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Hanoi is full of surprises. Beyond its famous landmarks and busy Old Quarter, the city hides unusual experiences that reveal a different side of local life. If you are looking for weird things to do in Hanoi, this guide highlights ten activities that are easy to fit into any trip and sure to leave lasting memories.
1. Drink snake wine in Le Mat
If you are in the mood for a story to tell back home, head a few kilometers northeast of the Old Quarter to Le Mat, Hanoi’s well-known snake village. Local restaurants serve a full menu of snake dishes and offer small shots of snake-infused rice wine. The jar with a whole snake coiled inside is startling at first, but the taste is surprisingly smooth, more like strong herbal liquor than anything scary. If you’d rather skip the wine, try the garlic-sautéed snake with lemongrass instead.
Le Mat is about a 15–20 minute taxi or motorbike ride from the Old Quarter. A meal costs around 150,000 to 300,000 VND and a tiny shot of snake wine is usually included.
2. Explore Hanoi’s creative coffee scene
Coffee in Hanoi is a playground for creativity. Start with a strong Vietnamese brew sweetened with condensed milk, then branch out to the famous egg coffee created in the late 1940s at Giảng Café or a chilled coconut coffee with a subtle tropical note. Some small shops even play with salted or cheese foam for regulars who enjoy a surprise.
Spend an afternoon café hopping through the Old Quarter. Climb a narrow staircase to a quiet second-floor spot, settle into the calm of Tranquil Books & Coffee, or leave a note on the colorful walls of Note Coffee. For a change of scenery head to West Lake, where lakeside cafés and the occasional rooftop bar give you a broad view of the city while you sip.
3. Make your own incense sticks in Quang Phu Cau
About 35 km south of Hanoi, the village of Quang Phu Cau turns a daily craft into a striking scene. Courtyards overflow with thousands of bright red incense sticks drying in giant circular bundles that look almost otherworldly. Join local artisans to mix cinnamon and sandalwood powder, roll it onto thin bamboo sticks, and fan the sticks into perfect circles for drying. The warm spice lingers on your hands and clothes long after the visit.
Plan about an hour’s ride from the Old Quarter by car or motorbike. The village is most photogenic on a sunny morning when the drying yards glow crimson, so start early. Guided half-day tours usually cost 300,000 to 500,000 VND per person and include transport, village entry, and a hands-on workshop.
4. Watch the train roar past on Hanoi Train Street
Few places capture Hanoi’s energy like Hanoi Train Street. Here the tracks run so close to homes and cafés that locals pull in their chairs when the whistle sounds. Several times a day the crowd quiets, cameras lift, and a train roars past within arm’s reach, a moment that feels both thrilling and surreal.
Grab a seat at one of the trackside cafés near Phung Hung Street, order a drink, and ask staff for the day’s train schedule. Access rules can change, so follow their instructions for a safe view of this unforgettable scene.
5. Go backstage at a water puppet show
Water puppetry is one of Vietnam’s oldest performance arts, and seeing it from behind the curtain makes it even more fascinating. Instead of sitting in the audience, you stand just a few feet from the puppeteers as they wade in waist-deep water, guiding wooden figures with long hidden rods. You can watch how the puppets glide across the water, hear the live music up close, and even try moving a puppet yourself if the troupe invites you.
To join a backstage visit, book a “behind the scenes” experience with a Hanoi water puppet theater or a local tour company. The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre near Hoan Kiem Lake is the most popular venue, and several tours offer an add-on for a short workshop or private demonstration. Check schedules and reserve ahead since backstage access is limited and usually arranged for small groups.
6. Cycle through the Old Quarter on the Tour de Hanoi
Join the Tour de Hanoi to see the capital at street level on a three to four hour ride through the Old Quarter and the French Quarter. You’ll pedal past the French-colonial Opera House and the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, weave through market lanes, and slip into quiet alleys lined with hidden shrines and old shophouses. The pace is easy, with stops for stories, photos, and a quick street snack, making it a relaxed way to experience the rhythm of daily Hanoi life.
7. See the sunken B-52 at Huu Tiep Lake
In a quiet residential pocket of Hanoi’s Ba Dinh District sits Huu Tiep Lake, where the rusted wreckage of a U.S. B-52 bomber still juts from the water. The aircraft was shot down during the “Christmas Bombing” raids of December 1972 and has remained here ever since, a striking reminder of the city’s wartime history. Standing on the lakeshore, you can easily spot the twisted metal rising from the calm water while local life carries on around it.
The lake is about three kilometers west of the Old Quarter, reachable in ten to fifteen minutes by taxi or motorbike. There is no entrance fee, and a quick walk around the surrounding alleys reveals small cafés where you can pause for a drink before heading back to the center of town.
8. Try a herbal hair-washing ritual
No one expects to travel to Vietnam and fall in love with a hair wash, yet this might be the most unexpectedly relaxing thing you can do in Hanoi. A herbal hair-wash, known locally as gội đầu dưỡng sinh, is part head massage and part spa treatment. You recline while warm water scented with lemongrass and pomelo peel flows through your hair and a therapist works slow pressure points across your scalp, neck, and shoulders. Many visitors are surprised by how soothing it is and often drift off to sleep before it ends.
Look for reputable salons around the Old Quarter or near West Lake and book a 45 to 60 minute session, ideally in the evening after a day of sightseeing. Prices usually range from 100,000 to 350,000 VND depending on the salon and any add-ons.
9. Ride to the Lost Kingdom
This is exactly the tour name, and Ride to the Lost Kingdom lives up to it. You leave Hanoi’s lively center and cycle along village roads that wind past rice fields, fish ponds, and small temples on the way to the ancient Co Loa Citadel, a fortress built more than two thousand years ago. Guides share legends of the Au Lac Kingdom and point out ramparts and gardens that most visitors never find.
10. Experience the Hanoi 5 Gates Cultural Train
Launched in September 2025, the Hanoi “Five Gates” cultural train links Hanoi Train Station with Tu Son in Bac Ninh while celebrating the city’s historic gateways. Each carriage is decorated with murals and traditional motifs and plays short audio stories about the five original gates of ancient Thăng Long.
During the journey you can listen to live quan họ folk music and sample small traditional snacks as the scenery shifts from central Hanoi to riverside neighborhoods. Morning departures reveal daily life along the tracks while evening trips offer reflections of the Red River and the lights of Long Bien Bridge. It is a relaxed way to connect the old capital with modern Hanoi and to see districts that most visitors miss.
Next steps for your Hanoi trip
Hanoi always has more to offer once you have ticked these ten offbeat experiences off your list. You can plan your next day with our local guides like Best Things to Do in Hanoi for a Day, Free Things to Do in Hanoi, and Fun Things to Do in Hanoi, each packed with practical details and local insight so you can shape a trip that fits your pace.
Ready for a deeper look at Hanoi? Our cycling tours in Hanoi take you beyond the usual sights and into the neighborhoods where daily life unfolds beside your wheels. Pick a route that suits your schedule and discover the city in a way that stays with you long after you ride.
