365 Best Sights in Vietnam

These stunning white sand dunes adjacent to a lake are best seen at sunrise, hopefully before the noisy quad bikes start operating as soon as tourists start to arrive. Photo ops and dune bashing are the main attraction: ATVs rentals costs 600,000d, Jeep-type vehicles are 800,000d, and you can even get selfies with a camel. The dunes are about an hour's drive from Mui Ne's main tourist area.

French missionaries first came to Kon Tum in 1851. Completed in 1918, the wooden cathedral features a Roman Catholic basilica with subtle architectural references to Bahnar wooden homes that are built on stilts. It miraculously survived wartime bombardment and the intense three-week Battle of Kon Tum. Visit during mass to hear hymns sung in the Bahnar language.

Located in a mixed-use development that includes a resort, cafés, and shops, this museum is 30% learning about coffee, 70% a promotional vehicle for Trung Nguyen Legend, Buon Ma Thuot’s coffee kingpin. The English explanations are somewhat convoluted, much like the architecture, which is worth the visit alone. A cup of coffee is included in the admission.

Circumscribed by a walking path, Xuan Huong Lake is Dalat's central feature, naturally a hub for leisurely activity, including walking, biking, and swan-shape paddleboats. The dam-generated lake takes its name from a 18th-century poet, considered one of Vietnam's greatest, known for her daring, witty work.

Visitors to Tan Chau can tour several factories that manufacture silk, the district's most well-known export, as well as colorful rattan mats and slippers. Nearly everything is done or controlled by hand; there are no robots or computers here.