Ho Chi Minh City
To understand the US invasion of Vietnam, and contextualize its devastating impact on the country's civilians, this remarkable and deeply moving museum is…
Must-see attractions in Vietnam
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…
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,…
Cat Ba Island
Lying to the south of Halong Bay off the north-eastern coast of Vietnam, the 300-or-so karst islands and limestone outcrops of Lan Ha are just as…
Cao Bang
Ban Gioc is one of Vietnam’s best-known waterfalls, and its image adorns the lobby of many a cheap guesthouse. The falls, fed by the Quay Son River that…
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…
Phu Quoc Island
With picture-perfect white sand, the delightful curve of beautiful Sao Beach bends out alongside a sea of mineral-water clarity just a few kilometres from…
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…
Mekong Delta
Hon Son, also known after its main village of Lai Son, is a solitary and beautiful mountain island about 50km southwest of Rach Gia on the southern shores…
Ho Chi Minh City
Built in 1909 in honour of the supreme Taoist god (the Jade Emperor or King of Heaven, Ngoc Hoang), this is one of the most atmospheric temples in Ho Chi…
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…
Nha Trang
Forming a magnificent sweeping arc, Nha Trang's 6km-long golden-sand beach is the city's trump card. Sections are roped off and designated for safe…
Hanoi
Set amidst landscaped grounds near the centre of Hanoi, the Temple of Literature honours Vietnam's finest scholars, and also offers visitors a chance to…
Ho Chi Minh City
Built between 1877 and 1883, Notre Dame Cathedral enlivens the heart of Ho Chi Minh City's government quarter, facing Ð Dong Khoi. A red-brick, neo…
Quang Ngai
This tranquil rural spot was the setting for one of the most horrific crimes of the American War, a massacre committed by US troops that killed 504…
Hanoi
This thought-provoking site is all that remains of the former Hoa Lo Prison, ironically nicknamed the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ by US prisoners of war (POWs) during…
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…
Ho Chi Minh City
Believed to be the oldest temple in HCMC (1744), Giac Lam is a fantastically atmospheric place set in peaceful, garden-like grounds. The Chinese…
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…
Cat Ba Island
For one of the best views in Vietnam, head to Cannon Fort, where there are astounding panoramas of Cat Ba Island's jungle-clad hills, the harbour and the…
Can Tho
The biggest floating market in the Mekong Delta, Cai Rang is 6km from Can Tho in the direction of Soc Trang. There's a bridge here that serves as a great…
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…
Dien Bien Phu
This vantage point was crucial in the battle of Dien Bien Phu. There are tanks and a monument to Viet Minh casualties on this former French position,…
Dien Bien Phu
This well-laid-out museum, contained in a space-agey modern structure, features an eclectic collection that commemorates the 1954 battle. Alongside…
Dong Van
Once a week, local villagers from the surrounding hills, including the Hmong, Tay, Nung and Hoa ethnic groups, flood into Dong Van for the Sunday market…
Bac Ha
This Sunday market is Bac Ha’s big draw. There's an increasing range of handicrafts for sale, but it’s still pretty much a local affair. Bac Ha Market is…
Bai Tu Long Bay
Most Vietnamese visitors make a beeline for Hong Van Beach – and justifiably so. It's nearly 3km of fine, white sand lapped by blue water and backed by a…
Con Dao Islands
Reached via a dirt track 1km before the airport on Con Son Island, Bai Dram Trau is a sublime, remote 700m half-moon crescent of soft sand, fringed by…
Nha Trang
Built between the 7th and 12th centuries, these impressive Cham towers are still actively used for worship by Cham, Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhists…
Ho Chi Minh City
Surrounded by royal palm trees, the dissonant 1960s architecture of this landmark government building and the eerie ambience of its deserted halls make it…
Hanoi
Legend claims that, in the mid-15th century, heaven sent Emperor Le Loi a magical sword, which he used to drive the Chinese from Vietnam. After the…
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…
Dalat
A freewheeling architectural exploration of surrealism, Hang Nga Crazy House is a joyously designed, outrageously artistic private home. Imagine…
Hue
This hillside monument is a synthesis of Vietnamese and European elements. Most of the tomb’s grandiose exterior is covered in darkened, weathered…
Ho Chi Minh City
A grand neoclassical structure built in 1885 and once known as Gia Long Palace (and later the Revolutionary Museum), HCMC’s city museum is a singularly…
Chau Doc
Ba Chuc’s memorial, 40km south of Chau Doc, stands as a ghastly reminder of the horrors perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge. Between 18 April and 30 April 1978…
