Hanoi Old Quarter: A First-Timer's Guide to the Trade Streets

Most first trips to Hanoi start in the Old Quarter, the tangle of narrow streets just north of Hoan Kiem Lake. It is loud, crowded and full of motorbikes, and it is also where the city’s long history as a trading town is easiest to read, one street name at a time.

How the Old Quarter began

The quarter grew as a market settlement for ordinary people outside the walls of the royal citadel. Over the centuries, workshops gathered here and formed guilds, often of craftsmen who came from the same village. Each group settled along its own street, so a street became known for the one thing it made or sold.

Today the area covers roughly a hundred hectares and was ranked a national historical relic in 2004. You will often hear it nicknamed the “36 streets”, although it has many more than that.

Reading the street names

Look at the street signs and you will see the word Hàng, meaning goods or wares, again and again. Nearly fifty of the quarter’s streets start with it, followed by what was once sold there:

Some streets still sell what their name promises; many have moved on. Shoes, for example, are now found on Hàng Dầu, the old “oil” street. Part of the fun is spotting which names still match.

Local tip Look up as well as along. The narrow, deep “tube houses”, many dating from the early 20th century, are a signature of the quarter: a slim shopfront at street level with living space stretching far back behind it.

The weekend walking streets

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, several streets in the quarter close to motor traffic and become walking streets, including a night-market route that starts from Hàng Đào. On the same weekends the roads around Hoan Kiem Lake usually become a pedestrian zone too. Schedules change around public holidays and events, so check the table above and local news.

Tips for a first walk

• Start at the lake. The northern shore of Hoan Kiem Lake is the easiest place to begin, and it is easy to find your way back to.
• Pavements are shared. Shops, parked motorbikes and food stalls often spill onto the pavement, so you will sometimes walk in the road. Stay alert and keep children close.
• Crossing the street. Walk at a slow, steady pace and avoid sudden stops or turns; traffic flows around a predictable pedestrian.
• Take it slowly. The quarter is best explored without a fixed route. Wander, stop for coffee, and use the lake as your landmark.