Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh City: Which Should You Visit?
TL;DR
Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City? We prefer HCMC for the nightlife, street food and warm weather – but Northern Vietnam wins us over its landscapes and adventures.
Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City? If you’re planning your first trip to Vietnam and only have time for one city, choosing between the two can be surprisingly difficult.
We’ve visited both, and while we enjoyed each city, they feel very different.
Here’s our honest take on Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh City.
Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh City: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Hanoi if You Want…
A Gateway to Northern Vietnam
This is probably Hanoi's biggest advantage. You can easily combine the city with Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh, Sapa or the Ha Giang Loop.
Here are the only 4 Northern Vietnam tours you need!
Atmosphere and Food
Hanoi feels old, chaotic and incredibly atmospheric. Think Old Quarter, tiny streets, temples, lakes and French colonial buildings.
Hanoi is also a great city for eating. Try bun bo nam bo, pho, banh mi, and egg coffee. You can spend an entire day simply wandering from one food spot to the next.
History and Culture
Hanoi has plenty of major historical sights, including the Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Imperial Citadel of Thang Long and Tran Quoc Pagoda.
Our pick: Hanoi if you want atmosphere, food, history and access to Northern Vietnam.
Here’s our full Hanoi itinerary:
Itinerary
3 Day Hanoi Itinerary + Map
You have 3 days in Hanoi, we have the perfect itinerary for you.
Carina
Choose Ho Chi Minh City if You Want…
A Bigger-City Feeling
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's largest city and feels faster, busier and more modern. There’s a constant buzz of traffic and the highest building in Vietnam sticks out of the Ho Chi Minh City skyline.
War History
Ho Chi Minh City is the better choice if you’re interested in learning about the Vietnam War.
The War Remnants Museum and Independence Palace are two of the city's major sights, while the Cu Chi Tunnels make for an easy day trip.
Markets and Nightlife
From Cholon and its markets to Ho Thi Ky Flower Market and Ben Thanh Market, HCMC is a great city for eating and exploring. After dark, the city comes alive again, with Ben Thanh Market transforming into a night market and Bui Vien Street offering a completely different side of HCMC’s nightlife.
Our pick: Ho Chi Minh City if you want big-city energy, nightlife and warmer weather.
Here’s our full Ho Chi Minh City itinerary:
Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh City at a Glance
Hanoi |
Ho Chi Minh City |
|
Vibe |
Atmospheric & traditional | Fast-paced & modern |
Best for |
History & food | Skyline views & nightlife |
Don't miss |
Old Quarter & Hoan Kiem Lake | War Remnants Museum & Cholon |
Food |
Bun Bo Nam Bo & egg coffee | Street food & markets |
Day trips |
Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh | Mekong Delta & Cu Chi Tunnels |
So, Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City
Here’s where our personal opinion gets a little more complicated.
As a city, we actually prefer Ho Chi Minh City. The nightlife, markets and street food are more our thing, and we also prefer the warmer weather. If we had to choose where to spend a few days in a city, we'd pick HCMC.
But if we look at Vietnam as a whole, we prefer Northern Vietnam.
The landscapes, mountains, rice terraces, smaller towns and opportunities to get out into the countryside made the north our favourite part of the country. It felt closer to the Vietnam we had imagined before our trip.
So our verdict is:
Hanoi for the better introduction to Northern Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City for our favourite city experience. Northern Vietnam for our favourite region overall.
We have also written a full north vs south Vietnam comparison that looks beyond the two cities and compares the regions by landscapes, beaches, adventure, culture and overall travel experience:
Still Not Sure Where to Go in Vietnam?
And if you have three weeks or more? Do what we did and see both.
Our 3-week Vietnam itinerary travels from north to south, so you get the best of both regions without having to choose.
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