Hanoi

Travel Advice for Seniors: Hanoi

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and has many important national sights. The chaotic Old Quarter is the heart of the city, and it is a pleasure to wander through the narrow streets, dodging traffic. There is much French/Chinese influenced architecture, with also a complement of very utilitarian architecture from the communist era.Not generally accessible.

Hanoi served as one of the main flashpoints during Vietnam war, known as the “American War” in Vietnam. The country united in 1976 following that battle. While the US and North Vietnam fought long and hard, we didn’t see or hear anyone that wasn’t welcoming or polite to us as Americans.

We noticed that the north of Vietnam, particularly Hanoi, seems a bit more “communistic” than the south, where it seemed more capitalistic and nonchalant about strict communism. That said, everyone was very nice to us. Hanoi is part of a typical tourist stop in Vietnam, so it has become accommodating to tourists, and you can find some that speak English in the touristy sections. However, learning to say “please” and “thank you” in Vietnamese will get you a long way. Also, the Vietnamese dress modestly and are not loud, so please dress and speak respectfully, especially if you are visiting national monuments and temples.

Our first venture out upon landing in Hanoi from Hue was an evening street food tour. No better way to have dinner and hear the history of the city than to go on a food tour! This one was very good and we highly recommend it. Our Hanoi guide was also very good and spoke English well. He had selected his favorite and well-known restaurants in the city, and they were all outstanding. He coined some phrases that we still use and laugh about today such as “Don’t lost me” and “Stick together like sticky rice”.

We made several stops to enjoy coffee, pho, pillow cake, banh mi and a Bia Hoi beer. As with several Asian countries, nothing is wasted in cooking, so if you were thinking you were going to be served only full-sized, trimmed chicken breasts for example, you would be mistaken. For many Asian countries, a little meat goes a very long way. Also, do make some time to have coffee here. We had a special type of frothy coffee called “egg coffee”, it was more like a confection and is a tasty specialty here.

Next and the only full day was a tour of the Hanoi highlights. We started with a cyclos tour (the poor cyclists had to work extra hard after our food tour the night before!), that stopped at the city gate and took us through the Old Quarter city center.

Next up was a stop to Ba Dinh Square, home of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and grounds. Reminder to dress appropriately and be respectful particularly at this site. The entry line was quite long, as were the lines to several of the attractions on the grounds, but it moved pretty fast. This is a major and highly touristed attraction both from out of country tourists and from Vietnamese coming from all over the country. Ho Chi Minh was the revolutionary leader and President of Vietnam. Accessible.

The Mausoleum is open for viewing of Ho Chi Minh’s body and though the viewing only takes a few minutes, the line is fairly long. Also, on the site is Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house which looked a bit like a Frank Lloyd Wright style creation and the One Pillar Pagoda, said to have been built to look like a lotus blossom. The grounds are impressive and popular. It takes probably a couple of hours to go through this with the crowds.Accessible.

Further interesting stops were to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university. where we witnessed a graduating class having their picture taken.  It is said students come here to make prayers for their educational success. Followed by a stop at the Museum of Ethnology which houses artifacts from the fifty-four ethnic groups that make up Vietnam. The clothing displays were particularly interesting. Accessible parking, entrance and walkways, though some may be uneven. 

We hit the primary highlights in Hanoi but could’ve easily spent another day just poking around and absorbing the culture. However, we were next off to the beautiful Ha Long Bay for a “can’t miss” cruise among the limestone formations.

Where we stayed: Aira Hotel. Breakfast included. Nice hotel. Centrally located. Accessible parking, common areas, elevator and rooms.

How we got there: Flight from Hue to Hanoi.This was part of a four-week private tour through Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

General Accessibility Information: See notes above. Vietnam has made strides in accessibility, though some challenges remain. Hoi An has flat terrain and have accessible tours, sights, transport and hotels. Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements.See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.