Hanoi with kids: top 10 things to do and where to stay

Things to do in Hanoi with kids

Here’s a map showing the location of our recommended things to do in Hanoi with kids.

1. Walk around Hoàn Kiếm Lake

A well-known landmark, Hoan Kiem Lake is one of the best places to bring the kids for a walk in the city. With wide footpaths and temples to explore (including Ngoc Son Temple), the lake feels like a retreat from the crowds and noise of the city, especially on the weekends when the surrounding road is closed to traffic.

Just to the south of the Old Quarter, you’re within easy range of the sights and food options there, although no-one will judge if you also drop into the McDonald’s on the southeast corner.

2. Wander the Old Quarter

With its mixture of French, Vietnamese, and Chinese architectural styles, Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a compact area to the north of Hoan Kiem Lake, ideal for a quick introduction into the history of the city. Originally home to numerous trades and workers, each street was named after the activity which took place there.

The layout is less rigid now, with the trade houses largely replaced by homes, restaurants, shops and souvenirs stalls, but it’s a fun place to walk around, explore the architecture, and get slightly lost.

3. See a water puppet show

Water puppet shows are a centuries old tradition in Vietnam, originally played out on the flooded rice fields, when local farmers would put on shows for villagers. Over time, they’ve moved away from the countryside and into the heart of Hanoi, with skilled performers bringing this hour-long show to Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, next to Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter.

Book your tickets on the day of the show from the kiosk outside the theatre. Some kids will enjoy it more than others, but it’s become something of a must-do for tourists in Hanoi, even if it’s not always entirely clear what is happening.

4. Train Street

A classic example of old and new Vietnam meeting each other, Hanoi Train Street was for many years simply the route trains took out of the city. Once the track was built, homes and businesses sprang up around it, famously packing up whenever a train was due (which incidentally is quite infrequently in Vietnam, so check timetables before arriving).

It’s now a popular spot for tourists to squeeze into cafes and watch as the trains rattle a few inches away from them. Keep a close eye on your kids as the train slides past, there have been incidents before with tourists getting injured. However, as Train Street is only a few minutes from Hanoi Station, trains are yet to build up and speed at this point, only travelling at a few miles per hour. You have plenty of time to prepare yourselves, just watch out for the packing away and keep an ear out for the train whistle.

Access is controlled by guards at either end and, intermittently, the street is closed off to tourists. It’s easiest if you’re here with a guide as part of a street food tour (such as this tour), otherwise the café owners will find you outside and escort you in.

5. Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum

Despite his wishes, the Independence Leader and former Prime Minister, Ho Chi Minh, is on permanent display at a huge mausoleum in the centre of Hanoi. Even after all these years, his tomb is still a place of pilgrimage to many Vietnamese people, and it gets very busy on weekends and public holidays.

It’s free to enter but be prepared for disorganised queues outside, largely due to the security screening before you enter the main site. Once inside, you’ll walk a few hundred metres to the tomb itself, where his preserved body is on display.

Is it a kids activity? Yes, we think it is, especially for older children who’ll understand the significance and will be able to act respectfully (which is rigidly enforced by the guards). Younger kids can easily be distracted when you file past the body, which is a respectful distance away. The tomb is closed for a month or so every year when the body is tended to, so do check ahead.

6. Temple of Literature

Set around a series of courtyards, the Temple of Literature is dedicated to Confucius. Founded in the 11th century, it’s probably the best place to get some temple time in Hanoi and certainly the one that kids are most likely to appreciate.

As always, it’s a good idea to arrive as early or late as possible to avoid the tour groups and heat from the midday sun, although there are plenty of secluded and shaded places to relax and regroup in the gardens. It was originally built as a university and you might still see students arriving to pray for good grades (presumably once they’ve finished studying).

It’s a very peaceful place and a pleasant contrast to the sounds and sights of the busy city centre nearby. Open from 8am to 5pm, it costs VND30,000 to enter.

7. Hoa Lo Prison Relic

Once referred to as the Hanoi Hilton (for bleakly ironic reasons), Hoa Lo Prison is a former prison in Hanoi which has been preserved as a museum and information centre. Some of the original complex has been lost to redevelopment but what remains is home to several rooms housing exhibits from its time as a French prison for Vietnamese fighters, then as a Vietnamese prison for American fighters. Neither group were treated well, despite the attempts inside at rewriting some of the history.

Older kids will find a visit interesting but it is very ‘information-heavy’ so is less accessible to younger kids. The bleak material is less confronting than at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. The former cells were understandably never intended as museum halls, so the whole place gets crowded and uncomfortable at weekends and other busy periods, with multiple bottlenecks to navigate.

Tickets are only VND50,000 for adults, children under 12 are free.

8. Hanoi food tour

Food tours are big business in Hanoi, and it’s a good way for the whole family to learn more about Vietnamese cooking and the hard work that goes into making it. Navigating the menu in Vietnam can be tricky with kids sometimes, with them never quite knowing what’s on offer and if they’ll enjoy it, so the food tours are a great opportunity to get some local advice and you’re nearly guaranteed to find a new dish you love.

Tours tend to last for about three hours and include enough time to discover hidden areas of the Old Quarter and local restaurants. They sometimes add in a stop at Train Street such as this tour you can prebook online.

9. Tini World at Aeon Mall

Sightseeing is all well and good, but every now and then kids need a few hours bouncing around a soft-play centre, letting off steam. Tini World at Aeon Mall Long Bien, is the ideal place to bring them, with trampolining, climbing walls, football and basketball courts. It’s usually quiet (unless visiting on weekends) and there are places for parents to sit and watch the excitement.

Entry is VND200,000 per child (adults pay VND40,000 to enter) and you can choose to pay an extra VND50,000 per child for them to ride the four small coaster-rides. Once you’ve finished, the mall is good for cinemas, ten-pin bowling, and Western restaurants (e.g. Starbucks and Pizza Company) if you need some familiar food.

10. VinWonders Wave Park & Water Park

To really get away from the city and blow some of those sightseeing cobwebs away, travel the 30km to VinWonders Wave Park & Water Park on the outskirts of Hanoi (click here for location). A few hours here and the kids will be ready and raring to get back to more sightseeing.

Styled as a seaside resort in the city, the kids (and adults of course) can hurtle down slides or head to the sandy beach with the outdoor activity courses. There are six different levels of slides, so kids of all ages will find something fun and challenging to do.