But it's nice to get away from the crowds and explore sites that haven't been sprayed across the pages of every major guidebook and travel site in the world. 

We asked five Hanoi locals to share, in their own words, the best ways to mix it up and have the perfect day in the Vietnamese capital.  

Ha Anh Vu: Model, singer, TV personality

Don't be afraid to hit the streets and eat like the locals, says Ha Anh Vu, a Hanoi-based TV personality. I think it’s important that you explore the city at your own pace. You should wander down small alleys, sit in charming little cafes and don’t be afraid to try the food on the street, such as corn on the cob, juicy mango or young rice wrapped in lotus leaf -– simple things you can enjoy at very little cost. 

Hanoians don’t mind traveling to one specific alley for one dish. As a Hanoian, I love pho, of course, which was founded in Hanoi, and bun rieu, which is crab soup.

Mien luon, eel noodles and bun cha, pork patties with vermicelli and fried spring rolls, can be found everywhere in the city.

I love the fresh green bean and young rice ice cream on a stick from Kem Trang Tien, located on the street leading to the Opera House. But you have to eat it on the spot before it melts!

In the evening, people in Hanoi enjoy dressing up and getting together for a long dinner at a nice restaurant.

At sundown I like to go to the Sunset Bar that is right on the water at the Intercontinental Hanoi Westlake.

It’s a unique space that you don’t usually see in the big city. I also like the five-star eateries at the historical Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel and around Tay Ho there is Restaurant Bobby Chinn and El Gaucho steakhouse.

El Gaucho Steakhouse, 99 Xuan Dieu St., Tay Ho; +84 (0)4 3718 6991

Intercontinental Hanoi Westlake, 1A Nghi Tam, Tay Ho; +84 (0)4 6270 8888 

Kem Trang Tien, 35 Trang Tien, +84 (0)4 3824 0294

Restaurant Bobby Chinn, 77 Xuan Dieu St., Tay Ho District, +84 4 3 719 2460

Lilian Tran: Make-up and special effects artist

Young girls wear traditional conical hats and "ao dai" dresses in honor of a celebration at Hoan Kiem Lake, a popular hangout for locals. Summer is too hot, spring too rainy and winter is bitter and cold, but an autumn day in Hanoi is great.

The temperature is 18 to 25 degrees (65-77 F), cool with a light breeze and you can start your day by walking along old streets such as Phan Dinh Phung where the aroma of hoa sữa -- Alstonia flowers -- hangs thick in the air and shafts of sunlight filtering through the leaves cast dancing figures on the street.

Visit the quiet peaceful old citadel of Hanoi, right in the center of the city but far from the noisy over-crowded traffic and hurried life outside. It was only opened to the public after the excavation to renovate the National Assembly a few years ago.

Here you can relax or read a book while sipping a cup of coffee at Highlands Café, a famous local Vietnamese brand, right under the thousand-year-old flag tower.  

Visitors should try the famous Hanoi specialty cha ca -- fried fish with turmeric and dill and vermicelli noodles -- at Cha Ca Thang Long. It's a good local spot and much better than the Cha Ca La Vong listed in all the guidebooks.

At night time, start at Hoan Kiem Lake and wander the night market to find some cheap souvenirs and gifts; visit one of the dozens of small bars in Ta Hien or check out a local night club.

Taboo, a floating discotheque, is always packed.

Cha Ca Thang Long, 19-21-31 Duong Thanh, Hoan Kiem; +84 (0)4 3824 5115

Highlands Café, 28A Dien Bien Phu, Ba Dinh; +84 (0)4 3823 3339

Taboo, 4 Thuy Khue St., Tay Ho; +84 (0)4 3728 2996