Everything you need to know about Vietnam, sorted by topic, from Hanoi and Ha Long to Hoi An and Phu Quoc.
Day trips from Hanoi ranked by what they actually give you: which are worth the travel time, which need an overnight instead, and the ones nobody mentions that are better than the famous options.
Vietnam runs three climates at once, so there is no single best month. Here is what the north, centre and south are actually doing through the year, and how to build a route that follows the good weather instead of fighting it.
North or south Vietnam: how the two halves actually differ in food, climate, pace and cost, which suits which traveller, and how to choose if you only have time for one.
Getting online in Vietnam: physical SIM versus eSIM, where to buy without paying the airport premium, why you need data more than you think, and what actually works in the mountains.
How Vietnam's entry system actually works: the official e-visa portal, who gets visa-free entry and who does not, passport validity, and the mistakes that get people turned away at the gate.
Planning your first trip to Vietnam? Here is when to go, how to route north to south, the visa in plain English, how to get around, and the rookie mistakes to skip.
The War Remnants Museum and Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City: what each actually covers, a content warning on the more difficult exhibits, and how to approach a heavy but important part of Vietnam's history respectfully.
The Tam Coc boat tour in Ninh Binh, often called Ha Long Bay on land: rowing beneath limestone karsts and through cave tunnels, the local rowers who steer with their feet, and when to go for green or golden rice fields.
Cat Ba Island: the largest island near Ha Long Bay, with a national park, sheer limestone karsts for climbing, and Lan Ha Bay on its doorstep. What to do there, its beaches and treks, and how it compares to a straight Ha Long Bay cruise.
Da Nang after dark: the Dragon Bridge fire show, riverside rooftop bars, the beach pubs along My Khe Beach, and a late-night food scene on the central Vietnam coast.
A guide to Hanoi after dark: Ta Hien beer street, hidden speakeasy bars, craft beer and live jazz, what a night out costs, and how to stay safe in the Old Quarter.
The best places to eat in Hoi An: cao lau, white rose dumplings, legendary banh mi, riverside restaurants and a one day tasting route through one of Vietnam's best food towns.
A Mui Ne guide built around the trade-off that defines the town: the wind that makes it Vietnam's kitesurfing capital is the same wind that roughens the sea for swimming. The red and white dunes, the Fairy Stream, the fishing village and how to plan around the wind.
A guide to nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City: skyline rooftop bars, the backpacker chaos of Bui Vien, the calmer bars of Thao Dien, and what a night out actually costs.
A personal guide to Con Dao, Vietnam's remote turtle-nesting islands: how to get there by flight or ferry, the best empty beaches, diving, prison history and booking a night on Bay Canh.
Da Lat, the highland town where Vietnam goes to be cold: what the French hill-station legacy left behind, the waterfalls and canyoning, the coffee and the flowers, and why it divides visitors.
Day trips from Hanoi ranked by what they actually give you: which are worth the travel time, which need an overnight instead, and the ones nobody mentions that are better than the famous options.
Ho Chi Minh City for first-timers: how the districts fit together, what to see beyond the war museums, where the food actually is, and how to handle the traffic without losing your nerve.
Getting clothes made in Hoi An without regretting it: how many days you actually need, choosing a tailor, what fabrics really cost, and the fittings process that decides whether it fits.
Hue, Vietnam's imperial capital: what survives inside the Citadel and what does not, which royal tombs are worth your time, the food the city guards jealously, and how to ride the Hai Van Pass.
Nha Trang for travellers, not package tourists: the city beach, the islands and diving, the Cham towers and mud baths, and an honest read on whether it belongs in your itinerary at all.
Ninh Binh, the inland version of Ha Long Bay: which boat route to take, why Trang An beats Tam Coc for most people, the viewpoint climbs, and whether to day trip or stay the night.
A complete Da Nang guide: the long city beaches, the famous Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hills, the Marble Mountains, where to stay, and how to use Vietnam most liveable city as a base.
The complete Hoi An guide: the lantern-lit Ancient Town, getting clothes tailor-made, the best beaches nearby, when to go, and how to make the most of Vietnam's prettiest town.
A first-timer guide to Hanoi: how to explore the Old Quarter, the street food to hunt down, the lakes and temples worth your time, and how to get around the chaos.
The War Remnants Museum and Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City: what each actually covers, a content warning on the more difficult exhibits, and how to approach a heavy but important part of Vietnam's history respectfully.
The Tam Coc boat tour in Ninh Binh, often called Ha Long Bay on land: rowing beneath limestone karsts and through cave tunnels, the local rowers who steer with their feet, and when to go for green or golden rice fields.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park: a UNESCO World Heritage site with some of the largest cave systems on earth, from an easy river boat ride to a multi-day expedition into Son Doong, plus how to get there from Hue or Dong Hoi.
Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge, honestly: what the place actually is, how to get the photograph without the crowd, whether it is worth a day, and who should skip it entirely.
The Cu Chi tunnels, what the visit actually involves: which of the two sites to choose, how narrow the crawl really is, the shooting range question, and how to handle a site that is also a memorial.
The Ha Giang Loop honestly: ride it yourself or take an easy rider, how many days it really needs, the licence and insurance question nobody wants to answer, and when the mountain weather makes it miserable.
Getting clothes made in Hoi An without regretting it: how many days you actually need, choosing a tailor, what fabrics really cost, and the fittings process that decides whether it fits.
Hue, Vietnam's imperial capital: what survives inside the Citadel and what does not, which royal tombs are worth your time, the food the city guards jealously, and how to ride the Hai Van Pass.
Mekong Delta day trip or overnight? What each option actually gives you, which towns are worth the extra night, the floating markets and how early you need to be, and how to avoid the coach-park version.
Riding the Hai Van Pass: ride yourself or take an easy rider, how the luggage transfer works, what the road is actually like, and the insurance clause that decides whether you should do it at all.
The best places to eat in Hoi An: cao lau, white rose dumplings, legendary banh mi, riverside restaurants and a one day tasting route through one of Vietnam's best food towns.
How banh mi and pho change as you travel Vietnam: the northern and southern versions of the soup, what goes in a sandwich where, and how to spot the places doing it properly.
What to eat in Hanoi and how to find it: the dishes the city actually specialises in, how the plastic-stool places work, what a meal costs, and how to eat well without getting ill.
Vietnamese coffee explained: why it tastes like that, the phin filter, egg coffee and coconut coffee, how to order without guessing, and how the coffee changes as you travel the country.
Eating vegetarian and vegan in Vietnam: the Buddhist com chay tradition, the fish sauce and broth traps, the phrases that actually work, and which regions make it easiest.
The Vietnamese food guide: pho, banh mi, bun cha, the coffee obsession, and how the north, centre and south each eat differently, plus how to order like you know the ropes.
Da Nang after dark: the Dragon Bridge fire show, riverside rooftop bars, the beach pubs along My Khe Beach, and a late-night food scene on the central Vietnam coast.
A guide to Hanoi after dark: Ta Hien beer street, hidden speakeasy bars, craft beer and live jazz, what a night out costs, and how to stay safe in the Old Quarter.
A guide to nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City: skyline rooftop bars, the backpacker chaos of Bui Vien, the calmer bars of Thao Dien, and what a night out actually costs.
Nightlife in Vietnam city by city: the pavement beer corners, the rooftop bars, the backpacker strips and the local bia hoi tradition, plus how late things actually run.
Cat Ba Island: the largest island near Ha Long Bay, with a national park, sheer limestone karsts for climbing, and Lan Ha Bay on its doorstep. What to do there, its beaches and treks, and how it compares to a straight Ha Long Bay cruise.
A Mui Ne guide built around the trade-off that defines the town: the wind that makes it Vietnam's kitesurfing capital is the same wind that roughens the sea for swimming. The red and white dunes, the Fairy Stream, the fishing village and how to plan around the wind.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park: a UNESCO World Heritage site with some of the largest cave systems on earth, from an easy river boat ride to a multi-day expedition into Son Doong, plus how to get there from Hue or Dong Hoi.
A personal guide to Con Dao, Vietnam's remote turtle-nesting islands: how to get there by flight or ferry, the best empty beaches, diving, prison history and booking a night on Bay Canh.
Mekong Delta day trip or overnight? What each option actually gives you, which towns are worth the extra night, the floating markets and how early you need to be, and how to avoid the coach-park version.
Nha Trang for travellers, not package tourists: the city beach, the islands and diving, the Cham towers and mud baths, and an honest read on whether it belongs in your itinerary at all.
Ninh Binh, the inland version of Ha Long Bay: which boat route to take, why Trang An beats Tam Coc for most people, the viewpoint climbs, and whether to day trip or stay the night.
Phu Quoc honestly: which beaches are still worth it after the building boom, the north versus south divide, when the sea is calm, and whether the island suits the trip you are planning.
How to choose a Ha Long Bay cruise: day trip or overnight, the quieter Lan Ha Bay, what to look for when booking, when to go, and how to see the famous karsts without the crowds.
How to trek Sapa: the famous rice terraces, staying in a village homestay, meeting the ethnic-minority communities, when to go, and how to plan an unforgettable few days in the mountains.
Where to stay in Hanoi: the Old Quarter versus the French Quarter versus the lake districts, which streets are too loud to sleep on, and how to pick a base that suits how you actually travel.
Where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City: District 1 versus District 3 versus Thao Dien, why the backpacker street is louder than you think, and how to pick a base in a city this spread out.
Where to stay in Hoi An: old town versus An Bang beach versus the rice fields between them, why the free bicycle matters, and how to pick a base that fits how you want to spend the days.
Phu Quoc honestly: which beaches are still worth it after the building boom, the north versus south divide, when the sea is calm, and whether the island suits the trip you are planning.
The Ha Giang Loop honestly: ride it yourself or take an easy rider, how many days it really needs, the licence and insurance question nobody wants to answer, and when the mountain weather makes it miserable.
How to travel the length of Vietnam: when to fly instead of taking the sleeper bus, what the trains are really like, how the bus classes differ, and the motorbike question answered honestly.
Riding the Hai Van Pass: ride yourself or take an easy rider, how the luggage transfer works, what the road is actually like, and the insurance clause that decides whether you should do it at all.
Vietnam's trains explained: the four classes, which berth to book, the coastal stretch that beats every other journey in the country, and when the train genuinely beats flying.
What Vietnam actually costs: where the money goes, the three budget tiers explained honestly, why cash still matters, and the handful of expenses that quietly double a trip.
Vietnam's emergency numbers and how to actually get help: 113, 114 and 115, why English is not guaranteed on the line, when a taxi beats an ambulance, and what to arrange before you travel.
The scams that actually happen in Vietnam, and the ones that do not: taxi meters, the note switch, motorbike deposit disputes, tailor upsells, and how to avoid all of them without becoming paranoid.
Travel insurance for Vietnam, read properly: the motorbike clause that voids most claims, why evacuation cover matters in the mountains, and the exclusions worth checking before you buy.
How Vietnam's entry system actually works: the official e-visa portal, who gets visa-free entry and who does not, passport validity, and the mistakes that get people turned away at the gate.
Ten days in Vietnam without wasting three of them in transit: the two routes that actually work, what to sacrifice, and why trying to do the whole country in ten days is the classic mistake.
Two weeks in Vietnam, planned properly: the classic north-to-south route day by day, what to cut when you are short, and the three versions that suit different travellers.
North or south Vietnam: how the two halves actually differ in food, climate, pace and cost, which suits which traveller, and how to choose if you only have time for one.
A ready-made 14-day Vietnam itinerary from north to south: Hanoi, an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise, Hoi An and Da Nang, then Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, day by day.
The site has 51 guides covering all of Vietnam: Hanoi and the north, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An and central Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong delta, the beaches of Da Nang and Phu Quoc, food and practical info. All are updated regularly.
Start with the general planning guide and "when to visit Vietnam", then decide whether to travel north to south or the other way, and move on to the city guides and a ready-made itinerary that fits your number of days.
Vietnam is long and each region has its own character: the north (Hanoi, Ha Long, Sapa) is mountainous and cooler, the centre (Hoi An, Hue) is rich in history and beaches, and the south (Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong) is tropical and lively. A classic trip crosses the country end to end.
Yes. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are easy to find everywhere (Buddhist cooking is rich in tofu and vegetables), but it is worth asking for no fish sauce (nuoc mam) if you avoid it. Tropical fruit and fresh seafood are everywhere too.