360 Best Sights in Vietnam

During the daytime Nguyen Hue Walking Street, with its dearth of shade trees, is not very impressive, especially when it's not hosting an exhibition or event. But come evening, it's a charming microcosm of modern Saigon: wandering vendors, canoodling couples, and selfies galore. Ho Chi Minh City's first pedestrian street, which stretches from the People’s Committee Building to Bach Dang Wharf, was a canal in colonial times, and the streets to either side were called Rue Rigault de Genouilly and Rue Charner. Tip: be careful when crossing the road to get to the walking section as the locals still aren't used to the traffic lights.

Because of its downtown location, the 5-km (3-mile) long Nha Trang beach is where the vast majority of visitors gather. The beach itself is free and open to the public, and sun loungers can be rented for around 70,000d. Plenty of amenities are available at the trendy Sailing Club, or you can simply bask in the sun on an open patch of sand and buy snacks from a passing vendor. A fine place to chill and soak up the sun during the day, the cooler hours between 4 pm and sunset are often a sight to behold, as droves of locals arrive to frolic in the milder conditions. Divers and snorkelers won't find much marine life here. To see clown fish, scorpionfish, and moray eels, it is better to organize a dive at the Sailing Club to the protected island of Hon Mun. The beach is not patrolled but authorities do raise red flags when conditions are unsafe. Do not ignore the red flags as the water can become very rough at certain times of the year.

Amenities:

food and drink; showers; toilets.

Best for:

partiers; swimming; walking.

Celebrating the coming of spring, and held in the first lunar month every year, this festival is celebrated by the Red Dao people in the village of Giang Ta Chai. People of the village indulge in a range of ceremonies with the purpose of raising awareness of deforestation. The village leader, also the forest protector, will announce regulations about deforestation that the people have to obey.

Check the tide times before heading to Nhat Beach, which only really exists at low tide. Then it's a smooth clear stretch of white sand, with waves just big enough to make things interesting. At high tide, the pebbles and rocks at the top of the beach rule out walking and swimming. There's not much shade at Nhat Beach, so be sure to cover up if low tide is in the middle of the day. Amenities: none. Best for: sunrise; sunset; swimming; walking.

Completed in 1974, this pagoda at the base of Nho Mountain is considered one of Vung Tau's most beautiful. The serene garden in front of the pagoda represents Buddha achieving the state of Nirvana. The most famous part of the complex, however, is the 39-foot-long Reclining Buddha statue.

Each of these urns within the Imperial Enclosure, weighing approximately 5,000 pounds and cast in 1835, is dedicated to a ruler of the Nguyen dynasty. The central urn, the most elaborately decorated of the nine, features Emperor Gia Long, the founder of this dynasty. Nature motifs cover the urns, including the sun and moon, rivers and mountains, and one or two bullet pocks. Every urn has a name transcribed in traditional Chinese characters.

Just 14 km (9 miles) from either Danang or Hoi An lies Non Nuoc beach, a stunning stretch of white sandy beach overlooking the Son Tra Peninsula to the north and the stately Marble Mountains to the west. Once a popular fishing beach, the area has now become the private playground of some of the finest beach resorts in the area, leaving the surrounding pockets of beach land fenced off for future development. You can see why it's such a sought-after area (it even has international golf courses)—the deserted white sand beaches seem to go on forever and the sea is clean and perfect for swimming during the long dry season that runs from April to September. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: solitude; sunrise; sunset; surfing; swimming; walking.

Starting at Hon Chong beach just north of the Tran Phu Bridge and running 30 km (18 miles) north beyond Nha Trang city are several beautiful beaches that together are commonly referred to as "North Beach." This area mostly draws in college students who attend one of the five nearby universities. The most picturesque stretch of beach can be found past Ninh Hoa City, where shallow waters and powdery sand beckon swimmers and sunbathers alike. A handful of surfers paddle to the point break that whips up decent waves between October and April. Amenities are offered to those who buy food or drinks at neighboring properties such as Paradise Resort or White Sand Doclet Resort. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: surfing, swimming; walking.

Officially known as the Basilica of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, this neo-Romanesque cathedral, built by the French in 1880, was once a prominent presence on the city skyline. Spanish, Portuguese, and French missionaries introduced Catholicism to Vietnam as early as the 16th century and today there are approximately 8 million Catholics in Vietnam, the seventh-largest Christian population in Asia. Sunday mass can be quite a sight, as hundreds of faithful converge on the church and stand in the surrounding square. Some services include short sections in English and French. However, extensive renovations started on the cathedral in 2017, closing it off to tourists until at least 2023.

The former home of the Con Dao Museum, this house now contains somewhat confusing exhibits (signage in Vietnamese and French) outlining the history of Con Son's prisons. Admission is free and the entryway is presided over by a giant bust of Ho Chi Minh. Take time to stroll around the grounds, which have some exotic animals in pens at the rear.

Destroyed by American bombers (but partially rebuilt), this former French penal colony, with its tiny underground cells and dank corridors, leaves a strong impression of life in captivity. The ticket includes entry to the Son La Museum, housed in a moldy colonial mansion overlooking the prison. Downstairs, the museum displays pictures of life in Son La, past and present, and upstairs is a model of a Thai village and an exhibition of ethnic minority clothing. The prison and museum are on the hill in the center of town, next to the People's Committee building. You can purchase an information booklet about the prison in the gift shop for 25,000d.

The French destroyed this temple on their way out in 1954. It was reconstructed by the incoming government and still commemorates the legend of Emperor Ly Thai Tong. It is said that the childless emperor dreamed that Quan Am, the Buddhist goddess of mercy and compassion, seated on a lotus flower, handed him a baby boy. Sure enough, he soon met and married a peasant woman who bore him a male heir, and in 1049 he constructed this monument in appreciation. The distinctive single pillar is meant to represent the stalk of the lotus flower, a sacred Vietnamese symbol of purity. The pillar was originally a single large tree trunk; today it's made of more durable cement. An ornate curved roof covers the tiny 10-square-foot pagoda, which rises out of a square pond. Steps leading to the pagoda from the south side of the pond are usually blocked off, but if there aren't too many people around, a monk may invite you into this miniature prayer room.

Just a few yards from the One-Pillar Pagoda is Dien Huu Pagoda, a delightful but often-overlooked temple enclosing a bonsai-filled courtyard. A tall and colorful gate opens out onto the path leading to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, but the entrance is opposite the steps to the One-Pillar Pagoda.

Many deities are represented at this pagoda, but the main attraction is Ong Bon himself, the guardian of happiness and virtue. Ong Bong is also responsible for wealth, so people bring fake paper money to burn in the pagoda's furnace in his honor, hoping the year ahead will bring financial rewards to their families. The centerpiece of the pagoda is an elaborately carved wood-and-gold altar and a finely crafted statue of Ong Bon. Look for the intricately painted murals of lions, tigers, and dragons.

More of a series of coves than one long beach, Ong Lang is still very pretty, with its rocky outcrops and narrow strips of white sand. Mango Bay Resort, Bo Resort, and Phu Quoc Eco Beach Resort front the beach, so you can follow the signs to these resorts to enjoy wonderful views of the beach from their in-house restaurants. Public access to the beach is slightly tricky as the network of roads in this area aren't named. Head toward Mango Bay Resort and look for the "public beach" signs (in English) just south of the resort. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; sunsets; swimming.

A Khmer temple has stood in this spot since 711 and the beautiful complex, also known as Bodhisalaraja, is now the center of Khmer spiritual life in Tra Vinh. A library with unique wooden features was added in 1916. The monks here are quite friendly and sometimes like to practice speaking English with male tourists.

This picturesque 19th-century Chinese temple is inside the Guangzhou Assembly Hall, which is next to the redeveloped Ninh Kieu Pier waterfront park. Ong Temple is dedicated to Chinese military leader Kuang Kung (known as Quan Cong in Vietnam). Many of the decorative features of the temple, completed in 1896, were imported from China.

A centuries-old Chinese pagoda that underwent a 20th-century renovation, Ong Pagoda, or Phuoc Minh Palace, is an important cultural and spiritual meeting place for Tra Vinh's Chinese community. The interior is shaped like the Chinese character for earth and the exterior represents the character for water, and throughout the pagoda mythical characters abound (some in front of a very pretty patch of artificial lawn). Every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month, this colorful pagoda hosts the Nguyen Tieu Festival, which marks the first full moon of the lunar new year.

On the west side of Lon Mountain is a 25-meter (82-feet) high statue of the Virgin Mary holding aloft a baby Jesus. The statue is part of the Our Lady of Bai Dau (Mulberry Beach) church complex. There's a path that leads from near the statue to the peak of Lon Mountain. At the end of the path are the 14 Stations of the Cross.

Located within the Imperial Enclosure, this richly decorated wooden palace painted gold and red was constructed in 1805. In its imperial glory in the 19th century, it was where the emperor held special events, ceremonies, and semimonthly meetings. This is also where the emperor received dignitaries. Throngs of mandarins paid their respects to his highness while he sat on his elevated throne. Now the palace houses a seating area where an excellent 20-minute audiovisual display gives an in-depth overview of the history and architecture of the citadel.

Considered one of Vietnam's most important Buddhist sites, the Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong) is the largest of a cluster of shrines carved into the limestone of the Huong Tich Mountains. In late spring the trails leading up to the shrines are clogged with thousands making their pilgrimage to pray to Quan Am, the goddess of mercy and compassion.

According to a Vietnamese version of the Chinese legend, Quan Am was a young wife falsely accused of trying to kill her newlywed husband. Thrown out of her mother-in-law's house, she took refuge in a monastery, posing as a monk. A reckless girl one day blamed her pregnancy on the monk, not knowing he was a she. Without a word of self-defense, the vilified monk took the child in and raised him. Only after Quan Am died did villagers discover her silent sacrifice. In the past, pilgrims came to the grottoes to pray for Quan Am's help in bearing sons and in fighting unjust accusations.

From the shores of the Yen River, you are ferried to the site, 4 km (2½ miles) away, on sampans that seem to be made of flimsy aluminum. It's a spectacular ride through the flooded valley, past boats laden with fruit and farmers at work in their fields. You'll be let off at Chua Tien Chu. From there, follow a stone path uphill to the various pagodas and shrines. Three kilometers (2 miles) later you'll reach the Perfume Pagoda. A steep set of stairs takes you inside the impressive cavern, where gilded Buddhas and bodhisattvas sit nestled in rocky recesses. The air is misty from incense and the cooking fires of the Buddhist monks who tend the shrines.

In early spring, from just after Tet to the middle of the second lunar month, thousands of Buddhists make their pilgrimage to the Perfume Pagoda. This is an intense—and sometimes stressful—time to visit as the crowds of Vietnamese faithful clog the Yen River with extra boats and make navigating the slippery stairs more of an exercise in caution than a journey of discovery. The atmosphere at this time of year is positively electric with thousands of Buddhists crowding into the cavern to leave offerings, catch a droplet of water from a holy stalactite, or buy Buddhist trinkets and mementos from the dozens of stall owners. Note that the climb up to the pagoda can be rough going, especially when it's muddy, and that local operators sometimes lead the climb at a very fast pace. Be careful of independent tourist agents—many have been known to take unsuspecting travelers to a smaller pagoda closer to Hanoi and tell them it's the Perfume Pagoda. Also, it's unwise to attempt this trip on your own as you will most likely be overcharged.

The original temple was built in 1785 to honor Phi Yen, one of the 21 wives of Nguyen emperor Gia Long. After the Tay Son rebellion, Gia Long fled to Con Son Island with his family and retainers. From there, he sent emissaries to France to ask for assistance in repressing the uprising. Phi Yen urged him not to deal with the French and was imprisoned for her efforts, suspected of sympathizing with the rebels. As the emperor sailed away from the island, her four-year-old son cried for her, angering his father, who threw him overboard (or so the story goes). A tiger and an ape freed Phi Yen from her prison and she stayed on the island, tending her son's grave, until taking her own life "after an unfortunate encounter with a man". The existing Phi Yen Temple was rebuilt in 1958 so pilgrims could pay tribute to the former queen, revered for her loyalty and honor.

Up until the discovery of Son Doong, the beautiful Phong Nha Cave was the national park's most famous treasure. It’s the park's easiest cave to navigate and there really is no need to visit it with a guide. Buy tickets from the Tourism Center in the village and hop on a dragon boat from the small pier nearby. The boat takes you on a picturesque journey along the Son River right into the giant river cave where you disembark to explore 1,500 meters inside. Here you'll view the most splendid formations, stalagmites, and stalactites, enchantingly lit in a rainbow of colors. The boat to the cave costs about 350,000d, but this can be split among passengers (maximum of 10 passengers). Don't forget to tip your rower.

Con Dao's oldest prison, Phu Hai was built by the French in 1862. It is now a grisly monument to the appalling conditions in the prisons, with mannequins in some of the chambers providing a potent visual representation of the lives of the prisoners. The church inside the prison complex was never used. Guided tours of this and the other prisons on Con Dao can be arranged at the Con Dao Museum next door with one day's notice.

Covering most of the northern part of the island, the Phu Quoc National Park comprises mangroves, forest, and wetlands and supports many plant and animal species. It's an interesting place to explore by motorbike, or you could consider hiring a guide through your hotel that can tailor a trip based on your requirements. The cheaper local tour agents are best avoided or you might have a disappointing experience. The most beautiful parts of the national park are near Ganh Dau Beach in the island's northwest reaches.

Across the seemingly endless Thi Nai bridge (the second-longest sea crossing in Vietnam) is a vast, dusty landscape, which at first seems nothing more than industrial, but take the road south and be rewarded by delightful, traditional fishing villages. The village of Eo Gio is the most accessible, but just like Bai Xep, the "streets" are nothing more than tight, winding alleyways. This peninsula isn't the easiest to find your way around, so unless you're confident on a motorbike, inquire at the hotel first. Enabling Google Maps on your phone will also be helpful.

February and March are the months to join the mass Buddhist pilgrimage to the Perfume Pagoda, but be prepared to deal with serious crowds—many thousands each day—if you make the trip during this peak season. Smaller religious festivals take place at Hanoi's temples and outlying villages in March and April. Because all Vietnamese festivals follow the lunar calendar, check online or with your tour operator for exact dates.

Perched on Cu Lao hillside overlooking the Cai River, the four remaining towers of an original seven or eight are reminiscent of those found at Angkor Wat and offer a glimpse of the Kingdom of Champa, who built the complex in the 8th century to praise their deity. It doesn't look like much from the main road outside, but up close it is a humbling site. The largest tower of the four stretches 75 feet high and contains a statue in honor of Goddess Ponagar, praised for her knowledge of agriculture and civilization. The center tower was built for Cri Cambhu, the god of fertility, and the south tower commemorates the god of success, Ganesh, recognizable by the human body and elephant head. The northwest tower is of the god Shiva. Visitors must cover knees and shoulders to enter the temple. If you happen to be in Nha Trang on the 20th to 23rd day of the third lunar month, you can catch the Po Nagar Festival that takes place near the ancient towers.

These three crumbling towers, relics from the 8th century when the Cham empire ruled this part of Vietnam, are not the best examples of such ruins—the towers in Nha Trang and Hoi An are more extensive and better preserved even though they pale when compared to the magnificence of Angkor Wat in Cambodia—but still worth spending an hour or so exploring. The towers, in front of a working monastery, are about 7 km (4½ miles) east of Phan Thiet on Ong Hoang Hill. Even if ancient history does not appeal, the hilltop where the towers are situated offers possibly the most panoramic view of the city of Phan Thiet and the ocean.