Hanoi vs Da Nang: Which Should You Choose for a First Trip to Vietnam?

The short answer

Hanoi is Vietnam's thousand-year-old capital: narrow Old Quarter lanes buzzing with motorbikes, Hoan Kiem Lake, and the home of bun cha and pho, with Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh as easy trips from the city. If city walks, history and food come first, Hanoi fits well.

Da Nang is a central Vietnamese city loved for long My Khe Beach and beachfront resorts, popular with families and couples. The airport is right next to downtown, and the lantern-lit old town of Hoi An and the Ba Na Hills are easy day trips. If beach time comes first, Da Nang fits well.

Best for: Hanoi suits travelers after lane walks, historic sights, local food and a Ha Long Bay cruise. Da Nang suits beach holidays, a short airport transfer and Hoi An's lantern-lit evenings.

• Full Hanoi travel guide →
• Full Da Nang travel guide →

From the airport to your hotel

From Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) to Hanoi's Old Quarter takes about 40-60 minutes by Grab car or metered taxi. Grab sets the fare in the app, so there's no haggling. For a taxi, use the official rank, take a well-known company's car, make sure the meter is on and ignore touts.

Da Nang International Airport (DAD) is very close to the city: about 10-20 minutes to downtown or My Khe Beach. If you're staying in Hoi An, a Grab or a hotel or pre-booked car can take you straight there.

• Hanoi Grab car: about 40-60 min to the Old Quarter, about 250,000-400,000 VND
• Hanoi metered taxi: about 40-60 min to the Old Quarter, about 300,000-450,000 VND
• Hanoi airport bus (route 86 and others): about 60-80 min, about 30,000-50,000 VND (check routes and timetables at the airport)
• Da Nang Grab car: about 10-20 min to downtown or My Khe Beach, about 80,000-150,000 VND
• Da Nang metered taxi: about 10-20 min to downtown or My Khe Beach, about 100,000-200,000 VND
• Da Nang airport to Hoi An (Grab or booked car): about 45-60 min, about 350,000-500,000 VND

How many days, and what budget

Both guides suggest 4 to 5 days: Hanoi including Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh, Da Nang including Hoi An.

By the guides' own daily budgets, Da Nang is set a little higher. A mid-range day covers an Old Quarter hotel and a water puppet show in Hanoi, and a beach hotel and a massage in Da Nang. In Da Nang, flights and hotels get much pricier during Korean holidays and the summer peak.

• Hanoi budget: about 600,000 VND per day (guesthouse, local food, GrabBike)
• Hanoi mid-range: about 1,800,000-2,300,000 VND per day (Old Quarter hotel, restaurants, water puppets)
• Hanoi high-end: about 4,500,000 VND+ per day (upscale hotel, overnight Ha Long cruise, private car)
• Da Nang budget: about 700,000 VND per day (guesthouse, local food, GrabBike)
• Da Nang mid-range: about 2,000,000-2,500,000 VND per day (beach hotel, restaurants, massage)
• Da Nang high-end: about 5,000,000 VND+ per day (resort, Ba Na Hills, private car)

Weather month by month, side by side

The figures below are 1991–2020 normals from the WMO World Weather Information Service — Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration, for the stations Hanoi (WMO city data) and Da Nang (WMO city data). Each line shows the same month for both cities: high/low temperature and rainfall, rounded. Check the official forecast for this year's weather before you go.

In Hanoi, October-November and March-April are mild and pleasant. Hanoi's winter from December to February is cooler and damper than many expect, with some days around 10°C, so bring a jacket. From May to September Hanoi is hot and rainy, with 300 mm in July and 335 mm in August. From summer into autumn, storms can cancel Ha Long Bay cruises.

In Da Nang, the dry season from February to May is the most comfortable. Da Nang's June to August is hot but fairly dry, good for the beach. Da Nang's rainy season runs from September to December, with heavy rain and typhoons especially likely in October and November, which can disrupt plans. Da Nang's wettest month is October (658 mm).

So March-April falls within both guides' recommended times. For October-November, Hanoi fits better weather-wise; for a June-August beach trip, Da Nang fits.

• January: Hanoi 20/15°C, 28 mm / Da Nang 25/20°C, 83 mm
• March: Hanoi 24/19°C, 55 mm / Da Nang 28/22°C, 36 mm
• May: Hanoi 32/25°C, 188 mm / Da Nang 33/25°C, 71 mm
• July: Hanoi 33/27°C, 300 mm / Da Nang 34/26°C, 92 mm
• September: Hanoi 32/25°C, 195 mm / Da Nang 32/25°C, 394 mm
• October: Hanoi 30/22°C, 126 mm / Da Nang 30/24°C, 658 mm
• November: Hanoi 26/19°C, 48 mm / Da Nang 28/23°C, 486 mm

What you do there

Hanoi is a city you explore on foot. The classics are Hoan Kiem Lake with Ngoc Son Temple across a red bridge, the Old Quarter's historic merchant lanes, the Temple of Literature, which housed Vietnam's first university, and a traditional water puppet show. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum officially opens only in the morning and is closed on Mondays and Fridays, so check the day.

Many visitors spend a day outside Hanoi. Ha Long Bay is about 2.5-3 hours by road, visited as a day trip or an overnight cruise, and boats may be held in port by the authorities in bad weather. Ninh Binh, nicknamed 'Ha Long Bay on land', is about 2 hours by car. Bun cha and pho cost about 40,000-70,000 VND, and egg coffee about 30,000-60,000 VND.

Da Nang centres on the beach and day trips. My Khe Beach is nicer in the early morning or at sunset than under the harsh midday sun. Ba Na Hills, reached by a long cable car, has pricey tickets and can be cool at the top, so bring a layer. Hoi An Old Town, about 45 minutes by car from central Da Nang, is loveliest with its riverside lanterns in the evening.

The Marble Mountains have many steps, so wear good shoes. According to the official tourism site, the Dragon Bridge breathes fire and water on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights and on holidays (shows are sometimes paused, so check locally). Da Nang's signature mi quang costs about 30,000-60,000 VND, and seafood restaurants charge by weight, so check the price per kilo and cooking fees before ordering.

How to choose, or combine both

Start with your dates. In October-November, Hanoi is mild and pleasant. Da Nang's rainy season from September to December can disrupt plans, so leave slack if you go then.

Then think about style. For history, lanes and countryside scenery, choose Hanoi; for beach time and Hoi An, choose Da Nang. If you combine the two, check official transport information for how to travel between them and how long it takes.

Entry and visa rules can change, so check official sources before you travel. Markets, stalls and local eateries need cash in both cities.

• Incheon → Hanoi route info →
• Incheon → Da Nang route info →

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