Time difference North

+ 6 hours in winter and + 5 hours in summer compared with France. This is the same time zone as for Bangkok or Jakarta (in universal time, GMT + 7).

Opening hours North

To see / To do North

Opening times vary widely. Museums are generally open between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and some close at lunchtime. Many sites (pagodas, temples...) are not strictly speaking tourist attractions. They welcome visitors, but have a life of their own that must be respected.

Enjoying yourself North

Breakfast, lunch, dinner. As in France, three meals a day, but at different times. Breakfast is often eaten at dawn. In the street, between 6 and 7 a.m., the Vietnamese savor pho, or at home, glutinous rice(soi), accompanied by salt and sesame. Tourist establishments generally offer Western breakfasts. Lunch is served around 11 or 11.30 a.m. Restaurants are generally open until 2pm. In the evening, the Vietnamese dine around 6:30pm (a little later in town). Establishments close relatively early, around 9:30-10pm.

Take a break North

Café opening hours are similar to those of other businesses, i.e. they depend on the mood of the owner. They are busier in the afternoon and evening than in the morning. Generally open 7 days a week, closing around 10pm.

(To) please yourself North

Business opening hours vary widely. Opening hours are not institutionalized like in Europe. Shops open in the morning and close in the evening, around 7pm or later in the big cities. Stores very rarely close on Sundays, and the only days they are closed during the year are those following the Têt (New Year) holiday, when the whole country takes a short annual break.

Get out North

Vietnam is an authoritarian country and not known for its wild nights. But with the influx of tourists, things are gradually changing. In Hanoi, evenings can now be extended, at least in some establishments. Officially, a curfew is still in force, and at 12:30 a.m., everyone is expected to return to the arms of Morpheus. The choice of establishments is very limited, and party-goers are discreet when they transgress the midnight permission.