Regions & Provinces
North, Central, South — plus the 63 administrative provinces.
91 articles in this section. Most stand on their own.
An Giang: Sam Mountain, Châu Đốc and the Cambodian Border
The Mekong's western frontier — pilgrimage to Bà Chúa Xứ shrine on Sam Mountain, floating villages, Cham Muslim communities, and the land border to Cambodia.
Bắc Kạn
Vietnam's least-populated province and home to Ba Bể Lake — the country's largest natural mountain lake, set in karst forest with Tày-community homestays.
Bạc Liêu: The Cowboy and the Wind Farm
A small southern delta province with a folklore-famous 1930s landowner ('the Bạc Liêu Cowboy'), Vietnam's largest coastal wind farm, and a Khmer Theravada community.
Bắc Ninh
A compact province next door to Hanoi — home to Quan Họ folk song (UNESCO), Đình Bảng communal house, and Samsung's largest factory complex in Vietnam.
Bến Tre: The Coconut Kingdom
Coconut groves everywhere, quiet river homestays, and a softer Mekong delta experience than Mỹ Tho — Bến Tre is the delta's overnight destination of choice.
Bình Định Province
Quy Nhơn — the increasingly popular, quieter beach alternative to Nha Trang. Champa ruins, the Tây Sơn brothers' heritage and a strong food culture.
Bình Dương: Factories, Lacquerware and the HCMC Sprawl
Adjacent to HCMC, Bình Dương is Vietnam's industrial-park heartland — Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese factories at scale, plus a centuries-old lacquerware tradition.
Bình Phước: Cashews and Cambodian Border
Vietnam's cashew-processing heartland, with rainforest at Bù Gia Mập National Park and a long stretch of Cambodian border. Off the standard tourist trail.
Bình Thuận Province
Mũi Né, red and white sand dunes, and a long fishing-village coast — the south-central beach belt closest to Ho Chi Minh City.
Cà Mau: The Southernmost Point of Vietnam
Vietnam's southern tip — Đất Mũi cape, mangrove and peat-swamp national parks, and the deepest delta. A pilgrimage for Vietnamese, off the radar for most foreigners.
Cần Thơ: Capital of the Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta's largest city — 1.5 million people, the famous Cái Răng floating market, and the natural overnight base for any serious delta itinerary.
Cao Bằng
Vietnam's quietest northern frontier province — home to Ban Gioc, the country's biggest waterfall, the cave where Hồ Chí Minh hid in 1941, and a motorbike loop that gets a fraction of Hà Giang's traffic.
Cát Bà Island
The largest island in the Hạ Long archipelago and the practical base for Lan Hạ Bay — the quieter, kayak-friendly half of the karst seascape.
Central Vietnam: Huế, Đà Nẵng, Hội An, and the Long Coast
The narrow waist of the country, with the most beautiful coastline, the former imperial capital, and the UNESCO old town of Hội An.
Côn Đảo: Prison Islands Turned Eco-Sanctuary
An archipelago 230 km off the southern coast — former colonial prison, now home to Vietnam's cleanest beaches, sea turtle nesting, and a single Six Senses resort.
Đà Lạt: The Cool-Climate Hill Town
A French colonial hill station at 1,500 m — perpetually mild weather, pine forests, coffee plantations, and the country's flower- and wine-growing centre.
Đà Nẵng: Beach City of the Central Coast
Vietnam's third-largest city — beaches, the Marble Mountains, the Hải Vân pass, the Golden Bridge, and a clean modern feel.
Đắk Lắk Province
Vietnam's coffee capital — 75% of national output — plus Yok Đôn National Park, Lak Lake homestays, and the changing ethics of elephant tourism.
Đắk Nông Province
UNESCO Global Geopark in the south of the Central Highlands — volcanic landscapes, M'Nông villages, and one of Vietnam's least-visited provinces.
Điện Biên Phủ
The site of the 1954 French defeat that ended a century of colonial rule in Indochina — a remote valley in the far northwest, with battlefields, trenches and a museum.
Đồng Nai: Cát Tiên Rainforest and HCMC's Eastern Industrial Belt
Industrial Biên Hòa is the eastern continuation of HCMC. The real reason to come is Cát Tiên National Park — gibbons, langur, the country's most accessible primary rainforest.
Đồng Tháp: Sarus Cranes and Sa Đéc Flower Village
The least-touristed Mekong province — Tràm Chim cranes, Sa Đéc's centuries-old flower-growing village, and the setting of Marguerite Duras's 'The Lover.'
Gia Lai Province
Central Highlands province built around Pleiku, the Biển Hồ volcanic crater lake, coffee country and the Jarai ethnic minority heartland.
Hà Giang
Vietnam's northernmost province and the country's most cinematic motorbike route — the four-day Hà Giang Loop through Hmong, Tay and Lo Lo villages on the Đồng Văn karst plateau.
Hạ Long Bay
1,600 limestone karst islands rising from the Gulf of Tonkin — the UNESCO-listed seascape that defines northern Vietnam in travel posters.
Hà Tĩnh Province
A quiet, industrial transit province between Vinh and Quảng Bình, with the Đèo Ngang mountain pass and an honest absence of tourists.
Hải Phòng
Vietnam's third-largest city and its biggest port — a French colonial centre most tourists skip, used mainly as the launchpad for Cát Bà island and Hạ Long Bay.
Hanoi Ba Đình District
The political quarter — Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long (UNESCO), the Temple of Literature.
Hanoi Cầu Giấy District
Modern residential and IT-corporate district west of central Hanoi — Indochina Plaza, the Ethnology Museum, growing expat presence.
Hanoi French Quarter
Wide tree-lined boulevards, the Opera House, embassies, the grand Sofitel Metropole — Hanoi's most ordered colonial-era district, just south of the Old Quarter.
Hanoi Long Biên District
Across the Red River from central Hanoi — the iconic 1903 Long Biên Bridge, banana islands, sleepier residential streets, and increasingly hip cafés on the eastern bank.
Hanoi Old Quarter (Phố Cổ)
The 36-streets historic merchant quarter — dense tube houses, street food, lake atmosphere, and where almost every first-time Hanoi visitor stays.
Hanoi Tây Hồ (West Lake)
Hanoi's expat enclave around the city's largest lake — foreign restaurants, lakeside cafés, boutique hotels, and the calmest pace in central Hanoi.
Hanoi: The 1,000-Year-Old Capital
Vietnam's capital — old quarter, lakes, French boulevards, and the cultural and political heart of the country.
Hậu Giang: The Quiet Delta Province
Vietnam's youngest Mekong province, split from Cần Thơ in 2004. Rice, catfish farming, sleepy river towns — and almost no tourist infrastructure.
HCMC Bình Thạnh District
The residential district adjacent to D1 — Landmark 81 (Vietnam's tallest building), good food, mid-priced apartments popular with younger expats.
HCMC District 1 (Quận 1): The Historic Core
Saigon's tourist and business heart — French colonial architecture, Bến Thành market, the Reunification Palace, the Opera House, and where most visitors stay.
Thảo Điền (HCMC District 2 / Thủ Đức City)
The leafy riverside expat enclave east of central HCMC — international schools, Western restaurants, art galleries, and a different rhythm from Saigon proper.
HCMC District 3 (Quận 3): Old Villas and Quiet Streets
Central but calmer than D1 — French colonial villas, leafy boulevards, Tao Đàn park, and some of the city's most established restaurants.
HCMC District 5 (Chợ Lớn): The Chinese Quarter
The 19th-century Chinese-Vietnamese (Hoa) merchant quarter — Bình Tây market, Thiên Hậu temple, Cantonese herbalists, and HCMC's best dim sum.
HCMC District 7 (Phú Mỹ Hưng): The Planned International Suburb
A 600-hectare planned new town in HCMC's south — international schools, Korean and Japanese communities, leafy streets, and Crescent Mall as its centre.
HCMC Gò Vấp District
Working-class residential district northwest of central HCMC — authentic local food, big markets, and the everyday HCMC that 9 million people actually live in.
HCMC Phú Nhuận District
Central residential district between District 1 and the airport — long-established Vietnamese community, decent street food, growing café culture.
HCMC Tân Bình District (Airport Area)
The airport district, with Korean Town along Lê Văn Sỹ and Phạm Văn Hai, large markets, and cheap accommodation for early-flight nights.
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Vietnam's largest city — commercial, cosmopolitan, hot year-round, and full of motorbikes. Still widely called Saigon by locals.
Hội An: The UNESCO Old Town and the Tailoring Capital
A 15th-century trading port preserved almost intact, famous lantern-lit nights, tailor shops on every corner, and a long quiet beach.
Huế: The Imperial Capital
The Nguyễn-dynasty capital from 1802 to 1945 — Citadel, royal tombs, court cuisine, and a quiet city on the Perfume River.
Kiên Giang Province (Beyond Phú Quốc)
Phú Quốc is the headline, but Kiên Giang province also includes Hà Tiên on the Cambodian border, the U Minh Thượng peat-swamp park, and Rạch Giá ferry terminal.
Kon Tum Province
Central Highlands province known for its wooden Catholic churches, Bahnar and Sedang ethnic villages, and an honest, undeveloped highland feel.
Lai Châu Province
The far northwest — Vietnam's most lightly travelled mountain province, with the country's third-highest peak, Hmong and Dao villages and roads that mostly carry locals.
Lạng Sơn
The historic Friendship Pass to China, a border-trade city, and the cool-climate Mẫu Sơn mountains — historically essential, but rarely on a tourist itinerary.
Lào Cai Province
The province that holds Sapa — but also Y Tý's quieter hill country, the Bắc Hà Sunday market, and the main rail crossing into China at Lào Cai city.
Long An: The Mekong Delta's Gateway
The transitional province between HCMC and the Mekong proper — flat rice country, river towns, and a quieter alternative to Tiền Giang for delta access.
Mai Châu
A flat-bottomed valley of Thai stilt-house villages and rice paddies, three hours from Hanoi — the easy-mode introduction to the northwest mountains.
The Mekong Delta: A Travel Hub Page
Twelve provinces, nine river mouths, 17 million people, and the largest rice-growing region in Southeast Asia. How to plan a 2-day, 3-day or 5-day Mekong trip.
Mộc Châu
A cool upland plateau in Sơn La province — tea fields, Vietnam's biggest dairy industry, plum and white-plum-blossom seasons, and a five-hour drive from Hanoi.
Mũi Né
Vietnam's kite-surfing capital, a 10-km resort strip along Nguyễn Đình Chiểu road and the easiest beach escape from Ho Chi Minh City.
Nghệ An Province
Hồ Chí Minh's home province and a national pilgrimage stop, with Pù Mát National Park inland and the busy port city of Vinh on the coast.
Nha Trang: Beach Resort City
Vietnam's biggest beach-resort city — long sandy bay, diving, large Russian and Chinese tourist scene, and Cham towers at Po Nagar.
Ninh Bình
"Hạ Long Bay on land" — limestone karsts, sampan rivers, the country's largest pagoda, and Vietnam's first imperial capital, all an easy two hours south of Hanoi.
Ninh Thuận Province
The driest region in Vietnam — cactus, vineyards, Cham temples, and the quiet beaches of Vĩnh Hy and Bình Tiên.
Northern Vietnam: Red River Delta and the Highlands
Hanoi, Hạ Long Bay, the rice terraces of Sapa and Hà Giang, the limestone karsts of Ninh Bình. The historical and political heart of the country.
Phong Nha Town
The small Vietnamese town that is the launching base for every cave in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng — including Sơn Đoòng, the world's largest.
Phú Quốc: Vietnam's Largest Island
A large tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand — palm-fringed beaches, resort development, fish sauce, and 30-day visa-free entry for everyone.
Phú Yên Province
Quiet beach province made famous to Vietnamese audiences by a 2015 film, with Mũi Điện cape — the easternmost point of mainland Vietnam.
Quảng Bình Province
Home to Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park and Sơn Đoòng, the world's largest cave. The most spectacular and most underrated province in Vietnam.
Quảng Nam Province
The province around Hội An, with the UNESCO-listed Mỹ Sơn Cham temples and the Cù Lao Chàm marine reserve a short boat ride offshore.
Quảng Ngãi Province
Lý Sơn volcanic island, the Mỹ Lai memorial and the quiet Sa Huỳnh coast. A province most travellers skip, undeservedly.
Quảng Ninh Province
The province that holds Hạ Long Bay — but also the quieter Bãi Tử Long, the Yên Tử pilgrimage mountain, the Móng Cái Chinese border, and Vietnam's largest coal belt.
Quảng Trị Province
The Vietnam War's Demilitarized Zone — Vĩnh Mốc tunnels, the Hiền Lương Bridge, Khe Sanh and the Trường Sơn cemetery. A specialist destination.
Sapa: Rice Terraces and Hill-Tribe Trekking
The famous hill town in the northern mountains — terraced rice paddies, H'mông and Dao villages, and Fansipan, Vietnam's highest peak.
Sóc Trăng: Bats, Khmer Pagodas and the Ok Om Bok Festival
Another major Khmer-population province — famous for the Bat Pagoda (genuine fruit bats), the Clay Buddha pagoda, and the autumn Ok Om Bok boat-racing festival.
Southern Vietnam: HCMC, the Mekong Delta, and the Islands
Ho Chi Minh City, the rice-rich Mekong delta, Phú Quốc and Côn Đảo islands, and the hot, flat, year-round-warm south.
Tây Ninh: Cao Đài Holy See and Black Lady Mountain
The mother temple of the syncretic Cao Đài religion, the highest mountain in southern Vietnam, and the Cambodian border — all 90 minutes from HCMC.
Thanh Hóa Province
Vietnam's northern-central transition zone, home to the underrated Pù Luông Nature Reserve and the UNESCO-listed Ho Citadel.
Tiền Giang and Mỹ Tho: The Standard Mekong Day Trip
Mỹ Tho city is the closest Mekong Delta hub to HCMC — 90 minutes by road, with boat tours of the four islands (Phụng, Quy, Long, Tới) and coconut-candy workshops.
Trà Vinh: Khmer Heartland of the Mekong
Vietnam's largest concentration of ethnic Khmer — over 140 Theravada Buddhist pagodas, the Khmer New Year and Ok Om Bok festivals, and a quiet coastal corner.
Tuyên Quang
A quiet northern province best known to Vietnamese as the 'capital of the resistance' — Hồ Chí Minh's 1945 forest headquarters at Tân Trào — plus karst valleys and Tày villages.
Vĩnh Long: Mid-Delta Orchards and Homestays
A mid-Mekong province of small islands and dense orchards. Cái Bè floating market is fading, but riverside homestays among the bonsai growers remain a quiet highlight.
Vũng Tàu: HCMC's Weekend Beach Escape
Two hours from HCMC by hydrofoil or car — a beach city with a 32-metre Christ statue, an offshore petroleum industry, and the closest sand to Saigon.
Where to Stay in Đà Lạt
Central Hoà Bình square for walking, around Xuân Hương Lake for views, Tuyền Lâm Lake for forest retreat — Đà Lạt's accommodation map for the hill town.
Where to Stay in Đà Nẵng
Mỹ Khê beachfront for resort life, An Thượng for café-and-beach combo, Hàn riverside for city centre, Sơn Trà peninsula for luxury seclusion.
Where to Stay in Hạ Long Bay (Cruise or City)
Most visitors sleep on a cruise boat, not in Hạ Long City. Comparing cruise tiers (Bhaya, Heritage Line, Paradise), city hotel options, and Cát Bà island as the alternative.
Where to Stay in Hanoi
Old Quarter for atmosphere, French Quarter for colonial grandeur, Tây Hồ for calm and expat life — a comparison of Hanoi's main accommodation neighbourhoods.
Where to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City
District 1 for tourists, Thảo Điền for expat life, Phú Mỹ Hưng for families with kids, District 3 for calmer central — a clear comparison of HCMC's main accommodation neighbourhoods.
Where to Stay in Hội An
Old Town for atmosphere (no pool), An Bàng Beach for sand and breeze (4 km from the lanterns), Cẩm Thanh for rural countryside — Hội An's three accommodation zones compared.
Where to Stay in Huế
South of the Perfume River for hotels and restaurants, north for the Citadel and old neighbourhoods — Huế's accommodation map is simple and walkable.
Where to Stay in Nha Trang
Trần Phú beachfront for the strip-life, Cam Ranh airport-area for newer luxury resorts, north-of-city An Viên peninsula for quieter beach — Nha Trang's accommodation tiers compared.
Where to Stay in Phú Quốc
Long Beach (Bãi Trường) for the resort strip, Bãi Sao south for postcard beaches, the north for theme parks, JW Marriott Bãi Khem for luxury — Phú Quốc's accommodation zones compared.
Where to Stay in Sapa
Sapa town centre for convenience, Ham Rong area for quieter hillsides, village homestays in Tả Van or Lao Chải for authenticity, Topas Ecolodge for the famous remote retreat.
Yên Bái
Home to Mù Cang Chải's terraced rice mountains — Vietnam's most photographed agricultural landscape — and the link in the Northwest Loop between Sapa and Hanoi.