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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Linh Ung Pagoda at Bai But is a prominent Buddhist temple complex situated on the Son Tra Peninsula coastline in Da Nang.
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.
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.
Van Nien Pagoda, known locally as Chùa Vạn Niên, is a Buddhist temple site in Hanoi, Vietnam.
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.
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.
Chợ Cồn
Con Market is Da Nang's other primary traditional market and the city's strongest street-food market.
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.
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.
Bảo tàng Đà Nẵng
Da Nang Museum is the city's principal civic-history museum, now situated in a new waterfront location. It serves as the main institution dedicated to preserving and presenting the history, culture, and development of Da Nang and its surrounding region.
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.
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.
Dong Dinh Museum is a private museum located on Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang. The institution occupies a forested setting and presents itself as a distinctive cultural venue combining regional memory, architectural elements, and natural surroundings.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nghia An Assembly Hall is a historic Teochew Chinese assembly hall and Guan Yu shrine located in Chợ Lớn, Ho Chi Minh City's Chinatown district.
Nhi Phu Assembly Hall, locally called Hội quán Nhị Phủ, stands as one of Chợ Lớn's historic Fujian assembly halls.
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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