Anyone who has ever visited Hanoi will probably tell you that it may be the most beautiful city in all of Asia. People have settled here along the Red River for a thousand years. Nestled along wooded boulevards among the city’s two dozen lakes you will find architectural souvenirs left by all who conquered this great valley, from the Chinese who first came in the last millennium to the French, booted out in our own century.

Area: 921 km2
Population: 3,145,300

Among Hanoi's sightseeing highlights are the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and museum, the National Art Museum, the grisly Hoa Lo prison (also known to Americans as the infamous Hanoi Hilton), and the Old Quarter, whose ancient winding streets are named after the individual trades practiced there. The Temple of Literature - the first University of Vietnam. Hanoi is also Vietnam's cultural center. The galleries, puppetry, music, and dance performances are worth staying at least a few days to take in. You might also want to use the city as a base for excursions to Halong Bay and Cat Ba island, to Cuc Phuong nature reserve, or north to Sapa.