Combined with youthful and bustling features, cultural beauty has contributed to creating a colorful Hanoi, enough to attract any visitor. Apart from several activities for tourists to do in the daytime, Nightlife in Hanoi also has many beautiful things. Let’s discover with Goway Asia to know top activities you should join in Hanoi for a great night out.
Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam. It is well-known for “thousands of years of civilization.” It’s a rich cultural identity, and a unique way of life that cannot be confused with any other place. Many people will think about the Hanoi Old Quarter and the valuable historical monuments during many feudal dynasties when it comes to Hanoi. However, Hanoi has been completely transformed, with the dynamic rhythm of a growing city day by day.

Exciting activities of nightlife in Hanoi
Chill out at Hanoi’s bars and clubs
Being citizens in Hanoi – one of the most developed cities in Vietnam, people do not feel alien to bars or clubs where night youngsters gather. So if you are finding some interesting places to enjoy the nightlife in Hanoi, here are the top six worthy bars to try.

Camelia Lounge
Camelia Lounge is well-known as a luxurious bar with its unique Western design. Coming to the bar, you definitely will be overwhelmed by its decoration. It has elegant furniture, a delicate combination of splendid chandeliers, and warm wooden walls.
From the 3rd floor of Melia Hotel, guests can enjoy an overview of the Hanoi streets with shimmering lights. While sipping a cocktail, they can savor excellent dishes. Moreover, this bar is high-rated because of providing quality music and regularly inviting famous DJs.
Location: 44B Ly Thuong Kiet, Tran Hung Dao. Hoan Kiem

Push Club
Located in the center of the capital, Push club makes an impression as to its name. With a European architectural style and a modern look, Push club creates an irresistible attraction.
Moreover, the club is an ideal destination for the young. It has avid music, vibrant atmosphere, a modern lighting system, and the participation of famous DJs.
Location: 23M Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem

The Rooftop
The Rooftop is one of the chains of famous bars in Hanoi. Located on the 19th floor, this bar allows guests to see a panoramic view of the magnificent capital.
Compared with other ones, Rooftop has a luxurious space and a youthful and dynamic atmosphere. Furthermore, it attracts visitors by the leading guest singers in Vietnam.
Location: 19th floor, Pacific Place, 83B Ly Thuong Kiet

Nineteen bar
If you find a youthful and vibrant place, Nineteen bar is a smart choice. For boys and girls who like a modern style, the Nineteen bar is re-designed frequently depending on customers’ preferences.
Besides, lively music and an advanced lighting system boost the client’s mood and help them enjoy the meeting with their friends to the fullest.
Location: 19 Cha Ca, Hoan Kiem

Hair of the dog
Having a pretty weird name, the Hair of the dog bar brings customers an energetic atmosphere and sprightliness that fascinate both citizens and foreign visitors. This exceptional bar also has shisha areas, a lounge with imported wines, customized cocktails expertly prepared by bartenders. Here guests can immerse themselves in the vibrant mix of music and burn themselves after the chaos of life.
Location: 32 Ma May, Hoan Kiem

1900 Le Theater
When it comes to bars in Hanoi, youngsters cannot skip 1900 Le theater – a familiar bar with the young. Lying in the center of crowded Ta Hien street, 1900 is highly recommended due to its reasonable price and top-notch remix music. On the weekends, there are usually famous artists and DJs performing here.
Location: 8 Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem

Enjoy Water Puppet Show
If you visit Hanoi for the first time, you should watch a water puppet show once on your trip.
Water puppetry is one of the significant elements of Vietnam’s national culture, which was created in the 11th century. It is ranked as one of the high-value and traditional art forms in the spiritual and cultural life of the working class.
It also represents the life and aspirations of the times. Furthermore, the Water puppet manifests the Vietnamese’s intelligence and creativity.
With the water surface, the wooden puppets, light and music effects, the talented artists skillfully create a lively and attractive performance, describing stories of farmers’ life in Vietnam.
Here is some address for travelers to see water puppet:
● Thang Long Water Puppet Theater: 57B Dinh Tien Hoang, Hoan Kiem
● Bong Sen Water Puppet Theatre: 16 Le Thai To, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem
● Vietnam Puppet Theater: 361 Truong Chinh, Thanh Xuan

Visit Hanoi Old Quarter
Another thing you should do to enjoy Nightlife in Hanoi is visiting Hanoi Old Quarter – Hanoi’s historical civic urban center.

Wander Hoan Kiem Lake
At first, this Lake’s name was Luc Thuy. According to legend, Le Loi – a king of Vietnam, accidentally saw a glowing sword with the words: “Thuan Thien” (meaning harmonious with heaven).
He believed that this sword was intended to be used to defeat the Minh army. As expected, the army led by Le Loi won. Later, during an excursion on the lake, Le Loi saw a golden tortoise asking him to return the magic sword.
Le Loi now understood everything and returned the sword without hesitation. Since then, Luc Thuy Lake has been changed to Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as Sword Lake.
On weekends, Hoan Kiem lake becomes vibrant with a range of exciting activities. A walking street is organized to attract a massive number of people. Some exciting activities can be listed, such as traditional Vietnam games (skipping rope, O An Quan, blind man’s bluff, etc.). Live shows are regularly held at Ly Thai To monument. Besides, there are uncountable roadside stalls and street foods.

Visit Ngoc Son Temple
Ngoc Son temple (meaning temple of the Jade Mountain) was built in the 18th century. It is a place dedicated to Tran Hung Dao – a hero – who defeated over 300,000 Mongolian soldiers invading Vietnam in the 13th century.
Visiting Ngoc Son temple, you will learn more about Vietnam history as well as related events. The temple is located in the center of the lake. Therefore, you can quickly notice it. Furthermore, you will be overwhelmed by Ngoc Son temple’s mythical beauty with the red lights at night.

Visit Weekend Night market (Hang Dao Street)
Hanoi Weekend night market is the hustle and bustle place, which is a combination of roadside stands and food vendors. This market provides customers unlimited choices of clothes, shoes, items with different brands.
With a fair price, from 20,000 VND, you can buy many local dishes after walking around the market. The weekend Night market is definitely an ideal destination for those who are shopping lovers.

Drinking beer at Ta Hien
Drinking beer at Ta Hien is another thing you should do to delight in the Nightlife in Hanoi. Being a small street and lying in the famous Old Quarter of Hanoi, Ta Hien is well-known as a beer street, especially in summer.
Although it just stretches over 200 meters, Ta Hien street is always full of locals and foreigners. Besides visiting Ta Hien, explorers are also served delicious street food such as Nem Chua (fermented pork roll), etc.
The summer in Vietnam is hot and humid, so enjoying cold beers with local dishes is really cool.

Enjoy street food
For a long time, street food has become a typical feature whenever it comes to Hanoi. Below is the list of Hanoi’s delicacies that you should give a try.

Bun Cha
Bun Cha is one of the famous dishes in Hanoi, with the main ingredients such as pork and noodles. A customer will be served grilled fatty pork, white rice noodle, herbs, and fish sauce for each serving of Bun cha. Because it is street food, you can find it on every street in Hanoi. It is also served in restaurants.

Banh mi
With different ingredients such as pate, egg, grilled pork, sausage, cucumber, etc., Banh mi is a symbol of street food. Moreover, it is so familiar that every local can eat Banh mi three times a day. Therefore, “Banh mi thap cam” may be a good choice if you have never tried Banh mi before. For each serving, the price ranges from 15,000 VND to – 25,000VND.

Banh Cuon (steamed rice rolls)
Steamed rice rolls stuffed with pork and mushrooms are things you can imagine when it comes to Banh Cuon. Moreover, steamed rice rolls are also served with fried onions, cinnamon rolls, and fish sauce. What is better than enjoying hot Banh cuon dishes on a cool night. It must be an exciting experience.

Nom Bo (papaya salad)
Nom bo is a combination of dried beef, papaya, fish sauce, and herbs. All combined to form the authentic taste of the Ha Thanh tradition. However, each store has its own recipe, and Nom Bo also has its own unique flavor.

Egg Coffee
If you are a coffee lover, drinking egg coffee should not be skipped. You will fall in love with egg coffee followed by a sweet topping of whisked chicken egg yolk, condensed milk, butter, cheese, and Vietnamese coffee. That is a drink worth trying!

Pho Chien Phong
One serving of “Pho Chien Phong” includes fried golden crispy beef stir-fried with vegetables and soup. This perfect mixture helps “Pho Chien Phong” become a familiar and famous dish in Hanoi.

Visit Quang Ba Flower market
Another place you should go to is the Quang Ba flower market. It is located in the Tay Ho district, about 7km north of the Old Quarter. This market is one of the main markets for fresh-cut flowers in Hanoi. Quang Ba opens daily at 2:00 AM- 4:00 AM for wholesalers and 4 AM until midday for retailers.
For tourists, the former session is recommended, because at this time the market is so vibrant and exciting to visit. Coming to Quang Ba flower market, visitors will have a chance to see different colorful flowers and see flower sellers’ lives in Hanoi.

Visit Hanoi Opera House
Located in no 1 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, the French colonists erected the Hanoi Opera House in the 20th century. This place is one of three opera houses built by the French during that time in Indochina. The building has an elegant and majestic architectural appearance. The square in front of the Opera House was the site of a large rally during the August Revolution of 1945.
The Opera House is usually only open for special concerts or events (used to be chosen as a place to hold parliamentary sessions). The number of seats is small, however, the sound quality is excellent. If you cannot attend a concert or a show in the theatre, having a coffee while seeing the Hanoi opera house at night is a great idea. The ticket range is from 500,000 VND to 1,500,000 VND, depending on the show and seating option.
Some shows that Hanoi Opera House has are:
My Village
My Village – in Vietnamese is “Lang Toi” – is a Vietnamese culture show. It tells a story of villagers’ lifestyles in Northern Vietnam. During one hour of the show, you will see the everyday lives of the locals, from farming to playing folk games. The life is re-created in artistic stage language, with the dance, combining story-telling circus and exotic live music created by folk musical instruments.
Les Miserables
Perhaps no one does not know the famous “Les Miserable” novel by Victor Hugo. The book is reproduced in the most realistic way. Come to this show, audiences can immerse themselves in the “Les Miserable” – of the art world, with all of the characters on stage.

In a nutshell
If someone says that nightlife in Hanoi is boring, surely they have never gone out and played hard. Although hidden in the ancient beauty, Hanoi at night is still dynamic and vibrant. Hopefully, the above activities will help you to enjoy Hanoi to its fullest.