Noi Bai International Airport 50 min
Hoa Lo Prison Relic (9 min) Only the gatehouse, now a museum, remains of this storied prison for POWs during the Vietnam War. Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (19 min) Ethnological museum offering exhibits on Vietnam's various cultures, with gardens & a restaurant. West Lake (18 min) Urban freshwater lake with an 11-mile perimeter & a 6th century pagoda in the middle. Thăng Long Imperial Citadel (19 min) Imperial citadel complex with 11th-century buildings & sculptures, including a tower & stone dragon. Old Quarter (8 min) Historic trading district with a night market, narrow lanes, food hawkers & hotchpotch tube houses. Hanoi Opera House (16 min) Ornate performing arts hall opened in 1911 & staging classical music, dance & opera performances. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (10 min) Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh's body is on display in this mausoleum & historic site. One Pillar Pagoda (10 min) Rebuilt iconic Buddhist temple, originally erected in 1049, designed to resemble a lotus blossom. Temple Of Literature (6 min) Confucian temple with landscaped courtyards, numerous altars & shrines & an imposing front gate. Tran Quoc Pagoda (12 min) Buddhist temple built in the 6th century on a small, charming island with numerous shrines. St. Joseph's Cathedral (1 min) The Neo-Gothic design of this 1886 Catholic cathedral, the city's oldest church, echoes Notre Dame. Hoàn Kiếm Lake (17 min) Lake featuring a temple on a small island reached via a wooden bridge & a tower on another island. Ho Chi Minh Museum (10 min) Built in 1979, the museum contains artifacts & photographs dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh. Dong Xuan Market (13 min) Big, bustling covered market packed with vendors selling food, clothing & goods at wholesale prices. Ngoc Son Temple (9 min) Confucian temple on a lake reached by bridge with tower & pavilions dedicated to the national hero. |