From ancient citadels and rural villages to scenic landscapes, discover our favourite day trips from Hanoi and all within easy reach of Vietnam’s capital.

Hanoi is a city of contrasts, where the hum of motorbikes fills streets lined with French-era villas and centuries-old temples. Around Hoan Kiem Lake, locals practise tai chi at dawn, while nearby the Old Quarter reveals its character through tiny pho stalls, gold shops, and lantern-lit alleyways that have served as the city’s commercial heart for hundreds of years.

Cultural highlights abound, from the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university built in 1070, to the stilt house where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. The city’s museums, including the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and the Women’s Museum, provide insight into the country’s diverse ethnic traditions and modern history. Every corner offers something distinct, from incense-filled pagodas to lively flower markets.

Yet Hanoi is more than a destination in itself - it’s the gateway to northern Vietnam. Day trips lead to the limestone peaks and rivers of Ninh Binh, the rural landscapes of Mai Chau, and the UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay. With its mix of culture, daily life, and easy access to iconic landscapes, Hanoi gives travellers both depth and variety in one visit.

Many visitors try to see Ha Long Bay in a single day from Hanoi, but the long travel time leaves little room to enjoy it. We recommend staying overnight to experience its true beauty.

What are the best day tours from Hanoi?

Hanoi’s central position in northern Vietnam makes it a practical base for travellers. Many guests choose to stay in the capital and branch out on day trips, particularly those that are short on time. This allows visitors to experience rural landscapes and UNESCO-listed sites while returning to the comfort and energy of the city at night.

Day trips from Hanoi can be a quick one hour adventure outside of the city, or a longer commitment of up to three hours each way. Regardless of your commitment to transit times, here’s a few of our favourites.

Tam Dao Hill Station

Tam Dao Hill Station, set 85km north of Hanoi, was established by the French in the early 20th century as a cool retreat from the heat of the Red River Delta. Perched at around 1,000 metres above sea level, it still retains that sense of escape, with mist-shrouded hills, pine forests, and colonial villas blending into a small but lively town. The journey up to Tam Dao is part of the experience, with winding mountain roads offering glimpses of valleys and farmland below.

Travellers are drawn to Tam Dao for its refreshing climate and scenic setting. The town centre has become more developed in recent years, but beyond the main square you’ll find quiet trails, waterfalls, and small temples tucked into the hillsides. A short hike leads to Silver Waterfall, while the climb up to Tam Dao’s television tower provides sweeping views on clear days. The town is also known for its chayote (su su) vegetable, grown in abundance on the hillsides and featured in many local dishes.

Cultural highlights add depth to a visit. The Den Ba Chua Thuong Ngan temple, dedicated to the Mother Goddess of the Forests, is an important pilgrimage site, while nearby pagodas attract both worshippers and curious visitors. Wandering through the local market reveals everything from fresh produce to herbal remedies collected from the surrounding forests, reflecting Tam Dao’s mix of spiritual and everyday life.

Located less than two hours from Hanoi, Tam Dao Hill Station makes for a rewarding day trip. It’s close enough for a short visit yet feels completely different from the capital, with cooler air and mountain scenery. Many travellers choose to spend a night in one of its small hotels or homestays to enjoy the peaceful evenings and early morning views, but even a day spent here offers a taste of Vietnam’s highland charm without the long drive to Sapa.

Ba Vi National Park

Ba Vi National Park lies about 60km west of Hanoi, making it one of the easiest escapes into nature from the capital. Rising to a height of nearly 1,300 metres, the park is covered in dense tropical forest and offers a refreshing climate, particularly in summer when Hanoi can feel hot and crowded. The drive into the park winds through tea plantations and small villages, setting the scene for a day of mountain landscapes and greenery.

For many visitors, hiking is the highlight of Ba Vi. Trails lead through thick jungle to scenic viewpoints and temples at the summits of Tan Vien and King High Peaks. On clear days, the views stretch across the Red River Delta. The park is also home to a wide variety of plant and animal species, including butterflies, civets, langurs, and numerous bird species, making it a rewarding place for wildlife watchers as well as hikers.

Ba Vi also carries a touch of history and spirituality. Hidden among the trees are the ruins of French colonial villas from the early 20th century, now covered in moss and giving the park an atmospheric quality. At the summit stands a temple dedicated to Ho Chi Minh, often visited by Vietnamese pilgrims. The cactus garden and orchid house near the entrance provide an easier option for those who prefer a gentle visit to nature rather than a strenuous climb.

Being only 1.5 to 2 hours from Hanoi, Ba Vi National Park makes an excellent day trip for travellers seeking fresh air and quiet. It offers a more low-key alternative to longer excursions, allowing you to combine wildlife encounters, forested trails, cultural sites, and mountain scenery without a long journey. Many tours include a stop at nearby villages or tea farms, making the day even more varied.

Duong Lam Ancient Village

Duong Lam Ancient Village, just over 50km west of the capital, is one of the most rewarding day trips from Hanoi for travellers interested in culture and history. Known for its laterite brick houses, some over 300 years old, and narrow alleys shaded by banyan trees, the village feels like a step back in time. Exploring its winding lanes, wells, and village gates on foot or by bicycle gives a vivid sense of Vietnam’s rural traditions that have survived for centuries.

Highlights of this Hanoi day tour include Mong Phu Temple, the only intact communal house in the village, and shrines dedicated to King Ngo Quyen and King Phung Hung, two national heroes. Visitors are also welcomed into family homes, where simple but delicious meals of local dishes such as pork cooked in clay pots or peanut candy are served. Sharing food and stories with residents adds warmth and depth to the visit, making it far more than a sightseeing stop.

Travellers love Duong Lam for its authenticity. Unlike commercialised sites, this is a living village where farming, festivals, and community life continue much as they have for generations. With bicycles, buffalo carts, and markets still shaping the rhythm of the day, it offers a gentle but powerful contrast to Hanoi’s energy. For many, it’s one of the best day tours from Hanoi because it feels both accessible and genuinely different.

Reaching Duong Lam takes about 1 hour 15 minutes by car, making it an easy addition to an itinerary. Some travellers combine it with nearby Ba Vi National Park or pagodas such as Thay and Tay Phuong for a richer experience. For those looking to connect with Vietnam’s rural heritage, Duong Lam stands out as one of the most rewarding and memorable day trips from Hanoi.

Huong Son Scenic Area

Huong Son Scenic Area, located about 60km southwest of Hanoi, is best known as the home of the Perfume Pagoda but offers much more than a single temple. The journey begins with a boat ride along the Yen River, where farmers tend their fields and limestone peaks rise on either side. From there, visitors continue into a landscape of forested hills, caves, and shrines that together form one of northern Vietnam’s most atmospheric cultural areas.

Many travellers come here for the balance of nature and spirituality. The trail to Huong Tich Cave, the most important pagoda in the complex, can be reached on foot or by cable car, with stops at smaller shrines along the way. Beyond the main pilgrimage sites, quieter paths lead through valleys and forest clearings where birdsong and flowing water add to the sense of calm. Outside the spring festival season, the area has a peaceful quality that contrasts with the energy of Hanoi.

Huong Son is also an important place for Vietnamese traditions. Each year, thousands of pilgrims make the journey to honour Buddhist rituals and local legends, giving the area a living cultural significance. For visitors, seeing families and monks carrying offerings or lighting incense in the caves adds depth to the experience, reminding travellers that this is not just a scenic destination but a place of devotion.

Reaching Huong Son takes around 1.5 to 2 hours by car, making it a comfortable day trip from Hanoi. The combination of river journey, mountain setting, and sacred temples makes for a varied outing that appeals to those interested in both culture and nature. For travellers looking to explore beyond the capital without venturing too far, Huong Son offers one of the most rewarding day tours in northern Vietnam.

Dong Ho Folk Painting Village

Set on the banks of the Duong River, Dong Ho Folk Painting Village is one of Vietnam’s few places where a centuries-old craft is still practised in everyday life. Known for its vibrant woodblock prints made on handmade paper, the village has preserved an art form that once decorated homes across the country during festivals and celebrations. Natural colours drawn from earth, bamboo ash, and local flowers give each piece a warmth and character that feels distinctively Vietnamese.

What makes Dong Ho special is that it remains a living tradition rather than a tourist showcase. Families still carve woodblocks by hand and carefully layer the colours to bring each scene to life. Visitors can watch the process in small workshops and even try their hand at printing under the guidance of a master artisan. Unlike more commercial craft villages, the focus here is on preserving heritage rather than selling mass-produced souvenirs.

Travellers who have visited Bat Trang Pottery Village or Quang Phu Cau Incense Village often find Dong Ho a far more authentic experience. While those places can feel crowded or heavily geared toward shopping, Dong Ho retains its quiet village atmosphere. The handful of families still practising the craft are proud to share their knowledge, and encounters feel personal rather than staged. The slower pace allows time to connect with the artisans and understand the cultural depth behind their work.

Dong Ho can be reached in just over an hour from Hanoi, making it an easy day trip that feels far removed from the city. For travellers looking to go beyond the surface of Vietnam’s handicraft traditions, this village offers insight into an art form that has survived centuries of change. Visiting here not only supports local families but also helps keep one of Vietnam’s most distinctive cultural practices alive.

Ninh Binh

A day trip to Ninh Binh, about two hours south of Hanoi, takes travellers into a landscape often called “Ha Long Bay on land.” Here, limestone cliffs rise above rice paddies and rivers, creating scenery that feels both dramatic and peaceful.

The journey usually begins with a sampan boat ride at Tam Coc or Trang An, where local women row visitors through caves and waterways surrounded by towering karsts. Along the way, it’s common to see farmers working in the fields and fishermen casting nets, adding everyday life to the natural beauty. Be aware that it's common for the rowers (usually local women) to stop mid-river and insist you buy drinks, snacks, or souvenirs - either for yourself or “for the rower.” Some will even have a second boat pull up selling goods. If you decline politely but firmly, they will still continue rowing.

Ninh Binh isn’t only about scenery - it also holds deep cultural significance. The ancient capital of Hoa Lu, with temples dedicated to the Dinh and Le kings, reveals Vietnam’s early dynastic history. Nearby, Bich Dong Pagoda clings to a mountainside and rewards those who climb with views across the countryside. Travellers often combine cultural visits with cycling through villages, stopping to meet families and observe local traditions such as weaving or rice cultivation.

What makes Ninh Binh a popular day tour from Hanoi is its balance of accessibility and variety. In less than two hours, visitors are transported from the noise of the capital to a world of karst mountains, temples, and quiet rural paths. Most tours return to Hanoi by evening, making it possible to enjoy the Old Quarter’s street food and night markets after a day immersed in countryside life. For those with more time, Ninh Binh also offers boutique homestays and eco-lodges that invite a slower pace of discovery.

Hang Mua Lookout in Ninh Binh rewards a steep climb with sweeping views of rice fields and limestone peaks, making it a highlight for travellers heading south on day tours from Hanoi.

Where should I go after Hanoi?

After spending time in Hanoi, many travellers wonder where to head next. You’ll notice we haven’t included some of the big-name destinations you might see listed on other tourism websites. While these are remarkable places to visit, we believe they aren’t well suited to day tours - with travel times of around three hours each way, much of the day is spent on the road.

Instead, destinations like these deserve more time, with at least two nights in each place to properly enjoy their landscapes and cultural experiences without feeling rushed. By planning them as overnight stays rather than quick side trips, you’ll experience them in a way that feels far more rewarding. Therefore, after you’ve spent a few days in Hanoi, head here next.

Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s most iconic landscapes, famous for its limestone karsts and emerald waters. Though often marketed as a day trip from Hanoi, the three hour drive each way makes it better suited to an overnight cruise or a two night stay. By allowing more time, you can explore quiet corners of the bay, visit floating villages and enjoy sunrise on deck, rather than rushing through in a single afternoon.

Multi day cruises give you the chance to kayak through hidden lagoons, swim in sheltered coves and dine on fresh seafood under the stars. With more than 1,600 islands, the bay deserves at least two days to appreciate its scale and beauty. An extended visit also opens the chance to explore nearby Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, both offering a more peaceful atmosphere. After Hanoi’s urban energy, Ha Long Bay provides a contrast of nature and stillness that is best enjoyed slowly.

Mai Chau

Set in a valley about three and a half hours from Hanoi, Mai Chau offers a glimpse of rural Vietnam that cannot be fully appreciated in a single day. Surrounded by rice paddies and limestone mountains, the area is home to White Thai communities who live in traditional stilt houses. Staying overnight allows you to enjoy both the landscapes and the rhythm of village life, from cycling between fields and weaving workshops to sampling regional dishes prepared by local families.

Evenings often feature cultural performances and the warmth of homestay hospitality. With more time, you can explore Pu Luong Nature Reserve nearby, known for terraced fields and bamboo forests. Travellers who rush in and out within a day miss the slower pace that makes Mai Chau special. Spending two nights here provides the chance to truly relax, engage with local culture and discover a very different side of northern Vietnam.

Sapa

Sapa sits high in the mountains of northern Vietnam, around five to six hours from Hanoi by road or train. Surrounded by sweeping terraced valleys, this region is home to diverse ethnic minority communities including the Hmong, Red Dao and Tay. The landscapes are striking in every season, from emerald rice fields to mist drifting across the peaks, and the cooler air makes it a refreshing change from the city.

Travellers come here for some of the country’s most memorable trekking, with trails that lead through villages, across bamboo forests and past cascading waterfalls. Markets brim with colourful textiles and handicrafts, while evenings in town reveal a lively mix of food stalls and small cafes. A highlight is the cable car journey to Mount Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina, offering extraordinary views above the clouds.

Ha Giang

Ha Giang is often called Vietnam’s most spectacular province, a region of limestone peaks, winding passes and deep valleys carved by rivers. Located seven to eight hours north of Hanoi, it is best explored over several days to appreciate the grandeur of its landscapes and the richness of its culture. The celebrated Ha Giang Loop, a circuit through remote mountains, is an unforgettable journey for those seeking adventure and discovery.

Along the route, travellers stay in family run homestays, visit weekly markets alive with colour and trade, and pause at viewpoints where mountains seem to roll endlessly into the horizon. The Ma Pi Leng Pass, with its vertiginous cliffs above the Nho Que River, is one of the most dramatic roads in Asia. Each season offers something new, from fields of buckwheat flowers to traditional festivals. Ha Giang delivers both awe inspiring scenery and encounters that feel deeply authentic, far from the well worn tourist path.

Cao Bang

Cao Bang, more than seven hours from Hanoi, is a province of striking natural beauty and cultural interest. Its most famous landmark is Ban Gioc Waterfall, a vast cascade that marks the border with China and remains one of Southeast Asia’s most impressive natural sights. The surrounding countryside is equally captivating, with karst mountains, emerald lakes and quiet valleys that invite slow exploration.

Staying here for several nights allows time to see the waterfall at different hours, explore caves with fascinating rock formations, and wander through riverside villages where life moves at a gentle pace. The region also carries historical significance at Pac Bo Cave, where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked during the struggle for independence. Travellers who make the journey are rewarded with a mix of history, scenery and rural life, all set within one of Vietnam’s most peaceful and less visited corners.

Ban Gioc Waterfall in Cao Bang, around seven hours north from Hanoi on the border with China, is best enjoyed with a few days to explore the region’s valleys and villages.

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6 Of The Best Day Trips From Hanoi In North Vietnam