Unlike many sports, cycling does not require extensive skills or peak physical condition. As light, low-impact exercise, cycling engages all major muscle groups, causing less stress and fewer injuries than other activities. Riding a bike allows you to see much more than you would from inside a car. It’s also more refreshing than walking. Bicycles offer easy parking and the freedom to go almost anywhere. On a bike, life seems to slow down, allowing you to notice everything around you—even an old door or a moss-covered wall with a story to tell. You can feel the sunlight, smell the warmth in the air, and experience the delightful chaos or surprising tranquility of hidden corners.

Whether you are visiting the thousand-year-old capital or live there, cycling around West Lake offers valuable experiences. Both fitness enthusiasts and more relaxed riders enjoy this moderately challenging route, which extends for 17-18km and allows many stops to admire the sunrise or sunset while savoring famous Hanoi delicacies like snails steamed with medicinal herbs, snail noodle soup, and West Lake shrimp cakes. Be sure to sample a cup of refreshing lotus tea, made from flowers harvested early in the morning from the last remaining lotus ponds in the area. Quang An Street, lined with eateries serving international fare like Italian pizza, Japanese matcha, Argentine mate tea, and French wine, was also highlighted by Timeout magazine on its list of the world’s most beautiful streets in 2024.