Food and Drink
- Bar/Nightlife Area
- Bia Hoi Junction (Ta Hien Street) for budget beer; Tay Ho for cocktail bars
- Local Brewery
- Turtle Lake Brewing Company (Tay Ho) or 7 Bridges Brewing Co.
- Wine Bars
- The Wine Shop (Xuan Dieu) or Tầm Vị
- Street Food Stalls
- Tong Duy Tan (Food Street) - Open 24/7
- Popular International Cuisine
- Pizza 4P’s (Multiple locations) - Gourmet fusion pizza, very popular
- Best Food Delivery App
- ShopeeFood or GrabFood
- Best Local Dish to Try
- Bun Cha (Grilled pork with noodles) at Bun Cha Huong Lien (Obama Bun Cha) - 60,000 VND
- Vegan/Vegetarian Options
- Ưu Đàm Chay (Nguyen Du) or Veggie Castle (buffet for 90,000 VND)
- Best Dessert Spots
- Maison Marou (Chocolate) or Kem Trang Tien (Ice cream)
- Affordable Shopping Spots
- Dong Xuan Market or local street markets for fresh produce
- E-commerce/Online Store
- Shopee.vn or Lazada.vn
- Grocery Delivery
- WinMart or GrabMart
Culture and Attractions
- Must-See Landmarks
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake
- Museums & Art Venues
- Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi Contemporary Arts Centre (VCCA)
- Historical Sites
- Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton)
- Religious Sites
- Tran Quoc Pagoda, St. Joseph's Cathedral
- Annual Events
- Tet (Lunar New Year) in Jan/Feb; Mid-Autumn Festival in Old Quarter
- Cultural Districts
- French Quarter (Ba Dinh/Hoan Kiem) for colonial architecture
- Theater Venues
- Hanoi Opera House; Thang Long Water Puppet Theater
- Local Markets
- Quang Ba Flower Market (Best at 3:00 AM)
- Music Scene
- Binh Minh Jazz Club (near Opera House)
- Street Art
- Phung Hung Mural Street
- Cooking Classes
- Hanoi Cooking Centre (Chau Long Street)
- Art Galleries
- Manzi Art Space (Phan Huy Ich)
- Historic Buildings
- Long Bien Bridge (designed by Eiffel)
- Local Heritage
- Traditional lacquerware and silk weaving in Van Phuc Village
Nature and Outdoor Activities
- Nearby Nature Escapes
- Ba Vi National Park (60km away) - Trekking and old church ruins
- National Parks Nearby
- Cuc Phuong National Park (approx. 3 hours south)
- Cycling/Walking Paths
- 17km loop around West Lake (Tay Ho)
- Scenic Viewpoints
- Lotte Observation Deck (65th Floor)
- Birdwatching Locations
- West Lake (early mornings) or Ba Vi National Park
- Bonfire-Friendly Spots
- Red River Rock Flower Garden (Bai Da Song Hong) camping areas
Other Services and Amenities
- Parcel Delivery Service
- VNPost or J&T Express
- Tech Repair Services
- Laptop24h or Apple authorized resellers on Hang Bai Street
- Table Tennis Spots
- Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Cultural Palace sports center
- Language Classes
- Vietnamese Language Studies (VLS) or 123Vietnamese
- Libraries & Study Spots
- National Library of Vietnam (Trang Thi)
- Community Centers
- L'Espace (French Cultural Center) or Goethe-Institut
- Gaming Lounges
- Vikings Gaming (Multiple locations)
- Casino & Gaming Halls
- Winning Post (inside Pullman Hotel) - Foreigners only
Business
- Studio Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. $3,500 - $5,000 per m² (e.g., 35 m² = $122,000 - $175,000 in Hoan Kiem)
- Studio Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. $1,500 - $2,200 per m² (e.g., 35 m² = $52,000 - $77,000 in Long Bien/Ha Dong)
- 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. $3,200 per m² (e.g., 50 m² = $160,000)
- 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. $1,400 per m² (e.g., 50 m² = $70,000)
- 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center)
- Approx. $3,000 per m² (e.g., 80 m² = $240,000)
- 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City)
- Approx. $1,200 per m² (e.g., 80 m² = $96,000)
- Corporate Tax
- Standard rate 20%
- Dividend Withholding Tax
- 0% for corporate shareholders, 5% for individuals
- Tax System
- Taxed on worldwide income for residents (183+ days); 20% flat for non-residents
- Highest Income Tax Bracket
- 35% (for monthly income over 80 million VND)
- VAT
- Standard 10% (occasionally 8% depending on government incentives)
- Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) Rules
- No specific CFC rules, but strict transfer pricing regulations
- Property Tax
- Very low; currently approx. 0.03% of land value (under revision)
- Property Transaction Tax
- 2% personal income tax for the seller; 0.5% registration fee for the buyer
- Attractive Tax System for Digital Nomads
- No specific nomad visa yet (usually 90-day E-visa); enforcement on remote income for foreigners is currently low
Essentials
- City
- Hanoi, Hoan Kiem District, Vietnam
- Population
- 8.5 million
- Internet Speed
- Average 95 Mbps (Fiber optic widely available in cafes and apartments)
- Currency & Banking
- 1 USD ≈ 24,700 VND, 1 EUR ≈ 26,800 VND (Vietnamese Dong)
- Tap Water
- Not drinkable; use bottled water (approx. 10,000 VND per 1.5L) or delivery 19L jugs (50,000 VND)
- Power
- 220V, 50Hz, 🔌 Type A, C, and G sockets (Type C/Flat 2-pin is most common)
- SIM Card
- Viettel or Vinaphone; monthly 4G plans (4GB/day) cost approx. 150,000 VND ($6 USD) at the airport or local stores
- Banking for Expats
- HSBC, Shinhan Bank, or TPBank/Timo for digital-friendly accounts; Revolut/Wise work at most ATMs
- Accommodation
- Serviced apartments in Tay Ho ($400-$800/mo) or Old Quarter Airbnbs ($30-$50/night)
- Cashless Friendly
- Increasingly yes; QR code payments (VNPay) and credit cards used in malls/cafes, but street food requires cash
- Short Term Rentals
- Airbnb, Mobylette Hanoi, or Facebook Groups like 'Hanoi Housing'
- Budget Accommodation
- Little Hanoi Hostel (approx. $10/night for dorms; $25 for private rooms in Hoan Kiem)
- Best Area to Stay for Tourists
- Old Quarter (Hoan Kiem) - Walkable to major sites and street food
- Best Area to Stay for Digital Nomads
- Tay Ho (West Lake) - Expats hub, quieter, better air quality, and concentrated coworking spaces
Working and Networking
- Best Coworking Space
- Toong (various locations like Toong Trang Thi) - approx. 2,000,000 VND ($80/mo) for a hot desk
- Best Cafe for Work
- Tranquil Books & Coffee (5 Nguyen Quang Bich) - extremely quiet, great Wi-Fi, Excellent coffee
- Networking Events
- Hanoi Digital Nomads Facebook Group meetups; Tech events at The Hive Tay Ho
- Social Events for Expats
- Trivia nights at Puku Cafe or Republic Tay Ho; Language exchanges at various Old Quarter cafes
Transportation
- Best Taxi/Ride App
- Grab (Car and Bike) or Be; extremely affordable (Bike rides from $1)
- Bike/Scooter Rental
- Style Motorbikes (Tay Ho) - approx. 1,500,000 VND ($60/month) for a semi-automatic
- Best Beach Nearby
- Do Son Beach (Haiphong) - 2 hours away; or Cat Ba Island (3.5 hours away)
- Top Regional Airline
- VietJet Air or Bamboo Airways
- Top International Airline
- Vietnam Airlines
- Highway Access
- CT01 (North-South Expressway) and Highway 5 to Haiphong
- Main Train/Transit Hub
- Hanoi Railway Station (Ga Ha Noi) on Le Duan Street
- Public Transport Passes
- Hanoi Metro Line 2A; single tickets 8,000-15,000 VND ($0.30-$0.60)
- Regional Travel
- Limousine Vans to Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh (approx. 250,000 VND / $10)
Health and Wellness
- Best Hospital
- Vinmec International Hospital (Times City) or Family Medical Practice (Kim Ma)
- Yoga & Wellness Centers
- Zenith Yoga (Tay Ho) - Single class approx. 300,000 VND ($12)
- Gyms & Fitness Centers
- California Fitness & Yoga or Elite Fitness (approx. 1,200,000 VND/mo)
- Laundry Services
- Widely available on every street; approx. 20,000-30,000 VND per kg