The Vietnamese capital ranked ninth among the world’s top cultural destinations, with Paris, Florence, and Edinburgh taking the top three spots. At the same time, Hanoi emerged as Asia’s leading representative, placed ahead of other major regional cities such as Beijing (11th), Jakarta (13th), and Delhi (14th).
According to Time Out, Hanoi is the cheapest city for art and culture on the list, with 82% of locals ranking it highly for affordability.
“Take its weekend walking streets – by far the most recommended of all the city’s cultural offerings in our survey – where the roads of the Old Quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake are cleared of traffic to make room for street performances, traditional dance and live music. Several mentions also went to the grand, neoclassical Hanoi Opera House, as well as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.”
Local writer Joey Gann was quoted in the magazine’s article on the list as saying: “In the Old Quarter, the group Dong Kinh Co Nhac breathes new life into ancient silk-stringed instruments, while across town at Hanoi Rock City, up-and-coming local bands command packed dancefloors. 100km south in the mountains of Mai Chau, the ‘rave in a cave’ Equation Festival, now in its seventh year, is increasingly garnering international attention. Hanoi’s fashion scene is just as dynamic – designers like Kilomet109 and Subtle Le Nguyen are transforming ethnic minority textiles into globally revered couture, drawing on centuries-old silk traditions.”
The list was compiled based on a global survey conducted by Time Out, gathering the views of 18,500 residents across various cities on their local cultural scenes. Each city was scored according to the quality and affordability of its cultural offerings. The top-scoring cities in each country made the longlist, after which Time Out’s culture editors selected their favourites.
In a separate recent Time Out survey, Nha Trang in the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa was named one of the world’s rising travel stars for summer 2025. Ranked 11th, it was praised as a stunning bay city with rich cultural traditions and a vibrant culinary scene./.