West Lake

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Introduction

One loop around the lake, many Hanoi experiences

West Lake is about 500 hectares, with a road around the lake about 17 km long. This is one of Hanoi's large landscape spaces, where relics, craft villages, and neighborhoods with vibrant service life are concentrated. Therefore, a trip to West Lake does not necessarily have to start at a pagoda or end at an attraction. A loop on foot or by bicycle is the best way to feel the changes in this area.

Spend an afternoon on the lakeside route, and you can divide the journey into several short segments: cycle through streets close to the water, rest by the lake, visit a relic, eat banh tom or local dishes, then find a tea or coffee shop in Quang An. Each segment has a different rhythm, from the crowded Thanh Nien area to quieter sections toward Trich Sai and Nhat Chieu.

Contents

Introduction
Story

More Other places

Other placesVerified
Gioi Duc Pagoda (Hong An Temple)
Ung Hoa Commune
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Story

01Don't miss

Watch the sunset on Thanh Nien Road , considered one of the most beautiful moments in Hanoi.
Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda , a pagoda more than 1,500 years old, the oldest in Thang Long - Hanoi.
Offer incense at Tay Ho Palace , where Holy Mother Lieu Hanh is worshipped, located on a peninsula jutting out into the lake.
Cycle or walk around the lake , feel the leisurely pace of life of Hanoi people.
Enjoy West Lake shrimp cakes , a dish associated with the memories of generations.

02A loop around West Lake: a fun experience worth trying

No need to try to go very fast to complete about 17 km. With a bicycle, you can spend time on beautiful sections and stop when you find a stretch of sidewalk, a resting bench, or a lakeside shop. If walking, a short route around Thanh Nien - Trich Sai - Nhat Chieu is enough to feel the changes in the landscape.

What is notable is that West Lake does not have a single “frontage.” In some sections there are streets and shops, in others the view opens out to the water, and in others again it is close to residential areas. This is also why the lakeside loop suits those who want both exercise and to learn about Hanoi life.

Young people invite each other to cycle around West Lake and hunt for sunset photos. Photo: collected

03Shrimp cakes and other treats of West Lake

Thanh Nien Road is a stop worth including in the journey. West Lake shrimp cakes once appeared from street vendors in the Co Ngu area—the old name of Thanh Nien Road—and later became a familiar dish associated with the lake area. The cakes are made from batter, sweet potato, and shrimp, and are usually eaten hot with fresh herbs and dipping sauce. A portion of shrimp cake is a suitable choice for a break in the cycling loop.

West Lake shrimp cakes - one of the familiar treats visitors often seek out and enjoy when coming to Hanoi. Photo: collected

04Tran Quoc Pagoda – Hanoi's oldest pagoda

Located on a small island in the east of West Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda has a history of more than 1,500 years, founded in the Early Ly period under the reign of Ly Nam De as Khai Quoc. During the reign of King Le Hy Tong, the pagoda was renamed Tran Quoc. Its highlight is an 11-story stupa with 66 Amitabha Buddha statues. In the pagoda grounds there is also a bodhi tree presented by the President of India during his visit to Hanoi in 1959. The pagoda was once voted by Wanderlust travel magazine as one of the ten most beautiful ancient pagodas in the world.

Photo: Tran Quoc Pagoda's stupa reflected on the lake
Caption: The 11-story stupa of Tran Quoc Pagoda is reflected on the surface of West Lake.

A beautiful sunset over Tran Quoc Pagoda in Hanoi. Photo: collected

05Tay Ho Palace – A sacred place beside the water

Tay Ho Palace is located on a peninsula jutting into the middle of the lake and worships Holy Mother Lieu Hanh, one of the “Four Immortals” of Vietnamese belief. Surrounded by water on three sides, the palace has a serene beauty and is especially crowded at the start of the year, on the 15th and 1st days of the lunar month. The road leading to the palace is also famous for rows of boiled snails and shrimp cakes, creating a distinctive culinary character of the lakeside area.

Tay Ho Palace is serene amid water on three sides, a place where Hanoi people send their wishes for peace. Photo: collected

06Quang An: lotus, tea, and another West Lake

Toward Quang An, the experience shifts to cuisine and traditional craft. Quang An lotus-scented tea making was inscribed in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2026.

Lotus season is when this area has additional lotus ponds and activities associated with tea making. A stop in Quang An can simply be drinking a cup of lotus tea, buying a tea product as a gift, or enjoying food at eateries around the lake.

Every year around April, West Lake's hundred-petal lotus comes into full bloom. Photo: collected

West Lake

Introduction

More Other places

Gioi Duc Pagoda (Hong An Temple)

Story

01Don't miss

02A loop around West Lake: a fun experience worth trying

03Shrimp cakes and other treats of West Lake

04Tran Quoc Pagoda – Hanoi's oldest pagoda

05Tay Ho Palace – A sacred place beside the water

06Quang An: lotus, tea, and another West Lake

Hai Giac Pagoda

Phuong Bang Pagoda (Hung Long)

Sung An Pagoda, also known as Sung Khang Pagoda (Dong Ba Pagoda)

Introduction

More Other places

Gioi Duc Pagoda (Hong An Temple)

Story

01|Don't miss

02|A loop around West Lake: a fun experience worth trying

03|Shrimp cakes and other treats of West Lake

04|Tran Quoc Pagoda – Hanoi's oldest pagoda

05|Tay Ho Palace – A sacred place beside the water

06|Quang An: lotus, tea, and another West Lake

Hai Giac Pagoda

Phuong Bang Pagoda (Hung Long)

Sung An Pagoda, also known as Sung Khang Pagoda (Dong Ba Pagoda)

01Don't miss

02A loop around West Lake: a fun experience worth trying

03Shrimp cakes and other treats of West Lake

04Tran Quoc Pagoda – Hanoi's oldest pagoda

05Tay Ho Palace – A sacred place beside the water

06Quang An: lotus, tea, and another West Lake