How to Spend a Few Days in Hanoi, Vietnam with Kids

When starting our research on Hanoi, one thing kept popping up over and over. In Vietnam, when you cross the street, don’t look. While that sounds pretty asinine, it is, in fact, the way it's done. At any time of day, the city’s streets are packed to the brim with scooters zipping this way and that. There are no traffic lights, no stoppage of chaos. If you want to get across the street, you just go, arm raised out confidently as if to say “stay out of my way,” and the drivers will just speed around you. This is easier said than done with a three year old, yet we navigated this way on several occasions.

Having come from three weeks in Hoi An, where we spent every day biking around town, relaxing and eating all the noodles, the big city aspect of Hanoi was a bit of a shock for us. We knew it wouldn’t be as easy to navigate through with a toddler as Hoi An was, but we quickly learned that a stroller would be next to impossible. This led to some pretty hilarious encounters with the locals. See, Maeve couldn’t really walk that far on her own at that point. Realizing that walking was the best way to get around, Kevin decided that putting her on his shoulders was our only option. While it’s completely normal for parents to pile five children onto their scooters and drive around town, it is apparently super weird for dads to carry kids on their shoulders. Add on that said white child has ultra chubby cheeks and Shirley Temple-style curls and you get several locals pointing in delight, laughing at us or asking if they could hold Maeve.

We had a few days to spend in Hanoi after Hoi An and before we ventured to Spain, and here were our favorite things to do with a toddler in the city.

Viator Hanoi — *Hanoi Activities with Children*

Things to Do With a Toddler in Hanoi, Vietnam

See a Show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

Dating all the way back to the 11th century, water puppetry is an ancient and beloved Vietnamese tradition. While there are water puppet shows all over the country, the Thang Long theatre in Hanoi is one of the most famous and was a must-see for us. While we were a little concerned that Maeve couldn’t sit through the whole show, we decided to give it a try and we were happy to find that while she screamed out “WOW PUPPETS!” a few times, she did last the whole length. Our show was a comedic tale of love in a small village between a young man and woman coming from feuding families. The extra effects and theatrics, including lots of smoke and fireworks, make it especially appealing for little kids.

Get Some Great Photos on Train Street

This might be a bit of a controversial suggestion if you are traveling with young children. In my opinion, hold on tight to your little ones and check it out - it’s an unbelievable experience. Tucked away on a small alley in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, visitors can go to cafes and restaurants directly on an active train line. When the trains do pass by, they are literal inches from you, providing an exhilarating yet slightly frightening feeling. We went twice on our trip - once on our own where we were lucky enough to witness two train passings, and one with our Jeep tour (see below), where our guide was able to snap a few great photos of us on the tracks.

Take a Hanoi Jeep Tour

While searching for activities with kids in Hanoi, we stumbled upon this amazing tour. If you know me, you know I love a good tour while traveling and this one was fantastic. Starting with pickup from your hotel or Airbnb, you are driven through the streets of Hanoi in an open air Soviet area GAZ-69 Jeep, which Maeve loved. Our first stop was to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, where we learned the history of the famous Vietnamese revolutionary leader and President. We were also driven by the French Quarter, Presidential Palace and Opera House before stopping to see the markets in the Old Quarter. As I mentioned above, we also stopped for a quick photo opp at the infamous Train Street before heading to the Hidden Gem Cafe for some tasty Vietnamese snacks. We ended our tour by crossing the famous Long Bien Bridge that was originally built during French Colonial rule.

Book a Hanoi Jeep Tour

Visit Pen Tower on Hoan Kiem Lake

The area around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi is pretty touristy but is worth a visit if you are going to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, as it’s located very close. We visited the Ngoc Son Temple, located in the middle of the lake, on our last day in Hanoi. The highlight of the temple is Pen Tower and a prime example of ancient Nhan architecture.

Pen Tower Hanoi Tour — *Pen Tower Hanoi*

Something to keep in mind if you have young children - I’m usually pretty chill when foreigners want to take photos with Maeve. I get it, the Vietnamese don’t see little blonde white girls every day. I was a little taken aback, however, at this temple. Due to the language barrier, several women didn’t ask to take photos but instead just grabbed Maeve, picked her up and started taking photos for Instagram, which made me extremely wary and made us head out of there pretty quickly.

Check Out Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple

A short distance from our hotel were two interesting temples within walking distance from each other - Quan Thanh Temple and Tran Quoc Pagoda, located on Truc Bach Lake. The lakes in Hanoi are really interesting - you will have this urban sprawl and then all of a sudden find yourself next to a large body of water that provides a bit of serenity compared to the surrounding chaos. Unlike European churches, Asian temples are great places for toddlers to wander around in, especially since they are usually colorful and have a lot for little children to look at. These two particular temples seemed to be off the main tourist drag and were very quiet and peaceful when we visited.

Take a Cruise on Ha Long Bay

If you have a few extra days in the Hanoi area, a cruise of Ha Long Bay is a must. I will write a separate post with all of the information on our cruise, but for the one we took, they picked us up at our hotel and drove us to the dock where we waited to board our one night cruise. Ha Long Bay is a Unesco Heritage Site filled with hundreds of large jutting limestone islands. It’s gorgeous and small cruise boats have become a large tourist attraction in the area.

Book a Ha Long Bay Tour

Where to Eat in Hanoi with Children

Note: Maeve at 3, and even now (although she has become slightly pickier), is a pretty adventurous eater, and has always loved Asian noodle soups, so these recommendations will be strictly Vietnamese. It’s a metropolitan city, so I’m sure it would be easy for you to find more Western food, but I just don’t have any options for you, sorry!

Bun Cha Dac Kim

This famous Michelin guide spot has been serving bun cha, a delicious pork noodle soup, since 1965. When we went, we were quickly ushered to a table with plastic stools that we shared with two young men who were visiting from Ho Chi Minh City. The bun cha is served with fatty pork meatballs, sweet chili fish sauce and pickled mango atop a heaping pile of vermicelli noodles.

Bun Bo Hue Hang Ca

I loved everything about this place, from the delicious bun bo noodle soup that originated in the city of Hue, to the friendly mother who ran the place and was so helpful with Maeve. We ate at a small table outside and not only did the owner help cut up Maeve’s noodles so they were easier for her to eat, but she also took it upon herself to put her hair in a ponytail so the strands wouldn’t get in the soup. Definitely check this spot out if you are in Hanoi!

Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su

This well-known pho spot usually always has a line out front, but if you are willing and able to wait, it’s a solid choice in Hanoi for Vietnam’s most famous dish.

Banh Mi 25

Banh Mi 25 is a quintessential banh mi restaurant in the heart of Hanoi. The baguette is ultra crunchy and the pate here really makes it. They specialize in the honey chicken but the egg and cheese is also very popular.

Hidden Gem Cafe

As I mentioned, we were brought here during our Hanoi Jeep tour. While the snacks were good, the decor here makes it worth a stop. It’s an eclectic mix of colorful tapestries and antiques over several floors. Vintage motorcycles sit below a ceiling of painted, recycled water bottles, creating a fun and diverse environment that is perfect for kids. They also specialize in organic and vegetarian dishes.