With mountain ranges, rice paddies, beaches, caves, cities and jungle, Vietnam is a beautiful destination for travellers looking for culture, delicious cuisine, amazing scenery and adventure.
This long ‘S’ shaped South East Asian country has so many places worth exploring, that it is hard to narrow down.
In this article, we will set out the 10 best places to visit in Vietnam in each of the three main regions.
Here are the best places to visit in Vietnam
The best places to visit in Vietnam – North
- Hanoi – For a buzzing capital and old-world charm
- Sapa – For mountain ranges and homestays
- Ha long Bay / Bai Tu Long Bay – For world-famous coastal scenery
The best places to visit in Vietnam – Central
- Phong Nha Ke Bang – For otherworldly caves and adventure
- Hoi An – For a charming and romantic coastal town
- Hue – For a taste of imperial history
- Da Nang – For a dynamic beachside city
The best places to visit in Vietnam – South
- Ho Chi Minh City – For a frenetic economic hub
- Mekong Delta – For relaxing river-life
- Con Dao islands – For a tropical paradise
The best places to visit in Vietnam – North
When considering where to go in Vietnam, Northern Vietnam should be near the top of your list. Bordered by Laos to the west, China to the north and the South China Sea to the east, Northern Vietnam is where you can find many of the country’s most iconic and dramatic landscapes as well as its capital.
Hanoi
Perfect for exploring old-city streets, museums and enjoying the coffee culture
The country’s bustling capital, and the seat of the Communist Party government, Hanoi is worth at least two days of exploration.
Get lost in the Old Quarter, a warren of narrow streets named after the original produce the vendors sold (for example Silk Street). Take a stroll around the central Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) and watch the street performers and the locals practicing tai chi. Make sure you stop to try the delicious Vietnamese egg coffee (or cà phê trứng) at one of the roadside cafes.
The grand French Quarter is where you can find galleries, museums (including the Museum of Vietnamese Women and Hoa Lo Prison Museum) and up-market fashion boutiques. With many visitors and plenty of hotels, Hanoi is one of the top Vietnam tourist places.
Sapa
For beautiful mountain scenery and trekking in rice paddies
Located in Lao Cai province and an overnight train ride from Hanoi, Sapa is an ideal place to escape the heat of the cities and enjoy some nature.
Home to five of Vietnam’s ethnic tribes and blessed with stunning rice terraces, Sa Pa is where to go in Vietnam for hiking.
Find a local guide to lead you through the rice terraces and learn more about the highland lifestyle and traditions.
Complete the experience with a night at a homestay and enjoy a home-cooked meal with the family. Sapa Heavenly Homestay is highly recommended as is Topas Eco Lodge for a blissful retreat.
Ha Long Bay / Bai Tu Long bay
For amazing coastal landscapes
Ha Long Bay’s dramatic scenery (over a thousand limestone islands piercing the ocean) is the poster-child of Vietnam’s tourism industry and top of most people’s list of Vietnam tourist places.
While the scenery is still sublime, its fame has come at a cost to the tranquillity and environment; the bay is often thronging with tour boats. For a quieter alternative, consider neighbouring Bai Tu Long Bay.
Found northeast of Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay has equally beautiful karst scenery and sees far fewer tourists.
Stay for one or two nights on a traditional junk boat to explore the bay, including its floating fishing village, Vung Vieng, where residents rarely step on land. Indochina Junk’s Bai Tu Long cruise is recommended.
READ MORE: When is the best time to visit Vietnam?
The best places to visit in Vietnam – Central
The central region has some of the best places to visit in Vietnam, with incredible national parks, history and ancient palaces.
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
For incredible underground adventures.
In 1990 a local man came across an opening in the rock whilst searching for food and wood in Phong Nha Ke Bang. In 2009 cave explorers surveyed the national park and discovered that this was the entrance to the staggering Hang Sơn Đoòng, which became recognised as the world’s longest cave.
Whilst a trip to Sơn Đoòng itself will set you back thousands of dollars there are now a good selection of tour operators in Phong Nha that can take you on more affordable underground adventures, clambering and swimming through the many other incredible caves in the area.
Some operators run overnight or multi-night trips that will allow you to camp in the jungle or in a cave itself.
Phong Nha village is delightfully situated next to a river and between jungle carpeted limestone mountains and now has plenty of guesthouses to choose from, making it one of the best places to visit in Vietnam.
Oxalis is an excellent tour operator that runs efficient trips to a variety of exciting locations around Phong Nha.
Hoi An
For charming historical ambience
This historic town in central Vietnam is one of the top Vietnam tourist places. A port connecting Vietnam to other countries since the 16th century, Hoi An’s international past adds to the charm of the ancient old town.
The old town has been preserved well and the ancient architecture and lantern-lit river are great to explore by foot.
Hoi An is also well-known for its many tailors who can create a fitted suit or dress in a matter of days and for a fraction of the price of Western tailors. Most of the tailors are clustered around the Old Town.
Hue
For ancient imperial grandeur
Once the capital of Vietnam (from 1802-1945), Hue still retains much of its royal history despite being a battlefield during the Vietnam War (1955-1975).
Visitors can explore the vast Citadel and Imperial City complex and visit the peaceful tombs of the Nguyen Kings. The Perfume River splits the city in two and a ‘dragon’ boat trip along the river makes for an entertaining way to pass an afternoon.
Visitors to Hue should try to sample some of its well-known (and often spicy) local dishes.
Da Nang
For a lively beachside city
Located midway between Hanoi and the southern hub of Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang is the country’s fourth-largest city and one of the best places to visit in Vietnam.
The city has excellent restaurants, a vibrant nightlife, sandy beaches and is close to other new Vietnam tourist places like the Golden Bridge and Mercure Danang French Village in Bà Nà Hills.
Take the Hai Van Pass through the mountains from Hue to Da Nang for stunning mountain and coastal views.
The best places to visit in Vietnam – South
Ho Chi Minh City
For a fast-paced city experience
Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon) is the country’s biggest city and the hub of the South and should be on a list of where to go in Vietnam.
Things move at a frantic pace here, but beyond the 7.3 million motorbikes there are plenty of museums, excellent restaurants, a plethora of rooftop bars and iconic buildings (like the Independence Palace).
Visit the moving War Remnants Museum for some insight into the war that ravaged the country for a considerable part of the last century, take the lift to the top of the Bitexco Financial Tower for panoramic views of the city and take your pick from the many streetside cafes offering delicious Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk (cà phê sữa đá) for around $1.
The Mekong Delta
For leisurely riverside life and colourful floating markets
The Mekong (the longest river in Southeast Asia) passes through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia before it reaches Vietnam and flows through the Mekong Delta into the South China Sea. Stay at a riverside guesthouse and relax as the boats pass by to enjoy one of Vietnam’s tourist places.
Visitors to Cần Thơ should check out Cái Răng, Vietnam’s largest and most impressive floating market. The vendors sell wholesale goods with their wares displayed on a long pole attached to the boat. The best time to visit the market is between 6 and 7 am each morning.
Con Dao Islands
For stunning tropical islands
Phu Quoc is perhaps the most well-known of South Vietnam’s islands, but the Con Dao cluster of islands, just a one-hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City are a more pristine alternative and one of the great places to visit in Vietnam.
These islands have both idyllic tropical beaches and stunning rugged shorelines which can be explored by hiring a scooter or taking one of the ‘golf buggies’ that ferry visitors from point to point.
Despite their beauty, the islands also have a dark history. On Con Son island, the Con Dao prison, originally built by the French to imprison dissidents of colonial rule makes for an important but harrowing visit.
From relaxing beaches to frenetic cities, to incredible caves, there is something for everyone in this exciting country. Make your selection from our list of the best places to visit in Vietnam to experience the trip of a lifetime.
Check out our Vietnam Travel Guide for tips on everything you need
to know when planning your trip to Vietnam so you can make the
most of your time in this beautiful country!
