The sight of Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, accompanied by the First Ladies, strolling around Hoan Kiem Lake during Yoon's visit to Vietnam highlights a safe, peaceful, and beautiful Hanoi.

High-ranking foreign guests promenade Hanoi’s Old Quarter

Vietnam’s President Vo Van Thuong (R) and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol visit scenic spots and take photos at Hoan Kiem Lake. Photo: VNA

Before taking a leisurely stroll along the tree-lined pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem Lake, the two presidents and their spouses had breakfast together at Luc Thuy Restaurant on Le Thai To Street, enjoying dishes like beef noodle soup with quay or fried dough sticks, banh phu the or husband-and-wife cake, rice cakes, and Ngoc Lac seedless lychees for dessert.

Hanoians have grown familiar with seeing State foreign guests roaming the capital’s streets and enjoying specialties. Ex-French President Francois Hollande once wandered around the Old Quarter.

Former US President Barack Obama dined on bun cha or rice vermicelli with grilled pork and herbs on Le Van Huu Street. And while then Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico feasted on Vietnamese-style cuisine at a restaurant on Nguyen Gia Thieu Street, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese savored banh mi or Vietnamese baguette and bia hoi or locally-brewed beer in Duong Thanh Street.

With nearly 6,000 relics and over 1,350 craft villages, Hanoi has great potential for developing cultural, spiritual, and craft-village tourism. Thanks to its scenic spots, cultural and historical values, and the hospitality of its people, the capital is always among the leading places in attracting local and foreign tourists.

In the first half of 2023, the number of tourists to Hanoi increased by 42% compared to the same period last year. In particular, international arrivals were estimated at 2 million, representing a sevenfold rise.

A peaceful corner of Hanoi in the autumn. Photo: Nguyen Huu Viem

A recent study by Explore Worldwide shows that Hanoi is the most popular solo travel destination in the world.

Particularly, interest in solo travel to Hanoi skyrocketed by 946% on search engines last year, and it’s easy to see why the city is worth a solo adventure. Home to charming spots and ancient monuments, Hanoi is a place of cultural values.

Here, solo travelers can experience a variety of activities, from roaming through food markets to exploring historical sites, or simply gazing at the colorful streets.

Another study by Southeast Asia's leading travel site Tripzilla ranked Hanoi fourth in the top 12 safest destinations for solo female travelers, with the message: “Feel free to pamper yourself while staying in this beautiful city, which is undoubtedly one of the best places to travel alone as a woman in Southeast Asia.”

According to Tripzilla, Hanoi is a safe city with friendly locals and rare violent crimes against tourists.

“The capital also boasts a wealth of cultural attractions that visitors should take time to explore, such as small alleys, ancient houses, St.Joseph Cathedral, the Temple of Literature - Imperial Academy or Ngoc Son Temple,” it reported.

Significant position on domestic and international tourist maps

Foreign visitors to Hanoi. Photo: Hanoi Train Track Cafe

In 2023, Hanoi targets to welcome 22 million visitors, a 17.6% year-on-year growth, including three million international arrivals, up 100% on year. 

To achieve these targets, the industry is carrying out many tasks simultaneously: reviewing tourism planning; developing tourism facilities and infrastructure; launching new tourism products; and enhancing promotion.

In the near future, Hanoi focuses on developing five tourist routes, including the central route covering the districts of Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Dong Da and Tay Ho; the spiritual-tourism route through Ha Dong and My Duc districts combined with Tam Chuc Pagoda (Ha Nam Province) and Trang An Landscape Complex (Ninh Binh Province); the route through the Son Tay Town and districts of Ba Vi and Quoc Oai; the flower-tourism route through Dong Anh and Me Linh districts; and experiential-tourism route in Soc Son District.

A flower vendor in Hanoi. Photo: Giang Trinh

At the same time, localities will develop suitable products based on their characteristics, boosting the night-time economy, pedestrian streets, river tourism and MICE tourism, golf tourism, and others.

Above all, Hanoi aims to promote the image of a “safe - friendly - quality - attractive” destination via digital platforms such as websites and social networks.