cheating, lying, and unethical motherfuckers.

So… here I am again, back in Vietnam. It’s honestly one of the most affordable and easiest countries to travel around.

My boyfriend and I spent 4 nights and 5 days in North Vietnam, basing ourselves in Hanoi and taking day trips to Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay. So if you’re short on time but still want to see the World Heritage Sites of Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh, and explore the charm of Hanoi, this blog post is for you.

Getting to Hanoi

Our roundtrip flight from Phnom Penh to Hanoi, including one in-flight meal, cost $257 per person. This price did not include checked baggage. We’re both light-packers and each had a 7kg carry-on, which was more than enough for us.

If you’re traveling from Phnom Penh, there are two options worth considering:

• Option 1: Take a bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, then fly from Siem Reap to Hanoi. Roundtrip flights can be as low as $150.
• Option 2: Take a bus from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh, then catch a domestic flight to Hanoi from there.

But after calculating the bus fares to both Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh, the difference was only about $10, so we decided to save ourselves the trouble and exhaustion by flying direct instead.

The flight took 1 hour and 55 minutes. We left Phnom Penh at 12:30PM and landed at Noi Bai International Airport at 2:25PM.

Since it was lunchtime when we departed, and airport food is usually pricier, we decided to pre-book our in-flight meals to save a bit. I don’t remember exactly how much we saved, but it was definitely cheaper than buying meals onboard at the last minute.

I went with Prawn and Chicken Wanton Noodles, while my boyfriend had Basil Chicken with Rice.

My noodles were actually pretty good, nicely dried and the prawn wantons tasted fresh. My boyfriend’s meal? Let’s just say his “basil chicken” tasted more like curry than basil. Not terrible though, still edible.

Arrival

It was already around 3:30PM by the time we were done with immigration. Our roaming did not work, so we got a local SIM card for 200K VND (~$7.70) just outside the arrival lobby.

To get to the city center, you’ve got a few options: take a metered taxi, use ride-hailing apps like Grab, or hop on the airport shuttle bus.

The shuttle bus is definitely the cheapest option. We read online that Bus #86 costs 45K VND (~$1.73) per person and departs every 20–30 minutes from 7AM to 10PM. The instructions were simple: exit the arrival lobby, look for the shuttle bus sign, and wait there.

But finding it was not that simple.

We followed the “Bus to City Center” signs, but we could not see the actual bus. We ended up walking around for about 10 minutes before we found it.

Pro Tip: If you’re landing at Terminal 2, look for Columns 10 & 11, cross the lane, and you’ll see the shuttle bus area. Wait about 20–30 minutes, and a green shuttle bus will take you to Terminal 1, which is about 10 minutes away and this part’s free.

Once at Terminal 1, go to the arrival lobby and look for the buses. We could not locate Bus 86, but we saw a Vietjet bus and hopped on. It cost 50K VND (~$1.92), just 5K VND more than Bus 86, which is nothing.

The ride to the city center took about 50 minutes with traffic. The driver did announce each stop, but we could not really understand him, so we just tracked our hotel on Google Maps and got off when we were nearby.

We finally arrived at our hotel around 5PM.

Fusion Links Apartments

Most first-time visitors stay in the Old Quarter, since it’s close to all the major tourist attractions. We stayed there during our first trip too.

But the streets in the Old Quarter are narrow and always hectic, so this time we chose to stay near the French Quarter, around Hoan Kiem Lake instead.

It’s hard to find an affordable hotel room over 25sqm in Hanoi. So if you’re like us and prefer a bit more space without breaking the bank, go for an apartment or condo instead.

We stayed at Fusion Links Apartments for 4 nights, and it cost us $174 in total.

The entrance is through a sports clothing store, which might seem odd at first. But don’t worry, there’s a 24-hour security, so coming back late or heading out early won’t be a problem.

Our room was on the third floor. The apartment has both a spiral staircase and a small elevator, so getting up there was easy.

The space was just perfect for us.

It’s honestly even better than some hotels. The room came with a hairdryer, plus an iron and ironing board, which was a nice bonus.

Even though we did not put out the “Make Our Room” sign, housekeeping still came in daily to change our towels, empty the trash, and refill our water bottles. The service was amazing.

Location: Fusion Links Apartments

DAY 1 – HANOI

We took a shower and rested for a while before heading out for food.

1. Bun Cha Que Tre

Bun Cha is one of Hanoi’s local delicacies, so please never skip this dish when you’re in the city.

Just a quick tip, I’m not naming names, but please don’t go to that Bun Cha place that got famous because of Barack Obama’s visit. Like many tourists, we used to get excited about eating at famous spots. But honestly, they usually let us down. We tried that well-known place back in 2019, and it tasted horrible.

So this time, we did not bother looking up where to eat. We just walked around and trusted our gut. That’s how we ended up at Bun Cha Que Tre and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

We ordered 2 bowls of bun cha (because we both love it), 1 seafood spring roll, 3 glasses of iced tea (I was super thirsty after all the walk), and 1 lemon tea.

We actually just wanted a light bite since we planned to try some street food at the weekend night market later. But… yeah, we went a little overboard. Okay, not so little. 😅

This was probably the first time we were pleasantly surprised that the real portions were actually bigger than the photos on the menu. They were huge.

Their bun cha was sooooo good. Pork was grilled fresh and had that perfect smoky flavor. Seafood spring roll was super crispy, and the filling had a nice balance of flavors.

And the lemon tea? I know it sounds basic, you can find it on every corner in Hanoi and pretty much everywhere in Southeast Asia. But trust me when I say this, I’ve never had a lemon tea this good.

The tea had such a fragrant aroma, and the sweet and sour flavors were so well-balanced. I tried ordering lemon tea at other places in Hanoi, hoping to find that same taste again… but nope. Couldn’t find anything that matched it.

We were so full, and the total bill was just 215K VND ($8.26). Super satisfying.

Location: Bun Cha Que Tre

2. Old Quarter Weekend Night Market

We saw on TikTok that some streets around Old Quarter are blocked off for the weekend night market, which runs from Friday to Sunday, 6PM – 10PM.

However, when we checked Google Maps on Friday, it said the night market was closed and only operated on Saturday and Sunday. We weren’t sure who to trust; TikTok videos or Google Maps, but we decided to walk there anyway. And yes, we can confirm the night market is open on Friday.

We passed by the market around 6PM, but most of the stalls weren’t set up yet, so we went to have dinner first and came back after. By 7PM, everything was up and running.

You’ll find a bit of everything here, from street food to clothes, socks, and souvenirs. It’s honestly a shopaholic’s heaven.

But we’re not shopaholics, and we’re definitely not the type to load up on souvenirs. So we didn’t buy much, just five pairs of socks each. They were cheap and actually good quality, only 50K VND (~$1.92) for 5 pairs. 😂

At one end of the night market is Dong Xuan Market.

And the other end leads to the famous Shark Jaw building and Hoan Kiem Lake.

I’ve read in the news that this Shark Jaw building is scheduled to be demolished after April 30 for the square expansion. So this might’ve been the last time I ever get to see it.

The buildings around this area are really beautiful, with charming architecture and plenty of character.

If you’ve been searching for cafés to visit in Hanoi, chances are The Note Café will pop up. It’s been around for a long while. I did not plan on stopping by, so I just took a quick photo to share here instead.

My boyfriend joked that this café is definitely not for anyone with OCD as you’ll probably feel the urge to rearrange all the sticky notes. 🤣

While walking around the weekend night market, we came across some street musicians. They were actually quite good. It felt like we were attending a mini concert right there on the street.

Location: Hanoi Weekend Night Market

3. Hanoi Beer Street

Hanoi Beer Street is another famous nightlife spot for both locals and tourists, so we decided to drop by for a quick look.

Damn, it was crowded. Probably because it was a Friday night.

You’ll see a bunch of beer brand reps from different companies lining the street, all trying to sell their beers.

And of course, you’ll also hear locals belting out karaoke in the middle of the road… not always in tune, let’s just say that.

For an introvert like me, walking through Beer Street felt like walking through hell. It was just hectic and overwhelming.

Location: Hanoi Beer Street

4. Botan Bar & Dine

We were already exhausted from the flight and all the walking, but I still did not want to head back to the hotel just yet. I was craving a cocktail. So my boyfriend took me to a rooftop bar just a few meters away from our apartment.

Botan Bar & Dine is located on the 9th floor of Meritel Hanoi Hotel. The rooftop space isn’t very big, but it’s nicely decorated with both indoor and outdoor seating.

We did a bit of browsing and quickly realized that cocktails in Hanoi aren’t cheap. Most places start at around 220K VND (~$8.46), and that’s before VAT and service charge.

We ordered 1 craft beer, 1 cocktail, and 1 serving of chips. The total bill came out to 575K VND (~$22.11), which was way more than our dinner. 😂

I honestly can’t remember the name of my cocktail, just that it was red wine–based and one of their signature drinks. It tasted… okay. But my boyfriend said their craft beer, Holy Water, was really smooth.

Location: Botan Bar & Dine

DAY 2 – NINH BINH

If I had more time, I would’ve stayed in Ninh Binh for at least 3 nights. Sadly, that was not the case.

I was trying to fit a 10-day trip’s worth of places into just 5 days. Initially, I wanted to visit Ninh Binh on my own instead of joining a tour. But after doing some calculations, I realized it would actually cost more than booking a tour. So in the end, we decided to go with a day trip tour to Ninh Binh through one of the operators on Klook.

When you search for Ninh Binh tours on Klook, you’ll see a bunch of operators available. Look out for the ones marked as Klook’s Choice, check which ones have the most reviews, read through the latest feedback, and pick the one that feels right for you.

Since it’s only one day, you obviously can’t see everything Ninh Binh has to offer. The day tours usually come in a few itinerary options:

• Hoa Lu – Trang An – Mua Cave
• Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Mua Cave
• Bai Dinh – Trang An – Mua Cave

I knew that Hoa Lu was the ancient capital of Vietnam, but I’m not really a history person, so I went with the option that sounded more fitting for me, Bai Dinh – Trang An – Mua Cave. It was $42.98 per person.

You can also choose between big or small tour groups. Small tour group typically costs more than big one, but also more comfortable.

We went with a small tour group with pickup from Hanoi. There is a free pick up from the hotel if you’re staying around the Old Quarter. If not, you have to go to the meeting point at Hanoi Opera House.

We were staying not too far from the Old Quarter, so we requested the tour operator to pick us up directly from our apartment. They arrived at 8:20AM to get us.

The journey from Hanoi to Ninh Binh takes about 2 hours, and since we were the last to be picked up, we got the back seats in the van.

It was super bumpy, and my boyfriend ended up getting carsick, so he slept through the whole way to Ninh Binh.

1. Bai Dinh Pagoda

We arrived at Bai Dinh Pagoda at around 10:30AM. Covering over 80 hectares, our tour guide told us that Bai Dinh is the second biggest pagoda in Southeast Asia.

You can’t really walk around the whole area on foot, so you have no choice but to pay for the electric car to take you around. The entrance fee and the electric car were included in our tour package, so we did not have to pay anything extra.

Once you arrive, they take you on the electric car to the starting point.

From there, you can explore on foot and check out whatever interests you.

You will see lots of statues lining up all around.

See those black parts on the statues? These are where people touch the most. It’s for good luck.

The pagoda is huge, and since we had other spots to visit that day, we did not get to see everything. But I feel like we saw enough to enjoy it.

We spent around 1 hour and 20 minutes at Bai Dinh before heading off for lunch.

Location: Bai Dinh Pagoda

2. Lunch

I did not catch the name of the restaurant since it was part of the tour package, so it did not really matter.

With a buffet lunch included in a reasonably priced tour, you kind of know what to expect. The food did not taste great, but I was just glad it was decent enough, and the restaurant itself was nice and clean.

Just a heads-up, water was not included, so you’ll need to pay extra for drinks.

3. Trang An Boat Tour

We headed to Trang An Boat Tour right after lunch, this was the destination I was most looking forward to.

Trang An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s also where the 2017 movie Kong: Skull Island was filmed.

You’ll share a bamboo boat with four people in total. The boat ride lasts about 1 hour or 1h30mn if you choose to stop at both pagodas along the way.

I decided not to stop at the pagodas, so our sightseeing trip took just 1 hour. However, if you do want to stop but only choose one of the two, a tip from our tour guide is to visit the second pagoda — it’s said to be more beautiful.

There are four caves in the complex.

The third and fourth caves have low ceilings, so you’ll need to bend down carefully to avoid hitting your head on the rocks.

Everywhere I looked was heavenly. It was so beautiful that I honestly could not believe a place like this actually exists in real life.

Our boat lady pointed out the exact spot where Kong: Skull Island was filmed.

What amazed me even more was how clean it was. Despite the number of visitors, I did not see a single piece of trash during the entire boat ride. The place is very well maintained.

When I first booked the trip on Klook, I saw that a 100K VND tip was listed as required for the boat person, and I was a bit taken aback. I thought, why is a tip required?

But after taking the trip, I completely understood.

Our boat lady never asked for a tip, but I really wanted to give her one. I mean, she rowed the boat nonstop for an hour. I can’t even do that for five minutes. It was honestly well deserved.

Just realized why we were feeling so sleepy the whole day, we hadn’t had any coffee at all.

So after the boat trip, while waiting for the rest of our tour group, we decided to grab some from a coffee shop near the boat area.

Well… we shouldn’t have. The coffee did not taste good. Definitely not worth it.

Location: Trang An Departure Boat Ticket

4. Mua Cave

Mua Cave was the last stop of our Ninh Binh day trip. We already knew the climb to the top wouldn’t be easy, so we came prepared with good shoes and plenty of water.

There’s only one entrance to Mua Cave, and it feels like a whole resort complex built around the site. As you walk toward the base of the mountain, you’ll pass by restaurants, villas, and bungalows.

We read online that there are about 500 steps to the top, but our tour guide said it’s 600 steps; 300 steps to each main platform, and then another climb to reach the very top.

He also gave us a great tip. Once you reach the second tier, you’ll see paths branching to the left and right. Take the left route to see both the mountain and city views. If you take the right, you’ll only get the city view.

The view really was worth all my sweat and tears. Kidding—no tears, just sweat… and probably some shaky legs.

After we came back down, we had a little time to explore the lotus pond area before the rest of our tour group returned.

We were exhausted from the climb, so we grabbed a coconut at the resort area for 55K VND (~$2.11).

But don’t make our mistake. If you wait until you get outside the resort area, coconuts are only 20K VND at the entrance. That’s almost 3 times difference.

Location: Mua Cave

5. Quan Hai San Huong Lan

We got back to our apartment in Hanoi at around 7:30PM. My boyfriend was in the mood for some seafood, so he searched up and found a place that looked perfect.

As I said earlier, we’ve been defeated too many times by good reviews online. We’ve learned our lesson.

Our tip for finding a good local place in Vietnam? Look for a Vietnamese-named restaurant with tons of reviews from locals, the kind we can’t even understand.

The more 3-star reviews complaining about long waits, the better. No English menu and no English-speaking staff? Even better.

Quan Hai San Huong Lan ticked all the boxes. The waiters did not understand a single word we said, and it was kind of funny watching their reactions. We had to point at everything we wanted to order.

We first ordered grilled squid, steamed cockles, and wanted some rice to go with it. But to our surprise, they don’t serve rice here, only rice noodles. So we switched things up and ordered a baguette with cheesy snails.

All the food tasted so good, we were genuinely impressed. So of course, we ended up ordering one more dish, deep-fried octopus teeth. We spent a total of 685K VND (~$26.34) at this restaurant, and it was so worth it.

We actually wanted to come back and eat here every night, but we held back because Hanoi has way too much food to try, and it’s not fair to keep coming back to the same place.

Location: Quan Hai San Huong Lan

DAY 3 – HA LONG BAY

Another day, another day trip to another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We booked our Ha Long Bay day trip from Hanoi on Klook for $50.19 per person. The tour included roundtrip bus from Hanoi, cruise, lunch, entrance fees to each attraction, a short boat ride, and sunset cruise party.

Just like our Ninh Binh tour from the day before, you can choose between a big or small group, and whether to get picked up from Hanoi or Ha Long Bay.

We requested for a pick up from our hotel again, and they came at around 8:30AM. The journey from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay also takes around 2 hours.

1. Viet Pearl Farm

Our first stop was Viet Pearl Farm.

It’s typical for tour operators to take you to a place where they might earn commission, and this was one of those.

They dropped us off, and Viet Pearl Farm staff gave a quick presentation on how they extract pearls from oysters.

Then we were led to this huge showroom full of pearl jewelry.

The good thing is, no one pressured us to buy anything. We just looked around and left.

After the pearl section, you’ll walk through a silk section. Same thing—browse freely, no one hovering over you.

Once everyone was done, we continued to the harbor to start our Ha Long Bay cruise.

Location: Viet Pearl Farm

2. Olympus Ha Long Luxury Day Trip

Ha Long Bay has a few different harbors, with Tuan Chau Harbor being the biggest and most popular. It’s a major starting point for many cruises, and ours also departed from here.

Our cruise was a 3-level boat. The first floor had the largest indoor space, the second floor was slightly smaller, and the top floor was an open deck.

There were 4 toilets in total, two on each of the first and second floors. The boat is made for day trips, and it was very clean. It also had A/C, so it was not hot at all.

Overnight cruises are another popular way to experience Ha Long Bay. I haven’t tried one yet, but they’re usually larger and come with separate dining areas, bedrooms, and open decks for relaxing.

Our tour group was assigned to the second floor, and while it was not super spacious, it was fine. We shared a table for four with another couple and had to take turns getting our buffet lunch.

Lunch was a bit better than the buffet lunch we had the day before in Ninh Binh.

But again, water wasn’t included.

Plastic bottles aren’t allowed onboard since they’re worried people might toss them into the ocean, which honestly makes sense. So if you want drinks, you’ll have to buy them on the cruise. They’re not exactly cheap, but also not a total rip-off either. You can check the menu and prices below.

That said, no one actually checked our bags, so we probably could’ve brought our own water and saved a bit of money.

3. Views Along the Way

Unlike Phi Phi Island in Phuket, you don’t have to wait to see the beauty here. As soon as the cruise starts, you’re already surrounded by stunning limestone formations.

Everywhere you look, it’s just breathtaking. You honestly won’t get tired of the view.

It’s beautiful.

4. Sung Sot Cave (Surprising Cave)

Our first stop was Sung Sot Cave, also known as Surprising Cave in English.

After climbing around 20 steps, you’ll be greeted with this breathtaking view.

The cave is surprisingly spacious, yet still packed with visitors.

It was pleasantly cool inside, and the stairs and walkways were really well built, safe and easy to follow.

There’s only one way in and one way out. Once you go in, you’ll need to climb up the stairs, walk all the way through, and exit on the other side. You can’t turn back the same way you came in.

There are three chambers inside the cave. In the first chamber, we were told we’d see a rock that looks like an elephant, and another one that looks like a wolf howling during a full moon.

This is the one that’s supposed to look like an elephant… but I honestly could not see it. Help me out here?

As for the wolf—yep, that one I could see. Could you?

In the second chamber, our guide said there’s a rock that resembles a monkey. And in the third chamber, there’s one that looks like a finger pointing to the sky.

But we lost our guide to the crowd, so we had no idea where we were supposed to look.

As you exit, you’ll need to climb up a bit before heading back down again.

When you reach the top, you’re rewarded with a breathtaking view.

It gave me a little bit of Nusa Penida Kelingking-ish. Haha.

Once everyone was back, we hopped on the cruise and continued to our second stop.

Location: Sung Sot Cave

5. Luon Cave (Hang Luon)

After already experiencing the Trang An boat trip, I have to admit—Luon Cave did not amaze me as much. It was still pretty, but honestly, a bit less impressive than Trang An.

We had two options here; a shared bamboo boat with around 12 people or to kayak ourselves.

We decided to save our energy and went with the former option.

Since the area was surrounded by limestones and the cave itself, the water was really calm which did not make it hard to kayak.

The rocks in Luon Cave were high enough that we did not have to bend down to avoid them like we did in the 3rd and 4th caves in Trang An.

It was a very short ride, nothing too exciting but peaceful.

In the booking on Klook, it also mentioned that tipping the boat lady is required. Again, she did not ask for it, and I did not see anyone else handing out tips either. But we still gave her 100K VND ($3.84).

Location: Hang Luon

6. Ti Top Island

Our last stop in Ha Long Bay was Ti Top Island.

This is the only island in the bay where people are officially allowed to swim. The island itself isn’t very big, but it does have an amazing viewpoint at the top though it’s also very crowded.

To get to the viewpoint, you’ll need to climb around 450 steps.

Taking photos up there? A nightmare.

All these motherfucking tourists just could not wait. They clearly saw I was taking photos, but still pushed through and walked right into the frame. Maybe I was invisible to them.

What’s funny is that most of them had actual cameras, not just phones—so you’d think they’d be a little more considerate or at least act a bit more professional. Nope.

Honestly, this was the first time I’d ever experienced tourist behavior like that. It was… something else.

Location: Ti Top Island

7. Sunset Cruise Party

Everyone from the first and second floors was invited up to the open deck on the third floor for a sunset cruise party.

Our tour guide had told us since the morning that they’d prepared snacks and a choice of red wine or local tea for us.

I was like—wow, red wine? Must be nice.

Then the sunset party came… and well, let’s just say the presentation didn’t quite match the hype. The wine was served in these tiny, cheap glass, it just looked bad.

And when they said local tea, I was expecting something unique or refreshing… but it tasted more like a 5K VND tea I’d order at a regular restaurant.

As for snacks? Just some crackers and fruit.

But I’ll give them credit, the host knew how to entertain. They played Bollywood music and invited the Indian tourists to dance. Then came Spanish, Korean, and a mix of other fun tracks.

The vibe was great, except when they played “My Heart Will Go On.”

I mean… really? We’re on a boat, and you’re playing the Titanic song? 😂

After finishing my tea, I headed back down to our deck on the second floor.

They had a happy hour promo going on: buy 2, get 1 free, excluding soft drinks and tea. I ordered a Ha Long Bay Special, and my boyfriend went for a Gin & Tonic.

The Ha Long Bay Special tasted like cough syrup, and the Gin & Tonic tasted like cheap gin. But hey, we had a great sunset view, so I’m not complaining.

8. Back to Hanoi

It was already 9:30PM by the time we got back to Hanoi. Since the night market wouldn’t be open on our last night, we wanted to check it out one more time. So we asked the bus to drop us off halfway there.

However, by the time we arrived, people had already started packing up.

We were surprised to find that the night markets and most businesses, including restaurants in tourist areas, were already closed by 10PM. That’s new to me. Usually, tourist areas stay open until midnight or even later.

Seeing that, we had to make a quick decision on where to get late dinner.

9. Sachiko Restaurant

We ended up going to a Japanese restaurant we had walked past earlier.

Sachiko Restaurant is a tiny spot tucked into the front of an apartment, located on the second floor, with a small bench-style balcony overlooking the bustling street below.

We ordered 1 Tempura Maki, 1 Karai Ebi Maki, 1 Onigiri with Miso Soup, 1 Tori Teriyaki and 2 Iced Green Teas. The total bill came to 475K VND (~$18.26).

The sushi and onigiri tasted fine, but the teriyaki chicken? It was so good—crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and just perfectly done.

After dinner, they even gave us a little complimentary dessert. It was actually pretty good.

It was already quite late by the time we finished dinner, so we just headed back to our hotel and called it a night.

Location: Sachiko Restaurant

DAY 4 – HANOI

After starting our days early for the past few days, we decided to sleep in a bit longer on Day 4.

1. Giang Cafe

Our first stop was Giang Café, a well-known spot often credited as the pioneer of egg coffee in Vietnam. It’s been around since 1946, and it’s so iconic that you’ll find cafés across Vietnam, and even in neighboring countries like Cambodia serving egg coffee inspired by Giang.

To be honest, we did not expect it to be amazing. Like I mentioned before, it has an overwhelming number of reviews and is always flocked with tourists. But still, I wanted to try it, just to experience the original taste.

Even though the crowd was mostly tourists, we did see a few locals working on their laptops. I honestly admire how they manage to work in that kind of setting—low tables, low chairs, and super noisy.

We ordered 1 hot egg coffee, 1 iced egg coffee, and 1 croissant. The total came to 115K VND ($4.42). They don’t accept card here, only cash.

Just like expected, the egg coffee did not taste good to me. The egg cream was way too thick. Even after stirring it, I still could not really taste the coffee underneath.

Look at my not so satisfying face. Smiling with emotionless eyes. 😂

I actually had to scoop out some of the cream just to get a sip where I could taste both the coffee and the egg together.

I still prefer the one I had at EggYolk in Phu Quoc. That one was way more balanced.

Location: Giang Cafe

2. Tran Quoc Pagoda

Our next planned stop was actually to see the mosaic murals, just a few hundred meters from Giang Café. But as we were walking there, we got blocked by a bridge in the middle, and did not feel like doing a big U-turn just for that.

So instead, we ordered a Grab and went straight to Tran Quoc Pagoda at West Lake.

There’s no entrance fee for the pagoda, but you do need to dress appropriately—shoulders and legs covered, for both men and women.

The pagoda itself was smaller than expected.

And since we did not go with a tour guide, we did not really understand the history behind it. We were mostly there just to take photos.

Location: Tran Quoc Pagoda

3. One-Pillar Pagoda & Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

At this point, it was one pagoda after another. 😂

Just like its name, One-Pillar Pagoda is literally a small temple on a single pillar, standing in the middle of a manmade pond.

What we didn’t realize was that it’s actually located inside the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, which made it a bit of a challenge to find. We had to walk around the area, going from entrance to entrance, before finally finding the right one.

There’s no entrance fee for either the pagoda or the mausoleum, but you do have to go through a security check—bag scans, body scans, the whole thing.

The area is huge with a massive open square with some French colonial-style buildings surrounding it.

Location: One Pillar Pagoda

4. Imperial Citadel of Thang Long

Imperial Citadel of Thang Long is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Hanoi, and it was our next stop before lunch. It’s open daily from 8AM to 5PM.

I think we entered through the wrong entrance, because we seemed to start somewhere in the middle of the site. We did not see a regular ticket counter, just a ticket machine, where we got our entrance passes for 100K VND (~$3.84) each.

The citadel was originally built in the 11th century on top of an old Chinese fortress from the 7th century, and apparently, it was the center of political power for almost 13 centuries straight.

There’s plenty of historical information displayed throughout the site, but as I said, I’m not a history enthusiast, so I was mostly there for the photos, not for the learning.

We saw lots of kids during our visit. Some seemed to be filming a kids’ TV show or something, and others were there to take graduation photos.

After walking around and covering everything, we Grabbed to our hotel area for lunch.

Location: Imperial Citadel of Thang Long

5. Lunch at Ky Dong Restaurant

We walked past this food alley after dinner the night before and thought we’d give it a try this time.

The street was nice and clean, lined with small restaurants and bars on both sides.

We were lucky to stumble upon Ky Dong Restaurant. Their food was really good, with generous portions and very affordable prices.

We ordered 1 beef dry noodle, 1 fresh spring roll, 1 mix dry noodle, 1 fried dumpling, 3 glasses of iced tea. The total came to just 200K VND (~$7.69).

Location: Ky Dong Restaurant

6. Temple of Literature

We headed to the Temple of Literature right after lunch.

The entrance fee is 70K VND (~$2.69) per person, and they’re open daily from 8AM to 5PM.

I’ve read that the Temple of Literature was originally built in 1070 to worship Confucius. Later on, it became Vietnam’s first university, called the Imperial Academy. Apparently, it ran for over 700 years before closing during the colonial period and produced some of Vietnam’s top scholars and mandarins.

I’m not really a history person, but even I could appreciate how well-preserved and peaceful the place felt.

It’s pretty cool that despite going through so many wars, it still holds onto its architectural beauty and cultural vibe.

Location: Temple of Literature

7. Hanoi Train Street

Next up was the famous or maybe infamous Hanoi Train Street.

Back in 2019, the street was closed off, and we could not go in. And just before our visit this time, we saw news again that it was banned, police patrols, barricades, the whole thing.

But thanks to a few articles and TikTok videos, we learned that you could still enter from the south entrance. So we did just that and yep, we got in without any issues.

There are lots of cafes lining the street, but since it was almost time for the train to pass, we did not waste time picking. We just followed a lady who was calling out to customers near the entrance. She said the train would pass at 3:30PM, so we went with her.

We ordered 1 Hanoi Beer and 1 Iced Green Tea. The total was 100K VND ($3.84).

The train was a few minutes late. It was hard to capture a great photo with these many people.

The entire street was packed with tourists from one end to the other. It’s honestly fascinating how a regular train track became such a charming little tourist spot.

I’m not sure about the exact train schedule, but from what I’ve seen online, there are a few times each day. And they also mentioned that the timing may vary, so it’s best to check in advance before you go.

Location: Hanoi Train Street

8. St. Joseph Cathedral

We had already seen St. Joseph Cathedral during our first visit to Hanoi, but we still wanted to go again, mostly to see what’s changed in the Old Quarter after these 6 years.

The streets are still as narrow and packed with visitors as ever. But lots of new cafés and shops have popped up since then.

I don’t remember seeing Cong Ca Phe on this corner back in 2019, but now it’s there. Perfectly positioned for taking photos of the cathedral, kind of like their branch across from the pink church in Ho Chi Minh.

Location: St. Joseph Cathedral

9. Hoan Kiem Lake

This trip was just lots of walking, and Day 4 was no exception. After visiting the cathedral, we walked over to Hoan Kiem Lake.

There’s a small pagoda on the lake, connected by a red bridge.

We did not have anywhere else to be after Hoan Kiem Lake, so we just sat there for a bit, then headed back to our hotel later on.

Location: Hoan Kiem Lake

10. Street Food

We weren’t super hungry and honestly had no idea where to eat, so we just walked over to this street food stall we passed on our first night in Hanoi.

We saw a bunch of locals sitting there, so we figured it must be good. They basically sell meatballs and fries.

We thought it’d be just a light snack, but nope—they don’t sell in pieces, only in combos. So the combo we picked ended up being pretty much dinner for us. It was 220K VND ($8.46).

The meatballs were good. The fries were different. I think it’s a northern-style thing because I’ve never seen it in the south before.

They fry it with sweet butter, so it tastes slightly sweet and has that strong buttery smell. It was not bad, very fatty, but we enjoyed it.

The nem nướng (those grilled meat sticks) weren’t great for us, though. We’ve had better ones in Cambodia.

They served the meatballs with three types of sauces; tomato sauce, soy sauce, and sweet chili sauce. We liked the sweet chili sauce the most. It had a nice kick, a little spicy, but really good.

One weird thing for us is that they also offer mango in the combo, like… to eat with the meatballs? We did not pick that one. Still not sure how that’s supposed to work.

Just a few meters away, there is a granny selling the same thing. I actually got a hot dog from her the night before. So if you’re looking for just a light bite, I’d actually recommend skipping this stall and heading to the granny instead.

Location: Nem Chua Ran Thanh Xam

11. OngOng Coffee & Cocktail Bar

Since it was our last night in Hanoi, we decided to have a drink to wrap things up. We’d seen Ong Ong Coffee & Cocktail Bar ads pop up here and there, so we figured we’d go check it out.

The place was not very big, but it had a cozy vibe.

We ordered two cocktails; La Vie En Rose and OngOng Vibe. The total was 328K VND (~$12.61). Both drinks were on the sweeter side, and honestly, they weren’t our taste.

Location: OngOng Coffee & Cocktail Bar

11. King Roti

After OngOng, I wanted to try this roti I saw the other night. There were lots of people queuing up at King Roti, and I was curious what all the fuss was about, so I queued up too.

I got their best-seller, roti with chocolate and coffee cream for 20K VND (~$0.76). It tasted… okay. The seller was not friendly, and overall it just did not feel worth the hype.

Location: King Roti Hang Gai

12. Local Craft Beer – Tony Vu’s Brewing

My boyfriend likes to try craft beer wherever he goes, and since the cocktail at OngOng was super light and not really our thing, I decided to take him to Tony Vu.

He tried a few different beers there, and said they were alright.

He actually preferred the Holy Water craft beer we had on our first night, even though that one was more on the expensive side.

Location: Local Craft Beer Tony Vu Brewing 2

Expense Breakdown

Here’s the breakdown of expenses for our 4 nights and 5 days trip:

• Roundtrip Flight (Phnom Penh – Hanoi – Phnom Penh), including meals for 2: $514
• 4-Night Hotel: $174
• Ninh Binh Day Trip: $85.97
• Ha Long Bay Day Trip: $100.39
• Food & Drinks: $167.57
• Transportation (Grab & Shuttle Bus): $19.65
• Others (shopping, entrance fees, tips, random stuff): $46.34

The total was $1,107.92 for two people, so that’s $553.96 each.