Day Trips from Hanoi

These are the best day trips from Hanoi you should not miss if you are staying in North of Vietnam. Get away from the hectic of city scenes and contemplate the mesmerizing landscapes at these top day trips from Hanoi

Best day trips from hanoi

With many caves and mountains, this place is also known as the second Halong Bay of Vietnam. We recommend you take a boat and float down Ngo Dong River for two hours to be fully immersed in the breathtaking scenery. Tam Coc is close enough to Hanoi about 2 hours ride so that you can spend a day trip to explore, but if you want to spend a night here and visit some other landmarks on the next day

Trang An is a famous ecotourism destination in Ninh Binh. It has an amazing landscape created from mountain areas, caves, forests, valleys, and streams. Water surrounds the area, so the best way to travel around Trang An Landscape Complex is by boats.

As a UNESCO World natural heritage site, the total area is approximately 20,000,000 square meters with many mysterious limestone caves inside ranges of mountains, wild valleys, lakes, lagoons, and mangroves. Trang An was chosen as one of the filming locations for the Hollywood blockbuster Kong: Skull Island.

Bai Dinh Temple is a Buddhist and Cultural Complex. Bai Dinh is the biggest pagoda in Vietnam, and it has the largest bronze Buddha status in Vietnam towering 10 meters and weighing 100 tons. It also has 500 La Han statues

One of the nicest day trips from Hanoi is to Ninh Binh. This is a truly scenic are, with many temples, valleys and even caves. You’d honestly be better off going for a couple of days, but if you only have one, definitely make the most of it.

In the area of Ninh Binh you’ll also find Van Long Nature Reserve, a place to admire wildlife – especially ideal for birdwatching

As a UNESCO recognized World Heritage Site, Halong Bay is one of the natural wonders of the world with 1,969 limestone islands of various shapes and sizes.

Taking the boat cruise about 4 hours to visit Sung Sot Cave (Amazing Cave) cock fighting islets, fishing village. Full day trip from Hanoi located 3 hour ride

Cuc Phuong National Park is located to the south of Hanoi and it’s the largest national park in Vietnam.

It’s a huge area of protected land and offers visitors some of the best outdoor experiences in the country.

The scenery is magnificent, and there are many hikes through the park which allow you to enjoy that scenery at its best.

There’s also a fascinating primate rescue center to visit, where you can find out more about the rare and, in many cases, endangered species of monkey that are found in the wild here

Ba Vi is a national park that’s found just 60 kilometers to the west of Hanoi’s city center.

It makes for an excellent outdoor day trip from the capital and is known for the many temples that are found in the forests here – some sit in striking position atop the various hills in the area.

There are waterfalls – even a water park nearby – and plenty of hikes to undertake amongst the beautiful scenery.

The Mai Chau Valley is the quintessential picture of Vietnam.

This breathtaking, green valley is exactly what you will imagine if you picture the Vietnamese countryside.

In fact, if you see a picture of the Vietnamese countryside, it might well be of the valley.

Extensive rice fields are surrounded by high hills and mountains, and life in the valley has changed little in hundreds of years.

It’s a refreshing escape from Hanoi, to the south-west of the city.

You can easily visit in a day, but many travelers will find themselves staying in this peaceful valley for much longer.

The Huong Pagoda, otherwise known as the Perfume Pagoda to tourists, is the centerpiece of a dramatic complex of temples and pagodas that are found in the spectacular mountains of Huong Tich, a place of limestone rocks and endless caves.

The Perfume Pagoda is incredibly popular with tourists, of course, because it’s close to Hanoi and is absolutely stunning.

But it’s also incredibly popular with Buddhist pilgrims; any day of the week you can expect the gates and steps to the temples to be very busy.

Get here as early as you can to enjoy any serenity.

Found in the cool hills to the north of Hanoi, the Tam Dao Hill Station makes for a spectacular – and at times cold – escape from Hanoi.

The hill station was originally built by the French, as the Europeans wanted to escape the heat of Hanoi in summer.

Now, it’s still used as a hilltop resort, but the French architecture is gone.

Views of the surrounding area are wonderful and there are many hiking opportunities to be had amongst the hills.

Van Phuc is just a few kilometers away from Hanoi, so this traditional Vietnamese village makes for an easy day trip from the city.

Van Phuc is the center of the ancient and very much refined craft of silk weaving.

Here, you can acquire some of the highest quality silk garments found anywhere in Asia, and of course, you can get them at a bargain price in comparison to many other countries.

Duong Lam is known as the Ancient Village because this is an incredibly traditional and cultural place, found along the banks of the Red River.

It’s an old place and can trace its origins back thousands of years.

There are many traditional pagodas and houses, and it’s an excellent demonstration of Vietnamese history and tradition.

Cat Ba is the largest of the many islands off the coast of Vietnam.

It’s found at the southern edge of Halong Bay; from the seafront, you see the thousands of other islands sprawled across the horizon.

As well as being an entrance point to the famous bay, it’s also an interesting destination in its own right, offering visitors a vast, green national park to explore.

The scenery here is wild and untouched, and the island is only sparsely populated, meaning there is a lot of that wild scenery to go around.

Explore the national park and make sure to visit the intriguing Cave Hospital, which was hidden away in the forests and used during the Vietnam War.

The best part of travelling is getting the chance to sample the local cuisine, especially when Vietnam is known for the heaven of street food. A local guide will show you around the Old Quarter and stop by a local eatery for you to have a tasty dish of Banh Cuon. Then, you will continue until you reach an outdoor barbeque stall where you can try Banh Mi Hanoi. After that, the last stop is dessert. You can choose either famous Egg Coffee or a cold beer.

Bat Trang Village is just 30 minutes from the Old Quarter in Hanoi, so it’s a low-commitment excursion. The village is famous for its porcelain and ceramics, which are sought after throughout Asia because of their quality and traditional designs.

Hanoi city tour starts at eight in the morning, encouraging tourists to experience Hanoian spirits from dawn to dusk. Going on this tour, you will be able to visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the resting place of Vietnam’s former president – Uncle Ho. Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam, is also a highlight of this trip. Together with other sites such as Bat Trang Pottery Village, Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Old Quarter, and Ethnology Museum, the tour around Hanoi will equip you with knowledge of a thousand years worth of history while chilling in the slow-paced and tranquil lifestyle. Since you will pay a visit to some historical and solemn places, shorts, mini-skirts, and sleeveless shirts should be avoided.

As a region of elevated mountainous plateau, Moc Chau possesses outstandingly beautiful landscapes and hospitable climate all year round. Yet, the best time to make a day trip to Moc Chau is from late January to early February when plum blossoms bloom. At that time, villages and forests are covered in the pure white of the flowers. In Moc Chau, you can visit Moc Shan Tuyet where best quality tea is produced to gain insights into the process of tea making and try it by yourself.

If you are seeking active adventures in magnificent landscapes, one-day trekking tour in Ba Be National Park may fit your taste. The trek will take you to Coc Toc village where the Tay people fish in the lake for their livelihood, H’mong ethnic village, and vast mountain ranges and valleys. It is advised that you should wear comfortable clothes, bring sunglasses and insect repellent since you will complete a 15-to-18-km trek. The ideal time to visit Ba Be National Park is between October and June when the weather is cooler and more pleasant.

It is not a surprise that Co To Island has witnessed a boom in tourist arrivals in the past few years. The remote, untouched terrain, along with its varied sea ecosystem, is all that can be expected from a coastal area. You can easily catch a glimpse of locals’ daily activities, particularly a fisherman hauling freshly caught fish, in crystal clear ocean. Moreover, visitors seem fond of snorkeling for coral reef discovery.

Best day trips from hanoi

Hanoi Day Trip to Tam Coc - Ninh Binh

Hanoi Day Trip to Ninh Binh

Hanoi Day Trip to Van Long Nature Reserve

Hanoi Day Trip to Halong Bay

Hanoi Day Trip to Cuc Phuong National Park

Hanoi Day Trip to Ba Vi

Trip to Mai Chau Valley from Hanoi

Hanoi Day Trip to Perfume Pagoda

Hanoi Day Trip to Tam Dao Hill Station

Hanoi Day Trip to Van Phuc Silk Village

Hanoi Day Trip to Duong Lam village

Trip to Cat Ba island from Hanoi

Hanoi walking food tour

Hanoi Day Trip to Bat Trang village

Hanoi City Tour

Hanoi Trip to Moc Chau

Hanoi Trip to Ba Be National Park

Hanoi Trip to Co To Island

Hanoi Trip to Ban Gioc Falls