West Lake

NKSTTSSHNVN · CC BY-SA 4.0

Hanoi's largest lake — nearly eighteen kilometres around, and a different sunset every evening.

West Lake is wide enough that from one shore you cannot make out the other, and the road around it runs nearly eighteen kilometres — a full afternoon's cycling. It is an old meander of the Red River, left behind when the current shifted, which is why its shape is lopsided rather than round. Different layers of Hanoi sit side by side around it: Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple at the southern corner, the flower villages of Nghi Tam and Quang Ba to the north-east, and the bars and expatriate quarter of Tay Ho to the west. Late in the day the whole city comes out to sit along the shore, and the sheer width of water makes sunset here unlike anywhere else in the city.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit West Lake?

September to November, late afternoon

How long do you need at West Lake?

2 - 3 hours

What are the opening hours of West Lake?

All day

Did you know

It is the largest freshwater lake in Hanoi, with a shore road of roughly 18km.
The lake is an old meander of the Red River, cut off when the river changed course.
Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple and the Nghi Tam and Quang Ba flower villages ring the lake.
The Tay Ho district on the western shore is where much of Hanoi's expatriate community lives.

Travel tips

Rent a bicycle and ride the full loop early in the morning, before the heat.
Thanh Nien road, running between West Lake and Truc Bach, is the classic sunset spot.

Source: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1187394

Updated: 2026-08-16