A key landmark in the historical center of Hanoi, charming Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) offers a peaceful escape from the hectic pace and crowds of the city. It’s a popular meeting spot, and also makes a great place to people watch and experience local culture.
South of Hanoi, the Trang An Landscape Complex is considered Vietnam’s “Ha Long Bay on land.” A UNESCO World Heritage Site for both nature and culture, the complex features a spectacular landscape of caverns and tunnels among limestone karsts, rice paddies, villages, and historic sites.
A national park made up of dense jungle canvasses half of mountainous Cát Bà Island, the largest island in Halong Bay. Recognized by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve and known for its golden sand beaches, the park is home to an extraordinary diversity of animals, including the endangered Cát Bà langur.
The closest village to Sapa, Cat Cat Village is a popular trekking destination to experience the distinctive culture and traditions of the Black Hmong tribe. Located in Vietnam’s Muong Hoa Valley, at the base of Fansipan Mountain, Cat Cat Village is also known for its stunning scenery of terraced fields, rolling hills, and waterfalls.
Built by the French in 1896 to hold Vietnamese political prisoners and known originally as Maison Centrale, Hoa Lo Prison was taken over by the Vietnamese in 1954. During the American War (Vietnam War), it housed American POWs, who referred to it as the “Hanoi Hilton.” Today, parts of the original prison have been turned into a museum.
The Bai Dinh Temple (Chùa Bái Đính comprises an almost 3-square-mile (8-square-km complex of temple buildings, gardens, and a towering 13-floor pagoda structure on the slopes of a rounded hill in Ninh Binh province. Highlights of the site include a 30-foot (9-meter bronze Buddha statue and a 72,000-pound (32,600-kg bronze bell.
Learn about Vietnam’s 54 different ethnic groups at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (VME), one of Hanoi’s most interesting museums. Featuring a range of exhibits, from replicas of homes and everyday objects to priceless antiques and multimedia displays, the museum offers valuable insight into the culture and heritage of the country’s many groups.
Winding over a mountainous stretch of highway just north of Da Nang, the Hai Van Pass (Đèo Hải Vân—literally “Sea Cloud Pass”) is one of Vietnam’s most scenic coast roads. It twists and turns over a spur of the Truong Son mountain range, delivering epic sea views from as high as 1,627 feet (495 meters).
One of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam, and the oldest in Hanoi, Tran Quoc Pagoda (Chua Tran Quoc) was built in during the reign of Emperor Ly Nam De (AD 541–547) and moved to its present location in 1615. Located on an islet within West Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda offers beautiful architecture, historic relics and artifacts, and a serene and scenic environment.
Built on a single pillar and rising out of a square-shaped lotus pond, the One Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot) is said to resemble a lotus flower. Originally built in the 11th century, the pagoda has been rebuilt over the years, most recently in 1955 after it was destroyed by the French, and remains one of Hanoi’s most iconic pagodas.
A UNESCO Global Geopark, the Dong Van Karst Plateau (Cao Nguyên đá Đồng Văn) protects jagged limestone cliffs, towering mountains, and lush valleys—looping roads hug the land’s wild curves for added effect. Home to 17 ethnic groups that give this nature scape a distinct cultural feel, adventures here in Vietnam’s far north are easy to find…and impossible to replicate elsewhere.
Hanoi’s largest indoor market, Don Xuan Market is jam-packed with stalls selling everything from clothing and cosmetics to household goods, pets, and plants. Although geared more toward local Vietnamese and wholesalers, it’s a great place to get a pulse on local life, and there’s also a lively food court and weekend night market.
Located in Hoan Kiem district, the neo-Gothic St. Joseph’s Cathedral is the oldest Roman Catholic church in Hanoi and the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hanoi. Modeled after Notre Dame in Paris, St. Joseph’s Cathedral is one of the most famous and striking landmarks in Hanoi from the colonial era.
West Lake (Ho Tay), the largest freshwater lake in Hanoi, provides a tranquil escape from the chaos of Vietnam’s capital. Lakeside cafés offer gorgeous views; historic attractions such as the Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple provide insight into Vietnam’s past; and 5-star hotels offer fine dining and luxury accommodation.
Characterized by emerald rice terraces and endless mountain vistas, the region of Mai Chau offers respite from the hustle of Hanoi. The small town serves as the gateway to the wider region, where you can glimpse local life in village homestays and explore a rewarding network of hiking trails.
Hon Ga Choi Island is usually translated into English as Fighting Cocks Island or Cock and Hen Island, as the two adjacent rock formations that comprise the island resemble these birds from some angles, and in a certain light. Located in Northern Vietnam’s picturesque Halong Bay, the jagged rocks are a popular landmark and photo subject.
Home to spectacular limestone panoramas and terraced rice paddies, Pu Luong Nature Reserve is the ideal choice for travelers looking to get off the beaten path. Although the reserve is a popular weekend getaway for Hanoi locals, Pu Luong sees few foreign visitors and has therefore managed to maintain an authentic feel and tranquil atmosphere.
Established in 1992 as Vietnam’s eighth national park, Ba Be National Park protects nearly 39 square miles (100 square kilometers of rainforest, lakes, limestone peaks, caves, waterfalls, and ethnic minority villages. The park also boasts diverse natural biodiversity—it's home to 550 plant species and 65 different types of mammals.
Set on its own island on Hoan Kiem Lake, it’s easy to see why picturesque Temple of the Jade Mountain (Ngoc Son Temple) is one of the most visited places of worship in Hanoi. Full of history and scenic beauty, this fascinating 19th-century temple offers a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.
When travelers hymn the beauty of Sapa, the hiking hub in northern Vietnam, they’re really praising the Muong Hoa Valley (Thung Lũng Mường Hoa. Carved by the Hoa stream, decked with a patchwork of rice terraces, and studded with fascinating minority villages, its green highland landscapes are some of Vietnam’s most dazzling.
One of Vietnam’s most important pilgrimage sites, the Perfume Pagoda is a vast complex of Buddhist temples, grottos, and shrines dotted around Huong Tich Mountain. The shrines lie amid a flooded valley of towering karst cliffs and lotus fields—a stunning backdrop that makes for some incredible photo opportunities.
Maze Cave (Hang Mê Cung or Động Mê Cung in Viatnamese) stands out among the many caves of Halong Bay for more than just its beauty—it’s also an important archaeological site where significant prehistoric remains have been found that date back as far as 7,000 to 10,000 years. It is occasionally called "Bewitching Grotto".
Replete with verdant rice terraces and lush beauty, the isolated hilltop village of Ta Phin has been drawing visitors from nearby Sapa for decades. Removed from modern life, travelers will get to mix with the Red Dao, Black Hmong, and Kinh ethnic groups, witness daily life, peruse local goods like rice wine and embroidery, and contemplate the riches of a slower life.
Silver Waterfall—known locally as Thac Bac—is one of Vietnam’s most beautiful waterfalls and is located just 9 miles (15 kilometers) from the resort town of Sapa. Thac Bac falls some 650 feet (200 meters) off the side of the Hoang Lien Mountains, steps from the country’s epic Tram Ton Pass. If you can, experience this spot via motorbike, letting the misty air and panoramic views awaken your senses.
Completed in 1906, the Presidential Palace was originally built by the French for the Governor General of Indochina. The French colonial–style palace, surrounded by lush botanical gardens and orchards, is the official home of the President of Vietnam, now used solely for formal receptions and state events.
Formerly the Army Museum, the Vietnam Military History Museum covers the country’s combat history from ancient times to the American War (Vietnam War). Learn about the many battles that Vietnam has fought for independence throughout its history through extensive photos, propaganda videos, weaponry, war machines, and other war relics.
Just behind the Presidential Palace is the modest wooden stilt house that Ho Chi Minh lived in from 1958 until his death in 1969, preserved just as he left it. Get a glimpse into the life of the founder of North Vietnam at this humble abode, set in a well-tended and landscaped garden across from a lovely carp-filled pond.
Just north of the resort town of Sapa, Tram Ton Pass (Deo Tram Ton) is Vietnam’s longest and highest mountain pass—and it’s a beauty. Snaking for 75 miles (120 kilometers) through the Hoang Lien Son Mountains, it peaks at roughly 6,200 feet (2,000 meters), where a lookout offers its travelers an aerial taste of the absolute wonders of northwestern Vietnam.
Step back in time to late-19th-century Hanoi and see how a typical wealthy merchant family lived at the Hanoi Ancient House. Located in the Old Quarter, the house was renovated in the late 20th century but retains all the architectural and other features of a typical house of the era, in a style unique to Vietnam.
Built to preserve the legacy of North Vietnam’s first President, the Ho Chi Minh Museum (Bao Tang Ho Chi Minh) offers a comprehensive overview of Ho Chi Minh’s life, as well as the country’s fight for independence. Over 2,000 items are presented in this massive, Soviet-style building, built in the shape of a lotus.
