Hanoi Itinerary for 3–4 Days: Old Quarter Route and When to Get a Massage

With 3 days in Hanoi you can cover the city highlights: Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter, and the area around the Temple of Literature and Ba Dinh Square. With 4 days, most people add a day trip to Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh. Hanoi involves a lot of walking, often in heat and humidity, so it helps to plan rest time into the itinerary from the start. Urban Oasis Spa, 2 minutes' walk from Hoan Kiem Lake, put together this Old Quarter–based route and the best moments to fit in a massage.

Before you plan

• Stay in the Old Quarter or near Hoan Kiem Lake: most sights and places to eat are within walking distance, which keeps the route simple.
• Walk, then use a ride-hailing app: walk inside the Old Quarter and use an app such as Grab for places a little further out, like the Temple of Literature or Ba Dinh Square.
• Noi Bai Airport to the Old Quarter: usually 40 minutes to an hour by car, longer at rush hour.
• Take an afternoon break: instead of pushing through the midday heat, rest indoors for an hour or two after lunch and head out again in the late afternoon.

Day 1: arrive, then Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter

Keep the first day light and get to know the area around your hotel.

• Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and cross the red bridge to Ngoc Son Temple
• St. Joseph's Cathedral, just west of the lake
• Bun cha or pho for dinner in the Old Quarter lanes

After a long flight, a 45-minute foot massage before or after dinner is an easy way to rest tired legs. At Urban Oasis Spa the aroma foot massage is 350,000 VND for 45 minutes and 450,000 VND for 60 minutes (October 2026). See the foot massage page for details.

20% off all day when you book online: prices in this article are regular prices. Book through online booking and you get 20% off at any time of day (for example, aroma massage 60 min: 530,000 VND → 424,000 VND). For other bookings, it is 20% off from 9:00 to 12:00 and 10% off in the afternoon (as of October 2026, no end date set).

“Me and my wife booked the Thai massage for 90minutes and we really had the best massage ever. It was our first day in Vietnam so after a long flight we could really use it.”

— Kenneth L. (Google review)

Day 2: Temple of Literature, Ba Dinh Square and the Old Quarter at night

• Morning: Ba Dinh Square, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the One Pillar Pagoda. The mausoleum opens in the morning only and has closing days and maintenance periods, so check before you go.
• After lunch: the Temple of Literature, home of Vietnam's first university
• Afternoon break: back to the Old Quarter for a full-body massage after a morning on your feet
• Evening: a water puppet show near Hoan Kiem Lake; at weekends, the pedestrian streets and night market around the lake

For the afternoon break, try an aroma massage for 60 minutes (530,000 VND) or 90 minutes (790,000 VND). Compare shiatsu, hot stone and other options on the body massage page.

Day 3: your last day, without the luggage

Luggage is the usual problem after check-out. Urban Oasis Spa can store your bags and has showers (free with treatments of 90 minutes or more), so you can use the whole day:

• Leave your luggage at the spa after checking out
• Shop for souvenirs in the Old Quarter and stop for a coconut or egg coffee
• Massage, shower, then head to the airport

If you have time, add the sauna (20 minutes, 380,000 VND) or a herbal bath in the Jacuzzi (20 minutes, 500,000 VND). Flying out late? Read our guide to using a spa before a night flight.

With 4 days: add Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh

An extra day is usually spent on a day trip to Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh, between days 2 and 3. Both are roughly 2 to 3 hours each way by road, so you get back in the evening after a long day sitting in a vehicle.

That evening, a short treatment works well: a 45-minute shoulder and back massage (aroma, 430,000 VND) or a 60-minute foot massage (450,000 VND). We are open daily until 22:00, so you can book once you know when your tour gets back.

When to get a massage

• Arrival evening: tired legs after the flight → foot massage, 45–60 minutes
• A long walking day: escape the afternoon heat → full-body massage, 60–90 minutes
• After a day trip: shoulders and back after hours in a vehicle → shoulder and back massage, 45 minutes
• Departure day: leave your bags, massage and shower, then go to the airport

Avoid booking straight after a big meal or after drinking alcohol.

Booking and practical tips

• Book online, or via WhatsApp, LINE, KakaoTalk, Zalo or phone (+84 24 3354 3333)
• Our staff speak English
• Card payment is accepted; prices do not include tips
• 39A Hang Hanh Street, Hanoi Old Quarter, 2 minutes' walk from Hoan Kiem Lake, open daily 9:00–22:00

A good Hanoi itinerary alternates busy walking days with proper breaks rather than packing in every sight. When you need a pause in the middle of the Old Quarter, drop in at Urban Oasis Spa.

Once you know your date, book online to get 20% off at any time of day.