* Visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, one of the best historical sites in Hanoi. The hero of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh died in 1969 and his body was preserved for posterity. Wander the grounds to see the One Pillar Pagoda and the presidential palace.

* Visit the Temple of Literature which was built in homage to the Chinese scholar Confucius. The Museum of Ethnology, widely acknowledged as one of the best in the country, and explore an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam's 54 ethnic minority people.

* Take a breezy cyclo ride through the Old Quarter's 36 streets, named for the products that were sold from their shops. N

* Visit Ngoc Son Temple, set on a tiny island on the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake, and hear how it got its name from a legend of an emperor, a magic sword and a giant turtle.

* Enjoy delightful water puppet show, a traditional art that is still being performed today.