Where to Stay in Hanoi: Old Quarter or Temple of Literature?

Hanoi is compact, but the wrong neighbourhood can make a trip more tiring than it needs to be. Most visitors choose one of these four, and each has its own temper.

Old Quarter: busy day and night

Thirty-six guild streets, food stalls shoulder to shoulder, lights on past midnight. Ideal if you want everything outside your door. The trade-off: narrow streets, constant motorbikes, noise until late and small rooms for the price.

The French Quarter around the Opera House

Wide boulevards, yellow villas, old trees. Calmer and more elegant than the Old Quarter, but mostly large hotels priced to match.

West Lake

Open water, cafés and international restaurants, a breezy feel. It is, however, a long way from the main sights, so expect a taxi ride every day.

Temple of Literature and Hanoi Station: in the middle of it all

The area people mention least is one of the most convenient. Walk to the Temple of Literature, the Flag Tower and the Imperial Citadel; take a ten-minute taxi to Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter; catch trains to Sapa, Hue and Da Nang next door. These are streets where Hanoians live and work, so evenings are quieter, and the same budget usually buys more space.

Both Narcissus properties are here:

• Narcissus Le Duan: about 300 m from Hanoi Station, with everything from Standard rooms to a two-storey Duplex.
• Narcissus Tuc Mac: tucked in a quiet lane, with kitchen studios and a glass-roofed rooftop café.

The short answer

Out every night? Stay in the Old Quarter. Out every day and asleep early? Stay near the Temple of Literature.