Country guide
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
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
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Clay Gilliland · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photograph · NKSTTSSHNVN · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Cuong Tran · Public domain
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
126 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Nhà thờ Đức Bà Sài Gòn
The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon is a prominent Catholic cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Constructed by French colonists in the late nineteenth century, it stands as one of the city's most recognizable architectural landmarks.
Bảo tàng Mỹ thuật Việt Nam
The Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts is a state-run institution in Hanoi dedicated to preserving and exhibiting Vietnamese visual art. Housed in a colonial-era building, it serves as the country's principal repository for fine arts.
Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám
The Temple of Literature, known locally as Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám, stands as Vietnam's first national university. Founded in 1070 during the Lý dynasty, it originally served as a Confucian temple before expanding into an imperial academy.
Quảng trường Ba Đình
Ba Dinh Square is a large open square in central Hanoi, widely recognised as the political and historical heart of Vietnam.
Bảo tàng Hồ Chí Minh
The Ho Chi Minh Museum is a major state museum in Hanoi dedicated to the life and legacy of Ho Chi Minh, the founding father of modern Vietnam.
Hồ Hoàn Kiếm
Hoan Kiem Lake, locally Hồ Hoàn Kiếm, sits at Hanoi's historic core. The name translates to Lake of the Returned Sword, referencing a legend about Emperor Le Loi receiving a divine blade from a turtle deity.
Bảo tàng Phụ nữ Việt Nam
The Vietnamese Women's Museum is a cultural institution in Hanoi dedicated to documenting and celebrating the roles of women in Vietnamese society throughout history.
Bưu điện Trung tâm Sài Gòn
The Saigon Central Post Office is a prominent colonial-era landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Bảo tàng Lịch sử Quốc gia Việt Nam
The National Museum of Vietnamese History occupies a distinctive building in central Hanoi, constructed during the French colonial period. Originally built as the École Française d'Extrême-Orient, the structure blends French architectural elements with Asian influences.
Bảo tàng Dân tộc học Việt Nam
The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a museum in Hanoi dedicated to the 54 officially recognized ethnic groups of Vietnam. Its full local name is Bảo tàng Dân tộc học Việt Nam.
Đèo Hải Vân
Hai Van Pass is a dramatic mountain pass on the border of Da Nang and Thua Thien-Hue provinces. The name translates to Ocean Cloud Pass, reflecting its mist-shrouded peaks and coastal vistas.
Bảo tàng Hà Nội
Hanoi Museum is a municipal museum dedicated to the history and culture of Vietnam's capital city. The building features a distinctive inverted pyramid architectural design that sets it apart from other cultural institutions in the region.
Bảo tàng Lịch sử Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
The Museum of Vietnamese History in Ho Chi Minh City opened in 1929 as the Blanchard de la Brosse Museum, the first museum in southern Vietnam.
Marble Mountains, known locally as Ngũ Hành Sơn, is a cluster of five limestone and marble hills located south of Da Nang in central Vietnam.
Thảo Cầm Viên Sài Gòn
Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a historic green space in Ho Chi Minh City, combining zoological exhibits with botanical collections. Established during the French colonial period, it represents one of the oldest continuously operating zoos in the region.
Hồ Tây
West Lake, known locally as Hồ Tây, is the largest freshwater lake in Hanoi, Vietnam's capital. This expansive urban water body occupies a significant portion of the city's northwestern district and has historically shaped settlement patterns around its perimeter.
Bảo tàng Nghệ thuật Điêu khắc Chăm Đà Nẵng
The Museum of Cham Sculpture is a museum in Da Nang, Vietnam, dedicated to the art and heritage of the Champa civilization. The Champa kingdom flourished in central and southern Vietnam for many centuries, leaving behind remarkable sculptural works.
Nhà hát Lớn
Hanoi Opera House faces August Revolution Square at the eastern edge of the French Quarter. Vietnam’s National Archives dates construction to 1901–1911 and identifies Broyer, V.
Nhà hát Thành phố
The Saigon Opera House, known locally as Nhà hát Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, stands as a prominent performing arts venue in central Ho Chi Minh City.
Bảo tàng Mỹ thuật Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts is a major cultural institution in Vietnam's largest city. Housed in a distinctive colonial-era building, the museum serves as a repository for Vietnamese artistic heritage spanning multiple periods.
Bảo tàng Lịch sử Quân sự Việt Nam
The Vietnam Military History Museum in Hanoi is a state-run institution dedicated to documenting Vietnam's military struggles and victories across centuries. Its local name, Bảo tàng Lịch sử Quân sự Việt Nam, reflects its national significance.
Công viên 23 tháng 9
September 23 Park is a central Ho Chi Minh City green space in District 1, close to the Pham Ngu Lao area. Its position makes it useful for travellers who want a short outdoor pause while exploring the downtown core.
Công viên Thống Nhất
Thong Nhat Park, known locally as Công viên Thống Nhất, stands as one of Hanoi's significant urban green spaces.
Hồ Trúc Bạch
Truc Bach Lake is a freshwater lake situated in the Ba Dinh district of Hanoi, Vietnam. It lies immediately northwest of the larger and more celebrated West Lake, separated by Thanh Nien Road.
Bảo tàng Phòng không - Không quân
The Vietnam People's Air Force Museum is a military aviation museum in Hanoi dedicated to the history of the Vietnam People's Air Force. It displays aircraft, weaponry, and artifacts related to Vietnamese aerial warfare.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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