# One day in Hanoi: an itinerary in the best order > One day in Hanoi covers the ancient capital and the Old Quarter. Morning at the 6th-century Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake and the Temple of Literature from 1070, Vietnam's first university. Then Thang Long Imperial Citadel and lunch. After lunch, neo-Gothic St Joseph's Cathedral and Hoan Kiem Lake with its red bridge. In the evening, the water puppet theatre right by the lake. Walks take 6–18 minutes; the first stop is a taxi ride. Web page: https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/in-1-day ## Plan 1. [Tran Quoc Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/tran-quoc-pagoda.md) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free ↓ 21 min by transport 2. [Temple of Literature](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/temple-of-literature.md) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 70,000 VND, under-16s free ↓ 11 min on foot 3. [Imperial Citadel of Thang Long](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/thang-long-citadel.md) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 100,000 VND Lunch break, about 1 h ↓ 18 min on foot 4. [St Joseph's Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hanoi-cathedral.md) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free ↓ 6 min on foot 5. [Hoan Kiem Lake](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hoan-kiem-lake.md) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; Ngoc Son Temple 50,000 VND ↓ 6 min on foot 6. [Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hanoi-water-puppet-theatre.md) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 100,000–200,000 VND Total with walks: 7 h 22 min ## What to do in Hanoi in one day Tran Quoc Pagoda is on West Lake, 3 km from the centre, so the day starts there. The route then heads in: the Temple of Literature, the citadel, the cathedral and Hoan Kiem Lake at the edge of the Old Quarter. The puppet theatre is two minutes from the lake, with shows from mid-afternoon to evening. Remove any stop with the cross or drag it with ≡, and add another one nearby — the times recalculate. ## The Old Quarter at night From Friday evening to Sunday midnight the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake go pedestrian. The Old Quarter is the place for street food — pho, bun cha and egg coffee. Ngoc Son Temple on the island stays open until 21:00 at weekends. ## Train Street [Train Street](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hanoi-train-street) is a residential lane where the train passes a metre from café tables. There is no ticket — you pay for a drink. Access is not permanent: the authorities fence it off from time to time, and the cafés reopen a few days later. Check the day before. ## Is one day in Hanoi enough? For the highlights, yes. [Ha Long Bay](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/ha-long-bay), a day cruise among limestone islands, is day two. On Friday and Saturday evenings Thang Long Citadel sometimes runs a night tour. ## Tips - Cross Hanoi's streets slowly and steadily — motorbikes flow around you. - Visit Tran Quoc before 11:00 or after 14:00: it may close at midday. - Pagodas and temples want shoulders and knees covered; shoes come off at the door of the halls. - Vietnam uses the dong (VND). Markets, pagodas and small cafés want cash; Grab is the easiest way to get a car or motorbike taxi. - Buy evening puppet show tickets during the day — they sell out. ## Questions ### What can you do in Hanoi in one day? Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, Thang Long Citadel, St Joseph's Cathedral, Hoan Kiem Lake and the water puppet show. ### Can you explore Hanoi without a tour? Yes: the centre is walkable, and Grab takes you to West Lake. ### How much is the Temple of Literature? 70,000 VND, under 16 free. ### How long is the water puppet show? 50 minutes; there are 5–7 shows a day. ### Can you visit Train Street? Sometimes — access is closed and reopened from time to time, so check the day before. ### How much does the day cost? About 300,000–400,000 VND in tickets, plus Grab and food. ### Can I fit Ha Long Bay in? Only instead of the city: it is 2.5–3 hours each way. ### Is it good with kids? Yes: under-16s are free at the Temple of Literature and the puppets are a hit. ### When is the best time to visit? October to April. ### What currency is used in Vietnam? Vietnam uses the dong (VND). Markets, pagodas and small cafés want cash; Grab is the easiest way to get a car or motorbike taxi. --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.