In the recent years, Vietnam has become an attractive destination to visit in Southeast Asia, attracting over 10 millions of tourists annually. Some of the reasons for this trend are the spread of knowledge of many beautiful places in Vietnam from terraced rice fields to the booming metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City and the UNESCO World Heritage sites at the Halong Bay. In our latest Vietnam travel guide, here is our overview of the top 12 beautiful places in Vietnam. Let’s begin our fascinating overview journey from the North to the South of Vietnam.
1. Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay literally means “Bay of Descending Dragons” in Vietnamese, and it is considered the most beautiful places in Vietnam with lots of things to do as it is a site that has a convergence of beautiful landscapes and interesting sights. Located in Northern Vietnam and near the Chinese border, Halong Bay features thousands of islands covered by green jungles, which create a spectacular seascape over 1,500km square. In 1994, this extraordinary site was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One more special thing about this wonderful bay is that there are some enormous and marvelous caves hidden below those mountains welcoming many vacationers every year to take photos and explore. Read more on Halong Bay Travel Guide.
Find cheap tickets to travel from Hanoi to Ha Long and other beautiful places in Vietnam:
2. Ha Giang
Tham Ma Slope in Ha Giang
Have you ever heard about the fields of buckwheat flowers blooming marvelously and carpeting all over the mountains with its light pink color? If you heard it once, you might know some information about the most beautiful place not only in the north but also in Ha Giang province, Vietnam; this is also where Lung Cu flag tower is located at the top-north of Vietnam. Besides this iconic flower, Ha Giang is also famous for the narrow ribbon roads blending with the dramatic scenery and colorful minority villages with their unique culture and lifestyle. Traveling to Ha Giang and paying a visit to the other trails less traveled destinations, such as Ma Pi Leng Pass, Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, and Lung Khuy cave gives you an excellent opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty that charms people’s hearts.
Road from Ha Giang to Dong Van
See our guide for Motorbiking in Ha Giang
3. Sa Pa
Vietnam is a tropical country in Southeast Asia, and some people think that snow never falls in this region. Strangely, there is one place that snow falls annually from the middle of December to early February, and that is Sa Pa. Sa Pa is a mountainous area in the North of Vietnam and has become the Northwest’s tourism center in the present day. Due to its location that is just about 350 km from Hanoi, Sa Pa is a perfect destination because it is one of the beautiful places in Vietnam to learn about indigenous culture, or just simply escape Hanoi’s haze and noise. Taking a trip to Sa Pa is an interesting experience because of the exciting activities you can do there, such as learning how to make a handicraft, give a helping hand at farm work with the ethnic minority, or trek across mountain ranges in Hoang Lien, which is voted the best trekking routes in Vietnam by both the native and foreign tourists.
View from the Fansipan peak
See How to Travel from Hanoi to Sa Pa
4. Hanoi
Hanoi Flag Tower
Situated on the bank of the Red River, Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam where vacationers can find out the centuries-old pagodas, colonial buildings, and old museums even within the center of this place. This city is well-known for not only its multicultural community lifestyle that has been significantly influenced by Chinese, French, and even Russian but also special cuisines and vibrant nightlife. Hanoi is also a great place for exploring on foot and enjoying a tranquil time in the late evening at traditional villages nearby the center with the verdant mountains and parks. To make your visit more exciting, make a day trip from Hanoi to the neighboring areas, and discover the beauty of Northern Vietnam.
Read more: Hanoi Travel Guide
5. Da Nang
Da Nang is a booming coastal city that attracts tourists not only by the variety of natural divine beauty with many beautiful beaches but also by the lovely people, with friendly smiles giving you a warm welcome. And if you are a morning person, Da Nang beaches will be the dream place to get soaked up in sunlight and cool water. Besides that, the most worth-living city in Vietnam also offers a wide range of fun-filled activities and entertainments that keep people stay longer such as Asia Park with the biggest Sun wheel or the sparking Bana Hills. Da Nang has the twinkle of the stars, particularly after the sunset when the neon lights are spreading out all over every corner of this city, especially the two banks of the Han River on the weekend nights. This city always brings visitors a comfortable and outstanding atmosphere, and this is the reason hundreds of thousands come to this modern and friendly city.
Further reading: Da Nang Travel Guide
6. Hoi An
Located on the coast of the South China Sea, Hoi An Ancient Town which is the heart of this city is another one of the beautiful places in Vietnam you shouldn’t miss out. Hoi An is renowned as a not-to-be-missed destination if you are planning to make a journey throughout Vietnam. When reaching Hoi An Ancient Town, you will be surprised by a beautiful world isolated from all the flow and destruction of time. No roaring motorcycles or brilliant grand lights, all space and time are deposited in the old wooden folds. Because of the subtle blend of the ornate pagodas, graceful bridges, and colorful lanterns, the fishing village has become one of the most popular tourist attractions that are always crowded every time a holiday is coming up. But the most attractive thing about this beautiful place in Vietnam is the canal cutting through the town, which makes some guests call this area the “Venice of Vietnam”.
7. Hue
If you are a history lover and have a desire to see the magnificent city, or just simply love discovering the traditional cultures, Hue, a Vietnam’s former Royal Capital in the past, will be probably an ideal place of visit. Even though so many landmarks have been destroyed from time to time in this beautiful place in Vietnam, Hue remains its historical values through an elaborate monument, pagodas, temples, and tombs, which represent the outstanding power of the vanished ancient Vietnamese Empire. There are so many things to do, and three places we recommend are the Hue Citadel, Emperors Tombs, and Pagodas that attract tourists coming from all around the world. Learn more about the best things to do in Hue.
8. Nha Trang
Recognized as one of the most beautiful bays in the world, Nha Trang is in Khanh Hoa province of Vietnam. Nha Trang beaches include an astonishing 6 kilometers of stunning coastline with white sand and clear waters, and that is the very first strong impression every visitors have, and it only can be seen here. Coming to this seaside town means you will enjoy stunning beaches dotted with tropical islands and fresh seafood. Nha Trang is known as the relaxing heaven for people who come from not only other parts of Vietnam but also all over the world due to its modernity and a wide range of entertainment and travel services. It would be fantastic if you could spend your summertime diving or snorkeling in the cool and fresh water at Nha Trang’s beaches to see the corals and active marine life living under the sea.
Read more: Nha Trang Travel Guide
9. Da Lat
One of the beautiful places in Vietnam that should not be missed is Da Lat city. If buckwheat flowers are known as Ha Giang’s symbol, Da Lat located in the central city of the highlands also has its icon, which is the hydrangea flower decorating the beautiful landscapes and massive pine forest. The beauty of Da Lat is also highly praised and attracts visitors for the hundreds, thousands of flowers and orchids unique to this land. In Vietnam, it is usually called the “City of Eternal Spring”. The things that people love most about this land of natural richness is the flowers, hills, comfortable cooling weather, and stunning pristine white waterfalls, such as the Prenn waterfall – a beautiful nature-created waterfall, or the biggest waterfall in Vietnam, the Pongour waterfall.
10. Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is the most famous city in Vietnam. This crowded city is the center of Vietnam economic boom, trading, and multiculturalism. In addition to the majestic high buildings and architectures, Saigon has a grand variety of entertainment and tourist attractions that will always be new and attractive for travelers. The never-sleeping site offers a lot of things to do such as exploring significant historical landmarks, getting around the city and trying the adventurous motorbike Saigon city tour, and going to local markets to enjoy unique Vietnamese cuisine. Check it out with our 3 days Ho Chi Minh City travel guide.
| To have fun trips in Ho Chi Minh City, check out our authentic motorbike tours with professional local guides! |
11. Can Tho
Coming to Vietnam without visiting Mekong Delta will be probably a shortcoming. One of the places we recommend is the fourth-largest city in Vietnam, Can Tho – or Tay Do, that is how Vietnamese people address this city.
Can Tho is a big metropolitan area of the Mekong Delta where there is a combination between the bustle of Cai Rang Floating Market in the early morning, tropical fruit gardens such as lychee, jackfruit, durian, and rambutan, which only can be harvested in South Vietnam, and matchless architecture of ancient houses. Can Tho is also ubiquitous for its people’s generosity, graciousness, and hospitality.
12. Ca Mau
To finish our journey across the S-shaped country’s beautiful places, the last stop is Ca Mau, which is the southernmost point of Vietnam. This 300-year-old city is dotted with so many channels, tropical mangroves, swamplands, and bird parks. One feature place in this last stop is U Minh National Park, home to a considerable amount of unique fauna and flora living in this green area. Finally, coming to Ca Mau for sightseeing, you will have the experience of reaching the end-most of the country, watching the beautiful scenery here to make memories with family members, friends or even with the locals and meeting some new friendly people at the south of Vietnam.
Summary of the Beautiful Places in Vietnam
Every beautiful place in Vietnam has its characteristics which contribute to the whole splendid landscape of Vietnam’s beauty. If you intend to visit Vietnam for relaxation or to learn more about the culture and lifestyle, be sure to read further on our Vietnam travel guides or reach us through our Contact Us page.
Get your travel insurance to travel to Vietnam