Vietnam is well-known for its long history, special structures, stunning natural landscapes, charming heritage sites and beautiful islands, which attract millions of visitors all year long. “ Where to visit in Vietnam ” is a question of many first-time visitors travelling to Vietnam. Therefore, Incredible Asia Journeys is pleased to introduce to you a list of best places to visit in Vietnam with the purpose of helping you to plan the best itinerary for your trip.
Lotus flowers in West Lake, Hanoi, Vietnam
Sapa is always an attractive destination where you should visit in Vietnam for foreign travellers coming to Vietnam in both four seasons. In spring, Sapa is covered with pear, peach, apricot and plum flowers. Next, pancies flowers, dahlias, sunflowers and numerous temperate fruits bloom simultaneously in summer. Autumn comes with yellow fields perfume mushrooms, and plenty of specious medicinal plants. Especially in winter, Sapa becomes more mystery and attractive by fog and snow when the temperature can reach under zero degree. It is amazing to climb Mt. Fansipan – The roof of Indochina, and take place in Sapa Winter Festival with a lot of things to do including traditional music, dance performances, folk games, etc.
A terraced field in Sapa
By train: Most visitors choose to get from Hanoi to Sapa by overnight train. It is because of that going by train is more comfortable and safer than a bus or motorbike, and a lot cheaper than hiring a car. It may take you 8 hours and 20 minutes to reach Lao Cai Station from Hanoi Station. Then take a minibus or private transfer to Sapa. The ticket price is from 650, 000 VND per person/way.
By bus: You can take a bus from Hanoi’s Gia Lam Station to Lao Cai Station, and then change to a minibus to Sapa. The ticket price is about 300,000 VND. This is a cheaper option but it is less comfortable and less safe.
By motorbike: Going by motorbike may be a perfect way for those who want to discover natural mountain landscapes during the journey. Passing Hanoi, Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, and Yen Bai, you will reach to Lao Cai, and then heat to Sapa. You should go you’re your partners or book an organized motorbike, or hide a guide for a private tour.
Click on the link to see best tours to Sapa: Sapa Trekking & Bac Ha Market , Sapa Trekking & Explore , Best Of Sapa Explore , Sapa Cycling Tour With Homestay , Best of Sapa Excursions .
Hanoi is one of the not-to-be-missed place to visit in Vietnam. It always has something interesting to discover at every street corner, especially in the Hanoi Old Quarter with 36 streets. Hanoi also has scenic lakes such as West Lake, Sword Lake, Truc Bach Lake that you can see the best views from restaurants or bars nearby with traditional Vietnamese food or coffee. You can discover some famous historical destinations and famous museums in Hanoi to understand more about ancient Hanoi.
A corner of Hanoi Old Quarter
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is two of the major international gateways in Vietnam, so you can get to Hanoi by plane easily. Major airlines include Jetstar Pacific Airlines, VietJet Air, and Vietnam Airlines.
Click on the link to see the best Hanoi tours: Hanoi To Ho Chi Minh Discovery, Hanoi to Halong Bay & Excursions , Best Hanoi, Ninhbinh, Halong Itinerary , Authentic Vietnam Tour - Hanoi, Tam Coc, Halong , Essence of Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh .
There is no doubt that Halong Bay is listed on the list of top 5 best places to visit as travelling in Vietnam and Indochina. With more than 1,600 beautiful islands and islets, Halong Bay has declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. For many tourists, the bay is an endless movie with many things to do and see. It is home to a wide range of biodiversity and a lot of caves with masterpieces in stones like Thien Cung Cave, Sung Sot Cave, Dau Go Cave… You can spend a full day to discover Halong Bay and take place in some cruise activities such as kayaking, swimming, and driving…
The best ways to Halong Bay is by car, minibus or bus from Hanoi. It is about 170 km or 3.5 to 4 hours far from Hanoi. If there is no problem in the budget, an hour-long helicopter transfer is also available.
Cruises that go to Halong Bay: Aphrodite Cruise , V'Spirit Cruise , LaFairy Cruise , Paradise Luxury Cruise , Indochina Sails , or Silversea Cruise .
Overview of Halong Bay
Located 100km from Hanoi, Ninh Binh is the land of developed infrastructure, numerous historical-cultural relic sites and a very wide range of species, both flowers and animals. Famous places in Ninh Binh like Bai Dinh Pagoda, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Phat Diem Stone Church, Trang An Grotto, Tam Coc – Bich Dong (Three Grottos – Green Pearl Grotto) and Cuc Phuong National Park always attract both domestic and international tourists. It is also one of the best places for hiking in Northern Vietnam and enjoying fresh air and natural scenes.
By train: Traveling by train is quite an interesting experience. It may take you about 2.5 hours to transfer from Hanoi Railway Station (No. 120 Le Duan) to Ninh Binh Railway Station (No. 1 Hoang Hoa Tham). The ticket price is about 70,000 to 150,000 VND
By bus: You can catch the bus from Giap Bat Station and spend about 2.5 hours to get to Nin Binh. The ticket price is about 80,000 to 100,000 VND
By taxi: you can rent a taxi in Hanoi to get to Ninh Binh with the price of more than one million for a one-way trip.
By motorbike: Hide a motorbike in Hanoi for your trip to Ninh Binh (from 200,000 VND to 300,000 VND per day)
Do not forget Ninh Binh when you think about where to visit in Vietnam .
Click on the link to see our best tour to Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu Tam Coc Day Trip , Ninh Binh Day Trip from Hanoi , or Northern Vietnam Treasures .
Overview of Ninh Binh
Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park is located in Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province. The national park is known for magnificent caves and a wide variety of ecosystem. Visiting Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, tourists will not only be surprised by its natural beauty but also have a chance to learn about the diverse ecosystem and the unique cultures with their own interesting and meaningful stories. Beside popular tourist sites such as Phong Nha Cave, Tien Son Cave, Son Doong Cave… where you can discover the large forest and long rivers including Son River, Chay River and Trooc River.
By bus: There are buses from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Hoi An and Da Nang to Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. The ticket prices may be different per location of purchase.
By train: You can take a train from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Da Nang, and Nha Trang to Dong Hoi City, then get on a bus to transfer to Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park.
By plane: Another more expensive way to travel to Phong Nha is to take the plane to Dong Hoi City and then get on a bus to Phong Nha.
Click on the link to see our best tours to Phong Nha-Ke Bang: Paradise Cave from Hue or Phong Nha From Hue .
Phong Nha Cave
Hue is also one of the best places where you should visit in Vietnam. Hue was set as the national capital from 1802 to 1945 under Nguyen Dynasty. Hue had been recognized as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Sitting on the bank of the poetic Perfume River, Hue Ancient Capital is home to a massive royal citadel called the Forbidden Purple City. Ngo Mon Gate, Thai Hoa Palace, Dien Tho Residence and Halls of Mandarins are worth destinations for you to visit in Hue to discover exotic cultures here. Besides, you can pay a visit to Thuan An Beach and Lang Co Beach, two of the most beautiful one in Hue, twinkling in the sunshine with the blue ocean and white sand.
The best way to get there is by train. By this way, you can look at scenic coastal views along the Hai Van Pass. Another way is to fly directly from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, and Nha Trang to Hue - Phu Bai Airport. It may take you around 1 hour from Hanoi and 1.5 hours from Ho Chi Minh City.
Click on the link to see our best tour to Hue and Central Vietnam: Central Vietnam Holiday , Essence Central Of Vietnam From Danang .
Citadel Hue
Nha Trang (belongs to Khanh Hoa Province) is the most famous seaside town where is home to beautiful mountains and a long white sandy beach. It is also the best place of scuba diving, water sports, trekking and golf. Moreover, visiting Nha Trang you will have a chance to enjoy its famous food such as fresh seafood and barbecued pork rolled in rice paper, and the swallow’s nest soup.
By bus: If you start from Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hoi An, or Da Lat, get on a bus for a 3-4 hour transfer to Nha Trang. The ticket prices depend on the location of purchase.
By train: From Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang, you can get on an overnight train to Nha Trang. It will take you about 12 to 20 hours to arrive in Nha Trang in the early morning.
By plane: From Hanoi’ Airport and Ho Chi Minh City’s Airport, you can take a flight to Cam Ranh Airport, and then transfer to Nha Trang.
Click on the link to see our best tour to Nha Trang: Nha Trang Beach Break 4 days .
Nha Trang Beach
Hoi An is one of heritage city that you should not miss as visiting Vietnam. It is a small town with the old-world charm with ancient architecture and the beauty of the lantern-making village. The lantern festival is taken place in Hoi An every year in Spring. It will be amazing for you if you can attend this festival. You may feel as getting lost on the world of lanterns.
The best way to get to Hoi An is from Da Nang. There is a lot of convenient transport options between these two cities. You can take a bus for the 45 minutes transfer.
If you are from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, take a flight to Da Nang Airport and then move to Hoi An by bus or private transfer.
Click on the link to see our best tours to Hoi An: Hoi An To Siem Reap , Mountains Of Da Nang From Hoi An , Hoi An Farming and Fishing Experience , Hoi An Eco Tour , Hoi An Culinary River Cruise .
Hoi An Ancient Town
Ho Chi Minh City is the bustling and crazy commercial city of Vietnam. Here you will find Ho Chi Minh City Museum with a big collection of artefacts tying with the stories of the city, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Reunification Palace, which are very famous historical places to visit in Vietnam. Besides, you can walk around Nguyen Hue Walking Streets on the weekends to enjoy the fresh atmosphere to escape from the bustling Ho Chi Minh City.
Ho Chi Minh’s International Airport (Tan Son Nhat Airport) is the busiest airport in Vietnam. So it is very convenient for you to travel from other areas to Ho Chi Minh City by plane.
Click on Southern Vietnam Tours to see our best tours to visit Southern Vietnam.
Overview of Ho Chi Minh City
Mekong Delta is known as the “rice bowl” of Vietnam. It is the best place to visit boats, houses and markets floating on the rivers. If you want to experience the local life, the Mekong Delta is an ideal place for you. From May to November is considered the best time to visit here. You can get to visit the famous Cai Rang Floating Market and experience to pick fresh fruits directly from local gardens. This time is the season of many kinds of fruits in Southern Vietnam.
From Ho Chi Minh City, you can take a bus or hide a motorbike to get to the Mekong Delta. Let try to visit floating markets by day boats and experience an early morning in the Mekong Delta.
Click on the link to see our best tours to Mekong Delta: Mekong Delta Full Day by Speedboat , Ben Tre Mekong Delta Full Day , Mekong Delta Day Trip , Mekong Delta To Phu Quoc .
The above places are the destinations where you should visit in Vietnam and do not miss them on your travel list.
Floating Market in Mekong Delta
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