Hanoi Metro Guide: Lines, Fares & Is It Worth Riding?

Featured image: Tttrung, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Quick answer: does Hanoi have a metro?

Yes, Hanoi has a metro, and two lines carry passengers. Line 2A opened on 6 November 2021 between Cat Linh and Yen Nghia. Line 3 opened its first elevated section, Nhon to Cau Giay, on 8 August 2024. Neither line stops at Hoan Kiem Lake or inside the Old Quarter. For most trips in the center, Grab or a taxi is still quicker door to door. Our overview of Hanoi's other transport options compares every mode.

Hanoi metro lines at a glance

Line 2A is fully elevated, about 13.05 km long, with 12 stations. An end-to-end ride takes roughly 23 minutes. Four-car trains run between Cat Linh Station in Dong Da District and Yen Nghia Station in Ha Dong District. Planners designed Line 3 as a 12.5 km route from Nhon to Hanoi Railway Station. Only the elevated section, about 8 km with eight stations, carries passengers today. The remaining underground link is still being built. Stations run in the order below from the Cat Linh end.

• Cat Linh
• La Thanh
• Thai Ha
• Lang
• Thuong Dinh
• Vanh Dai 3
• Phung Khoang
• Van Quan
• Ha Dong
• La Khe
• Van Khe
• Yen Nghia

Is the Hanoi metro worth it for visitors?

Dong Da, Thanh Xuan and Ha Dong are the districts Line 2A serves, and all sit outside the Old Quarter. Cat Linh Station is the useful end for visitors because it is close to the Temple of Literature. Riders get an elevated view over the city for ₫8,000 to ₫15,000. Ridership reached 10.7 million in 2023, so locals clearly use it. One family reported saving ₫16 million a month after moving to the suburbs and commuting by metro. Anyone sleeping in Ha Dong or near Nhon gets a real daily benefit. Everyone else should treat a ride as a short sightseeing add-on.

• Ride it: you are staying in Ha Dong, Thanh Xuan or near Nhon.
• Ride it: you want a 23-minute elevated trip from Cat Linh to Yen Nghia.
• Ride it: you follow rail systems and want to tick off both lines.
• Skip it: your hotel is in the Old Quarter and you are heading to Hoan Kiem Lake.
• Skip it: you need the airport, or a return trip after 10:00 PM.

How to ride: tickets, payment and gates

Prices and hours checked November 2026; confirm them on the operator's official site before you travel. Single rides on Line 2A cost ₫8,000 to ₫15,000. Day tickets cost ₫30,000. Monthly passes run ₫100,000 to ₫200,000. Buy tickets from vending machines or staffed counters, where cash works. Counters also sell day and monthly tickets. Ask staff about card or QR payment. Fares and hours for Line 3 are published separately, so do not assume they match Line 2A. Step-free access is available for passengers with disabilities.

• 1. Enter the station and buy a ticket at a machine or counter.
• 2. Pass through the gate.
• 3. Wait behind the safety line on the platform.
• 4. Board and follow the announcements.
• 5. Keep your ticket for the exit gate.

Operating hours and best times to ride

Line 2A is listed as running from 5:30 AM to 10:00 PM. Trains arrive every 6 minutes at peak and every 10 minutes otherwise. Peak windows are 7:00–8:30 AM and 4:30–6:00 PM. Ride mid-morning or early afternoon for a seat. Board near 6:00 AM for a view of the city waking up. Event nights break these patterns. After the second rehearsal for the 80th National Day parade in August 2025, thousands packed Cat Linh–Ha Dong trains, and delays were long. For the parade itself, both lines ran nonstop from 00:00 on 1 September to 3:10 a.m. on 2 September. In February 2025, a power outage halted one train for nearly 20 minutes, and passengers were refunded. Allow buffer time if a flight or train depends on the metro.

Hanoi metro vs Grab vs bus

Metro travel wins on predictability inside its own corridor. Grab wins when your start and end points sit off the lines. Buses can fill gaps if you already know a route. Pick the metro when both ends of your trip are a short walk from a station. Take Grab with luggage, after 10:00 PM or in heavy rain. Use a bus only for cross-town routes the metro skips. Our guide to booking Grab in Hanoi covers pickups and fares.

Getting to and from the stations

From the Old Quarter or Hoan Kiem, Cat Linh is the station to aim for. Book a Grab to Cat Linh, then ride toward Ha Dong. Hanoi Railway Station is not on the metro yet. Its underground section is still under construction. Mud surged from a tunnel into a Ba Dinh alley in September 2025, a sign that work continues. Use Hanoi Railway Station transfers for the actual connection. Cau Giay is the current end of Line 3, so you cannot ride on toward the center. Progress on that line is reported by the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board. Noi Bai Airport has no metro either. Read airport transfer options for the Old Quarter run.

Hanoi metro and Train Street are not the same

Train Street is a different thing entirely. Its trains run on the mainline network, not the metro. Metro timetables do not apply there. Ask your hotel for current access rules before you go.

Future lines and what is still under construction

Work on Line 3 continues toward Hanoi Railway Station, with about 4 km and four stations still underground. Opening dates have slipped repeatedly, so treat any date as a plan. Hanoi's Line 5 will run about 40 km from Van Cao Street to Hoa Lac. Work began in December 2025. Separately, the Hanoi People's Committee plans to restrict some private vehicles on selected streets from 2035. Vingroup has ordered trains from Alstom under a deal for 200 trains for five new lines. Build no 2026 itinerary around any of them.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most metro mistakes come from assumptions about where the lines go. Check this list before you leave your hotel.

• Assuming the metro reaches Noi Bai Airport. It does not.
• Expecting a stop at Hoan Kiem Lake or inside the Old Quarter.
• Planning to ride Line 3 to Hanoi Railway Station. Service ends at Cau Giay today.
• Boarding with luggage at 7:00–8:30 AM or 4:30–6:00 PM.
• Assuming one ticket covers both lines. Ask at the counter.
• Confusing the metro with Train Street.