Hanoi Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

Hoan Kiem Lake, the Opera House and the Old Quarter

The tour starts at the Hanoi Opera House, completed in 1911 in the French colonial style and inspired by the opera house in Paris. A few minutes away lies Hoan Kiem Lake, the Lake of the Returned Sword, the heart of the city. Its legend tells of a magic sword returned to a golden turtle, and on the lake you see the small Turtle Tower and the red The Huc Bridge leading to Ngoc Son Temple, beautiful early in the morning when locals exercise along the shore.

North of the lake, the Old Quarter is a maze of narrow streets where each lane was once named after the craft or goods sold there: silk, silver, paper, herbs and more. Tube houses, temples, street-food stalls and motorbikes fill every corner. It is the most atmospheric part of Hanoi, and many visitors ask whether the Old Quarter is worth visiting: it is, ideally on foot in the morning or in the evening.

Imperial Citadel of Thang Long and the Flag Tower

Hanoi was founded as Thang Long, the City of the Rising Dragon, in 1010, and the Imperial Citadel was the political centre of Vietnam for more than a thousand years. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, the citadel preserves gates, the foundations of palaces, archaeological excavations and buildings of later periods. Allow about an hour and a half to walk through the central sector and its exhibitions.

Next to it rises the Hanoi Flag Tower, built in the early 19th century as part of the citadel and one of the best-preserved structures of that time, still flying the national flag. Nearby, Ba Dinh Square is the large ceremonial square where Vietnam's independence was declared in 1945, with the mausoleum and the Presidential Palace gardens. Dress modestly in this area, and note that some sites close for part of the day.

West Lake: Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple

Tran Quoc Pagoda, on a small peninsula of West Lake, is the oldest pagoda in Hanoi, founded about 1,500 years ago. Its tall red brick stupa, built in many tiers with small statues of the Buddha in each niche, rises above the water and is one of the most photographed sights of the city, especially at sunset. West Lake is the largest lake in Hanoi, with a calm promenade around its shore.

On the way the bus passes Quan Thanh Temple, one of the four sacred temples that once guarded the ancient capital. Inside is a large bronze statue of a guardian deity cast in the 17th century, nearly four metres tall. Both stops are quieter than the centre and give a feeling of old Hanoi's spiritual life; remember to cover shoulders and knees and to remove hats inside the temples.

Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison and St. Joseph's Cathedral

The Temple of Literature was founded in 1070 to honour the ancient sages and scholars of Confucian learning, and in 1076 it became the Imperial Academy, the first university in Vietnam. Its five courtyards, ponds and gateways are a haven of calm, and the stone stelae standing on carved turtles list the names of the laureates of the royal examinations. It is one of the most beautiful places in Hanoi; plan about an hour.

Hoa Lo Prison, built by the French administration at the end of the 19th century, is now a museum on the history of colonial rule and later wars, a sober visit of about an hour. The route also passes St. Joseph's Cathedral, a neo-Gothic church from 1886 that recalls Notre-Dame of Paris, and the Vietnamese Women's Museum, which tells the stories of women's lives, crafts and roles across the country.