70 articles
Dong Ba Market sits on the Perfume River's north bank in Hue, Vietnam's imperial capital. Over 150 years old, rebuilt after war and flood, it remains the city's liveliest marketplace for produce, fish, textiles, and local crafts.
Binh Tay Market in District 6 has anchored Cho Lon commerce since 1930, built with wealth from a garbage collector turned tycoon. Walk its crowded aisles for spices, textiles, and a snapshot of old Saigon trade.
In Phu Tho province, the Thet xoan troupe includes taxi drivers, farmers, and factory workers who abandon their day jobs to perform centuries-old worship songs. We visited them at their communal house to see how this ancient tradition survives.
On January 23, 2024, German First Lady Elke Budenbender attended a traditional water puppet performance at Thang Long Theatre in Hanoi, joining Vietnam's First Lady. The afternoon included tea, backstage visits, and a rare glimpse into Vietnam's thousand-year-old art form.
Dong Ho paintings are hand-printed woodcuts from Bac Ninh Province, made on special seashell paper with natural pigments. Created for Tet since the 11th century, they depict good-luck symbols, folk tales, and social satire—and you can watch artisans make them today.
Bat Trang, a village just outside Hanoi, has been producing ceramics for over 600 years. Today it's home to over 200 workshops where you can watch artisans throw clay, fire kilns, and paint intricate designs—and try it yourself.
This 1931 mausoleum blends Baroque, Gothic, and Neoclassical styles with traditional Vietnamese design. Perched on Chau Chu mountain outside Hue, it's the most ornate of the Nguyen dynasty tombs and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Emperor Tu Duc's tomb complex near Hue is less a burial ground than a palatial retreat where the 19th-century ruler spent decades of his life. Boating, poetry, and 104 wives—the architecture tells the story.
Perched on a small island in Hanoi's West Lake, Tran Quoc is Vietnam's oldest Buddhist temple, with roots stretching back to the sixth century. Monks still live here, incense curls through courtyards carved with lotus flowers, and sunset views alone are worth the trip.
Each third lunar month, millions of Vietnamese pilgrims climb Nghia Linh Mountain in Phu Tho to honor the Hung Kings—the legendary founders of Van Lang, Vietnam's first kingdom. The Hung Kings' Festival (Gio To Hung Vuong) is less a tourist spectacle and more a living tradition of ancestor veneration that defines Vietnamese identity.
Tet Trung Thu, Vietnam's beloved Mid-Autumn Festival, transforms neighborhoods into lantern-lit celebrations where kids parade with star lanterns and families share mooncakes under the full moon. It's equal parts harvest festival, children's holiday, and family reunion.
Don ca tai tu is a traditional chamber music genre rooted in southern Vietnam's culture, blending Vietnamese instruments like the 16-string dan tranh with a spirit of community and passion. Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, it offers travelers a window into the region's artistic soul.
"Cai Luong" blends classical theater, folk songs, and modern drama into a uniquely Vietnamese performance art. Discover how this 20th-century folk opera shaped southern Vietnamese culture and still captivates audiences today.
Quan Ho is a 13th-century antiphonal folk singing tradition from Bac Ninh Province, where male and female singers engage in musical call-and-response. UNESCO recognized it as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009, and it remains central to spring festivals after Tet.
Born in 11th-century rice paddies of the Red River Delta, water puppetry is a living tradition where hidden puppeteers bring lacquered wooden characters to life on water, accompanied by live traditional music and satirical storytelling.
The 2026 Rose Festival at Fansipan and blooming rhododendrons at 3,000+ meters make late April a peak season in Sapa. Walk through a century-old flower canopy, taste "banh chung" at a hill-tribe village, and ride the cable car through clouds.
Ha Giang City is often overlooked as just a transit point, but two days here reveal ethnic villages, mountain coffee views, and local specialties that justify lingering longer.
The opening day of Trang An Festival in Ninh Binh drew thousands of visitors for dragon processions, water ceremonies, and regional folk performances on the Sao Khe River. Expect crowds during national holidays and plan accordingly.
Built by the French in 1903 and heavily bombed during the Vietnam War, the Long Bien Bridge remains Hanoi's most iconic span. Today it carries only bicycles, mopeds, and trains—a living monument to the city's turbulent past.
Perched on Cu Lao Mountain above Nha Trang, the Po Nagar Cham Towers are one of Vietnam's oldest religious sites. Built before 781, this Cham Hindu temple complex survived wars, theft, and religious shifts to become a window into medieval Southeast Asian history.
A 150-meter pedestrian bridge in Ba Na Hills resort, notable for two giant fiberglass hands that seem to cradle the walkway. Opened in 2018, it connects the cable car station to the gardens while offering views of the Truong Son Mountains and coastline.
The Cu Chi Tunnels are a vast underground network near Ho Chi Minh City where Viet Cong fighters lived and fought during the Vietnam War. Today they're one of the country's most visited historical sites—and among the most sobering.
Hanoi's largest covered market, built by the French in 1889, is a three-story wholesale hub packed with everything from textiles to fresh produce. The night market (established 2003) showcases traditional Vietnamese arts and crafts, making it a compelling stop for travelers.
Ben Thanh Market sits at the center of District 1, housing nearly 1,500 stalls and welcoming 10,000+ visitors daily. Open 6 AM–6 PM (night market until 10 PM), it's the city's oldest surviving structure and a real-time lesson in how Saigon moves.
The Saigon Central Post Office is a working landmark next to Notre-Dame Basilica, built 1886-1891. Its Gothic-Renaissance facade honors scientists like Morse and Faraday, and interior maps show Saigon at the turn of the 20th century.
The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica stands as one of Ho Chi Minh City's most recognizable landmarks—a 140-year-old structure of imported French brick, towering bell towers, and the iconic statue of Our Lady of Peace. Here's what you need to know about visiting.
The Independence Palace—now Reunification Hall—stands at the heart of Ho Chi Minh City as both a modernist architectural landmark and a window into Vietnam's 20th-century transformation. Visitors explore presidential offices, war rooms, and the dramatic story of a building that witnessed the country's pivotal moments.
Bai Dinh Temple in Ninh Binh Province is one of Vietnam's largest and most significant Buddhist complexes, spanning 539 hectares across both ancient and modern sections. Visit for stunning architecture, 500 Arhat statues, and the country's tallest Buddhist stupa.
One Pillar Pagoda in central Hanoi is a unique wooden temple built atop a single stone pillar, designed to resemble a lotus blossom. This 11th-century Buddhist site carries centuries of legend and restoration history.
The Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) is one of Hanoi's oldest and most revered sites. Built in 1070, it served as Vietnam's first national university and remains a serene spot to explore centuries of Confucian scholarship and Vietnamese architecture.
The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long anchors Hanoi's identity—a thousand-year-old fortress that's survived dynasties, French demolition, and war. Now a UNESCO site, it's the only place in the city where you can walk through foundations that kept emperors safe since 1010.
My Son is a valley of Hindu temples built between the 4th and 13th centuries by Champa kings, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Hoi An. Explore what remains of one of Southeast Asia's most significant temple complexes.
At 1,500 meters above the Nho Que River, Ma Pi Leng Pass is where limestone meets highway on Vietnam's most technically impressive road. Built between 1959–1965 by hand with dynamite and young volunteers, it remains the signature section of the 'Happiness Road'.
The 21-kilometer Hai Van Pass between Hue and Da Nang is one of Southeast Asia's great coastal drives. Misty peaks, switchbacks, and a choice between the old mountain road and the tunnel make it essential for any central Vietnam road trip.
A man-made reservoir 7km south of Da Lat, Tuyen Lam Lake draws visitors for the cable car ride to Truc Lam Zen Monastery, boat rentals, and pine-forest walks. Here's how to spend a morning or afternoon there.
Ba Be Lake in Bac Kan Province is Vietnam's largest natural freshwater lake, ringed by limestone cliffs and fed by three rivers. The national park protects Tay villages, caves, and a legend of a fairy's warning.
Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap Province is a restored wetland sanctuary in the Mekong Delta, home to endangered sarus cranes and one of Southeast Asia's most important bird habitats. Decades of conservation work have brought back species that vanished during the mid-20th century.
Located 40 km west of Buon Ma Thuot, Yok Don protects over 1,155 square kilometers of lowland forest and is home to endangered tigers, leopards, wild elephants, and gaur. Dry season trekking and wildlife spotting with local guides.
A cool-climate refuge in central Vietnam's Annamite Mountains, Bach Ma offers hiking, birdwatching, and the atmospheric ruins of a 1930s French hill station. Located between Hue and Da Nang at 1,250 meters elevation.
Cat Tien National Park, 150 km north of Ho Chi Minh City, protects one of Vietnam's largest remaining lowland tropical forests across 720 square kilometers. Home to endemic gibbons, ancient Hindu temples, and five distinct habitat zones, it's a destination for wildlife and archaeology.
Vietnam's oldest national park sits in Ninh Binh's limestone foothills with 2,000 plant species, 97 mammals, and three major wildlife rescue centers. It's a serious destination for hikers and conservation enthusiasts—not a quick detour.
Yen Tu Mountain in Quang Ninh province is home to the Truc Lam Zen sect and Chua Dong, a 70-ton bronze pagoda at 1,068 meters. A UNESCO World Heritage site blending spiritual history, hiking, and panoramic views.
Vietnam's tallest mountain stands 3,147 meters above Lao Cai province. Whether you hike it in three days or take the cable car in three hours, Fansipan is one of northern Vietnam's most rewarding climbs.
A compact fishing island 60 km south of Nha Trang, Binh Ba is known for abundant fresh lobster, three distinct beaches, and an authentic island-life experience away from resort crowds. Ferries run daily from Ba Ngoi Port.
Ha Long Bay sprawls across 1,553 square kilometers in northeastern Vietnam, studded with nearly 2,000 limestone islands shaped over 20 million years. The name means "descending dragon"—a local legend rooted in Vietnam's defense against ancient invaders. Today, UNESCO recognizes it for its geological and scenic value; floating fishing villages sustain themselves on 200 fish species and 450 types of mollusks.
Just 30 kilometers from Hai Phong, Lan Ha Bay offers 400 islands and limestone formations with far fewer boats than Ha Long. Kayak through lagoons, swim at 139 small beaches, and experience calmer waters.
Vung Tau, once a independent city and now part of Ho Chi Minh City, sits on a scenic peninsula in southeastern Vietnam. Its human history stretches back 4,000 years, and its colonial architecture—lighthouses, villas, and beachfront promenades—still shapes the visitor experience today.
A trading post on the Hau River, Chau Doc sits at the Mekong Delta's edge near Cambodia. Known for fish sauce, floating markets, and Sam Mountain's temples—a frontier town with working rhythm, not a resort.
Kon Tum, a provincial city 525 meters above sea level in Vietnam's Central Highlands, blends indigenous Ba Na culture, French colonial architecture, and ethnic minority villages. A practical base for exploring Pleiku, Buon Ma Thuot, and the wider region.
Pleiku sits where two nations meet in Vietnam's misty Central Highlands. Once home to Bahnar and Jarai peoples, this 700-meter-high plateau city is a transport hub with deep historical roots—both in the region's indigenous heritage and in 20th-century conflict.
Buon Ma Thuot sits 536 meters up in Dak Lak Province, the heart of Vietnam's coffee belt. With 434,000 people and over 200,000 hectares of coffee farms, it's where the country's coffee story happens — and where you can taste it straight from the source.
Cao Bang City sits on the Bang Giang river near China's border, surrounded by karst valleys and waterfalls. A small provincial capital with strategic history—good base for exploring the north.
Ha Giang City sits on the Lo River in Vietnam's northeast, serving as the practical launch point for the famous Ha Giang Loop. With 22 ethnic groups and a elevation that marks the true start of the highlands, it's less about the city itself and more about what lies beyond.
Pu Luong Nature Reserve spans two dramatic mountain ridges in Thanh Hoa Province, with a lush central valley dotted by Thai stilt villages and cascading rice terraces. Trek through forests, stay in homestays, and taste traditional cuisine in one of northern Vietnam's best-kept ecotourism destinations.
Nestled in the Northern Midlands, Mai Chau is a patchwork of rice paddies, traditional stilt houses, and ethnic minority villages. Spend a night in a homestay, cycle the valley floor, and eat sticky rice with people who've lived here for generations.
Dong Hoi is a coastal city in Quang Binh Province, 50 kilometers south of Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park. Known for white-sand beaches, limestone caves, and a strategic position on the North–South Highway, it's a practical base for exploring central Vietnam.
Two distinct attractions in Ninh Binh: Tam Coc's flooded cave system navigated by foot-rowing boats, and Bich Dong's three-level temple complex clinging to a limestone mountainside.
Ha Long City, capital of Quang Ninh province 178 km east of Hanoi, is the primary gateway to Ha Long Bay. Once dependent on coal mining, the city has reinvented itself as a major tourism hub, with distinct administrative (Hon Gai) and tourist (Bai Chay) districts connected by the Bai Chay Bridge.
Perched at 1,500 meters on the Langbian Plateau, Da Lat offers cool weather, pine forests, colonial charm, and exceptional local produce — a stark contrast to Vietnam's lowland heat.
Hue served as Vietnam's imperial capital under the Nguyen dynasty from 1802 to 1945, and today draws visitors with its walled citadel, royal tombs, temples, and UNESCO-listed heritage complex. Learn the history, layout, and key sites.
Da Nang sits at the heart of central Vietnam, a major transport hub and coastal city with layers of history from Champa origins to French colonial times. Strategic geography, typhoon seasons, and ancient names shaped what it is today.
Vietnam's largest city blends French colonial architecture, bustling markets, and contemporary towers along the Saigon River. Whether you call it Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon, it's the country's financial and cultural engine.
From the ancient citadel of Thang Long to French colonial boulevards and modern buzz, Hanoi layers 1,000 years of history into one sprawling northern capital. Home to 8.8 million people, 18.7 million annual visitors, and some of the country's best street food.
"Tet" ("Tet Nguyen Dan"), Vietnam's Lunar New Year, is the biggest celebration on the calendar. It falls in late January or February, bringing family reunions, ancestral worship, red envelopes, and distinctive foods. Here's what travelers should know.
Sapa is a 1,600-meter highland town in northwest Vietnam where Hmong, Dao, and Tay communities have lived for centuries. Known for terraced rice fields, Fansipan mountain, and cool climate, it evolved from a French hill station into Vietnam's primary mountain trekking destination.
The name 'Hoi An' appears across Vietnam—from the UNESCO World Heritage site to administrative wards and rural communes. Here's how to tell them apart.
A riverside resort near Hoi An built around Vietnamese herbal remedies, a hands-on "banh mi" class at the market, and sunset cruises on the Thu Bon — less poolside lounging, more cultural immersion.
Northern Vietnam's most spectacular ride — limestone karsts, mountain passes, and Hmong villages. Route, costs, where to sleep, and what nobody warns you about.
The island has changed fast. Here's what's still beautiful, what's been ruined, and where to actually go if you want quiet beaches and good seafood.
30 hours through the spine of Vietnam — soft sleeper vs hard seat, what to bring, the views to stay awake for, and whether it beats flying.
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