Staying in Hai Ba Trung: local Hanoi just south of the French Quarter

Who should stay in Hai Ba Trung?

Hai Ba Trung suits budget and mid-range travellers who want to stay close to the centre without the crowds of the Old Quarter, visitors on longer stays, families renting apartments in the large residential complexes and business travellers with work in the area. The northern part, near the French Quarter, is within walking distance of Hoan Kiem Lake.

The trade-off is that most of the district is residential, with few sights and less English away from the main streets; from the southern part, around Times City, the centre is 20 to 30 minutes away by car.

Hotels and apartments in Hai Ba Trung

The 110 properties listed in this area are mostly hotels, followed by apartments, homestays, guest houses and a few aparthotels. Hotels are mainly two- to four-star, many on the streets just south of the French Quarter, and apartments are concentrated in the Times City complex and the residential towers of the south. Guest ratings are good, with a median of about 8.4 out of 10 on this site.

As a guide for 2026, rooms cost about 500,000 to 1,200,000 VND a night in most hotels, and apartments in Times City about 800,000 to 1,800,000 VND, often with access to pools and gyms in the complex.

What is there to do in Hai Ba Trung?

Thong Nhat Park, also called Reunification Park, is one of the largest green spaces in central Hanoi, with a lake, paths and a small amusement area; early in the morning it is full of people exercising, dancing and playing badminton. Next to it is Thien Quang lake, and to the north the French Quarter with the Opera House and Hoa Lo Prison is a short walk away.

The Hai Ba Trung Temple, dedicated to the Trung sisters, is one of the most important in the district, and Hom market and the fabric stalls around it are a good place to see local trade. In the south, Times City has a shopping mall, restaurants, a cinema and the Vinpearl Aquarium, popular with families. Vinh Tuy bridge and the Red River dyke are on the eastern edge of the district.

How do you get to Hai Ba Trung?

From Noi Bai International Airport, about 30 to 35 km away, the ride takes 45 to 70 minutes and costs about 280,000 to 450,000 VND by ride-hailing car. Hanoi railway station is about 1 to 3 km away from the northern part of the district.

There is no metro in Hai Ba Trung yet. Ride-hailing cars and motorbike taxis take 5 to 15 minutes to Hoan Kiem Lake from the northern streets and 20 to 30 minutes from Times City; city buses run along the main roads.

When is Hai Ba Trung at its best?

Autumn, from about October to November, is the most pleasant season for walking in Thong Nhat Park and the streets near the French Quarter; spring, from March to April, is also mild. Summer is hot and humid, with heavy showers, and winter is cool and grey. Around Tet, the Lunar New Year in late January or February, the markets are at their busiest before the holiday, then many shops close for several days.

What is daily life like in Hai Ba Trung?

Hai Ba Trung is a district of ordinary city life. In the morning the parks and lakes fill with people exercising, the markets open early and the pavements are lined with breakfast stalls serving pho, bun rieu and banh cuon. The streets around Hom market are packed with shops selling fabric, clothing and household goods, and students from the nearby universities keep the cafés and cheap restaurants busy.

In the south, Times City and the surrounding towers have a different, modern rhythm, with malls, supermarkets, pools and playgrounds for the families who live there. In the evening locals gather in the parks, eat at street-food corners and shop at the night stalls.

For travellers, Hai Ba Trung is a good-value base close to the French Quarter, with an authentic local feel and easy rides into the centre.

Where to eat in Hai Ba Trung?

Hai Ba Trung is known among locals for its food streets. The lanes around Hom market and Thong Nhat Park have stalls serving bun rieu, a tomato and crab noodle soup, banh cuon, steamed rice rolls, and grilled meats in the evening, and the streets near the universities are full of cheap restaurants and milk-tea shops. Some of the city's best-known pho and bun cha shops are in the streets bordering the French Quarter.

In the south, Times City has a food court and restaurants serving Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese and Western food, convenient for families staying in the complex. Prices across the district are lower than in the centre, and menus in English are less common, so pointing at dishes is often the easiest way to order.