Hà Nội (Hanoi) is the capital of Vietnam and its cultural heart, a city of lakes, tree-lined French colonial boulevards, and a thousand-year-old Old Quarter where every street once specialised in a single trade. Visitors come for street food such as phở and bún chả, egg coffee, water puppet theatre, temples and museums, and easy access to Hạ Long Bay, Ninh Bình, and the northern mountains.
Cultural orientation
Essential context for travellers.
Greet elders and hosts first and with a slight nod; in Vietnamese culture age earns respect, so hand items (cards, cash, gifts) with both hands or the right hand supported by the left
Remove shoes before entering a private home and in many small temples and pagodas; look for a pile of sandals at the door
Dress modestly at temples, pagodas, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Temple of Literature: shoulders and knees covered
Bargain with a smile in markets such as Dong Xuan and in Old Quarter souvenir shops, but never in supermarkets, cafes or restaurants where prices are fixed
Cross busy streets slowly and at a steady pace without stopping or running; motorbike riders steer around a predictable pedestrian
Eat on tiny plastic stools at street stalls like locals; the food is the point, not the furniture
Accept tea or a small gift of fruit with both hands and a thank-you ('cam on'); refusing repeatedly can seem cold
Keep voice and body language calm; open anger or shouting causes 'loss of face' and rarely solves a problem
Learn a few Northern Vietnamese phrases; Hanoi speakers use different tones and some different words from Ho Chi Minh City, and even a basic 'xin chao' is warmly received
Do's and don'ts
Quick guide to local norms.
Do
- Say 'xin chao' (hello) when entering shops, eateries and hotels
- Dress modestly in pagodas, temples and at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex (no shorts, tank tops or hats inside)
- Remove shoes at private homes, homestays and where a shoe rack is provided
- Hand over and receive money, business cards and gifts with both hands
- Agree a price or insist on the meter before a taxi or cyclo ride; use the Grab app for fixed fares
- Carry small notes (10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 VND) for street food, coffee and tips
- Try egg coffee (ca phe trung), pho, bun cha and cha ca in the places locals queue for
- Wait for the eldest person to start eating and offer to pour drinks for others before yourself
- Ask permission before photographing people, especially monks, vendors and elderly residents
Don't
- Don't touch anyone on the head or point with your feet; the head is regarded as sacred and feet as lowest
- Don't stick chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice; it resembles incense offerings for the dead
- Don't wear revealing clothes, hats or sunglasses inside the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and do not talk, film or put hands in pockets inside
- Don't touch or sit on altars, statues or offerings in pagodas and temples, and don't point the soles of your feet at Buddha images
- Don't display heated public affection; keep physical contact modest
- Don't sit on the sidewalk in front of a shop or eat with your left hand when sharing a dish
- Don't flash a phone or bag on the street near Hoan Kiem Lake or the Old Quarter; snatch theft from motorbikes occurs
- Don't buy from unmarked taxis or cyclo drivers who refuse a fixed price; agree the fare in writing or on the phone screen first
- Don't discuss politics, the war or the government in a confrontational way; keep such conversations respectful and curious
Etiquette by setting
How to navigate everyday situations.
- Greetings
- A slight bow of the head and a handshake (women may prefer a nod) with 'xin chao'; use titles with given names, for example 'Anh' (older brother, male peer), 'Chi' (older sister), 'Ong' (Mr/grandfather), 'Ba' (Mrs/grandmother); Vietnamese names put the family name first
- Dining
- Meals are shared from central dishes with individual rice bowls; wait for the host to invite you to start, pick food up with chopsticks, and never stab food; place chopsticks across the bowl or on the rest when finished; a toast is 'Mot, hai, ba, yo!' (one, two, three, cheers)
- Dress
- Casual is fine in the city, but shoulders and knees should be covered at religious and state sites; smart casual for upscale venues such as Sofitel Legend Metropole or rooftop bars
- Gifts
- Small gifts of fruit, quality tea, sweets or a souvenir from your home country are welcome when invited to a home; give and receive with both hands; avoid odd numbers of flowers for weddings, chrysanthemums (funeral flowers) and sharp objects such as knives
- Business
- Relationships and hierarchy matter; business cards are exchanged with both hands and read carefully; meetings often begin with tea and small talk; punctuality is valued although traffic can cause delays; decisions can take time
- Tipping
- Tipping is not obligatory but appreciated: about 5-10% in tourist restaurants where no service charge is added (check the bill for 5-10% service), 10,000-20,000 VND (~$0.40-0.80) for baggage handlers and a round-up for Grab or taxi fares; small change for street vendors is unnecessary
Useful phrases
A few words go a long way.
Xin chào
Hello
sin chow (falling tone on chow)
Cảm ơn
Thank you
gahm uhn
Làm ơn
Please / Excuse me (asking for something)
lahm uhn
Không có gì
You're welcome / It's nothing
khohng kaw zee
Xin lỗi
Sorry / Excuse me
sin loy
Bao nhiêu tiền?
How much is it?
bow nyew dyen
Đắt quá
That is too expensive
daht kwah
Giảm giá được không?
Can you lower the price?
zam zah duhk khohng
Tính tiền
The bill, please
ting dyen (Northern: dinh dyen)
Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu?
Where is the toilet?
nyah vay sing uh doh
Tôi ăn chay
I don't eat meat / I am vegetarian
doy an chai
Cho tôi một bia
One beer, please
chaw doy moht bee-uh
Một, hai, ba, dzô!
Cheers!
moht, high, bah, yoh
Không đá
No ice, please
khohng dah
Bạn có nói tiếng Anh không?
Do you speak English?
ban kaw noy tyeng ahn khohng
Ngon quá
Delicious
ngon kwah
Religion & spirituality
Understanding faith in Hà Nội.
Main: Most Hanoians follow a blend of Mahayana Buddhism, Confucian ethics, Taoism and ancestor worship (Tam Giao, the 'three teachings'); roughly a tenth of the population identifies as Catholic, and there are small Protestant and Muslim communities. Vietnam is officially secular.
Sites: Tran Quoc Pagoda (Thanh Nien Road, on West Lake, oldest in Hanoi), Quan Su Pagoda (73 Quan Su), Temple of Literature (Van Mieu, 58 Quoc Tu Giam), Ngoc Son Temple (Hoan Kiem Lake), Quan Thanh Temple (Thanh Nien Road), St Joseph's Cathedral (40 Nha Chung), Bach Ma Temple (76 Hang Buom) and the Hanoi Grand Mosque (12 Hang Luoc)
Holy Days: Days of the new moon and full moon (mung 1 and 15 of the lunar month) are when locals visit pagodas and make offerings; Tet (Lunar New Year, late January or February), Vu Lan (15th day of the 7th lunar month, 'wandering souls' festival), and the Perfume Pagoda pilgrimage season (roughly January-March) are the busiest religious periods; Catholic Christmas draws large crowds to St Joseph's Cathedral
Conversations: Religion is treated as a personal, family matter; ancestor altars are found in nearly every home and shop. Show respect for offerings, incense and altars, avoid criticism of religious practice, and never place items on an altar.