Hanoi

A thousand-year-old capital of lakes, tree-lined boulevards and narrow guild streets, where life spills onto the pavement from first light. Most journeys through northern Vietnam begin here, before heading to Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh or the mountains of Sa Pa.

With a private guide, Hanoi is at its best on foot and at street level: breakfast pho, the Temple of Literature, quiet pagodas and an evening of local food.