360 Best Sights in Vietnam

This 30-km (18½-mile) stretch starts at My Khe beach, which runs from the foot of the Hai Van Pass to the north, and ends at Non Nuoc beach near the Marble Mountains to the south. In the middle, south of the Furama Resort, lies Bac My An, the R&R resort spot for U.S. soldiers during the war. Five-star resorts now line the pristine and quiet sandy stretches south of My Khe, leaving only a handful of beaches accessible to the public.

There are a lot of water sports you can try, and some of the region's freshest seafood to devour at the small restaurants that line the beach road. It's best to come between April and August, when the water is placid. Waves can be very large at other times—in fact, the first international surfing competition in Vietnam was held here, in December 1993. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; parking. Best for: swimming; surfing; walking.

For all the skyscrapers and modern architectural landmarks that now grace the city skyline, it's the bridges that have become the pride of Danang. As the sun sets, crowds gather along riverside Bach Dang Street to watch the spectacle as the four bridges are illuminated by thousands of LED lights that flow through the color spectrum. Farthest north is the colorful Thuan Phuoc Bridge that connects the district of Son Tra to the city, the largest suspension bridge in Vietnam. Next to that is the Han Song Bridge, which holds the title of Vietnam's first swing bridge; every morning between 1 am and 4 am the bridge is closed to traffic as it swings on its axis to allow large ships to pass along the Han River. At the heart is the most impressive of them all, the Dragon Bridge (Cau Rong) a national symbol of power, nobility, and good fortune, highlighting the city's growth. Every weekend at 9 pm the six-lane highway connecting the city to the beach resorts on the east side of Danang closes to traffic and huge crowds take their place to watch the dragon spout plumes of fire and water. The bridge farthest north, the Tran Thi Ly Bridge, has a 145-meter-high central mast that holds a striking sail, which, when illuminated, can be seen from the beaches of Hoi An.

On display at the Cham Museum, founded by the French in 1919, are artifacts from the Kingdom of Champa, which ruled this region for more than 1,000 years. The highly sensual, innovative, and expressive works from Tra Kieu's reign (7th century) and that of My Son (8th–9th centuries), and the abundant sandstone carvings of the god Shiva, testify to the prosperity of the Kingdom of Champa in its glory days. The Cham adopted many elements of Indian art and Sanskrit as their sacred language. Note the Cham Buddha depicted on a throne in an imperial pose, with his feet flat on the ground, in contrast to the traditional image of Buddha seated in the lotus position. The symbol of fertility, Uroja (meaning "woman's breast"), which you will also see throughout the museum, reveals the esteem afforded women in Cham culture.

The central Tra Kieu Altar in the Tra Kieu Room—in the middle gallery, opposite the entrance and across the courtyard—illustrates in relief-sculpture part of the Hindu Ramayana epic story. This is the museum's best-preserved relief. The galleries are arranged into a cohesive itinerary, and a performance and education space is on the second floor. Performances are listed on the website. English-speaking guides can lead you on tours of the Cham Museum.

Most of this beautiful crescent of white sand and calm blue waters is the private domain of the luxurious Six Senses Con Dao resort. There is a steep and narrow track leading down to the beach, just north of the resort entrance, for those who'd like to (discreetly) explore the beach. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; sunrise; swimming; walking.

One of Dalat's more easily accessible waterfalls, Datanla Falls is 5 km (3 miles) south of the city. The entrance is near the top of the falls and an easy 15-minute walk takes you down to the bottom. The more adventurous can reach the bottom by riding a toboggan through the trees down the valley (80,000d per person).

This 11th-century pagoda from the Ly dynasty houses Vietnam's two most famous mummies. In 1639 the Buddhist monks Vu Khac Minh and Vu Khac Truong locked themselves in a private room to meditate, instructing their disciples not to disturb them for 100 days. On the 100th day, their disciples entered the room to find both monks seated in a lotus position, perfectly preserved in death. The monks' bodies were covered in a thin but durable red lacquer. What makes these mummies unique is that they still have all their bones and organs.

Dau Pagoda contains several other noteworthy artifacts, including a giant bronze bell built in 1801, a bronze book detailing the pagoda's construction, several stone stelae dating to the 17th century, and six altars for the worship of 18 arhats (enlightened monks). The pagoda, which was partially destroyed by French forces in 1947, consists of five halls, an accessible (just barely) bell tower, and a small walking garden full of jackfruit and longan trees, birds of paradise, and a temple dedicated to local deities. Rice fields and ponds surround the pagoda, and you'll pass duck farmers and lotus vendors near the grove-shaded road that leads to the entrance.

The pagoda is less than an hour's ride south of Hanoi. Take a taxi or hire a private car to get here, and keep an eye peeled for a sign directing you to turn right off Highway 1 toward the pagoda.

This is a vibrant Vietnamese temple that was built more than 200 years ago by a Chinese family called Ngo. A descendant, Ngo Kim Tong, who died in 1970, spent 42 years fashioning the pagoda's brightly colored statues, dragons, and gargoyles. Inside are candles so big and so broad—each about 40 feet high and so wide that two people extending their arms around it can barely reach each other—that have been burning continuously for more than 40 years.

Tour groups flock to the DMZ to walk across the old French bridge, Hien Luong, and wander around the small museum on the north side of the bridge. They also take photos of the flag tower and an odd-looking reunification sculpture, which symbolizes the communication that developed between families divided by the river. Unable to communicate verbally (witness the loudspeakers pocked with bullet holes on display in the museum), they improvised with signals—a white scarf around the head meant someone had been killed and hands crossed behind the back announced that someone had been arrested.

Across the street from the Dien Bien Phu Museum, this spotless cemetery (also called the A1 National Martyrs Cemetery) is the final resting place for many unknown Viet Minh soldiers. Here in bas-reliefs are scenes of the battle depicted in larger-than-life-size socialist realism. One of the most emotional aspects of Dien Bien Phu is here: the names of all the Viet Minh casualties from the historic battle at Dien Bien Phu are carved on the back of the front wall of the cemetery.

This museum has been built on the site of the battle with the French, and although there is a section dedicated to the region's ethnic-minority communities, French ignominy and Vietnamese glory are the principal topics here. The main hall recounts the events of the siege and the battle itself, with blinking maps and legends synchronized with a recorded loop outlining the battle's chronology. Outside is a collection of weapons used in and around the garrison: the Vietnamese tanks and guns look as if they were polished yesterday afternoon, the rusting French jeeps are riddled with bullet holes, and the remains of a French plane lie in a twisted heap. The museum is designed to resemble a Vietnamese soldier's helmet.

A K'Ho ethnic minority village, Dinh An has found itself on the tourist radar mainly because of its proximity to the highway and its giant concrete chicken. The village is often included in easy rider tours, and is only really worth visiting as one stop on a day-long exploration of the countryside surrounding Dalat. The village itself is quite spread out, with most families involved in small-scale farming of vegetables and flowers. The villagers don't wear their traditional dress, which disappoints some visitors, but keep in mind that they receive minimal benefit from tourists trooping through. There's a couple of small handicraft shops and a tiny grocery store across from the chicken statue. The chicken itself, which in its glory days was a fountain but is now propped up with an extra concrete leg, is from the local Romeo and Juliet legend for which the Langbian Mountain is named. Her Bian was a girl from a southern highlands village who fell in love with K'Lang, a boy from a northern highlands village. The villages were at war so the parents of the love-struck couple would not allow them to marry. Her Bian's parents finally relented, telling K'Lang he could marry their daughter if he found a chicken with nine spurs as the dowry. K'Lang went to the forest but he could not find a chicken with nine spurs (the rear-facing claw). So the couple eloped and lived in the forest until they died, cut off from their families. Dinh An Village is 9 km (5½ miles) from the airport and can be visited en route to Dalat rather than by making the 18 km (11 mile) trip from Dalat.

Part lighthouse, part religious building, Dinh Cau Temple is worth visiting while exploring Duong Dong town, its marina, and the night market. The temple sits on a rocky outcrop and was constructed during colonial times to honor the goddess of the sea, who would in turn protect the sailors and fisherman.

About 45 km (25 miles) north of Nha Trang is the picture-postcard Doc Let Beach, a beautiful 10-km (6-mile) stretch of casuarina-lined fine white sand and azure water that welcomes few tourists. Like most beachfronts in Vietnam, it's seen a rise in development in recent years but fortunately, it's very low key, even the resorts themselves are much more humble and quaint than in many parts. Many of them are glad to welcome day guests for a very small fee. Overall, it's a great location for a laid-back beachy day trip from Nha Trang. It will take about an hour to get here from Nha Trang by taxi, which will cost around 500,000d. A much cheaper alternative is the local bus (No. 3), which will only set you back around 25,000d. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: walking; swimming; sunsets.

The narrow Doi Duong Beach, at the end of Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, is not the prettiest in the country, but it is well maintained and is loved by the locals anyway. It has a fantastic view of the bay and Mui Ne in the distance to the north. Crowds descend in the early morning and late afternoons, when the weather is not so hot. Couples stroll along the paved beachside walkway, families picnic in the adjacent park, and everyone eats snacks from the many itinerant food vendors. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: walking.

The most notable of the several hundred mid- to late 19th-century houses in this commune are those belonging to Tran Tuan Kiet and Nguyen Van Duc. The latter was built in 1850 and combines French pillars and domes with more traditional Vietnamese style elements. This was the house of a wealthy family, and the trappings of their life are on display.

Once conveniently accessible by riverboat, this market, the oldest and largest in the city, has seen trading with the whole of Southeast Asia. The huge structure was destroyed by a massive fire in 1994. The fire displaced 3,000 workers, caused millions of dollars in damage and losses, and took five human lives, not to mention the lives of thousands of endangered animals. The market reopened in December 1996 and today looks more like a concrete shopping mall, but continues to sell all manner of local and foreign goods. In truth, the standard of what's on offer is variable. Clothes and other miscellanea are of poor quality. Nevertheless, the atmosphere is buzzing and very much local, making this an authentic market experience.

These pretty waterfalls, 32 km (20 miles) southwest of Buon Ma Thuot, are a good place to break the journey from Lak Lake to Buon Ma Thuot. Trails lead to the bottom of the falls, where it's possible to take a dip in the slightly murky green water.

Some beautiful pagodas stand in the southern and eastern districts of the city, and this is the most impressive and moving of all. The 300-year-old temple is a good example of traditional Vietnamese architecture, with a gate and three buildings surrounding a stone courtyard crowded with flowers, statues, and bonsai plants. In front and to the right of the compound is a round pond with lotus flowers encircled by white statues of the Buddha and scholars. One of the 10 monks who live here may be chanting her daily prayers and tapping on a round wooden drum in the richly gilded main sanctuary. Occasionally in the afternoons, the senior monk holds one-on-one healing sessions with the sick. Hundreds of Buddhists fill the courtyard on Buddhist holy days, the 1st and 15th of every lunar month. To get here follow Cat Cut Street south until you hit Chua Hang Street. After a few alleyways, you'll see the pagoda set back on the left. It can be a bit tricky to find on your own, so use a GPS or guide to help you find it.

Ho Chi Minh (then known as Nguyen That Thanh) himself supposedly taught here in 1910 as he was making his way down to Saigon, from where he set sail for Paris and other foreign shores. History records him as teaching Chinese, Vietnamese, and martial arts to the second grade. The school is a beautifully tended and unusual monument, with interesting little placards marking out where Uncle Ho rested and read.

About 30 km (19 miles) southwest of Dalat, these 30-meter-high waterfalls (one large and several smaller falls) are a popular stop on easy rider countryside tours. The mossy path down to the viewing area can be treacherous in the rainy season and challenging in the dry season, but once there, the views are impressive. It takes about 45 minutes to get the falls, which are just outside the village of Nam Ban. There's a coffee shop and handicraft shop at the waterfalls. Take the time to check out the textiles woven on-site by a K'Ho family. Also wander next door to the Linh An Pagoda, a peaceful working temple with hydrangeas and pine trees in the garden and a giant Happy Buddha (which doubles as a storage shed for garden supplies) out the back. The pagoda is closed for lunch from 12 to 1:30 pm.

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.

While it may not quite live up to its intriguing name, the highlight of this kitschy attraction is the miniature Grand Canyon-like cliffs that border the stream and whose red and brown layers create a nice backdrop for photos. It takes about 20 minutes to wade along the ankle- and knee-deep stream to a small waterfall that flows into waist-deep sections. Along the way, enterprising locals have set up make-shift rest stops, serving cool drinks and some snacks. There can sometimes be a fair amount of trash at the start of the stream, but it gets cleaner the farther you go.

Be aware that adults and children offering shoe-minding or guiding along the stream will expect to be paid, so negotiate a price first, or plan to tip about $1.

Local tours often stop in at one of the very pungent fish sauce factories along the river in Duong Dong Town. It's possible to visit without an organized tour, although not much English is spoken at the factories and without any commentary, you're just looking at a hot and stinky shed full of giant wooden vats. Try Khai Hoan in Hung Vuong Street ( 0297/384–8555) and Hung Thanh at Khu Pho 3 ( 0297/384–6124).

Airlines that fly out of Phu Quoc will not allow fish sauce aboard, but it is possible to buy it at the departure lounge and have it shipped home.

Many overnight boat tours will take you to see one or more of the four floating villages on Halong Bay, where 300 local families make a living by fishing the mystical waters. If they're not fishing or fixing their nets for the next big catch, they may be passing the time swinging on hammocks—or even rowing toward your cruise boat to sell you groceries and souvenirs in a floating "store." These impressive fishing villages have their own wooden shacks and grocery stores that stay afloat by Styrofoam platforms wrapped in waterproof tarps.

You can see some of the floating farms from 30 Thang 4 Park and the Chau Giang ferry terminal, off to the left across the river, but to visit one you need a guide. The fish farms are underneath the floating houses, in underwater pens accessed through the floors. A visit to a floating fish farm is usually on the itinerary of organized tours that come through Chau Doc. If traveling independently, ask your hotel for assistance.

Built at the beginning of the 19th century, the Forbidden Purple City, inside the Imperial City, was almost entirely destroyed during the Vietnam War; now it's slowly being restored to its former glory. The preserved open corridors, which were used to connect the main palaces in the Forbidden Purple City together, are ornately adorned with lavish red and gold paint. Paintings and photographs about Nguyen Dynasty and old Hue are also exhibited in these open corridors.

In its glory days the Forbidden Purple City housed members of the Imperial family and the concubines and eunuchs who served them. Anyone else who entered was executed. After the 1968 Tet Offensive, only the Royal Theater on the right-hand side and the intimate and restored Royal Library remained intact.

French veterans organized the construction of the small, rather forlorn-looking French War Memorial, which stands across the road from the command bunker. It commemorates the 3,000 French troops buried under the rice paddies.

One of Vung Tau's more quirky sights, Front Beach Park, sometimes called Statue Park, has a children's playground, fitness stations, walking trails, and an extensive collection of statues, including some that are quite racy for conservative Vietnam.

A H'mong festival where members of the mountain communities ask for happiness and longevity, Gau Tao is celebrated early in the lunar year, around Tet holiday in most households. Following a blessing by a H'mong holy man, the festival is marked by a series of lively traditional games and competitions. The Gau To festival is not held by the village but in households, and lasts for three to five days every year.

One of the oldest pagodas in Ho Chi Minh City, Giac Lam Pagoda was built in 1744 in the jungle outside of the city of Gia Dinh. Outside the walls of the pagoda now lies the urban sprawl of Ho Chi Minh City. Inside, however, are peaceful gardens containing a bodhi tree imported from Sri Lanka in 1953, a seven-story stupa, and the pagoda itself. Prayers are held every evening at 6 pm.