Trying to decide where to go in Vietnam can be one of the most difficult tasks for a traveller. Simply because there are so many amazing places to visit. Vietnam is one of the most beautiful places I have been to and it’s full of places that you must visit at least once in your lifetime.
The number of times you will get to a destination in Vietnam, only to find out that it’s another Unesco World Heritage site is unbelievable. I can’t wait to go back and visit more of Vietnam, but I think what we covered in our 3-week tour of the country covers the absolute must-see places if this is your first trip to Vietnam:
1. Hanoi, Northern Vietnam
I might be tempted to say this about most of the places we visited in Vietnam, but Hanoi was one of my favourite places! I recommend that you start your journey through Vietnam there. From Hanoi, you can travel to a number of different places on day trips such as Sapa, Halong Bay or Ninh Binh.
Hanoi is also the cultural and historical epicentre of Vietnam and if you are a real foodie, you will truly love the street food here. You can spend hours wandering the centuries-old, tree-lined streets, inspired by French and Chinese influences. Whilst you wander the streets and take in the vibrant atmosphere you’ll come to realise that you are never10 meters away from someone cooking or eating food.
The food is that good in Hanoi that I would consider going back just to experience more of it. If you are new the Hanoi, then definitely test the waters with some breakfast Pho, the iconic dish of Vietnam (but made slightly differently in Hanoi). Bun Cha is another amazing dish you should try.
Where To Stay In Hanoi
Hanoi La Selva – Hanoi La Selva Hotel is just a minute’ walk to Hoan Kiem Lake. The hotel enjoys convenient access to the local restaurants, bars and shops in the surrounding. The A La Carte breakfast menu is a great way to start your stay here. The hotel restaurant also offers a quiet option for dinner high above the busy streets of Hanoi.
The Ancient Lanes Hotel – Ideally situated in the Hoan Kiem district of Hanoi, Ancient Lane Hotel is situated 600 m from Thang Long Water Puppet Theater, 700 m from St. Joseph Cathedral and less than 1 km from Hoan Kiem Lake. This is more of a hotel for the budget traveller but it does offer a snug rooftop terrace if you want to get out of your room.
2. Halong Bay, Northern Vietnam
Halong Bay is one of Vietnams Unesco protected sites and has become famous throughout the world for its beautiful limestone karsts. Despite the boom in tourism in recent years and the premium you may pay to visit, I would still say it should be in your list of where to go in Vietnam.
Stop for an overnight cruise and experience the tranquillity of Halong Bay before the day tours arrive. You will feel so relaxed sitting on the calm waters in the evening and in the morning you will be treated an amazing sunrise experience as the sun rises above the limestone karsts.
Cruise Companies For Halong Bay:
AClass Cruise – Legend (the cruise we went on).
AClass Cruise Stella (recommended by a friend for 2 nights)
Bhaya Cruise Premium: (Highly rated but more expensive)
3. Ninh Binh, Northern Vietnam
This is also known as Halong Bay on Land or Dry Halong Bay and is arguably more impressive than Halong Bay itself. I would definitely set a couple of days aside to visit Ninh Binh, although we actually stayed for 4 days
Ninh Binh is about an hour and a half train ride away from Hanoi. In Vietnam, you can easily afford to get your hotel to arrange transportation by car there too. However, the train is a pretty easy journey, the carriages are air-conditioned and the seats are comfy too.
We stayed in Trang An which is home to yet another Unesco World Heritage site; The Grottoes. You can also climb Mua Caves for a spectacular view, or simply grab a bicycle and cycle around the majestic landscape. Although be warned it’s a highly instagrammable spot and can get very busy at sunset.
I’d also recommend a visit to the more low key Tuyet Tinh Coc, for a super-chill walk around the jade lake surrounded by the mountains. This also has the potential to be a romantic location too, with nearly wedded Vietnamese couples visiting the old Pagoda to have their photos taken overlooking the lakes.
Where To Stay In Ninh Binh
Trang An Retreat – This is a peaceful retreat surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery. Located just a short bicycle ride away from the Grottos. Although there aren’t really any local restaurants nearby, the food is good enough at the Retreat that you will be happy to kick back and eat breakfast, lunch and dinner there.
However, should you really want to take a break from eating at the retreat you should visit Chef Dung. Set in the back garden of an owner’s home and overlooking some fields it’s a really nice place to spend your lunchtime. The menu is pretty simple too, you just select ‘meat’ or ‘vegetarian’ and you get a set menu lunch of about 5 or 6 plates of delicious food.
4. Hue, Central Vietnam
This is one of the ancient historical and cultural foal points of Vietnam. Once the capital city and the home of the Nguyen Dynasty, you can visit the Imperial Palace, once home to the Emperor and the Tombs of the emperors.
I would recommend you visit the slightly further out Tombs of Minh Mang’s and Khai Dinh. Of course, there are 7 Tombs in total that you can visit around Hue.
In Hue I went in search of a dessert called Che Seo but ended up sitting on a bench the height of a skateboard, eating an unknown dish of stew by mistake. To this day I don’t know what it was. On the upside the locals absolutely loved it, were offering me their seats and wanted to take pictures with me.
The Sleeper Train From Ninh Binh To Hue
You can get the overnight train from Ninh Binh to Hue and it takes about 11 hours. A one-way ticket can cost as little as $10 – $35USD for a hard, soft or berth. You can also upgrade to a more ‘tourist standard’ operator such as Lehman’s Express who run their own section of the train. This will cost between $75 to $130 but within each 2 or 4 berth cabin you will be given refreshments (e.g. water, beer) and breakfast the next morning.
After speaking with friends, I’m aware that the cabins and toilets are kept to a much higher standard. Other ‘Luxury’ tourist trains I’ve heard of are Lotus Train, Violette Train and Livitrans Express.
You can book your tickets on either 12go.asia or Baolau. As this is a busy travel route it’s recommended you book online. When we travelled the cheaper tickets actually ran out and we ended up booking a Lehman’s Express first-class, 4 berth cabin.
Where To Stay In Hue
Hue Serene Palace – Hue Serene Palace Hotel is strategically located within 200 m from the famous Huong River/Perfume River and 600 m to Hue Imperial City (The Citadel) which you can get to by crossing the Trang Tien Bridge. The hotel is also just 1 km to Hue Train Station, which is very convenient if you are getting the overnight train.
5. Hoi An, Central Vietnam
Hoi An is a colourful and enchanting place and you won’t want to miss it. If you ask people where to go to Vietnam, most of them will tell you the Hoi Ann, needs to be on your itinerary.
The Hoi An Ancient Town and riverside light up at night with colourful lamps and it’s a beautiful place to relax. The other side of Hoi An also has a pretty nice beach, called Hidden Beach. It’s a really low key, quiet beach that not too many people know about, so we were lucky to find it.
Vietnamese Cooking Classes
If you are looking for an activity during your time in Hoi An, then I suggest a cooking class such as Vy’s Market Restaurant Cooking School. You can opt to get a tour of some of Hoi An’s food markets (not for the weak-stomached). You will also get a tour around the street market-style food stalls at the restaurant to watch the chefs at work. They will demonstrate how to make white rose dumplings for example.
You can also try some Vietnamese delicacies such as Pigs Ear Salad, Jellyfish Salad, Spicy Frog Roti. Before making your own traditional Vietnamese dishes such as Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Pancake).
Where To Stay In Hoi An
Green Apple Hotel – Perfectly situated between The Ancient Old Town and the beaches on the other side. There are lots of good little local restaurants if you want to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the old town.
Hai Van Pass From Hue To Hoi An
There are multiple ways to get to Hoi An, you can either fly from Hue airport to De Nang and get a taxi the rest of the way. You can also get a train from either Ninh Binh or Hue to De Nang and get a taxi.
Alternatively, you can make you way over the Hai Van mountain pass either by renting a motorbike or hiring a taxi which is what we did. This will probably take a good few hours but it goes very quickly because of the scenery. Whilst making your way to Hoi An via the Hai Van pass I’d recommend you stop and visit the Marble Mountains.
Getting a taxi will be pretty comparable in price to 2x train/plane tickets, plus you have to get a taxi from De Nang either way.
Dalat, Central Vietnam
Dalat is in the highlands of Vietnam and associated with it’s a cooler climate. In the evening and mornings, the heat dissipates and it feels more like a European than south-East Asian climate.
There are some great things to do here, such as the Crazy House, Tuyen Lam Lake, a number of waterfalls such as Datanla which has a very fun Toboggan and cable car nearby. You can also visit Dalat’s K’ho Coffee plantation or the Flower Garden in the city centre.
Where To Stay In Dalat
Robins Villa Dalat– Located a 15-minute walk from Da Lat market, Robins Villa in Da Lat boasts a Koi fish pond, lush garden and an on-site dining area. Resulting in a quiet oasis away from the city centre.
6. Phu Quoc, Southern Vietnam
Travelling through Vietnam is exciting and fun, but you may also want some time to relax and unwind away from the hustle and bustle of the cities. With this in mind, Phu Quoc is a great place to put your feet up.
The island boasts idyllic beaches and evergreen forests but as a result of the serene atmosphere in and around our hotel, we spent most of our time in our resort or at local eateries.
Where To Stay In Phu Quoc
Pomello Garden – Situated in lush gardens, this is the perfect place to relax by the pool or in a hammock outside your bungalow. There are plenty of local food options just a few minutes’ bicycle ride up the road. They look incredibly ‘rustic’ looking eateries but rest assured the food is good.
7. Ho Chi Minh City, Southern Vietnam
This is supposed to be one of the busy and chaotic cities in the world. I timed my visit to coincide with Tet celebrations, or rather just after the Tet downtime. Everything was open but only a quarter of the 9 million residents had returned to the city.
This cut around two hours of travel time (due to minimal traffic) from our visit to the Cu Chi tunnels which I highly recommend. This and the War Remnants Museum are powerful and educational insights into the Vietnam War.
Grand Silverland Hotel & Spa – Featuring a rooftop swimming pool, Grand Silverland Hotel & Spa is just a 1-minute walk from Ben Thanh Market. You can also enjoy afternoon tea as part of your stay, which is a nice perk to come back to after exploring the city.
Final Thoughts On Where To Go In Vietnam
As you can probably tell, Vietnam is pretty navigable and easy to travel. All of these places mentioned above accessible by train with the exception of Dalat. We could have got a bus or taxi but out of convenience, we flew from Hoi An (Da Nang Airport) to Dalat. From Dalat to Phu Quoc before flying back to HCMC.
However, one alternative route is to keep getting the train from Hoi An to Mui Ne/Pan Thiet and Nha Trang. From there you can either get a bus or train to HCMC. We decided to go with Dalat rather than the Nha Trang route as Dalat seemed more quaint and interesting rather than a built city with a beach.
I hope this article has helped you to plan out your visit to Vietnam, or inspired you to seriously consider it as your next holiday destination. Even with nearly a month to spare it was a serious challenge deciding where to go in Vietnam.
I’m pretty happy that we got to visit some spectacular places but I can’t wait to go back and see some more. The food, the scenery, the people and the history of Vietnam really do make it a special place.
Hopefully, I provided you with enough information to inspire you either way. However, If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at [email protected] or leave a comment below.
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