Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
North-Central Vietnam
Designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2003, the remarkable Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park contains the oldest karst mountains in Asia, formed…
Must-see attractions in Central Vietnam
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
Hang Son Doong (Mountain River Cave), located in the heart of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, is known as the world's largest cave, and is one of the…
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
The Tu Lan cave system comprises of more than 20 wet and dry caves, which are thought to be between three and five million years old. Huge caverns,…
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
Surrounded by forested karst peaks, this staggering cave system in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park extends for 31km, though most people only visit the…
Danang
This wonderfully wacky bridge takes the form of a ginormous, colour-changing dragon, weaving its way across the Han River. If that wasn't attention…
Hue
Built on a small hill overlooking the Song Huong (Perfume River), 4km southwest of the Citadel, this seven-storey pagoda is an icon of Vietnam and as…
Hoi An
Built two centuries ago by an ethnically Vietnamese family, this gem of a house has been lovingly preserved through seven generations. Look out for signs…
Hoi An
Emblematic of Hoi An, this beautiful bridge was first constructed in the 1590s by the Japanese community to link it with the Chinese quarters. Over the…
Hue
Taking up the southwest corner of the Imperial Enclosure, this highly impressive walled complex has been beautifully restored. The imposing three-tiered…
Demilitarised Zone
A highly impressive complex of tunnels, Vinh Moc is the remains of a coastal North Vietnamese village that literally went underground in response to…
Hue
The Imperial Enclosure or Imperial City is a citadel-within-a-citadel, housing the emperor’s residence, temples and palaces, and the main buildings of…
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
This gigantic cave is very close to Hang Son Doong; both have been featured in a National Geographic photographic spread. Getting here involves a trek…
Assembly Hall of the Fujian Chinese Congregation
Hoi An
Originally a traditional assembly hall (or guildhall), this structure was later transformed into a temple for the worship of Thien Hau, a deity who…
Hue
This hillside monument is a synthesis of Vietnamese and European elements. Most of the tomb’s grandiose exterior is covered in darkened, weathered…
Danang
This small but important museum contains the world’s largest collection of Cham artefacts, housed in buildings marrying French-colonial architecture with…
Ninh Binh Province
Set amid glorious limestone pinnacles, this tranquil reserve comprises a reedy wetland that’s popular with birdwatchers. Among the bird species that have…
Hoi An
Built for worshipping family ancestors of the Tran (陳) clan, this chapel (more accurately an ancestral hall) dates back to 1802. It was commissioned by…
Hoi An
By Unesco decree, more than 800 historic buildings in Hoi An have been preserved, so much of the Old Town looks as it did several centuries ago. Eighteen…
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
Incorporating an above-water 400m-long zip line, followed by a swim into the cave and then exploration of a pitch-black passageway of oozing mud, it's…
Hue
This tomb (completed in 1867) is the most popular, imposing and impressive of the royal mausoleums, designed by Emperor Tu Duc himself before his death…
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
The spectacular boat trip through Phong Nha Cave is an enjoyable though touristy experience beginning in Son Trach town. Boats cruise past buffalo,…
Demilitarised Zone
The site of the most famous siege of the American War, the USA’s Khe Sanh Combat Base was never overrun, but it saw the bloodiest battle of the war. About…
Ninh Binh Province
Rowboats bob along the Sao Khe River through limestone caves. It's a relaxing trip, but many caves have also been enlarged to accommodate boats. Boat…
Ninh Binh Province
Established in 1962, this national park is one of Vietnam’s most important protected areas. Though wildlife has suffered a precipitous decline in Vietnam…
Danang
Known to locals as Con Ga Church (Rooster Church) because of the weathercock atop the steeple, the candy-pink, photogenic Danang Cathedral was built for…
Hue
Planned during Minh Mang’s reign (1820–40) but built by his successor, Thieu Tri, this majestic tomb, on the west bank of the Perfume River, is renowned…
Demilitarised Zone
Quang Tri once boasted an important citadel, but little of its old glory remains. In the Easter Offensive of 1972, North Vietnamese forces laid siege to…
Marble Mountains
Thuy Son is the largest and most famous of the five Marble Mountains, with a number of natural caves in which first Hindu and later Buddhist sanctuaries…
Hue
The principal entrance to the Imperial Enclosure is Ngo Mon Gate, which faces the Flag Tower. The central passageway with its yellow doors was reserved…
Ninh Binh Province
Built in 1892, the cathedral’s wooden interior has a vaulted ceiling supported by massive columns. Vietnamese-looking cherubs swarm above the granite…
South-Central Vietnam
Quang Tri province was the most heavily bombed part of Vietnam and it remains the most contaminated with ordnance. This museum provides an excellent…
Hue
Wildly overgrown but evocative, Ho Quyen was built in 1830 for the royal pastime of watching elephants and tigers face off in combat. The tigers (and…
Hue
This three-tiered esplanade was once the most important religious site in Vietnam, the place where the Nguyen emperors made animal sacrifices and…
Hue
Nestled in a pine forest, this pagoda was built in 1843 and later co-opted by eunuchs from the Citadel. Today 70 monks reside at Tu Hieu; they welcome…
Hue
In the very centre of the Imperial Enclosure, there's almost nothing left of the once-magnificent Purple Forbidden City. This was a citadel-within-a…
Hue
The Royal Theatre, begun in 1826 and later home to the National Conservatory of Music, has been rebuilt on its former foundations. When performances aren…
Hue
Covering an area of 250 hectares, the cemetery behind the fishing village of An Bang holds an incredible collection of incredibly ornate tombs and…
Hoi An
Behind an impressive gate emblazoned with Chinese chu nho characters that simply translate as 'Confucius Temple', this magnificent temple to the west of…
Ninh Binh Province
Down a sleepy road between rice paddies, this cave (the name means 'Cave of Dance') is not terribly impressive, but there are panoramic views from the…
Hue
Located immediately behind Thai Hoa Palace, on either side of a courtyard, these halls were used by mandarins as offices and to prepare for court…
