Apartments for rent in Ba Đình (Ba Dinh), Hanoi

Ba Đình is the political centre of Vietnam, home to Ba Đình Square, the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly and most embassies. Around its landmarks are French-era villas, the lakeside neighbourhood of Trúc Bạch, an international school and an international clinic with a 24-hour emergency service.

Most government offices and embassies are here, and the area was once called the 'French Quarter' for its many French-style villas and government buildings. The Old Quarter and Hoàn Kiếm Lake lie immediately to the south-east.

In the north, Trúc Bạch Lake is separated from West Lake by Thanh Niên road. Around it are bookshop cafés, a craft-beer bar with lake views and bia hơi spots, and the Ngũ Xã peninsula, once a bronze-casting village, is known for phở cuốn (fresh rice-noodle rolls wrapped around beef and herbs).

Full apartments here suit couples, small families and people on corporate postings who need a separate bedroom, while studios suit single arrivals. The streets between Kim Mã, Đào Tấn and Linh Lang have been called Hanoi's Japanese quarter.

Homes here split between old and new. The collective estates of Giảng Võ, Thành Công and Ngọc Khánh are older blocks, some more than 50 years old, and all three are in Hanoi's redevelopment plans, so ask about a block's future and whether it has a lift, as well as about the flat. Newer buildings along the main roads have a lift, a management office and a service charge, and suit most families.

Landmarks

• Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long (Hoàng thành Thăng Long): UNESCO-listed citadel with the Đoan Môn gate, Kinh Thiên Palace foundations and the 1812 Flag Tower.
• Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum and Ba Đình Square: The mausoleum opens only on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. It closes for about two months each year for maintenance, and requires modest dress.
• One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột): A wooden shrine on a single stone pillar, first built in 1049 and restored in 1955.
• Trúc Bạch Lake (Hồ Trúc Bạch): A smaller lake beside West Lake, with the Ngũ Xã peninsula and lakeside cafés.
• Hữu Tiệp Lake B-52 wreckage: The remains of a B-52 bomber shot down during the Vietnam War, sitting in a small lake in the Ngọc Hà neighbourhood.

Shops, health and schools

• Supermarkets: Lotte Mart is in the basement of Lotte Center Hanoi at 54 Liễu Giai.
• Cafés and dining: Around Trúc Bạch Lake you will find bookshop cafés, a 19-tap craft-beer bar and bia hơi; Ngũ Xã is known for phở cuốn.
• Gyms and sport: The Ba Đình sports centre at 115 Quán Thánh has a 50-metre, nine-lane heated pool with indoor and outdoor areas and a separate children's pool.
• Healthcare: Family Medical Practice Hanoi, in the Vạn Phúc Diplomatic Compound at 298I Kim Mã, has a 24-hour emergency service, as well as general practice, paediatrics, specialists, vaccinations and ambulance services.
• International schools nearby: Hanoi International School (48 Liễu Giai) teaches the IB from pre-kindergarten to Grade 12, and Singapore International School has a campus in the Vạn Phúc Diplomatic Compound.

Getting around

• Thanh Niên road, between West Lake and Trúc Bạch Lake, links Ba Đình with Tây Hồ to the north.
• Hanoi Metro Line 3's underground section, with stations planned at Kim Mã and Cát Linh, is under construction and planned to open in late 2027. Line 2 (Nam Thăng Long – Trần Hưng Đạo), under construction since 9 October 2025 and planned to open in 2029, will have stations including Quán Ngựa and Bách Thảo.

Good to know

• Areas around Ba Đình Square and the mausoleum are formal state spaces. Inside the mausoleum, cameras, food and revealing clothing are not allowed, and visitors must stay silent.
• Roads around Ba Đình Square close for major state events and their rehearsals, sometimes over several days, as they did before the National Day parade on 2 September 2025.
• Most of Hanoi's embassies are in Ba Đình, as is the Vạn Phúc Diplomatic Compound, home to a clinic with a 24-hour emergency service and an international school campus.
• The Old Quarter and Hoàn Kiếm Lake are next door to the south-east, so central Hanoi is close.