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In this article we are going to share the best things to do in Hanoi with kids in 2024. We absolutely loved exploring Hanoi with our kids. This beautiful city has plenty of amazing street food, culture and temples.
However, we did find it more challenging to find kid friendly activities in Hanoi (compared to other cities in Southeast Asia). If you know where to go there are some amazing things to do with kids in Hanoi.
We have tried to include a wide range of activities with unique, fun and educational activities for kids of different ages. In this article we will also share full details for each thing that we recommend. Prices, locations, timings and what to expect. We will also share some of the best places to stay in Hanoi with kids.
Looking for a great hotel for kids? Don’t miss our FULL guide to the BEST family hotels in Hanoi
Summary of the BEST things to do in Hanoi with kids
- Take a rickshaw tour of the old town
- See the water puppet show
- Visit Chewy Puff Junior
- Kidzoona – indoor play space
- Try a Vietnamese dessert
- Take a swan boat
- Visit some temples
- Explore train street
- Watch a street performance
- Try some local art and craft
Map of the best things to do in Hanoi with kids
Top tips for traveling in Hanoi with kids
Don’t make these common mistakes in Vietnam – READ our genius Vietnam travel tips
Here are a few top tips for traveling in Hanoi with kids. Hanoi is a very fun, vibrant and bustling city. However, there are a few things that you need to know before you come to Hanoi with kids.
Use a taxi app
One of the best ways to get around Hanoi city is by taxi. The cheapest and most convenient way to arrange a taxi is to use a taxi app. In Hanoi you can use the Grab taxi app or the Gojek taxi app. Prices are similar, on average Grab can be a little bit more expensive. To use a taxi app you will need a local SIM card with some Mobile data. Once you have your SIM card set up, download the taxi app from your app store and register for an account using your email address and local phone number. Once you have set up your account you can order taxis online and select “pay with cash”. Your taxi should then turn up, pick you up, take you to your destination and the price is fixed by the app.
Take care on narrow streets
Hanoi is a very busy bustling city. This gives it a fun atmosphere that can make it challenging to get around safely. Furthermore, many of the streets in the old quarter are very narrow and may not have pavement or sidewalks. Therefore we recommend supervising children very carefully if you are walking around the old quarter. Watch out for motorbikes, the streets can get very crowded with bikes.
Make the most of amazing kid friendly food
On average the local food in Hanoi is a lot more kid friendly than other countries in Southeast Asia. Make the most of the amazing affordable and tasty kid friendly food in Hanoi. A very common food is Banh Mi (normally 20,000VND – 60,000VND). This is a tasty French style baguette with a range of delicious fillings such as egg, meat and pickle vegetables. Be aware that this can sometimes also include spicy sources. If you are ordering Banh Mi for kids, make sure that you ask them not to add any chili or spice. Another great kid friendly food in Hanoi is noodle soup called Pho (normally around 50,000VND). This delicious soup is normally served with meat and it is not too spicy. You can add additional garnishes for flavor.
Bring an umbrella
Vietnam has a hot tropical climate. During the heat of the day the sun can be very intense. During the rainy season you can also expect dramatic downpours. Therefore, we recommend bringing an umbrella around with you. This is a great way to protect kids from the sun during the intense heat of the day and also to keep yourselves dry in a tropical downpour.
1 Take a rickshaw tour of the old town
One of the best things to do in Hanoi with kids is take a rickshaw tour of the old quarter. Rickshaws are carts pulled along by a bicycle. This is a beautiful way to taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the Hanoi old quarter. If you take a rickshaw tour of the Hanoi old quarter it should include all of the main sites of interest. We recommend that you talk to your rickshaw guide about the length of the tour and what is included.
A good rickshaw tour of the Hanoi old quarter should include the following things: Hoan Kiem Lake, the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, one pillar pagoda, the temple of literature, Quan Thanh temple and the Tran Quoc pagoda. The best way to arrange a rickshaw tour of Hanoi is to walk around the old quarter. You will see plenty of rickshaw riders waiting for customers. A rickshaw tour of a Hanoi old quarter should cost around 200,000VND – 300,000VND for an hour. However, it is worth being aware that some rickshaw guides try to charge a lot more than this. Therefore, you will need to be able and willing to barter.
2 See the water puppet show
One of the most unique things to do in Hanoi with kids is see the water puppet show. This is a great way to help children connect with Vietnamese culture. The Hanoi water puppet show is a curious and fun experience. Watch small puppets performing in a pool of water. The puppets act out a storyline. It is very hard to discern the storyline across the language barrier. However, kids are likely to enjoy the enthusiasm, charm, energy and color of the experience. Lighting, smoke and live music are used to enhance the show.
Our boys genuinely loved the Vietnamese water puppet show, however this may not be suitable for young kids. Water puppet shows start at 5.20pm and 6.30pm, with an additional 8pm show on fridays and saturdays. The show takes around 1 hour. There is also an early show on Sundays at 4.10pm. Tickets can be purchased from the office at the theater. Prices range between 100,000 – 200,000VND depending on your choice of seat.
3 Visit Chewy Puff Junior
Looking for a fun family treat? One of our favorite things to do in Hanoi with kids is go for a pastry at chewy puff junior. This lovely little bakery makes freshly prepared chewy puff pastries. They are made up of a delicious chaux pastry filled with various flavours of cream and topped with decadent and tempting toppings. The menu has a wide range of choices so you can choose the perfect treat for you and your kids. They also offer mini chewy puffs.
4 Play at Kidzoona
Don’t miss our FULL GUIDE to Kidzoona Asia
One of the best things to do in Hanoi with kids is go to Kidzoona. This is a fun, creative and engaging indoor play space for children. There are no age restrictions at Kidzoona; However, the activities are ideal for children under 12 years old. We absolutely loved the mix-up of different activity types. They have sections for creative play, active play, imaginative play and relaxing play.
Kidzoona Hanoi has an indoor zipline, a ball bit, a bouncy strip, inflatable wheels (kids can roll inside) and a climbing frame with slides. They have sections with costumes and imaginative shops and other career games. This is a relatively, safe and secure activity which is well staffed. They also offer engaging group activities including song, dance and crafts. Kidzoona Do not offer any daycare services. Therefore, an adult does need to be present to supervise children. There is a comfortable café area and supervision is very low maintenance as kids will be engaged with the games and activities.
Kidzoona Hanoi is located at Aeon Mall (Long Bien) to the east side of the Red River. The 10km journey is likely to take around 20 minutes from the old quarter and costs around 100,000VND (depending on the route and traffic). Prices are as follows: 120,000VND monday – friday and 150,000VND on Saturday and Sunday. Remember to bring socks for kids. There are some other soft play spaces and arcades right next to Kidzoona. Aeon Mall also has an extensive food court on the ground floor.
5 Try a Vietnamese dessert
If you’re looking for things to do in Hanoi with kids why not try some of the local desserts? If you take a walk around the old quarter at night you’ll see plenty of small cafes serving a range of fascinating and unique desserts.
One example of a unique dessert in Hanoi is Chè khoai dẻo. This is is a traditional Vietnamese dessert that is made with tarot and sweet potatoes. It is served cold and usually topped with sweetened condensed milk, coconut cream, and various other ingredients. The mixture is sometimes poured over ice cubes to keep it cool. Kids may or may not like this strange mixture, however it is bound to be a new and fun experience.
6 Take a swan boat
A fun and relaxing thing to do in Hanoi with kids is take a pedal boat and explore the lake. The pedal boats are Swan shaped and can take 2 people. If you would like to rent a pedal boat go to Highlands coffee on the south side of Truc Bach lake (Hồ Trúc Bạch). From here you can rent a pedal boat for 100,000 VND per hour.
7 Visit some temples
If you are looking for cultural and educational things to do in Hanoi with kids, why not visit some of the old quarter temples? There are plenty of beautiful temples around and most of them are free to visit. This would be a great way to integrate some world schooling into your travels. If you are visiting the temples of Hanoi with kids, why not bring along a sketch pad or camera? This is a great way for kids to learn about art, culture and history.
Here are a few of the best Hanoi temples to visit with kids: Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem lake. This temple is very centrally located and the situated on a small island in the lake making it a fun and unique experience. It costs 30,000VND to see this temple. We also recommend a visit to the unique One pillar pagoda, the temple of literature, Quan Thanh temple and the Tran Quoc pagoda.
8 Explore train street
If you are looking for unique things to do in Hanoi with kids make sure you don’t miss train street Hanoi. Train street is a narrow section of street with train tracks running down the middle. Train street is lined with lots of small coffee shops and cafes. This is a great place for the family to enjoy a drink and experience a unique area of town. The train line here is an active line. However, trains are not very frequent. There are also local members of staff to make sure that people stay off the train tracks and warn people when trains are coming. It is free to visit train street in Hanoi.
9 Watch a street performance
Watching a live street performance is another great way to help kids connect with the fascinating and unique culture in Hanoi. In the evening the Hanoi old quarter comes to life with street food, coffee shops, bars and street performances. This is a “right place right time” experience, but you don’t generally need to walk too far to see a performance. Whether it is traditional dance, live music or acting, there is normally something fun and engaging to watch. Whilst you’re in the old quarter also make sure that you make the most of the incredible street food available.
10 Try some local art and craft
Another great thing to do in Hanoi with kids is try some local art and craft. In the old quarter you can occasionally find people sitting out on tables doing art and craft activities in the evening. If you are interested in joining, you only need to pay a small amount of money to be given some materials. This is a great way to connect with locals and learn more about the art, culture and history of this beautiful city.
What are the BEST tours in Hanoi for families?
Why not book some super family friendly tours in Hanoi? For example, Make sure you don’t miss a thing with the ONE DAY Hanoi City Tour on Klook. If you’re after adventure and natural beauty why not take the ONE DAY Hoa Lu, Tam Coc, Mua Cave Day Tour on Klook?
What are the best family hotels in Hanoi?
Looking to splash out in Hanoi? Don’t miss our FULL guide to the best 5 star hotels in Hanoi– there are some seriously decadent places, and many of them offer amazing family suites.
1 Old town Palace Guesthouse
Price range: £15 – £20
Best family rooms: Triple, quadruple and family room
If you’re looking for budget family hotels in Hanoi then check out Old Town Palace guest house. This Guest House offers some of the cheapest accommodation available to families in Hanoi. There is an impressive range of rooms available to accommodate different family sizes. They also have ensuite private bathrooms. Children over 6 years old are considered adults at this property (that means they pay adult price!) There is no capacity for additional beds or cots at the Old Town Palace guest house.
2 Golden Time Hostel
Price range: £15 – £30
Best family rooms: Superior triple – double and a single bed and Family room – two large double beds
Golden Time Hostel is one of the cheapest family hotels in Hanoi. This is a great option for families on the budget who don’t want to compromise on location. Golden Time Hostel is located right in the heart of the Hanoi old quarter super close to lots of amazing street food, cafes and shops. The Golden Time Hostel offers an excellent range of room options for families. If you’re traveling as a family of three, we recommend the superior triple room. A family of four could occupy the family room, there are two large double beds which are big enough to share. Children of any age are welcome at The Golden time hostel. However, it is important to be aware that there is no capacity for additional beds or cots.
3 Hanoi Garden Hotel and Spa
Price range: £50 – £90
Best family rooms: Family room – two large double beds (accommodates up to 4 people) and a family room with a double and single bed.
If you are looking for luxury at affordable prices – then check out the Hanoi Garden Hotel and Spa. The whole property has a classy indochine interior design theme. We love the use of rich dark woods and stylish classical furniture. Rooms are spacious, comfortable and beautifully furnished. There are a couple of family rooms available at the Hanoi Garden Hotel. One of the family rooms has two double beds and is able to accommodate a family of 4 people. All rooms are ensuite and include additional comfortable furniture and artwork.
4 Acoustic Hotel & Spa
Price range: £80 – £800
Best family rooms: The deluxe connecting room suite has 3 large double beds and can sleep up to 6 people. The family suite can sleep up to 4 people with two large double beds.
The Acoustic Hotel & Spa is an impressive 4 star hotel with excellent options for larger family groups. The deluxe connecting room suite has 3 large double beds and two connected rooms. This is ideal for a larger family – providing space, comfort and privacy. The maximum capacity is 6 people – very unique for a Hanoi hotel. They also have a family suite with two double beds, this can sleep up to 4 people. You may also be interested in the executive suite with a decadent bathtub. They also have a spa, fitness centre and lounge areas. They can also offer a FREE cot (for 0 – 3 year olds) and can add extra beds to rooms.
5 Oriental Jade
Price range: £300 – £1,000
Best family rooms: Connecting suites can accommodate up to 4 guests
The Oriental Jade is one of the most luxurious family hotels in Hanoi. This impressive 5-star hotel has a wide range of rooms and suites to meet everyone’s needs. The Pearl Connect suite is a great option for families. This suite has two rooms and offers a large double bed and two single beds. This suite can sleep up to 4 people. There is an ensuite bathroom with a bathtub – a relatively unique feature in Hanoi. Rooms have excellent views of the Hanoi old quarter and landmarks. This impressive hotel also has a rooftop swimming pool and a rooftop poolside bar. The Oriental also offers a very impressive buffet breakfast. The Thang Long Signature restaurant offers Vietnamese, Asian and European cuisine.
Looking for more inspiration?
We also have an EPIC guide on THE BEST things to do in Vietnam with kids
Don’t miss our ULTIMATE step by step 10 day Vietnam itinerary. This super detailed guide tells you exactly how to see and experience the best of Vietnam in only 10 days!
You may also be interested in our 3 day Hanoi itinerary OR our independent self-guided city tour of Hanoi
