Sports massage is for anyone who plays sport — pickleball, football, badminton, tennis, golf, running, or a regular hour at the gym. After a hard session the muscles that did the work tighten and bunch up; left alone, the ache carries into the days after.
What the session does
The therapist works with firm, deep pressure and hot stones, going straight into the muscle that worked hardest — not gliding over the surface. The hot stones help the muscle release faster, so the hands reach deeper without needing brute force.
The session opens with an aroma steam to soften the muscle first. Steam at Ngải is never a sealed box and never stifling.
Before or after training?
Both work, for different reasons. Before training, the muscle is warmed and ready, so you get into your session faster. After training is when the muscle most needs the attention — so the next day doesn't start with a long ache.
A few small things to know
If you've just had an injury, if an area is swollen or hot to the touch, or if you've recently had surgery, tell your therapist before you start — the session is adjusted around it.
Getting here
The Lãn Ông branch sits inside the Old Quarter, on the street Hanoi has known for generations as the place for herbs — walkable from Hoàn Kiếm lake. The Phan Kế Bính branch is in Ba Đình, quieter and easier if you are coming by car. Both run the same treatments, by therapists trained the same way.
Booking and what comes with it
Ngải is open 11:00 to 22:00, every day, at both locations. Booking ahead is worth it at weekends and in the evening, when the rooms fill up.
Chrysanthemum tea and Herbalism nut cookies come with every visit, however short the treatment. If you are coming straight from training, allow yourself a few minutes to settle before the session starts.
Price and where to find us
Sports massage comes in two lengths: 690 for 65 minutes and 890 for 85 minutes (thousands of VND, before VAT). Ngải has two locations in Hanoi — 53B Lãn Ông in the Old Quarter, and 102 Phan Kế Bính in Ba Đình — so sports massage near me is likely a short ride either way.
If you would rather make a full session of it, the Sport Lover package pairs the same deep work with a scrub and steam beforehand.
Book a sports massage?
65 or 85 minutes, at both Lãn Ông and Phan Kế Bính.