What to do in Hanoi for one day

If you have one day in Hanoi, what would you do?

In the morning

• Go to the park or public places
• Go for a coffee

During the day

• Go to the museum
• Walking tour around the old quarter and west lake

In the evening

• Watch people in the beer spot
• Enjoy life night in the old quarter

Let’s go in details together

In the morning

If you go to any parks or any public places, you can see how Vietnamese people enjoy the morning by doing exercise, dancing, etc. 

People may miss Hanoi because of different reasons; I personally miss Hanoi in terms of morning exercise culture. No matter how the weather is, no matter how old or how young people are, if you go to any public places, you can see people do exercise. In raining days, some people especially the elderly still go for a walk by wearing raincoats.

In general, doing any kind of exercise is better than nothing. I always feel it is already amazing if people go to do exercise everyday even though there are no obvious changes that people can see from their bodies. However, I just had a conversation with one of my best friends – Pat today about this topic.

Pat is 57 years old but she is really energetic and always full of energy. She has taught me to appreciate our body and treat it well every day. She told me that she couldn’t understand why people do exercise everyday without aiming to any changes. Pat saw 2 girls who do hard exercise everyday but there is no obvious change in their bodies.

Pat shared with me what is the point of doing something every day while each part of the body doesn’t have the definition for each part.

For me, I learned from her point of view that it is great that we do something and repeat it every day. However, we should make the best use of the opportunity and get the best out of it. If we do exercise everyday, it is great.

It is even greater if we can aim to a bigger goal which is to be able to listen to each part of the body, to create a definition for each part of the body. If we can do it, we can feel and listen well to ourself and others can see it and be inspired by you. 

Here is the list of places that you should pay a visit in the morning:

You then can go to any coffee shops nearby Hoan Kiem lake or West Lake to have an egg coffee. Here is the list of places that you can enjoy your best egg coffee or Vietnamese coffee. 

(Egg coffee at cafe Dinh - 13 Dinh Tien Hoang)

And yes, you can go to one of the following places to have nice breakfast.

• Open market places  and street food
• Jalus vegan kitchen & cafe: 46 Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
• The Hanoi social club: 6 Ngõ Hội Vũ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
• Avalon coffee: 73 Cầu Gỗ, Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
• City View: 7 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
• Ifeel: 63 Cầu Gỗ, Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
• Puku: 16 Tống Duy Tân, Cửa Nam, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
• O'Douceurs: 91 Trần Hưng Đạo Cửa Nam Hoàn Kiếm Cửa Nam Hoàn Kiếm Hà Nội Vietnam, Vietnam

It is great to pay a visit in one of the following places to understand more about culture, life of Vietnamese people.

It is great to pay a visit in one of the following places to understand more about culture, life of Vietnamese people.

Imperial Citadel of Thang Long: Quán Thánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội

(Hours: Open today · 8–11:30AM, 1:30–5PM)

(Unesco World Heritage Site inscription: 2010)

Hoa Lo prison: 1 Hoả Lò, Trần Hưng Đạo, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

(Hours: Open today · 8–5PM)

Women museum: 36 Lý Thường Kiệt, Hang Bai ward, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

(Hours: Open today · 8–5PM)

Water puppet theatre: 57b Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hoàn Kiếm Hanoi, Vietnam

Vietnam museum of ethnology: Nguyễn Văn Huyên, Nghĩa Đô, Cầu Giấy, Hà Nội, Vietnam

Food in Hanoi:

• Beef Noodle (Pho soup):Pho Suong Trung Yen Lane ; Ly Quoc Su 10 Ly Quoc Su;  Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc;  Pho Bat Dan 49 Bat Dan
• Chicken Noodle:  Pho Ha Hang Hom / 7 Nam Ngu
• Kebab rice noodle Bun Cha Dac Kim 01 Hang Manh
• Vietnamese stuffed pancake Thanh Van 14 Hang Ga Str
• Steamed Sticky rice Xoi Yen 35 Nguyen Huu Huan Str
• Banh My Dinh Ngang Dinh Ngang Str
• Banh My 25 36 Hang Ca Str
• Doner Kebab 2 Hang Bac Str
• Grilled fish (Cha Ca) Cha Ca La Vong 14 Cha Ca Str
• Cha Ca Thang Long 19 Duong Thanh Str
• Quan An Ngon 18 Phan Boi Chau, 34 Phan Dinh Phung
• New Day 72 Ma May
• Highway 45 Hang Tre, 25 Bat Su  
• Yin & Yang 48 Ma May
• Gia Ngu Restaurant 27-29 Gia Ngu
• Koto 59 Van Mieu
• Others Green Mango 18 Hang Quat
• Green Tangerine (French Food with Vietnamese twist) 48 Hang Be
• Madam Hien (French style) 15 Chan Cam
• Tamarind Café (Western style food and vegetarian)
• 80 Ma May   Tandoor (Indian food) 24 Hang Be
• Khazana (Indian food) 34 Duong Thanh
• Highland Coffee 1-3-5 Dinh Tien Hoang (near Hoan Kiem Lake)
• Avalon Café 73 Cau Go
• Giang Cafe (Egg coffee) 39 Nguyen Huu Huan
• Cong Ca Phe 35A Nguyen Huu Huan, 54 Hang Dieu, 54 Ma May  

To be continued...

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