West Lake
West Lake
4
About
The largest lake n Hanoi is a popular spot for gathering, surrounded by many shops, restaurants, gardens, and hotels. It features the Trấn Quốc Pagoda, Vietnamese for "Stabilizing the Nation."
Duration: 1-2 hours
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We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
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3,673 within 5 kms
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291 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
- Loretta M29 contributionsWorth riding a bicycle around West Lake👍Enjoyed our bike ride around West Lake. It was a good challenge and best done clockwise around the lake to be on the lakeside side of the road. Rented bikes from Bike Plus 150,000d for two hours which included helmets. A nice change in activity from walking Old Quarter.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 15 October 2023
- Monika K66 contributionsCould be beautiful if cleanedUnfortunately, slightly disappointed with the lake. There is a nice coffee shop and nice pagoda but other than that- lake is very dirty and crowded. As previous comments mentioned a lot of dead fish and plastic trash floating.Visited December 2023Travelled soloWritten 7 December 2023
- Tom M1 contributionA lakeside picnic and bike rideWe rented bicycles and explored the scenic West Lake (Ho Tay). The fresh air and serene atmosphere were perfect for a romantic picnic. We found a quiet spot by the lake and enjoyed delicious street food while taking in the beautiful scenery.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 21 April 2024
- Sofia1 contributionDirty water, unimpressive scenery.Renting bikes around West Lake was a disappointment. The water was dirty, the air wasn't fresh, and the scenery was pretty boring. We couldn't find a decent spot for our picnic, so ended up eating street food back at our hotel.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 21 April 2024
- Dimitris LSydney, Australia51,768 contributionsA lake with viewsWest Lake is a nice area to walk around and enjoy the scenery. There are many sellers selling all kinds of things in the area and many tourists as well. The water however is not something one would admire.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 21 May 2024
- Your Travel Buddy SGSingapore, Singapore32,202 contributionsLargest lake in HanoiThe biggest freshwater lake in Hanoi. Many hotels and restaurants are located around this lake. We dined at the eastern and oriental tea house which overlooked the west lake from where we were sitting at the cafe. We even went closer to the lake to take more beautiful pictures. Many sites around the lake for picture taking.Visited June 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 19 June 2024
- John LFullerton, California140 contributionsWalk is interesting but be careful.You can walk around the lake, which more than 17km. It takes 3-4 hours of walking. Some areas are well planted but others are not. You will walk across some lotus patches, restaurants, schools, cafes, parks etc.. in the summer time lots of dead fishes and it emits bad odor, the water is polluted year round but you still see people swimming in it and fishing even signs everywhere prohibited.Visited July 2024Travelled soloWritten 29 July 2024
- Michelle MSingapore, Singapore3 contributionsEnjoy the lake viewI found a nice spot for people who love cycling in Hanoi. I could rent a bicycle for $2 and pedal around the serene lake for 3 hours. It was magical, especially at sunset. After cycling, I stopped at a charming coffee shop along the lakeside for a delicious cup of coffee with a stunning view. It's the perfect way to unwind and immerse yourself in the beauty of West Lake.Visited July 2024Travelled soloWritten 9 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.0
1,811 reviews
Excellent
565
Very good
737
Average
394
Poor
89
Terrible
26
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Loretta M
Neutral bay29 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Enjoyed our bike ride around West Lake. It was a good challenge and best done clockwise around the lake to be on the lakeside side of the road. Rented bikes from Bike Plus 150,000d for two hours which included helmets. A nice change in activity from walking Old Quarter.
Written 15 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OHKSO
Hyogo Prefecture, Japan110,163 contributions
July 2024 • Couples
This time, we took an open-top bus around the city centre to and from Thanh Nien Street, which divides it from Checkback Lake. Despite the size of Westlake from the bus's 2nd floor window, it was a quiet surface because it was not the ocean. Also, Thanh Nien Street seemed to function as a walking course.
Automatically translated
Written 24 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travelove58
15,633 contributions
Sept 2022 • Family
This is basically just a very normal lake, just as in many places all over the world, with the usual activities people do around & along it. And the usual street seller selling their stuff. Nothing special.
Visit only if you have time to spare
Visit only if you have time to spare
Written 13 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ali921
Edinburgh, UK1,541 contributions
Nov 2022
West Lake itself is not historic in itself. It's probably too large for most people to walk around as well. A lot of the locals just sit down on chairs and look at the view. It's visited mainly because of Tran Quoc pagoda which sits within it. Alongside is another lake Ho Truc Bach - more famous because Senator John McCain was shot down into that lake
Written 29 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leonhkny
Hong Kong, China22,336 contributions
Jan 2023
This is one of the very few options to escape the crowd in Hanoi. West Lake is a vast waterfront area offering a relaxing, peaceful atmosphere as well as some precious open spaces for a stroll. Good to take a rest when traffic of the Vietnamese capital becomes unbearable.
Written 15 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Soko37
Budapest, Hungary13,753 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
Dominant of Hanoi, neighbouring with Truc Back smaller lake, pagoda or governmental attraction very close near by. Nice to walk around almost in any weather. We walked around a bit and being lucky to have low temperature slightly above twenty degrees. We did walk only part close to another small lake as this is very big one
Written 8 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dragonflyazul
Eatontown, NJ123 contributions
Dec 2023 • Friends
This is a very big lake , lake is very polluted and full of dead fish. Lake smell and dirty Not worth the visit. The area around the lake is also not very attractive , the road is dirty very hard to walk around, cause of motorbikes blocking footpath. NOT a tourist attraction.
Written 11 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gon Freeces
Hanoi, Vietnam85 contributions
Oct 2022 • Family
The neighborhood consists of some of the best attractions in Hanoi. There are several spots where you can get a great view of sunrise and sunset. Bars, pubs and some restaurants serving the best Vietnamese foods and drinks. Streets are clean. That’s why some 5 star hotels are located here.
Written 2 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wombatdavid
Hobart, Australia2,749 contributions
Nov 2022
We enjoyed a walk up to the lake from the Old Quarter. It is a bit dirty and the air was very polluted. But we walked around some of the lake and saw the pagoda. A nice spot in Hanoi if they could just clean up somewhat…
Written 6 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tom M
1 contribution
Apr 2024 • Couples
We rented bicycles and explored the scenic West Lake (Ho Tay). The fresh air and serene atmosphere were perfect for a romantic picnic. We found a quiet spot by the lake and enjoyed delicious street food while taking in the beautiful scenery.
Written 21 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Veo q en el lago cerca de la pagoda se ven muchos recipientes de cerámica semihundidos o hundidos que parecen ofrendas, ¿qué son?gracias
Written 16 March 2023
Would like to visit West lake while in Hanoi. May I know what's the attraction there? Are we able to take a Grab from Old quarters to the West lake?
Written 28 October 2019
Yes. Grab is all over Hanoi
Written 4 December 2019
si quiere visitar a hanoi?????, el lago espalda, el mausoleo de Hcm, el templo de la literatura,la pagoda de tran quoc, contame ,yo sé hablar español.yo puedo ayudarte. gratis
Written 7 November 2016
Hi, yes they are all sighted around the lake. It's a lovely area to visit and if you're particularly interested there are tours which we found very useful.
Written 3 August 2017
Hi, would anyone know where i can board the electric car around westlake area? Many thks!
Written 19 February 2016
For me, I prefer to rent a bike or take a cyclo(about 5 USD/ hour) to go around the lake. This season, the weather is good for walking as well. There is a nice flower market near by West Lake I've always loved to visit. Good luck!
Written 20 February 2016
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