Staying in Long Bien: across the Red River from Hanoi's Old Quarter

Who should stay in Long Bien?

Long Bien suits families, visitors on longer stays, business travellers with work in the east of the city or the industrial areas towards Bac Ninh, and travellers who want a quiet, spacious base at lower prices. It is also convenient for buses and trains from Gia Lam to the north-east of Vietnam and for trips to Ha Long Bay by road.

The trade-off is that there are few sights in the district itself: the Old Quarter is about 3 to 6 km away, 15 to 30 minutes by car depending on the bridge traffic, and the evenings are calm.

Hotels and apartments in Long Bien

The 42 properties listed in this area are mostly hotels, followed by apartments and homestays. Hotels are mainly two- and three-star, aimed at domestic travellers and business visitors, and apartments are in the residential complexes along the river and around Vinhomes Riverside. Guest ratings are good, with a median of about 8.6 out of 10 on this site.

As a guide for 2026, rooms cost about 400,000 to 1,000,000 VND a night in most hotels, among the lowest prices close to the centre, and apartments about 700,000 to 1,500,000 VND.

What is there to do in Long Bien?

The Long Bien bridge, opened in 1903 as one of the longest bridges in Asia at the time, is the symbol of the district and of the city's history: damaged many times during the war, it is now used only by trains, motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians. Walking across it at sunset, with views of the river, the banana plantations on the sandbanks and the city skyline, is one of the classic Hanoi experiences.

On the Old Quarter side of the bridge, Long Bien market is a wholesale market busiest at night, and on the district side are the temples and communal houses of the old villages. Aeon Mall Long Bien, a large shopping centre with restaurants, a supermarket and a cinema, is popular with families, and the riverside parks and the Vinhomes Riverside canals are pleasant for an evening walk.

How do you get to Long Bien?

From Noi Bai International Airport, about 25 to 30 km away, the ride takes 35 to 50 minutes and costs about 250,000 to 380,000 VND by ride-hailing car. Gia Lam bus station has buses to the north-east, including Ha Long and Hai Phong, and Gia Lam railway station is on the line to the north.

There is no metro in Long Bien yet. Ride-hailing cars and motorbike taxis take 15 to 30 minutes to Hoan Kiem Lake via the Chuong Duong or Long Bien bridges; traffic on the bridges is heavy at rush hour.

When is Long Bien at its best?

Autumn, from about October to November, is ideal for walks along the river and across the bridge; spring, from March to April, is also pleasant. Summer is hot and humid, and the river is high after heavy rains, while winter is cool and often misty over the water. Around Tet, the Lunar New Year in late January or February, the district is quiet as many residents return to their home provinces.

What is daily life like in Long Bien?

Long Bien feels like a town of its own. In the older parts, markets, communal houses and narrow lanes keep a village atmosphere, with breakfast stalls and cafés on every corner. In the newer estates, life is modern and spacious, with parks, playgrounds, supermarkets and international schools, and families from all over the city come to the malls at weekends.

The river is always close: in the early morning people exercise on the dyke, and at sunset the bridge and the riverbanks attract photographers and couples. English is less common than in the centre, but the large hotels and malls have English-speaking staff.

For travellers, Long Bien is a calm, good-value base with easy access to the north-east of Vietnam and the historic centre just across the river.

Is Long Bien a good base for day trips?

For trips to the north-east of Vietnam, Long Bien is well placed. The roads to Ha Long Bay, Bac Ninh and Hai Phong start on this side of the river, so tours and private cars avoid the traffic of the centre, and Gia Lam bus station has regular buses towards the coast. Many travellers heading to Ha Long Bay by car or bus spend a night here before an early departure.

The district is also close to Bat Trang, the ceramics village on the bank of the Red River, where workshops make pottery and visitors can try the potter's wheel, about 10 km to the south-east. For the classic sights of Hanoi, the Old Quarter is a short ride across the bridges, and walking back across the Long Bien bridge at sunset is the best way to end a day in the centre.