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We Travel With Loveletters to the places we love
Letter No. 08Written in February 2026

Hanoi, Vietnam

Dear Hanoi, The Street Is Your Living Room

Reading time
3 minutes
Hanoi Old Quarter street
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0

Dear Hanoi,

In you, the line between home and street is gently blurred. People cook, eat, cut hair, play chess and nap on the pavement, on low plastic stools that are about the height of a child's chair.

The noise is the first thing people mention: motorbike horns, vendors' calls, karaoke drifting out of an alley. But the second thing they mention, if they stay long enough, is how easily they were included. A seat appears; a bowl is set down.

This is a letter about learning your rhythms, crossing the road, and treating the street as someone's living room, because it is.

Pho bo Hanoi
Pho bo Hanoi. Photo: Hoangvantoanajc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What we love

  • ♥Breakfast pho

    Pho is traditionally a breakfast food in Hanoi. Many of the best places serve only one thing and close once the broth runs out. A clear beef broth, rice noodles, herbs, a squeeze of lime. You can add chilli, but taste first.

  • ♥Hoan Kiem Lake at dawn

    Before the heat, the lake fills with people exercising: tai chi, dance groups, badminton without a net. On weekend evenings, the streets around it are closed to traffic and families take over.

  • ♥The Old Quarter's guild streets

    Many streets were historically named for what was sold there. Some still have clusters of trades: tin, silk, paper offerings, herbal medicine. Look up, too; the narrow tube houses have balconies full of plants.

  • ♥Bia hơi corners

    Fresh, light draught beer served on street corners is a social institution. It is cheap and casual, and an easy way to sit among locals in the early evening.

  • ♥The Temple of Literature

    Vietnam's first national university, founded in the eleventh century, has peaceful courtyards and stone stelae recording the names of scholars. It is calm in the morning.

Hoan Kiem lake
Hoan Kiem lake. Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What we'd tell a friend

Crossing the road
Walk at a slow, steady pace and do not suddenly stop or run. Riders anticipate where you will be and flow around you. It feels terrifying the first time and becomes normal surprisingly quickly.
Getting around
Walking is best in the Old Quarter. Ride-hailing apps offer motorbike and car taxis. The city has opened its first metro lines in recent years; check current routes.
How long to stay
Three days for the city, with more time if you plan trips to Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh or the northern mountains.
Weather
Hanoi has real seasons. Summers are hot, humid and rainy. Winters can be surprisingly cool and grey, so bring a layer between December and February.
Air quality
Air pollution can be high at times, particularly in winter. If you have respiratory issues, check air quality reports and consider a mask.

This is general guidance. Prices, timetables, opening hours and entry rules change, so please check the official sources below before you travel.

Handle with care

The famous train street has been subject to changing rules over safety concerns, with access restricted at times. Respect any closures; the residents there live alongside an active railway.

When eating on the street, sitting on a stool in front of someone's shop is normal, but do not linger for hours over one drink at peak times. Clear your space and smile; it is someone's business.

Hanoi train street
Hanoi train street. Photo: Shyamal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Before you go

Open Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi, Vietnam in Google Maps ↗

Hanoi, thank you for the stool, the bowl and the patience. We will keep crossing your roads slowly and steadily.

With love,

The WTWL Team

Written February 2026

Spotted something out of date? Send us a correction.

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