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🇻🇳Things to Do in Vietnam
From the limestone islands of Ha Long Bay to the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Vietnam runs north to south along a single coastline, and most trips follow that shape - Hanoi and Ha Long Bay in the north, Hoi An and Hue in the center, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta in the south. The overnight train or a handful of short domestic flights connect all three legs without much backtracking. Here are 8 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Ha Long Bay
Thousands of limestone karsts rising out of emerald water, usually seen on an overnight boat cruise from Hanoi. Book a cruise with good reviews specifically - quality varies enormously at the same price point.
📍 Ha Long Bay
🚉 Ha Long has no passenger railway in use: express buses and limousine vans run from Hanoi in about two and a half hours on the new expressway, arriving at Tuan Chau or Bai Chay for the cruise boats.
Hoi An Ancient Town
A UNESCO-listed trading port frozen in the 15th-19th centuries, famous for its lantern-lit evenings and tailor shops that can make custom clothing in 24-48 hours.
📍 Hoi An
🚉 Nearest station: Da Nang, on the north-south line, then a 45-minute taxi or the yellow bus 1 to Hoi An - the old town itself is closed to cars and best walked or cycled.
Cu Chi Tunnels
A vast underground tunnel network used by Viet Cong fighters during the Vietnam War, near Ho Chi Minh City. Some tunnel sections are widened for tourists to crawl through - claustrophobic but genuinely informative.
📍 Cu Chi, near Ho Chi Minh City
🚉 Bus 13 from Ho Chi Minh City's Ben Thanh terminal to Cu Chi, then bus 79 to Ben Duoc, takes about two hours for a few dollars; most visitors take a half-day tour instead.
Hue Imperial City
The former imperial capital's walled citadel, modeled partly on Beijing's Forbidden City, alongside royal tombs scattered along the Perfume River outside the old town.
📍 Hue
🚉 Nearest station: Hue, one of the prettiest stops on the Reunification Express, about 2km from the Citadel across the Perfume River - cyclos and taxis wait outside.
Mekong Delta
A maze of rivers and floating markets in southern Vietnam, best seen on a boat tour out of Ho Chi Minh City or Can Tho, home to the delta's largest floating market.
📍 Mekong Delta
🚉 There is no railway south of Ho Chi Minh City: buses from Mien Tay terminal reach Can Tho in three to four hours, and the floating markets are then reached by boat from Ninh Kieu pier.
Sapa
Rice terrace country in the northern highlands, near the Chinese border, with multi-day treks through hill-tribe villages as the main draw beyond the terraces themselves.
📍 Sapa
🚉 The overnight train from Hanoi runs to Lao Cai, then it is an hour by bus up to Sapa town; sleeper buses go direct from Hanoi in about six hours on the expressway.
Hanoi Old Quarter
36 narrow streets, each historically named for the trade once practiced there, still dense with street food stalls and the city's famous egg coffee.
📍 Hanoi
🚉 Hanoi railway station is about 2km west; the quarter is a walking district, and the Hanoi metro's Cat Linh-Ha Dong line stops at Cat Linh, a short taxi ride away.
Phu Quoc Island
Vietnam's largest island, in the Gulf of Thailand, with quieter beaches than the mainland resort towns and a cable car connecting to nearby Hon Thom island.
📍 Phu Quoc Island
🚉 The island is reached by air from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, or by fast ferry from Rach Gia and Ha Tien; there is no rail, and a rented scooter or taxi covers the island roads.
Mark Vietnam, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Vietnam?
10-14 days lets you cover all three regions - north, center and south - without rushing, using a mix of overnight trains and short domestic flights.
What's the best time to visit Vietnam?
Vietnam's length means weather varies by region at any given time - roughly February-April is good almost everywhere, while the rainy season and typhoon risk (June-November) mostly affects the central and southern coasts.
Is Vietnam good for a first-time visit?
Yes - it's an easy country to travel independently in, with cheap and reliable domestic transport, though a guide is worth it for sites like the Cu Chi Tunnels where the historical context matters.
Do I need a visa to visit Vietnam?
Many nationalities can get an e-visa online in a few days for short stays, and some (including several ASEAN and a handful of European countries) are visa-exempt for short visits; requirements vary by passport. Check the official visa information for your nationality: evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn.
What are some things to do in Vietnam on a tight budget?
Street food (pho, banh mi) is extremely cheap and among the best food in the country regardless of price, overnight trains save on a night's accommodation while covering distance, and many pagodas and old town streets cost nothing to wander.
Can I rent a car in Vietnam, and what licence do I need?
Renting a car with a driver is far more common than self-drive, and for most visitors it is the right choice. To drive yourself, Vietnam recognises International Driving Permits issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention, which covers most European, Asian and African countries - permits issued only under the 1949 Geneva Convention, including US and Japanese ones, are not valid, and those drivers must convert to a Vietnamese licence. The same rule applies to the motorbikes visitors often rent, and insurance will not pay out without the correct paperwork. The government portal at vietnam.gov.vn carries the official rules, and vehicle registration sits with Vietnam Register; cars, with or without a driver, are booked through operators such as Avis and local agencies in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.