14 Best Sights in Vietnam

This museum offers a wonderful look into the cultural identity of Vietnam’s ethnic minority communities. Each placard gives facts about the region, population, and traditions of several minority groups in English, French, and Vietnamese. The museum’s curator, Réhahn, is a professional French photographer who has been snapping portraits of these amazing individuals and collecting their stories and artifacts since 2013. The coffee shop inside sells K’ho coffee, harvested by the K’ho people in the central highlands.

For a grandiose building, the museum is thin on actual artifacts and displays, but worth the quick browse. It has a replica of the French guillotine used by the American-backed South Vietnamese government 1954--60 to execute opposition at the historic prison (next door to the museum), a grisly reminder of Can Tho's history under Ngo Dinh Diem's regime (the original is in the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City).

Ten minutes from the Old Town is Hoi An's main public beach, where clear water and warm surf beckon tourists and locals alike. This 3-km (2-mile) stretch of white, powdery sand makes for a perfect place to bask under the sunshine. Though the area has been developed and resorts have been built along the shores, there are still a few quieter stretches.

The public beach area to the north has retained much of its sand and the beach is clean. It's the perfect spot to escape the sweltering humidity of Old Town during the hottest months. Walking beach vendors can be a problem, heckling people to buy fresh fruit and crafts, but most are easily rebuffed with a firm "no, thank you." Food shacks sell fresh fish, squid, and shellfish, and offer amenities. Bikes can be rented for about 20,000d per day; Jet Skis start at 1,200,000d for half an hour. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); toilets; showers; water sports. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking. If Cua Dai Beach is crowded, walk or bike 3 km (2 miles) north to An Bang beach.

Ho Chi Minh (then known as Nguyen That Thanh) taught here in 1910 as he was making his way down to Saigon, from where he would set sail in 1911 for Paris and other foreign shores. History records him as teaching Chinese, Vietnamese, and physical education. The school and its garden are beautifully tended, and photos and little placards bring a 20-year-old Uncle Ho's few months here to life.

While it may not quite live up to its intriguing name, the highlight of this often-crowded attraction is the miniature Grand Canyon-like cliffs that border the stream; the red and brown layers create a nice backdrop for photos. It takes about 20 minutes to wade sometimes knee deep to a small waterfall that flows. Along the way, enterprising locals have set up make-shift rest stops, serving cool drinks and snacks. Unfortunately, there can sometimes be a fair amount of trash at the start of the stream.

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.

This small memorial between West Lake and Truc Bach Lake marks the capture of one of the Vietnam War's most famous American POWs. On October 26, 1967, Navy lieutenant commander John McCain's jet fighter was shot down, sending him parachuting into Truc Bach Lake. Suffering from badly broken bones and severe beatings, he was imprisoned in the "Hanoi Hilton" and other North Vietnamese prisons for more than five years. He went on to become an Arizona senator and a vocal advocate of reconciliation between the United States and his former captors, and was a presidential candidate in 2008. The underwhelming red-sandstone memorial features a bound and suspended prisoner with his head hanging low and the letters U.S.A.F. (the memorial is incorrectly labeled, as McCain belonged to the navy and not the air force).

At this pagoda, climb the 150-some-odd steps to first reach a large reclining Buddha, then a giant 14-meter-tall white sitting Buddha where you can enjoy a great view of Nha Trang. This site is free to the public—watch out for scammers asking for fake fees, pushy vendors, and pickpockets.

The French destroyed this pagoda 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.

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.

Around 15 minutes from Mui Ne's tourist strip, the Red Sand Dunes provide great sunrise and sunset views—and a backdrop for social media photos. Buses and Jeep-type tours arrive at these times so people can scamper on hot sand for I-could-be-in-the-Sahara photos. If you're after some peace, visit around 4 pm when the weather begins to cool a little but the crowds have hopefully not yet arrived. People rent plastic mats for sliding down the dunes. Mats cost roughly 20,000d for an hour, plus tip.

The imposing square towers of this cathedral rise up from a small square near Hoan Kiem Lake on the edge of the Old Quarter. French missionaries built the cathedral in the late 19th century and celebrated the first Mass here on Christmas Day 1886. It feels as though nothing has changed since then—the liturgy has not been modernized since the cathedral was built. The small but beautiful panes of stained glass were created in Paris in 1906. Also of note is the ornate altar, with its high gilded side walls. The government closed down the cathedral in 1975, but when it reopened 10 years later the number of returning devotees was substantial. Enter the cathedral through a small door on a street to the left.

Built to look like a town taken straight from the Amalfi Coast, Sunset Town must be seen to be believed. It would be incredibly kitschy if the illusion weren't so well done, complete with pastel shop houses of differing heights, cobblestone streets and even a bell tower. There's a small, man-made beach here with free water puppet shows and nightly fireworks. Guests can also stroll the lively night market for cheap eats and street performances. A visit here is best paired with a day trip to Hon Thom Island via the cable car or the nightly Kiss of the Sea show

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.

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.

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.