The 15 iconic Hanoi attractions every first-time visitor should map before they land — from the 1,000-year-old Hoan Kiem Lake at the city’s heart to the French Quarter cathedrals, the Temple of Literature, and the lotus-strewn shore of West Lake. NOTE – The Scent Lab is a perfume workshop in Hanoi, Vietnam (Lotte Mall Tay Ho, Store 410, 4th floor — ★4.9, 500+ reviews) where many of those visitors end their day, bottling a scent of the city they just walked through. This guide is the landmark map first — and the studio at the very end, for when you’re ready to take a piece of Hanoi home.
The first thing you notice on a cool morning in Hanoi is not a sight, but a layered air — mist still clinging to West Lake, the low hum of motorbikes weaving through the Old Quarter, the faint waft of jasmine from a temple courtyard tangled with the deeper, oilier note of cà phê đen brewing on a sidewalk. Hanoi greets you through the nose long before the eyes catch up. So this is a map, yes — fifteen places, addresses, opening hours, ticket prices. But it is also a small companion for the slower kind of seeing.
How to Use This Map of Hanoi Attractions
How many days you need in Hanoi
Two days covers the must-sees with a brisk pace. Three days lets you walk instead of taxi-hop, add a workshop or a long lakeside lunch. Four days unlocks day-trips to Bat Trang or the Perfume Pagoda.
Best season to visit Hanoi
October through April is the cool, dry window — most pleasant for walking the Old Quarter. May through September is hot and wet with afternoon thunderstorms. December and January can dip into the mid-teens Celsius; bring a light jacket. For December visitors, we wrote a separate Hanoi-in-December companion guide.
How to get around between landmarks
The Old Quarter and French Quarter cluster are walkable end-to-end in under 30 minutes. For longer hops — Tay Ho, the Mausoleum complex, the museums — use Grab or Hanoi’s 2A metro line. Cyclo rides are charming but slow; treat them as an experience, not transit.
1. Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple — Soul of Old Hanoi
Address: Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm | Entry: Lake free · Temple 30,000 VND | Best time: Sunrise or after 5pm
Begin here. Every map of Hanoi pivots around Hoan Kiem — “the Lake of the Returned Sword” — and the red bridge that crosses to Ngoc Son Temple on its northern island. Walk the perimeter at first light: tai chi practitioners on the southeast side, badminton players near Turtle Tower, vendors setting out the first banh mi of the day. The legend says Emperor Lê Lợi returned a magical sword to a golden turtle here in the 15th century. This lake is where Hanoi remembers itself.
2. The Old Quarter (36 Streets) — A Living Museum
Address: North of Hoan Kiem Lake | Entry: Free | Best time: Late afternoon into evening
Each of the 36 streets was once dedicated to a single trade. Hàng Bạc is “silver street,” Hàng Mã is “paper street” (votive offerings for ancestor worship), Hàng Thiếc is “tin street” — tradesmen still hammering kettles by hand. Walk slowly. Look up at the narrow tube-houses (nhà ống), three storeys tall and a single room wide. For deeper neighbourhood walks, our 8 unique Hanoi experiences guide picks up where the icons leave off.
3. Temple of Literature — Vietnam’s First University (1070)
Address: 58 Quoc Tu Giam, Đống Đa | Entry: 30,000 VND | Best time: Early morning before tour groups
Built in 1070 to honour Confucius and the scholars who passed the imperial examinations, Vietnam’s oldest seat of learning. The five courtyards unfold in sequence — pavilion, well of heavenly clarity, the doctors’ stelae carved on stone-turtles. Students still come here before exams to rub the turtles’ heads for luck. Allow 60-90 minutes.
4. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex
Address: 2 Hung Vuong, Ba Đình | Entry: Free | Hours: Tue-Thu, Sat-Sun 7:30-10:30am (closed Sep-Nov for preservation)
A solemn granite mausoleum housing the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh, set in a vast ceremonial plaza. Dress code is strict — covered shoulders, no shorts, no photography inside, hats removed. Expect at least 45 minutes in line. The adjoining Presidential Palace gardens and stilt house are gentler in mood and worth the extra hour.
5. One Pillar Pagoda — The 1,000-Year-Old Lotus
Address: Adjacent to the Mausoleum complex | Entry: Free | Best time: Combine with #4 above
A wooden pagoda perched on a single stone pillar in the middle of a square pond — built in 1049 by Emperor Lý Thái Tông after he dreamed of receiving a son from Quan Âm seated on a lotus. The current structure is a 1955 reconstruction, but the form is faithful. Five minutes is enough. The image stays much longer.
6. St. Joseph’s Cathedral — French Colonial Gothic
Address: 40 Nha Tho, Hoàn Kiếm | Entry: Free (outside Mass) | Best time: Golden hour, when the limestone turns honey-coloured
Consecrated in 1886, modelled loosely on Notre-Dame de Paris, blackened by a hundred and forty Hanoi monsoons. The streets around it (Nhà Thờ, Nhà Chung) are full of cafés where Hanoians sit for hours on plastic stools, sipping cà phê trứng. Combine cathedral plus café into a slow afternoon.
7. Hoa Lo Prison Museum (“Hanoi Hilton”)
Address: 1 Hoa Lo, Hoàn Kiếm | Entry: 50,000 VND | Best time: Allow 90 minutes
Built by the French in 1896 to hold Vietnamese political prisoners, later used during the American War to hold captured US pilots — John McCain’s flight suit is on display. The exhibits are unflinching: shackles, the guillotine, cramped cells with original beams overhead. Not a museum for skim-reading. Pair it with a long, quiet lunch afterwards.
8. West Lake (Ho Tay) & Tran Quoc Pagoda
Address: Tay Ho District, north of the city centre | Entry: Lake free · Tran Quoc Pagoda free | Best time: Late afternoon for sunset
Hanoi’s largest urban lake, ringed by 17km of road, dotted with cafés, lotus ponds, and the 1,500-year-old Tran Quoc Pagoda rising from a small peninsula on the eastern shore. This is where Hanoi exhales — cyclists, joggers, lotus-tea vendors, retirees playing chess under the trees. A small perfume studio at Lotte Mall (we’ll come back to it at the end of this list) is five minutes by Grab from the pagoda; many travelers fold the two into one afternoon.
9. Long Bien Bridge — Old French Iron
Address: Spanning the Red River, Long Biên District | Entry: Free | Best time: Sunrise or sunset, on foot
Designed by the Eiffel-era firm Daydé & Pillé, finished in 1902, once the longest bridge in Asia. American bombing in the 1960s-70s tore through it repeatedly; the patched, asymmetrical span is itself a piece of history. Walk a section on foot for the view back over the river — banana-leaf gardens on the eastern bank, the city blurring west.
10. Train Street — Café Where Trains Pass at Arm’s Length
Address: Phung Hung area, Hoàn Kiếm | Entry: Free (cafés have minimums) | Best time: Check the train schedule before you go
A narrow residential lane where the Hanoi-Saigon railway line still runs daily, inches from the front steps of houses-turned-cafés. Twice a day the staff pull the chairs back and a freight engine passes close enough to feel the wind. Access has tightened recently; our Hanoi Train Street guide covers entrances and café etiquette.
11. Dong Xuan Market — Largest Indoor Market in Hanoi
Address: Đồng Xuân, Hoàn Kiếm | Entry: Free | Hours: 6am – 7pm daily
Three floors of textiles, dried goods, fresh produce, kitchenware, ceremonial paper, and a photogenic food court along the back lane. Bargain politely. Carry small bills. The market is at its best in the first hour, when wholesalers stack lotus blooms and the air smells of damp paper and star anise.
12. Vietnamese Women’s Museum
Address: 36 Lý Thường Kiệt, Hoàn Kiếm | Entry: 40,000 VND | Best time: Allow 90 minutes
Five floors covering marriage customs, motherhood, fashion, and a powerful third-floor exhibit on women in the Vietnamese resistance. Often left off rushed itineraries — which is exactly why it’s worth keeping on yours. English-language captions are thorough and never preachy.
13. Bat Trang Pottery Village (Day Trip)
Address: 13km southeast of Hanoi, Gia Lâm District | Entry: Free · Hands-on pottery from 100,000 VND | Best time: Half-day trip
A pottery village firing kilns since the 14th century. Walk the narrow lanes, watch the wheels in working family workshops, and sit at a wheel yourself for an hour — a small souvenir bowl, lopsided, glazed in cobalt. Travelers who like Bat Trang’s hands-on rhythm tend to like the rest of Hanoi’s craft-experience economy too — we’ve written on the GOm Show ceramic music experience and a Hanoi cooking class and market tour.
14. Perfume Pagoda (Chùa Hương) — Day Trip
Address: Mỹ Đức District, ~60km southwest of Hanoi | Entry: 130,000 VND combo (boat + cable car + entrance) | Best time: February-April pilgrimage season
A note on the name: the “Perfume Pagoda” is a Buddhist temple complex (Chùa Hương), not a perfume workshop — the “perfume” refers to the blossoms that scent the valley in spring. A wooden boat rows you down the Yến River; a cable car or steep stone path leads up to the Huong Tich grotto. One of Vietnam’s holiest pilgrimage sites. Full-day commitment. Wear walking shoes.
15. The 16th: NOTE – The Scent Lab at Lotte Mall Tay Ho
Address: Store 410, 4th floor, Lotte Mall Tay Ho, 272 Võ Chí Công, Tây Hồ | Duration: 90 minutes | Rating: ★4.9 from 500+ reviews
Fifteen icons — then a quiet 16th, the one locals send curious travelers toward when they ask “what would you actually do in Hanoi that I won’t find on every tour bus?” On the 4th floor of Lotte Mall Tay Ho, behind sliding glass doors, a small studio of 30+ professional-grade ingredients lines a long wooden bar: Vietnamese lotus, Yen Bai cinnamon, agarwood from the central highlands, neroli, vetiver, bergamot, bitter orange. An instructor pours water, hands you blotter strips, and for ninety minutes you smell, choose, and blend a perfume that belongs to no one else.
Why locals send curious tourists here
Because Hanoi rewards travelers who do something with the city instead of only looking at it. You can photograph the lotus blooms at Tran Quoc Pagoda — or carry the scent of lotus home in a 30ml bottle you blended yourself, labelled in your own handwriting. The first is a memory of a place. The second is a memory you can wear.
“The staff is very informative and patient. I’m so proud of coming up with the scent I really like even though it’s my first time. A must try in Hanoi.” — Lynnell, online review, November 2025
What you actually make in 90 minutes
A custom Eau de Parfum — 10ml, 20ml, 30ml, or 50ml. An instructor (our team teaches you to compose; you do the composing) walks you through the fragrance pyramid: top notes that flash and fade, heart notes that sustain, base notes that hold the scent on skin for hours. You leave with the bottle and a hand-written formula card, so the scent can be re-blended later.
Where to book
The studio is open daily; bookings at workshop.thescentnote.com/book/. Most travelers reserve a few days ahead during peak Vietnam tourist season (October-March). Walk-ins accepted when slots are open.
A Recommended 3-Day Itinerary to See All 15 Hanoi Attractions
Day 1 — Old Quarter cluster (#1, #2, #6, #7)
Sunrise on Hoan Kiem Lake. Walk into the Old Quarter for coffee and banh mi by mid-morning. St. Joseph’s Cathedral and the cafés around it after lunch. Hoa Lo Prison Museum late afternoon. Dinner wherever the queue is longest.
Day 2 — West Lake, museums & the workshop slot (#8, #11, #12, #15)
Morning at Dong Xuan Market while it’s still cool. Vietnamese Women’s Museum after lunch. Grab to West Lake mid-afternoon for Tran Quoc Pagoda and a lakeside coffee. The perfume workshop at Lotte Mall Tay Ho slots into late afternoon — finish with the bottle in your bag and sunset along the lake.
“This is a not-to-miss experience! We enjoyed every moment. Vy was so helpful and taught us so much about scent pairing. I will do this again when I’m in Hanoi!” — Seneca C., TripAdvisor, March 2026
Day 3 — Landmarks & a day trip (#3, #4, #5, #9, #10, plus #13 or #14)
Mausoleum complex (#4) early while the line is short. One Pillar Pagoda (#5) and the Presidential gardens. Temple of Literature (#3) before lunch. Long Bien Bridge (#9) on foot in the late afternoon. Train Street (#10) at the scheduled train hour. If you have a full day to spare, swap the afternoon for Bat Trang (#13, half day) or the Perfume Pagoda (#14, full pilgrimage day).
Reserve Your 90-Minute Scent Studio →
A Souvenir That Doesn’t Sit on a Shelf
Most travel souvenirs end up on a shelf, then in a drawer, then in a box marked “donate.” A perfume you blended yourself does something else — you reach for it on a grey November afternoon and Hanoi is on your wrist within ten seconds. If a workshop afternoon doesn’t fit your itinerary, you can also browse the handcrafted fragrance collection at thescentnote.biz — ready-made bottles inspired by the same Vietnamese ingredients you’d encounter in the studio.
“Such a fun experience — learned so much about perfume and the staff were so patient and knowledgeable, especially Sophia. Now have a great keepsake from our Hanoi trip!” — Lucy W., TripAdvisor, March 2026
Frequently Asked Questions About Hanoi Attractions
How safe is Hanoi for first-time tourists?
Hanoi is generally very safe, including for solo travelers. Petty issues are limited mostly to traffic — crossing roads requires patience and steady pacing. Watch bags in crowded markets and phones in busy cafés. Violent crime against tourists is rare.
Can you walk most of these Hanoi attractions on foot?
The Old Quarter cluster — Hoan Kiem, 36 streets, St. Joseph’s, Hoa Lo Prison, Dong Xuan, Women’s Museum — is walkable in one long day. For Tay Ho and the Mausoleum complex use Grab or the 2A metro. Day trips to Bat Trang or the Perfume Pagoda need private transport.
Do I need a guide for the museums and temples?
Most sites have English signage good enough for self-guided visits — Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison, Women’s Museum. A guide adds depth at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and the Perfume Pagoda, where layout is sprawling. Booking a half-day guide for one is usually worthwhile.
How much cash should I carry around Hanoi?
Plan around 500,000-1,000,000 VND per day for tickets, street food, market purchases, and small Grab rides. Most cafés, hotels, and the perfume workshop accept cards and bank transfers, but smaller museums and temples are cash-only.
When is the best time of day for the perfume workshop?
Most travelers prefer a late-afternoon slot — around 3pm or 4pm — at Lotte Mall Tay Ho. The workshop is 90 minutes, so a late slot finishes in time for sunset over West Lake. Morning slots tend to be calmer.
Is Hanoi or Saigon better for first-time visitors?
Hanoi rewards travelers who like layered cities — narrow streets, colonial architecture, lakes, four real seasons. Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) rewards travelers who like energy — bigger, hotter, more cosmopolitan. Most first-time itineraries split a Vietnam trip across both. If you must pick one, Hanoi is the more compact storyteller; Saigon is the bigger present-tense city.
For travelers planning more of Hanoi than just the icons, we’ve also assembled a broader Hanoi exploration guide; and for repeat visitors looking beyond the landmarks, our companion unique things to do in Hanoi picks up exactly where this map ends.
Find NOTE – The Scent Lab
- Lotte Mall Tây Hồ — Store 410, 4th floor, 272 Võ Chí Công, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội | Get directions → · TripAdvisor
How to find us:
- 📍 Lotte Mall Tây Hồ — Watch direction video on YouTube →
Information in this article was accurate at the time of writing. Opening hours, prices, and availability for Hanoi attractions may change — we recommend double-checking with official sources such as Wikipedia and current TripAdvisor listings before your visit.
