Hanoi. The name alone sings with Far Eastern sounds, beautiful aromas and the deep red of lanterns and the setting sun. The bustling and engaging Vietnamese capital is high on most independent traveller’s bucket lists but is a city so chaotic, crowded and cacophonous really a good place to holiday with toddlers?

I am going to say NO.  Hanoi with toddlers is not relaxing nor a good idea. It’s a crazy, noisy place and not the right environment for toddlers.  But I’m torn making that decision…  Torn because I absolutely love Hanoi. So torn that I’ve also written another post on how to make Hanoi with toddlers a positive experience.

Read on to find out why Hanoi Old Town was NOT suitable for my energetic toddlers… But also read my contradictory post on how Hanoi with toddlers could work. I know it’s contradictory, but Hanoi will always have a place in my heart and it is somewhere I will return to when H and Zizi are older.

A calm-looking street scene in Hanoi, normally it is much busier than this!

Why is Hanoi with toddlers so challenging?

I’m not going to slate Hanoi too much – I couldn’t, I wouldn’t – it’s a much-loved city of mine.

However on this visit (our first with children), we had H (he’s 4) he’s pretty sensible but likes to wind up his sister (to tears), walk miles ahead and he’s Energetic with a capital E. We also had Zizi (she’s 2) she’s super cute but she’s VERY independently-minded (hmm…. Stubborn!!) and like most two-year-olds like to run off and likes her own way – and nobody else’s! Put them together and they’re two children who aren’t shy at coming forward (yay! I did something right) but they are also not quiet, perfectly-behaved or sensitive to each other’s needs. They’re typical toddlers/pre-schoolers. They’re awesome. They’re hard work. They were a nightmare in Hanoi – here’s why:

Unbelievably awful traffic

If you haven’t been to Hanoi, check out our video below to see how difficult it is to cross the road. The traffic in the Old Town is unbelievable by Western standards. The narrow roads are a stormy sea of motorbikes, pushbikes, hand carts, cars and lorries. To cross the road, you have to wade through a sea of ever-moving traffic with motorbikes swerving and cars tooting. With two young children, it felt like a nightmare.

Street Life

Ironically one of the things that most appeals to adults visiting Hanoi is one of the things that as a parent gave me near heart attacks when travelling in Hanoi with a toddler.

The hustle and bustle of traffic, people eating at tiny tables on the pavement (sidewalk), street hawkers selling …. Pavements are not only a place for businesses to set up but they are also unofficial motorbike parking spots. Rhino even had his head shaved at a barber’s set up on the pavement!

Our very first day Zizi decided to leg it around the corner from the hotel. A very scary moment indeed as I jumped over plastic stools, dodged parked motorbikes and manoeuvred around stall-owners to grab her just before she reached the road! The many pavement/sidewalk obstacles make Hanoi with toddlers extremely stressful.

Hanoi Old Town is not a stroller-friendly place and definitely not somewhere you want your toddler to run off!

The heat and the noise

All the traffic, hustle and bustle, the crowds, the incessant beeping and the fumes. That’s a lot for an adult traveller, let alone a toddler. We found that in Hanoi with toddlers (like in Bangkok) our sightseeing days were cut short by the sheer overwhelmingness of being in Vietnam.

This resulted in us having lots of siestas/relaxation time back at the apartment time. We also ended up taking taxis as a few minutes in air-con not breathing in fumes and out of the crowds were a welcome break for the whole family.

St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hanoi. Beautiful to look at but not so appealing to toddlers!

Unwanted attention

In SE Asia, our kids got a lot of attention from strangers, shopkeepers and waitresses.  There were photo calls everywhere we went. H, who is dirty blonde and blue-eyed, and will happily pose with anyone and everyone enjoyed it. Zizi is a feisty curly-haired brunette toddler and she was having none of it.

If people stopped us and asked for photos with our kids, I always encouraged my kids to answer for themselves. H would be right there doing kooky poses with his new best friends. Zizi, however, would give a very firm NO and give a very dirty look. A lot of the locals were taken aback by her confident, slightly aggressive attitude but we’re all about girl-power here at World for a Girl! #consent #nomeansno

Interested in a women’s view of life in modern Vietnam? Check out the superb Vietnamese Women’s Museum in central Hanoi. Read our review here.

H legging it across the bridge at Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

Alternatives to Hanoi with toddlers

Hue – although a busy city, the fabulous central Citadel offers some respite from the local crowds if not the tourist ones. There are some good accommodation options and most of the sights – the Tombs and Pagodas – are out of town making some awesome days out.

Hoi An– every traveller’s dream Vietnamese ‘city’ destination, Hoi An has been seriously changed by decades of tourism. The good news for families is that its popularity has turned it into a great family-friendly destination with cafes catering to children, pubs with playgrounds on the beach and a whole plethora of activities and experiences for older children.

Ninh Binh – the idyllic rice paddies and green karsts of rural Ninh Binh are the ideal antidote to the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.

Ninh Binh is a tranquil, relaxing place – perfect for toddlers chillout time

Welcome to the World for a Girl community

Have you been to Hanoi with toddlers? Do you have any family travel tips or advice about travelling to Hanoi with toddlers? We’d love to hear about your family travel experiences in Hanoi with toddlers. Thanks for reading.

Linking up for #fearlessfamtrav by Wandermust Family and TraveLynn Family