Hanoi – the capital of Vietnam has so many things to offer, from cultural experience to tasteful streetfood, to stunning landscape.  There are many unforgettable experience awaiting you to explore. In the article, we will help you find out what’s the best things to do in Hanoi in a week and some suggested itineraries for you to choose.

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What to do in Hanoi for 4 days

5 Best tour packages for 7 days in Vietnam

Option 1:  Hanoi – Halong – Sapa 7 days

• Best for: Suitable for all kind of visitors: family, couples, etc. It is easiest itineray for one week in Hanoi yet including the most desired destination in the North of Vietnam. 
• Style: Classic
• Best in : May/ September, November to March
• Brief itinerary:

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival

Explore Hanoi Old Quarter – Hanoi Ancient House – Enjoy Hanoi Streetfood

Day 2: Hanoi city Tour

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum – One Pillar Pagoda – Temple of Literature – Museum of Ethnology – Hanoi Puppet Show or Hanoi Foody Tour by motobike

Day 3: Hanoi – Halong Bay by shuttle bus – overnight in Halong

After having breakfast and checking out, we were picked up by a shuttle to head over to the cruise centre, head to Halong Bay by shuttle bus.

Embarking on a 2D1N cruise tour, we travelled towards Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rock formations surrounding us were a truly spectacular sight, and everyone got on the cruise’s upper deck to snap photos as keepsakes.

Allow your eyes to swim through the azure waters of this magical place, where thousands of sculpted limestone and islands rise from the water like gigantic teeth of dragons.

Enjoys Sunset party while our cruise sailing to the overnight anchorage. In the evening, free time for joining games, you may also try your luck with squid fishing.

For Halong Bay cruise, you can either choose Halong Bay or Lan Ha Bay, Bai Tu Long route if you want to visit less-touristy places yet wonderful.

Day 4: Halong Bay to Hanoi by Shuttle bus – Night Train to Sapa

After a night’s sleep swaying with the ocean’s waves,  a pearl farm, where the farmers extracted pearls from oysters to crafted into jewellery. This was followed by a Vietnamese spring roll making class back at the cruise. On a side note, I find a one-day cruise to be sufficient for seeing the wonders of Ha Long Bay.

Back to Hanoi around 3pm in the afternoon and settle at a coffee house in Hanoi Old Quarter.

In the evening, catch a night train or bus to Sapa.

Day 5: Sapa – Ta Van Village

If you catch a night train, you will wake up in Lao Cai station around 5:30am, then hop on a bus or hire taxi to drive up to Sapa about 30 minutes.

Visit Ta Van Village. Ta Van village is hidden in the foggy cloud, far away from Sapa busy streets. All its natural beauty are well reserved by over 110 households living in this village. Though you can definitely to get there and back in a day, many choose to stay overnight at the homestay in Ta Van village to fully experience a day with the minorities groups culture other than H’mong, one of the most popular minorities group in Sapa region.

This afternoon, l explore some of the neighboring villages on foot, passing through picturesque scenery as you walk. Visits between May and October coincide with the planting and harvesting season, a chance to see local farmers in action.

Overnight in Sapa

Day 6: Sapa – Hanoi 

Day 7: Hanoi Departure

Option 2:  Hanoi – Puluong – Ninh Binh – Halong – Hanoi

• Style: Mix of classic and adventure/ off-the beaten-path
• Best in : May/ September, November to March
• Brief itinerary:

Day 1: Hanoi arrival
Day 2: Hanoi full day city tour
Day 3: Hanoi – Pu Luong

Remote, rustic and supremely beautiful, Pu Luong might be one of the last places in Vietnam where you can truly unplug.  Pu Luong Nature Reserve (Khu bảo tồn Thiên nhiên Pù Luông) was established in 1999 to protect the area’s biodiversity. Inside the reserve, you’ll find a mix of pristine forest and cultivated rice terraces.  It’s a perfect landscape for trekking, and multi-day hikes are a favourite activity.

Day 4: Pu Luong – Trang An – Mua Caves

Day 5: Ninh Binh – Ha Long overnight cruise

Day 6: Ha Long – Hanoi

Day 7: Hanoi Departure

Option 4: Hanoi – Hoa Lu – Perfume Pagoda – Halong Bay – Bat Trang Ceramic – Hanoi Departure

• Style: Family, culture
• Best in :
• Brief itinerary:

Day 1:  Hanoi arrival
Day 2: Hanoi city tour
Day 3:  Hanoi – Hoa Lu – Trang An – Hanoi
Day 4:  Hanoi – Huong Perfume Pagoda – Hanoi
Day 5: Hanoi – Halong bay – Hanoi
Day 6: Hanoi – Bat Trang Ceramic Village 
Day 7:  Depart Hanoi

Bat Trang Ceramic Village  is a 14th century porcelain and pottery village near Hanoi, housing local artisans who combine both traditional and modern techniques to create beautiful porcelain artworks. Not only are you able to purchase some of the finest handmade ceramic products in Vietnam, you can also see them made right before your eyes during your visit.

Huong Perfume Pagoda is a complex of temples scattering from the foot to the peak of Huong Tich Mountain is one of the alluring spiritual tourist attractions in Hanoi.

Option 5: Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Sapa – Can Cau Market – Gian Ta Phin – Mu Cang Trai

Best in May and September

Day 1 : Hanoi Arrival
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour
Day 3 Hanoi – Ninh Binh -Night train to Sapa
Day 4: Sapa – Can Cau Market
Day 5: Sapa – Ban Khoang – Giang Ta Phin
Day 6: Sapa – La Pan Tan – Mu Cang Chai
Day 7: Mu Cang Chai Trekking – Mam Xoi – Hanoi

Mu Cang Chai Vietnam  is one of the most amazing landscapes of rice-terraced fields in Vietnam.

Mu Cang Chai is famous for the stretch of hazardous roads spreading out for tens kilometers of infinite and primeval landscapes, grandiose ranges of mountains and the peaceful and poetic picture of ethnics’ houses covered by terrace fields.

Can cau market is remarkable market where Hmong, Tay and Ha Ninh ethic people exchanging goods for their daily life. The market is organized on a high land with lush forests mingling wonderful wavy terraces from afar. Here, tourists will find easy to catch a colorful upland fair in the costume of young girls of Hoa (Chinese) Hmong, Tay or Ha Nhi ethnic groups. Exploring Can Cau Market is one of things to do in Sapatourism. Going to Can Cau Market in Sapa travel, tourists have a chance to much more soak up the vivid upland fair; simultaneously, ascertain about the daily life of the locals. The market  usually held on every Saturday and holidays during the year.

Tips for things to do in Hanoi for one week

Hanoi is an extremely crowded city, so traversing using cars is still a good choice but not the optimal one. For traveling in the city, some of the best choices would be bicycle, motorbike, or Xe Om (motorbike-taxi). With the appearance of Grab (Uber for motorbikes) getting around the city will be much easier for tourists.