Things to see and do in Vietnam is...

The beaches of Vietnam are superb. Nha Trang is the perfect combination of a long sandy beach for relaxing days under the palm trees and a town with restaurants and bars to pass the balmy evenings. Boat trips take you out to nearby islands and divers can explore the nearby coral reefs. Alternatively, try Vung Tau, southeast of Ho Chi Minh City for some superb snorkelling around the many offshore islands or head east of Phan Thiet to the sand dunes of Mui Ne, which stretch for miles. Whatever your budget there'll be a resort to suit you. Relax on the white-sand beaches or have a go at many of the water sports on offer.

Cao Dai Temple

Head out to Tay Ninh to view the colourful midday service of the intriguing Cao Dai sect held in a large temple almost Disney-esque in style. The followers wear red, blue and yellow robes and chant to the accompaniment of a traditional orchestra. En route, scramble through the tunnels at Cu Chi, from where the Viet Cong successfully launched attacks against US forces.

Central Highlands

Dalat is as far as most people go into the Central Highlands but head further into the mountains for stunning views and waterfalls. You are assured of a warm welcome in Buon Ma Thuot, a coffee growing region and home to the Montagnards. The Ho Chi Minh trail is easily reached from Kontum.

more: best things to do in vietnam tripadvisor

Cooking lessons

Learn the subtleties of Vietnamese cookery at a class in ancient Hoi An. Submerge into the hustle and bustle of the market to buy provisions before retreating to the calm of the kitchen. The best part of the day – you get to eat what you have helped prepare!

Dalat

To escape the heat of the plains, head for Dalat, a former colonial hill station, reminiscent of a French town, with faded, elegant villas evocative of another era. Colonists from Saigon headed to its cool climes as well as the emperor and his entourage. The romantic lakes and alpine scenery are magnets for Vietnamese honeymooners.

Halong Bay

Sure it is touristy, and if you take a boat trip you'll be among a flotilla of dozens of old converted junks, but Halong Bay still remains one of the most impressive sights in the world. Take the opportunity to borrow a kayak (all boats should do this) and paddle through the limestone karsts dramatically rising up out of the sea. Or spend the night on one of those junks and explore the caves hidden deep in the islands, pass floating villages and at night enjoy a sundowner on the top deck and look out for shooting stars.

Hanoi

Hanoi is a city of contrasts with the wide, leafy boulevards lined by beautiful colonial buildings in the French quarter, the maze of narrow streets of the Old Quarter and the tranquil lakes. Wherever you are, the background noise is the buzzing of the motorbikes that crowd the streets of the capital.

more: top things to do Vietnam

Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City by train

A trip on the Reunification Express is a must. However, the trains between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are certainly not express. It can take between 30 and 40 hours to travel between the two cities so best to do one section only. Popular is the 18-hour journey between Hanoi and Hue.

Hiking

There are hundreds of long distance hiking trails around the country, and a significant infrastructure for visitors wanting guided hiking tours. Head south from Hanoi into Cuc Phuong National Park, a wilderness of forest-covered limestone mountains which rise up from the green rice paddies, home to many rare species and the primate rescue centre. Spend the night with a family from the Muong hill tribe in their traditional stilthouse.

Ho Chi Minh City

Gleaming skyscrapers sit side by side with ramshackle buildings and crumbling colonial houses. Monks pass deluxe car showrooms collecting alms and walk along sun-baked streets crammed with honking motorbikes. The Saigon River is constantly crossed by small boats and ferries weaving through larger boats.

Ho Chi Minh Trail history tour

See some of the Vietnam War sights by walking part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, used as supply routes by the North Vietnamese during the war. You can't fail to be intrigued by the network of tunnels excavated by the Viet Cong from which they launched regular attacks on the US forces. For a taste of life underground scramble through one of the narrow tunnels, specially widened for Western visitors.

Hoi An

Meander the narrow streets with their tiny shop houses, relax in a riverside bar and savour tasty local dishes. This is the place to buy souvenirs, silk items, T-shirts and ceramics. Whatever you do make sure you treat yourself by having clothes made at one of the many tailors.

Hue

The former imperial city of Hue is crammed with wonderful sights. The Imperial Citadel, suffering from the ravages and war and the tropical weather, is slowly being painstakingly renovated; riverside is the Thien Mu pagoda where novice monks peek shyly at the visitors; and the mausoleums of the Emperors, each unique in style.

Meet the locals

The best way to meet the locals is to pull up a low plastic chair in the pavement bar order some beer, order fresh peanuts and quails eggs and chat to the locals. Even with a language barrier, you'll be clinking glasses long into the night.

Mekong Delta

Explore the watery world of the Mekong Delta where channels of the might Mekong Delta crisscross the land and provide a fertile place to grow vast swathes of rice and fruit. Discover riverine towns, floating markets and small riverside industries and spend the night in a homestay with a farming family.

more: vietnam hanoi things to do

Motorbiking

It is becoming increasingly popular to hire a motor bike - invariably a Russian made 125cc Minsk - and ride it from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. Riddled with all sorts of dangers, not least the vast amount of bikes in the cities, it is nevertheless an exhilarating way to see the country.

River markets

The river markets on the Mekong Delta are an unmissable sight. Life here is dominated by the mighty Mekong and much of Vietnam's rice crop is grow, and the floating markets are still an essential part of life in the south. Get up early to experience Can Tho floating market at its best. Dozens of wooden boats, many that have seen better days, carry the freshest fruit and vegetables. Smaller boats weave through them perusing the wares and the morning air is filled with the sound of good-natured haggling over price.

Sapa hill tribes

Sapa's stunning alpine scenery is home to several hill tribe villages where life continues pretty much unchanged. Many can be reached by jeep but to get to the more remote villages be prepared to hike. The reward is an overnight in a stilthouse with a family resplendent in riotously colourful traditional costume

The very first stop-over of any foreign tourist in Hanoi is always Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (translated as Temple of Literature), which reveals the Hanoians’ spirit of study in the past!

Situated at the south of Thang Long citadel, is on top of the historical and beautiful sightseeings of the beautiful capital of Vietnam. Please follow us in a brief tour of exploring his beauty and deep values;

Historical meaning

Tourists, particularly the foreign ones, now flock to the site for taking a look into its profound traditional meanings of both a Confucion temple and the first university of Vietnam. Văn Miếu or Temple of Literature, known as "pagode des Corbeaux" during the period of French colonisation, was founded as a Confucian temple in 1070.

Only parts of the Văn Miếu complex date back to the earliest period, although much of the architecture dates to the Ly (1010 – 1225) and Tran (1225 – 1400) Dynasties. In 1076, Vietnam's first university, the Quốc Tử Giám (or National University), was established within this temple to educate Vietnam's mandarin class. The university functioned for more than 700 years, from 1076 to 1779, during which, 2,313 doctors graduated. Hence, the complex has been attached to the name of Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam up to now.

A beauty-spot of architectural values

This ancient Confucian sanctuary is now considered one of Hanoi's finest historical and cultural sites. “The ever special architetural style of Van Mieu dates back to the 11th century, evoking an inspiration of classical creativeness of many of us”, one of my tourists remarked. Just take a look into the art of architecture, you will share the feeling! The temple is based on Confucius' birthplace at Qufu in the Chinese province of Shandong. It consists of five courtyards lined out in order, entrance to the first, via the impressive twin-tiered Van Mieu gate leads to three pathways that run through the length of the complex. The centre path was reserved for the King only, the one to its left for administrative Mandarins and the one to its right for military Mandarins.

The first two courtyards are peaceful havens of ancient trees and well-trimmed lawns where the scholars could relax away from the bustle of the city outside the thick stone walls. Entrance to the third courtyard is through the dominating Khue Van Cac (constellation of literature), a large pavilion built in 1802. Central to the this courtyard is the Thien Quang Tinh ("Well Of Heavenly Clarity"), either side of which stand two great halls which house the true treasures of the temple. These are 82 stone steles. Another 34 are believed to have been lost over the years. They sit upon stone tortoises and are inscribed with the names and birth places of 1306 men who were awarded doctorates from the triennial examinations held here at the Quoc Tu Giam ("National University") between 1484 and 1780, when the capital was moved to Hue.

The fourth courtyard is bordered on either side by great pavilions which once contained altersl of 72 of Confucius greatest students but which now contain offices, a gift shop and a small museum which contains ink wells, pens, books and personal artifacts belonging to some of the students that have studied here through the years. At the far end of the courtyard is the altar with statues of Confucius and his four closest disciples. The fifth courtyard contained the Quoc Tu Giam, Vietnam's first university founded in 1076 King Ly Can Duc, but this was destroyed by French bombing in 1947.

more: Vietnamtravel guide and Travel Information

Though having gone through lots of restoration work, the temple still retains its very first original shape, to be one of the visit-worthy sightseeings of Hanoi, captivating to a huge number of tourists elsewhere.

A space of peace, green trees and solemnity covers the whole temple of historical and traditional love for study, making tourists feel like they were lost in a land of Confucion and traditional values. If you are in Hanoi, you should really come and explore it yourself!

Being an ancient school of Thang Long and the first university in Vietnam, Temple of Literature is acknowledged as an ancient historical-cultural heritage which gives tourists deeper understanding about Hanoi's years of culture and tradition. Tourists should definitely add the Temple of Literature to their visiting list in Hanoi. It is included in a lot of Hanoi city tours as one of the main attractions in this bustling capital city. Coming here, tourists might see many Vietnamese students visiting the places as a ritual for good luck before they enter an important exam such as the entrance exam into college.

more: vietnam hanoi travel guide

Below are the main Hanoi viet nam sights with a brief explanation and opening times. They are listed in the order in which we visited them.

1: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum


Opening Hours: Tuesday to Thursday & weekends from 8am to 11am
Closed: October & November (Opened in 2005 on December 5th)

This cold, grey block of marble is Ho Chi Minh’s final resting place where, in spite of his wishes to be cremated, his body lies in state similar to Lenin, Stalin and Mao, other great communist leaders before him.

It is difficult to appreciate the national reverence to Uncle Ho and pilgrims from all over Vietnam travel to visit his mausoleum in Hanoi. There are strict behavioural rules and dress code at the monument for instance you cannot take bags or cameras inside, you must not wear shorts or hats and you must enter in silence. Every year the embalmed corpse returns to Russia for maintenance so the mausoleum closes for a couple of months. You can still visit the mausoleum complex when the actual mausoleum is closed as there is more to see. Read on.

2 : Presidential Palace & Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House

Opening Hours: 8am to 11am & 2pm to 4pm

Take the path that leads behind the mausoleum (you’re unlikely to go wrong with all the guards around) and enter grounds where you’ll come to the large, yellow Presidential Palace which was the former home of the Governor General of Indochina.

Next you’ll come to a pond stocked with carp before arriving at the stilt house which was reputedly the home and workplace of Ho Chi Minh from 1958 until his death in 1969. It seems the area would have been invitingly open to US bombers.

3 : One Pillar Pagoda

Opening Hours: Daily from 6am to 6pm

Still within the complex continue beyond the gift shop and you’ll come to Hanoi’s One Pillar Pagoda which dates back to the 11th century.

4 : Ho Chi Minh Museum

Opening Hours: 8am to 11am & 1.30pm to 4pm
Closed: Monday & Friday

As you’re heading away from the One Pillar Pagoda you’ll see the Ho Chi Minh Museum at the top of the steps ahead of you. This is a fascinating museum with displays of memorabilia and photographs showing the history of Vietnam’s and Ho Chi Minh’s fight against imperialism.

Leaving the museum we had decided to walk back to the Old Quarter via a few sights on the way. Approached by one of the men hanging around outside we were asked,”Do you want a motorbike?” “No thanks”, we replied. “What do you want?” was the next question to which I’m still formulating an answer. Having escaped the motorbike and cyclo riders we continued on and visited the following Hanoi attractions.

5 : Fine Arts Museum

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sun from 9:15am to 5pm

The evolution of Vietnamese art is shown on the three floors of this former French Ministry of Information building.

6:  Temple of Literature hanoi hours

Opening Hours: Daily from 8am to 5pm

Directly across the road from the Fine Arts Museum is the back wall of the Temple of Literature which is a haven of peace away from the incessant traffic and attention of cyclo riders. It is architecturally interesting and was the site of Vietnam’s first university. Certainly one of the Hanoi sights well worth finding time for. If you’re here around lunchtime you must go to the KOTO restaurant on the street you’ve just walked along from the Fine Arts Museum. They offer an excellent Vietnamese menu and all the chefs, waiters and kitchen staff were street kids who have been trained to work there and a fine job they do.

7 : Hoan Kiem Lake

After lunch at KOTO we walked back to the Hoan Kiem Lake which dominates the centre of the capital. A stroll around the water edge is a welcome break from the chaotic and claustrophobic streets of the Old Quarter. Cross the wooden bridge at the northern end of the lake which takes you to the Ngoc Son Temple.

8: Hanoi Water Puppet Theatre

Performances at 6.30pm and 8pm daily and at 9.30am on Sundays.

On our last morning in Hanoi we went to see a show at the Hanoi Water Puppet Theatre where most spectators are Vietnamese children with their parents. The art form of water puppetry dates back over 1000 years when it was started by rice farmers in North Vietnam. The Hanoi Water Puppet Theatre have performed their art worldwide. Well worth an hour of your time.

The ancient quarter of Ha Noi, which Western tourists usually consider as an old Venice, is still a special small ancient town in the heart of the capital

The ancient quarter of Ha Noi, which Western tourists usually consider as an old Venice, is still a special small ancient town in the heart of the capital. Its popular name is the 36 streets and wards, located in the city centre - Hoan Kiem District in an area of 100 ha. It borders includes Hang Dau in the North, Hang Bong - Hang Gai - Cau Go and Hang Thung in the South, Tran Nhat Duat - Tran Quang Khai streets in the East, and Phung Hung Street in the West.

This place was craft-guild in the past. Each street has its name of goods: Hang Non, Hang Chieu… In the ancient quarter, there are traditional house and regional, historical, cultural construction and food area. The ancient quarter still keeps the architecture of Viet Nam peoples and Asia- make a special architecture group- close houses and busy streets. There are many busy daily activities: living, selling, producing, playing, and relaxing.Festivals make strong vitality for the surviving ands continuous developing of the city.

The old Ha Noi was divided into two areas: the forbidden emperor palace for the King, mandarins, and trading estate for people - that is the ancient quarter. In the past, this ancient quarter is formed from transport line waterway and canal system made by branches of Red River and To Lich River. Skilled artisans chosen by the dynasty to build craft village near the area imperial gates. In the century 16th, this place became a busy city area with separated artisans specialized for one kind of goods. Therefore, until now the city is called Ha Noi 36 streets and wards.Each district name begins with “Hang” like Hang Dao, Hang Bac, Hang Thiec, Hang Giay, Hang Ma, Hang Giay... according to old Vietnamese “Hang” means goods, and the streets named by one kind of goods. Some city areas still sell those traditional goods.

The ancient town is an attractive area for tourists to discovery. The pipe house in this area is narrow and long. To see the depth of them, we can go along alley or visit one of stores on Hang Gai Street. The life is busy nowadays. In the early morning, the streets are crowded: workers, sellers, players… the men work traditional jobs, old lady look after the churches, takes care of grandchildren or sell cigarettes, look after houses… even in the cold nights, Ha Noi people have their habits of gathering, tasting food together. Ha Noi ancient town are facing great and complicated changes oh adapting to developing living, which replace houses and streets to new, modern architecture. However, the ancient town is still full of charming with small, nice, moldy pipe houses with green and sweet fragrance of trees. The ancient town never loses its pure and elegant beauty.

There’s an old vietnam saying, “Hanoi has thirty-six streets and guilds – Jam Street, Sugar Street, Salt Street…”. Inside a modern and dynamic city, there appears an antique quarter, the Hanoi’s Old Quarter – the represented eternal soul of the city. These days, most Vietnamese and Westerners are familiar with the phrase “Hà Nội - Ba mươi sáu phố phường” (translated as “Ha Noi - 36 districts” or “Hanoi – 36 Old Streets”), or “Phố cổ Hà Nội” (translated as “Hanoi’s Old Quarter”), the top special historical vestige and sight-seeing of the capital, luring international visitors thanks to their mostly original state.

Amid the flow of Hanoi’s history of 1000 years old, Hanoi Opera House proudly stands at the heart of central Hanoi as one of its most famous architectural, cultural and political symbol.

Location & History

An essential part of Hanoi’s 000 year history, Hanoi Opera House is without doubt one of the most famous cultural and architectural monuments of Hanoi. Located on the famous August Revolution Square, Hanoi Opera House is just a few steps from Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi Old Quarter and Vietnam History Museum. The Opera house was constructed for ten years from 1901 to 1911 and modeled on Palais Garnier – the older of Paris two opera houses, Hanoi Opera House embraces the European architectural style under the Renaissance period with the Italian-made marble floor, copper chandeliers and exquisite French murals on the ceiling, thus making the place one of Hanoi’s singular architectural landmarks.

Hanoi Opera House in hanoi

Performances

In the past, the theater solely hosted performances by Western artists for French officials and wealthy Vietnamese. Nowadays, Hanoi Opera House is one of Hanoi’s cultural centers where art shows, concerts, dance performances and other events usually take place, with the scale ranging from national to international.

The theater is the place where the Vietnamese Orchestra chooses to perform on regular basis, occasionally along with famous artists from all over the world. In the past the place had invited the violinist Hilary Hahn, the cellist Yo-yo Ma, the pianist Wolfgang Glemser or the conductor Gudni Emilsson. The two remarkable classical concerts performed annually at Hanoi Opera House are Toyota Concert and Hennessy Classical Concert, which both are international-scale performances with renowned classical artists.

Moreover, there are a variety of art events ranging from the traditional Vietnamese music to the more trendy pop music by domestic singers with high reputation such as My Linh, Thanh Lam or Hong Nhung. The price also varies depending on the scale of the events, but normally ranging from 100.000 VND to 500.000 VND and up to 2 million VND for a VIP seat, which can be considered reasonable for Western standards.

Visit our News and Events section to see what's going on at Hanoi Opera House in the coming days!

Related Guide

If you are interested in learning more about the architecture of the Opera House, and other French colonial buildings in Hanoi, here are a few good reads:

Bat Trang, the seven-century old pottery village, is an interesting attraction in Hanoi that tourists should not ignore.

History

Located in an area rich in clay, the village has advantage of ingredients to create fine ceramics. Moreover, lying besides the Red river, between Thang Long and Pho Hien, two ancient trade centers in the north of Vietnam during 15th-17th century, Bat Trang’s ceramics were favorite products not only in domestic market, but also foreign ones thanks to Japan, Chinese and Western trading boats that passed by.

Bat Trang pottery village

In  the18th and 19th century, due to restricting foreign trade policy of Trinh, Nguyen dynasty, it was difficult for pottery products in Vietnam to be exported to foreign countries, and some famous pottery making villages like Bat Trang, or Chu Dau ( Hai Duong province) went through a hard time. Since 1986, thanks to economic reforms and development, more attention has been vested in the village and the world gets a chance to know more about Vietnamese porcelain through many high quality exported Bat Trang’s ceramic products.

Products

Bat Trang ceramics are produced for daily household use (bow, cup, plates, pot, bottle…), worshipping, or decoration purposes. Nowadays, the pottery artists bring into ceramics many innovations in production techniques, and creativity in products’ features, hence many new products have been born, and even daily household items may have the beauty like decoration ones.

Activity

Visiting Bat Trang, tourists can take a walk or join a buffalo tour for sightseeing and shopping. Besides many ceramic stores along the road in the village, tourists should visit Bat Trang Porcelain and Pottery Market where they can directly make pottery products by themselves. Many youngsters and foreign tourists are interested in in this pottery- making experience, and spend a whole day in the market to make a gift for family or friends.

Location

Bat Trang belongs to Gia lam district of Hanoi. You can catch the bus 47 (Long Bien- Bat Trang) that stop just a few steps from Dong Xuan market with the end terminal in Bat Trang. The bus runs every 20 minutes. You can also ride a motorbike from the center of Hanoi to Bat Trang ( 20 minutes) – rent one or ask a Xe Om to take you there!

If Hanoi’s Noi Ban International Airport is your first arrival point in Vietnam don’t worry about what awaits you as you step into the public arrivals area. It is a modern, well organised airport from where you will have no problem transferring to the centre of Hanoi Vietnam’s most modern highway.

You should have arranged your Vietnam Visa before arriving at Hanoi airport. In addition, you’ll have to fill out an arrivals-departure card. On some incoming flights this card is distributed onboard otherwise you’ll need to get hold of one in the arrivals lounge before joining the queue to pass through immigration. Immigration is fairly strict so make sure you’ve filled in your details correctly the first time on the arrival-departure card otherwise you might find yourself returning to the back of the queue.

Hanoi Airport You can exchange money at an official desk in the airport if you don’t have any Dong but if you’re travelling into Hanoi by private car or taxi there’s no problem paying in Dollars as everyone knows the official exchange rate of $1US = 15,900 Dong (Jan. 2006) which doesn’t seem to vary anywhere.

Most Hanoi hotels will send a driver provided you stay a minimum of three nights. We had this agreement on our last visit but didn’t like the hotel so we paid the receptionist $10US and went elsewhere. There is an official taxi rank where you pay for a ticket into the city (again it’s about $10) and you are taken to the first taxi at the rank.

If you want something cheaper there’s a Vietnamese Airline minibus running between airport arrivals and the Vietnam Airlines office in the city centre on Pho Trang Thi (he’ll usually drop you in the Old Quarter for a tip). Just look for the signs once you’re in the public arrivals lounge.

Whichever form of transfer you choose from Hanoi airport into the centre it’s all very straightforward as there’s nobody hassling you in the airport so just get your bearings and head for the pre-paid taxi rank or the Vietnam Airlines bus.

Noi Bai International Airport (IATA: HAN, ICAO: VVNB), the biggest airport in northern Vietnam, serves the capital city of Hanoi. The airport is located 45 kilometers from the city center.

Hanoi Airport International Terminal

New International Terminal 2 opened at the end of 2014. The new terminal offers 96 check-in counters, ten self-service kiosks, 17 boarding gates and 283 flight information display systems. Domestic flights now operate from Terminal 1.

A number of Vietnamese and international airlines operate from Hanoi Noi Bai Airport, including Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, AirAsia, Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, Thai Airways, Lao Airlines and Tiger Airways.

The airport terminal provides various services, shopping, dining, currency exchange, ATMs and transportation options.