The Hanoi Botanical Garden in the Tay Ho district is one of the older green spaces in the city, established during the French colonial period to cultivate tropical and subtropical plants brought from across Indochina and beyond. The garden occupies a large shaded plot between the Old Quarter and West Lake, with mature trees, a small lake, and plant collections that are more interesting for their age and the setting than for any horticultural ambition on the modern institution's part.
It is used primarily by local residents: parents with small children, elderly people walking in the shade, school groups on outings. On weekend mornings it fills with young couples and families who treat it as a park rather than a garden. The colonial-era French villa on the grounds adds to the atmosphere. Entry is inexpensive and the garden offers something relatively rare in central Hanoi: genuine quiet, shade, and a surface that is not pavement. If you're heading to or from West Lake or Tran Quoc Pagoda, the garden is a natural stopping point.