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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Hanoi

11 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Hanoi, Vietnam

Updated January 24, 2022

Unusual Attractions in Hanoi

Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi's Train Street

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

Hanoi, Vietnam

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

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

Hanoi, Vietnam

Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama's Dinner Table

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

Hanoi, Vietnam

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.

Hanoi, Vietnam

B-52 Wreckage

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

Hanoi, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

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

Hanoi, Vietnam

Hỏa Lò Prison

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

Hanoi, Vietnam

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.

See All 11 Things To Do in Hanoi

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Hanoi

Hanoi, Vietnam

Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama's Dinner Table

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

Hanoi, Vietnam

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.

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Guided Tours of Hanoi

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

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Stories About Hanoi

How to Make Vietnamese Egg Coffee

And appreciate the country's beans and brews.

by Alex Mayyasi

January 24, 2022

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

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