25 Best Sights in Vietnam

With English commentary on the propagandistic and occasionally bizarre exhibits, this museum is a must-see on the Uncle Ho circuit. A collection of manifestos, military orders, correspondence, and photographs from the Communist Party's early days to the present are mixed with historical exhibits covering Vietnam's revolutionary history, the fight against fascism, Ho's revolutionary world movement, and Vietnam's struggle against imperialism.

The elaborate network of paths of the Ho Chi Minh Trail was used by North Vietnam to transport supplies to Vietcong strongholds in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum (Bao Tang Duong Mon Ho Chi Minh) provides color on the trail, one of the war's most riveting symbols of dedication and perseverance. Renovated in 2017, the museum is decidedly more modern. Displays are heavy on photojournalism from the period. There's also an extensive collection of captured American ordnance and military equipment as well as personal artifacts such as helmets, IDs, and uniforms. This museum lies some distance outside of Hanoi's Old Quarter and can be hard to find, so it's best if you hire a taxi or car and driver.

Originally built by French colonizers to house Vietnamese political prisoners, Hoa Lo prison later held American prisoners of war and was called the "Hanoi Hilton," a name given in sarcasm because the conditions were actually miserable. In the 1990s more than half of the prison was demolished; the gatehouse was converted into a museum that highlights the cruelty of the occupying French but whitewashes prisoner treatment during the American War, as the Vietnam War is known locally.

Around 15 million tons of U.S. munition were dropped over Vietnam between 1965 and 1975 and at least 10% of those failed to detonate. Since 1975, this unexploded ordnance have been the cause of more than 100,000 injuries and fatalities, a large percentage of these victims were children. With the U.S. focus on defending the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separated the two countries, Quang Tri Province was the most heavily bombed—more than 72 million square meters of land have been mapped as hazardous. The Mine Action Visitor Center in Dong Ha is a joint venture between the international NGO–operated Project RENEW and the Department of Foreign Affairs, providing visitors with constantly updated information on the devastation caused, as well as heart-warming stories of recovery and survival. Unlike many of military sites along the DMZ, the center provides expert English speaking guides, which makes it an absolute must on any DMZ itinerary, especially if you have chosen to go without a guide.

This museum is in two parts that straddle Trang Tien Street. The handsome Indochinese building on the south side of the road was opened in 1932 by the French and has served in its present capacity since 1958. The ground floor houses treasures from early history, particularly Vietnam's Bronze Age. Of special interest are the Dong Son bronze drums, vestiges of this period some 3,000 years ago that have become enduring national Vietnamese symbols. Tools from the Paleolithic Age are on display, as are ceramics from the Ly and Tran dynasties. Painstakingly elaborate but somewhat corny dioramas depict various Vietnamese victories over hostile invaders. Upstairs, exhibits focus on more recent Vietnamese history. Standouts include 18th- to 20th-century bronze bells and khanh gongs (crescent-shape, decorative gongs); Nguyen-dynasty lacquered thrones, altars, and "parallel sentence" boards (Chinese calligraphy on lacquered wood carved into shapes of cucumbers, melons, and banana leaves); and an entire wing devoted to 7th- to 13th-century Champa stone carvings.

The less striking building north of Trang Tien Street ( 261 Tran Quang Khai) was formerly the Museum of the Revolution, but is in the process of being absorbed by the history museum to create one comprehensive complex. This second part covers the history from the French invasion up until the today with a specific focus on events in Vietnam's arduous road to independence. The exhibits naturally land on the country's efforts against French colonialism, Japanese fascism, and American imperialism. The photographs and video footage from the 1945 August Revolution are particularly interesting. Displays across both buildings provide explanatory text in English, but it's also possible to arrange museum guides in advance. Note that the museum takes a long lunch break from noon to 1:30 pm and that you will need several hours to cover both parts.

This interesting museum is dedicated to the life and work of Alexandre Yersin (1863--1943), a French-Swiss physician and bacteriologist who discovered the bacillus of the bubonic plague and introduced rubber trees to Vietnam so quinine could be used to treat malaria. Yersin settled in Nha Trang and founded the Institut Pasteur here, in Hanoi, and Da Lat, plus the Faculty of Medicine in Hanoi. The air-conditioned museum is very informative (signs are in English and French) and is well worth the visit to learn more about Yersin's many accomplishments.

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).

This vast and relatively modern museum has interesting and impressive exhibits that explore the themes (with signs in English and Vietnamese) of Con Dao's natural environment and people, the island's history as a prison island, and Con Dao today. The displays provide some insights into the island's history and its role in Vietnam's long struggle for independence.

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.

In the heart of the city, a huge shuttered French villa with creaky wooden staircases, musty corners, and occasionally rotating ceiling fans houses this museum—an underrated gem of a building that rivals the Opera House in classic design. Although it attempts to cover all of the history, geography, archaeology, agriculture, and wildlife of the region (the stuffed owl with a rodent in its claws is rather macabre), the museum's main focus is on Vietnam's struggle for independence from various forces. 

These two museums are located in the same complex, a few kilometers outside of the city. Although neither compare with their larger contemporaries, the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi or the War Remnants Museum in HCMC, a visit here is a great way to learn about the anti-French and anti-American wars and the weaponry utilized, from a purely Vietnamese mindset. The smaller of the two, the Ho Chi Minh Museum has a small replica of Ho Chi Minh's home in Hanoi and three display rooms documenting the life and career of the nation's hero. Information is sparse, but the photo display is worth a look, even if it's just to get a glimpse of a prewar Vietnam. Adjacent is the military museum courtyard where you can amble around a huge collection of aircraft, tanks, cannons, and armored vehicles confiscated from the enemy by the Vietnamese Fifth Division. Inside, 12 showrooms house a collection of photos, weapons, and artifacts representing the struggle and victory of the Vietnamese, including the very slippers Special Task Force member Phan Thi Mua used to smuggle enough dynamite powder to blow up the U.S. Fuel Depot in Danang in 1972.

Completed in 1890, the building has been the residence for the French governor of Cochin China, the Japanese governor during Vietnam's brief Japanese occupation, and the envoy of Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam, and also served as the Supreme Court. Since 1975, it's been a museum (formerly known as the Museum of the Revolution) with a strong focus on the Vietnamese struggle against the French and Americans. Displays focus on famous marches, military battles, and anti-French and anti-American activists. Exhibits include photos of historical events, uprisings, student demonstrations, and the self-immolation of the monk Thich Quang Duc as a protest against the war. The building itself is as interesting as many of the exhibits inside: a neoclassic design, it has huge columns outside and 19th-century ballrooms with lofty ceilings inside. Beneath the building are concrete bunkers and tunnels connecting to the Reunification Palace. It was here that President Ngo Dinh Diem (1901–63) and his notorious brother Ngo Dinh Nhu hid before being caught and eventually executed in 1963. Outside on the grounds are Soviet tanks, an American helicopter, and antiaircraft guns.

This example of early French-colonial architecture in Vietnam, nicknamed the Dragon House (Nha Rong), could be considered more interesting than most of the displays within. Sitting quayside on Ben Nghe Channel, at far end of Ham Nghi, it was constructed in 1863 as the original French customshouse; any individuals coming to colonial Saigon would have had to pass through the building once they docked at the port. Ho Chi Minh (1890–1969), who was known as Nguyen Sinh Cung as a child, Nguyen Tat Thanh as a schoolboy, and later Nguyen Ai Quoc as well as other aliases, passed through here in 1911 on the way to his 30-year sojourn around Europe and America. Inside are some of his personal belongings, including his journals, fragments of his clothing, and his rubber sandals. Uncle Ho, as he's now affectionately known, was an ascetic type of guy, known for wearing sandals made only from tires; these are now scattered in museums around the country.

This riverfront museum chronicles the life of Ho Chi Minh from his humble beginnings to his death in 1969. Some exhibits relate to the history of Phan Thiet. The museum was built in 1986 on the site of Ho Chi Minh's former home, when he was a teacher at Duc Thang School across the road.

The reason to visit this museum is to see the beautiful wooden structure that houses the antiques, rather than the displays themselves. Built in 1845, the grand panel house is an architectural wonder, with walls inscribed with Emperor Thieu Tri's poetry and ceilings festooned with beautiful carvings. Inside there are miscellaneous royal knickknacks, such as wooden incense boxes, many inlaid with mother-of-pearl, plus statues, old weapons, and jewelry. Unfortunately, the whole experience is let down by lackluster guides and limited information available.

In a stucco French colonial-Khmer temple style building originally built in 1938 as a school to teach French, Khmer, and Vietnamese, the museum's small collection of cultural artifacts includes Khmer statues, clothing, antique pots, instruments, and two long, colorful racing boats.

This small museum—housed in just one large room—provides a small insight into Hoi An's history and culture. On display are ancient bowls, cups, and other ceramics, many of them archaeological artifacts dating back to the Cham. A collection of traditional Chinese objects includes pagoda bells and the "watchful eyes" placed above doorways for protection. Information is scant, so you are likely to leave underwhelmed and none the wiser, but the old black-and-white photos of 20th-century Hoi An make for an interesting comparison to the town today. The connecting door to the back of Quang Ong Temple provides a more interesting view.

The ancient Diep Dong Nguyen House has been converted into a small museum dedicated to the history of ceramics in Hoi An. The collection includes ancient wares, some of them recovered from shipwrecks in the surrounding waters, and a large assortment of household objects, such as bowls and vases. Possibly the most interesting thing you'll find here are the maps that date back as far as the 13th century, detailing the various marine trade routes. There are also detailed architectural drawings of the restored town houses, which provide helpful explanations of the different architectural influences throughout the Old Town.

This fascinatingly eclectic museum is in a beautiful colonial building inside the grounds of Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, with various galleries dedicated to different eras. Much of Vietnam's history, and consequently its identity today, has been influenced by outsiders. In ancient times the Khmer and Chinese empires occupied large portions of modern-day Vietnam, and in more recent times the country has been partially or completely occupied by French, Japanese, and American forces. The museum gives a Vietnamese perspective on these events.

As might be expected of a city whose name means "sea defense," much of Haiphong's more intriguing history is documented in the Navy Museum. Here you can see the Bach Dang stakes—the sharp wooden poles driven into the riverbed that impaled Kublai Khan's boats in 1288. A room dedicated to the Vietnam War houses a (presumably deactivated) MK-52 mine pulled from the waters of Haiphong Harbor in 1973, the lighthouse lantern that warned of impending bombing raids, and the antiaircraft gun that brought down a dozen American planes.

About 40 km (25 miles) west of Quy Nhon, the Quang Trung Museum is dedicated to Emperor Quang Trung (1753--92), one of three brothers who led the Tay Son Rebellion, which ended the Le dynasty and united the country for the first time in two centuries. The Vietnamese consider him a national hero and visit here with some reverence. The museum has limited signage in English and given its out-of-the-way location, is for those interested in Vietnamese history or who need a destination to enjoy a drive.

Dedicated to the first president of the unified postwar Vietnam, Ton Duc Thang, this stark museum is of interest mainly to avid historians and political junkies, who will relish the insights it offers into government propaganda in the downstairs section, featuring letters from family members. The museum contains items from Uncle Ton's personal life, such as his spectacles and a rattan trunk, as well as gifts from foreign leaders and replicas of various huts he lived in while fighting the French in the 1940s and '50s. As of writing, the museum is closed for remodeling and is scheduled to reopen to the public at the end of 2024.

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.

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.