Eighteen blog posts later, I’m finally back to where it all started ! My Vietnam trip with my sweetheart @yugadi. Yep, I’ve somehow managed to detour through a hundred thoughts, reviews, and life updates, but we’re back, baby ! This is Day 4 of our trip, our final day in Hanoi before heading up north to the dreamy hills of Sapa. And what a day it was ! packed, chaotic, sweet, caffeinated, foggy, and honestly just so us.
Let’s rewind ⏪
Rise and Shine… and Walk!
Rise and Shine… and Walk!
It was a crisp Sunday morning in Hanoi. We’d read that Hoàn Kiếm Lake turns into a pedestrian only zone on weekends, and that was too tempting to pass up. So we jumped out of bed, freshened up in record time, and zoomed off on our rental scooter. Parked it somewhere random (As All Great Adventurers Do), and began strolling around the lake.
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The entire area was buzzing with life. Kids were playing, couples were on romantic walks, and locals were out getting their morning fix of tai chi or badminton. Without the chaos of honking scooters and wild traffic, the Old Quarter suddenly felt like a giant park wide, open, and calm. I got some amazing DSLR shots of Yugadi with that morning light hitting her just right. Definitely some Instagram content right there.
Wake Up Juice: The OG Egg Coffee at Cafe Giảng
Wake Up Juice: The OG Egg Coffee at Cafe Giảng
Next on the list was the legendary Cafe Giảng, just a 5 minute scoot from the lake.
Now, I’ll admit this place looks like nothing from the outside. Blink and you’ll miss it. But once you squeeze your way in through the narrow alley and climb the little staircase, you’ll suddenly find yourself inside what feels like a buzzing beehive of caffeine addicts. Multiple floors, tiny wooden stools, low tables, and a sea of people all sipping the same magical concoction: egg coffee.
At 7:30 AM, it was PACKED. And I’m talking shoulder to shoulder packed. The air was heavy with the rich aroma of Robusta beans and sugar. It was like stepping into a nostalgic Vietnamese coffee dream.
We ordered the classic egg coffee and their famous egg cocoa. Verdict ? Incredible. Creamy, thick, velvety, sweet but not too sweet. That strong Robusta hit me like a freight train though ! instant headache, but the kind you kind of enjoy because you feel alive. Yugadi wasn’t a fan (It Was Too Intense), so guess who got to finish both cups ? 🫣 That’s right. Me. Your jittery narrator.
A quick history lesson: Cafe Giảng was founded in 1946 by Mr. Nguyễn Văn Giảng, who used to work as a bartender at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel. When milk was scarce during wartime, he got creative. He whisked together egg yolks, sugar, and condensed milk into a custardy foam and poured it over strong Vietnamese coffee. Thus, Hanoi’s signature drink was born ☕️ a luxurious blend of bitterness and sweetness, warmth and froth. To this day, Café Giảng remains family run and fiercely proud of its roots.
Breakfast Mishaps and Redemption Bites
Breakfast Mishaps and Redemption Bites
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Next up was Cafe Pho Co, a picturesque cafe hidden behind a silk shop near the lake that Yugadi had pinned for breakfast. Now, this place is stunning, balconies, lanterns swaying in the breeze. But food ? Eh. We were hoping for something more substantial, but all we found was a croissant and some tea. To be fair, the tea was comforting for Yugadi’s lingering cough, but let’s be real this wasn’t breakfast and we were disappointed with it.
So, like any loyal foodies would do… we went back to Bánh Mì 25. Again 🫣😂
For the fourth or fifth time ? I’ve lost count at this point. But if loving Bánh Mì 25 is wrong, I don’t want to be right. We stuffed our faces with crispy, buttery baguettes filled with grilled pork and pickled veggies. All was forgiven 🤤
After that soul hug of a breakfast, we headed back to the hostel to check out and store our luggage for the evening at the hostel lobby. We still had hours to kill before our night bus to Sapa 🥶
The Temple of Literature: Confucius and Calm
The Temple of Literature: Confucius and Calm
Next stop: the Temple of Literature, a personal favorite and one of the most tranquil places in the city. I’d already visited it on my previous trip, but this time I got to be the tour guide, walking Yugadi through its five courtyards and leafy walkways.
Right outside the parking lot, a street vendor was making this curious dessert that looked like stretched taffy on a stick. Intrigued and mildly grossed out, we hesitated for all of 3 seconds before buying it. (After A Rigorous Google Session I Found Out That This Dessert Is Called Kẹo Kéo Chì)
Turns out, it was some sort of sticky, sweet rice malt rolled in crushed peanuts, topped with coconut shavings and sandwiched between wafers. SO good. Sticky fingers, happy hearts.
Now, for the cultural deep dive: The Temple of Literature, or Văn Miếu, was built in 1070 under Emperor Lý Thánh Tông. Originally a Confucian temple, it later evolved into Vietnam’s first national university Quốc Tử Giám dedicated to scholars, mandarins, and the country’s elite students. The temple complex is split into five courtyards, each with its own vibe. There’s a lake of literature, ancient pavilions, rows of stone tortoises with doctorates etched on their backs (Literally), and a shrine to Confucius at the very end.
Walking through it is like stepping back in time. You can almost hear the echo of scholars chanting, the rustle of bamboo paper, the scratch of ink brushes. It’s serene, sacred, and somehow manages to hush the noise in your head, even if you’re a caffeine hyped tourist.
Yugadi Was Charmed, And I Was Thrilled To Show Her One Of My Favorite corners Of Hanoi.
A Literary Labyrinth: Nhà sách Mão
A Literary Labyrinth: Nhà sách Mão
Our next destination was a proper offbeat gem called Nhà sách Mão, a legendary bookstore hidden in plain sight.
To get there, you have to walk through a narrow alley off Đinh Lễ Street, sandwiched between two buildings, and then climb a creaky staircase that feels like it might collapse under your weight 😂. At the top, you’re rewarded with one of the coziest, most atmospheric bookstores I’ve ever seen.
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It’s been run by the same family since the 1990s, and over the years, it has become a quiet haven for Hanoi’s intellectuals, students, and bookworms. The walls are lined from floor to ceiling with books classics, poetry, philosophy, children’s tales, textbooks. Also all of them are in Vietnamese, but the vibes ? Universal.
There are faded wooden chairs to sit and read, old prints hanging by clothespins, and the faint scent of aged paper and ink in the air. I half expected a cat to jump out of a basket and curl up beside us. It’s the kind of place that time forgot in the best way possible.
We didn’t buy anything (Unless You Count Memories), but we spent a long, peaceful moment there, just soaking in the mood. If there’s ever been a Ghibli like bookshop in real life, this is it.
Ice Cream That’s Older Than Your Dad: Kem Tràng Tiền
Ice Cream That’s Older Than Your Dad: Kem Tràng Tiền
Refreshed and slightly nostalgic, we made our way to Kem Tràng Tiền, Hanoi’s most iconic ice cream brand which has been open since 1958, back when Vietnam was still divided and recovering from war.
Founded in the post colonial era, Kem Tràng Tiền became a symbol of affordable indulgence. It’s old school methods of making ice cream using manual machines and natural ingredients made it wildly popular. Even today, it’s a beloved name nostalgic for locals, novel for tourists.
The location is massive, more like a supermarket than an ice cream parlor, with multiple counters offering cones, popsicles, and mochi style soft serves.
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We tried two flavors: one was seaweed don’t ask me why 😂 and the other was apricot mochi. Seaweed was… confusing. Slightly salty, vaguely vegetal, and not something I’d personally revisit. But the apricot mochi ? 🤌🏼 A soft, chewy, chilled cloud of happiness.
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What I love about Kem Tràng Tiền is that it’s not trying to be trendy. No fusion matcha caviar hazelnut nonsense. Just solid, old school flavour’s served in a place that hasn’t changed much in decades. There’s even a corridor where you’ll find families perched on plastic stools, slurping their cones and chatting away. It feels like a slice of Hanoi’s soul.
The Cloudy Letdown (But Also, Surprise Fun)
The Cloudy Letdown (But Also, Surprise Fun)
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By now, it was nearly evening, and we made our way to the Lotte Observation Deck, one of the tallest buildings in Hanoi. The elevator took us up 65 floors in seconds our ears popped from the speed.
Unfortunately, the view was a complete white out. A thick layer of clouds had swallowed the skyline, and we could barely see two feet ahead. It felt like we were in a glass box floating in milk. Pretty ? Yes. Useful ? Not at all.
But then, we stumbled upon the photo booth zone on our way back down and it completely saved the evening. Goofy hats, oversized glasses, funny props, filters galore we went full cutsie photo shoot mode. We laughed till we cried. The best part ? It gave us a QR code that led to a video montage of all our photo booth shenanigans. I’ve replayed that video at least a 100 times since we got back. Zero regrets.
Fast Food, Rainy Feels, and a Sleeper Bus to Remember
Fast Food, Rainy Feels, and a Sleeper Bus to Remember
Ravenous from all that action, we dashed into Lotteria, Vietnam’s answer to McDonald’s, and grabbed a quick, greasy meal. Nothing fancy, but it hit the spot.
Yugadi, still underwhelmed by the veggie options, so we found a few snacks at Circle K, and we walked back to our hostel to hang out till the sleeper bus arrived.
As the rain began to drizzle, we ducked into Mixue which is that ubiquitous soft serve chain you see every 300 meters in Hanoi and got ourselves two cones of matcha heaven. Cold rain, warm hearts. Simple pleasures.
At exactly 10 PM, a staff member from the bus company came to escort us and a few other backpackers to the pickup point. Since the Old Quarter is closed to vehicles on weekends, this “human pickup” service was surprisingly efficient.
Once the bus arrive, we were asked to remove our shoes and pack them into neat little bags and board the bus barefoot. Vietnamese sleeper buses are serious about cleanliness. Inside, the cabin was SO fancy. Reclining pods with adjustable headrests, USB ports, the seats also have a massage feature 😭 and enough privacy to feel like a mini hotel. I don’t sleep well on buses, but even I was impressed.
And with that, we were en route to Sapa.
Day 4 in Hanoi was a proper highlight reel. From sipping frothy egg coffee at a wartime cafe to wandering inside Hanoi’s first university, from lost in time bookstores to nostalgic ice cream parlours,it was everything I love about travel. A little chaos, a lot of culture, and moments that sneak up on you and stay.
Hanoi, you were magic.
Next stop: Sapa mountains, rice terraces, and moody weather await. Stay tuned.
And hey if you’ve ever walked through a bookstore that smelled like your childhood, eaten seaweed ice cream (Why ?), or tried egg coffee and lived to tell the tale drop a comment below 🔽 . I want to hear your Hanoi stories.
Music used in the video is by Denis Pavlov from Pixabay and everything has been compiled on DaVinci Resolve 19
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Have A Great Day!
