Getting around Hanoi can be as fascinating or infuriating as you want it to be. Try to avoid travel by car/taxi in and around the city centre during peak hours, around 07:30 - 09:30 and 16:30 - 18:30. During those times, two wheels or two feet are best!

Hanoi is very flat, so walking short distances and cycling a few kilometres is easy, although it can be tiring in the summer heat.

This Hanoi transport page gives you further information about how to get around Hanoi. Our Vietnam Transportation Guide gives more general transport information. Take a Hanoi tour to b etter discover the city!

Hanoi Transportation Guide

Negotiating city traffic is also more difficult than in most Western cities. We have compiled this list of transport information for Hanoi, but, as always, ask your host and the staff. They live here so they will have the latest local knowledge. Hanoi's central district is quite compact so walking is practical and the best way to explore the congested streets of the Old Quarter. You can take a cyclo ride or xe om for long trips.

By Air

The ride from the airport to downtown is about 45 minutes. You have the option of taking a bus for 40,000 dong that will drop you off at the Vietnam Airlines office on Hai Ba Trung in center city or paying a flat fee of 140,000 dong for a taxi to one location in town, most likely your hotel. Don't be taken for a ride by unscrupulous taxi drivers who try to charge more, or claim there are per-person toll charges or those who try to take you to a hotel of their own choosing, for which they would try to get a commission from the hotel owners.

By Cyclo

Hanoi cyclos can take two people at a pinch, unlike the ones in Saigon which can only comfortably carry one passenger. You can also hire a cyclo for the whole day, at around $1-2 per hour. There are numerous roads in central Hanoi where cyclos are forbidden, especially around the areas of Hoan Kiem Lake, Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Thai To.

By Xe Om

Motorcycle taxis are the quickest and cheapest means of inner-city transport, but can be a little hair-raising at times. Xe om can be found almost anywhere in Hanoi. You should generally pay 5,000 dong for a ride across town. Longer journeys to the suburbs or Tay Ho (West Lake) will be slightly more.

By Taxi

Taxis wait outside most of the higher end hotels and at the northern part of Hoan Kiem Lake near the shopping areas. Your hotel will be able to give you the telephone number of taxi services. Prices are metered in Vietnamese Dong, the meter reads in thousands so 25.00 on the meter means 25,000 Dong. Expect to pay $2 to $4 per trip.

By Rental

A bicycle is a fun way to get around Hanoi as well as being very practical. Prices are lowest in the Old Quarter and you can expect to pay around $1per day, less for longer-term rentals. Don't leave your bike on the street - use one of the supervised bike parks where you will get a ticket that you'll need to retrieve your bike. Don't lose the ticket or it will be difficult to get your bike back. Self-drive motorcycles are definitely worth considering if you are an experienced rider and will be going outside Hanoi. You can rent one through hotels or the travellers' cafes and the small tour agencies. Rental cost is around $6 to $8 per day.