If you want to spend a morning on the east bank of the Red River by motorbike, Gia Lâm offers an easy plan to follow: Bát Tràng pottery village with its museum, pottery workshops and ceramics market, plus the gold-leaf village of Kiêu Kỵ if you have time to spare. According to Vietnam’s official tourism website, Vietnam Travel, Bát Tràng is a pottery village more than 700 years old, set beside the Red River about 14 km from central Hanoi. This guide suggests a timetable, the order of stops, an alternative built around Phù Đổng temple and how to carry your pottery home safely.
The plan builds on two more detailed guides: riding to Gia Lâm by motorbike and where to park in Gia Lâm. If you have never ridden on a dyke road before, read those first.
The half-day plan at a glance
Table of contents23
| Suggested time | Stop | What you do | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Around 7:45 | Leave the Old Quarter | Check the bike, cross Vĩnh Tuy or Chương Dương bridge, follow the dyke road | 35–50 minutes depending on traffic |
| 8:30–9:30 | Bát Tràng Pottery Museum | Learn about the village’s history and its ceramic styles | About 60 minutes |
| 9:30–10:30 | Pottery workshop | Make your own piece with a potter’s guidance | About 60 minutes |
| 10:30–11:15 | Ceramics market | Browse and buy tableware and decorative pieces | About 45 minutes |
| 11:15–11:45 | Vạn Vân ancient house and village lanes | Walk among old buildings | About 30 minutes |
| From 12:00 | Lunch and ride back | Strap down your pottery, ride slowly on the dyke | Flexible |
Treat the times as a guide. Opening hours at the museum and workshops can change, so check before you go and allow 15–20 minutes of buffer for each leg.
What to know before you go
Hanoi abolished its district level in 2025. “Gia Lâm” is still the everyday name for the area east of the Red River, but when you enter a destination in your map app, use a specific name such as “Bát Tràng Pottery Museum” or “Bát Tràng ceramics market” so you are guided to the right spot.
A weekday morning is the most comfortable time to go. The dyke road is quieter, the workshops are just opening and the market is not yet crowded. At weekends Bát Tràng often receives tour groups and families with young children who come to try pottery, so allow extra time for parking and for queuing at the workshops.
Most of the ride follows the Red River dyke road: scenic, but narrow and shared with trucks. If you are not used to it, ride in daylight and dry weather.
The itinerary step by step
Leaving the Old Quarter (around 7:45)
Check tyres, brakes, lights, horn and fuel before setting off. If you are on a rental, our guide to checking the fuel level at pickup helps you decide how much to add; fill up before crossing the river, as there are few petrol stations on the dyke. The usual route crosses Vĩnh Tuy or Chương Dương bridge and then joins the dyke road heading south-east; our guide on riding to Bát Tràng pottery village goes into detail.
Bát Tràng Pottery Museum (8:30–9:30)
Vietnam Travel describes the Bát Tràng Pottery Museum as a six-storey building whose shape recalls a potter’s wheel, covering the history of the village, its traditional wares and contemporary ceramic art. Arriving early lets you look around in peace before the tour groups arrive. Leave your bike at an attended parking point near the museum, keep the ticket and photograph it with your number plate.
Pottery workshop (9:30–10:30)
This is the highlight for many visitors. According to Vietnam Travel, you can make your own ceramic piece with help from local artisans, and the finished piece is dried so you can take it home. Ask the workshop beforehand about timing, cost and how you receive your piece: some hand over the dried piece the same day, while others need time to fire it if you want a finished item. Wear clothes that wash easily and bring wet wipes.
Ceramics market (10:30–11:15)
The ceramics market is a short walk from the village, with stalls selling household items, decorative pieces, ceramic pictures and items for worship, according to Vietnam Travel. Compare a few stalls before buying and check the glaze, the base and any hairline cracks. We do not quote prices here because they vary from stall to stall. If you buy several pieces, ask the seller to wrap them well for the ride home.
Vạn Vân ancient house and village lanes (11:15–11:45)
Vietnam Travel mentions the Vạn Vân ancient house, a wooden house around 200 years old regarded as an architectural masterpiece of the village. Walking through the narrow lanes you will see old walls, former kilns and the everyday rhythm of a working craft village. Many houses are family homes, so ask before entering and respect a polite no.
Lunch and the ride back (from 12:00)
There are plenty of places to eat around the market. Vietnam Travel mentions canh măng mực, a bamboo-shoot and squid soup, as a speciality of the village traditionally served on important occasions. After lunch, strap your pottery firmly to the bike, collect it and ride back along the dyke. The middle of the day is usually easier than the late-afternoon rush, so it is a good time to return to the Old Quarter.
Ways to adapt the plan
Add Kiêu Kỵ: if you would like to see a different craft, shorten your time at the market and continue to Kiêu Kỵ, the gold- and silver-leaf village. According to Báo Pháp luật Việt Nam (25 June 2021), the craft is more than 300 years old and has been recognised as national intangible cultural heritage. Many workshops are homes, so ask before you look inside.
Swap in Phù Đổng temple: if you prefer historic sites to craft villages, spend the morning at the Phù Đổng temple complex, linked to the legend of Saint Gióng. According to Báo Văn hóa (5 May 2025), it is a special national relic site, and the Gióng festival at Phù Đổng and Sóc temples was inscribed by UNESCO in 2010. It gets very busy in festival season, so go early.
Afternoon version: leave around 13:30, skip either the museum or the workshop depending on your interests, and head home before 17:00 to avoid queues on the bridges.
With children: prioritise the pottery workshop and shorten the market. Do not load up on purchases if a child is riding behind you.
Carrying pottery home safely
Ceramics are heavy and fragile. Ask the shop to wrap them in paper, foam or a cardboard box, place heavy items in the middle close to the rider and strap them down with bungee cords. Never hang bags of pottery from the handlebars. If you buy anything bulky, ask the shop about delivery. On the way back, ride more slowly than usual and avoid sudden braking on the dyke ramps.
Photos and respect in the village
Bát Tràng is not an open-air museum but a village where people live and work. Ask before photographing craftspeople at work, and keep your distance from kilns and freshly glazed pieces. Clay, firewood and finished ceramics are carried through the narrow lanes all day, so position yourself so that you do not block anyone when you stop for a photo.
The same goes for your bike: never leave it in the middle of a lane, not even for a minute while you take a picture. Park at an attended point and explore on foot. That keeps the village pleasant for the people who live there and makes your visit more relaxed too.
Notes for rental bikes
Before you go, ask clearly about the rental company’s roadside support coverage: whether the bike may be taken to Gia Lâm and who to call if something goes wrong on the dyke. Photograph the bike’s condition at pickup and before parking at each stop, especially any existing scratches, to avoid misunderstandings when you return it.
When the weather turns
On the open dyke road you feel the sun, wind and rain far more than in town. In summer bring water, sunscreen and a light long-sleeved layer; in winter, a warm jacket and gloves. In heavy rain, stay a little longer in the museum or workshop rather than riding on a slippery dyke.
What to pack
- A helmet with the strap fastened, a valid licence and the bike’s papers.
- Bungee cords and a large bag for pottery.
- A raincoat, water and sunscreen.
- Small banknotes for parking and shopping.
- A charged phone with your map app in motorbike mode.
Frequently asked questions
Is half a day enough for Bát Tràng?
It is enough for the museum, a pottery session, the market and a walk through the village. If you want to add Kiêu Kỵ, shorten one of the stops.
How far is Bát Tràng from central Hanoi?
About 14 km according to Vietnam Travel. The actual time depends on which bridge you use and on traffic.
Can I take my pottery piece home straight away?
According to Vietnam Travel, the finished piece is dried so you can take it home. Each workshop has its own arrangements, so ask about timing and collection beforehand.
Where should I park in Bát Tràng?
At an attended lot near the museum or the market. Our Gia Lâm parking guide, linked at the top, has more detail.
Can I combine Bát Tràng and Phù Đổng temple in half a day?
It is rushed, because they lie in different directions. Choose one for a half day, or allow a full day for both.
Is the dyke road difficult?
Not if you ride slowly, keep right and never stop on the road surface. If you are new to riding here, go in daylight and dry weather.
Renting a motorbike from Mr Tú
If you would like to explore Hanoi at your own pace, Mr Tú rents out automatic scooters and semi-automatic motorbikes near the Old Quarter, by the day, the week or the month. See our page on motorbike rental near the Old Quarter or contact Mr Tú to ask about availability, the documents you need, where the bike may be ridden and the current rental conditions before you set off.
In short: half a day in Gia Lâm is best spent in Bát Tràng: the pottery museum, an hour at a pottery workshop, the ceramics market and the Vạn Vân ancient house, with Kiêu Kỵ added if time allows or Phù Đổng temple instead if you prefer history. Leave early, park at attended points, strap down your pottery and ride slowly on the dyke for a relaxed morning out.
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