Hanoi in Vietnam is a chaotic maze of streets filled with photogenic cafes, aromatic street food and motorbikes whizzing across every corner.
From a city that hadn’t even seen a car or motorbike in the 90s, Hanoi has come a long way and is now making great strides in becoming a greener city. For our eco travel guide to Hanoi, we’ve rounded up the best places to stay, eat, drink, shop and see:
Where to Stay
Aira Boutique Hanoi Hotel & Spa
Located on the edge of the Hanoi Old Quarter, the Aira Boutique Hanoi Hotel & Spa features charming French decor and a sky bar on its top floor. As part of Booking.com’s ‘Travel Sustainable’ programme, the hotel has taken significant steps to make its stays more sustainable for guests; its suites are also much bigger than most rooms in Hanoi and offer a choice of pool or city view.
Aira Boutique Hanoi Hotel & Spa, 38A Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Another elegant hotel to consider is the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. It’s located close to the Hanoi Opera House and reflects the area’s French Quarter charm with its colonial and neoclassical building. The hotel is part of Accor’s ‘Planet 21’ sustainability programme, which aims to improve sustainability in its hotels.
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, 15 Ngo Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Where to Eat
VEJO – The Vegan Journey
VEJO is short for the Vegan Journey and was founded during the early days of the pandemic. Although the restaurant is not completely vegan, it does have plenty of vegan options. Their international-style menu is updated weekly depending on what’s in season, so prepare to find pasta and ramen alongside Vietnamese dishes.
VEJO – The Vegan Journey, 46B Bat Dan, Hanoi
Maison Marou
Chocolate lovers should not miss out on Maison Marou, a cafe, patisserie and bean-to-bar chocolate factory that creates magic with Vietnamese cacao. Their signatures are their hot chocolate, opera cake and tiramisu. They also have a pastry masterclass and free chocolate tasting on Saturday mornings.
Maison Marou, 91A Tho Nhuom, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Where to Drink
SOGREEN Pressed Juice & Cafe
While there are plenty of cafes and smoothie joints across Hanoi, many of them add a lot of sugar to their drinks. In contrast, SOGREEN Pressed Juice & Cafe has only served organic, 100 percent cold-pressed juices since they opened their shop in 2015.
SOGREEN Pressed Juice & Cafe, 55 Hang Dao, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Hidden Gem Cafe
The Hidden Gem Cafe is an eclectic spot where all the furniture and decoration has been made by creatively putting together recycled materials. Here you’ll find plants growing out of boots, tin can minions, water bottle chandeliers and upcycled cups made from alcohol bottles. Meanwhile, their kitchen sources food directly from local farmers.
Hidden Gem Cafe, 3B Hang Tre, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Where to Shop
Trai Ca
Trai Ca, which means ‘fish farm’ in Vietnamese, only sells products made in Vietnam using ethical raw materials and production methods. They aim to sell homeware that is made to last at reasonable prices.
Trai Ca, 200 Tran Dai Nghia, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
Chăn Con Công Vintage Store
This vintage store is located in a corner of Hanoi’s old town with retro decorations and curated vintage clothes from all over the world. They also have a ‘remade’ collection by local fashion designers and host Facebook Live sessions where customers can reserve items online.
Chăn Con Công – Vintage Store, 37 Dao Duy Tu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
House Of Vintage Jewelry Hanoi
Jewellery lovers shouldn’t miss a trip to the House of Vintage, a treasure trove for all types of baubles and accessories — whether that’s buckles, earrings or one-of-a-kind pins. While the store’s collection is eclectic, rest assured that the pieces are unique and of the highest quality.
House Of Vintage Jewelry Hanoi, 13 Chan Cam, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
What to See
Chef Duyen’s Home Cooking Classes & Tours
Chef Dyuen came to Hanoi from her village in 1999 and trained to become a chef. Now, she leads home cooking classes alongside tours of the local market, wholesale market and street food stalls. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes peek of Hanoian life and explore what they eat, in truly delicious style.
See more at Chef Duyen’s Home Cooking Classes & Tours
Hanoi Eco Tour
Hanoi Eco Tour was founded to provide private sustainable tour options for visitors to Hanoi. They offer several types of tour around Hanoi including an Old Quarter walking tour and private farm tour, working with local villagers to raise their income. They also run tours across other parts of Vietnam so it’s worth checking them out if you’re planning to visit other places while you’re there!
Find out more at Hanoi Eco Tour
See also: 8Shades’ Eco Travel Guide to Bangkok
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