Getting Around Hanoi: Grab, Taxis, Metro, Cyclos & Walking (2026 Guide)

The short version

Central Hanoi is compact and best seen on foot, with a ride-hailing app for anything further. You rarely need anything else.

• Most trips: Grab, Xanh SM or Be – the price is fixed in the app, so there is no haggling and no language barrier.
• No data or from a hotel: a metered taxi from a reputable company (Mai Linh, Taxi Group, G7, Xanh SM).
• The Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake: walk – it is the best way to see them, once you learn to cross the road.
• Self-driving a motorbike: not recommended for most visitors; the traffic is intense and you need the right licence.

Hanoi transport at a glance

Ride-hailing apps: Grab, Xanh SM and Be

Ride-hailing is the simplest way around Hanoi. Grab, Xanh SM (all-electric cars and bikes) and Be all operate widely. You set the destination, see the price before you confirm, and never have to explain where you are going.

• Download the apps and add a payment method before you arrive.
• Both the US and UK governments advise checking the car and driver match the app before you get in.
• Pick a larger car for luggage or a group; drop a pin on the map if the address search struggles.
• Prices rise with demand, so the same trip costs more at rush hour or in heavy rain.

Taxis and what they cost

Metered taxis from established companies are reliable, especially when your hotel or restaurant calls one. Vietnam’s national tourism site names Taxi Group and Mai Linh as reputable; G7 and Xanh SM (all-electric) also operate widely. As a guide to the fare, Xanh SM’s published Hanoi tariff was:

On that tariff a 3 km hop across the centre comes to about 46,000 VND. Prices change, so check the app or ask the driver; you can usually pay by cash, card or e-wallet.

• Look for the company name, logo and phone number on the car.
• Check the meter is running from the start, or use an app for a fixed price.
• Have small notes ready so you are not waiting for change.

Motorbike taxis (GrabBike and Be bike)

For one person in a hurry, a motorbike taxi booked through Grab or Be is the cheapest and nippiest way across town, weaving through traffic a car cannot. The app shows the fare, and the rider provides a helmet – always put it on, it is the law. It is not the choice for luggage, and if the traffic makes you nervous, take a car instead.

The Hanoi Metro

Hanoi now has two working metro lines. They are clean, cheap and beat the traffic on their routes, but neither reaches the Old Quarter or the airport, so for most visitors they are a specific-corridor option or a fun ride rather than a daily workhorse.

Buy a token or card at the station. A future line is planned to link Noi Bai Airport with the centre, but it is still under construction.

Walking and crossing the street

Central Hanoi is very walkable, and walking is the best way to see the Old Quarter. The roads look chaotic – US travel advice describes constant lane-changing and honking – so crossing takes a little practice. The method locals use:

1. Look both ways, even on one-way streets; motorbikes come from both.
2. Wait for a gap, not a clear road – a clear road may never come.
3. Walk slowly and steadily. Riders read your speed and steer around you.
4. Do not run, stop suddenly or step back. Sudden moves cause the collisions.
5. Keep watching the traffic as you cross, and raise a hand slightly if it helps.
6. Cross alongside locals if you are nervous.

Pavements are often full of parked motorbikes and food stools, so you will sometimes walk at the road’s edge. Keep to the side and stay alert.

Common scams and how to avoid them

Hanoi is friendly to visitors, but a few tricks recur, reported by the UK government and by tour operators:

Cyclos

A cyclo is a three-wheeled bicycle taxi with the seat at the front. A slow loop around Hoan Kiem Lake or the Old Quarter can be a lovely way to rest your legs, especially for older travellers. The usual problem is price: agree the total, the route and the duration before you sit down, and make clear whether it is per person or per cyclo. Ask your hotel to recommend a driver.

Should you rent a motorbike and self-drive?

For most visitors, no. Hanoi’s traffic is intense, and to ride legally you need a licence Vietnam recognises – in practice an International Driving Permit issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention, with a motorcycle entitlement. Riding without it is illegal and can void your travel insurance. If you want the motorbike experience safely, ride as a passenger: on our scooter and female-rider tours a professional local rider does the driving and a helmet is provided. See our safety guide for the full picture.

Old Quarter tips

• Save your hotel’s name and address in your phone, in Vietnamese with accents, and pin it on a map.
• Narrow streets mean an app car may stop at the nearest corner; walking the last few metres is often quicker.
• At busy times around Hoan Kiem Lake, walk a block to a quieter street so your ride can reach you.
• Keep 10,000–50,000 VND notes handy for short rides, coffee and snacks – see money and tipping.
• At weekends the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake become a car-free walking zone from Friday evening to Sunday night.