Start your day the Vietnamese way, experience the hive of activity at the lake from sunrise with a cup of Vietnamese coffee (café sua da)and watch life go by. Hanoi's special because everything happens in the street - the talking, the eating, the bargaining. Hoan Kiem lake, with the 18th-centery pagoda Thap Rua at the center of the lake is particularly popular. On a tiny island is Den Ngoc SonTemple which is acessible by a red bridge. Then, leading to views of the Ho Chi Minh Complex with One Pillar Pagoda and the impressive Presidential Palace. To finish the morning visit the Temple of Literature, from the 11th - century this is Vietnam's first university.

Starting in the Old Quarter, spend the afternon shopping. Countless shops offer good-value Vietnamese ceramics, silks, lacquerware, and linens. The area around Nha Tho is becoming the Hanoi equivalent of Paris's Marais. For the more custom-minded and bargain-conscious, we would like to recomend checking out the fabric markets of Hom Market and Dong Xuan Market. Tailors along Hang Gai Street can make anything to order from a traditional Aodai silk tunic and pants to Western-style suits. With 36 streets, you can spend all afternoon for shopping and walking around. Each street was orginally named after, and linked to, an artisanal trade that flourished over six centuries ago. Savor the city's atmosphere while sipping a draft beer, delivered fresh daily from one of three major breweries, at one of the many "bia hoi".

To finish a day in Ha Noi, head to one of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater's nightly shows accompanied by traditional Vietnamese music. To enjoy an evening like a true local, after the show, take a Swan boat ride on either Truc Bac or West Lake, a great activity for couples or families alike.