365 Best Sights in Vietnam

The 2,088-acre Tra Su bird sanctuary, 25 km (15½ miles) southwest of Chau Doc, is home to more than 70 species of birds, including storks, egrets, ibis, and herons. It's possible to see birds year round but the best time to visit is when the cajeput (paperbark) forest is flooded and brilliantly green with duckweed, from July to December; water levels are driest April and May. Pick and pay for individual experiences: A noisy motorboat ride that includes a stop at a 23-meter (75 feet) observation tower or a peaceful cruise by rowboat through the wetlands, the best chance of observing the hundreds of birds nesting in the trees. For most of the year, the sanctuary's narrow 12-km (7½-mile) track can also be explored by bicycle, with rusty rentals available. Unfortunately, like many nature tourist sights in Vietnam, the sanctuary is overrun with food and souvenir vendors, animal statues, and litter. From Chau Doc, private tours offered by hotels or travel agents start for around 1,410,000d, and much cheaper if transportation is by motorbike.

The 7,612-hectare (18,810-acre) park, famous for its rare wild birds, including the Sarus and red-headed crane, lies within the Plain of Reeds, which floods each year from July to December. Migratory birds, including the cranes, return to the area every year from late December to early May. The reserve lies 80 km (50 miles) from Long Xuyen and 110 km (68 miles) from Chau Doc and Sa Dec and is accessible by taxi, private car, or xe om. A two-hour boat tour to bird-viewing areas, best done in the early morning or late afternoon, costs 700,000d split between passengers, up to 10 people. There are a range of activities within the park, including fishing, harvesting rice, and hunting field mice. There's also a very basic hotel, with three-bed air-conditioned rooms starting from 200,000d/night.

This elegantly designed house was built in 1802 by Tran Tu Nhuc, a 19th-century Mandarin and Chinese ambassador, as a place of worship for the Tran family's deceased ancestors. It's packed with interesting antiquities. In the morning, light floods down through a glass tile in the roof, illuminating the family altar that stands behind three sliding doors—the left for men and the right for women. The central door (designed for deceased ancestors to return home) is opened only at Tet and other festivals; it's an architectural touch common for older residential houses throughout the country.

The altar houses a box with pictures and names of dead relatives, a 250-year-old book that records the Tran family history, and a bowl of Chinese coins representing yin and yang—toss one for good luck. Tours are given in English by members of the Tran family.

Once called Rue Gambetta, Tran Hung Dao Street is now named after the revered Vietnamese warrior who repelled Kublai Khan's Mongol hordes twice between 1257 and 1288. This long, tree-lined boulevard is a marked example of the stateliness with which the French imbued these east–west streets. Several diplomatic missions line the boulevard; among them, fittingly, is the massive French embassy (No. 57), which takes up an entire city block.

An important turtle nesting ground is here, and the jungle that covers the island is home to a variety of different species including some rare birds. Tours to the island, which can be booked at the national park headquarters, usually include snorkeling. Underwater highlights include giant clams as well as fish and coral.

Thousands of migratory sea birds nest on this island every year from May to September. It's also a nice spot for swimming, snorkeling, and exploring, lying 2 km (1 mile) off Ong Dung Beach. The national park office can organize a boat here.

This peaceful Zen Buddhist pagoda, about 6 km (4 miles) from central Dalat, sits on top of Phuong Hoang Hill, and the best way to get here is via a beautiful cable car ride, with views of farmlands, pine forests, mountains, and lakes. Completed in 1994, the 24-hectare complex includes a working monastery in a section that's closed to the public, as well as a meditation center. The public areas include a ceremonial hall, bell tower, beautiful flower garden, cafe, and vegetarian buffet restaurant. It's a 15-minute stroll down to Tuyen Lam Lake, a pretty reservoir.

Day visits to the meditation center can be arranged in advance, since every guest needs to be approved by the Grand Master. Longer stays are possible but require some complicated paperwork. The monks or nuns can explain the steps involved.

Boasting golden sand, swaying palms, and Phu Quoc's best sunsets, Long Beach (not to be confused with Bai Dai, which also translates to "Long Beach") stretches for nearly 20 km (12 miles) along the island's western coast, from just south of Duong Dong Town down toward the southern tip. The section north of the airport is Phu Quoc's central hub, with the greatest concentration of hotels, restaurants, cafés, and bars—and overdevelopment. The area has become densely packed, and smaller hotels have been engulfed by large resorts so it can be quite crowded, even more so now that the beach is disappearing due to coastal erosion. Be aware that some resort "beachfronts" have been reduced to unsightly sandbags. Amenities: waterfront food and drink; water sports. Best for: sunsets; partying.

Stretching over 202 acres, 27 km (8 miles) northwest of Dong Ha, this somber memorial site marks the final resting place for over 10,000 Vietnamese soldiers and civilians who lost their lives defending and maintaining the Ho Chi Minh Trail during the Vietnam War.

Each tomb is marked with the word "liet si" ("martyr"); some are adorned with pictures or sculptures of the deceased, and others lay empty, a mark of respect to one of the 300,000 soldiers that remain missing in action to this day. Along the way to Truong Son you'll pass Con Thien Firebase, an old French bunker located 1.5 km (1 mile) down a dirt track to the east of the road, barely visible through the rubber plantation that has taken over the area.

One of Hue's most beautiful and peaceful pagodas is accessed via a junglelike path off the road, past a half-moon-shape pool. Built in 1843, the temple houses a large Buddha and it is the root pagoda of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. It's a good place for quiet meditation. The monks live in simple rooms off to the side and hold services several times a day. At the far corner of the pagoda is a cemetery for the Nguyen Dynasty's eunuchs who made contribution to building and renovating the pagoda.

One of the core zones of the Mui Ca Mau World Biosphere Reserve recognized by UNESCO, U Minh Ha National Park, 35 km (22 miles) from Ca Mau, contains swaths of swampland and pearl-white cajeput trees (also known as melaleuca or paperbark trees) as well as 32 mammal species, such as deer and wild boar, and 74 bird species, including the endangered painted stork. An area has been zoned for tourism in Vo Doi, the experience catering to domestic tourists. There's a high observation tower, bicycles for rental, and a boat trip through scenic waterways; don't expect to enter the forest or see much wildlife except for birds and monkeys.

A superb example of how Dalat won its reputation as a kitschy destination, this pseudo theme park is popular with honeymooning Vietnamese couples for photographs with "cute" man-made backdrops. Set in a valley that leads down to a lake, the park can keep younger kids entertained for a while, with fairground rides, a miniature train, swan-shape pedal boats, and carriages drawn by very skinny horses. Older kids might enjoy paintball and Jeep rides. The main attraction for adults is to observe tourists delighting in their photo-taking.

The largest island in the Bai Tu Long archipelago is also its most populated and developed. Linked to the mainland by a series of bridges, the island mainly serves as a jumping-off point for the smaller, more idyllic destinations in the area. Cai Rong, the main town, is a bustling port with some acceptable accommodations options. There's not much else to see on Van Don, but the outlook to the offshore karst formations from Bai Dai (long beach) on the southern side of the island is stunning. The Vietnamese government has big plans for Van Don, with a special Economic Zone with an international airport in the pipeline.

Van Long offers shorter boat rides than both Tam Coc and Trang An (they only take an hour or so), but they're far more secluded and serene. This wetland reserve has 32 grottoes and 39 animal species, including rare monkeys and birds. In the dry season, Van Long is the wintering place of migratory birds from the north, making this a great spot to bring those binoculars. 

The name translates as Cloudy Hill Palace, and it's a picturesque place to visit, not so much for the temple—even though it is quite beautiful—but for the panoramic view it offers of Con Dao Town, An Hai Lake, and Con Son Bay below. The temple was built in 1964 for the prison officers and government officials stationed on Con Dao and is now considered a memorial to the martyrs who died during Vietnam's fight for independence.

About 2.3 km (1.4 miles) from Vinh Long Market, this Chinese Confucian temple built in the mid-19th century is decorated with multicolor dragons and statues of Confucius, which is odd because the monks here practice Buddhism. Added to the original structure is a different style of hall built in honor of Phan Thanh Gian, a Vietnamese fighter, government official, and diplomat, who committed suicide in Vinh Long in 1867 rather than submit to French rule. Locals often refer to the temple by his name rather than its official title. Although the temple has opening hours posted on the gate, it's often inexplicably closed; ask around and someone may have a key.

This small temple, established in 1762, honors the deity Nam Hai (the whale), who fisherman believe can protect them from strong waves and storms. A large room at the front houses a complete 22-meter-long fin whale skeleton, while the temple at the back has a glass storage room, behind the altar, full of whalebones.

Located in the center of Buon Ma Thuot's biggest roundabout, this monument honors North Vietnam's victory over the city on March 18, 1975. The battle and Buon Ma Thuot's capture was the start of North Vietnam's decisive 1975 spring offensive, the first domino of a campaign that moved south to Saigon, which would fall only a few weeks later on April 30. The monument features a replica tank and fighters, arms raised in victory. There's no need to make a special trip to the monument as you'll likely pass it as you enter the town.

Never one to downplay its influence, the Soviet Union assisted with the design and construction of this brutalist compound. Inaugurated September 1, 1985, the rigid 120-room white colossus stretches from Yet Kieu Street to Tran Binh Trong Street. The palace actually consists of three structures: the performance building houses a 1,200-seat concert hall, and the study and technology buildings contain a library, conference hall, and observatory. At the various clubs hosted here, Hanoians gather to share ideas on everything from biochemistry and chess to billboard usage in the Old Quarter. The Vietnam Trade Union headquarters is just across the street, next to the Ministry of Transportation and Communication. The broad open space here known as May 1 Square is conducive to commemorating the past and present glories of the Communist Party, and you'll invariably see propaganda posters and waves of dangling street lights consisting of blinking yellow stars and red hammers and sickles. With the introduction of the city metro, this entire neighborhood is undergoing intense transformation.

Although not as provocative as its Ho Chi Minh City counterpart, the army museum is nonetheless an intriguing example of Vietnam's continuing dedication to publicizing its military history. At the southern edge of what was once the Thang Long citadel, which housed the imperial city, the museum buildings were once used as French military barracks. The courtyard of the museum once held Chinese- and Soviet-made weaponry—including MiG fighters, antiaircraft guns, a B-52 wreckage, and what is said to be the tank that smashed through the gates of the Presidential Palace in Saigon on April 30, 1975. However, at the time of this update in 2024, some of this military detritus was being moved in preparation of the opening of a much larger museum on the city periphery. Other displays include depictions of the Trung sisters' revolt against Chinese overlords in AD 40, sound-and-light shows highlighting battles and troop movements during the wars against the French and Americans, bicycles known as steel horses that were used on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, captured French and American firearms and uniforms, field maps and tables of major attacks, and the dreaded pungi sticks. It's important to check the status of this museum online before visiting, as it may have already moved.

Adjacent to the museum is the Hanoi Flag Pillar, a 100-foot tapered hexagonal guard tower atop a three-tier square base. Built in 1812, the pillar escaped destruction by the French when they leveled much of the citadel; instead they used the tower as an observation and communication station—much like the Vietnamese military before them. The intricate fan- and flower-shape holes allow light into the tower, which has a crisp red-and-yellow Vietnamese flag fluttering from its flagpole.

Silk paintings, folk art, sculptures, artifacts, and lacquer works are among the works of art at this museum neighboring the Temple of Literature. You can see traditional paintings depicting village scenes as well as socialist-inspired works following the Vietnam War. The full collection of Cham and Buddhist art is housed in two separate buildings with signage in Vietnamese and English. It's sometimes possible to arrange a guide on demand, but prearrange one to be sure.

Outside of the building is what's most interesting because the waterfront museum has a surprisingly large collection of weapons from the Vietnam War, including a UH-1A helicopter, F5 jet, artillery, and two tanks; a translation app is useful as the information signs are mainly in Vietnamese.

Local villagers built the 2-km-long (1½-mile-long) Vinh Moc Tunnels during the early 1960s to escape American bombing. The tunnels were later used by the North Vietnamese army to transport goods to Con Co Island. Less claustrophobic than the ones at Cu Chi near Ho Chi Minh City, these tunnels are a testament to the determination and ingenuity of the Vietnamese people under extreme circumstances. Guides are available at the small museum on-site; we suggest grabbing one to get the most out of your visit.

If you have time, head down to the beautiful beach that runs along the eastern perimeter of the tunnels.

Dating to 1849, this pagoda, which was built in the shape of the Chinese character for nation, combines European and Asian design elements and is set within lovely ornamental gardens with bonsai, lotus ponds, and a gigantic laughing Buddha. Take time to soak up the tranquil atmosphere, plus admire the elaborate carved wood in the hushed interiors and the ornate ceramic mosaic of the arch out front.

The nearly 50-hectare amusement park formerly known as Vinpearl Land has rides, a waterpark, an aquarium, and shows. The park is part of Vinpearl's sprawling mega-development that took over Bai Beach, on Phu Quoc's northwestern coast, which includes a golf course, casino, several resorts, restaurants, an excess of empty shops, and a zoo featuring exotic animals. Free shuttle buses run regularly between it and Duong Dong Town.

This amusement park on Hon Tre Island can be seen from almost anywhere along the Nha Trang coastline; the huge Hollywood-style sign and cable car running across the ocean are impossible to miss. The complex includes a water park, rides, shopping, dining, and an aquarium. Be aware that the park also has animal shows and a zoo. A large commercial center with dining and shopping remains open until 2 am and is still accessible by boat after the cable car stops running at 10:30 pm.

Depart the island well in advance of closing time if you want to avoid very long waiting times for the cable car.

Built by the French during colonial times to guide ships into the Saigon port, the still-operational 59-foot-high lighthouse sits at the top of Small Mountain, at the end of a steep and winding road, still protected by four old French cannons. If you take a taxi to the lighthouse, ask the driver to wait for you because there are not going to be any passing taxis to hail and it's a very long walk back down the mountain. The views on the way up are sensational, and there are a few cafés along the way for refreshment.

This is a grueling museum focused on the horrors of the Vietnam War (known in Vietnam as the American War), with indoor exhibitions featuring graphic photographs of dismembered bodies and dead children and infants. Outside the machines of war (fighter planes, tanks, howitzers, bombs) are displayed and there's a re-creation of the infamous tiger cages of Con Dao prison island. If you go, take Kleenex and a stoic demeanor. Expect to see the war from a different perspective than you might see in the United States.

Like many seaside villages in Vietnam, Vung Tau has a temple dedicated to Ca Ong, Mr. Whale, the guardian angel of the seas. This humble place of worship, highlighted by the bones of an 18-meter-long whale, is an interesting place to visit, although there is no information in English to explain the beliefs and rituals of the temple.

Built in 1898, the White Palace has variously served as the French governor's residence, a retreat of Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam, and the president of South Vietnam's summer house. The villa is now a slightly worn museum with a ground-floor exhibition of late-17th- and early-18th-century Chinese artifacts recovered from a shipwreck near the Con Dao Islands. On the upper floors there's the now-shopworn living quarters of the last resident. Despite its tired air, the White Palace is worth visiting for the views of the East Sea and the lush tropical grounds.