Food in Vietnam

Best time by region

Each cell counts the places in this list marked as worth visiting in that month (the best months on each location page). Darker means more of the region's places agree.

Food by region32 places

North Vietnam (7)

Destination guides Cat Ba, Ha Giang, Hanoi · North Vietnam guide →

Town

Cat Ba Town

Hải Phòng

Cat Ba Town is the main settlement on Cat Ba Island in Hải Phòng province - a compact harbour-front town that serves as the base for Lan Ha Bay kayaking, overnight cruises, and Cat Ba National Park trekking, with a lively seafood restaurant strip, night market, and the new Sunworld beach on its doorstep.

Apr - Oct→

Beach

Do Son Beach

Hải Phòng

Đồ Sơn, about 20 km from central Hải Phòng and 120 km from Hanoi, was northern Vietnam's go-to beach in the 1980s and 90s - today a nostalgic, low-key seaside town with brown, silty water, French-era villas, the new Đồi Rồng artificial beach and the Đồ Sơn buffalo fighting festival.

May - Sep→

Market

Đồng Văn Market

Hà Giang

Đồng Văn Sunday Market in Hà Giang province is a weekly gathering of H'Mông, Tày, Nùng, and Lô Lô communities on the Đồng Văn Karst Plateau - ethnic minority families in traditional dress trading livestock, textiles, and food including thắng cố, mèn mén, thịt trâu gác bếp, and phở gà đen. Smaller than Mèo Vạc market but a genuine community event worth timing your loop around.

Oct - Mar→

Town

Đồng Văn Old Town

Hà Giang

Đồng Văn Old Town - 40 preserved stone houses at the core of the UNESCO Global Geopark, on Vietnam's northernmost plateau at 1,600m. Sunday minority market at dawn, weekly Saturday-Sunday cultural nights with bonfires and dancing, and a climate that occasionally brings frost and snow in winter.

Mar - Apr, Sep - Nov→

Old Quarter

Hanoi Old Quarter

Hà Nội

Hanoi's Old Quarter is a dense 36-street merchant district dating to the 13th century where each street historically traded a single craft - today it remains the commercial and cultural heart of the capital, with narrow lanes, ancient tube houses, street food, and the best urban walking in Vietnam.

Oct - Apr→

Street

Ta Hien Street

Hà Nội

Ta Hien Street is Hanoi's most famous nightlife street in the Old Quarter - a narrow lane with colonial-era roots packed with bia hơi (fresh draft beer) stalls, street food vendors, and bars where locals and travellers share plastic stools on the pavement every evening.

Year-round→

Lake

West Lake

Hà Nội

West Lake is Hanoi's largest lake - a 500-hectare expanse in the Tây Hồ district ringed by upscale cafes, ancient pagodas, seafood restaurants, and a 17km cycling path that offers the most pleasant outdoor escape within the city limits.

Jun - Apr→

Central Vietnam (12)

Destination guides Da Nang, Hoi An, Mui Ne, Nha Trang · Central Vietnam guide →

Beach

Bai Dai Cam Ranh Beach

Khánh Hòa

Bai Dai Cam Ranh Beach stretches over 10km along the coast between Cam Ranh and Nha Trang in Khánh Hòa, known for clear turquoise water, soft white sand, and a gentle slope that's popular with families - though experiences vary significantly along its length, from quiet, clean stretches to areas visitors report as littered or hemmed in by resort development.

Jan - Aug→

Island

Cham Island

Quang Nam

Cù Lao Chàm is a cluster of eight islands about 18 km off Cửa Đại beach near Hội An, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve with more than 950 marine species, white-sand beaches, coral reefs, a plastic-bag ban and a quiet fishing village, reached by a 15-20 minute canoe ride.

Mar - Aug→

Beach

Cua Lo Beach

Nghệ An

Cửa Lò is one of the best-known beaches in north-central Vietnam, about 18 km from Vinh in Nghệ An - a 12 km stretch of gently sloping sand with mostly calm waves, pink sunrises, fresh seafood, island trips and night squid fishing.

Apr - Aug→

Beach

Cua Viet Beach

Quảng Trị

Cửa Việt is a quiet, uncrowded beach about 15 km east of Đông Hà in Quảng Trị - long, flat white sand and clear water, beach-seine fishing with locals at dawn, squid noodles on the sand, and an easy stop on a Quảng Trị history trip.

Jul - Aug, Dec - Apr→

Theme Park

French Village

Đà Nẵng

The French Village at Bà Nà Hills is a Gothic and Romanesque-style resort complex at 1,487 metres - cobbled streets, Saint Denis Cathedral, the 1923 Debay Wine Cellar, Fantasy Park, and seasonal festivals, with overnight options at Mercure French Village above the clouds.

Mar - Sep→

Old Quarter

Hội An Ancient Town

Quang Nam

Hội An Ancient Town is Vietnam's best-preserved trading port - a UNESCO World Heritage Site of 400-year-old merchant houses, assembly halls, temples, and lantern-lit streets on the Thu Bồn River, where Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese architectural traditions fuse into a single walkable neighbourhood.

Feb - Apr, Oct - Nov→

Village

Mũi Né Fishing Village

Bình Thuận

Mũi Né Fishing Village is a working harbour at the tip of the Mũi Né cape, where hundreds of colourful round basket boats (thuyền thúng) are moored in the bay. The early morning fish market is one of the most photogenic scenes on Vietnam's south coast.

Jun - Aug→

Beach

Nhat Le Beach

Quảng Bình

Nhật Lệ is Đồng Hới's city beach, just 1-2 km from the centre at the mouth of the Nhật Lệ River - fine white sand, shallow water and mostly gentle waves, good for families, with sunrise, seafood stalls and night squid fishing.

Apr - Aug→

Beach

Sam Son Beach

Thanh Hóa

Sầm Sơn is Thanh Hóa's most famous beach and one of the busiest in northern Vietnam - a 9 km crescent of flat, fine sand about 180 km from Hanoi, with four bathing zones, strong waves, lifeguards, seafood and lively summer crowds.

May - Oct→

Photo coming soon

Beach

Thien Cam Beach

Hà Tĩnh

Thiên Cầm is a 10 km arc of white sand about 20 km from Hà Tĩnh city, named after a legend of a Hùng king who heard the wind and waves play like a heavenly lute - a gently sloping, family-friendly beach with sunrise fishing scenes and fresh seafood.

Apr - Aug→

Photo coming soon

Village

Trà Quế Village

Quang Nam

Trà Quế is a 300-year-old herb farming village 3km from Hội An Ancient Town - a dense patchwork of organic herb plots tended by hand using traditional methods, recognised as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, where visitors can join farmers for a morning, learn to cook Vietnamese dishes, and eat lunch in the fields.

Feb - Apr, Sep - Nov→

Museum

World Coffee Museum

Đắk Lắk

The World Coffee Museum (Bảo Tàng Thế Giới Cà Phê) in Buôn Ma Thuột, Đắk Lắk is Vietnam's first museum dedicated to coffee, with architecture inspired by Central Highlands longhouses and around 10,000 coffee artifacts sourced from Germany's Jens Burg collection - though many visitors find it feels more like a showcase for its owner, Trung Nguyên, than a deeply educational museum.

Year-round→

South Vietnam (13)

Destination guides Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc · South Vietnam guide →

Rice Fields

An Nhứt Rice Fields

Ba Ria - Vung Tau

An Nhứt Rice Fields in Long Điền district, Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu province, is a 2,000-hectare countryside escape near Vũng Tàu city - a 2km winding road through golden rice paddies, a lone tree landmark, drone photography spot, and a weekend countryside food market with bamboo stalls from 4 PM.

Mar - Apr, Aug→

Beach

Back Beach Vũng Tàu

Ba Ria - Vung Tau

Back Beach is Vũng Tàu's main beach - a 9km arc of open coastline facing the East Sea that serves as the primary weekend beach escape for Ho Chi Minh City, with a dense strip of seafood restaurants, hotels, and beach services backed by the Giant Jesus statue on the hill above - though it's honest to note the beach faces a real, recurring seasonal debris problem rather than being a pristine escape.

Dec - Apr→

Beach

Bãi Sao Beach

Kien Giang

Bãi Sao Beach on Phú Quốc's southeastern coast - over 2km of fine white sand in a sheltered bay with calm turquoise water. Unlike most Phú Quốc beaches, Bãi Sao is at its best June-October when the southwest monsoon keeps the bay sheltered and the water crystal clear.

Jun - Oct→

Market

Ben Thanh Market

Hồ Chí Minh

Ben Thanh Market is the defining landmark of central Ho Chi Minh City - a French colonial covered market built 1912-1914 with a distinctive clocktower entrance, selling food, clothing, and souvenirs, surrounded by an evening street food market. The name traces back to the late 18th century Bát Quái citadel and its riverside dock.

Year-round→

Street

Bui Vien Street

Hồ Chí Minh

Bui Vien Street is Ho Chi Minh City's most famous backpacker street - a roughly 400-metre strip in District 1 packed with open-air bars, clubs, street food, and neon lights that becomes one of the city's busiest nightlife corridors after dark, alongside a well-documented reputation for drink and billing scams worth knowing about beforehand.

Year-round→

Market

Cái Răng Floating Market

Cần Thơ

Cái Răng Floating Market is the largest wholesale floating market in the Mekong Delta - recognised as national intangible cultural heritage in 2016 and listed by Rough Guides among the world's 10 most impressive markets. Hundreds of wooden boats gather at dawn to trade fruit and produce on the Cần Thơ River, 6km south of the city centre.

Year-round→

Village

Hàm Ninh Fishing Village

Kien Giang

Hàm Ninh Fishing Village on Phú Quốc's east coast is the island's oldest surviving fishing community - wooden stilt houses over the water, fresh crab and oysters straight off the morning boats, and a world away from the resort side of the island.

Nov - Apr→

Island

Phoenix & Unicorn Islands (Cồn Phụng & Cồn Thới Sơn)

Bến Tre, Tiền Giang

Phoenix Island (Cồn Phụng) and Unicorn Island (Cồn Thới Sơn) are two of the Mekong Delta's famous Tứ Linh islands near My Tho, known for coconut canals, sampan rides, fruit orchards, and the unusual Coconut Religion temple.

Jun - Feb→

Market

Phú Quốc Night Market

Kien Giang

Phú Quốc Night Market (Chợ Đêm Bạch Đằng) in Dương Đông is the island's most well-known evening market, formerly known as Chợ Đêm Dinh Cậu before relocating - grilled seafood, souvenirs, and pearl stalls fill a riverside street, though the footprint has shrunk in 2026 due to ongoing riverside redevelopment.

Nov - Apr→

Village

Phước Hải Fishing Village

Ba Ria - Vung Tau

Phước Hải is the best fishing village near Ho Chi Minh City that also has a proper beach - 1.5 hours from Saigon by Toàn Thắng bus, with a morning seafood market, fresh oysters, a 1km seafront promenade, and a beach clean enough to swim in. The combo of fishing village and beach is rare on this coastline.

Nov - Apr→

Village

Phước Tỉnh Fishing Village

Ba Ria - Vung Tau

Phước Tỉnh is one of the oldest and most active fishing ports in southern Vietnam - a working harbor in Long Điền district, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, where hundreds of fishing vessels dock daily, and the morning market is one of the most photogenic and genuine seafood scenes near Ho Chi Minh City. Note: don't confuse it with Phước Hải, a similarly-named but separate fishing town in neighbouring Đất Đỏ district.

Nov - Apr→

Village

Rạch Vẹm Fishing Village & Starfish Beach

Kien Giang

Rạch Vẹm on Phú Quốc's northern coast combines two experiences: a traditional stilt-house fishing village built over the sea, and Starfish Beach (Bãi Sao Biển) where hundreds of large red starfish are visible in shallow clear water. One of the last untouched corners of Phú Quốc - under redevelopment pressure as of 2026.

Nov - Apr→

Building

The Cafe Apartment

Hồ Chí Minh

The Cafe Apartment at 42 Nguyễn Huệ is one of Ho Chi Minh City's most iconic landmarks - a weathered 1960s apartment block on Saigon's central walking street, its nine floors now packed with dozens of independent cafes, boutiques, and creative spaces behind a facade the city has never quite gotten around to demolishing.

Year-round→

Browse other experiences

• Beaches55 places→
• Trekking74 places→
• Camping45 places→
• Caving15 places→
• Snorkeling21 places→
• Kayaking23 places→
• Culture57 places→
• History82 places→
• Photography181 places→
• Markets11 places→
• Nightlife9 places→
• Walking Tours29 places→
• Cycling31 places→
• Boat Tours42 places→
• Cable Cars9 places→
• Homestays11 places→
• Wildlife33 places→
• Motorcycling32 places→
• Shopping5 places→