Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son temple
The lake at the heart of the old town, its legendary turtle and the red bridge to the temple.
Duration
1 hr – 2 hrs
Best time
Early morning, or in the evening
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
The lake takes its name from a fifteenth-century legend: Lê Loi is said to have returned here the sword a divine turtle had lent him to drive out the Ming. A giant turtle lived in it until 2016, and its body is displayed in the temple.
Ngoc Son temple sits on an islet to the north, reached by the red wooden The Huc bridge. The loop round the lake is a little under two kilometres, and the surrounding streets close to traffic from Friday evening to Sunday evening.
Getting there
South of the old quarter, all on foot. Ngoc Son temple is ticketed separately; the walk round the lake is free.
What to bring
- International driving permit
Rules on site
At weekends the pedestrian zone is packed from Friday evening to Sunday evening. On weekdays, cross the surrounding streets at a steady pace without stopping: the scooters go around you, they do not brake.
Other places in Hanoi
- The 36 streets of the old quarterOne street per guild since the fifteenth century: tin street, silk street, toy street.
- Temple of LiteratureVietnam's first university, founded in 1070, and its stelae carried on stone tortoises.
- Train StreetA train that grazes the housefronts twice a day, in a lane three metres wide.
- Ho Chi Minh MausoleumThe embalmed body of the country's founder, watched over by a guard of honour in white.