City Guide
Hanoi is Vietnam's historic capital in the north: lakes, colonial architecture, an atmospheric Old Quarter and a coffee culture that alone is worth the trip. Unlike the south, it has real seasons, including a cool winter.
Best for
Remote workers who love history, food and coffee
Best months
October to December, and March to April
Time difference with CET
+6 hours in winter, +5 hours in summer
Cost per day
Roughly €40–€80 including a good hotel
Internet
Very fast mobile internet; good WiFi in hotels and cafés
Less suited if you want warm weather in January (it can be cold and misty) or you are sensitive to air pollution, which can be high in winter.
Vietnam's mobile internet is among the fastest in the world, and Hanoi's hotels and cafés usually have reliable WiFi.
A local SIM or eSIM gives you cheap mobile internet to share with your laptop as a backup. Read my guide to eSIMs for workations.
Coworking day passes usually cost 150,000–350,000 VND, about €5–€12.
Toong
A Vietnamese coworking brand with spaces in Hanoi.
Hanoi’s real strength is its café culture: countless cafés around the lakes and in Tay Ho are made for long work sessions with an egg coffee or a cà phê sữa đá.
Old Quarter
Atmospheric, central and full of street food, but noisy day and night.
Around Hoan Kiem Lake
Central and walkable, a little calmer than the heart of the Old Quarter.
Tay Ho (West Lake)
Calmer and popular with expats, with international cafés and walks around the lake.
Stays I list in Hanoi:
A rough week for one person with a good hotel, excluding flights:
Stay
€180–€450
For a hotel room with a desk
Food
€60–€120
From phở and bún chả to restaurants
Coworking
€40–€65
For five day passes, or work from cafés
Transport
€15–€30
On Grab
Vietnam is six hours ahead of CET in winter and five in summer, so the European workday lands in your afternoon.
Oct–Dec
Dry and pleasant, the best time
Jan–Feb
Cool and misty, sometimes cold; Tết (Lunar New Year) closes many businesses
Mar–Apr
Spring, warm and pleasant
May–Sep
Hot, humid and rainy
Noi Bai airport is about 45 minutes from the centre by car.
Grab is the easiest way around. The Old Quarter is best explored on foot; cross roads slowly and steadily.
Citizens of many EU countries can visit Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days. For longer stays, apply online for a 90-day e-visa. A tourist stay does not allow local employment.
Take a street food tour in the Old Quarter: phở, bún chả and egg coffee
Watch a water puppet show
Walk around West Lake at sunset
Book a weekend on the water in Ha Long Bay or the quieter Lan Ha Bay
Visit the Temple of Literature
Yes, especially in autumn and spring. Internet is fast, costs are low and the café culture is excellent.
It can be cool and misty in January and February, with temperatures that feel cold indoors. Bring a jumper.
Hanoi for history, culture and seasons; Ho Chi Minh City for energy, coworking choice and warmth all year.
Hanoi is part of my Vietnam guide, next to Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. Compare it with the rest of the region in my Southeast Asia guide.
