All Top Destinations to Explore in Vietnam

Vietnam is an astonishing mix of natural highlights and cultural diversity.

The scenery ranges from jagged peaks seen from winding mountain passes to verdant paddy fields painted every shade of green, while Vietnam’s long history and multicultural population (with over 50 ethnic minority groups) make a trip here rich in heritage.

Outdoor lovers can explore the countryside within the numerous national parks, where hiking, biking, and kayaking are popular activities. Vietnam’s most famous natural tourist attraction, the spectacular karst seascape of Halong Bay, is a sight that even the more leisurely travelers can experience up close on a cruise.

While the rural areas brim with lush panoramas, the big cities buzz with contemporary life and provide ample opportunities to indulge in Vietnam’s tasty culinary highlights.

This fascinating country is full of surprises and is one of Southeast Asia’s most underrated destinations. Plan your sightseeing with our list of the best places to visit in Vietnam.

1. Halong Bay

The karst seascape of Halong Bay is one of the best places to visit in the world for spellbinding sea views and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Thousands of limestone islands sit within this bay in the Gulf of Tonkin, eroded into jagged pinnacles by wind and water action over millennia.

With the bay’s scenery best seen by boat, this is prime cruising territory. Opt for at least an overnight tour to see Halong Bay’s iconic views, as a day trip doesn’t do it justice.

There are plenty of caves in the bay that can be entered, including Hang Sung Sot, with three mammoth caverns, and Hang Dao Go, with superbly weird stalagmites and stalactites. For most people, though, the highlight is simply cruising amid the karsts and soaking up the changing scenery of pinnacles as you pass by.

There are plenty of different cruise tours to choose from. Check the different itineraries offered before booking, as many travelers have left Halong Bay underwhelmed by their cruise.

Author’s Tip: If possible, book a tour that includes neighboring Lan Ha Bay as well as Halong Bay. The karst scenery is just as dramatic here, but fewer cruise trips visit. Also, check if your cruise offers activities such as guided kayaking, which allows you to experience an up-close view of the scenery.

2. Ho Chi Minh City

For big city fans, no visit to Vietnam is complete without a trip to Ho Chi Minh City, the buzzing commercial hub of the country.

The streets are a chaotic mix of motorbikes and cars, the restaurant and café scene is incredibly cosmopolitan, and the shopping is the best in the country.

At its center is Dong Khoi, a relatively small and easily navigable central district that holds most of the city’s sights.

Here, you’ll find the HCMC Museum, with a brilliant collection of artifacts that weave together the story of the city, and the grand Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 19th century.

Check out the old district of Da Kao nearby for some of the best surviving examples of the city’s French colonial architecture and also to visit the Jade Emperor Pagoda with its dazzling array of Buddhist and Taoist religious iconography.

Afterwards, the History Museum is a must-do for history fans, with stacks of relics on display from various archaeological sites.

For many visitors, the two big-hitter tourist attractions not to miss are just a little out of the center, along Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. The Reunification Palace, then known as Independence Palace, was the residence for South Vietnam’s president. It’s chiefly famous as the spot where North Vietnam’s tanks stopped on April 30, 1975, officially ending the war. It’s a fascinating place to visit, complete with 1960s furnishings still in situ.

Nearby is the War Remnants Museum, which, although very obviously biased, paints a disturbing picture of the brutality of war and the many atrocities committed by US Forces during their Vietnam campaign.

3. Hue

One of Vietnam’s most historic towns, Hue is packed with relics from the reign of the 19th-century Nguyen emperors.

Sitting along the banks of the gorgeous Perfume River, the Imperial Enclosure is a huge site set within walls that sprawl for 2.5 kilometers.

While touring the grounds, check out the gorgeous Ngo Mon Gate, the Thai Hoa Palace with its finely lacquered interior detailing, the Dien Tho Residence where the Queen Mothers would live, and the Halls of Mandarins with their preserved ceiling murals.

A dazzling number of historic sites lie outside the Imperial Enclosure walls as well.

One of the nicest ways to visit a collection of outlying sites is by taking a riverboat cruise on the Perfume River. A day cruise can take you to visit several royal tombs along with some pagodas.

If you’re short on time, the best tomb to visit is the Tomb of Tu Doc, and the most important pagoda in the area is the Thien Mu Pagoda, with its tower that soars 21 meters high.

4. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

World Heritage-listed Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is renowned for its dramatic karst mountain formations and extensive cave systems. The park offers a range of caving activities, from multi-day hiking and caving tours for the adventurous to simpler half-day trips with easy access via boat trips and modern boardwalks. Mountain biking and trekking are also popular here.

Key attractions include Paradise Cave, which stretches 31 kilometers underground, and Phong Nha Cave, accessible by boat. The park’s most famous caves, Son Doong (the world’s largest cave) and Tu Lan, require organized tours by Oxalis, the expert adventure tour company. It’s advisable to book in advance.

Visit outside the rainy season (October to December) when many caves are closed. The park is accessible from Son Trach (Phong Nha village).

5. My Son

Nestled in jungle-covered mountains, My Son is a ruined Cham-era temple city dating back to the 4th century. This Hindu religious center was active until the 13th century. Around 20 temple structures remain, built of brick or sandstone, showcasing influences from various Asian empires.

Group B temples are the oldest, while Group A’s most important monument was destroyed during the Vietnam War. An on-site museum provides extensive information on the Cham. Access to My Son is from Hoi An.

6. Hoi An

Hoi An is Vietnam’s most atmospheric city, rich in historic architecture. The old town is filled with well-preserved merchant houses from its 15th-century trading heyday. Notable sites include the 17th-century Tan Ky House, the Japanese Bridge, and the Assembly Hall of the Fujian Chinese Congregation.

Hoi An’s charm lies in wandering its streets, admiring the facades, and visiting small pagodas and museums.

7. Sapa Countryside

The verdant rice field countryside surrounding Sapa, bordered by the jagged peaks of the Hoang Lien Mountains (often still known by their French colonial era name of the Tonkinese Alps), offers Vietnam’s most beautiful rural vistas. The deep valleys here are home to a diverse mix of the country’s ethnic minorities, including the Hmong, Giay, and Red Dzao people, while the rippling hills are terraced with rice fields and overlooked by the country’s tallest peak, Fansipan Mountain.

Sapa is the top trekking destination in Vietnam, with numerous options to trek or day hike between tiny villages and experience the staggering mountain views. Sapa itself is the main base here - an old hill station and now a bustling and ever-growing tourist center that contrasts starkly with the tranquil countryside right on its doorstep.

Author’s Tip: Keen trekkers looking for more of northern Vietnam’s lush mountain vistas may want to skip the busy Sapa scene completely and head 95 kilometers northwest to Bac Ha, where the terraced hill views on hikes between hill villages are just as beautiful. Bac Ha’s Sunday market is also a very popular day trip from Sapa.

8. Hanoi

Vietnam’s capital is the frenetic heartbeat of the nation and a place that befuddles travelers as much as it charms them. The motorbike frenzy, pollution, and constant clamor of street vendors can be overwhelming for some, but if you want to dive into Vietnamese city life, Hanoi is the place to do it.

The old town quarter has plenty of dilapidated charm, while history fans should visit the excellent museums. The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and Vietnam Fine Art Museum are brilliant introductions to the country’s diverse artistry, while the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is an important tribute to the founder of modern Vietnam.

Author’s Tip: It’s well worth adding extra time to your itinerary to use Hanoi as a base for exploring the many sights within day-tripping distance. Notable sites include the Tay Phuong and Thay Pagodas (30 kilometers west of the city), Co Loa Citadel (24 kilometers northeast), and the Huong Pagoda (also known as the Perfume Pagoda; 60 kilometers southwest).

9. Nha Trang

For sandy fun in Vietnam, Nha Trang is king. The well-maintained beach stretches for six kilometers along the shoreline of central Nha Trang city and is jam-packed with local families on vacation and foreign visitors during summer.

There is excellent swimming here with designated swimming areas and manicured lounging spots, making it a great option for relaxing days soaking up the sun and sand. If you get bored of sunbathing, the ancient Po Nagar Cham Towers are just to the north across the Xom Bong Bridge and have been a place of worship since at least the 7th century.

There is also an excellent museum dedicated to Alexandre Yersin, who discovered the cause of the bubonic plague and founded Nha Trang’s Pasteur Institute, which still carries out vaccination programs in Vietnam today.

10. Cu Chi Tunnels

An absolutely fascinating experience for all travelers, not just those interested in Vietnam’s modern military history, the Cu Chi Tunnels are an extensive tunnel network that, during the war, stretched for more than 250 kilometers, allowing VC troops to operate and communicate in the area surrounding Ho Chi Minh City.

Two short sections of the network can be visited with a guide who’ll take you down into the narrow, unlit confines, which are definitely not for claustrophobia sufferers. You will literally be crawling on your hands and knees at some points. You can access the tunnels at either Ben Dinh village (the more popular choice) or Ben Duoc village.

11. Ba Be National Park

Tranquil Ba Be National Park is absolutely stunning, with the three interlinked Ba Be Lakes at its heart, rimmed by jagged karst peaks and thickly forested slopes. Most visitors come here to take peaceful boat trips or kayak on the lake and explore the nearby caves filled with stalactites and stalagmites. For the more active, there’s excellent hiking and trekking in the hills between ethnic minority villages.

This is one of the most peaceful spots in Vietnam, and travelers who spend the night here can sleep in traditional stilt-house homestay accommodations along the lakeshore, allowing an experience of simple rural life.

12. Mekong Delta

In the far south of Vietnam, the mighty Mekong River finally finds its way to the sea in a maze of waterways that crisscross the floodplain. Incredibly lush, with paddy field vistas and mangroves, and full of local life, with chaotic floating markets to explore by boat, the delta is one of the most interesting regions for travelers to discover.

Can Tho is the most popular town to use as a base, as it’s close to the floating markets of Phong Dien and Cai Rang. Boat trips from Ca Mau allow you to explore the U Minh Mangrove Forest and Cau Mau Nature Reserve. This area is also a haven for bird watchers and nature lovers, home to both Tra Su Bird Sanctuary Forest and Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary.

13. Cat Ba Island

One of Vietnam’s major centers for activities and adventure travel, Cat Ba Island sits on the western edge of Halong Bay. This is the best place to visit if you want to organize cruises and kayaking trips in Lan Ha Bay, which lies off Cat Ba’s southern coast. Lan Ha Bay is a less visited seascape of karst islets and outcrops, making for a quieter alternative to Halong Bay.

Off the water, much of Cat Ba’s dense jungle interior is part of Cat Ba National Park, where hikers can spot plentiful birdlife and animals such as macaques. For many visitors, though, Cat Ba is all about climbing opportunities. Climbing excursions here utilize both the island’s limestone cliffs and Lan Ha Bay’s outcrops, providing experiences for both beginners and experienced climbers.

14. Ha Giang

The emerald-green karst mountain landscapes along Ha Giang’s mountain passes make this far-north province prime territory for scenic road-tripping by either motorbike or car. The twisty Quan Ba Pass between Ha Giang town and Tam Son provides panoramic vistas of the karst plateau and its jagged limestone outcrops, while the zigzagging Mai Pi Leng Pass between Dong Van and Meo Vac offers dizzying views of the lush mountain scenery and narrow valleys below.

Time your visit to coincide with one of the area’s market days, when traders from the surrounding mountain villages pile into town. Dong Van’s Sunday market is one of the best.

15. Phu Quoc Island

Sitting 45 kilometers off the southern coast of the country, in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc is a densely forested island, speckled with sweeps of white-sand beaches that attract plenty of sunseekers during the winter dry season.

The dry season (November to May) is also when the island’s underwater and on-the-water tourism attractions spring into action, with plenty of dive sites just offshore, as well as opportunities for snorkeling, kayaking, and boat trips. Many boat excursions head to the An Thoi Islands, just south of Phu Quoc, which offer the best snorkeling in the area.

Off the water, the Phu Quoc cable car provides bird’s-eye views for eight kilometers, soaring over the seascape and islands, all the way from Phu Quoc to the island of Hon Thom in the An Thoi Islands.

Phu Quoc is accessed by plane or regular ferries from the mainland towns of Rach Gia and Ha Tien. As Ha Tien lies very close to the southern border crossing with Cambodia, the island is a popular first (or last) stop-off in Vietnam for overland travelers.

16. Con Dao Islands

This remote island group lies around 160 kilometers offshore in the South China Sea and is renowned among divers as one of the best places to visit in the country, both for the variety of sea life and for the coral reefs.

Much of the Con Dao Islands and the surrounding water is a protected wilderness area, with the island shores home to nesting turtles and dense forests still covering the island interiors. The main island, and prime base for visitors with all the accommodation and activities, is Con Son Island, which has sweeps of sand along its coast that attract beachgoers looking for a relaxed, sun-soaked getaway, as well as divers.

Even if you’re here mostly for the beach, make sure to explore the historic sites of Con Son Town (the island’s only settlement), including Phu Hai Prison, Bao Tang Con Dao Museum, and the prison known as the Tiger Cages, which document the dark history of this isolated island group.

Con Son’s remote position led to the island being used to incarcerate political prisoners during the era Vietnam was occupied by French colonial forces, and later by both the South Vietnamese government and the occupying American forces. Preserved sites, including Phu Hai Prison and the prison cages used by the US forces, known as the Tiger Cages, along with Con Son Town’s Bao Tang Con Dao Museum, do an excellent job of documenting this history for visitors.

Access to Con Son Island is either by flight from Ho Chi Minh City or by ferry from the coastal city of Vung Tau.

17. Mui Né

Once a sleepy coastal fishing town, Mui Né has developed into a beautiful beach resort town and a prime destination for windsurfing, sailing, and kitesurfing. Compared to other beach destinations in Vietnam, however, Mui Né remains relatively unknown, which means pristine beaches and a quiet retreat for most of the year.

One of Mui Né’s most unique attractions is the natural Red Sand Dunes just outside town, where visitors can practice sand-sledding or rent dune buggies for a more adrenaline-charged experience. Tucked away between nearby fishing villages and towering orange limestone formations is the Fairy Stream, a slow-moving warm stream that almost feels like a walkway because it’s so shallow. Follow it to the end to reach a waterfall.

For those wishing to explore beyond the coastline, there are also the ruins of the Po Shanu Cham Towers, remnants of the Cham Empire that dominated the area many centuries ago.

18. Bac Son

Bac Son Valley, located in Lang Son Province in northern Vietnam, is a picturesque area known for its stunning natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. The valley is surrounded by towering limestone mountains, which create a dramatic backdrop for the lush rice paddies and winding rivers below. These houses are elevated to protect against flooding during the rainy season. Visitors to Bac Son often have the opportunity to stay in these stilt houses, providing a unique cultural experience.

Bac Son is also historically significant, as it was the site of the Bac Son uprising against Japanese and French forces during the 1940s. The valley’s rich soil allows for the cultivation of a variety of crops, including rice, sweet potatoes, and corn.

For travelers, Bac Son offers excellent hiking opportunities, with trails leading up to the limestone cliffs that provide panoramic views of the valley. The area remains relatively untouched by tourism, making it a peaceful retreat for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life

19. Ban Gioc

Ban Gioc Waterfall, located in Cao Bang Province in northeastern Vietnam, is one of the most impressive natural sights in the country.

The waterfall is 30 meters high and 300 meters wide, making it the widest waterfall in Vietnam. It is situated on the Quay Son River, which forms the border between Vietnam and China, meaning the waterfall is shared by both countries. The falls cascade down three levels, creating a stunning visual display and a powerful sound as the water crashes into the river below. The surrounding landscape is equally breathtaking, with lush rice fields, bamboo groves, and towering limestone karsts providing a picturesque backdrop.

Visitors to Ban Gioc can take bamboo raft rides to get closer to the falls, offering a unique perspective and the chance to see the waterfall up close. The area is also home to the Nguom Ngao Caves, which are filled with impressive stalactites and stalagmites and can be explored as part of a visit to the falls. Despite its beauty, Ban Gioc remains relatively off the beaten path, making it a peaceful destination for those looking to escape the more touristy areas of Vietnam. The best time to visit is from September to October, when the summer rains have subsided, and the surrounding landscape is lush and green.