Cheap flights to Hanoi from $257

Why visit

Flights to Hanoi are a must for anyone planning a trip to Vietnam. This city of three million souls retains many landmarks from its 1,000-year history such as the Old Quarter, the One Pillar Pagoda, which dates from the 11th century, the Temple of Literature, founded in 1070, and Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, where the great man himself lies in state. It also boasts the broad, sweeping boulevards and architecture of the French rule.

There is also a French influence in Vietnamese food and the best place to sample this is on the street. Head for the busiest stalls and sample one of the local delicacies. Bun cha, a delicious meal of pork meatballs in fish sauce with vegetables, will cost just a couple of dollars but will be a memorable repast.

Hanoi climate

Hanoi’s climate is generally charcaterised by hot and humid summers and relatively cold and dry winters. During the dry season, October through April, Hanoi is cool, with temperatures on average between 16 and 25 degrees Celsius and the city is mostly dry. The rainy season runs from May to September and is hot, temperatures around the high 20s, with heavy rains.

Getting around Hanoi

Two feet are good; Hanoi is compact. And if you need to cross the street do so very slowly, making eye contact with the drivers. Two wheels are good too. The traffic might look scary, but get into it and wheel around like the Vietnamese do. If you want to be driven around, there are lots of options. Motorcycle taxi rides – Xe om – are offered almost everywhere. Air-conditioned taxis are more comfortable, and still cheap.

For the tourist experience take a xich lo, the red-covered rickshaws. And tip the driver…

Getting downtown from the airport

There are a couple of options for getting downtown from the Noi Bai International Airport (HAN). Public bus journeys to downtown take about an hour. Minibuses leave the airport when they are full. Taxi is the most comfortable and most expensive option. The journey takes about 30 minutes.

What is good to know if travelling to Hanoi?

• The Thang Long water puppet theatre is located on the Hoan Kiem Lake (the lake of the restored sword). The hand-puppet performances tell Vietnamese folk stories. The action takes place above a pool of water behind which the puppeteers hide. It’s a fantastic way to learn a bit about the Vietnamese culture.
• One of the foods associated with Tet, the celebration of a lunar new year, which takes place between January and February, is called banh chung. It is a sticky square rice cake stuffed with bean paste and wrapped in a banana leaf, which represents the earth. 
• Speaking of food, Hanoi’s cuisine is pretty different to Western-style Vietnamese food. Delicacies include scorpions, grubs, roasted pigeons, noodles and fried chicken legs. All are worth a try. The smells emanating from the food stalls in the Old Quarter are delicious.
• The Museum of Ethnology was opened in 1990 with the aim of researching and teaching about the ethnic groups that make up the population of Vietnam. The exhibits, reconstructions and programme of events make for an enjoyable couple of hours.