Last week we explored the low cost of eating out in Vietnam, revealing that it really is possible to dine like an emperor for next to nothing. Today, Iâm looking more generally at the cost of an average sightseeing day in the capital city â helping you to plan your holiday expenditure and (hopefully) persuading you that a trip to Vietnam doesnât need to break the bank. So, without further ado: just how cheap is a day out in Hanoi?
N.B. Just as last week, remember that the prices mentioned are a guideline only. You may well be able to barter down â and you might equally find yourself paying more. That uncertainty is all part of the chaotic fun of being in Vietnam! Exchange rates are accurate as of 2 August 2016.
Good morning Vietnam!
If youâre an early riser (or jet-lag is playing havoc with your body clock), leave your hotel early this morning and walk through the old town to Hoan Kiem Lake. Youâll find Hanoi buzzing with life in the cool of the early morning, with locals busy drinking iced coffee, practicing tâai chi, and even disco dancing round the edges of the lake.
If youâre staying at a hotel, youâll almost certainly have breakfast included in your room price. If not, join the locals for a bowl of pho and a cafĂ© sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee) on the streetside!
Breakfast at a streetside café: 45,000-67,000 VND ($2-3 / £1.50-£2.30)
Hail a taxi and ask to be taken to Ho Chi Minhâs Mausoleum, in Hanoiâs central square. The mausoleum is free to enter (though thereâs often a long queue!) and displays the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamâs beloved wartime leader. Even if you donât choose to go inside, the mausoleum is impressive â and if youâre lucky you might catch the changing of the guards.
Entry to mausoleum: Free
Half-day taxi hire: 350,000 ($16 / ÂŁ12) Top tip: Jump on a xe om, or motorbike taxi, and you’ll pay much less than in a standard car.
Near the mausoleum is Ho Chi Minhâs former residence, set beside a small lake in pleasant gardens. Take wander through the buildings, observe Uncle Hoâs modest stilt house and see where he met with important figures â but be sure to brush up on your war-era history before you go, as you wonât find the provided leaflet particularly informative!
Entry to Uncle Ho’s residence: 25,000 VND ($1.12 / ÂŁ0.85)
Hop in your taxi again and make your way to yet another lake, Ho Tay: West Lake. With a 17 kilometre circumference, this is Hanoiâs greatest lake, and makes an excellent place to rent a bike and go for a cycle â if you feel so inclined. Even on foot, there is plenty to see and do: you can visit Vietnamâs oldest pagoda, which sits on an island in the lake, or simply wander the upmarket boutiques and artisan shops that have sprung up around the lake in the past decade.
Optional half-day bike hire: 50,000 VND ($2.25 / ÂŁ1.70)
Lunchtime…
By this time youâre probably ravenous (especially if you opted for cycling), so stop in at any busy-looking streetside restaurant for a delicious lunch. Check out last weekâs blog post for some mouth-watering ideasâŠ
Lunch at a local restaurant: 45,000-67,000 VND ($2-3 / ÂŁ1.50-ÂŁ2.30)
After lunch, jump in your taxi once more and head to the Temple of Literature, Vietnamâs oldest university, to admire this rare example of traditional Vietnamese architecture. The university was founded in 1070, and is dedicated to Confucius.
Entrance to Temple of Literature: 30,000 VND ($1.35 / ÂŁ1.70)
If youâve followed our recommended day out this far, youâre probably feeling pretty tired by now! Head back to the Old Quarter for a well-earned rest and an iced coffee â essential drinking for any Vietnamese. You can find glasses of the stuff for 10-15,000 dong from street carts, but this isnât always the proper robusta stuff. Stop for a while at a coffee shop and youâll pay a little more (25-35,000 VND), but you can be sure itâs the real deal.
Vietnamese coffee: 10-35,000 VND ($0.44-1.60 / ÂŁ0.33-1.21)
Hanoi by night
For the rest of the afternoon, wander the â36 Streetsâ of the Old Quarter â Hanoiâs bustling, noisy, wire-entangled maze of ancient streets, and the heart of this amazing city. As the evening wears on and the lights dim, the atmosphere becomes more and more electric â with Hanoians and foreigners alike spilling out onto the streets with beers and food. You can pull up a little plastic stool on the street and enjoy a delicious dinner for $2-3, or you could splash out on a proper restaurant and spend around $10 per head for a shared meal of various dishes. Either way, youâre unlikely to be out of pocket!
Dinner: $2-3 (streetside); $10 (restaurant)
Bia hoi (freshly brewed beer): 8-10,000 VND ($0.35-45 / ÂŁ0.30-35)
Bottled beer: 10-15,000 ($0.45-70 / ÂŁ0.35-50)
So what was the total cost of your day out in Hanoi? Around 500-600,000 VND, or $22.50-27 / ÂŁ17-20.00. Not bad for three meals, transport, sightseeing, and a few coffees and beers thrown in! So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with one of our travel consultants immediately to begin planning your trip to Vietnam now, or check out our Fully Tailored Journeys for inspiration.