Vietnam

Discover Vietnam through our essential travel guide, covering everything you need for an unforgettable journey. Learn about Vietnam's diverse weather patterns and find the perfect time for your visit. Explore transportation options that make getting around this beautiful country simple and enjoyable. Find inspiration with our curated list of must-visit cities, popular attractions, and delicious local foods to try. Venture beyond the tourist trail with our insider tips on hidden gems that most travelers miss.

Weather and Best Time To Visit

North Vietnam (Hanoi, Sapa, Ha Long Bay): October to December offers pleasant temperatures and clear skies. December to February brings cool, dry weather ideal for trekking. Avoid June to August's hot, humid summer and frequent rain.

Central Vietnam (Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An): February to July provides warm temperatures and minimal rainfall. Typhoon season typically runs from September to November, bringing heavy rains and potential flooding.

South Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta): December to April is the dry season with consistent sunshine and manageable heat. May to November brings brief afternoon downpours that quickly clear.

Central Highlands (Dalat, Buon Ma Thuot): November to March offers cool, dry conditions perfect for outdoor activities. Avoid the rainy season from April to October when trails become muddy and difficult.

How to Get to Vietnam

Planes land across Vietnam every day, connecting travelers to different corners of this Southeast Asian country. Down south, Tan Son Nhat International Airport welcomes visitors to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's busiest airport with over 40 million passengers annually. In the north, Noi Bai International Airport serves as the gateway to Hanoi, the capital city, where traditional and modern Vietnamese cultures blend together.

Da Nang International Airport provides convenient access to Vietnam's central coast, eliminating the need for long road journeys.

Travelers heading to the cooler mountain retreat of Da Lat arrive at Lien Khuong Airport, while those seeking beaches can fly directly to Phu Quoc Island through its international airport.

For visitors to the industrial hub of Haiphong, Cat Bi International Airport offers direct access.

If you're planning to explore the Mekong Delta's waterways and floating markets, Can Tho International Airport is your entry point. 

Each airport serves as a gateway to a distinct Vietnamese experience. Simply choose your destination and travel accordingly.

How to Get Around

Travelers in Vietnam move about like leaves in a flowing river, each finding their own path forward. Trains chug along coastal tracks, offering windows to rice fields and sea views that travelers remember long after their journey ends. When time matters, planes hop between Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City in just an hour or two.

Budget explorers often choose buses that connect cities throughout the country. Night buses with reclining beds let passengers fall asleep in one city and wake up in another. For those seeking more room to stretch, minivans carry smaller groups between towns and villages.

Water pathways connect mainland Vietnam to its island gems. Ferries depart daily to Phu Quoc's beaches and Cat Ba's limestone formations, often linked with bus services for door-to-dock convenience.

While driving yourself sounds tempting, Vietnam's roads tell a different story. Cars with local drivers navigate the seemingly chaotic yet somehow functional traffic patterns that might overwhelm newcomers.

City travel reveals Vietnam's heartbeat:

• -Motorbike taxis zip through narrow alleys no car could enter.
• -Ride-hailing apps like Grab make getting around straightforward.
• -In historic areas, cyclos pedal passengers through the time-worn streets of Hue and Hanoi at a pace that lets you notice details you'd otherwise miss.

For smooth journeys, services like Sao Viet and Good Morning Cat Ba handle the logistics so travelers can focus on the journey itself.

Local Food Scene

Must-Try Local Dishes:​

Pho: The morning ritual at Pho Gia Truyen in Hanoi's Old Quarter starts before dawn. Steam rises from huge pots while cooks ladle clear broth over rice noodles. Locals perch on small stools, adding herbs and lime to their bowls.

Banh Mi: At Banh Mi Phuong in Hoi An, the crackle of fresh bread gives way to layers of flavor - warm pate, cold cuts, and pickled vegetables create a sandwich worth traveling for.

Bun Cha: Sit at the same table where Obama once dined at Bun Cha Huong Lien in Hanoi. The charred pork and noodles arrive with a dipping sauce that tells the story of northern Vietnamese cooking in one bowl.

Food Markets & Street Food Havens:

South: Canh chua balances sour tamarind, fish, and fresh vegetables in a soup that cools during hot Mekong Delta afternoons.

Hidden Gems to Visit

1. Mai Chau Valley, Hoa Binh
In Mai Chau, rice paddies stretch across the valley floor like a green patchwork quilt. The White Thai people have built their wooden stilt houses here for generations, raising them above the earth on sturdy poles. Families open their homes to visitors, sharing evening meals around low tables where conversation flows as freely as the homemade rice wine. 

As night falls, local dancers move to traditional rhythms, telling stories through movement that words cannot capture. The valley shows different faces with the seasons - farmers bent over fields during October harvests, or tender green shoots emerging in spring. 

A three-hour journey from Hanoi's My Dinh Station takes you there via the Hanoi to Hoa Binh route, or a private car can make the trip more comfortable for about $50.

2. Bai Tu Long Bay, Quang Ninh
The limestone islands of Bai Tu Long rise from calm waters like ancient sentinels, watching over small wooden fishing boats that navigate narrow passages between them. While tourists crowd its famous neighbor, this bay remains quiet. Fishermen continue their daily work here, living in small communities that float with the tides. Small, empty beaches appear between rocky outcroppings, accessible only by boat. The weather turns most welcoming in spring and fall, when clear skies reflect in the water.

The journey requires patience - an overnight train from Sapa to Quang Ninh, followed by a four-hour shuttle to Hon Gai harbor, where boats depart into the quiet bay.

3. Tam Coc Rice Fields, Ninh Binh
In Tam Coc, mountains don't stand apart from fields - they rise directly from them. Narrow boats, propelled by rowers who use their feet on the oars, rather than their hands, glide through waterways that cut between limestone towers. The boats slip through low cave openings, emerging into hidden valleys inaccessible by land. In May and June, the young rice plants create a sea of green around the stone islands.

From Hanoi, the train takes just two hours to reach Ninh Binh, and a short taxi ride completes the journey to these remarkable fields.

Scenic Routes

Vietnam unfolds along its highways and railway tracks, revealing scenes that change with every turn. Mountains wrapped in morning fog give way to coastlines where the sun catches the water. These five routes tell different stories about the land:

• Hue to Hoi An: The road hugs the coastline before climbing the Hai Van Pass, where the ocean stretches below like a blue blanket. During September-November, the skies are clear and visibility extends for miles. Buses stop at viewpoints where travelers stand before the sweep of land meeting the sea.

• 
  

• Da Nang to Hue: Taking the Hai Van Pass from the opposite direction shows how light changes the mountains throughout the day. Between February and April, rain brings out deep greens in the vegetation. Train windows frame continuous coastal shots that passengers reach for their cameras to capture.

• 
  

• Nha Trang to Da Lat: The journey begins with ocean breezes and ends in cool mountain air. The road winds upward, temperature dropping noticeably with each switchback. During December-March, wildflowers dot the hillsides. Buses pause at overlooks where you can watch clouds form around the peaks.

• 
  

• Da Lat to Mui Ne: Pine trees and mountain lakes gradually give way to rolling sand dunes, like traveling between different countries in a single day. November through January brings comfortable weather for exploring both environments. The bus windows show this remarkable transition hour by hour.

• 
  

• Hanoi to Mai Chau: Limestone formations rise from valley floors while rice terraces cut into hillsides like giant steps. In March-April, the rice glows golden before harvest, while September-October shows fields in their greenest state. Buses wind through valleys where you'll spot farmers working in fields their families have tended for generations.

Events, Festivals and Local Markets

Join thousands of pilgrims at the Huong Pagoda Festival in Hanoi. For three months following the sixth day of lunar new year, people trek up mountains and through caves to pray for good fortune in the coming year.

Take a wooden boat ride through limestone mountains to reach the Perfume Pagoda Festival, also near Hanoi. Locals say the journey itself brings as much meaning as the destination.

Hear the unique call-and-response melodies of Quan họ folk singing at the Lim Festival in Bac Ninh. On the 13th day of the first lunar month, singers dressed in traditional clothing perform songs passed down for generations.

Stand among Vietnamese families honoring their origins at the Hung Kings Temple Festival in Phu Tho. This national holiday on the 10th day of the third lunar month includes:

• -Incense offerings
• -Traditional games
• -Rice cake making demonstrations

These celebrations connect today's Vietnam with its ancient past.

Best Places to Visit

Hanoi​
In Vietnam's capital, centuries-old temples stand beside French mansions while motorbikes weave through streets filled with the aroma of phở. The Old Quarter's 36 streets, each named for the trade once practiced there, now house families selling everything from hand-hammered copper to fresh noodles made the same way for generations.

Hanoi shows its best face in spring (March-April) or autumn (September-November) when the air feels cool against your skin and rain rarely interrupts your explorations.

The Hanoi Opera House, a yellow colonial landmark, fills with music several nights weekly. The Vietnam Fine Arts Museum tells the country's story through paintings and sculptures, while weekend markets transform the Old Quarter into a pedestrian playground where you can sample egg coffee while watching street performers.

How to get to Hanoi:

-Fly to Noi Bai International Airport from major Asian hubs

-Overnight train from southern Vietnam cities

-Bus services from neighboring provinces and countries

Sapa
Rice terraces carve the mountains into giant staircases, where minority villages dot the landscape. In these homes, H'mong and Dao families still weave textiles with patterns that tell their history and beliefs, often welcoming travelers to sleep under their roofs and share their meals.

When September arrives, the rice turns from green to gold before harvest, creating a landscape that shifts with the sunlight. In spring, plum and peach blossoms dot the hills with pink and white.

Each Saturday night, young people gather for the Sapa Love Market, continuing a tradition centuries old. 

Daily walks to villages like Cat Cat reveal daily life unchanged for generations. At the Sapa Cultural Museum, local artisans demonstrate indigo dyeing and silver crafting techniques passed through families.

How to get to Sapa:

-Overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, followed by a 1-hour bus transfer

-Direct sleeper bus from Hanoi (6-7 hours)

-Private car service from Hanoi (5-6 hours)

Ninh Binh

In Ninh Binh, limestone mountains rise suddenly from flat rice fields like teeth from green gums. Hidden among these formations, caves and temples have sheltered travelers and monks for a thousand years. Visit between November and April to stay dry, but come in May or June to see rice paddies in their greenest state, when they almost glow in the sunlight.

Local women row boats through Tam Coc with their feet, leaving their hands free to point out monkeys in the trees above. At Trang An, guides share stories about the emperors who once ruled this land. Bai Dinh Pagoda fills with the smell of incense as monks chant sutras, welcoming visitors to sit quietly and absorb the atmosphere.

• How to get to Ninh Binh:
• -Train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh station (2 hours)
• -Direct bus from Hanoi's Giap Bat station (2-3 hours)
• -Private car or taxi from Hanoi (2 hours)
  

Tips for Traveling in Vietnam

• 
  VISA
  ​Most tourists need an e-visa ($25 USD), apply online 7+ days before arrival
• 30-day single-entry is standard, multiple-entry is available for certain nationalities
  
  
• CULTURAL ETIQUETTE
• Remove shoes when entering homes/temples
• Dress modestly at religious sites
• Point with open hand, not finger
• Ask before photographing locals
  
  
• MONEY
• Vietnamese đồng (VND), 1 USD ≈ 25,000 VND
• ATMs are widely available in cities
• Cards accepted in tourist areas, cash preferred elsewhere
  
  
• HEALTH/SAFETY
• Emergency: 113 (police), 115 (ambulance)
• Recommended vaccines: Hepatitis A/B, typhoid
• Travel insurance with evacuation coverage is essential
  
  
• TRANSPORTATION
• Grab app for reliable taxis
• Motorbike taxis (xe ôm) for short trips
• Overnight buses/trains for long distances