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.
Hanoi is a safe destination with low violent crime. Visitors mainly face petty theft, motorbike bag snatching, traffic hazards, taxi and cyclo overcharging, and seasonal air pollution. Emergency numbers are 113 (police), 114 (fire), and 115 (ambulance); the 24-hour national tourist support hotline is 1080.
Current safety advisory
Low
Essential safety tips
Practical advice that applies everywhere.
Hanoi is generally safe for tourists, with low levels of violent crime; the main risks are petty theft, traffic, and tourist overcharging.
Hold phones and bags on the side away from the road; motorbike snatch theft occurs around Hoàn Kiếm Lake and the Old Quarter.
Cross streets slowly and steadily at a constant pace; motorbikes will flow around pedestrians. Never run or stop suddenly.
Use Grab or Be apps or metered taxis from reputable companies (Mai Linh, Vinasun, Vinfast taxi) to avoid fare disputes.
Drink bottled or filtered water and avoid ice from unreliable sources; tap water is not safe to drink.
Carry a photocopy of the passport and a saved photo; keep the original in the hotel safe.
Air quality can be poor, especially in winter (Nov-Feb); check the AirVisual or AQI apps and carry an N95 mask on high-pollution days.
Register the accommodation address and emergency contacts; keep the hotel's business card with its address in Vietnamese to show taxi drivers.
Common scams to avoid
Recognise and sidestep tourist-targeted scams.
Taxi meter tampering and overcharging
Some unmarked taxis and airport touts use fast meters or refuse to use the meter, charging several times the normal fare, especially from Nội Bài Airport and around Hoàn Kiếm Lake.
How to avoid: Use Grab, Be, or a reputable metered taxi (Mai Linh +84 24 3833 3333, Vinasun, Xanh SM). Confirm the meter is on. An airport-to-Old-Quarter trip should cost roughly 350,000-450,000 VND (~$13.50-17.30).
Cyclo and street photo overcharging
Some cyclo riders quote a low price per ride, then demand a much higher amount at the end; street vendors with shoulder poles pose for photos and then request payment for goods or a photo.
How to avoid: Agree the total price in writing on a phone calculator before starting; refuse pole-vendors placing baskets on the shoulder; use hotel-arranged cyclo tours priced at about 200,000-300,000 VND (~$7.70-11.50) per hour.
Shoe-shine glue and street shoe repair
Street vendors may glue or 'repair' a shoe and then demand 200,000-500,000 VND (~$7.70-19.20).
How to avoid: Do not allow anyone to touch shoes; say no firmly and continue walking.
Fake or copycat hotels, tour agencies, and shops
Copies of well-known hotels, tour agencies, or bus companies in the Old Quarter mislead visitors. Taxi drivers may claim a hotel is closed or full to divert visitors to commission hotels.
How to avoid: Verify the hotel's exact address on Google Maps, call the hotel directly, and book tours through reviewed agencies with a fixed-price receipt.
Friendly 'students' inviting to cafes or galleries
Friendly strangers invite tourists for coffee or an art exhibition, then present an inflated bill or press for purchases.
How to avoid: Politely decline unsolicited invitations to unlisted venues; always check the menu price first.
Motorbike snatch theft
Thieves on motorbikes grab phones and handbags from pedestrians near the road, especially around Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Tạ Hiện, and Nguyễn Thái Học.
How to avoid: Carry bags across the body on the side away from traffic; do not use the phone near the curb.
Health considerations
Staying healthy on your trip.
- Vaccinations
- Routine vaccines plus Hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended; Hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, and rabies may be advised for longer stays. Consult a travel clinic 4-6 weeks before departure. Dengue occurs year-round with peaks in Jun-Nov; no vaccine is routinely available to travelers, so avoid mosquito bites.
- Water
- Tap water is not safe to drink. Use sealed bottled water (8,000-15,000 VND, ~$0.31-0.58 per 1.5 L) or filtered water; brush teeth with bottled water if sensitive.
- Food
- Street food is generally safe when cooked fresh and served hot; choose busy stalls, avoid raw herbs from unclean sources if prone to stomach upsets, and carry oral rehydration salts.
- Facilities
- Hanoi has excellent international-standard private hospitals (Vinmec, French Hospital Hanoi, Family Medical Practice) and many pharmacies (nhà thuốc). Public hospitals such as Bạch Mai are crowded and have limited English.
Safety for specific travellers
Tailored advice for different groups.
Emergency contacts
Numbers to know before you go.
- Police
- 113
- Medical
- 115 (ambulance)
- Fire
- 114
- Tourist Hotline
- 1080 (24-hour national tourist support line; English support limited)
- General Emergency
- 113 for police; 115 for medical; 114 for fire (each dialed from any phone in Vietnam)
- Main Hospital
- Vinmec International Hospital (Times City), 458 Minh Khai, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội; +84 24 3974 3556; hotline 1900 232 389
- Embassy Us
- US Embassy Hanoi, 7 Láng Hạ, Ba Đình: +84 24 3850 5000
- Embassy Uk
- British Embassy Hanoi, 31-34 Hai Bà Trưng, Hoàn Kiếm: +84 24 3936 0500