11 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Hanoi - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Hanoi

Hanoi's Train Street

Twice a day a speeding train passes only inches from the homes of this residential neighborhood.

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

Home of the unusual art of water puppetry, one of Vietnam's oldest curiosities.

Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama's Dinner Table

The spot where the two men ate together now stands enclosed in glass.

Cafe Pho Co

Walk through a clothing store, across a courtyard, and up several flights of stairs for delicious coffee with a side of beautiful views.

B-52 Wreckage

Monument to a brutal, ineffectual US bombing campaign and a sobering reminder of the human cost of the Vietnam War.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Ho Chi Minh's perfectly preserved body has been on display here since 1975.

Bao tang Dong vat (Hanoi Zoological Museum)

A French-Colonial era collection of taxidermy and wet specimens, secreted away in the National University of Hanoi.

Hỏa Lò Prison

The notorious "Hanoi Hilton" where Vietnamese colonial subjects and later American POWs, including John McCain, were imprisoned.

See All 11 Things to Do in Hanoi See All 11 Places

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Hanoi

Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama's Dinner Table

The spot where the two men ate together now stands enclosed in glass.

Cafe Pho Co

Walk through a clothing store, across a courtyard, and up several flights of stairs for delicious coffee with a side of beautiful views.

In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with Get Your Guide

Guided Tours Nearby

Atlas Obscura Trips

Vietnam: A Culinary Adventure from Hanoi to Saigon

On this nine-day journey, we’ll explore Vietnam through its unique cuisine, tasting our way across north, central, and south Vietnam by way of steaming pork belly meatballs in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and the white rose dumplings of Hoi An.

Explore Hanoi, Vietnam

Launch Map

Hanoi Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Hanoi Activity

lottiejones wants to go to Bao tang Dong vat (Hanoi Zoological Museum)

toothlessgall has been to Bao tang Dong vat (Hanoi Zoological Museum)

toothlessgall wants to go to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

toothlessgall wants to go to B-52 Wreckage

toothlessgall wants to go to Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

Stories About Hanoi

An egg coffee in Hanoi.

How to Make Vietnamese Egg Coffee

And appreciate the country's beans and brews.

by Alex Mayyasi

January 24, 2022

A relief at Ngọc Sơn Temple depicting the legendary turtle with a sword on its back.

The Life and Legacy of Vietnam's Sacred Giant Turtle

Hanoi's Hoàn Kiếm Lake was once home to both legendary and real chelonians.

January 10, 2019

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.