Southeast Asia is one of the most magnetic regions on Earth, making it tough to pick just one vacation spot from an abyss of choices where it’s hard to go wrong.
Put on the map by someone who you’d least expect to be a travel guide — former President Barack Obama — when he joined far more well-known globetrotter Anthony Bourdain for a cheap bowl of noodles on a rickety barstool.
Before then, the capital of Vietnam was often mistaken for Ho Chi Minh City, which was formerly the capital of South Vietnam, but we’ll save the boring stuff for war docs that only Grandpa enjoys.
Vietnam now is surging!
Whether it be paradisal beaches like Da Nang or its bustling megacities like Hanoi, which is more popular than ever, the entirety of your trip is set to be one for the books — not your pocketbook, if anyone even carries those anymore.
Beaming with culture, swirling with exotic aromas, and captivating from the jump as a motorbike-filled maze unlike anywhere back home, Hanoi is not only a great introduction to Vietnam but it’s one of the country’s most thrilling cities in its own right.
Yes, Hanoi Is That Postcard You’ve Seen Before
Scroll back up. See that train picture?
That’s the Old Quarter’s Train Street. Cleverly named, huh?
This iconic street is one of the most unique spots across Asia, and maybe the planet.
As you’re quietly sipping highly underrated Vietnamese coffee at a sidewalk cafe, all of a sudden you hear a horn and feel the ground shake, followed by every tourist grabbing their phone.
Then just as quickly as the calm sets in, a full-sized train barrels through the narrow corridor inches from your table, sending cups rattling and hearts racing before disappearing like it never happened.
Okay, it’s not that chaotic — but certainly not something you see every day.
You might wonder: where is this train going?
Well, we have the answer — sorta.
Some are freight trains going who-knows-where, others are passenger trains you can hop aboard to experience this wild ride from both inside and out to decide which is better.
See the train schedule here.
But if we’re being honest, motorbikes are the best way to tackle Vietnam in general — and Hanoi is no different.
Important note: renting two-wheels (or four for that matter) is a slippery slope as U.S. licenses and international permits are not recognized.
It’s a wink-wink-situation.
One Of Asia’s Cheapest Cities
Know the saying “laugh all the way to the bank”?
Well, money stretches almost comically far here. According to our own real-time data, you can expect the following price rangers in Hanoi:
- Hotel per night: $80–$150
- Dinner for two: $30–$60
- Beer: $2–$4
- Coffee: $2–$4
- Taxi / Uber (10 minutes): $3–$6
Remember, these are averages, which means there are always even better deals if you’re willing to look.
For example, if you’re looking at $80 on the low end for a nice hotel, I found the 5-star Meritel Hanoi for late May at just $70 per night.
Or how about when hunger strikes and you can’t wait to slurp down some piping hot noodles?
Go where Anthony Bourdain and President Obama chowed down together — Michelin-recognized Bún Chả Hương Liên without the typical Michelin-inflated prices.
How Safe Is Hanoi?
Let’s circle back to the tip-top of the article — “Move Over Bangkok”.
Look, I get it’s been a solid decade-plus since The Hangover trilogy, but Bangkok wasn’t portrayed the best with its gritty back alleys and criminal underbelly.
Today, Bangkok is actually winning the Travel Off Path battle royale between both cities in terms of which is safest.
That is with the caveat that more travelers visit Bangkok than Hanoi despite its surge in popularity, meaning there’s more input for one over the other.
As it stands, Bangkok is seeing a higher score as of this writing with 82/100.
As for Hanoi, it’s seeing a 75/100, which is actually pretty shocking given how notoriously safe Vietnam’s reputation is across the board — even being designated “Level 1” by the U.S. State Department (the lowest designation).
I’m not always a betting man, but I’d throw some chips in to say as Hanoi’s momentum rolls on, the safer it will appear on our Safety Index.
There’s One U.S. Nonstop To Vietnam
Vietnam may seem far-flung, but it depends where you’re coming from.
For West Coasters like me, it’s actually not too much of a drag.
Then again, there are no direct flights to Hanoi, though there is one to Ho Chi Minh City:
Vietnam Airlines operates their lone U.S. route from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN)on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.
