In early September, the weather in Hanoi starts to cool down, especially since this year's 2.9 holiday has 4 days, which is a good time to stroll around and explore delicious autumn dishes. Below are suggestions for a 2-day itinerary to enjoy Hanoi during the National Day holiday.
Day 1
5:30: Wake up early in the morning to walk around the streets to watch the sunrise over Ba Dinh Square and attend the flag-raising ceremony at Uncle Ho's Mausoleum at 6:00. The flag-raising ceremony at Uncle Ho's Mausoleum is already a sacred ritual on normal days. Attending the flag-raising ceremony on National Day makes every citizen who comes here to attend the ceremony feel proud and passionate about their homeland.
7:30: For breakfast, have a bowl of wonton noodles at Gia Phuc Kien Noodles on Tran Nhat Duat Street, to enjoy the fragrant, chewy noodles with plump shrimp and meat.
9:00: Then you stop at Quan Thanh street to sip a cup of coffee at Yen cafe. The shop sells many types of coffee and fragrant green rice for you to enjoy the special flavors of Hanoi's autumn.
1:00 p.m.: At noon, stop by the bustling Dong Xuan market alley to explore a miniature culinary world. From snacks like salads, spring rolls, sweet soups, shrimp cakes to main dishes like vermicelli with snails, vermicelli with grilled pork, rice... you can find them all here.
15:00: In the afternoon, leisurely stroll around Phan Dinh Phung street and enjoy snacks such as sticky rice, green rice cake, and Hang Than caramel.
7:00 p.m.: Dinner: Eat pho while watching the train pass by at Pho Duong Tau restaurant on Tran Phu street, next to Tong Duy Tan food street.
Day 2
7am: Enjoy breakfast with hot banh cuon at Ba Hoanh restaurant on To Hien Thanh street, Hai Ba Trung district. This is one of the restaurants selected by Michelin to be introduced in the Michelin Guide Hanoi 2024 with the rating "delicious, reasonable price".
8am: Check-in at the Great Church and stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake in the morning. On the way, you can stop by street vendors to buy typical autumn snacks such as ripe sour plums and spicy pickled green plums.
9:00 am: Stop at Hang Trong street, remember to go to Nhan Dan newspaper cafe to sip a cup of morning coffee, read the printed newspaper, chat with friends or simply watch the streets on the occasion of September 2nd.
11am: At noon, go to Phu Doan street to enjoy Nguyet chicken pho, a famous pho restaurant with a very diverse chicken pho menu, loved by not only Vietnamese but also Western customers.
1:00 p.m.: Take the Hanoi City Tour double-decker bus in the afternoon to see Hanoi on a peaceful autumn afternoon in September. Hanoi City is distributing free tickets for the time slot of 12:00 - 17:00 from August 31 to September 3. If you want to get tickets early, go to the 19.8 Flower Garden area opposite the Hanoi Opera House to register.
4:00 p.m.: Have a light snack with Cha Ruoi at Hung Thinh restaurant on Hang Chieu street. The restaurant serves both dine-in and take-out dishes, and is famous for its traditional Cha Ruoi restaurant that has been popular with diners in the capital for over 30 years.
19:00: Dinner to end the day off, you can invite friends and family to eat Thang Long fish cake in an ancient French architectural house in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter. The new fish cake dish was praised by the Australian newspaper Sydney Morning Herald and introduced as a must-try dish when traveling to northern Vietnam.
