8 Best Places to Visit in Vietnam for the First-Time

Located at the southeastern tip of the South Central Peninsula in Southeast Asia, Vietnam is surrounded by the sea on three sides, offering rich seafood resources and stunning natural scenery. So, where to visit in Vietnam for the first time? We especially selected the 8 best places for your Vietnam tour, which will help you explore the country's highlights and enjoy an authentic travel experience.

Top Places in Vietnam

Hanoi

Hanoi is located in the middle of the Red River Plain and is the capital of Vietnam. Hanoi is a major tourist city in Vietnam, known as the "Spring City of Flowers", with evergreen trees and flowers blooming all year round.

When you visit Hanoi, it is recommended that you take a rickshaw tour of Hanoi's bustling Old Quarter. You will see traditional Vietnamese architecture and experience the most authentic folk culture.

Besides, Hanoi has some of Vietnam's most famous sightseeing spots, including the Imperial City of Thang Long. The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, a nearly 1,000-year-old ancient imperial city in Hanoi, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010. The distinctive 40-meter-tall Imperial Citadel, erected in the 11th century under the Li Dynasty, is divided into two parts: the inner and outer citadels, and is a symbol of the independence of the "Dai Viet."

Another notable site in Hanoi is Hoan Kiem Lake. Located in the middle of Hanoi, the lake is 700 meters long and 200 meters wide from east to west, with the Ngoc Son Temple and the Turtle Pagoda in the center of the lake.

Hanoi Old Quarter

Halong Bay

Located in the northeast of Vietnam, Halong Bay is a typical limestone karst bay, famous for its magnificent scenery and beauty. It has over 1,600 islands of all sizes scattered throughout the bay, and cruise trips are a specialty of the area, allowing visitors to explore these varied islands and bay scenery by boat. Don't miss the sunrise and sunset, where the sun shines on the sea, the water sparkles, and the view from the boat to the distance is beautiful.

Amongst the many islands, Paradise Island and Cat Ba Island are really amazing.

Paradise Island is located in the south of Halong Bay and is covered in dense vegetation. The highest peak of the island is topped by an octagonal pavilion with a panoramic view of Halong Bay, making it the best place to see the sea, the island and the scenery.

Also known as Borneo Bay Island, Cat Ba Island is the largest island in the Halong Bay area. There is a large area of endless primeval forest on the island, where many precious trees grow and many kinds of rare birds and animals breed and inhabit. The dense vegetation makes this area feel like a natural oxygen bar, where visitors can breathe the freshest air away from the city's industrial fumes, see wildlife up close and experience nature for themselves in a huge natural flora and fauna garden.

Halong Bay

Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam and one of its five central municipalities and it is the largest port in southern Vietnam and the city is named in honor of Ho Chi Minh, who is the country's founding leader.

Ho Chi Minh City's Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks of the city. Because of the red bricks used to construct the church, it is also known as the Red Church. The cathedral is a classic Gothic-style structure, built after Notre Dame's bell tower in Paris. The church's outer walls and pillars are ornately carved, and the two towers are 40 meters high and rise into the sky.

The Ho Chi Minh City Central Post Office, which has been in operation for almost a century, is located near the Notre Dame Cathedral and is a mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles, and the inside of the post office hall is lavishly ornamented with a classical dome. The post office has two huge maps, one showing the crisscrossing telegraph lines of Vietnam and Cambodia, and the other showing the map of the Saigon area in 1892. To this day, this post office is still functioning normally, and it is a good choice for aluminum doors to buy their favorite postcards, whether for souvenirs or to send them to friends and relatives to express their wishes.

Ho Chi Minh City at Night

Hoi An

Hoi An is a historical city located in central Vietnam. The ancient city of Hoi An was recognized as a cultural heritage by UNESCO in 1999 because of its centuries-old architectural heritage, and is one of the four "World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites" of Vietnam and a famous tourist attraction in central Vietnam.

Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An was historically one of Vietnam's most affluent ports, with Chinese, Japanese, and South Asian merchant ships frequenting the port for commercial exchanges. As a result, many historic buildings and streets have been maintained intact, combining Chinese and Japanese architectural styles, as well as French classical structures and courtyard buildings, which are lovely in look, line, and aesthetic value.

The Japanese Corridor Bridge is the most well-known of these structures, a stone bridge with a roof in Japanese design. The construction of the stone bridge began in 1593, the year of the monkey, and was finished in 1595, the year of the dog, so both ends of the bridge are beautifully carved with statues of monkeys and dogs respectively. Walking in the ancient streets of Hoi An, visitors can not only experience the beauty of the ancient and elegant city, but also its profound tradition.

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Da Nang

Da Nang of Ba Na Hills is located in central Vietnam and is a famous tourist city in Vietnam. In the mountains of Da Nang, there is a golden bridge raised by a pair of big hands in the middle of the sky at an altitude of 1400 meters. This mountain is called Ba Na Hills. This bridge's name is Da Nang Golden Bridge. With a huge forest, Ba Na Hills near Da Nang is one of the top three summer resorts in Vietnam. Because it was found and built by the French, the castle at the top of the hill has a distinct French flavor. Walking through the beautifully designed and bright castle, you feel like you are in a genuine rendition of a lovely fairy tale realm.

Golden Bridge in Ba Na Hills

Furthermore, Mount Ba Na's cable car system holds the world record for the longest single line, with a cable car length of 5,801 meters, and you may ride the cable car from the bottom of the mountain to the summit of the mountain. If you are interested, you can take a ride on the Mount Ba Na cable car and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Ba Na Hills.

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Hue

Located in central Vietnam, Bac Ngoc Hue, known as Phuchun in ancient times, is the capital of three dynasties of Vietnam and is famous for its historical monuments, and the Hue Imperial City (The Citadel) is listed on the United Nations World Heritage List. It is dotted with many famous monuments, and Hue Imperial City is one of them.

Built in 1802, the Hue Imperial City was basically modeled after Beijing and the Forbidden City. The ancient Vietnamese dynasty chose Hue as its capital and built it for a century and a half, leaving a rich legacy of ancient architecture. It includes a large number of magnificent and extremely luxurious palaces, tombs, fortresses, walls, temples and other important ancient buildings. The ancient people used their great wisdom to build this city, leaving behind a valuable material and cultural heritage for the ancient city. Hue Imperial City (The Citadel) is the largest and most complete surviving ancient architectural complex in Vietnam, representing the highest achievement of ancient Vietnamese architecture.

Hue Imperial City

Can Tho

Can Tho is located in central Vietnam and is known as the "rice warehouse of Vietnam," which is famous for its fertile land and bustling fish market. There is a well-known fish market here, Cai Rang Floating Market.

It is recommended to leave in the morning to avoid the midday heat and crowded tourists and to enjoy the beautiful sunrise and the most lively water market. Every day before dawn, villagers living in short houses along the river load their boats with fresh fruits and vegetables and row them to the market. You can rent a paddle boat near the market and kick off your exploration on the water. You'll see boats full of various fruits and vegetables, such as durian, mangoes, bananas, mangosteen, coconuts, and more, and the vendors will hawk you from time to time. The water market is mainly wholesale, so the prices are unexpectedly affordable. Nowadays, this market is still full of original charm and charm and attracts many tourists every year.

Cai Rang Floating Market

Nha Trang

Nha Trang is a beach resort in central Vietnam. The beaches here run for kilometers, the sand is white and fine, and Nha Trang Bay is one of the world's most stunning bays. Nha Trang is also a world-renowned diving destination, with 25 dive sites in the vicinity, where visibility averages 15 meters and reaches 30 meters at its peak, and where there are numerous underwater caverns and a wide diversity of coral under the sea worth investigating.

In addition to the beautiful sea scenery and exciting water sports, the famous Ryusan-ji Temple is one of the famous attractions. The temple was built in the late 19th century, and there are still many monks practicing in it today. The temple's most notable feature is the giant white Buddha, which can be viewed everywhere in Nha Trang. The Buddha sits on a lotus flower, benevolently looking down on all beings, as though thanking the people here.

Nha Trang

Vietnam is blessed with magnificent mountains and many places of interest. If you are planning your first Vietnam tour, but don't know how to start, please don't hesitate to contact us, just simply tell us your interests and needs, and one of our travel experts will create a tailor-made itinerary for you within 24hrs.