Hanoi rewards walking more than ticket-buying. Three of the five sights below are free or close to it, and the two that charge are among the best-value museum tickets in Southeast Asia. Prices here are the official published rates in Vietnamese dong — worth checking on arrival, since a lot of what's written about Hanoi online still quotes fees that changed in 2024.
1. The Old Quarter
The tangle of trade streets north of Hoan Kiem Lake is free, open always, and the single best thing to do in the city. Since July 2026 the Old Quarter core has run a vehicle restriction: motorbikes, scooters and cars are banned from the central zone between 7pm and midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That turns the neighbourhood into a genuinely traffic-free walking area for three evenings a week — the cheapest headline experience Hanoi offers. Plan to arrive on foot during those hours rather than booking a taxi into the middle of it.
2. Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple
The lake loop, the red Huc Bridge and the surrounding park cost nothing and are the natural centre of any first visit. Crossing the bridge into the Ngoc Son Temple compound is where the ticket applies: 50,000 VND per adult, a rate set by the city and in force since January 2024. Be aware that many older guides still quote 30,000 VND — that figure is out of date. Temple opening hours vary between sources, so check the posted times at the gate rather than relying on a published schedule.
3. Temple of Literature (Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam)
Vietnam's first national university, founded in 1070, and the most rewarding paid site in the city. Open 8am–5pm every day, with no weekly closing day. Entry is 70,000 VND for adults, 35,000 VND for students, visitors over 60 and people with disabilities, and free for under-16s. A dress code applies in the sacred areas — no hats, sleeveless tops or shorts. With under-16s free and students at half price, it is one of the best-value tickets in Hanoi for anyone travelling as a family.
4. Hoa Lo Prison
The surviving wing of the colonial-era prison, later known to American POWs as the "Hanoi Hilton", is now a compact and genuinely affecting museum. Open 8am–5pm every day of the week, including public holidays and Tet. Entry is 50,000 VND, with half-price admission for students with ID, visitors over 60 and people with serious disabilities, and free entry for under-16s. It is indoors and open daily, which makes it the reliable fallback on a wet afternoon or on a day when other sights are shut.
5. Ha Long Bay — as a day trip, not a Hanoi sight
Ha Long Bay sits roughly 165km east of the city, which is two and a half hours or more each way. It is worth the day, but it is a day trip rather than something you fit around a morning in the Old Quarter. The important budget detail: the bay charges its own official entrance fee on top of whatever you pay for the boat — currently 200,000–250,000 VND per person depending on the route taken. Cheaper tour quotes often exclude it, so ask whether the route fee is bundled before comparing two prices. Sailings are also suspended by the port authority during storms, a real possibility in the July–September typhoon window.
Worth knowing
- The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closes for annual maintenance in autumn. In 2026 it is shut from 4 September to 2 November, reopening on 3 November. It closes for a similar stretch most years, so check current dates before building a morning around it.
- Train Street is not a straightforward visit. The cafés along the railway have been subject to repeated clearance operations and access restrictions, with barriers and police posts limiting independent entry. Treat any tour advertising "the only legal way in" with scepticism, and don't count on seeing it.
- Hanoi's published museum and temple fees changed in January 2024. Where a price here differs from what you read elsewhere, the figure above is the current official one — but posted rates at the gate are always the final word.
- Tet, the Lunar New Year, closes many shops and attractions for several days and pushes transport and accommodation prices up sharply. Check the dates before booking.
The short version
Walk the Old Quarter — ideally on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening when it goes car-free — and loop Hoan Kiem Lake for nothing. Spend 70,000 VND at the Temple of Literature and 50,000 VND at Hoa Lo Prison. Give Ha Long Bay a full day of its own, and budget the bay fee separately from the tour price.