Most travel guides tell you what to see in Hanoi. This one tells you what to do the moment you land β before the sightseeing starts.
These are the things I walk every guest through. Get them right in the first few hours and the rest of the trip takes care of itself.
The moment you clear customs, people will approach you.
Transport offers. SIM cards. Currency exchange. It's not dangerous β it's just the airport hustle. You don't need any of them.
Take a breath. Walk past. Everything you need is inside the arrivals hall at official counters β or already sorted before you landed.
Inside the hall: official counters from Viettel (red), Vinaphone (blue), MobiFone (orange). All legitimate. But airport SIM prices are higher than in the city, and if something goes wrong β wrong plan, weak signal, early expiry β there's no easy way to follow up. You bought it, you're on your own.
My recommendation: order through DYJ before you fly.
35GB Β· 7 days. Delivered to your hotel or sent as an eSIM before landing. If it doesn't work, WhatsApp me and I'll fix it personally. Higher data packages available if you need more.
Order DYJ SIM / eSIM βIf you need a SIM right now at the airport: Viettel official counter only. Not individuals approaching you in the hall.
Airport exchange counters are open 24/7. Rates aren't great β about 2β3% below what you'd get in the city. Fine for a small amount.
My rule: exchange $50β100 at the airport. Enough for the first few hours. Exchange the rest once you're settled. ATMs along the arrivals hall walls also work reliably.
Best exchange rate in Hanoi: HΓ Trung Street, Old Quarter area. Gold shops there offer the city's most competitive rates. Open roughly 8amβ8pm. Bring clean, unfolded notes β worn bills may cost you extra.
Avoid: anyone approaching you with an "exchange" offer. Avoid the 20,000 VND vs 500,000 VND confusion β the notes look similar. Always check the zeros before you hand over cash.
You have real options. Here's what each one actually looks like:
Someone waiting with your name on a sign when you walk out. Fixed price, includes toll. Free waiting up to 2 hours if your flight is delayed. I only work with drivers I trust personally.
Book from inside the terminal, walk to the pickup zone outside. Match the license plate before getting in β someone may approach claiming to be your driver before you've booked. Walk away. Plus ~15,000 VND highway toll.
Goes straight to the Old Quarter. Fast, clean, air-conditioned. Look for it outside the terminal. 45β60 minutes in normal traffic. Best for light luggage and daytime arrival.
Use Mai Linh (green) or Noi Bai Taxi only. Find them at the official taxi stand, not approaching you inside. Highway toll added at exit β normal, not a scam.
Check in, drop bags. Don't unpack.
Ask your hotel one thing: "What's the nearest good place to eat breakfast tomorrow?" A good hotel will know. A bad one will hand you a tourist brochure.
Download Google Maps offline for Hanoi before you leave the WiFi.
Apps to have ready: Grab (transport and food delivery) Β· Google Translate (camera mode for menus and signs) Β· Google Maps (download offline)
Don't eat at the hotel. Don't eat at a place with photos on the menu displayed outside.
Walk five minutes in any direction from the Old Quarter. Find somewhere locals are eating. Sit down. Point at what they're having.
XΓ΄i β sticky rice, wrapped in banana leaf, eaten from a street cart. From 25,000 VND. Better than any hotel breakfast.
BΓΊn chαΊ£ β grilled pork, cold noodles, dipping broth. ~50,000 VND. The Hanoi dish. Find a plastic-stool place serving it and you've already made the right choice.
First coffee: Find a cΓ phΓͺ cΓ³c β a corner stool, a woman with a thermos. Order cΓ phΓͺ nΓ’u ΔΓ‘. 25,000β35,000 VND. Sit. Watch the street move.
My full food map for Hanoi10 places I actually eat at βOutside the terminal, near tourist sites, on the street β if they came to you, be cautious. Legitimate services don't need to chase you.
Someone walks beside you, starts a conversation, invites you for tea with their family. You'll end up in a shop with pressure to buy. Politely say no and walk away.
Your carrier's roaming in Vietnam: $10β15/day for 1GB. DYJ SIM: $7 for 35GB over 7 days. Not a close comparison.
Both are blue-green. Always read the number β twenty thousand vs five hundred thousand VND is a big difference. Count your change before walking away.
Rates there are the worst in the city. $50β100 is enough. HΓ Trung Street in the Old Quarter for the rest.
Most people hear back within the hour.