Hanoi eSIM: online from Noi Bai to the Old Quarter

Hanoi runs on maps, messages and the metro line 2A. With the eSIM on from Noi Bai, the first ride into the Old Quarter is a tap away.

Metro line 2A
Cyclos in the Old Quarter
Misty winters

Illustration: a traveller walks an Old Quarter lane in Hanoi, tube houses and scooters under crossing cables.

The short answer

A Hanoi eSIM installed at home works once the line is switched on and data roaming is on for it. Noi Bai International (HAN) is one of Vietnam's three main gateways, the metro's line 2A runs between Cat Linh and Ha Dong until 22:00, and the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake sit at the centre of the city.

Checked October 2, 2026

Where the signal holds

4G and 5G
Vietnam's four networks
Viettel, VinaPhone, MobiFone and Vietnamobile all run 4G mobile services, and Viettel, VinaPhone and MobiFone list 5G as well.
Not measured
Inside the old houses
We have not measured signal inside the Old Quarter's houses, the temples or the museums. Download tickets and a map before you go in.
Data roaming on
Your eSIM
The eSIM runs on a Vietnamese network and shows that network's name in your phone's settings. Turn data roaming on for the eSIM line.

Practical notes

Getting thereNoi Bai International (HAN) is one of Vietnam's three main gateways, with Express bus 86 to Hanoi Railway Station and Express bus 68 to Ha Dong, both every 45 minutes.
Getting aroundThe metro's line 2A runs between Cat Linh and Ha Dong, from 05:30 to 22:00. Cyclos take you through the Old Quarter, and taxis cover the longer hops.
PayingThe currency is the Vietnamese dong. You must declare cash over 15 million dong or 5,000 US dollars when you arrive.
When to goApril to June and September to December are the clear stretches; June to August is hot and rainy, and late December to March is cool and misty, with lows around 10 °C.

Before you go (Hanoi)

Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi and keep the line switched off until you land. Download offline maps and your tickets while you still have Wi-Fi, in case a temple or a museum has no signal. On arrival, switch the eSIM line on, choose it for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line only.

The plan for this trip

Illustration: a hand holds a phone showing a QR code beside a lotus flower and a small globe.

15 days · 5 GB a day · US$8.88

Tax included. The plan names its Vietnamese network, and whether it has calls or a number, before you pay.

Buy on VietSIM

Questions

Does a Hanoi eSIM work across the city?

It connects wherever its Vietnamese network has signal, which covers the centre and the main sights. We have not measured signal inside the old houses or museums, so download tickets and a map before you go in.