The plane doors open and the heat gets in before you do. You left London in a coat. Twelve hours later you are on a plastic stool at a Hanoi crossroads with a glass of beer that cost 20p. Vietnam Airlines flies it non-stop from Heathrow, no layover, from £601 return.
✈️ The deal
- From: London, United Kingdom
- To: Hanoi, Vietnam
- Airline: Vietnam Airlines
- Stops: Non-stop
- Price: £601–£650 return
- When: November-December 2026
Example dates:
03/11/2026 – 26/11/2026
10/11/2026 – 10/12/2026
12/11/2026 – 26/11/2026
12/11/2026 – 10/12/2026
10/12/2026 – 24/12/2026
More London to Hanoi dates:
16/11/2026 – 20/12/2026
22/11/2026 – 20/12/2026
09/12/2026 – 25/12/2026
Check dates on Kiwi
💰 How far does your money go?
The flight is the only big number in this trip. A glass of bia hoi, brewed that morning and poured on Ta Hien street, costs about 20p. A bowl of pho is £1.50. A banh mi from a pavement cart is under £1. An egg coffee, the thick Hanoi kind, runs about £1.10. The famous bun cha set, grilled pork, noodles and a Bia Hanoi, comes to around £5. One pint in a London pub now averages £6.55. In Hanoi that same money is a full day of eating and drinking with change to spare.
☀️ The weather
Hanoi in November is about as good as it gets: warm and dry, around 26°C by day and 18°C after dark. By December it cools to a comfortable 21°C, with the odd grey morning and some light drizzle. Rain is infrequent through both months, so the streets stay walkable and the day trips stay on schedule. Pack light clothes and one layer for the evening.
🏨 Where to stay
Old Quarter for the chaos, quieter streets a few minutes out.
Rex Hanoi · 8.8/10 · from £40/night Rooftop pool above the Old Quarter, breakfast included, a short walk to Hoan Kiem Lake.
Essence Hanoi Hotel & Spa · 8.9/10 · from £55/night Small, well run and dead central, with free spa treatments on stays of three nights or more.
Hanoi La Siesta Trendy Hotel & Spa · 9.1/10 · from £75/night Polished rooms on Hang Be street with a rooftop bar, one of the highest-rated addresses in the centre.
🎯 What to do
Coffee, lake, water puppets, then a boat.
Hoan Kiem Lake at dawn: The city's living room. Locals do tai chi and badminton before the traffic wakes up. Cross the red bridge to Ngoc Son Temple.
The Old Quarter on foot: Thirty-six streets, each named after the trade it once sold. Get lost on purpose. Stop for egg coffee at Giang Cafe, the place that invented it.
Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre: Puppets on water with live folk musicians, a tradition that started in the flooded rice paddies. Book a seat in the front section.
An overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay: Limestone towers rising straight out of the sea, kayaking and a night on the water. Around a 2.5 hour transfer from Hanoi.
🗺️ Where to go from here
Hanoi is the base camp for northern Vietnam, not the whole trip.
Ninh Binh: Rice fields and limestone karsts you row through by sampan. Under two hours south by train or bus.
Ha Long Bay: The classic seascape, best as a one or two night cruise. About 2.5 hours by road.
Sapa: Rice terraces and hill-tribe villages near the Chinese border. Five to six hours by night train or bus, better as an overnighter.
Mai Chau: A quiet valley of stilt houses and homestays, the calm version of Sapa. Around three hours by road.
Cat Ba Island: Gateway to the quieter Lan Ha Bay, with hiking and climbing. Roughly three hours including the ferry.
A non-stop to Vietnam under £650 does not hang around. Lock in your dates and go.
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