Day Trips From Hanoi: Half-Day, Full-Day and Overnight Options

The best day trips from Hanoi depend on how much time you have: craft villages within half an hour, temples and old villages within two hours, and karst landscapes that are better with a night away. This guide from our Vietnam travel blog groups eight trips by travel time, with tips for each and how to get there.

Hanoi is the base for all of them, so plan your city days first with our Hanoi guide. If you still need a visa for the trip, apply for a Vietnam e-visa online.

Day trips at a glance:

Half-day trips

Two craft villages sit just outside the city and fit into a morning or afternoon. Combine them or pair one with sightseeing in town.

Bat Trang ceramic village

Bat Trang ceramic village, across the Red River, has made pottery for centuries. Visit workshops, try the potter's wheel and browse the market for bowls and vases. It is more of a shopping village than a quiet one, so go for the ceramics.

Van Phuc silk village

Van Phuc, on the western edge of the city, is a silk weaving village with shops selling scarves and fabric. Some looms still work in the lanes behind the main street.

Full-day trips

Three trips need most of a day but no overnight stay. Start early to beat the traffic leaving Hanoi.

Duong Lam ancient village

Duong Lam ancient village has houses and gates built of laterite stone, communal halls and quiet lanes among rice fields. Walk or cycle around, visit an old house and eat a simple village lunch.

Ba Vi national park

Ba Vi national park rises west of Hanoi, with forest trails, a hilltop temple and cooler air. It pairs well with Duong Lam on a countryside loop.

Perfume Pagoda

The Perfume Pagoda is a complex of temples and a cave shrine reached by a rowing boat along the Yen stream, then a walk or cable car up the mountain. It is a major pilgrimage site; avoid weekends in the festival season after Tet, described in our Vietnam festivals calendar.

Longer trips better with a night

Two famous places can be day trips but feel rushed. Stay a night if you can.

Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh's rivers and karst peaks, including the Trang An boat trip and Hang Mua viewpoint, are about two hours away. Our Ninh Binh guide explains why one night is better.

Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is about 2.5 hours away, so a day trip gives only a few hours on the water. Our Ha Long Bay guide compares day trips with overnight cruises. One practical choice remains: how to travel.

Planning day trips from Hanoi

Most of these trips are easy to book from the Old Quarter. The main decision is whether to join a group or go private.

Tours or private car

Group tours include transport, entry tickets and a guide, and leave from the Old Quarter each morning. A private car with driver costs more but lets you set the pace and combine places, such as Duong Lam and Ba Vi. Book through your hotel or a reputable agency.

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