Best 15 places to visit in Vietnam - Best Travel Guide

Vietnam is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. More and more tourists are choosing Vietnam as a tourist destination - perhaps because Vietnam owns one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and breathtaking natural sceneries. Vietnam has many beautiful and unique scenes, from rural areas to ancient temples and tombs. There are many places to visit when coming to Vietnam, but this article will show you the best 15 places to visit in Vietnam. Let’s explore Vietnam with us!

1. Hanoi - The Capital of Vietnam

Hanoi - the capital of Vietnam always attracts tourists with ancient tranquility. A tour around Hanoi will give visitors unforgettable memories about the 36 old streets of ancient Hanoi, Temple of Literature - a symbol of a great education traditional, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple - the heart of Hanoians, or Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - the beloved Uncle Ho's resting place...

Hanoi has a favorable location so that it becomes a political, economic, cultural and scientific center of the country. Hanoi is entering a period of development and innovation; however, the city still remains its ancient charm. Located on the banks of the Red River, Hanoi has a favorable position to become a place for domestic and international trade.

As the capital of Vietnam with a history of thousands of years of culture, Hanoi has preserved many famous cultural relics, with more than 600 temples and pagodas. Although some relics are lost because of time and wars, Hanoi still has many attractions for tourists to come and visit.

Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, Hanoi, Vietnam

Becoming a cultural symbol of Hanoi, which is built-in 1070. Quoc Tu Giam is the first university in Vietnam. First, Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam was built in the year 1070 in the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong to worship Confucianism, then became the place for examinations, aiming to foster and train talented people to appoint mandarins.

The Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi Old Quarter near Hoan Kiem lake still preserves the architectural features along within the center of Hanoi. At the beginning of the 20th century, Hanoi had only 36 streets, and now they become an indispensable part of the city. Each street is a trading place of one specific item such as silk, gems, etc. The street is named after the item sold in that street in the old times. In the Old Quarter, you can easily find restaurants or bars and busy night markets with a variety of fashion items, souvenirs and various kinds of food.

West Lake, Hanoi, Vietnam

This is a popular entertainment destination for the local people. The lake has an area of ​​about 500 ha, which is the largest lake in Hanoi. Along the lake, there are beautiful temples such as Phu Tay Ho Temple, Kim Lien Pagoda. Guests can enjoy a boat ride or enjoy the food at the floating restaurant on the lake. Many garden villas which are spacious and comfortable looking out the lake, are popular accommodation for international guests.

2. Sapa - A wild and unique mountainous area of Vietnam

Located in the northwest of the country, Sa Pa is a highland district of Lao Cai province, 376 kilometers from Hanoi. This is a quiet town but it hides a lot of wonders of nature. Coming to Sapa, people love to immerse in the clouds, sky, romantic natural sceneries, and the majestic Fansipan - “the roof of Indochina". Here, the most favorite thing when coming to this town is a fresh cool climate with an average temperature of 15-18°C and sometimes down to 0°C.

Coming to Sapa, visitors also have the opportunity to talk with the ethnic minority, so that visitors will have more understanding about the land of the diverse cultural diversity of six ethnic groups: Kinh, H'Mong, Dao, Tay, Dzay and Xa Pho. In addition, visitors will also be immersed in the lively, bustling atmosphere of the night market - a traditional culture of the highland people, enjoy the exciting sound of the local music. Also, visitors can not miss the highland specialties, such as Lam rice, Thang Co, Salmons... The specialties will make visitors never forget the northwest town of Vietnam.

3. Ban Gioc Waterfall, Cao Bang - Niagara of Vietnam

Ban Gioc is the most beautiful and majestic waterfall of Vietnam, located in the Dam Thuy commune, Trung Khanh district, Cao Bang. The waterfall has a height of over 30 meters  with many large parts of the water flowing through many layers of limestone.

Coming to Ban Gioc, tourists can sit on a floating boat on the Que Son River to contemplate the magnificent natural view here. Adventurous visitors can climb up the high tide of Ban Gioc waterfall along the trail of the waterfall. However, this experience is quite risky, so the guests should have the experience of climbing or local guides to climb with. Also, guests who have the intention to climb up this waterfall should be equipped with climbing shoes to have the safest hiking trip.

In addition to Ban Gioc Waterfall, there are many attractions that visitors can come to explore the beautiful natural beauty of this land such as Phat Tich Truc Lam Ban Gioc pagoda on Phia Mount, which is about 500 meters from the waterfall and Nguom Ngao Cave with beautiful and lively stalactites and stalagmites system, which is located about 3 kilometers from the waterfall. 

4. Halong Bay - The World Heritage of Vietnam

Halong Bay is located in the North East of Vietnam, which is a part of the Gulf of Tonkin. Halong has been recognized by UNESCO as World Natural Heritage. Coming to Halong Bay, tourists can sail on the bay to see a variety of limestone islands with majestic and unique structures. Halong was also voted as one of the seven new natural wonders of the world.

Halong Bay is famous for its beautiful rock formations and cave systems. It contains mainly limestone islands formed more than 500 million years ago, some of which have extremely unique and alluring cave system. Halong Bay has a total area of ​​1553 kilometers square including core zones, buffer zones with 1969 large and small islands - 989 named islands and 980 unnamed islands. In fact, the islands here are home to many rare and beautiful fauna and flora species. 

Halong Bay is truly a world wonder, one of the biggest tourist attractions in Vietnam. This is also a place where you can swim on the beautiful wild beaches, go kayaking on the blue sea; explore the rocky mountains sky on the islands. Besides, you can enjoy fresh local seafood dishes while watching the sunset or gorgeous sunrise. Let’s come here to visit, experience and enjoy your stay in Halong Bay.

5. Ninh Binh - The first capital of Vietnam

Ninh Binh is located 90 kilometers south of Hanoi. This mountainous land with the famous landscapes is also known as the first capital of Vietnam more than 1000 years ago, before King Ly Thai To moved the capital to Thang Long - Hanoi. Ninh Binh is surrounded by the limestone mountains ranges as the majestic solid walls, so that this place was chosen as the capital of Vietnam under the three dynasties: Dinh - Le - Ly, from 968 to 1010. 

Also, the province has diverse natural conditions, which is a perfect habitat for rare plants and animal species. There are four large forests in Ninh Binh such as Cuc Phuong, Van Long, Hoa Lu, and Kim Son forests, and they all are the precious biosphere reserves of the world.

Coming to Ninh Binh, people will be surprised by the beauty of Hoa Lu ancient capital, Phat Diem stone church, the creativity of the ecological caves in Trang An, Tam Coc - Bich Dong... or the unique and diverse flora and fauna species of Van Long wetland nature reserve.

Along with the development of ancient capital in the past, Ninh Binh still retains many traditional villages until now such as Van Lam embroidery village, Ninh Van stone carvings village, Phuc Loc carpentry village, ... The skillful hands and creativity of the local people from the traditional villages have made lots of products that are not only beautiful but also feature cultural characteristics of the ancient capital. Therefore, after finishing the journey to Ninh Binh, visitors can buy a few local products to keep this beautiful and friendly place in mind.

6. Hue - A charming citadel of Vietnam

Situated on the banks of the Perfume River, Hue is a world cultural heritage in Thua Thien Hue Province. Hue owns valuable historical relics located in Hue Ancient Citadel, Minh Mang Tomb, Gia Long Tomb, Thien Mu Pagoda, etc. Also, tourists will also admire the natural landscape such as Ngu Binh mountain, Thuan An beach, Lang Co beach, and Tam Giang lagoon. Royal court music is one of the most important cultural characteristics of Hue.  All cultural relics are the most unique architectural works of the Nguyen dynasty. Palaces, temples, shrines, citadels, mausoleums, pagoda temples, churches here still keep the majestic ancient charm, which will give visitors a lot of special feelings.

Moreover, Hue cuisine, from the rustic dishes to the royal and luxurious ones, still shows the harmonious and delicate combination, which creates a special style of Hue food. Every visitor coming to Hue will want to enjoy specialties here like Hue beef noodle soup, mussel rice and many attractive kinds of tea: lotus tea, royal tea, etc...All of them will remind you of a charming and gentle Hue. 

7. Danang - A youthful coastal city in Vietnam

Da Nang is a coastal city with a 60-kilometer beach. With the nice, unspoiled white sand beach and gentle blue waves, My Khe beach in Danang is considered one of the six most attractive beaches in the world by Forbes magazine. Diving in the blue cool water, playing with the waves and sunbathing on the fine white sand beach will give everyone the feeling of relaxation after hours of work. Also, there are plenty of services for you to experience in Da Nang beaches such as canoeing, parasailing, windsurfing, motorboats, and scuba diving.

Also, besides beautiful beaches, Danang is also known as “The city of bridges” because there are lots of unique but modern bridges. They are also the symbols and the pride of the city. The most famous bridges of Danang include Han River swing-bridge, Dragon-shaped Bridge, Tran Thi Ly sail-shaped bridge, and Thuan Phuoc Bridge – the longest cable-stayed bridge of Vietnam.

The thing which is loved the most by visitors in this beautiful place, of course, is the people here. When coming to Da Nang, you will see that people here will always give you the most friendly smile. No matter where you come from, what you do, they are always considerate and helpful when you want to ask for guidance, hotel address, even some taxi drivers.

They will enthusiastically advise you which restaurants are good and cheap, you should visit this destination by which means of transportation, etc... In general, to Da Nang, you would never hesitate to ask the locals because of the hospitality of the people here. You will even want to talk to them more because their voice and the way they talk is great!

8. Hoi An Ancient Town in Vietnam

Hoi An is located in the lower Thu Bon River, Quang Nam Province, is a famous city with the common name "Hoi An Ancient Town". Coming to Hoi An, tourists will be immersed in traditional cultural space with ancient villages such as Kim Bong carpentry village, Thanh Ha pottery village, Phuoc Kieu copper village ... Hoi An old town flaunts traditional architectural style from the relics such as Fujian Association, Japanese Bridge Pagoda, Quan Cong Temple or Ong Pagoda and Tran church. Hoi An is famous for the timeless beauty of traditional architecture from houses, walls to roads. In addition to cultural values ​​through diverse architecture, Hoi An still preserves a large intangible cultural background. The daily life of the residents here with the customs, beliefs, folk art, cultural festivals along with the romantic natural scenery, special dishes ... make Hoi An increasingly attractive to tourists.

Besides unique ancient architecture, Hoi An also has primitive and stunning beaches, including An Bang Beach, Cua Dai Beach and Ha My Beach. They all have a mysterious and unspoiled charm, which bring a peaceful and relaxing feel to tourists. 

Hoi An cuisine also has a special charm. Every visitor coming to Hoi An, after enjoying the food here will all feel that the foods here give an outstanding impression, which can not be confused with any other place.

The special dishes such as Cao Lau, chicken rice, Banh Xeo, Quang noodles,...have contributed a lot to the culinary culture of Hoi An.

9. Nha Trang - The city with stunning beaches in Vietnam

Nha Trang is another famous coastal city and also one of the best places to visit in Vietnam. When visiting the center of Nha Trang city, you will enjoy the stunning natural scenery of this place. It is the long blue coastline along Tran Phu Street - the most beautiful beach in Vietnam. The beauty of Nha Trang beach always makes people fascinated and passionate. Also, this city has many islands with a primitive charm which about a lot of visitors, such as Hon Mun Island, Hon Hoi Island, Hon Ong Island, etc. Nha Trang is always the best destination for sea lovers. 

Some famous and interesting places in Nha Trang including Dam Market, Long Son Pagoda, Cathedral Church, Nha Trang Oceanographic Institute, Po Nagar Villa, Po Nagar Tower...are also must-visit destinations for tourists when coming to Nha Trang.  In addition, you can go to hot springs to enjoy a mud bath in Thap Ba, or contemplate beautiful scenery in Nha Phu Lagoon.

Not only famous for its beautiful beaches and exciting attractions, but Nha Trang is also well known for its delicious and unique cuisine. Here, visitors will discover the delicious dishes which have the all special characteristics of the gentle and friendly coastal town.

Fishball soup (also known as “Bun canh cha ca”) is a popular dish, which is sold a lot on the street in this coastal city. Although this is a very typical and normal dish the soup is very attractive with the combination of a sweet taste of the broth and the fishball slices. Nha Trang grilled pork is also one of the best dishes in Nha Trang which should not be missed. Made from pork with spices and then grilled on a charcoal stove, the best way to enjoy this dish is to eat with rice paper, raw vegetables, cucumber, and a special sauce.

If you have visited all the islands, you should enjoy the scenery in Nha Trang by cable car from the shore to Hon Tre Island with the famous resort Vinpearl Land. From 100m above sea level, you will admire the entire view of Nha Trang. Going to Vinpearl land, you can play a lot of exciting games like a roller coaster, 4D cinema, golf, underwater circus, aquarium, and many other adventure games.

10. Da Lat - The city in the fog of Vietnam

With many beautiful sceneries, Da Lat is one of the most famous tourist cities in Vietnam. In the French colonial period, the city was named “Da Lat” from the Latin name ”Datis Aliis Laetitiam Aliis Temperiem” which means "giving these people joy, others the coolness." Da Lat has a lot of interesting names: the city of flowers, the city of love, the city of spring, the city of fog.

With vast forests, a lot of lakes, rivers, and streams, Da Lat has a very great climate. The atmosphere here is always fresh, cool, different from busy, crowded big cities like Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi. Coming to Da Lat, you can experience a day with four seasons: Early morning has the weather of spring, while noon is in summer, the afternoon is autumn time, and at night is the time for winter... Therefore you can visit this city at any time you want. Da Lat is always beautiful, with cool climate, and poetry.

Getting into the city, visitors will discover a "museum" of waterfalls, beautiful lakes, flower valleys, and grassy hills as well as enjoy the high-quality local products of Da Lat including many delicious fruits: persimmons, plums, peaches, avocados..., and many unique dishes and souvenirs of the Da Lat.

Da Lat is also well known for a lot of unique coffee shops with very different and unique styles. It is Song Vy cafe specializing in French lyrical music; Cafe Lieu O located behind the Palace II with the design of Da Lat garden style; Moc coffee in Ba Trung street with wooden design and every week there is a really great live music by the singers; Tung coffee is located in the Hoa Binh area which only serves classical music; Vu Gia Café is designed as a cave with strange architecture.

11. Phu Quoc Island - An island with the majestic and primitive charm of Vietnam

Considered as one of the tropical paradises in Vietnam where there are long white sand beaches and clear blue water. Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam located in the Gulf of Thailand, 120 kilometers from Rach Gia and 45 kilometers from Ha Tien town. When you come here, you will absolutely fall in love with the beauty of Phu Quoc, especially the long beach stretching with white sand, blue sky, shining sun and many kinds of fish swimming under the cool water of Phu Quoc. 

You can relax at Bai Dai Beach in Phu Quoc, which was voted as the top 13 most pristine beaches in the world by Concierge.com or enjoy a colorful world with mysterious sceneries in the Doi Moi island. In addition, you can visit Phu Quoc pearl village to see the process of making and raising high-quality pearls. Another destination in Phu Quoc is An Thoi fishing port, where you can take a cruise with the hospitable senior captain, watch the blue sea and be a part of the crowded fishing port. Next, trying scuba diving to explore the magical colorful coral reefs will give you an unforgettable impression about a beautiful and lively Phu Quoc. Trying sea fishing is also a really joyful experience, and maybe luck will smile with you and give you a hearty seafood lunch with fresh nutritious seafood.

There would be nothing more perfect to explore and relax in Phu Quoc with friends, family on the holidays or weekends. This sunny and windy island with blue sea, fine white sand, and coastal fishing villages, always dearly welcome you to visit.

12. Phan Thiet - A city with famous destinations in Vietnam

Phan Thiet is a popular beach destination in Vietnam with stretches of white sand, blue sea, and curved coconut trees.

Phan Thiet is a coastal city, economic and cultural center of Binh Thuan province. With famous places like Mui Ne Island and Mui Ke Ga Island, Phan Thiet is the ideal destination for those who love the sea. In addition, in Phan Thiet city, there is a Western street with a special European culture. Some other interesting  noteworthy places in Phan Thiet are Lau Ong Hoang, Mong Cam, Mui Ne sandhill, Mui Ne fishing village, Cham tower, Ta Cu Pagoda.

Not only possessing beautiful natural scenery, but this land is also an attractive cultural tourism destination with diverse communities of Hoa, Cham people. Enjoy the view, but enjoy a lot of good foodư which is made from fresh seafood.

Phan Thiet city center and around the beach are many resorts for visitors to choose from and stay. However, if in order to explore the local life of fishermen, visitors can come to rest in the coastal fishing villages, which is convenient for enjoying cheap seafood and finding new interesting destinations from local people. 

13. Ho Chi Minh City - An impressive city in Vietnam

Considered as the "Pearl of the Far East", Ho Chi Minh City has long been a cultural, economic and political center of Vietnam.

Traveling to Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City more than 300 years old, you can see the high buildings located close to amusement parks, crowded shopping centers, and also ancient villas, traditional markets that have existed for hundreds of years. Saigon is large has lots of "specialties" such as relaxing along Saigon River by train, visiting West Pham Ngu Lao street, going shopping at Ben Thanh market or going to Can Gio Beach ...You can also visit Cu Chi Tunnels to get a better understanding of the Vietnam wars in the past.

The best way to visit Ho Chi Minh City is by riding a motorbike. By using this vehicle, you can stop anywhere you want and park your motorbike easily, so you can explore interesting places to enjoy attractive street food.

Also, in Ho Chi Minh City, there is a dish that foreigners should not miss when they come here is "Grilled pork noodle", also known as "Bun Cha".

"You can find street food in every corner of all the streets, of Saigon." What you need to do is pull a plastic chair towards you, sit down and enjoy the attractive taste from noodles, hot tofu or iced coffee. It's a simple joy. 

14. Can Tho of Mekong Delta - A rustic city with the unique local lifestyle of Vietnam

Can Tho is a large area of the Mekong Delta, with a dense network of canals and rivers. This river city is famous for its authentic charm and the idyllic rural life scenes as well. Visitors who have come to the place called “Tay Do” will be fascinated by the feeling of floating on the Hau River, watching the simple but unique lifestyle of the locals on the river and enjoying special cuisine.

In the morning, do not hesitate to get up early to enjoy the unique river lifestyle in this place. Just take a bike ride to Ninh Kieu wharf to enjoy the beautiful views of the river in the morning. Then, rent a boat to get to Cai Rang floating market, the most famous and bustling market of Can Tho to see the special beauty of this city. Cai Rang floating market holds very early, hundreds of boats gather together on the Hau River to exchange local agricultural products and fruits. The market is on the river, so guests can sit on the boat and enjoy all kinds of fruits and specialties of the region, watch the locals exchanging goods. 

Another "special thing" that you should not miss when coming to Can Tho is to "attack" the local fruit gardens with thousand kinds of fruits, to taste the delicious and impressive tropical fruits here. The most famous fruit gardens in Can Tho include My Khanh, Mr.Sau Duong’s, 9 Hong and Vang Xam.

The charm of Can Tho does not only come from many beautiful sceneries, but also from a very rich and attractive cuisine in this place. Banh Beo, Banh Cong, Banh Hoi, Grilled Pork, etc.. are the specific flavors of the Can Tho which create the gentle but unique charm of Tay Do.

15. Phong Nha Ke Bang in Quang Binh, Vietnam

Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park is located in Quang Binh Province - Central Vietnam. With a total area of 343,300ha, of which the core area is 123,300ha and the buffer zone is 220,000ha, Phong Nha - Ke Bang is the most significant karst area in the world. This national park is also home to thousands of fauna and flora species. Also, it is considered as “A kingdom of caves” with about 300 caves with different sizes; the most famous ones must include: Phong Nha, Tien Son, Thien Duong, etc. Besides geographical value, Phong Nha - Ke Bang is also well known for its magnificent scenery. Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park contains the mystery of nature, the caves system looks like splendid castles in the limestone mountains which were created from millions of years ago. Coming to this largest national park in Vietnam, you will be amazed by the majestic creation of Nature. 

The above are 15 best places to visit in Vietnam, which will give you unforgettable experiences and memories about this youthful, hospitable tropical country. It is a wonderful country waiting for your exploration. I hope you will have an unforgettable trip to Vietnam!