Vietnam Tour Guide

The other classic” method for crossing Vietnam is with the hop on & off open buses”, or buses where you can buy a ticket from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and get off and on as you please (although usually you'll need to contact the tourist agency one day in advance) at all intermediate stops (usually Hué, Hoi An, Nha Trang and Dalat, but the itinerary may vary depending on the tourist agency and bus company that you choose). On the one hand, it is one of the most incredible countries I have visited; the vibrant chaos of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City blew me away, Halong Bay with its karst limestone islands is easily one of the most impressive sights in the region, and exploring a Vietnamese food market is arguably the ultimate Southeast Asia cultural experience . We have some free time in Hanoi this morning, you may wish to visit Ho Chi Minh's austere mausoleum, an interesting piece of architecture resembling Lenin's in Moscow, or perhaps dive into one of the city...

The World Heritage seascape of Halong Bay , dotted with jagged limestone pinnacles, is one of Vietnam’s biggest attractions. The most popular way to experience the bay is on a cruise , and unsurprisingly every travel agency and hotel in Hanoi has tours to sell. Choice is a great thing, but the multitude of trips on offer can be overwhelming. Here’s the skinny on Halong Bay touring to get you started. Boats touring Halong Bay. © Matt Munro / Lonely Planet Luxury cruises Want to spoil yourself?  Halong Bay  has some sumptuous cruise options that are basically luxury hotels on water. You’re paying for the experience of five-star amenities here – not for any particular divergence from the typical cruise itinerary – but if you want to live it up from a swanky sun-lounger while watching the sun set over a vista of craggy jungle-topped islands, you can’t really go wrong. For a luxury cruise, bank on spending around US$2...

With so many inviting choices, figuring out where to go in  Vietnam  isn’t easy unless you have a lot of time to explore. The vibe, food, and culture differ greatly between the north and south; there are more than enough exciting places strewn between Hanoi and Saigon . Use this list to choose from the top 10 destinations in Vietnam, or ideally, see them all along the way! ​ Note:  These great places to see in Vietnam are listed from north to south. 01  of 10 Hanoi ••• No trip to Vietnam is complete without walking the busy-and-narrow streets of Hanoi , a city that could best be described as the cultural heart of Vietnam. The vibe in Hanoi is dramatically different than that in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Love it, as most travelers do, or hate it: you can’t say that you’ve experienced Vietnam without experiencing Hanoi. But don’t assume that Hanoi is all cold, heartless concrete: life centers around a b...