Of course, that is a subjective question since no one really needs any, so it’s a matter of what you want to do and how many days you think it takes to do that. We wanted to visit Hanoi because we had never been there, and it was the best departure airport for our leg/ visa run to Japan. We’d also heard wonderful things about nearby Ninh Binh, and none of them were exaggerated, so we stayed there for 14 days and Hanoi for five.

We had to ask ourselves, “what are the most important things we wanted to do in Hanoi?” so we watched videos, read blogs, and spoke with some friends, and came up with three.

First: the famous Hanoi water puppet shows, which is an art form that goes back a millennium, and the productions are very Vietnam specific since they enact rural Vietnamese folklore, daily village life (like rice farming and herding water buffalo), and historical legends—often featuring fire-breathing dragons and swimming frogs. They only last about an hour, but between the beautiful music and watching and wondering, “HOW do they do that?” it went quickly. We opted for front row seats, a great value for the price, and we questioned if this might be a typical “tourist trap,” but it’s not. I highly recommend you attend if you are in Hanoi. And yes, it was all in Vietnamese, so we really had no idea what was going on, but they do offer audio guides, which we should have done. It took awhile for me to figure out the mechanics, but the puppet masters are in waist deep water behind a curtain and use very long bamboo rods with strings to manipulate the puppets.

Next: FOOD! While Vietnam overall offers a variety of different foods unique to the country, there are also regional dishes, and this is the mecca of Northern Vietnam. There were a few dishes I like from the central/ Da Nang area, but one of the biggies here is Bún Chả, which is a simple dish of vermicelli noodles and pork balls or patties, and I happened upon one of the best places in the city (or so the food tour lady said when she sat at a table next to me), which was yummy! Along with that they have their own version of pho, which they call Phở Bắc which is more savory than sweet than what we had in the central coast. And of course, this is the birthplace of egg coffee, which is now a Vietnam staple, but one I never got into. I’m sticking with coconut coffee, and they had plenty of that, too!

We stayed in the Old Quarter and had so many places to choose from that were close, so I highly suggest you stay there if you visit. Along with the eateries themselves, there is also a huge variety of street food, and of course, the Food STREETS themselves, which involves taking a narrow road or alley to start, and placing as many tables in front as possible, leaving a narrow walkway. Oh, and they do this on both sides! Add in competing boom box speakers, mix in alcohol, and you have yourselves a party!

Last on the list was the famous Hanoi Train Street. It’s a street. With a train running through it, and it’s a world-famous attraction. Hundreds of bars and cafes are on both sides of the tracks, and when the train comes, you literally have to move yourselves to only one side, where there is (marginally) more clearance. That is a new precaution, probably due to too many near hits.

The train itself goes back to French colonialism and was built back in 1902, and they put it through an already busy Old Quarter neighborhood. For decades that section of people’s houses on the tracks were just extensions of their living quarters, and they made it part of their kitchens, laundries, and back yards, including kids playing on the tracks. Thanks to Instagram and travel bloggers, these homes were converted to pubs and eateries, and the crowds just grew and grew. It lost that local charm and is now a significant draw to the city, which is fine since it’s free and you have to eat anyway, right? They don’t allow “organized tours” and now there are security people at major access points to keep people off the tracks. A prudent measure.

How Many Days do You Need in Hanoi? We were there for five days, which was ideal for our situation. Any less time would be a rush and truly wouldn’t allow you to get a feel for the city. And we were only in the Old Quarter! There are several other areas, each with their own flavor, like Ba Đình District (The Political & Imperial Heart), West Lake (for a calm and cosmopolitan escape), the French Quarter, and Đống Đa District (which is the Intellectual History & Local Street Food)