In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Walking the 1.7-kilometre perimeter of Hoan Kiem Lake is free day and night. Visiting Ngoc Son Temple (Den Ngoc Son) on Jade Island costs 50,000 VND, open daily 07:00 to 18:00 (confirmed by Hanoi authorities at hanoi.gov.vn). The ticket covers The Huc Bridge, the temple altars and the preserved 250-kilogram giant softshell turtle. From Friday 19:00 to Sunday midnight the roads round the lake close to traffic and fill with musicians, folk games and families. Or book a tour: when you want an expert local guide to recount the turtle legend, Taoist shrines and French Quarter history, the Hanoi City Highlights Walking Tourad (from VND 699,800, 5 stars from 206 reviews) begins around Hoan Kiem Lake.
Hoan Kiem Lake (Ho Hoan Kiem), or the “Lake of the Returned Sword”, is the geographic, emotional, and mythological centre of Hanoi. Separating the traditional guild lanes of the Old Quarter from the wide boulevards of the French Quarter, its willow-draped waters form the public living room of the capital.
At its northern end, joined to the shore by a brilliant vermilion wooden bridge, lies Ngoc Son Temple (Den Ngoc Son), an 18th-century island sanctuary dedicated to national heroes and scholars. Municipal notices, weekend festival schedules, and lake conservation guidelines are published on hanoi.gov.vn and vietnam.travel.
Admission prices and opening times
Walking the lakeside pathways, relaxing on stone benches, and photographing Turtle Tower are entirely free at any hour of the day.
| Site component | Opening hours | Admission fee | Key details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoan Kiem Lake perimeter | Open 24/7 | Free | 1.7-km shaded walking circuit with weeping willows and gardens |
| Ngoc Son Temple & The Huc Bridge | Daily 07:00 to 18:00 | 50,000 VND | Covers bridge crossing, temple shrines, and preserved turtle exhibit (hanoi.gov.vn) |
| Weekend pedestrian zone | Fri 19:00 to Sun 24:00 | Free | Motorized vehicles banned; street games, buskers, and family walks |
The ticket booth is located to the left of the stone gateposts before crossing The Huc Bridge. Payment is accepted in cash (VND).
Tours and guided lakeside walks
Strolling the lake and paying 50,000 VND to cross into Ngoc Son Temple is straightforward on your own. Guided walking tours add deep mythological context, historic folk stories, and seamless transitions into the surrounding Old Quarter trade streets.
Hanoi city highlights walking tour
From VND 699,800 · 5 stars from 206 reviews · 4.5 to 5 hours · Hoan Kiem, Ngoc Son & Old Quarter
Hanoi City Highlights Walking Tour – Landmarks & Historyad: starts on the shores of Hoan Kiem Lake, visiting Ngoc Son Temple with an expert licensed guide before continuing through the French Quarter and onward to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.
Guided street food tour with Train Street visit
From VND 493,600 · 4.9 stars from 8,586 reviews · 3 to 4 hours · lakeside walk and street food alleys
Hanoi: Guided Food Tour with Train Street Visitad: pairs the northern lakeside promenade with stops for banh mi, bun cha, egg coffee, and a guided visit to Train Street with an Old Quarter food insider.
Thang Long water puppet show tickets
From VND 177,600 · 4.6 stars from 9,881 reviews · 50 minutes · lakeside theatre seats
Hanoi: Water Puppet Show Ticketsad: pre-booked seats delivered to your hotel for the classic folk theatre situated right on the northeast bank of Hoan Kiem Lake.
Official ticket or tour: the prices side by side
Independent entry versus guided walks.
| Option | Official admission | Tour cost | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside promenade | Free | — | 24-hour access to walking path, park benches, and weekend street games |
| Ngoc Son Temple ticket | 50,000 VND | — | Entry across The Huc Bridge to Jade Island shrines and giant turtle |
| Water puppet theatre seat | 100,000–200,000 VND | — | Box office performance ticket at 57B Dinh Tien Hoang |
| Water puppet ticket with delivery | — | From VND 177,600 | Pre-reserved theatre ticket delivered to your hotel |
| Street food walking tour | Tastings included | From VND 493,600 | 3-hour food tasting through Old Quarter streets |
| City highlights walking tour | Admissions included | From VND 699,800 | 4.5-hour tour covering Hoan Kiem, Ngoc Son, Citadel, and Ba Dinh |
The legend of the returned sword
In the early 15th century, Vietnam groaned under the occupation of the Chinese Ming Dynasty. A country landowner named Le Loi launched the Lam Son uprising to reclaim national independence.
In folk legend, a fisherman pulled a glowing iron sword blade from his river net, which was presented to Le Loi. Later, Le Loi discovered a carved hilt hidden in a banyan tree that matched the blade. Emblazoned with the words Thuan Thien (“Heaven’s Will”), this magical sword endowed Le Loi with strength, enabling him to rout the Ming armies and crown himself emperor in 1428.
One year later, while Emperor Le Loi was boating upon the waters of Ta Vong Lake, a colossal Golden Turtle (Kim Qui) broke the surface. The turtle spoke with a human voice, asking for the sword to be returned to the underwater Dragon King (Long Vuong). Le Loi drew the divine weapon, which flew from his hands directly into the turtle’s beak. The creature submerged beneath the waves, and the emperor renamed the waters Ho Hoan Kiem (“Lake of the Returned Sword”).
Key landmarks around the lake
A circuit around the lake reveals historic architecture, tranquil gardens, and spiritual monuments:
1. The Huc Bridge (Cau The Huc)
Connecting the eastern lakeshore to Jade Island (Dao Ngoc), this graceful 15-arch scarlet wooden bridge was erected in 1865 by Confucian scholar Nguyen Van Sieu. Its poetic name translates as “Bridge of the Rising Sun”, capturing the warm morning sunlight reflecting against its red railings.
2. Pen Tower (Thap But) and Ink Slab (Dai Nghien)
At the entrance approach to The Huc Bridge on the lakeshore stands Thap But, an octagonal ten-metre-high stone obelisk built upon an artificial earthen mound called Mount Ngoc Boi. The tip is carved in the shape of a classical Chinese calligraphy brush pointing to the sky, inscribed with three Chinese characters: Ta Thanh Thien (“Writing on the Blue Sky”), honouring intellectual scholarship.
Pen Tower. Photo: vi:User:Bdanh, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Just beneath the gateway sits Dai Nghien, an ink-stone slab supported on the backs of three carved stone frogs, positioned so that on the summer solstice, the shadow of the Pen Tower falls directly into the stone reservoir.
3. Ngoc Son Temple (Den Ngoc Son)
Founded in the 18th century on Jade Island, this serene temple blends Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist traditions (Tam Giao Dong Nguyen):
- Dedicated to Tran Hung Dao, the celebrated 13th-century general who defeated Mongol naval invasions.
- Dedicated to Van Xuong De Quan, the patron deity of literature and civil examinations.
- Dedicated to La To, the Taoist master of medicine.
Ngoc Son Temple. Photo: Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Inside the rear pavilion rests the taxidermied specimen of a Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei). Retrieved from Hoan Kiem Lake in 1968, this specimen weighed 250 kilograms and measured over two metres in length. A second deceased specimen discovered in the lake in 2016 is also preserved here, confirming the biological reality of the lake giants.
4. Turtle Tower (Thap Rua)
Standing isolated upon a tiny natural island in the southern half of the lake, this three-tiered stone-and-brick tower was constructed in 1886 by a local mandarin named Nguyen Ngoc Kim. Though combining French Gothic archways with traditional Vietnamese curved eaves, it has become an emblem of Hanoi, bathed in warm golden floodlights every evening.
Turtle Tower, Hoan Kiem Lake. Photo: P. Hughes, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
The weekend pedestrian walking zone
Every weekend, from 19:00 on Friday evening to 24:00 on Sunday night, municipal authorities close the roads surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake to all motor traffic (hanoi.gov.vn).
The entire 1.7-kilometre loop transforms into an open-air pedestrian promenade:
- Traditional street games: Crowds of children and travellers gather on the tarmac to play traditional folk games like o an quan (mancala board games) and jump over whirling bamboo poles (nhay sap).
- Live music and arts: Independent buskers, acoustic quartets, traditional string ensembles playing dan bau, and breakdance crews perform at open crossroads.
- Portrait artists: Local sketch artists line the western tree perimeter, drawing charcoal portraits for 100,000 VND to 150,000 VND.
Early morning lake rituals
If you wake early between 05:30 and 07:00, the lake offers a view of local community life:
- Older residents practising slow movements of tai chi (duong sinh) and sword dances beside the water.
- Energetic groups of women dancing aerobic routines to upbeat music from portable speakers.
- Friendly amateur badminton matches played across chalk lines drawn directly onto the lakeside pavement.
Connecting with surrounding sights
Hoan Kiem Lake serves as the geographical hub for exploring central Hanoi:
- Water Puppetry: Exit Ngoc Son Temple and walk 100 metres north to attend a performance at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre.
- St. Joseph’s Cathedral: Head two blocks west along Hang Gai and Ly Quoc Su to reach St. Joseph’s Cathedral and surrounding cafes.
- Night Market and Dong Xuan: Walk straight north along Hang Dao to join the weekend night market and Dong Xuan Market.
- Coffee Break: Walk five minutes northeast into Dinh Liet street for a hot egg coffee; read our comprehensive guide to Hanoi egg coffee and cafe culture.
- Self-guided walks: Trace the complete perimeter and the guild quarter with our Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem walking route.
- Explore additional sights that cost nothing in our curated guide to free things to do in Hanoi.
Common questions
How much are tickets to Ngoc Son Temple in Hanoi?
Tickets to cross The Huc Bridge and enter Ngoc Son Temple cost 50,000 VND, bought at the bridge booth or verified via hanoi.gov.vn. Walking around the lake perimeter is free 24 hours a day.
What are the opening hours of Ngoc Son Temple?
Ngoc Son Temple is open daily from 07:00 to 18:00 (hanoi.gov.vn). The surrounding lake perimeter, park benches and promenade pathways are open to the public throughout the day and night.
What is the legend of Hoan Kiem Lake?
In the 15th century, rebel leader Le Loi used a magical sword named Thuan Thien (Heaven's Will) to expel Ming invaders and establish the Le Dynasty. While boating on the lake, a giant Golden Turtle (Kim Qui) surfaced and requested the sword's return to the Dragon King. Le Loi handed the weapon back, renaming the waters Hoan Kiem ('Lake of the Returned Sword').
What is The Huc Bridge?
The Huc Bridge (Bridge of the Rising Sun) is a 15-arch vermilion-painted wooden footbridge constructed in 1865 by scholar Nguyen Van Sieu, connecting the lake shore to Jade Island and Ngoc Son Temple.
When is the Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrian walking street open?
The roads circling Hoan Kiem Lake close to all motorized vehicles every weekend, from 19:00 on Friday through to 24:00 on Sunday, creating an open-air public festival with street musicians, folk games, and performers.
