Photography in Vietnam | Solo 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. 8 places have no month data yet and are not counted.

Photography: number of places marked good per month, by region
Region	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
North Vietnam60 places	31	32	45	48	25	22	18	20	40	52	48	33
Central Vietnam80 places	37	45	60	68	55	57	54	55	37	28	29	24
South Vietnam33 places	27	27	28	28	13	14	14	16	16	17	28	27

Cao Bang: seasons differ by place

The 6 places listed in Cao Bang share no best month, so they are shown one by one instead of as one value.

Cao Bang: best months per place
Place	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Angel Eye Mountain (God Eye Mountain)Year-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Khau Cóc Chà PassNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Nguom Ngao CaveYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pác Bó Historic SiteOct - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Phong Nặm ValleyMar - May, Sep - Oct	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Thang Hen LakeJun - Sep	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No

Ha Long Bay: seasons differ by place

The 4 places listed in Ha Long Bay share no best month, so they are shown one by one instead of as one value.

Ha Long Bay: best months per place
Place	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Ha Long BayMar - Apr, Sep - Nov	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Sung Sot CaveApr - Jun, Oct - Dec	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Thien Cung CaveOct - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ti Top IslandJun - Jul	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No

Ly Son: seasons differ by place

The 7 places listed in Ly Son share no best month, so they are shown one by one instead of as one value.

Ly Son: best months per place
Place	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Chùa HangApr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Cổng Tò VòJan - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Đảo Bé (An Bình Island)Apr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Di tích Nhà PhaApr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Hang CâuApr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Lý Sơn Garlic FieldsNov - Mar	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Núi Thới LớiMar - Aug	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No

Mekong Delta: seasons differ by place

The 12 places listed in Mekong Delta share no best month, so they are shown one by one instead of as one value.

Mekong Delta: best months per place
Place	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Bac Lieu Wind FarmNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Chen Kieu Pagoda (Sa Lon Pagoda)Nov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Mũi Cà Mau National ParkDec - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Phoenix & Unicorn Islands (Cồn Phụng & Cồn Thới Sơn)Jun - Feb	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sleng Chas Pagoda (Old Sa Leng Pagoda)Nov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Som Rong PagodaOct - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ta Pa FieldsJul - Nov	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Ta Pa TempleYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Thường Phước Border GateNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Trà Sư Cajuput ForestSep - Nov	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Vĩnh Trung FieldsAug - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Xiem Can PagodaNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes

Mui Ne: seasons differ by place

The 7 places listed in Mui Ne share no best month, so they are shown one by one instead of as one value.

Mui Ne: best months per place
Place	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Cù Mi BeachOct - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fairy StreamMar, Nov	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
Hàm Tiến BeachNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Mũi Né Fishing VillageJun - Aug	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Po Sah Inu Cham TowersOct, Dec - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Red Sand DunesYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
White Sand DunesApr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No

Ninh Binh: seasons differ by place

The 8 places listed in Ninh Binh share no best month, so they are shown one by one instead of as one value.

Ninh Binh: best months per place
Place	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Am Tiên CaveJan - Apr, Sep - Nov	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Bích Động PagodaFeb - Jun	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Hang MuaMay - Jun, Oct - Dec	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Phát Diệm CathedralNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Tam CốcMar - Jul	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Thung Nham Bird ParkApr - Aug, Oct - Nov	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Trang AnJan - Jun, Sep - Nov	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Vân Long Nature ReserveOct - Jun	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes

Best months per place - North Vietnam (60)

North Vietnam: best months per place
Place	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Am Tiên CaveJan - Apr, Sep - Nov	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Angel Eye Mountain (God Eye Mountain)Year-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ba Be LakeMar - May, Sep - Nov	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Bắc Sơn ValleyJul - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bích Động PagodaFeb - Jun	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Bình Liêu Border MountainsSep - Jan	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cat Cat VillageApr - Oct	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Cô Tô IslandApr - Oct	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Đồng Văn Old TownMar - Apr, Sep - Nov	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Du Già VillageOct - May	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
FansipanMar - Apr, Sep - Jan	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ha Long BayMar - Apr, Sep - Nov	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Hang De Cho WaterfallJul - Nov	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Hang MuaMay - Jun, Oct - Dec	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hanoi St. Joseph's CathedralSep - Dec	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hanoi Train StreetOct - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hmong King PalaceYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hoan Kiem LakeAug - Oct	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Keo PagodaFeb - Apr, Sep - Oct	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Khau Cóc Chà PassNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Khau Phạ PassSep - Oct	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Khe Van WaterfallJan - Apr, Oct - Nov	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Km 0 Milestone - Hà GiangYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lan Hạ BayApr - Jun, Sep - Nov	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Lô Lô Chải VillageMar - Apr, Oct - Dec	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Long Bien BridgeOct - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lung Khuy CaveYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lũng PôMar, Sep - Nov	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Mã Pí Lèng PassMar - Apr, Sep - Nov	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Mẫu Sơn MountainJul - May	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Moc Chau Tea HillsMar - Apr, Oct - Nov	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Muong Hoa ValleyAug - Sep, Dec - May	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Ngoc Son TempleSep - Nov	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Nguom Ngao CaveYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nho Quế RiverSep - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
O Quy Ho PassMar - May, Sep - Nov	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
One Pillar PagodaYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pác Bó Historic SiteOct - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Phát Diệm CathedralNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Phong Nặm ValleyMar - May, Sep - Oct	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Quản Bạ Heaven GateAug - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Quản Bạ Twin MountainsSep - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Radio Tower ViewpointOct - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sung Sot CaveApr - Jun, Oct - Dec	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tả Van VillageAug - Oct, Dec - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Tà Xùa MountainNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Tam CốcMar - Jul	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Thẩm Mã PassMar - Apr, Sep - Nov	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Thang Hen LakeJun - Sep	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Thien Cung CaveOct - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Thung Khe PassMar - May, Sep - Nov	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Thung Nham Bird ParkApr - Aug, Oct - Nov	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Ti Top IslandJun - Jul	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Tran Quoc PagodaYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Trang AnJan - Jun, Sep - Nov	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Vân Long Nature ReserveOct - Jun	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Việt Hải VillageFeb - Mar, Jun, Oct - Dec	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
West LakeJun - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Y TýMay - Feb	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Yên Minh Pine ForestMar - Apr, Sep - Nov	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

Best months per place - Central Vietnam (80)

Central Vietnam: best months per place
Place	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
An Bang BeachMar - Sep	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Bà Nà Hills & Cable CarMar - Aug	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Bao Dai Waterfall (Jraiblian)Year-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bảy Mẫu Coconut ForestFeb - Nov	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Bến Hải River & Hiền Lương BridgeFeb - Aug	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Bình Sơn BeachMar - Sep	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Bùi Hui GrasslandMar - Apr, Aug - Sep	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Cầu Ông CọpJan - Aug	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Cham IslandMar - Aug	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Chùa HangApr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Cổ Thạch BeachNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Cổng Tò VòJan - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Crazy HouseSep - Nov	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Cù Mi BeachOct - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cua Lo BeachApr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Cua Tung BeachJul - Aug, Dec - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Cua Viet BeachJul - Aug, Dec - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Đảo Bé (An Bình Island)Apr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Di tích Nhà PhaApr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Điệp Sơn IslandDec - Sep	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Do Quyen Waterfall (Rhododendron Waterfall)Jan - Aug	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Dốc Lết BeachJan - Aug	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Don VillageMay - Jun, Sep - Oct	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Dragon BridgeYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Elephant MountainNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Fairy StreamMar, Nov	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
French VillageMar - Sep	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Ghềnh Đá Đĩa (Plate Rock Reef)Jan - Aug	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Golden BridgeMar - Aug	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Hàm Tiến BeachNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Hang CâuApr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Hang En CaveDec - Aug	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Hang RaiJan - Aug	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Hieu VillageMay - Jun, Sep - Oct	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Hieu WaterfallJun - Oct	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Ho Dynasty CitadelNov - Aug	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Hội An Ancient TownFeb - Apr, Oct - Nov	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Hòn Chồng (Hòn Chồng Rock Formation)Jan - Aug	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Hon Kho IslandFeb - Sep	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Hon Yen IslandMar - Sep	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Imperial CityJan - Jun	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Japanese BridgeFeb - Aug, Oct - Nov	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
K50 WaterfallJan - Jun	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Kê Gà LighthouseSep - Jul	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Khải Định TombJan - Apr, Sep - Nov	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Kon Tum Wooden ChurchSep - Dec	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kỳ Co BeachApr - Sep	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Linh Phước PagodaYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lý Sơn Garlic FieldsNov - Mar	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Mằng Lăng ChurchJan - Aug	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn)Mar - Sep	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Masara HillNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Minh Mạng TombJan - Apr, Sep - Nov	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Mũi Điện (Cape Varella)Apr - Sep	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Mũi Né Fishing VillageJun - Aug	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Nha Trang Beach (Tran Phu Beach)Mar - Sep	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Nhat Le BeachApr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Núi Thới LớiMar - Aug	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Pa Sy WaterfallSep - Dec	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Paradise CaveApr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Phú Quý IslandMar - Aug	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Po Nagar Cham TowersYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Po Sah Inu Cham TowersOct, Dec - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Pongour WaterfallYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Red Sand DunesYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
S-Shape Rice TerracesMay - Jun, Sep - Oct	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Sam Son BeachMay - Oct	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Son Doong CaveJan - Aug	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Sơn Trà PeninsulaMar - Sep	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Tà Đùng LakeJul - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ta Năng - Phan Dũng TrekJan - Mar, Aug - Oct	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Tháp NhạnMar - Sep	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Thien Cam BeachApr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Thiên Mụ PagodaFeb - Apr, Sep - Nov	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Trà Quế VillageFeb - Apr, Sep - Nov	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Tự Đức TombJan - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Tuyền Lâm LakeNov - Jun	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Vinpearl Cable CarFeb - Nov	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
White Sand DunesApr - Aug	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
World Coffee MuseumYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Best months per place - South Vietnam (33)

South Vietnam: best months per place
Place	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
An Nhứt Rice FieldsMar - Apr, Aug	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Ba Den MountainYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ba Hòn Đầm IslandsNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Bac Lieu Wind FarmNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Bãi NhátMar - Oct	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Bai Truong (Long Beach)Oct - May	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ben Thanh MarketYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cao Dai Holy SeeYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Chen Kieu Pagoda (Sa Lon Pagoda)Nov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Con Dao National ParkMay - Sep	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Đầm Trầu beachYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dầu Tiếng LakeJun, Dec - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Hòn Sơn IslandNov - May	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Hòn Thơm Cable CarNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Mũi Cà Mau National ParkDec - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Notre-Dame Cathedral SaigonYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Núi Chứa Chan (Chứa Chan Mountain)Nov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Núi Dinh (Dinh Mountain)Jun - Nov	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Phoenix & Unicorn Islands (Cồn Phụng & Cồn Thới Sơn)Jun - Feb	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Phước Hải Fishing VillageNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Phước Tỉnh Fishing VillageNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Pirate IslandsNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Saigon Central Post OfficeYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sleng Chas Pagoda (Old Sa Leng Pagoda)Nov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Som Rong PagodaOct - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ta Pa FieldsJul - Nov	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Ta Pa TempleYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
The Cafe ApartmentYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Thường Phước Border GateNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Trà Sư Cajuput ForestSep - Nov	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Tri An LakeYear-round	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Vĩnh Trung FieldsAug - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Xiem Can PagodaNov - Apr	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes

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North Vietnam (67)

Destination guides Cao Bang, Cat Ba, Ha Giang, Ha Long Bay, Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Sapa · North Vietnam guide →

Cave

Am Tiên Cave

Ninh Bình

Am Tiên Cave - nicknamed 'Tuyệt Tình Cốc' after its wuxia-film-like scenery - is a dragon-mouth-shaped grotto above a jade-green lake in the Hoa Lư valley, reached by around 200-250 stone steps, with a dark history as an execution ground under Đinh Tiên Hoàng and a later connection to Queen Dương Vân Nga's Buddhist retreat.

Jan - Apr, Sep - Nov

Mountain

Angel Eye Mountain (God Eye Mountain)

Cao Bằng

Angel Eye Mountain - also known as God Eye Mountain or Núi Thủng - is a limestone karst peak in Cao Bằng with a perfectly circular 50m hole piercing through its summit, set in the Thang Hen valley where the surrounding flatland floods into a 15-hectare lake each rainy season.

Year-round

Lake

Ba Be Lake

Bac Kan

Ba Be Lake is Vietnam's largest natural freshwater lake - three connected bodies of water (Pé Lèng, Pé Lù, Pé Lầm) stretching 8km through karst mountains in Bắc Kạn. Ramsar Wetland site, Tày homestays, boat through Puong Cave, and some of the most intact lowland forest in the northern highlands.

Mar - May, Sep - Nov

Valley

Bắc Sơn Valley

Lạng Sơn

Bắc Sơn Valley in Lạng Sơn is a wide basin of patchwork rice paddies ringed by dramatic limestone karst peaks - 80km from Lạng Sơn city, home to Tày, Nùng, and Dao communities in traditional stilt houses. One of northern Vietnam's most photogenic and least-visited valley landscapes.

Jul - Apr

Pagoda

Bích Động Pagoda

Ninh Bình

Bích Động Pagoda is a 300-year-old cave temple complex built into a limestone karst in Ninh Bình - three separate temples (Lower, Middle, Upper) climb the mountain face via more than 100 stone steps, once ranked 'second most beautiful grotto in Vietnam'. Free entry; best combined with a Tam Cốc boat tour.

Feb - Jun

Mountain

Bình Liêu Border Mountains

Quang Ninh

Bình Liêu in Quảng Ninh is often called a 'mini Sa Pa' - a highland border district with year-round mild climate, ethnic minority villages, and nearly 50km of frontier with China. The border ridge trek to Cột Mốc 1305 crosses the famous dinosaur spine ridge above a sea of reed flowers in October and November.

Sep - Jan

Village

Cat Cat Village

Lao Cai

Cat Cat Village sits 2-3km below Sa Pa town in a steep valley - a Black H'mong settlement with traditional stilt houses, a waterfall once used for a French colonial hydro station, and stone-paved paths through terraced fields. Heavily developed for tourism - honest expectations matter here.

Apr - Oct

Island

Cô Tô Island

Quang Ninh

Cô Tô Island in Quảng Ninh province is one of northern Vietnam's most pristine island destinations - an archipelago of nearly 50 islands in the Gulf of Tonkin with white sand beaches, clear turquoise water, coral snorkeling, and an unhurried fishing village atmosphere far removed from the crowds of Hạ Long Bay. Accessible by fast catamaran ferry from Ao Tiên port in around 60-90 minutes.

Apr - Oct

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

Village

Du Già Village

Hà Giang

Du Già is a Tày and H'mông village 70km from Hà Giang city on the eastern Ha Giang Loop - quieter and harder to reach than the main loop, with rice terraces, red silk-cotton trees lining the road, and homestays that attract travellers who want the experience over the Instagram shot.

Oct - May

Mountain

Fansipan

Lao Cai

Fansipan - the Roof of Indochina at 3,143m - is Vietnam's highest peak. Two ways to the summit: cable car (15 min, world's longest 3-rope gondola at 6,292m) or 2-3 day trek through ancient cloud forest. Buy tickets on Klook to skip the queue.

Mar - Apr, Sep - Jan

Bay

Ha Long Bay

Quang Ninh

Ha Long Bay - Vietnam's most iconic landscape and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - is 1,553 square kilometres of emerald water, nearly 2,000 limestone karst islands, sea caves, and floating villages in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Mar - Apr, Sep - Nov

Waterfall

Hang De Cho Waterfall

Yên Bái

Háng Đề Chơ (Háng Tề Chơ) is a wild waterfall over 100 m high near the Hmông village of Đề Chơ in Trạm Tấu, below the Tà Xùa forest - often called the Northwest's 'first waterfall', reached by one of its 'four deadly roads' and best visited on a dry day with a local motorbike taxi.

Jul - Nov

Mountain

Hang Mua

Ninh Bình

Hang Mua is Ninh Bình's best viewpoint - 486 stone steps up Ngọa Long peak (200m) for a panoramic view over Tam Cốc valley, the Ngô Đồng River, and karst fields. Best May-June for golden rice. Search 'Mua Cave' on Google Maps - the Vietnamese name pins the wrong location.

May - Jun, Oct - Dec

Church

Hanoi St. Joseph's Cathedral

Hà Nội

Hanoi St. Joseph's Cathedral is a neo-Gothic French colonial church built between 1884 and 1886 at the heart of the Old Quarter - the oldest church in Hanoi and one of the earliest Western-style buildings in Vietnam, its twin 31.5-metre towers a defining landmark of central Hanoi.

Sep - Dec

Street

Hanoi Train Street

Hà Nội

Hanoi Train Street is a narrow residential alley where a working railway line passes within centimetres of cafes and houses - one of Hanoi's most photographed spots. Two sections: Old Quarter (5 Trần Phú, livelier, more atmospheric) and South Side (210 Lê Duẩn, calmer, easier to find a seat).

Oct - Apr

Palace

Hmong King Palace

Hà Giang

The Hmong King Palace (Dinh thự họ Vương) in Sà Phìn, Đồng Văn is the former residence of the Vương clan - the most powerful Hmong family in colonial-era Hà Giang - a stone compound built 1898-1907 that blends Hmong, Chinese, and French architectural traditions, funded by control of the plateau's opium trade.

Year-round

Lake

Hoan Kiem Lake

Hà Nội

Hoan Kiem Lake is the symbolic heart of Hanoi - a 12-hectare lake in the Old Quarter named for the legend of Emperor Lê Lợi returning a magic sword to a golden turtle. Home to the Turtle Tower (built 1886, not ancient) and Ngọc Sơn Temple, surrounded by a weekend pedestrian zone filled with street life.

Aug - Oct

Pagoda

Keo Pagoda

Thái Bình

Keo Pagoda in Thái Bình is one of the best-preserved examples of 17th-century Vietnamese wooden architecture - a Special National Relic with a three-tiered wooden bell tower that has stood for nearly 400 years in the Red River Delta.

Feb - Apr, Sep - Oct

Photo coming soon

Mountain

Khang Su Van Mountain

Lai Châu

Khang Su Van (Phàn Liên San) is one of Vietnam's highest peaks at about 3,012 m on the Vietnam-China border in Lai Châu - a steep trek through cardamom forest, ancient Shan tuyết tea trees and waterfalls to border marker 79, often called the highest border marker in Vietnam.

Feb - Apr is spring, when ban

Mountain Pass

Khau Cóc Chà Pass

Cao Bằng

Khau Cóc Chà Pass, sometimes called the '15-tier pass,' is one of Cao Bằng's most dramatic mountain roads - just 2.5km long but packed with 14 hairpin switchbacks connecting Xuân Trường commune to Bảo Lạc town near the Chinese border, with a short hike leading to the best panoramic viewpoint over the whole switchback sequence.

Nov - Apr

Mountain Pass

Khau Phạ Pass

Yên Bái

Khau Phạ Pass is one of Vietnam's four great mountain passes - a 30km road through the clouds between Tú Lệ and Mù Cang Chải, with the most dramatic views of rice terraces in the country, and the only paragliding launch site in the entire Mù Cang Chải region.

Sep - Oct

Waterfall

Khe Van Waterfall

Quang Ninh

Khe Van Waterfall in Binh Lieu, Quang Ninh is the largest waterfall in the province - a wild three-tier cascade dropping through dense forest in San Chi ethnic minority territory, 100km northeast of Ha Long and almost entirely off the foreign tourist trail.

Jan - Apr, Oct - Nov

Monument

Km 0 Milestone - Hà Giang

Hà Giang

The Km 0 milestone in Hà Giang city centre marks the symbolic starting point of the Ha Giang Loop, which heads north onto National Highway 4C toward Quản Bạ and the Đồng Văn Karst Plateau - the traditional first stop for motorbike riders before embarking on the loop, and one of the most photographed check-in spots in northern Vietnam.

Year-round

Mountain

Ky Quan San Mountain

Lao Cai, Lai Châu

Ky Quan San (formerly Bạch Mộc Lương Tử) is one of Vietnam's highest peaks at about 3,046 m, on the Lào Cai-Lai Châu border - a 2-3 day trek through bamboo, moss and primeval forest to one of the country's most famous cloud-sea viewpoints at Núi Muối.

Sep - Apr is the main trekking season, and the end of the year is usually considered the best. Sep - Nov brings cooler, comfortable weather. Nov - Jan is the peak window for cloud seas, and Dec - Mar is cold, especially at dawn and at night, which helps the cloud form. Apr - May is warmer, a good option if you'd rather avoid the cold at altitude. Jun - Aug is the rainy season - trekkers who went in steady rain describe slippery, muddy and dangerous conditions and no views - so it is best avoided. For the best chance of a cloud sea, check the forecast and go one to two days after rain, once the weather has turned dry.

Bay

Lan Hạ Bay

Hải Phòng

Lan Hạ Bay is the southern section of the Ha Long karst system - 400 limestone islands, hidden beaches, floating fishing villages, and some of the clearest water in the Gulf of Tonkin, with a fraction of Ha Long's boat traffic and far better kayaking conditions. The bioluminescence night kayaking tour is an experience Ha Long Bay doesn't offer.

Apr - Jun, Sep - Nov

Village

Lô Lô Chải Village

Hà Giang

Lô Lô Chải Village, named UN Tourism's Best Tourism Village 2025, sits at the foot of Lũng Cú's Dragon Mountain near Vietnam's northernmost point - a community of Lô Lô and H'Mông families in traditional rammed-earth houses, now a global tourism success story that's also grappling with the growing pains of sudden fame.

Mar - Apr, Oct - Dec

Bridge

Long Bien Bridge

Hà Nội

Long Bien Bridge is Hanoi's iconic colonial-era steel bridge across the Red River, built by the Daydé & Pillé firm and completed in 1902 - still in active use by trains, motorcycles, and pedestrians more than 120 years after construction.

Oct - Apr

Cave

Lung Khuy Cave

Hà Giang

Lùng Khúy Cave in Quản Bạ is often called the most beautiful cave on the Đồng Văn Karst Plateau - a 1.2 km uphill walk from a Hmông village leads to a huge, cool chamber of stalactites and stalagmites with a boardwalk loop, a quiet, uncrowded stop on the Hà Giang Loop.

Year-round

Monument

Lũng Pô

Lao Cai

Lũng Pô in Bát Xát district, Lào Cai is where the Red River first enters Vietnam from China at border marker 92 - the starting point of one of the two great rivers that built Vietnamese civilization. A 31.43m flagpole (2017) marks the site. Most visited for photography and the symbolic weight of standing at this geographic threshold.

Mar, Sep - Nov

Mountain Pass

Mã Pí Lèng Pass

Hà Giang

Mã Pí Lèng Pass - Vietnam's most dramatic mountain road, a 20km switchback carved into sheer limestone cliffs above the turquoise Nho Quế River canyon. Built 1959-1965 by over 2,000 workers from 16 ethnic groups who hung from ropes on the cliff faces for nearly a year.

Mar - Apr, Sep - Nov

Mountain

Mẫu Sơn Mountain

Lạng Sơn

Mẫu Sơn is one of the few places in Vietnam where snow falls - a highland massif topped by Phia Pò peak (1,541m) in Lạng Sơn province near the Chinese border, with abandoned French colonial ruins, a sea of clouds, and genuine subalpine conditions in winter.

Jul - May

Farmland

Moc Chau Tea Hills

Sơn La

The Moc Chau Tea Hills are vast rolling plantations of trimmed green tea bushes covering the highland plateau of Son La province, about 10km from Moc Chau town. Most photogenic at dawn when mist settles between the rows - the smell of tea leaves in the cool morning air is one of the defining sensory experiences of the plateau.

Mar - Apr, Oct - Nov

Valley

Muong Hoa Valley

Lao Cai

Muong Hoa Valley - Sa Pa's most iconic trekking corridor - stretches 15km through Vietnam's largest rice terrace system (2,200+ hectares), H'Mông and Giáy villages, and the 3,000-year-old Ancient Rock Field. 8-10km from Sa Pa town, changes colour with every season.

Aug - Sep, Dec - May

Temple

Ngoc Son Temple

Hà Nội

Ngoc Son Temple is a 19th-century Taoist and Buddhist temple on a small island in Hoan Kiem Lake, reached via the iconic red Huc Bridge and housing a preserved specimen of the giant soft-shell turtle central to Hanoi's founding legend.

Sep - Nov

Mountain

Ngu Chi Son Mountain

Lao Cai, Lai Châu

Ngũ Chỉ Sơn (Five-Finger Mountain) is a 2,858 m peak on the Lào Cai-Lai Châu border near Sa Pa - a short but very steep trek up wooden ladders, rock scrambles and narrow ledges to five finger-like summits, often rated about 7/10 for difficulty.

Sep - May is the best time to trek Ngũ Chỉ Sơn, with the best chances of cloud seas and sunsets along the route. The core dry season, Oct - Apr, brings clear skies and cloud swirling around the peaks. From May to Sep the rains make the steep trail and wooden ladders muddy and much more dangerous - if you go then, bring a raincoat, boots and trekking poles. Year-round, the summit is often foggy and windy; calm days with a full cloud sea are a matter of luck. After long dry spells, the upper huts run very short of water.

Cave

Nguom Ngao Cave

Cao Bằng

Nguom Ngao Cave - 'Tiger Cave' in the Tày language - is one of northern Vietnam's finest cave experiences: a system with three entrances, surveyed at over 2km and explorable in full along a roughly 3.3km guided route, with dense stalactite and stalagmite formations and near-total silence, just 3km from Bản Giốc Waterfall.

Year-round

Mountain

Nhiu Co San Mountain

Lao Cai

Nhiu Co San (Sừng Trâu, the Buffalo Horn) is one of Vietnam's highest peaks at about 2,965 m in Bát Xát, Lào Cai - a 2 days 1 night trek past the Ong Chúa waterfall and through primeval forest to a summit famous for sunrise and cloud seas.

Sep - May is the trekking season, with the best chances of a cloud sea and Ong Chúa waterfall running well. Sep - Oct is when the waterfall carries the most water and the goat pasture is at its greenest. Oct - Mar usually brings the clearest, driest weather. In winter cold snaps the mountain can freeze, coating leaves and branches in ice like glass - beautiful, but bitterly cold and slippery. Spring brings red and yellow rhododendrons in the old forest and peach and plum blossom lower down, and maples change colour in autumn. Jun - Aug is the rainy season, when the access road and trail are at their muddiest and most slippery.

River

Nho Quế River

Hà Giang

Nho Quế River - a ribbon of impossible turquoise threading through Tu Sản Canyon, one of the deepest and most dramatic gorges in Southeast Asia - seen from above at Mã Pí Lèng Pass and explored by boat from one of two piers near Đồng Văn and Mèo Vạc.

Sep - Apr

Mountain Pass

O Quy Ho Pass

Lao Cai, Lai Châu

Ô Quy Hồ Pass is one of Vietnam's 'tứ đại đỉnh đèo' (four great passes) - the longest mountain pass in the northwest at 50km, crossing the Hoàng Liên Sơn range at 2,035m between Sapa and Lai Châu. Named after the mournful cry of a bird in a tragic love legend.

Mar - May, Sep - Nov

Pagoda

One Pillar Pagoda

Hà Nội

The One Pillar Pagoda is one of Vietnam's most iconic structures - an 11th-century lotus-shaped Buddhist shrine rising from a square pond in central Hanoi, built by Emperor Lý Thái Tông and regarded as a symbol of the Vietnamese capital.

Year-round

Photo coming soon

Historic Site

Pác Bó Historic Site

Cao Bằng

Pác Bó is where Hồ Chí Minh secretly returned to Vietnam on January 28, 1941, after 30 years in exile - establishing his jungle base in a limestone cave beside the Lenin Stream, roughly 50-55km north of Cao Bằng city near the Chinese border.

Oct - Apr

Church

Phát Diệm Cathedral

Ninh Bình

Phát Diệm Cathedral in Ninh Bình province is one of the most architecturally distinctive Catholic churches in Southeast Asia - a 19th-century, 22-hectare complex built entirely in Vietnamese architectural style using local stone, integrating pagoda-like bell towers, ornamental ponds, and traditional carved stonework with Catholic religious function.

Nov - Apr

Valley

Phong Nặm Valley

Cao Bằng

Phong Nậm Valley is one of Cao Bằng's most beautiful hidden gems - a wide agricultural valley where the Quây Sơn River winds between limestone peaks and golden rice fields, 15km from Trùng Khánh and 25km upstream from Bản Giốc Waterfall. September to October is peak season when the harvest turns the valley floor gold.

Mar - May, Sep - Oct

Mountain

Pu Ta Leng Mountain

Lai Châu

Pu Ta Leng is one of Vietnam's highest mountains, at about 3,049 m in the Hoàng Liên Sơn range in Lai Châu - a tough 2-3 day trek through primeval forest, mossy streams and bamboo cloud forest to ancient rhododendron groves that flower from February to April.

Oct - Apr is the dry season and the window most trekkers recommend: clearer skies, longer views, less rain and less slippery trails. Feb - Apr is rhododendron season, when the ancient forests near the summit flower in red, pink, purple and white - but blooming varies a lot from year to year, so ask locals or your operator before you commit to a date. Winter

Mountain Pass

Quản Bạ Heaven Gate

Hà Giang

Quản Bạ Heaven Gate is the first dramatic viewpoint on the Ha Giang Loop - a mountain pass at 1,500 metres where the road crests and the entire Quản Bạ (Tam Sơn) Valley opens below, with the Twin Mountains rising from the valley floor and, in the right season, a sea of clouds filling the basin at dawn.

Aug - Apr

Mountain

Quản Bạ Twin Mountains

Hà Giang

The Quản Bạ Twin Mountains - Núi Đôi, also called Núi Cô Tiên ('Fairy Mountain') - are two symmetrical, rounded dolomite peaks rising from the Quản Bạ (Tam Sơn) Valley floor, an icon of the Ha Giang Loop tied to a well-known fairy legend.

Sep - Apr

Mountain

Radio Tower Viewpoint

Hải Phòng

The Radio Tower viewpoint on Cat Ba Island is the best accessible sunset spot since Cannon Fort closed in late 2025 - a Viettel telecom tower near the summit of Nui Ngoc offering panoramic views over Lan Hạ Bay, Ben Beo harbour, and Cat Ba town from nearly 100 metres above sea level.

Oct - Apr

Photo coming soon

Cave

Sung Sot Cave

Quang Ninh

Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave) - the largest limestone grotto in Ha Long Bay at nearly 12,200 sq metres - hides two vast cathedral chambers, stalactite formations tied to the legend of Thánh Gióng, and a panoramic viewpoint, all on Bồ Hòn Island. Named by a French scientist in 1901.

Apr - Jun, Oct - Dec

Mountain

Ta Chi Nhu Mountain

Lao Cai, Sơn La

Ta Chi Nhu (properly Phú Lương mountain) is one of Vietnam's highest peaks at about 2,979 m, on the border of the former Yên Bái and Sơn La - often called the most beginner-friendly high-peak trek, famous for cloud seas, open summit views and purple Chi Pâu flowers in September.

Ta Chi Nhu is pretty year-round, but Sep - Oct is peak season, when purple Chi Pâu flowers cover the slopes around the summit

Photo coming soon

Mountain

Ta Lien Son Mountain

Lai Châu

Ta Lien Son (Cổ Trâu mountain) is one of Vietnam's highest peaks at about 2,996 m in the Hoàng Liên Sơn range, Lai Châu - a forest trek through moss-draped primeval woods, red maples, white camellias and rhododendrons, doable in a long day or 2 days 1 night.

Sep - May is the trekking season, with little rain and drier trails; the driest stretch runs from late Nov to the end of Apr. Each season looks different: Sep - Nov brings golden rice in the valleys below and maples turning colour

Village

Tả Van Village

Lao Cai

Tả Van Village - home of the Giáy people deep in Muong Hoa Valley - is the best homestay base in Sa Pa. Surrounded by sweeping terraced fields, 10-12km from Sa Pa town, it offers an authentic overnight experience that most visitors to Cat Cat or Fansipan never reach.

Aug - Oct, Dec - Apr

Mountain

Tà Xùa Mountain

Sơn La, Yên Bái

Tà Xùa (Phu Sa Phìn) is Vietnam's 13th highest peak at 2,865m, straddling Son La and Yen Bai provinces. The Bac Yen route - the most popular approach - crosses the legendary dinosaur spine ridge above a sea of clouds, passes the iconic turtle rock, and climbs through an ancient moss forest. Standard trek: 2 days, 2 nights, ~23km total.

Nov - Apr

River

Tam Cốc

Ninh Bình

Tam Cốc - three river caves carved through limestone karst in Ninh Bình, rowed by local women through flooded rice paddies that turn gold in harvest season. Part of the Tràng An UNESCO dual heritage site. Best mid-May to mid-June for golden rice.

Mar - Jul

Mountain Pass

Thẩm Mã Pass

Hà Giang

Thẩm Mã Pass (also called Dốc Chín Khoanh, the 'nine-bend slope') is a dramatic, historically named mountain pass on Highway 4C between Yên Minh and Đồng Văn on the Hà Giang Loop - one of the route's most famous photo stops, which also means it's one of its most crowded, especially during the Sep-Nov buckwheat flower season.

Mar - Apr, Sep - Nov

Photo coming soon

Lake

Thang Hen Lake

Cao Bằng

Thang Hen is a cluster of 36 interconnected karst lakes on a plateau 30km from Cao Bằng city, famous for their intense turquoise-blue water surrounded by limestone mountains and green grasslands. Visit June to September - outside the rainy season the lake drops to an unimpressive pond and the grass turns brown.

Jun - Sep

Cave

Thien Cung Cave

Quang Ninh

Thien Cung Cave - the Heavenly Palace Cave of Ha Long Bay - is a large cave divided into three main chambers on Dau Go Island, officially opened to visitors in 1998, known for dense stalactite formations tied to the Dragon King legend and some of the most heavily-coloured cave lighting in the bay.

Oct - Apr

Mountain Pass

Thung Khe Pass

Hòa Bình

Thung Khe Pass (Đèo Đá Trắng / White Rock Pass) on National Highway 6 sits at 1,000m with sweeping views of Mai Chau valley and dramatic white limestone cliffs that look like snow from a distance. A mandatory stop on any Hanoi - Mai Chau motorbike route, 100km from Hanoi.

Mar - May, Sep - Nov

Valley

Thung Nham Bird Park

Ninh Bình

Thung Nham Bird Park is a flooded karst valley and wetland in Ninh Bình home to one of northern Vietnam's largest egret and heron colonies - over 40,000 birds nesting in the bamboo forest during breeding season, explored by rowing boat through the flooded valley.

Apr - Aug, Oct - Nov

Island

Ti Top Island

Quang Ninh

Ti Top Island - named after Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov, who visited with President Hồ Chí Minh in 1962 - is Ha Long Bay's most iconic stop: a crescent-shaped white sand beach for swimming and a roughly 400-450-step summit climb rewarded with a 360° panorama of the bay.

Jun - Jul

Pagoda

Tran Quoc Pagoda

Hà Nội

Tran Quoc Pagoda is Hanoi's oldest Buddhist pagoda, dating to the 6th century AD and situated on a small peninsula in West Lake - its 11-tier lotus stupa rising above the water is one of the most recognised images in Vietnamese Buddhism.

Year-round

River

Trang An

Ninh Bình

Trang An is Vietnam's only UNESCO dual World Heritage Site (natural and cultural, 2014) - a labyrinth of karst peaks, jade rivers, and ancient caves navigated by wooden rowboat. Known as 'Ha Long Bay on land' and a filming location for Kong: Skull Island (2017).

Jan - Jun, Sep - Nov

Nature Reserve

Vân Long Nature Reserve

Ninh Bình

Vân Long Nature Reserve, nicknamed 'the waveless bay,' is Vietnam's largest inland wetland - a flooded valley of karst peaks, submerged rice fields, and clear shallow water navigated by rowing boat, home to Vietnam's largest population of the critically endangered Delacour's langur.

Oct - Jun

Village

Việt Hải Village

Hải Phòng

Việt Hải is a fishing and farming village of 87 households inside Cát Bà National Park - nicknamed 'island within an island', reachable only by boat from Bến Bèo or by a 12km jungle trek through the national park. No road access to the outside world.

Feb - Mar, Jun, Oct - Dec

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

Mountain

Y Tý

Lao Cai

Y Tý is a remote Hà Nhì highland commune at 2,000m in Bát Xát district, Lào Cai - one of northern Vietnam's last genuine hidden gems. Famous for sea-of-clouds photography, golden rice terraces, Thác Rồng waterfall, and trekking to peaks like Lảo Thẩn (2,860m), Ky Quan San, and Nhìu Cồ San.

May - Feb

Forest

Yên Minh Pine Forest

Hà Giang

The Yên Minh Pine Forest is an unexpected stretch of man-made highland pine on the Ha Giang Loop, spanning Na Khê, Lao Và Chải, and Bạch Đích communes along Highway 4C - dense Pinus kesiya forest at around 1,200 metres, with morning mist threading between the trees and a completely different atmosphere from the surrounding karst landscape. Note: at the Cán Tỷ bridge fork before Yên Minh, only the longer 41km route passes through the forest - the shorter 22.6km route bypasses it entirely.

Mar - Apr, Sep - Nov

Central Vietnam (81)

Destination guides Da Lat, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, Ly Son, Mui Ne, Nha Trang, Phong Nha - Ke Bang, Pu Luong · Central Vietnam guide →

Beach

An Bang Beach

Quang Nam

An Bang Beach is Hội An's most accessible beach - a wide stretch of white sand 3-5km east of the Ancient Town, reachable by bicycle through rice paddies in 20-30 minutes. Calmer and less developed than Đà Nẵng's city beaches, with beach bars, watersports, and good sunrise views.

Mar - Sep

Cable Car

Bà Nà Hills & Cable Car

Đà Nẵng

Bà Nà Hills is a French-era mountain resort above Đà Nẵng reached by a cable car system that often passes through low cloud at 1,487 metres - home to the Golden Bridge, the French Village, and one of the most dramatic cable car rides in Southeast Asia.

Mar - Aug

Waterfall

Bao Dai Waterfall (Jraiblian)

Lâm Đồng

Bảo Đại Waterfall (Jraiblian) in Tà Hine, Lâm Đồng, drops about 70 m in three streams through thick forest - an abandoned former tourist site, free to visit and almost always empty, a long ride from Đà Lạt with slippery paths and no services.

Year-round

River

Bảy Mẫu Coconut Forest

Quang Nam

Bảy Mẫu Coconut Forest is a water coconut palm wetland in Cẩm Thanh village that has grown from its original 7-acre planting to more than 100 hectares today - navigated by traditional Vietnamese basket boats through narrow waterways under the palm canopy, with fishing demonstrations, local music performances, and a real wartime history as a revolutionary base.

Feb - Nov

Bridge

Bến Hải River & Hiền Lương Bridge

Quảng Trị

The Bến Hải River and Hiền Lương Bridge mark the former demilitarized zone that divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel from 1954 to 1975 - one of the most historically significant and quietly moving sites on the Vietnam War trail in Quảng Trị, its reconstructed bridge still painted blue on the north half and yellow on the south.

Feb - Aug

Beach

Bình Sơn Beach

Ninh Thuận

Bình Sơn Beach is Phan Rang's city beach, just 2-3km from downtown and connected directly to Ninh Chữ beach, with a modern seafront park, fine white sand, and reliably clear water in a province that gets less rain than anywhere else in Vietnam.

Mar - Sep

Grassland

Bùi Hui Grassland

Quảng Ngãi

Bùi Hui Grassland in Ba Tơ, Quảng Ngãi is a scenic highland meadow known for its purple sim flowers, cool mountain air, sea-of-clouds sunrise views, and overnight camping among rolling green hills.

Mar - Apr, Aug - Sep

Bridge

Cầu Ông Cọp

Phú Yên

Cầu Ông Cọp is Vietnam's longest wooden bridge - a roughly 700-800 meter hand-built structure of timber and bamboo spanning the Bình Bá river (also called Phú Ngân river) in Phú Yên. Privately funded and built in 1998, opened in 1999, and rebuilt after every flood season, it became famous as a filming location for the 2015 Vietnamese film 'Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass' and is now one of Phú Yên's most photographed landmarks.

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

Pagoda

Chùa Hang

Quảng Ngãi

Chùa Hang - Thiên Khổng Thạch Tự, also known locally as 'Chùa Không Sư' (the pagoda without a monk) - is a 400-year-old pagoda built inside the largest natural cave on Lý Sơn, on the island's northeastern side below Núi Thới Lới. The cave is 24 meters deep with a 3.2-meter ceiling, housing altars set into natural stalactites, and the courtyard outside is shaded by ancient sea almond trees believed to be over 400 years old.

Apr - Aug

Beach

Cổ Thạch Beach

Bình Thuận

Cổ Thạch Beach, also called the 'seven-coloured rock beach,' is a photogenic stretch of coastline in northern Bình Thuận where naturally multicoloured granite boulders become carpeted in vivid green moss each winter and spring, creating one of the most distinctive beach landscapes in southern Vietnam.

Nov - Apr

Rock Formation

Cổng Tò Vò

Quảng Ngãi

Cổng Tò Vò is Lý Sơn's most iconic landmark - a natural basalt arch, about 2.5 metres high, formed from Giếng Tiền volcano's lava roughly 3,000-4,000 years ago, jutting into the sea on the island's coast. Officially recognised as a National Heritage Site in September 2025, it is best photographed at sunrise or sunset when light frames the arch against the open sea.

Jan - Apr

Building

Crazy House

Lâm Đồng

The Crazy House (Biệt Thự Hằng Nga) is Đà Lạt's most extraordinary building - a Gaudí-inspired architectural fantasy of organic concrete forms, cave-like rooms, and giant animal sculptures, designed by Đặng Việt Nga since 1990 and still evolving today. Ranked among the world's 10 strangest buildings by China's People's Daily.

Sep - Nov

Beach

Cù Mi Beach

Bình Thuận

Cù Mi Beach is a quiet working fishing beach in southern Bình Thuận, with colourful boats, low-key local life, and almost no dedicated tourist infrastructure. Its distinctive access via a narrow wooden footbridge makes it an interesting stop on the coastal motorbike route between La Gi and Phan Thiết.

Oct - Apr

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 Tung Beach

Quảng Trị

Cửa Tùng is a quiet, local beach in Quảng Trị where the Bến Hải River meets the sea - once called the 'Queen of Beaches' in the French era, with red basalt headlands, calm water sheltered by Mũi Si and Mũi Lay, and sunrise fishing boats, close to Vịnh Mốc tunnels and Hiền Lương bridge.

Jul - Aug, Dec - Apr

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

Island

Đảo Bé (An Bình Island)

Quảng Ngãi

Đảo Bé - also known as An Bình Island or Cù Lao Bờ Bãi - is a small outer island 3 nautical miles northwest of Lý Sơn's main island, reachable by a 10-15 minute boat ride. With clearer water, more intact coral reefs, and a fraction of the crowds of the main island, it's the best snorkeling location in the Lý Sơn archipelago and a quieter alternative for a half-day by the sea.

Apr - Aug

Historic Site

Di tích Nhà Pha

Quảng Ngãi

Di tích Nhà Pha is a French colonial complex in Đông village, An Hải commune, Lý Sơn, built in 1890 as an office building, lighthouse, and kitchen. The site witnessed the island's 1945 uprising, later became a wartime prison under both French and American administrations, and today combines revolutionary history with the still-functioning Lý Sơn lighthouse - one of the best panoramic viewpoints on the island.

Apr - Aug

Island

Điệp Sơn Island

Khánh Hòa

Điệp Sơn is a remote island cluster in Vân Phong Bay, northern Khánh Hòa, where a narrow tidal sandbar - close to a kilometre long - connects three islands at low tide, one of Vietnam's most photogenic natural phenomena, reached by a short boat ride from Vạn Giã fishing port.

Dec - Sep

Waterfall

Do Quyen Waterfall (Rhododendron Waterfall)

Thừa Thiên Huế

Thác Đỗ Quyên (Rhododendron Waterfall) in Bạch Mã National Park drops nearly 400 metres through primary mountain forest - reached by 689 stone steps or via an adventure package with via ferrata, zipline, and suspension bridge. One of the tallest waterfalls in central Vietnam.

Jan - Aug

Beach

Dốc Lết Beach

Khánh Hòa

Dốc Lết Beach is Nha Trang's best day-trip beach - a long stretch of white sand on a sheltered bay 50km north of the city, with calmer and clearer water than Nha Trang's main beach, significantly fewer crowds, and a name that comes from the soft, sinking sand dunes visitors once had to shuffle across to reach the sea.

Jan - Aug

Village

Don Village

Thanh Hóa

Don Village (Bản Đôn) is the most popular Thai village in Pù Luông Nature Reserve - a hillside settlement of traditional stilt houses set above a wide bowl of terraced rice fields, and the main base for homestays, retreats, and trekking in the reserve.

May - Jun, Sep - Oct

Bridge

Dragon Bridge

Đà Nẵng

The Dragon Bridge is Đà Nẵng's most iconic landmark - a 666.5-metre steel bridge shaped like a Lý-dynasty dragon crossing the Hàn River, with a head that breathes real fire and sprays water every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night at 9 PM.

Year-round

Temple

Duong Long Cham temple

Gia Lai

Duong Long Towers (Tháp Dương Long), also known as Tháp Ngà, is a cluster of three 12th-13th century Cham temple towers in Tây Sơn, Gia Lai (formerly Bình Định) - the tallest brick towers in Southeast Asia, built with a striking fusion of Cham brick technique and Khmer stonework, and currently under active restoration.

Visitable year-round. Dry season makes travel and photographing the brickwork easier; rainy season brings more humidity but greener surroundings.

Mountain

Elephant Mountain

Đắk Lắk

Elephant Mountain (Đá Voi Mẹ, 'Mother Elephant Rock') is Vietnam's largest granite monolith - a roughly 200-metre rock formation near Buôn Ma Thuột that resembles a giant elephant resting in the Central Highlands landscape, paired with a second rock, Đá Voi Cha ('Father Elephant'), about 5km away.

Nov - Apr

Stream

Fairy Stream

Bình Thuận

Fairy Stream is Mũi Né's most unusual natural attraction - a shallow stream winding through a narrow canyon of red and yellow sandstone walls, bamboo forest, and dunes, waded in water shoes for up to 2km toward a small waterfall at the end.

Mar, Nov

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

Rock Formation

Ghềnh Đá Đĩa (Plate Rock Reef)

Phú Yên

Ghềnh Đá Đĩa is a coastal basalt reef on Phú Yên's northern shore, officially recognised as a Special National Heritage Site, where hexagonal rock columns - reportedly around 200 million years old - stack in tight formations directly into the sea, often compared to Northern Ireland's Giant's Causeway.

Jan - Aug

Bridge

Golden Bridge

Đà Nẵng

The Golden Bridge is one of the most photographed structures in Vietnam - a 150-metre pedestrian walkway held by two giant weathered stone hands emerging from the mountain at 1,400 metres, with views over the Đà Nẵng coastline and the cloud layer below.

Mar - Aug

Beach

Hàm Tiến Beach

Bình Thuận

Hàm Tiến Beach is a roughly 5km stretch of the Mũi Né coastline, running through one of the area's main resort and beach districts - a mix of resorts, restaurants, water-sports operators, working fishing boats, and the red and white sand dunes visible in the distance. Generally calm and swimmable in the dry season, though rip currents can develop during rough seas.

Nov - Apr

Beach

Hang Câu

Quảng Ngãi

Hang Câu is Lý Sơn's most dramatic coastal spot - a beach at the base of Núi Thới Lới, on the island's northeastern shore, where vertical basalt cliffs meet turquoise water and coral reefs. The combination of volcanic cliff faces, clear water, and accessible snorkeling makes it one of the island's top swimming and photography destinations.

Apr - Aug

Cave

Hang En Cave

Quảng Bình

Hang En is the third largest natural cave in the world - 3km from Sơn Đoòng, accessible by 2-day 1-night trek through jungle and Bru-Vân Kiều village, with a night camping on a white sandbar inside the cave under a 145m ceiling. The accessible alternative to Sơn Đoòng.

Dec - Aug

Rock Formation

Hang Rai

Ninh Thuận

Hang Rai is a wild stretch of Ninh Thuận coastline inside Núi Chúa National Park - ancient coral rock formations shaped by centuries of waves, best at sunrise or late afternoon when the light turns the jagged stone red and gold. Part of the Vĩnh Hy - Hang Rai - Vườn Nho coastal route.

Jan - Aug

Village

Hieu Village

Thanh Hóa

Hieu Village (Bản Hiêu) is a traditional Thai village in Pù Luông Nature Reserve built around a multi-tiered waterfall - a quieter alternative to Don Village, with bamboo bridges, rice terraces stepping down to the stream, and homestays scattered along the water.

May - Jun, Sep - Oct

Waterfall

Hieu Waterfall

Thanh Hóa

Hieu Waterfall (Thác Hiêu) is a multi-tiered waterfall running through Hieu Village in Pù Luông Nature Reserve - around 300m of cascades dropping through forest, bamboo bridges, and Thai rice terraces, with swimming pools at several tiers.

Jun - Oct

Citadel

Ho Dynasty Citadel

Thanh Hóa

Ho Dynasty Citadel is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Thanh Hoa province - a remarkably intact 14th-century stone fortress built from massive green limestone blocks fitted without mortar, representing the peak of Vietnamese medieval military architecture, and currently undergoing a major restoration project through 2028.

Nov - Aug

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

Rock Formation

Hòn Chồng (Hòn Chồng Rock Formation)

Khánh Hòa

Hòn Chồng is a coastal granite rock formation 3km north of Nha Trang centre - a stack of weathered boulders jutting into the sea with views back to the city skyline and across to the offshore islands, paired with a smaller companion formation nearby called Hòn Vợ.

Jan - Aug

Island

Hon Kho Island

Bình Định

Hòn Khô is a small uninhabited rocky island northeast of Quy Nhơn, known for clear turquoise water, coral reefs, dramatic boulder coastline, and a seasonal golden seaweed (rong mơ) spectacle from May to July when the sea floor turns gold.

Feb - Sep

Island

Hon Yen Island

Phú Yên

Hòn Yến is a small coral island 15km north of Tuy Hòa in Phú Yên - two islands (Hòn Yến and Hòn Sụn) connected by a rock path at low tide, with exposed coral reefs, lobster farming, and floating seafood restaurants. Named for the swifts that once nested here.

Mar - Sep

Citadel

Imperial City

Thừa Thiên Huế

Huế's Imperial City (Đại Nội) is the former seat of the Nguyễn Dynasty - a 3km² walled citadel of palaces, gates, pavilions, and ceremonial halls built 1804-1833, UNESCO World Heritage since 1993. Yellow roofs mark imperial authority; blue-green roofs mark secondary structures. Allow 3-4 hours minimum.

Jan - Jun

Bridge

Japanese Bridge

Quang Nam

The Japanese Covered Bridge (Chùa Cầu) is Hội An's most iconic structure - a roughly 400-year-old roofed bridge built by Japanese merchants in the early 1600s, spanning a small canal at the western edge of the Ancient Town, with a small temple built into its northern side and a history of restoration that includes a controversial 2022-2024 renovation.

Feb - Aug, Oct - Nov

Waterfall

K50 Waterfall

Gia Lai

K50 Waterfall (Thác Hang Én) is a 54-metre cascade inside Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve on the Gia Lai–Bình Định border - accessible only by pre-arranged trek with permits, with a swallow cave behind the falls, a King Kong-shaped boulder in the pool, and leeches regardless of season.

Jan - Jun

Lighthouse

Kê Gà Lighthouse

Bình Thuận

Kê Gà Lighthouse near Mũi Né is a historic French-built lighthouse dating to 1897-1899. Take a short boat ride to the rocky islet for panoramic views of Bình Thuận's coast - climbing the 183 spiral steps to the top has traditionally been allowed, though access can now depend on border guard or station permission.

Sep - Jul

Tomb

Khải Định Tomb

Thừa Thiên Huế

Khải Định Tomb (Ứng Lăng) is the most visually striking of Huế's royal mausoleums - a dark concrete palace fusing Vietnamese, French, Gothic, Roman, and Hindu architectural styles, covered inside with intricate porcelain and glass mosaics. Smallest in footprint but most costly and time-consuming to build of all Nguyễn tombs.

Jan - Apr, Sep - Nov

Church

Kon Tum Wooden Church

Kon Tum

Kon Tum Wooden Church is a century-old Catholic cathedral built entirely from timber by French missionaries - a remarkable piece of colonial-era religious architecture in the Central Highlands that blends Romanesque church form with traditional Bahnar stilt house construction, assembled entirely with mortise-and-tenon joinery and not a single nail, and featuring a Virgin Mary statue depicted in Bahnar dress.

Sep - Dec

Beach

Kỳ Co Beach

Bình Định

Kỳ Co Beach is a secluded 1km² cove near Quy Nhơn with turquoise water, golden sand, and dramatic cliff scenery - 25km from Quy Nhơn city, accessible by speedboat from Nhơn Lý fishing village or by road year-round.

Apr - Sep

Pagoda

Linh Phước Pagoda

Lâm Đồng

Linh Phước Pagoda - nicknamed 'Chùa Ve Chai' (the Bottle Pagoda) - in Trại Mát village is Vietnam's most elaborate ceramic mosaic temple, its surfaces built from millions of broken glass and ceramic fragments by artisans from Huế, with a record-holding 37-metre bell tower, a dragon sculpture built from roughly 12,000 recycled beer bottles, and an underground '18 Levels of Hell' exhibition.

Year-round

Farmland

Lý Sơn Garlic Fields

Quảng Ngãi

Lý Sơn's garlic fields cover both the main island and Đảo Bé, grown in volcanic ash and white sand that gives the island's famous purple garlic its distinctive strong flavour. February to March is harvest season - the most photogenic time, with garlic drying in the sun across the island. November to January for young green fields.

Nov - Mar

Church

Mằng Lăng Church

Phú Yên

Mằng Lăng Church is the oldest Catholic church still in use in Vietnam, built from 1892 (completed around 1907) in Phú Yên's Tuy An district. It houses the original 1651 Rome-printed edition of Alexandre de Rhodes' catechism - the book credited with standardizing the Vietnamese alphabet - and is the birthplace of Blessed Andrew of Phú Yên, one of Vietnam's first Catholic martyrs and patron of Vietnamese Catholic youth.

Jan - Aug

Mountain

Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn)

Đà Nẵng

Ngũ Hành Sơn (Marble Mountains) in Đà Nẵng is a cluster of five marble and limestone peaks with caves, Buddhist shrines, ancient Cham sanctuaries, and sweeping sea views - most famously the Huyền Không Cave where sunlight shafts through a collapsed ceiling onto Buddhist altars below.

Mar - Sep

Mountain

Masara Hill

Lâm Đồng

Masara Hill in Đức Trọng district, Lâm Đồng is a 30-hectare expanse of open grassland that turns a deep pink from roughly November to December - unlike other pink-grass spots near Đà Lạt, Masara's grass grows on bare, treeless hills rather than under pine cover, giving it a darker, more saturated colour.

Nov - Apr

Tomb

Minh Mạng Tomb

Thừa Thiên Huế

Minh Mạng Tomb (Hiếu Lăng) is regarded as the most architecturally perfect of Huế's royal mausoleums - an 18-hectare complex of nearly 40 symmetrical buildings on Cẩm Khê mountain, where the Hữu Trạch and Tả Trạch rivers join to form the Perfume River. Built by the second Nguyễn emperor, an administrator at the height of imperial power.

Jan - Apr, Sep - Nov

Cape

Mũi Điện (Cape Varella)

Phú Yên

Mũi Điện (Cape Varella) in Phú Yên is a dramatic 110-metre headland crowned by a working lighthouse - traditionally regarded as the easternmost accessible point of mainland Vietnam, and one of the first places on the country's coastline to receive sunrise.

Apr - Sep

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

Nha Trang Beach (Tran Phu Beach)

Khánh Hòa

Trần Phú Beach is Nha Trang's 6-7 km city-centre beach, a few minutes' walk from most hotels - golden fine sand, a flat, gently sloping seabed and sunrise swims with locals, but busy, with rip currents that lifeguards deal with every peak season.

Mar - Sep

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

Mountain

Núi Thới Lới

Quảng Ngãi

Núi Thới Lới is Lý Sơn's highest point at 169 meters and the island's largest extinct volcanic crater, its bowl holding the island's only freshwater lake and a peaceful cattle pasture. A 20-meter national flag tower stands at the summit facing the Hoàng Sa (Paracel) Islands, with panoramic views over garlic fields, fishing villages, Đảo Bé, and Hang Câu beach below.

Mar - Aug

Waterfall

Pa Sy Waterfall

Kon Tum

Pa Sy Waterfall (Thác Pa Sỹ) is the centrepiece of an eco-tourism park in Măng Cành commune, Kon Plông district - a roughly 45-metre cascade formed from the confluence of three highland streams near Măng Đen, set at about 1,500m elevation amid pine forest, and tied to the Mơ Nâm legend of 'Seven Lakes, Three Waterfalls'.

Sep - Dec

Cave

Paradise Cave

Quảng Bình

Paradise Cave (Động Thiên Đường) is one of Asia's longest dry caves at 31.4km - the 'underground palace' discovered in 2005 by a local man following cool air from a rock crevice, opened to visitors in 2010. A 1km wooden boardwalk leads through chambers up to 100m high, with stalactite formations resembling Buddhist figures and Champa towers.

Apr - Aug

Island

Phú Quý Island

Bình Thuận

Phú Quý Island (also known as Cù Lao Thu) is a remote coral island 120km off the Bình Thuận coast with some of the clearest water and best diving in southern Vietnam - a 2.5 to 3.5 hour ferry from Phan Thiết that delivers a genuine fishing island experience with minimal resort infrastructure.

Mar - Aug

Temple

Po Nagar Cham Towers

Khánh Hòa

Po Nagar Cham Towers are one of the best-preserved Cham temple complexes in Vietnam - four brick towers built between the 7th and 13th centuries on a granite hill above the Cai River in Nha Trang, still used as an active place of Hindu and Buddhist worship.

Year-round

Temple

Po Sah Inu Cham Towers

Bình Thuận

Po Sah Inư is a group of Cham brick towers on Bà Nài hill near Phan Thiết, built around the late 8th to early 9th century to worship Shiva - among the oldest Champa monuments in the region, still used by the Cham for the Katê festival, with views over Phan Thiết and Mũi Né.

Oct, Dec - Apr

Waterfall

Pongour Waterfall

Lâm Đồng

Pongour Waterfall is one of the largest waterfalls in Vietnam's Central Highlands - a 40-metre, 100-metre-wide cascade falling through seven natural basalt tiers, dubbed 'Nam Thiên Đệ Nhất Thác' (Greatest Waterfall Under the Southern Sky) by Emperor Bảo Đại. Located 50km south of Đà Lạt.

Year-round

Sand Dunes

Red Sand Dunes

Bình Thuận

The Red Sand Dunes (also called Đồi Cát Bay, 'Flying Sand Dunes') are Mũi Né's most accessible dune landscape - iron-oxide-stained sand in vivid shades of orange and red, 2km from the town centre, best at sunset when the low light deepens the colour and the fishing boats on the bay below glow in the same tones.

Year-round

Rice Fields

S-Shape Rice Terraces

Thanh Hóa

The S-Shape Rice Terraces (Cánh đồng lúa hình chữ S) is the most photographed viewpoint in Pù Luông Nature Reserve - a curved sweep of stepped paddies seen from a hillside lookout above Don Village, at its best during the green and golden rice seasons.

May - Jun, Sep - Oct

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

Cave

Son Doong Cave

Quảng Bình

Son Doong is the largest cave in the world - big enough to contain a 40-story skyscraper, with its own weather system, jungle, and river inside. Access is by expedition only, with a strict annual quota making it one of the most exclusive natural experiences on earth. All tours run exclusively through Oxalis Adventure.

Jan - Aug

Nature Reserve

Sơn Trà Peninsula

Đà Nẵng

Sơn Trà Peninsula is Đà Nẵng's wild backyard - a 4,439-hectare nature reserve rising directly from the sea, home to one of Vietnam's last populations of the endangered red-shanked douc langur. Known for scenic mountain roads, quiet northern beaches, and Linh Ứng Pagoda with its 67m Lady Buddha.

Mar - Sep

Lake

Tà Đùng Lake

Đắk Nông

Tà Đùng Lake in Đắk Nông is called the 'Hạ Long Bay of the Central Highlands' - a reservoir with 47+ forested islands that are actually the hilltops of submerged terrain, formed by the Đồng Nai 3 hydroelectric dam. Sea of clouds visible at 5-6 AM during rainy season. 250km from Saigon.

Jul - Apr

Mountain

Ta Năng - Phan Dũng Trek

Lâm Đồng, Ninh Thuận, Bình Thuận

The Tà Năng - Phan Dũng Trek is the most celebrated multi-day wilderness route in southern Vietnam - a 30-55km crossing through 3 provinces (Lâm Đồng, Ninh Thuận, Bình Thuận) from highland to coast, passing a tri-province peak at 1,701m. Standard format 2 nights 1 day. First opened around 2015.

Jan - Mar, Aug - Oct

Temple

Tháp Nhạn

Phú Yên

Tháp Nhạn is an 11th–12th century Cham tower perched on Núi Nhạn in the heart of Tuy Hòa city, Phú Yên province. A Special National Relic since 2018, it overlooks the Đà Rằng River and the East Sea - free to visit, beautifully lit at night, and one of the best-preserved Cham towers on Vietnam's central coast.

Mar - Sep

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

Pagoda

Thiên Mụ Pagoda

Thừa Thiên Huế

Thiên Mụ Pagoda is the oldest and most iconic religious site in Huế - a 21-metre seven-tiered tower, officially recognised as Vietnam's tallest ancient octagonal pagoda tower, on a hill above the Perfume River, founded in 1601 and part of the UNESCO-listed Complex of Huế Monuments.

Feb - Apr, Sep - Nov

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

TombPartially Closed

Tự Đức Tomb

Thừa Thiên Huế

Tự Đức Tomb is the most garden-like of Huế's royal mausoleums - a romantic complex of pine forests, lotus ponds, and wooden pavilions built by Vietnam's longest-reigning Nguyễn emperor, who spent years here composing poetry before his death in 1883. Often ranked the most beautiful of Huế's four major tombs.

Jan - Apr

Lake

Tuyền Lâm Lake

Lâm Đồng

Tuyền Lâm Lake is Đà Lạt's largest reservoir - one of the largest bodies of water in the area, surrounded by pine forests, accessible by cable car, kayak, or bicycle, with Trúc Lâm Thiền Monastery perched on Phụng Hoàng Mountain above the northern shore.

Nov - Jun

Cable Car

Vinpearl Cable Car

Khánh Hòa

The Vinpearl Cable Car is marketed as one of the world's longest over-sea cable cars - a 3,320-metre gondola crossing from the Nha Trang mainland to Hòn Tre Island, with aerial views over Nha Trang Bay, the city skyline, and the surrounding islands at around 50 metres above the water, reachable with an inexpensive cable-car-only ticket if the theme park beyond it doesn't interest you.

Feb - Nov

Sand Dunes

White Sand Dunes

Bình Thuận

The White Sand Dunes of Mũi Né are Vietnam's most surreal landscape - vast white dunes stretching to the horizon beside two freshwater lakes, nicknamed the 'Sahara of Vietnam', best experienced at sunrise when the light turns the sand pale gold and the lakes reflect the sky.

Apr - Aug

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 (33)

Destination guides Con Dao, 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

Mountain

Ba Den Mountain

Tây Ninh

Ba Den Mountain is the highest peak in southern Vietnam at 986 metres, rising sharply from the flat Tay Ninh plain and visible for 50km in every direction. A major Buddhist and Cao Dai pilgrimage site with three cable car lines, a 72-metre bronze Lady Buddha statue, and trekking trails through forest to the top.

Year-round

Island

Ba Hòn Đầm Islands

Kien Giang

Ba Hòn Đầm is a cluster of three small islands in the Bà Lụa Archipelago, Kiên Lương - known as the 'mini Ha Long of the South', 20km offshore with calm shallow water between the islands, colourful pebble beaches, and bioluminescence at night from November to April.

Nov - Apr

Building

Bac Lieu Wind Farm

Bac Lieu

Bạc Liêu Wind Farm, about 20 km from central Bạc Liêu, lines the coast with rows of giant white turbines standing in the sea, linked by long concrete walkways - a striking photo spot best visited at sunrise or sunset, for 30,000 VND.

Nov - Apr

Beach

Bãi Nhát

Ba Ria - Vung Tau

Bãi Nhát is one of Côn Đảo's most dramatic beaches - a tide-dependent stretch of white sand and multicoloured rock formations on the road between Con Son town and Bến Đầm port. Once ranked among Asia's top wild beaches by news.com.au, it is best known for its sunset views across to Đỉnh Tình Yêu (Love Peak), its boulder-strewn shoreline that vanishes completely at high tide, and the memorial to 198 prisoners who attempted a failed escape from the island in 1952.

Mar - Oct

Beach

Bai Truong (Long Beach)

Kien Giang

Bãi Trường (Long Beach) is a roughly 20 km stretch of sand on Phú Quốc's west coast, from Dương Đông down towards An Thới - known for some of the island's best sunsets, beach bars and fire shows, with conditions that vary a lot by section.

Oct - May

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

Temple

Cao Dai Holy See

Tây Ninh

The Cao Dai Holy See in Tây Ninh is the Vatican of Caodaism - Vietnam's most distinctive indigenous religion - built 1933-1955 using bamboo-reinforced concrete, fusing Catholic bell towers, Buddhist imagery, Confucian symbolism, and the Divine Eye into one dazzling complex. Free to visit; noon ceremony daily.

Year-round

Pagoda

Chen Kieu Pagoda (Sa Lon Pagoda)

Sóc Trăng

Chen Kieu Pagoda (Wat Sro Loun, or Sà Lôn) is a Khmer Theravada pagoda on National Highway 1A, about 12 km from Sóc Trăng city, famous for walls, columns and stupas covered in mosaics of donated bowls and plates, with relics linked to the Bạc Liêu Playboy.

Nov - Apr

Photo coming soon

National Park

Con Dao National Park

Ba Ria - Vung Tau

Con Dao National Park - Vietnam's premier wildlife and marine conservation area. 19,883 hectares, Ramsar Wetland since 2013. Vietnam's most important sea turtle site: 400+ turtles nest annually. Three endemic species found nowhere else on earth. Rainforest trekking, coral reefs, dugong, and sea turtles in one protected area.

May - Sep

Beach

Đầm Trầu beach

Ba Ria - Vung Tau

Bãi Đầm Trầu is one of the most striking beaches on Côn Đảo - a crescent of fine white sand backed by primary rainforest, ranked in Travel + Leisure's Top 25 Beaches in the World in 2021. Its most unusual feature: it sits directly below the flight path of Cỏ Ống Airport, where planes pass just overhead on approach - one of the only places in Vietnam where you can swim while watching aircraft land.

Year-round

Lake

Dầu Tiếng Lake

Tây Ninh

Dầu Tiếng Lake is the largest artificial reservoir in Vietnam - a 270km² expanse of water on the Tây Ninh and Bình Dương border, surrounded by forest and used for irrigation, with sunrise photography, lakeside cycling, and the nearby Chùa Thái Sơn temple on Núi Cậu among the main visitor draws.

Jun, Dec - Apr

Island

Hòn Sơn Island

Kien Giang

Hòn Sơn is a large mountainous island in the Gulf of Thailand, Kiên Giang - calmer seas and a shorter crossing than Phú Quý, with clear water, Ma Thiên Lãnh peak, fishing villages, and almost no resort development. Minimum 2 nights to do it properly.

Nov - May

Cable Car

Hòn Thơm Cable Car

Kien Giang

Hòn Thơm Cable Car is the world's longest non-stop three-rope cable car - 8km across open sea from Phú Quốc's southern tip to Hòn Thơm island, crossing at up to 174 metres above the water with panoramic views of the southern archipelago, fishing villages, and on clear days the sea floor visible below.

Nov - Apr

National Park

Mũi Cà Mau National Park

Cà Mau

Mũi Cà Mau National Park is the southernmost point of Vietnam's mainland - a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of 42,000 hectares of mangrove forest at the tip of the Cà Mau Peninsula, where the East Sea meets the Gulf of Thailand. The only place in Vietnam to watch both sunrise and sunset from the same spot.

Dec - Apr

Church

Notre-Dame Cathedral Saigon

Hồ Chí Minh

Saigon's Notre-Dame Cathedral is a French colonial landmark built entirely from materials imported from France between 1877 and 1880. Although the interior has been closed for restoration since 2017, the cathedral remains one of Ho Chi Minh City's most iconic landmarks and a favourite local gathering place.

Year-round

Mountain

Núi Chứa Chan (Chứa Chan Mountain)

Đồng Nai

Núi Chứa Chan (also known as Gia Ray or Gia Lào) is the second-highest peak in southern Vietnam after Núi Bà Đen, about 100-110km from Ho Chi Minh City. A cable car reaches the cave pagoda partway up, while a numbered power-pole trail leads hikers on to the summit through forest, past old French colonial and wartime relics, to camping spots with sweeping views over the Đồng Nai plains.

Nov - Apr

Mountain

Núi Dinh (Dinh Mountain)

Ba Ria - Vung Tau

Núi Dinh is a roughly 500m-high mountain range in Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu province - the highest in the region - with a paved road climbing much of the mountain, forested trails to Đỉnh La Bàn (a former US military helicopter pad and one of the mountain's best-known viewpoints), pagodas including Chùa Hang Mai, and streams with natural swimming pools at Suối Tiên and Suối Đá.

Jun - Nov

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

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

Island

Pirate Islands

Kien Giang

The Hai Tac Islands (Quần đảo Hải Tặc) are a 16-island archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand about 28km from Hà Tiên, historically known as the Pirate Islands. Reachable by a regular, roughly 30-minute speedboat service, they remain one of the least-developed island groups in Vietnam, with coral reefs, quiet beaches, and a small fishing community.

Nov - Apr

Building

Saigon Central Post Office

Hồ Chí Minh

The Saigon Central Post Office is a functioning French colonial post office completed in 1891 - often attributed to Gustave Eiffel, though the building itself was designed by architects Auguste Henri Vildieu and Alfred Foulhoux, with Eiffel's company credited for the steel roof structure - featuring a stunning barrel-vaulted interior, historic tile maps of Indochina, and a portrait of Ho Chi Minh - one of Ho Chi Minh City's most photographed colonial landmarks.

Year-round

Pagoda

Sleng Chas Pagoda (Old Sa Leng Pagoda)

Trà Vinh

Sleng Chas (Old Sa Leng) is a Khmer Theravada pagoda in Trà Cú, Trà Vinh, said to be over 400 years old and recently restored in a striking silver-grey palette - turtle-shaped from above, ringed by white elephant fountains and finely carved Khmer details, free to visit.

Nov - Apr

Pagoda

Som Rong Pagoda

Sóc Trăng

Som Rong is a Khmer Theravada pagoda founded in 1785 in central Sóc Trăng, home to a 63 m white reclining Buddha on a 28 m platform, recognised as the largest in Vietnam - colourful Khmer architecture, a 25 m stupa and a glowing sunset view, free to visit.

Oct - Apr

Rice Fields

Ta Pa Fields

An Giang

Ta Pa Fields, at the base of Tà Pạ and Cô Tô mountains in Tri Tôn district, An Giang, are a patchwork of terraced rice paddies at different growth stages - a result of the local communal 'vần công' farming custom - considered one of the Mekong Delta's most distinctive rice landscapes, especially during the July-November harvest season.

Jul - Nov

Pagoda

Ta Pa Temple

An Giang

Ta Pa Temple (Chùa Tà Pạ), also called Chùa Núi or Chưn Num, is a Khmer Theravada Buddhist temple on Tà Pạ hill in An Giang's Thất Sơn region, built on tall concrete pillars that make it appear to float above the ground. Reached by a 240-step staircase, it overlooks the Ta Pa rice fields and turquoise Ta Pa Lake below, and is worth visiting first in the cluster before the crowds and heat build up.

Year-round

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

Monument

Thường Phước Border Gate

Đồng Tháp

Thường Phước Border Gate in Đồng Tháp is one of the Mekong Delta's international river crossings into Cambodia - a working border post on the Mekong marked by Border Marker 240, where boats, traders, and travelers cross into Cambodia's Prey Veng province via the connecting Kaoh Roka border post.

Nov - Apr

Forest

Trà Sư Cajuput Forest

An Giang

Trà Sư Cajuput Forest is an 845-hectare flooded cajuput woodland in An Giang - navigated by rowboat through mirror-flat green waterways, with over 70 bird species, a 10km bamboo walkway through the forest, and an observation tower over the canopy. Best September to November.

Sep - Nov

Lake

Tri An Lake

Đồng Nai

Tri An Lake is a large reservoir in Dong Nai province, 65-70km from Ho Chi Minh City, formed by the Tri An hydroelectric dam on the Dong Nai River. A popular weekend camping and kayaking destination for city residents, with 76 forested islands, calm water, and dramatic sunset views.

Year-round

Rice Fields

Vĩnh Trung Fields

An Giang

Vĩnh Trung Fields, in Tịnh Biên district beneath the Thất Sơn mountains, is home to An Giang's most photographed thốt nốt (sugar palm) row, standing behind the Khmer pagoda Sà-Đách-Tót - best seen at dawn during flood season when the fields mirror the trees.

Aug - Apr

Pagoda

Xiem Can Pagoda

Bac Lieu

Xiêm Cán is a Khmer Theravada pagoda about 12 km from Bạc Liêu, founded in 1887 - golden, many-tiered roofs rising above the rice fields, a 36.3 m main hall said to be the tallest of any Khmer pagoda in the south, wall-to-ceiling murals of the Buddha's life and 115 statues.

Nov - Apr