A photograph of Vietnam

Country guide

Up to 1 hour in Vietnam — page 3

Vietnam covers 331,344.82 km² and its 2025 population estimate is 102,300,000, held mostly in two river deltas at opposite ends of a long, narrow country: the R...

Photograph · Jakub Hałun · CC BY 4.0

20,056 Places
3Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Vietnam covers 331,344.82 km² and its 2025 population estimate is 102,300,000, held mostly in two river deltas at opposite ends of a long, narrow country: the Red River in the north around Hanoi, the Mekong in the south below Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi is the capital and Ho Chi Minh City the largest city, and the ground between the two is the trip — a coast measured in days rather than hours, usually broken into three or four stops instead of run in one go. Which end a traveller starts from decides the order of everything after it.

Checked 2026-08-25

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Vietnamese
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+84
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Vietnamese đồng (VND)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
113 police · 114 fire · 115 ambulance
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A and C · 220 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor drinking-water statement was recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. An Dong Market An Dong Market
    51 45 min

    An Dong Market

    An Dong Market is a commercial marketplace located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It operates as a retail and wholesale trading venue serving local residents and visitors seeking goods in a traditional market setting.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  2. Ban Co Peak Ban Co Peak
    52 20 min

    Ban Co Peak

    Ban Co Peak is a prominent elevated viewpoint located in Da Nang, a major coastal city in central Vietnam. The peak offers panoramic vistas over the surrounding landscape, including urban areas, coastline, and mountainous terrain.

    • Notable
    • Viewpoint
    • Da Nang
  3. Ba Vi National Park Ba Vi National Park
    53 1 hour

    Ba Vi National Park

    Vườn quốc gia Ba Vì

    Ba Vi National Park is a mountainous protected landscape west of Hanoi, rising above the Red River Delta. It is a strong choice when you want forest, cooler mountain air, and open countryside instead of another urban attraction.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Hanoi
  4. Binh Tay Market Binh Tay Market
    54 45 min

    Binh Tay Market

    Chợ Bình Tây

    Binh Tay Market is the principal wholesale market of Cholon in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 6.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  5. Book Street
    55 1 hour

    Book Street

    Phố Sách Hà Nội

    Hanoi Book Street, known locally as Phố Sách Hà Nội, is a pedestrian-oriented cultural space dedicated to literature and reading. Located in the heart of Vietnam's capital, this street transforms a section of urban thoroughfare into a book-focused destination.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Hanoi
  6. Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve
    56 1 hour

    Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve

    Khu dự trữ sinh quyển rừng ngập mặn Cần Giờ

    Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve is Ho Chi Minh City's UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve, recognized for its protected mangrove forest ecosystem. The reserve represents the municipality's most significant nature-based excursion destination.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  7. Cau Giay Park Cau Giay Park
    57 1 hour

    Cau Giay Park

    Công viên Cầu Giấy

    Cau Giay Park, known locally as Công viên Cầu Giấy, is a public green space located in the Cau Giay District of Hanoi, Vietnam. The park serves as a recreational area for residents and visitors to the city.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Hanoi
  8. Chùa Đậu
    58 30 min

    Chùa Đậu

    Dau Pagoda, known locally as Chùa Đậu, is a Vietnamese Buddhist pagoda in Hanoi identified by OSM way 1461501278. The Vietnamese name is the most useful place-specific reference when asking for directions or confirming a destination.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  9. Chùa Láng Chùa Láng
    59 30 min

    Chùa Láng

    Lang Pagoda, known locally as Chùa Láng, is a Buddhist temple in Hanoi, Vietnam. The pagoda holds historical significance as a place of worship and cultural heritage within the capital.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  10. Chùa Linh Ứng Chùa Linh Ứng
    60 30 min

    Chùa Linh Ứng

    Linh Ung Pagoda at Bai But is a prominent Buddhist temple complex situated on the Son Tra Peninsula coastline in Da Nang.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Da Nang
  11. Chùa Trầm Chùa Trầm
    61 30 min

    Chùa Trầm

    Chùa Trầm, or Tram Pagoda, stands as a Buddhist religious site in the greater Hanoi region of northern Vietnam. The pagoda occupies a hillside setting characteristic of Vietnamese temple architecture integrated with natural topography.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  12. Chùa Trăm Gian
    62 30 min

    Chùa Trăm Gian

    Tram Gian Pagoda, also known as Chùa Trăm Gian, is a Buddhist temple associated with Hanoi’s religious and cultural landscape. Its name translates as “One Hundred Room Pagoda,” linking the site with the idea of a once-extensive monastic complex.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  13. Chùa Vạn Niên Chùa Vạn Niên
    63 30 min

    Chùa Vạn Niên

    Van Nien Pagoda, known locally as Chùa Vạn Niên, is a Buddhist temple site in Hanoi, Vietnam.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  14. Co Loa Citadel Co Loa Citadel
    64 45 min

    Co Loa Citadel

    Co Loa Citadel is an ancient fortified settlement located north of central Hanoi. The site represents one of Vietnam's oldest defensive structures, with origins tracing to legendary and early historical periods of Vietnamese state formation.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Hanoi
  15. Công Viên APEC
    65 1 hour

    Công Viên APEC

    APEC Sculpture Park is Da Nang's leading contemporary public-art park and a major landmark along the Han River. The park displays sculptures created by artists from APEC member economies, commemorating the APEC summit hosted in Vietnam.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Da Nang
  16. Con Market Con Market
    66 45 min

    Con Market

    Chợ Cồn

    Con Market is Da Nang's other primary traditional market and the city's strongest street-food market.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Da Nang
  17. Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station
    67 45 min

    Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station

    Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station is a wildlife rescue facility located in the Cu Chi district near Ho Chi Minh City. The station serves as a rehabilitation centre for animals rescued from illegal wildlife trade, captivity, and habitat destruction.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  18. Da Nang Cathedral Da Nang Cathedral
    68 30 min

    Da Nang Cathedral

    Nhà thờ Chính tòa Đà Nẵng

    Da Nang Cathedral, known locally as Nhà thờ Chính tòa Đà Nẵng, stands as a notable religious structure in central Vietnam's coastal city.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Da Nang
  19. Đền Và
    69 45 min

    Đền Và

    Và Temple, known locally as Đền Và, is a Vietnamese religious site within Hanoi’s wider cultural landscape. It is a place for worship and contemplation rather than a conventional attraction arranged around exhibits.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Hanoi
  20. Diên Hồng Park Diên Hồng Park
    70 1 hour

    Diên Hồng Park

    Vườn hoa Diên Hồng

    Dien Hong Park, known locally as Vườn hoa Diên Hồng, is a green space in Hanoi, Vietnam. The park contributes to the city's network of public recreational areas, offering residents and visitors an outdoor environment within the urban fabric.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Hanoi
  21. Đình Thông Tây Hội Đình Thông Tây Hội
    71 30 min

    Đình Thông Tây Hội

    Thong Tay Hoi Communal House, known locally as Đình Thông Tây Hội, is one of Ho Chi Minh City’s oldest surviving communal houses. The site preserves southern Vietnamese timber architecture while continuing as an active place of village worship.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  22. Hai Van Gate Hai Van Gate
    72 45 min

    Hai Van Gate

    Hải Vân Quan

    Hai Van Quan is a historic military gate situated at the summit of Hai Van Pass, which forms the natural boundary between Da Nang and Thua Thien-Hue provinces in central Vietnam.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Da Nang
  23. Han Market Han Market
    73 45 min

    Han Market

    Chợ Hàn

    Han Market is Da Nang's principal traditional market, serving as the city's everyday commercial hub for food culture and general goods. Located centrally near the Han River, it functions as a covered bazaar where residents conduct daily shopping.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Da Nang
  24. Hanoi Creative City Hanoi Creative City
    74 1 hour

    Hanoi Creative City

    Hanoi Creative City is a mixed-use creative complex in Hanoi, Vietnam. The development functions as a cultural and commercial hub that brings together creative industries, retail spaces, and community-oriented facilities.

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Hanoi
  25. Han River Bridge Han River Bridge
    75 45 min

    Han River Bridge

    Cầu Sông Hàn

    The Han River Bridge, known locally as Cầu Sông Hàn, is a swing bridge spanning the Han River in Da Nang, central Vietnam. It holds distinction as Vietnam's first swing bridge designed and constructed by Vietnamese engineers.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Da Nang

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Vietnam be?

A north-to-south first trip needs about two weeks; with ten days, choose two regions such as Hanoi and the centre or Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight trains and domestic flights shorten distance but still consume transfer time.

What entry documents are needed for Vietnam?

Apply through Vietnam’s official electronic-visa portal if the passport and trip qualify. Confirm the approved entry point, validity dates and permitted stay before finalising the route, because an authorisation tied to one crossing should not be assumed valid for another.

What is the best way to travel around Vietnam?

Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang are the key gateways for common itineraries. Domestic flights, the north-south railway and coaches connect regions; local systems vary, so use licensed taxis or recognised booking channels and verify the correct station or terminal.

When is a practical time to visit Vietnam?

Vietnam’s north, central coast and south have different wet and dry periods. Choose travel dates around the most weather-sensitive region: central beach conditions, northern mountain visibility and southern rainfall cannot be summarised by one nationwide “best month.”

What money and payment basics apply in Vietnam?

The Vietnamese đồng is the recorded currency, and the high denomination numbers deserve a deliberate check before payment. Cash remains useful for small vendors and local transport; use reputable ATMs or banks and verify each zero on quoted VND prices.

What practical safety details should I save for Vietnam?

Police, fire and ambulance are recorded as 113, 114 and 115; common power is Type A and C at 220 V. Tap-water advice is Not recorded here, so ask locally and keep transport-provider details available for long rail or coach journeys.