West Lake In Hanoi

West Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam

Explore the biggest freshwater lake in Hanoi

About West Lake in Hanoi

West Lake is the largest fixed water body of Hanoi, stretching for over 17 km in its shoreline and an area of 500 hectares within.

A 15 minutes’ drive away from the cacophonous old quarters of Hanoi, West Lake offers a more peaceful and tranquillity alternative to the visitors. Also known as Ho Tay Lake in the local language, this place is an absolute gem of a destination if your goal for the day is to simply soak in the urban fabric of Hanoi and spend time relaxing.

The origin of the lake is shrouded in several folklore and legends and, thus, not really known. One popular legend is the story of the battle between local deity Dragon King Lac Long Quan and a wicked fox spirit with nine tails, whom he had defeated and laid down here where the lake stands. Another one and the more widely believed one is the story of the buffalo calf, which confused the bell of a pagoda with his mothers and ran so fast that his hood created a crater for the lake.

But these are mostly myths. In its actual heyday, West Lake in Hanoi was lined with royal palaces and houses of the elites, and the lake was used as a centre for recreation and relaxation. The second part still remains, but the surroundings have transformed into a more contemporary look with shops, restaurants and skyscrapers around.

There are several West Lake attractions around for a visitor to explore. Vietnam’s oldest temple Tran Quoc Pagoda built in the 6th century as a symbol of Vietnamese Buddhism is located in a small island. Other than West Lake Pagoda Hanoi, Quan Thanh Temple is also there, which is one of Vietnam’s Four Sacred Temples. For refreshment purposes, one can visit the south side for a street-full of the best seafood restaurants and to the northern side for more sophisticated diners.

Cycling around West Lake Hanoi along the beautiful pathways is a very rewarding activity to do here, as a dose of health for the body and the mind, as well as for exploring the area properly.

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Hanoi Packages Reviews

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    Ramanand's 9 days trip to Hanoi

    My recent trip to Vietnam was truly an amazing experience. The country’s breathtaking scenery, delicious food, and the kindness of the people made the journey unforgettable. From the lively cities to the peaceful countryside, every place had something unique to offer. I’d highly recommend Vietnam to anyone looking for a memorable and enriching trip.

    Ramanand Srungeri Bangalore

    Shamsudheen's 12 days trip to Hanoi

    Dear Rosa and Tina , I have safely reached back home and would like to express my sincere gratitude for the wonderful arrangements you made during our trip to Vietnam. Everything was organized smoothly and professionally, which made our experience truly enjoyable and memorable. From the hospitality to the sightseeing, every detail was well taken care of, and we deeply appreciate the efforts of your entire team. Thank you once again for making our Vietnam journey such a special one. I will be glad to recommend your services to friends and family in the future. Warm regards, Shamsudheen

    SHAMSUDHEEN ENGAPADALIL

    Joseph's 6 days trip to Hanoi

    The trip was organized exceptionally well by Sophie.

    Joseph Albia Calcutta

    Nithin's 7 days trip to Hanoi

    ✨ **A Heartfelt Shoutout to the SVietnam Team – Especially Anne & Tina!** ✨ We just returned from what we can proudly call *the most memorable trip of our lives*, all thanks to the incredible planning and dedication of **Anne and Tina**. From the very first interaction till the final goodbye, every single detail of our Vietnam journey was handled with absolute perfection. What stood out most was the **personalized touch**. They didn’t just plan an itinerary – they carefully listened to our preferences, customized everything around the locations we dreamed of visiting, and even added their own valuable recommendations that made our trip extra special. Every request, every service, every check-in and transfer was not only arranged but followed up on until completed. The level of coordination was simply *next-level*. Here’s a glimpse of the magical journey they created for us:

    Nithin Ramchandran Mumbai

    Sindhuvusirikapalli's 7 days trip to Hanoi

    We were extremely disappointed with hotels at Hanoi and Hochi man city. We booked 4 star but the standard was like 2 star. We spoke to travel agent on the Day one, but she said the hotels in Hanoi will be like this. However, in DaNang and halong bay cruise were good. The tour guide and the cab driver were very friendly. Cruise and DaNang city

    Sindhuvusirikapalli Hyderabad

    Himadree's 8 days trip to Hanoi

    This is our second time with Travel Triangle for International trip and I want to thank Travel Triangle and specially Asia Luxury Travel for making our Vietnam trip a memorable one. Our experience with Ms Joanna of Asia Luxury Travel was extremely amazing.

    Himadree Borah Kolkata

    Gawthami's 5 days trip to Hanoi

    I would like to sincerely thank the whole team for helping me throughout the entire journey and making my tour smooth, enjoyable, and truly worth every penny. I'm really happy with all services — everything was well-organized, hassle-free, and exceeded my expectations. Thank you for making this a memorable experiences.Special thanks to Sophie for everything from day one to last day yu have helped me and answered my all queries. ...Cảm ơn bạn... Food was the highlight for my trip.

    Gawthami SaliYan Bangalore

    Preetika's 8 days trip to Hanoi

    One day should be kept completely free at each destination. In our trip half a day was planned, due to daily tours one doesn't get anytime to experience the city by walk and explore. Also last leg ie HCM in my tour wasn't planned as well as Hanoi wnd DaNang, as a result, there was no time to visit CuChi tunnels, war museum etc. it seemed the agent had got tired and didn't prioritise or was not well versed with HCM city leaving these war memorials optional. Ha Long Bay Cruise. Ninh Binh boat ride. Bana Hills, Hoi An Ancient town. Shopping and Hop on Hop Off bus tours in Hanoi and HCM city

    Preetika Chawla New delhi

    Poorvi's 10 days trip to Hanoi

    We booked our Vietnam trip with S Vietnam Trips in May 2025 for 10 days. Right from the day one of raising enquiry on Travel Triangle to the day of finishing trip, Jenna Phuong was very responsive and helped us in every step. She guided us during itenary design phase and also was very patient to accommodate all our customizations. The trip went very well, hotels booked were very good, local tours arranged were also very good. She was reachable through out the trip for any help and guidance. They also assign a local coordinator in each city who was continuously in touch with us through out the trip, guiding us on daily basis. Overall had a very good time, entire trip was memorable, enjoyable without a single flaw. Definitely, we recommend S Vietnam Trips to everyone.

    Poorvi Baliga Bengaluru

    Sumanth's 10 days trip to Hanoi

    We were very sceptical as there were no google reviews for Svietnam but they were professional and gave timely replies to our queries. We had a good trip and would recommend them for good trip MK botique hotel and the staff support was excellent.

    Sumanth S Bangalore

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FAQ's of Hanoi

Read on to find out why our customers love us!

 

Yes, there are plenty of accommodations near Lake Hanoi. But most people prefer to stay in the old quarter and travel by taxi or on foot to the lake.

 

The rental cost depends on how long you will be riding. It starts around USD 5 to 6 for a whole day’s rent.

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