Vietnam is a wonderful country located in southeast Asia. As a Vietnamese person, I am proud to show you how beautiful my country is. Here are the top amazing places that you must visit in Vietnam. Each place is different, so you will have different feelings when you travel to Vietnam.
North of Vietnam
There are four seasons in the north of Vietnam. Therefore, make sure you bring a jacket if you come here in the winter.
Hanoi
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam. It is the second biggest city in Vietnam. You can see a lot of ancient buildings, houses, and temples when you visit Hanoi. You can take a flight from your country to Hanoi. Food from the north does not taste as sweet as food from the south. Hanoi is famous for Pho (beef/chicken noodles soup), Bun Cha (grilled pork and noodles), Nem Cua Be (crab spring rolls), Bun Ca (fish noodles soup), etc. In addition, there are many nice and historic places to visit in Hanoi, such as Hoan Kiem lake, Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, and One Pillar Pagoda.
Halong Bay
Ha Long Bay is one of the world’s seven wonders of nature. This wonderful place is 180 km away from Hanoi. There are many ways to go from Hanoi to Halong Bay. You can take a car, a bus, or a train. If you want to get to Halong Bay fast, cars will be the best options (3-4 hours). By bus, it can be up to 5 hours. Trains are the slowest ones because they can take you 7 hours. You can take a cruise, go kayaking, snorkel, dive, visit Cat Ba island, explore caves, etc.
Sapa
Sapa is a peaceful and small mountain town. Hmong and Dao are two main ethnic minority groups that live in Sapa. They do not use a lot of technology or machines, so most of everything is done or made by hand. They are very friendly, and so you may see a lot of them walking and carrying babies or logs along the trekking roads. Hmong and Dao people have their own styles of clothes, which are different and beautiful. Sapa is around 300 km from Hanoi. You can take a bus for 6-7 hours or a train for 8-9 hours to get to Sapa from Hanoi. In Sapa, you can visit Cat Cat Village to experience the lives of Vietnamese ethnic minority people, Dragon Jaw Mountain to go hiking, Sapa market to shop for unique souvenirs, etc.
Central Vietnam
The best time to visit central Vietnam is from January to August. It can rain in other months. Due to the location, central Vietnam sometimes has to deal with typhoons. Hence, please check the weather before making plans to visit these amazing places in central Vietnam.
Hue
Hue was a place where the Nguyen Dynasty emperors chose to be home from 1802 to 1945. Hence, this is one of the best places to learn about Vietnamese history. You can take a domestic flight to Hue airport or take a bus from other central cities. In Hue city, the architecture of castles, pagodas, mausoleums, and museums are breathtaking. Imperial City, Thien Mu Pagoda, Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh, Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities, and Thai Hoa Palace are amazing places to visit in Hue. Furthermore, Hue has a lot of great local food that you must try, such as Bun Bo Hue (Hue style beef noodles), com hen (baby clam rice), banh khoai (Hue pancakes), banh beo (steamed rice cakes), banh loc (tapioca dumplings), and banh it ram (sticky rice dumplings).
Da Nang
Da Nang is a modern city. You can take a flight from your country to Da Nang International Aiport. If you travel from other Vietnamese cities to Da Nang, you can also take a domestic flight to this airport. There are many things to do in this fun city. You can visit the Marble Mountains, My Khe beach, Asia Park – Sun World Da Nang Wonders, and Han Market.
Especially, you must visit Dragon Bridge in Da Nang. The dragon changes colors every night and breathes fire and water from its mouth every Saturday and Sunday night. Additionally, you cannot miss Golden Bridge, which was built in 2017 and designed with two giant hands of Gods pulling a strip of gold out of the land. This cool bridge will offer you amazing views and pictures for your social media. Mi Quang (Quang style noodles) is the best local food to eat in Da Nang, so please make sure you try it to experience the taste of central Vietnam.
Hoi An
Many tourists visit Hoi An after Da Nang due to the close distance. Taking a taxi will cost you around $15-$30 for almost an hour. Alternatively, you can rent a motorcycle in Da Nang for $10-$80 based on what type (automatic or manual) you want and how long you rent. Hoi An is an old lantern town, which means it is more beautiful at night. You can explore all of Hoi An in 1-2 days because this town is small. Cao Lau (Hoi An noodles) is the special local food that you rarely find in other places in Vietnam. Hence, it is worth to try Cao Lau when visiting this beautiful town.
Nha Trang
Nha Trang is a great place if you like beaches. You can take an international or domestic flight to Nha Trang International Airport. Bus and train are other alternative transportation if you come to Nha Trang from a province or city in Vietnam. There are many direct flights from Russia to Nha Trang, so don’t be surprised when you see a lot of Russians in this city. It can be a great opportunity if you want to learn more about Russian culture and people. In Nha Trang, you can snorkel, dive, and visit different beaches, museums, night markets, Vinpearl Water Park, Ponagar Tower, Agarwood Tower, Long Son Pagoda, Skylight Nha Trang, etc. Most people come to Nha Trang to eat fresh seafood. Furthermore, Nha Trang is known for Yen Sao (edible bird’s nest), which is good for your health.
South of Vietnam
The south of Vietnam has two mains seasons, which are dry and rainy. It usually rains from July to October. The other months are good for outdoor activities because of the sunny weather. Southern food is a bit sweeter than food from northern and central Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh is the biggest city in Vietnam. You can fly from your country to Tan Son Nhat Internation Airport. It is a modern city, and it has almost everything here. You can try different food from other Vietnamese places and countries when you go to this city. There are a lot of cool places where you can have fun with your family and friends, such as Suoi Tien theme park, Ben Thanh market, Saigon Skydeck, Independence Palace, Nguyen Hue walking street, Cu Chi Tunnel, etc. Bui Vien street is a place where tourists have fun at night. If you like to drink and meet people from around the world, check this place out.
Vung Tau
Vung Tau is 96 km away from Ho Chi Minh city. You can travel by bus or boat. Taking a bus will take 2-3 hours while taking a boat will take 1.5-2 hours. You can visit front and back beaches, night market, Jesus Christ’s Statue, White Palace, and Dinh Co Temple. Besides fresh seafood, Vung Tau is known for Banh Khot (Khot cake), Banh Bong Lan Trung Muoi (salt egg pound cake), Lau Ca Duoi (sawfish hotpot), Goi Ca Mai (raw fish salad), Tiet Canh Tom Hum (lobster blood), and Chao Hao (oyster porridge).
Da Lat
Da Lat is the best place to escape the heat of southern Vietnam. You can fly to Da Lat or take a bus to Da Lat from Ho Chi Minh city. It can take you 2 hours by plane and 7-9 hours by bus. Da Lat is a romantic city, so many newly-married couples choose this place for their honeymoons. Moreover, this is a flower city, so you can see many unique flowers here. When you plan a trip to Da Lat, make sure to check out whether there will be a Da Lat flower festival. It is worth doing it because the festival is very nice.
Top sights in Da Lat are Crazy House, Xuan Huong Lake, Linh Phuoc Pagoda, Lang Biang Peak, Valley of Love, Golden Valley, Bao Dai Summer Palace, Lam Vien Square, Elephant Waterfalls, Da Lat Cathedral, Domaine de Marie, and Mong Mo Hill. You must visit Da Lat night market to eat Banh Trang Kep (grilled rice paper with eggs) and Khoai Lang Nuong (grilled yams) and drink Sua Dau Nanh (soy milk). Da Lat has different types of fruit jams and candies, which can be perfect gifts for your family and friends.
Can Tho
Can Tho is a great place to discover Mekong Delta. You can travel to Can Tho by car, bus, taxi, or plane. It is around 170 km away from Ho Chi Minh city. Hence, it should not take you a long time to get to Can Tho from Ho Chi Minh city, around 3-5 hours. The best thing to do when visiting Can Tho is to visit Cai Rang Floating Market, where you can experience life on the river. You can also visit My Khanh Tourist Village, Binh Thuy Ancient House, Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen Monastery, Nam Nha Pagoda, Ninh Kieu Park, and Can Tho Night Market. Can Tho has some good local food, such as Nem Nuong Cai Rang (Cai Rang grilled rolls), Chuoi Nep Nuong (baked sticky rice banana bun), Banh Cong (Cong cakes), Banh Tam Bi (noodles in coconut cream), Banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancakes), Oc Buu Nuong Tieu Xanh (grilled snails with green peppers), Banh Hoi (Hoi cakes), Banh Tet La Cam (magenta plant sticky rice cake), and Lau Ban (mangrove apple hotpot).
Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc is an island where you can enjoy green palm trees and white sand beaches. The best way to go to Phu Quoc is to take a flight from Ho Chi Minh city. It only takes 30-40 minutes. You can also take a bus then a boat to Phu Quoc. It will be longer and more complicated to get to the island. Sao Beach, Khem Beach, and Starfish Beach are the top 3 beaches in Phu Quoc. You can also snorkel and dive when visiting this island. If you are tired of beaches, you can visit Phu Quoc National Park, Phu Quoc Prison, VinWonder Phu Quoc (amusement park), Lang Chai Ham Ninh (bustling seaside fishing village), and Vinpearl Safari Phu Quoc.
Seafood is amazing in Phu Quoc island. You must go to the night market and try Nhum Bien (echinus), Ghe Ham Ninh (Ham Ninh flower crab), Oc (snails), Goi Ca Trich (raw herring salad), Banh Canh Cha Ca (fish cake noodle soup), Bun Ken (Ken noodles), Bun Quay (shrimp noodle soup), Muc Chien Nuoc Nam (fried squids with fish sauce), and Ruou Sim (Sim wine). Kem Cuon (ice cream rolls) and Keo Chi (sticky coconut candy) are the two best desserts in Phu Quoc.
Have you ever been to Vietnam? Please feel free to share your thoughts or experience with us at the diễn đàn. If no, you must visit these amazing places in Vietnam when you travel next time. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me here. I will be happy to help you with your trip in Vietnam. I also offer some basic Vietnamese courses for travelers, which can help you communicate with local people when traveling to Vietnam. Make an appointment with me for a Vietnamese class tại đây.
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