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Best Attractions in Hanoi (2026)

Hanoi's essential sights tell the story of a capital that has been the political heart of Vietnam since the 11th century. The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, founded in 1010 and listed by UNESCO in 2010, sits beside the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the One Pillar Pagoda in Ba Dinh, while the Temple of Literature, founded in 1070, preserves the stelae of the country's royal examination laureates. In the centre, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple are the city's symbolic heart, and Hoa Lo Prison, the French-built jail later nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton, St Joseph's Cathedral, the Vietnamese Women's Museum, the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology cover religion, social history, art and the country's 54 ethnic groups.

Plan the Ba Dinh sights as one morning, as the mausoleum and the One Pillar Pagoda open only in the morning and not every day; the mausoleum also closes for maintenance each year, so check before you go, and dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered. The Temple of Literature and the Fine Arts Museum are close together, and the lake, cathedral, Hoa Lo Prison and Women's Museum make an easy walking loop; Hoa Lo also runs a night tour at weekends. The Museum of Ethnology is about 8 kilometres west of the centre and deserves half a day of its own.

10 places · Updated November 12, 2026

Our top 3 attractions in Hanoi

  1. Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple Lake and island temple, Hoan KiemThe lake at the heart of Hanoi, linked to the legend of the returned sword, with the Turtle Tower and the 18th-century Ngoc Son Temple on Jade Islet.
  2. Temple of Literature Confucian temple and historic university, Dong DaHanoi's Confucian temple, founded in 1070, home to Vietnam's first national university and the stone stelae recording the names of successful royal examination candidates.
  3. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Mausoleum and memorial, Ba DinhThe granite mausoleum on Ba Dinh Square where Ho Chi Minh's embalmed body lies in state, open on selected mornings under strict rules of dress and conduct.

Attraction

2. Temple of Literature

Confucian temple and historic universityDong Da

Hanoi's Confucian temple, founded in 1070, home to Vietnam's first national university and the stone stelae recording the names of successful royal examination candidates.

View details — Temple of Literature

Attraction

10. Hoa Lo Prison

Prison museum and historic relicHoan Kiem

The French-built Maison Centrale prison, later nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton by American prisoners of war, whose surviving gatehouse and cells are now a museum.

View details — Hoa Lo Prison