20 Best Things to Do in Vietnam

The experiences worth crossing the country for, region by region — with where they are, when to go, and how to fit them into one trip.

Published Oct 2026 • Updated Oct 2026 • By the Vietnam Private Tours planning team, reviewed by Van Anh (Founder & Chief Executive Officer)

Quick answer

The best things to do in Vietnam: sleep on a Halong or Lan Ha Bay cruise, eat street food in Hanoi's Old Quarter, row through Trang An in Ninh Binh, trek Sapa's rice terraces, walk Hue's Imperial City, see Hoi An by lantern light, crawl into the Cu Chi Tunnels and catch a Mekong Delta floating market at dawn. Seeing all of them takes 12–16 days from north to south.

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The 20 best things to do in Vietnam

#	Experience	Where	Best time
1	Sleep on a cruise in Halong Bay or Lan Ha Bay	North (from Hanoi, 2–2.5 h)	Mar–May, late Sep–Nov
2	Eat your way through Hanoi's Old Quarter after dark	Hanoi	All year (Oct–Apr is cooler)
3	Row through caves and rice fields at Trang An	Ninh Binh (1.5 h from Hanoi)	Late May–early June for golden rice
4	Trek between hill-tribe villages in the rice terraces	Sapa	Sep (gold) or Apr–Jun (green)
5	Ride the Ha Giang Loop	Far north, Chinese border	Sep–Nov, Mar–May
6	Walk Hue's Imperial City and the royal tombs	Hue	Feb–Apr
7	See Hoi An's old town by lantern light	Hoi An (now part of Da Nang city)	Feb–Aug; full-moon nights
8	Have clothes made by a Hoi An tailor	Hoi An	Allow 24–48 hours
9	Take a cooking class that starts at the market	Hoi An, Hanoi, Saigon	All year
10	Drive the Hai Van Pass between Hue and Da Nang	Central coast	Feb–Aug (clearer views)
11	Explore the caves of Phong Nha	Quang Binh (now Quang Tri province)	Feb–Aug
12	Crawl into the Cu Chi Tunnels	Near Ho Chi Minh City	Morning, all year
13	Visit the War Remnants Museum and Reunification Palace	Ho Chi Minh City	All year
14	Catch a floating market at dawn	Mekong Delta (Can Tho)	Dec–Apr dry; 5:30–7:30 am
15	Cycle quiet countryside lanes	Hoi An, Mekong Delta, Mai Chau	Oct–Apr
16	Swim and snorkel on an island	Phu Quoc, Con Dao	Nov–Apr (Phu Quoc), Mar–Sep (Con Dao)
17	Watch sea turtles nest	Con Dao National Park	Apr–Oct, peak Jun–Sep
18	Drink egg coffee and iced coffee with condensed milk	Hanoi, then everywhere	All year
19	Walk the former battlefields with a guide	DMZ, Khe Sanh, Hue	Feb–Aug
20	Stay a night with a family in a mountain homestay	Mai Chau, Pu Luong, Sapa	Sep–May

Province names changed in July 2025, when Vietnam merged its 63 provinces into 34; the places themselves, and the names travelers use for them, have not.

Northern Vietnam: bays, karsts and mountains

Hanoi is where most trips begin, and it rewards slowness: coffee on a tiny stool, the Temple of Literature in the morning, the Old Quarter's lanes after dark. See things to do in Hanoi.

From Hanoi, the classic pairing is Ninh Binh (karsts in rice fields, seen from a rowing boat) and an overnight cruise on Halong Bay or the quieter Lan Ha Bay. One night on board is enough for most people; two nights reaches farther and quieter water. Our bay comparison explains which to choose.

For mountains, Sapa is the easiest to reach (about 5.5–6 hours by road), with village treks through the terraces. Ha Giang is wilder and needs at least three days. Mai Chau and Pu Luong are gentler valleys with homestays, two to four hours from Hanoi.

Central Vietnam: emperors, lanterns and caves

Hue was the imperial capital from 1802 to 1945: give it a full day for the citadel, the royal tombs along the Perfume River and a dragon-boat ride. The Hai Van Pass road to Da Nang is one of the country's great drives.

Hoi An is the favorite of many travelers: a merchant town of yellow walls and lanterns, with tailors, cooking classes and bicycle rides into the rice fields and the coconut forest. Stay at least two nights. North of Hue, Phong Nha has some of the world's largest caves, including Paradise Cave.

Southern Vietnam: Saigon, tunnels and the Mekong

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is Vietnam at full speed: the War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace, rooftop bars and some of the best street food in the country. Half a day takes you to the Cu Chi Tunnels.

The Mekong Delta is best with a night in Can Tho so you can reach the Cai Rang floating market at dawn. For beaches, Phu Quoc is an hour's flight from Saigon; Con Dao is wilder, with turtles, coral and a sobering prison history.

How to fit it into one trip

Time	What you can see well
7–9 days	Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Halong Bay, plus Hoi An or Saigon
10–12 days	Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, with two internal flights
14–16 days	Add Ninh Binh, the Mekong Delta overnight and a slower pace
18–21 days	Add Sapa or Ha Giang, a beach, or Cambodia's Angkor Wat

See how many days you need and the best time to visit by region.

From our guides

Start early. Ninh Binh's boats, Hue's tombs and the Cu Chi Tunnels are quiet before 9 am and crowded by 10.
Sleep where the magic happens. A night on the bay, in Hoi An or in the Mekong Delta lets you see them when the day-trippers have gone.
Leave room for one unplanned day. The things travelers remember most are often the ones they did not book: a wedding invitation, a market, a long lunch.
Watch the weather by region. Vietnam is long; when it rains in Hoi An it can be sunny in Saigon. Plan the route around the season.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top things to do in Vietnam?

An overnight cruise in Halong or Lan Ha Bay, a street-food evening in Hanoi's Old Quarter, a rowing-boat trip at Trang An in Ninh Binh, Hue's Imperial City, Hoi An's old town by lantern light, the Cu Chi Tunnels near Ho Chi Minh City and a dawn floating market in the Mekong Delta. For landscapes, add Sapa's rice terraces or the Ha Giang Loop.

What is Vietnam best known for?

Its food (pho, banh mi, fresh herbs), coffee, the limestone seascape of Halong Bay, the old town of Hoi An, the rice terraces of the north, the Mekong Delta and its war history. It is also one of the best-value destinations in Asia.

How many days do you need to see the best of Vietnam?

Twelve to sixteen days covers the north, center and south without rushing. With 7–9 days, choose one or two regions — for example Hanoi, Halong Bay and Ninh Binh, or Hoi An and Hue. With three weeks you can add Sapa or Ha Giang, a beach, or Cambodia.

What is there to do in Vietnam for free?

Walking Hanoi's Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake at the weekend, when the streets around the lake close to traffic; Hoi An's riverside at night; Saigon's Nguyen Hue walking street; temple and pagoda visits (most are free or by donation); and the morning exercise crowds in every city park at dawn.

What fun things are there to do in Vietnam with kids?

Kayaking and swimming on a Halong Bay cruise, a lantern-making or cooking class in Hoi An, cycling in the countryside, the water puppet show in Hanoi, Ba Na Hills near Da Nang, and the beach and theme parks of Phu Quoc. Keep transfers short and plan one active thing a day.

What should you not miss in Vietnam?

A night on the water in Halong or Lan Ha Bay, street food with a local, and at least one rural day — a rowing boat in Ninh Binh, a village trek in Sapa or a bicycle ride outside Hoi An. These are the experiences travelers mention most when they come back.

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