🇻🇳Vietnam

Discover Vietnam

In-depth guides to help you travel Vietnam like a local — cities, culture, food, and practical tips.

Travel Guides

Dong Khoi Street: the complete guide to Saigon's most storied boulevard

Dong Khoi is the street every visitor to Ho Chi Minh City walks at least once, usually without quite knowing why it feels different from the rest of District 1. It is short, barely a kilometre from the river to the cathedral, and it holds more of the city's history per metre than any other road in V

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Ba Den Mountain: the complete guide to Tay Ninh's sacred peak

Ba Den is the highest mountain in southern Vietnam, and for most of the year it is also the busiest pilgrimage site in the south. On a clear January morning, the cable car station at the base handles thousands of visitors before 9am, most of them Vietnamese families carrying fruit, incense and paper

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Da Nang and Hoi An nightlife: beach bars, An Thuong and the late-night riverside

Two cities, one coastline, and two completely different ideas of what an evening should feel like. Da Nang treats nightlife as a wide-open beach party with rooftop bars and a river that lights up on schedule. Hoi An treats it as a slow walk past lanterns, a drink by the water, and a bed by 11pm. Cho

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Vietnam in July: weather, crowds and where to go

July is the month travelers get wrong most often. The north is in its heaviest rain, the south floods most afternoons, and half the country is on summer holiday at the same time. Yet the central coast is in a rain shadow and the northern mountains offer a genuine escape from the heat. This guide exp

Marble Mountains in Da Nang: caves, pagodas, the lift and the monkeys

Most guides tell you the Marble Mountains are worth a visit and leave you unprepared for the 40,000 VND ticket, the 15,000 VND lift, the slippery marble steps, and the fact that the monkeys everyone mentions are not actually here. This guide covers what you will really find across the five limestone

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Hai Van Pass and Lap An lagoon: ride it, drive it or take the train

The 21 km between Da Nang and Lang Co is the most photographed stretch of road in Vietnam, yet most guides answer only one question: is it worth it. The real question is which of the four ways across suits your confidence, your luggage and your schedule. This guide compares all four, including the t

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My Son sanctuary: the Cham temples of central Vietnam explained

My Son Sanctuary is Vietnam's most misunderstood UNESCO site. Visitors arrive expecting an "Angkor Wat of Vietnam" and leave confused by a handful of red-brick ruins in a jungle valley. This guide explains who the Cham actually were, what the towers were built for, what was lost to American bombing

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Ho Chi Minh City: when to visit around heat and rain

Ho Chi Minh City does not have four seasons. It has two: hot and wet, and hot and less wet. The temperature rarely drops below 25°C (77°F) or rises above 35°C (95°F). The real variable is rain. Understanding how the rain works here matters more than any temperature reading.

Ho Chi Minh City things to do: beyond Ben Thanh and the war sites

Ho Chi Minh City gets reduced to a checklist. Ben Thanh Market, the War Remnants Museum, the Independence Palace, maybe a rooftop bar. Two days and done. That version of Saigon exists, but it is the version you read about in guidebooks written a decade ago. The city has moved on.

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Vietnam in April: weather, crowds and where to go

April sits at the hinge of Vietnam's two seasons. The dry season is winding down in the south, the north is shaking off its winter chill, and the central coast is enjoying a sweet spot of calm seas and blue skies. It is not the hottest month, not the wettest, and not the busiest. That makes it one o

Where to stay in Hue: neighborhoods and hotel picks by budget

Hue is a city that rewards a good base. The imperial capital of Vietnam's last dynasty, the Nguyen emperors, spreads across both banks of the Perfume River. The sights are scattered. The Citadel sits on the north bank. The royal tombs lie in the hills west of town. The food scene hides in alleys and

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North, Central and South Vietnam: how the three regions actually differ

Vietnam is often described as one country, but it behaves like three. The north, central and south regions have distinct climates, cuisines, paces of life and even dialects. A traveler who plans a two-week trip without understanding these differences will waste time packing the wrong clothes, orderi

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Golf in Vietnam: top courses and what a round actually costs

Vietnam has become one of Asia's most compelling golf destinations. The numbers tell the story: over 90 courses spread across the country, with more opening every year. The quality matches the quantity. Several layouts have earned spots on global top-100 lists, and the prices remain lower than equiv

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Public holidays and closures in Vietnam: a year-round planning guide

Vietnam runs on two calendars at once. The Gregorian calendar sets official holidays, but the lunar calendar decides when most of them actually happen. That means Tet, the biggest holiday of the year, falls anywhere between late January and mid-February. Mid-Autumn Festival, Hung Kings Festival, and

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Surfing in Vietnam: seasons, breaks and where to learn

Vietnam is not the first country that comes to mind when you think of surfing in Southeast Asia. Bali, Siargao, and Sri Lanka dominate the conversation. But Vietnam has a real, if underrated, surf scene. It is seasonal, fickle, and often messy. Yet when the northeast monsoon pushes swell into the So

Da Nang things to do: beaches, bridges and the mountains behind the city

Da Nang gets overlooked. Most travelers use it as a transit hub, sleeping one night between Hoi An and Hue before moving on. That is a mistake. Vietnam's fifth-largest city has the best urban beach in the country, a mountain peninsula covered in jungle, and some of the most photographed bridges in S

Getting to Nha Trang: flights, trains and buses compared

Nha Trang sits on Vietnam's south-central coast, a stretch of white sand and turquoise water that has pulled travelers off the Hanoi-HCMC railway for decades. The city is not hard to reach. The problem is choosing how.

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The best time to visit Nha Trang: weather, seasons and diving conditions

Nha Trang gets sold as a year-round beach destination. The brochures show turquoise water, palm trees, and endless sunshine. The reality is more complicated. This city on Vietnam's south-central coast has distinct seasons that change everything about how the beach feels, whether the water is clear e

How is Vietnam in August? The honest region-by-region guide

August is Vietnam's most misunderstood travel month. Search "Vietnam in August" and you will find warnings about monsoon rains, typhoons, and flooded streets. Yet thousands of travelers return with sunburned shoulders and stories of empty beaches.

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Vietnam national costume male and female: A complete traveler's guide

Most visitors to Vietnam see the elegant ao dai on flight attendants, wedding parties, and schoolgirls, but few understand the full landscape of Vietnamese national dress. This guide explains what Vietnamese people actually wear for ceremonies, festivals, and formal occasions, how the costumes diffe

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Phong Nha Weather: Complete Month-by-Month Guide, Rainy Season & Best Time to Visit

Phong Nha is one of Vietnam's most spectacular destinations, but its unpredictable weather can disrupt a poorly planned itinerary. Between monsoons, flash floods, and suffocating heat, here's everything you need to know to choose the right time and enjoy the caves safely.

Con Dao hotels on a budget: where to stay without breaking the bank

Con Dao has a reputation problem for budget travellers. Most search results point to Six Senses, the island's ultra-luxury resort where villas start above $500 a night. That creates the impression that this remote archipelago is only for the wealthy. It is not.

Vietnam honeymoon itinerary: 10 days from beaches to mountains

A honeymoon in Vietnam is not one single experience. It is a sequence of them. One day you are drifting through limestone karsts on a quiet bay. The next you are walking ancient citadel walls in Hue. Then you are on a beach with a coconut in your hand, and after that you are eating banh xeo at a pla

Banh khot and banh can: Vietnam's crispy mini pancakes, compared

Two tiny pancakes. One looks like the other. Same round shape, same cast-iron mold, same serving of fresh herbs on the side. But bite into a banh khot from Vung Tau and a banh can from Dalat, and the difference hits immediately.

Vietnam by train: routes, tickets and the Reunification Express

The train horn sounds at 6:00 AM in Hanoi. The carriages rattle. Coffee vendors walk the aisles with metal pots. Outside the window, rice paddies spread flat and green toward limestone karsts. This is the Reunification Express, the spine of Vietnam.

Is it safe to travel to Vietnam during typhoon season? A practical guide for 2026

Typhoon season in Vietnam runs from June to November. That fact alone sends many travelers into a spiral of worry. Should you cancel your trip? Move your dates? Switch destinations entirely?

3 Weeks in Vietnam: The Perfect North-to-South Itinerary for First-Timers

Vietnam stretches like a dragon’s tail down the East Sea (Biển Đông). Three weeks gives you enough time to trace its spine from Hanoi’s chaotic charm to the Mekong Delta’s floating markets. This route balances iconic landmarks with one genuine offbeat stop that most first-timers miss.

What is the most scenic train ride in Vietnam? The complete guide to Vietnam's best railway journeys

Every traveler hears about Vietnam's "most beautiful train ride." But which one actually deserves the title? Between the coastal drama of the Hai Van Pass, the rice-terrace panoramas of the north, and luxury carriages that cost more than a flight, the answer depends on what you're after. This guide

Golden bridge vietnam weather december: What travelers need to know

The Golden Bridge (Cau Vang) is one of Vietnam's most photographed landmarks. Two giant stone hands emerge from the hillside, holding a golden walkway suspended above the forest. The image is striking. But the reality of visiting in December is often very different from the postcard.

Cat Ba Island things to do: The complete 2026 travel guide

Cat Ba Island sits at a crossroads. The harborfront is a construction zone, the beaches are still pristine, and the national park remains one of Vietnam's most underrated wildernesses. Most visitors come for a day and leave underwhelmed. This guide shows you where to go, what to skip, and how to spe

Typhoon Season in Central Vietnam: What Happens If One Hits Your Trip

Central Vietnam's coastline, stretching from Hue down through Da Nang and Hoi An, is one of Southeast Asia's most beautiful travel corridors. It is also one of the most typhoon-prone regions in the country. Between September and November, the East Sea (Biển Đông) churns out storm systems that regularly s

The DMZ from Hue: Vinh Moc Tunnels, Khe Sanh & the Truth About Vietnam War Tours

The Demilitarized Zone — the strip of land along the 17th parallel that divided Vietnam from 1954 to 1976 — has become one of central Vietnam's most marketed day trips. Brochures promise "battlefield tours" and "war history immersion," but the reality on the ground is more complicated, more sobering

Nha Trang in 2026: Is Vietnam's Beach Capital Still Worth It?

For two decades, Nha Trang held an unofficial title: Vietnam's beach capital. A six-kilometre crescent of sand backed by a skyline of high-rises, warm water year-round, and an offshore archipelago that delivered some of the country's best snorkelling. Then came the pandemic, the collapse of Russian

The North-South Reunification Express: A 36-Hour Train Journey Through Vietnam

The Reunification Express — known locally as the *Thống Nhất* — is not a single luxury train but a network of daily services running the 1,726 kilometers between Hanoi and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Opened in 1936 by the French, severed during decades of war, and finally reconnected on 31 December 1

Visiting Hoi An: The Complete Travel Guide to Vietnam's Lantern City

Hoi An's lantern-lit ancient town, riverside food stalls, and tailor-made silk await — here's everything you need to plan your perfect Vietnam visit.

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Ly Son Island guide: volcanic craters, whale temples and practical tips

Ly Son is not a palm-fringed beach resort. It is a ring of dead volcanoes 30 km off Quang Ngai, planted with garlic, guarded by the military, and tied to Vietnam's claim over the Paracel Islands. What follows explains what is actually there, what it means to the people who live on it, and how to pla

Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh: history, what to see inside and how to visit

Most visitors reach the Cao Dai Holy See on a rushed day tour. They watch the noon prayer from a crowded balcony, take a few photos of a pastel building with two towers, and leave without knowing what they saw or why a 20th-century faith built its own Vatican in the rice fields near the Cambodian bo

What is Vietnam famous for? An honest guide to its food, landscapes, history and culture

Pho, Ha Long Bay, conical hats, motorbikes and the war. Most travelers arrive with these images already loaded, but few know which icons still deliver, which have quietly become tourist traps, and when each one is at its best. This guide covers what Vietnam is genuinely famous for and how to experie

100 things to know before traveling to Vietnam

Visas, seasons, money, scooters, health, etiquette and food: 100 things to know before traveling to Vietnam, fact-checked and updated for October 2026.

Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi: tickets, opening hours, dress code and whether it is worth visiting

Searching "Ho Chi Minh Museum" returns at least five different places, from Hanoi's lotus-shaped landmark to museums in Saigon that share the name. This guide covers the Hanoi museum at 19 Ngoc Ha Street: what it costs, when it opens and when it does not, what to wear, how to fit it around the Mauso