Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh City: which Vietnamese metropolis has the edge?

16.11.2023 - 17:53 / lonelyplanet.com / Ho Chi Minh

Who doesn’t want to visit Vietnam? This Southeast Asian powerhouse has it all: beautiful beaches, unparalleled history, diverse cultures...and did we mention the food?

The country’s two biggest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City provide most travelers’ first impressions of this singular country. They’re both cosmopolitan, exciting and oh-so-Vietnamese – and yet oh-so-different, too.

Which is the right gateway to Vietnam’s delights? We asked two experts to go head to head to make the case for their preferred burg.

A veteran guidebook writer and journalist, Joe Bindloss first got the Hanoi bug in the 1990s. A three-decade-long entanglement keeps drawing him back to this fascinating, multi-layered city. 

Yeah, I’m going to say it – Hanoi rocks.

From the bia hoi (“fresh” beer) and the next-generation guitar heroes getting the dance floor pumping at Hanoi Rock City to the Communist symbols adorning civic buildings and scattered mementos of the late Nguyen empire, the Vietnamese capital will rock your world. After decades of travel here, it still rocks mine. 

Competing for the love of first-time visitors to Vietnam, historic Hanoi and handsome Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) remain locked in a face-off to rival the Beatles and the Stones. And it would be foolish to talk down either city – both are captivating, complex, full-flavored and steeped in history. Yet since Ho Chi Minh himself is a permanent resident of Hanoi – preserved in state in an iconic mausoleum by Ba Dinh Square – who are we to question the judgment of Vietnam’s national hero?

On my first visit, Hanoi bowled me over – at times almost literally, thanks to the profusion of speeding motorcycles and scooters. For instant immersion into Hanoi life, make for the atmospheric Old Quarter, which stubbornly resists the march of modernity. On an early-morning wander, you’ll spy vendors hauling fruit and vegetables on traditional yokes, shop workers commuting in buggy-like cyclos (rickshaws) and old-timers with Uncle Ho–style beards playing chess outside balcony-fronted shophouses. 

For me, a lot of Hanoi’s magic comes down to feel. In this multicultural capital, laid-back rhythms collide with the pomp and grandeur of dynastic China and an unmistakably French attitude. You’ll sense this melting pot most strongly at mealtimes, as you wash down fragrant noodle soups, succulent pork belly with vermicelli, delicate bánh cuon spring rolls and loaded bánh mì (baguette) sandwiches with strong coffee, draft beer and shots of “snake wine.” (Yes, it’s made from real snakes.)

And you’ll love how easy it is to slide back into history in Hanoi. Start off at the Imperial Citadel and Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of the Restored Sword) – a mirror-like pool that comes with its own King