Smart Self-Managed Tours

Country guide

Vietnam

A photograph of Vietnam
Photograph · Jakub Hałun · CC BY 4.0

Vietnam covers 331,344.82 km² and its 2025 population estimate is 102,300,000, held mostly in two river deltas at opposite ends of a long, narrow country: the Red River in the north around Hanoi, the Mekong in the south below Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi is the capital and Ho Chi Minh City the largest city, and the ground between the two is the trip — a coast measured in days rather than hours, usually broken into three or four stops instead of run in one go. Which end a traveller starts from decides the order of everything after it.

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Vietnamese
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+84
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Vietnamese đồng (VND)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
113 police · 114 fire · 115 ambulance
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A and C · 220 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor drinking-water statement was recorded

Planning a visit

  1. January: no seasonality data recorded
  2. February: no seasonality data recorded
  3. March: no seasonality data recorded
  4. April: no seasonality data recorded
  5. May: no seasonality data recorded
  6. June: no seasonality data recorded
  7. July: no seasonality data recorded
  8. August: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded
  10. October: no seasonality data recorded
  11. November: no seasonality data recorded
  12. December: no seasonality data recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Mariamman Temple
    03 30 min

    Mariamman Temple

    Đền Sri Mariamman

    • High
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  2. Giác Lâm Pagoda Giác Lâm Pagoda
    04 30 min

    Giác Lâm Pagoda

    Chùa Giác Lâm

    Giac Lam Pagoda is the oldest major Buddhist pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City and ranks among the most significant temple complexes in southern Vietnam.

    • High
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  3. Al-Noor Mosque
    07 30 min

    Al-Noor Mosque

    Thánh đường Hồi giáo Al-Noor

    • High
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  4. Hoi Khanh Temple
    08 30 min

    Hoi Khanh Temple

    Chùa Hội Khánh

    • High
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  5. An Quang Pagoda
    11 30 min

    An Quang Pagoda

    Chùa Ấn Quang

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  6. Hoằng Pháp Temple
    12 30 min

    Hoằng Pháp Temple

    Chùa Hoằng Pháp

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  7. Hùng King Temple
    13 30 min

    Hùng King Temple

    Đền thờ Vua Hùng

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  8. Thuy Tu Temple
    14 30 min

    Thuy Tu Temple

    Vạn Thủy Tú

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  9. Chùa Hà
    15 30 min

    Chùa Hà

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  10. Kim Lien shrine
    18 30 min

    Kim Lien shrine

    Đền Kim Liên

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  11. Hoang Mai Temple
    19 30 min

    Hoang Mai Temple

    Đình Hoàng Mai

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  12. Nga My Pagoda
    20 30 min

    Nga My Pagoda

    Chùa Nga My

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  13. Sét Pagoda
    21 30 min

    Sét Pagoda

    Chùa Sét

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  14. 11 Animals
    27 1 hour

    11 Animals

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Da Nang
  15. 6 Animals
    29 1 hour

    6 Animals

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Da Nang
  16. acb bank
    30 1 hour

    acb bank

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  17. An Duong Vuong Temple
    35 30 min

    An Duong Vuong Temple

    Đền thờ An Dương Vương

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  18. Anh Linh Miếu
    36 30 min

    Anh Linh Miếu

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  19. An Long Tự
    39 30 min

    An Long Tự

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  20. Annam Gallery
    40 1 hour

    Annam Gallery

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  21. An Phuoc Pagoda
    42 30 min

    An Phuoc Pagoda

    Chùa An Phước

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  22. An Phu Tay Caodai Temple
    43 30 min

    An Phu Tay Caodai Temple

    Thánh thất Cao đài An Phú Tây

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  23. An Son Temple
    44 30 min

    An Son Temple

    An Sơn Miếu

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  24. An Thuong Parish Church
    46 30 min

    An Thuong Parish Church

    Nhà thờ Giáo xứ An Thượng

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Da Nang
  25. Ẩn Trúc Lâm
    47 30 min

    Ẩn Trúc Lâm

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  26. Archbishop's Residence
    48 30 min

    Archbishop's Residence

    Tòa Tổng Giám mục Sài Gòn

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  27. Archiocese of Huế
    51 30 min

    Archiocese of Huế

    Tổng giáo phận Huế

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Da Nang
  28. Army Theater
    52 1 hour

    Army Theater

    Nhà hát Quân đội

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  29. Art Arcade
    53 1 hour

    Art Arcade

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  30. Artbook
    54 1 hour

    Artbook

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Da Nang
  31. Art Gallery
    55 1 hour

    Art Gallery

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Da Nang
  32. Art Vietnam
    57 1 hour

    Art Vietnam

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Hanoi
  33. B3 BT05
    60 30 min

    B3 BT05

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  34. Bac Ai Church
    61 30 min

    Bac Ai Church

    Nhà thờ Bác Ái

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  35. Bac Bien Pagoda
    62 30 min

    Bac Bien Pagoda

    Chùa Bắc Biên

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  36. Bac Nha Tinh Duong
    69 30 min

    Bac Nha Tinh Duong

    Minh Lý Đạo Bác Nhã Tịnh Đường

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  37. Bai Dau Church
    71 30 min

    Bai Dau Church

    Nhà thờ Bãi Dâu

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  38. Ba Kieu Temple
    73 30 min

    Ba Kieu Temple

    Đền Bà Kiệu

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hanoi
  39. Ban Co Evangelical Church
    75 30 min

    Ban Co Evangelical Church

    Nhà thờ Tin Lành Bàn Cờ

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  40. Bà Ngoại
    76 30 min

    Bà Ngoại

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  41. Bảo huệ
    79 30 min

    Bảo huệ

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  42. Bao Long Pagoda
    81 30 min

    Bao Long Pagoda

    Chùa Bảo Long

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  43. Bao Quang Pagoda
    82 30 min

    Bao Quang Pagoda

    Chùa Bảo Quang

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  44. Bao Tich Pagoda
    86 30 min

    Bao Tich Pagoda

    Chùa Bảo Tích

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  45. Ba Ria Cathedral
    87 30 min

    Ba Ria Cathedral

    Nhà thờ Chánh tòa Bà Rịa

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  46. Ba Ria Dominican Order
    88 30 min

    Ba Ria Dominican Order

    Hội dòng Đa Minh Bà Rịa

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  47. Ba Ria Evangelical Church
    89 30 min

    Ba Ria Evangelical Church

    Hội thánh Tin lành - Chi hội Bà Rịa

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  48. Bàu Nhám
    92 1 hour

    Bàu Nhám

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  49. Bàu Nhám
    93 1 hour

    Bàu Nhám

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Ho Chi Minh City
  50. Ben Da Church
    96 30 min

    Ben Da Church

    Nhà thờ Bến Đá

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Ho Chi Minh City

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Vietnam be?

A north-to-south first trip needs about two weeks; with ten days, choose two regions such as Hanoi and the centre or Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. Overnight trains and domestic flights shorten distance but still consume transfer time.

What entry documents are needed for Vietnam?

Apply through Vietnam’s official electronic-visa portal if the passport and trip qualify. Confirm the approved entry point, validity dates and permitted stay before finalising the route, because an authorisation tied to one crossing should not be assumed valid for another.

What is the best way to travel around Vietnam?

Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang are the key gateways for common itineraries. Domestic flights, the north-south railway and coaches connect regions; local systems vary, so use licensed taxis or recognised booking channels and verify the correct station or terminal.

When is a practical time to visit Vietnam?

Vietnam’s north, central coast and south have different wet and dry periods. Choose travel dates around the most weather-sensitive region: central beach conditions, northern mountain visibility and southern rainfall cannot be summarised by one nationwide “best month.”

What money and payment basics apply in Vietnam?

The Vietnamese đồng is the recorded currency, and the high denomination numbers deserve a deliberate check before payment. Cash remains useful for small vendors and local transport; use reputable ATMs or banks and verify each zero on quoted VND prices.

What practical safety details should I save for Vietnam?

Police, fire and ambulance are recorded as 113, 114 and 115; common power is Type A and C at 220 V. Tap-water advice is Not recorded here, so ask locally and keep transport-provider details available for long rail or coach journeys.