The plastic-stool bun cha shop where Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate in 2016; the table they used is preserved under a glass case. Grilled pork patties come in a bowl of sweet-sour broth with cold noodles.
38 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Hanoi Old Quarter
A chaotic and charming maze of 36 ancient streets in Hanoi's historic heart, each named for the goods traditionally sold there.
39 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Hoan Kiem Lake
A picturesque lake in the center of Hanoi with the iconic red Huc Bridge leading to the Turtle Tower temple island.
39 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Hanoi Train Street
A narrow residential street in Hanoi where a railway track runs just inches from houses, with trains passing through twice daily.
39 km · about 45 min drive
cafe
Cafe Giang
The Hanoi cafe where Nguyen Van Giang invented ca phe trung: egg coffee, in 1946 while working at the Metropole during a milk shortage. It is still run by his family down a narrow alley off Nguyen Huu Huan.
39 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
The final resting place of Vietnam's revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, a grand granite mausoleum in the center of Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi.
40 km · about 45 min drive
natural wonder
Trang An Landscape Complex
A UNESCO scenic area of limestone karst peaks, caves, and waterways explored by sampan boat through a lush river valley.
57 km · about 65 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Hang Mua Viewpoint
Around 500 stone steps climb a limestone spur to a dragon-topped summit above Tam Coc, with the Ngo Dong River winding through paddy fields below. The staircase is modelled on a miniature Great Wall.
58 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near Lương Bằng
58 kmHang Mua ViewpointAround 500 stone steps climb a limestone spur to a dragon-topped summit above Tam Coc, with the Ngo Dong River winding through paddy fields below. The staircase is modelled on a miniature Great Wall.
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.