What are best places to visit in Vietnam? the charming country in the south-east of Asia, is definitely a top choice to travel. There varied kinds of cultural and natural beauty in Vietnam, spread from the north to the south, from the urban to rural areas. Each destination provides its own outstanding points with the special feelings of the beautiful nature and distinguished culture.
Following are top 10 best places highly recommended to visit in Vietnam:
1. Halong Bay
Halong Bay is well-known all over the world, it was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1994 and it is truly the best tourism hub in Vietnam. This is one of the best places to visit in Vietnam.
There are thousands of limestone islands in this bay, which always appear on the typical images about Halong Bay. Plenty of mysterious caves attracting tourists every day, Hang Sung Sot, Hang Dao Go are the two most famous among them.
Boat is obviously the best transportation to get around the bay and enjoy the scenic beauty of this place, getting a tour on a cruise is the most popular way. There are different trips offered like luxury cruises, budget and midrange cruises, Bai Chay tourists boats, kayaking. Every of them has its own pros and cons, you should find out about them to choose the most suitable one to make your trip favorable.
To arrange your tour in Halong Bay, you can book it through popular operators like Vega Travel, Cat Ba Ventures, Indochina Sails, and Handspan Adventure Travel.
The best time in the year to travel to Halong Bay is November, when the sea is calm and the sky is clear. Before November, there are tropical storms usually and after November is the peaks for domestic tourism.
2. Hoi An
Hoi An is the second in the list of best places to visit in Vietnam Hoi An, the beautiful old town of the country, is a UNESCO World Heritage Center from 1999, and it is truly joy to explore. There is almost no curses of traffic and population here, which brings out the delightful and atmospheric feeling about a true ancient place for tourists.
The old Japanese merchant houses are well-preserved to keep the original feelings of the heyday in the 15th century of the city. Many of them now are opened for the tourists to tastes the atmosphere of the good old days. The most popular one is Tan Ky House since the 17th century.
One special symbol of the old town is the Japanese Bridge next to Tran Phu Street, which is also represents one the Vietnamese money.
The other notable heritage buildings in this ancient town are the Chinese temples and pagodas, French-colonial houses, old canals. All of them are successfully preserved and restored to keep their charming roots.
The riverside of Hoi An is always the favorite place of tourists, especially at night, when the whole place is lit by the traditional and colorful lanterns.
Get the bespoke tailoring from the top skilled tailor shops is an outstanding activity in Hoi An. There are more than 800 tailor shops at every corner of the town.
The flavorsome cuisine of Hoi An is also a not-to-be-missed thing for the tourists. There are both local and western cuisines for you to choose.
Some streets in Hoi An are pedestrian only, which is reasonable because this town is small enough to get around just on foot.
3. Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park
Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park was also designated as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 2003. This is considered one of the most wonderful caving destinations in the world and has become one of the hottest travelling site in Vietnam.
The most outstanding point of Phong Nha – Ke Bang is that it contains the oldest karst mountains in Asia which was formed about 400 million years ago.
Phong Nha – Ke Bang has a cave systems with hundreds one and underground rivers. Many of them are extraordinary extensive and deep. Paradise Cave is the most popular cave of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park.
Beside caves exploring, there are still many different kinds of activities. You can bike the Bong Lai Valley to explore the local villages and enjoy the scenic beauty along sleepy rivers. Or you can challenge yourselves in Hang Toi (Dark Cave) with a soaring zipline flight above the river. Or you can have time to know about the wartime history here and visit the Hang Tam Co (Eight Lady Cave). Or you can hike to the jungle above the caves. Or you can just stay by the rivers and relax yourselves, let it blow away your sorrow and stress.
But notice that to access the National Park you have to get the licensed tour operator because it is quite tightly controlled. Phong Nha is also one of the best places to visit in Vietnam
4. Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh, a province in the northern Vietnam, is a paradise for travelling yet not many foreign tourists have come to Ninh Binh while the domestic tourists flock to here.
Ninh Binh travelling is a great opportunity for tourists to dive in to the authentic rural life in Vietnam. The extensive rice fields, sleepy rivers make Ninh Binh a breathtaking scenery in your life.
There are four main areas in Ninh Binh: Trang Anh, Tam Coc, Van Long, and Cuc Phuong. Popular attractive destinations are Trang An Grottoes, Hoa Lu Temple, Tam Coc Rice Fields, Cuc Phuong National Park, Phat Diem Cathedral.
It is better to stay in the countryside during your trip instead of staying out the city so you can fully enjoy the rural life.
The food in Ninh Binh is also well-tasted with the cheap price. La Belle Vie and Father Cooking are the two highly recommended places to eat here.
To get around Ninh Binh, you need your own transport. You can rent a motorbike or a bike.
The weather in Ninh Binh changes every season and it welcomes visitors every time in the year.
Getting from Hanoi to Ninh Binh takes you just 2 hours both by train and bus.
5. Sapa Countryside
In the list of the best places to visit in Vietnam – Sapa, the highest city of the country, is always the best trekking and mountain climbing destination in Vietnam. It is also one of the few places in Vietnam snowy in the winter.
The terraced rice field is the icon of the countryside in Sapa. It covers everywhere here and makes this cloudy city become dramatically beautiful. On clear days, you can see the spectacular views, especially from the high peak, you can witness the breathtaking picture containing from the valley, mountains, terraced fields to the Sapa town below. And in cold days, you can have the feeling of being in the western countries. In some special days, you can experience all four seasons in just one day.
Some large ethnic groups in Sapa are Hmong, Red Dao, Giay, etc. They live in the villages and only come to the town to exchange their goods. Some of them speak English better than Vietnamese and to take pictures with them you have to get their permission.
Trekking and mountain climbing are the two most favorite activities of tourists in Sapa. Top places trekking in Sapa are Cat Cat Village, Ta Phin Village, Bac Ha Market, Ham Rong Mountain.
To get from Hanoi to Sapa, tourists take a night train to Lao Cai from Hanoi, then take a minibus from there to Sapa. The other direct way from Hanoi from Sapa is taking a bus of Sapa Express in 5 hours.
6. Mui Ne
Mui Ne, one of the most popular beach destinations in Vietnam, is locate in Binh Thuan, a province in the central Vietnam.
About twenty years ago, Mui Ne was an isolated fishing town. Mui Ne has changed a lot to be a famous tourist site, yet there is still the original fishing village in Mui Ne nowadays.
People call Mui Ne as a kitesurfer’s paradise and often compare it to Boracay of Philippines. The kites surfing peak time last from October to the end of March. From the experts to the beginners gather and let fly thousands of kites on the sky. If you are lucky enough to get there at that time, will have an opportunity to learn this fantastic activity.
The gorgeous sunrises and sunsets at Mui Ne is definitely the most overwhelming picture you can witness in your lives. The other famous sites in Mui Ne what you shouldn’t miss are the early morning fish market, the red sand dunes next to the beach, and the Fairy Stream (Suoi Tien).
To discover the beautiful beaches in Mui Ne, you can rent a motorbike to travel yourselves, it is the cheapest way.
Because of the travelling development, there are many luxury hotels and resorts in Mui Ne at this time. You are strongly recommended to stay in a hotel of Mui Ne instead of Phan Thiet, because the city can get crowded and busy, that’s not good for your relaxing trip. Mui Ne nowadays is one of the best places to visit in Vietnam.
7. Hue
It’s a miss if we don’t mention Hue city. This is one of the best places to visit in Vietnam. Hue is one of the historic towns in the central Vietnam. It was once the evocative capital of the Nguyen emperors from 1802 to 1945. The complex ancient royal monuments remained make Hue designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Almost entire the whole city has the historical vibe. Some attractive destinations in Hue are Ngo Mon Gate, Thai Hoa Palace, Dien Tho Residence, Halls of Mandarins, Imperial Enclosure, Thien Mu Pagoda, Tomb of Tu Doc, Thanh Toan Bridge, etc. which are all the famous historical sites.
The Perfume River is the icon of Hue. The romantic river make Hue a picturesque and atmospheric place. One special activity not-to-be-missed if you come to Hue is taking a riverboat cruiser and enjoying the scenery along the Perfume River. The most beautiful time of the Perfume Rive is during the autumn, when the orchid flowers grow and spread the perfume-like smell.
Food in Hue is one of the most special cuisine in Vietnam, it has its own distinguishing features. The most popular dish is called Bun Bo Hue, the noodle soup with chilli oil and perfect sliced beef. Dong Ba market seems to be the best place in Hue to enjoy the local dishes.
You can go around and discover this ancient city by using a motorbike, if you can’t ride if, then you can jump on the back of a motorbike service, it is pretty cheap.
8. Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta is located in the far south of Vietnam, the other name by the Vietnamese is Cuu Long (Nine Dragons)
People call Mekong Delta the “rice bowl” of Vietnam. The rice fields here can spread into the horizon. Just imagine that only ten percentages of the total land mass here provide rice for more than a third of the country annual need.
This is the truly water world, where the boats, houses and even markets all float upon the rivers. And canals become the main transportation here. The reason is the flood season, yet people here all tend to live with it every day.
Beside the rice bowl and the water world, Mekong Delta is also the fruit paradise in Vietnam. There are thousands of different fruits grown there. The fruit gardens are also must-see destinations for visitors coming to Mekong Delta.
The diversity of the region is the most attractive point to the tourists. You can experience all of the varied beauty of the delta by taking a cruise trip.
There are dozens town in the delta: My Tho, Ben Tre, Sa Dec, Cao Lanh, Vinh Long, Soc Trang, Chau Doc, Ca Mau, etc. and Can Tho is the most popular and the developed one among them all.
The best time to travel to Mekong Delta is during the dry season which lasts from December to May.
9. Ho Chi Minh City
To those who are obsessed with the busy city life, Ho Chi Minh City or Sai Gon will be the best choice in Vietnam. This is the most buzzing commercial hub of Vietnam. The streets are always crowed. Hotels, restaurants, café, shopping malls, etc. are in all the level of quality and represent everywhere in the city.
Ho Chi Minh City is a full energy city, it doesn’t matter if you have a lot of money or not, you can definitely live here. The city provides every level of your lives’ choices, from the cheapest to the classiest. The nearer you are to the center, the higher price you have to pay. And the central area of the city is the best places for visitors, especially foreigners.
The night life in Ho Chi Minh City is the best in Vietnam, many places open overnight, especially places around Pham Ngu Lao street or district 1 area, the city look like full of energy even at late night.
Shopping is also a good idea when travelling to Ho Chi Minh City. From the local markets to the high-end shopping mall like Diamond Plaza or Vincom, there are many different choices for you.
The other famous places to the tourists here are the historical museums, parks, etc.
One special thing everyone must notice about Ho Chi Minh City before stepping in there is the traffic. It is somehow really terrible, there are too much bikes and scooters on the streets and it is normal if you are trapped. Ho Chi Minh city certainly is one of the best places to visit in Vietnam.
10. Hanoi
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is the place for you to dive into the real Vietnamese city life. This is one of the best places to visit in Vietnam.
Coming to Hanoi, you will have a chance to taste many specialties of Vietnam like Pho (beef noodles soup), Bun Cha (BBQ pork and noodles), Bun Nem (spring rolls), Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich). Drinking Hanoi beer can also be an awesome experience.
Shopping in air-conditioned mall is obviously available in Hanoi yet the shopping in Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a much more meaningful experience. There are various stores with different goods sold there and the price is delightfully cheap. The night market at the Old Quarter which is only open on Friday and Saturday is a bit different, people seem prefer strolling around to shopping at night. Besides shopping, you can find a lot of hotels, restaurants and interesting sights around the Old Quarter.
Hanoi has the most famous things all over the country which you must visit when coming to Vietnam like Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Museum, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of Literature, Thang Long Water Puppet, Hoa Lo Prison, etc.
Don’t worry about the accommodation in Hanoi, it is easy. There is a wide range of accommodation Hanoi, from the budget, mid-range to the premium.
Like Ho Chi Minh City, the traffic in Hanoi is also uncomfortable, there are too much scooters on the roads and you have to walk out with intent instead of waiting for a break, there is perhaps no break or you have to spend a long period of time just waiting.
Hanoi experiences all four distinguishing seasons, spring (March-May), summer (June-August), autumn (September-November), and winter (December-February). It is pretty hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Therefore; if you want to come to Hanoi when the weather is favorable, plan your trip in March, April, September, October, or November.
Explore more:
