Noi Bai International Airport 1 hr 6
Thăng Long Imperial Citadel (29 min)
Imperial citadel complex with 11th-century buildings & sculptures, including a tower & stone dragon. Dong Xuan Market (35 min)
Big, bustling covered market packed with vendors selling food, clothing & goods at wholesale prices. Ngoc Son Temple (34 min)
Confucian temple on a lake reached by bridge with tower & pavilions dedicated to the national hero. One Pillar Pagoda (32 min)
Rebuilt iconic Buddhist temple, originally erected in 1049, designed to resemble a lotus blossom. Hoàn Kiếm Lake (36 min)
Lake featuring a temple on a small island reached via a wooden bridge & a tower on another island. Hanoi Opera House (34 min)
Ornate performing arts hall opened in 1911 & staging classical music, dance & opera performances. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (32 min)
Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh's body is on display in this mausoleum & historic site. Temple Of Literature (27 min)
Confucian temple with landscaped courtyards, numerous altars & shrines & an imposing front gate. St. Joseph's Cathedral (32 min)
The Neo-Gothic design of this 1886 Catholic cathedral, the city's oldest church, echoes Notre Dame. West Lake (41 min)
Urban freshwater lake with an 11-mile perimeter & a 6th century pagoda in the middle. Tran Quoc Pagoda (34 min)
Buddhist temple built in the 6th century on a small, charming island with numerous shrines. Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (28 min)
Ethnological museum offering exhibits on Vietnam's various cultures, with gardens & a restaurant. Old Quarter (35 min)
Historic trading district with a night market, narrow lanes, food hawkers & hotchpotch tube houses. Hoa Lo Prison Relic (29 min)
Only the gatehouse, now a museum, remains of this storied prison for POWs during the Vietnam War. Ho Chi Minh Museum (31 min)
Built in 1979, the museum contains artifacts & photographs dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh. | 
