Top 10 Vietnam Points of Interest and Landmarks

Peacefully located between the Laos-Cambodia borders and the vast South China Sea, Vietnam is a striking S-shaped land with endless magnificent Vietnam tourist places, ranging from charming terraced rice fields, jagged mountain peaks of Northern Vietnam to countless paradise-like valleys in the Central area and lastly the South with numerous golden sandy beaches and fertile soils.

Undergoing a chaotic wartime history against ruthless enemy forces from the most powerful countries worldwide, Vietnam, with amazing cultural diversity and fabulous natural highlights, is now gradually become the pride of Asians in general, and Vietnamese in particular.

The success to overcome struggles in the past really made Vietnam get off the ground, especially in tourism and its economy. Today, the long fascinating history, as well as incredible massive landscapes take Vietnam to a whole new level.

Traveling with exotic collide and chaos to fantastic Vietnam, the first word that may come into visitors’ minds is surely Halong bay and an astonishing mix of spectacular karst islands. But, that’s not all about Vietnam. This picturesque land has a lot to offer. Discovering the most unique and attractive Vietnam points of interest, that will be full of endless surprises.

Trang An landscape complex, Ninh Binh

This is the most beautiful tourist area in Ninh Binh that is also in the top hottest Vietnam points of interest. Favored by nature, the landscape here is surrounded by cool fresh glass-like water. Sitting on a wooden boat, cruising down from mysterious caves to the lush rice fields along the peaceful streams. That must be great. All create a dreamy, heaven-like picture frame, a masterpiece of nature that gradually opens up before the eyes of tourists.

Trang An is divided into many different areas such as Trang An eco-tourism area, Tam Coc-Bich Dong cave, and Bai Dinh pagoda – the largest temple in Southeast Asia. This is a land that preserves the geological values as well as the natural landscape with original beauty hidden inside.

Interesting things to experience in Trang An landscape complex

Visit a collection of gorgeous 48 cross-water caves, 31 emerald rivers, Tran and Trinh Temple the oldest temples in Trang An, and the Kong island. You will discover closed waterways created by the lakes and the cave complex is like a battle of eight trigram fields. Mountains, lakes, and caves in Trang An form a continuous battle. The water in Trang An is so clear and clean that people seem to immediately pick up pebbles and fish, as easily as in their own aquarium when reaching down into the lake.

Mysterious stories and recognitions

Dia Linh cave, Nau Ruou cave, Ba Giot cave…in Trang An are associated with many ancient stories from the past. In the Nau Ruou cave, there is underground water more than 10 m deep. It is said that the Vietnamese ancestors came here to get water to cook the best wine for the kings.

Phu Khong is a prominent spiritual tourist spot on the journey which is the place to worship 7 of the mandarins of the Dinh dynasty. Here, there is a thousand-year-old Diospyros decandra tree that produces both round and flat fruits on the same tree, every season. With the beauty of the immense green of nature and the remarkable values of culture, history, geology, geomorphology, the Trang An landscape complex has been ranked as a very important national monument by the Vietnamese Government and UNESCO recognized as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage since 2014.

Tam Coc – Bich Dong, Ninh Binh

Tam Coc – Bich Dong is a key tourist destination in Vietnam which is attracting more and more tourists thanks to the charming natural scenery and monuments bearing national culture. Tam Coc means three caverns are created by the Ngo Dong river stabbed through the mountains. In the caves, there are many stalactites of various shapes and sizes hanging down shining brightly like jewels. If Tam Coc has a pristine beauty of a fairy-like place, Bich Dong shows a classic beauty of Asian style that is hard to change. Located about 2 km from Tam Coc, Bich Dong means “green cave” associated with rocky mountains.

What makes Tam Coc – Bich Dong attractive to tourists

Here, visitors will admire the pristine natural beauty, with the rustic beauty of the countryside. Traveling through the blend of water, clouds, and mountains, tourists will immerse right into nature, rediscover the stillness of the heart of the soul along with the famous historical and cultural sites including Bich Dong Pagoda, Tam Coc Cave, Thai Vi Temple, and Tien Cave … Starting from the Dinh boat pier, along the winding Ngo Dong river, admire the fascinating rocky mountains or observe the rich aquatic life stirring in the water and the stork wings on the top of the grass field sprouting on the lagoon. That’s such a very natural and idyllic beauty.

The beauty as “charming aquatic painting” makes Tam Coc – Bich Dong famous as “Halong bay” on land. At the same time, this is the only place still maintaining wet rice cultivation. What could be better than seeing the ripe rice season at the end of April, early May. Observing the fields stretching from the edge of the limestone mountain to near the middle of the river, the golden color of the rice, and the faint aroma of the idyllic enchant visitors.

Events and recognitions

The Trang An – Tam Coc landscape complex is considered as a special national monument by the Prime Minister of Vietnam. Thanks to the globally outstanding values, Trang An has been recognized as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2014. It is also currently the first and only dual world heritage site in Southeast Asia.

Halong Bay, Quang Ninh

When it comes to Vietnam points of interest, Halong Bay is a well-known name in Vietnam tourism. Not only impressing visitors by the wonderful nature of nature, the rocks with beautiful and unique shapes, or the picturesque views of the sky and rivers, Halong Bay also brings a peaceful feeling and comfort for visitors whenever coming here.

With a 120 km coastline, hundreds of paradise islands, giant limestone islands, rocky mountains, and magical caves system, Halong is like “a huge vivid water painting”. The atmosphere here is very fresh and the seafood is also delicious with unique specialties that can’t be found anywhere else. Traveling to Halong Bay, do not forget to visit Cat Ba Island District, enjoy the majestic beauty of Halong Bay from the top of Bai Tho Mountain, explore Lan Ha Bay and the rocky islands like reliefs created from Mother Nature’s hands.

Explore the stunning rustic land with unique features

As expected of the land of Vietnam’s heritage, Halong knows how to please visitors for dozens of special reasons. A trip to Halong will help you enjoy the best food, to the most interesting Vietnam tourist destinations, to discover the most unique culture! A special thing that attracts visitors to Halong is the fresh and absolutely peaceful space. Passing through a long time of tourism development, Halong Bay in particular, and Halong in general still retain the original beauty. No waste and dust can be found in the entertainment area or special tourist space. Tourism development activities and infrastructure construction can not affect the image and structure of the wonders.

Halong bay is also home to diverse fun and entertainment activities which are much more surprising when compared to other Vietnam points of interest. Halong City has always been at the forefront of building crowded amusement parks and entertainment centers. Visit the entertainment paradises like Sun World with coastal entertainment complex and Ba Deo entertainment complex. Ocean parks, Tuan Chau, an international tourist destination should also not be missed with lots of interesting activities for travelers.

Recognitions

Halong Bay became the pride of Vietnam when being put in the top 29 most beautiful bays in the world and has been recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage twice. In addition, it is also voted by New Open World as one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.

Fansipan Mountain, Sapa

Admire the fanciful beauty of the “Indochina roof” Fansipan with us. This is the highest mountain in Vietnam in particular, and the highest peak of the three Indochina countries, located on the majestic Hoang Lien Son range. With a height of 3,143m in Lao Cai province, Fansipan means “protruding giant stone”.

Located in Hoang Lien Heritage Area, Phan Xi Pang now has a very rich and diverse ecosystem, especially in terms of flora. According to scientists, plants in Phan Xi Pang has 1,680 species belonging to 7 groups, including some of which are very rare. White fanciful floating clouds, mingled with the immense green of the hills make the scene become romantic and extremely unique.

Be part of nature on the top of the mountain

Up to now, Phan Xi Pang Peak has always been the special terminus for climbers all over the world, explorers and visitors with the passion for nature conquering. Come here from September to March, when the flowers on the high mountains start to bloom. Conquering the peak of Phan Xi Pang is also the dream of visitors when setting foot on Vietnam. It is also the opportunity to explore the fascinating nature of the Hoang Lien Mountains, admiring the glorious golden terraced fields.

Recognitions

Fansipan cable car station to the peak of Fansipan is one of the most magnificent constructions in the Sapa tourist area with a total investment of over VND 4,400 billion and deserves to be the pride of Sapa tourism. The cable car station is located in Muong Hoa Valley. This is the work of Bill Bensley – 1 of 5 famous architects in the world. This construction is the largest cable car project in Vietnam which has achieved two Guinness records of the world’s longest three-wire cable car system (6292.5 m) and the highest difference between the departure station and the arrival station in the world (1410 m).

Ma Pi Leng pass, Ha Giang

Get ready to the most thrilling mountain pass in Ha Giang through rugged winding roads with steep cliffs. The scene here is breathtaking with white clouds wafting through your hands, green hills spreading to the horizon, calm Nho Que river with crystal- clear water. Standing in the middle of this pass, you will sightsee all the best.

With 1,200m high on the Dong Van rock plateau, Ma Pi Leng is the main path leading to the mountain belongs to the road named “Happiness Road” connecting the cities of Ha Giang, Dong Van and Meo Vac town. The best way to explore Ha Giang is by motorcycle Tours, especially is Ha Giang Enduro Tours.

Enjoy real high mountain experience

Coming to Ha Giang, visitors are not only able to admire the majestic scenery of the rocky plateau but also learn more about the history of this majestic mountain pass. Facing danger and death, the builders here had to work very hard for 6 years to build the road by themselves with rudimentary tools and without any support of machines. That’s why this pass always occupies an important position in the hearts of the people here.

On the way to the peak of Ma Pi Leng, travelers will dive into the majestic views of the rolling mountains, golden terraces, small houses along the road. Alternatively, meeting Hmong babies with smiles always on their faces will surely make your day. Ma Pi Leng pass is the legendary road of Hmong people. The pass’s name was based on its special terrain which is like the high tip of a horse with sloping downwards. However, special terrain also makes Ma Pi Leng one of the dream Vietnam points of interest of many tourists. Overcoming difficulties and dangers along the way, travelers will finally reach this majestic mountain pass.

Recognitions

On November 16, 2009, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism decided to classify Ma Pi Leng area as a national monument. Specifically, Ma Pi Leng pass is considered a special geological and landscape heritage area; the top of it is recognized as one of the most beautiful panoramic views in Vietnam, and the alley in Nho Que river is listed in the most unique natural valleys.

Raspberry Hill, Mu Cang Chai

Discovering Mu Cang Chai, raspberry hills in La Pan Tan are known as the most awesome hills in the Northwest Midlands. Located about 8km from the center of Mu Cang Chai district, raspberry hills with a natural height of 1000m-1600m above sea level come with a round, protruding shape like a full raspberry. Every year around September – October, millions of tourists come here to admire the picture of the raspberry hill recording the sweet moments of Mu Cang Chai golden rice season.

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Experiences that are only available in raspberry hill

Mu Cang Chai raspberry rice field is most beautiful in the early morning. That’s the time when the sunlight begins to spread across the golden rice fields with a few misty patches of fog around. So, if you want to capture the special moments of how nature changes in the raspberry hill, this place is right for you.

Dawn on the raspberry hill in the golden rice season is also a masterpiece of nature. Prepare your device to get ready to shoot from 4:30 pm for the best shots of the romantic sunset. The beauty of the Mu Cang Chai raspberry field also changes day by day with different colors of sunlight. The purple scenery dyed in golden rice makes the space more magical with thick clouds and the cold weather.

Important recognitions

In 2007, terraced fields in 3 communes of La Pan Tan, De Xu Phinh, and Che Cu Nha were recognized as a National Landscape. Not only that, the raspberry hill in Mu Cang Chai is also one of the top 10 most beautiful terraces in the world.

Tra Que Vegetable Village, Hoi An

When it comes to Hoi An, visitors often think of the old town with ancient architecture. However, that is not enough to write the stunning city’s name to the list of top Vietnam points of interest. Besides these highlights of Hoi An, Tra Que Vegetable Village will make your journey much more memorable. This place will be the first evidence for tourists to believe that “Hoi An does not only have old streets and lanterns”.

Of all the vegetable villages in Vietnam, Tra Que is the most unique with more than 40 types of vegetables, including outstanding herbs. Here, there are also common kinds of vegetables such as onions, bushes, perilla, basil, and coriander. But, one certain thing is Tra Que vegetables are more fragrant with a unique flavor.

Learn how to be a real farmer

In Tra Que vegetable village, there are many households doing sightseeing services and participating in planting clean vegetables. You will be quickly transformed into true farmers with common slippers, conical hats of the real farmers. Get dressed in a traditional costume of Vietnam (ao ba ba), learn the most practical experience for growing vegetables. Tra Que Vegetable Village is one of the few vegetable villages that still use organic farming methods, ensuring the quality of delicious vegetables.

Coming here, you can also interact with the friendly farmers, take a tour of walking, cycling around the village, or even trying to ride a buffalo, walking among the roads full of smells of aromatic vegetables. Interesting!

Typical events in Tra Que village

Vegetables in Tra Que village have a very unique flavor compared with those grown in other regions. According to the old local people in the village, about hundreds of years ago, Tra Que vegetables were officially exported to other countries through the ocean ships of France, the Netherlands, Arab, China … docked in Hoi An. Today, these agricultural products are still purchased by many large supermarkets all year round thanks to its quality, food hygiene standards, and safety.

Every year, in July, local people in Tra Que organize the Cau Bong festival to pray for favorable rain and wind, good harvest …Come here on this occasion to join the jubilant holiday atmosphere of one of the best Vietnam points of interest.

The Marble Mountains, Danang

Located on the route of Da Nang – Hoi An, Ngu Hanh Son is a complex of 5 limestone mountains rising on the coastal sand: Kim Son, Moc Son, Thuy Son, Hoa Son, and Tho Son, Ngu Hanh Son. The majestic landscapes, unique architectural works bearing cultural, historical values with mossy rocks make Ngu Hanh Son an ancient painting of nature.

Coming to Danang, travelers cannot miss the Marble Mountains which is considered a symbol of this land. The beautiful, poetic scenery with multiple temples and caves, bells … have made Ngu Hanh Son a paradise for tourists to calm down after the tiring working days. It converges the beauty of natural land and sky, mountains, and the sea along with its historical, cultural, and spiritual values.

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Enjoy great spiritual experiences to the world of caves

Marble Mountains has a lot of mysterious caves with different names in different shapes and sizes such as Huyen Khong cave, Am Phu cave, Linh Nham cave, Van Nguyet cave, Lang Hu cave… Huyen Khong Cave is the largest cave among all the caves in Ngu Hanh Son. Yin Yin cave has a mysterious dark tone that makes visitors feel a little trembling as if they are going from the earth to hell.

The mysterious story of the Marble Mountains

According to the legend, once upon a time, when this land was a desolate wilderness, a dragon came here to lay eggs and then disappeared. The Golden Turtle called god Kim Quy saw the egg, he burrowed sand for the dragon’s eggs to hatch. Incidentally, one day, after a shipwreck, an old fisherman drifted from the North and then rescued by the Golden Tortoise. The tortoise wanted the man to protect the blood of the Dragon Army. Then, the Golden Turtle removed his claw and handed it to the old man and showed the man how to protect the dragon’s egg.

Thanks to this tortoise’s claw, the old fisherman fought off hawks and other wild animals, protecting the dragon’s egg. Dragon’s eggs grew bigger and soon after they hatched an exceptionally beautiful fairy. And, the shells grew and separated into five marble limestone clusters, with 5 different colors, including pink, gray, green, black, yellow, and have 6 peaks and exist to this day. That’s how the Marble mountains created.

Tombs of Khai Dinh, Hue City

Located just 10 km from the center of Hue city, the Tomb of Khai Dinh is the last architectural work of the Nguyen Dynasty and is also the most prominent of all other tombs, thanks to modern construction materials and photographs. Khai Dinh’s tomb, also known as Ung Lang, is the resting place of King Khai Dinh, the 12th king of the Nguyen Dynasty. Despite the smallest area among the other tombs of the kings, this place is built with the most elaborate constructions, the longest construction time, the most modern mausoleum. The combination of architecture and culture of East-West makes Khai Dinh mausoleum which is located in a geographical position surrounded by pine forests that appears as an ancient castle of Europe.

Discover the pinnacle of sophisticated art and culture

Khai Dinh mausoleum is an intersection of two cultures of East and West, reflecting the sumptuous preference of king Khai Dinh during his lifetime. Coming here, visitors will feel overwhelmed at first thanks to its rectangular architecture with 127 steps influenced by many styles of architecture such as Hinduism (tower-shaped pillar gate), Buddhism (stupa symbolic pillars), Roman Gothic architecture (octagonal columns, wide arches) …Multiple modern materials such as iron, steel, cement, Ardoise tile …are used. The entire interior in the 3 middle compartments in Thien Dinh Palace is decorated with certain porcelain and glass reliefs imported from China, Japan …Here, you can take cool pictures among monumental European-style constructions to show your friends and family.

Recognitions

Located in the ancient ruins of Hue, The tombs of emperor Khai Dinh was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1993. The historical and cultural beauty of Khai Dinh mausoleum is considered an extremely colorful yellow cage that lightened up the whole land.

Phong Nha Caves, Quang Binh

This masterpiece of creation in Quang Binh has a poetic landscape with an extremely impressive cave system, immense mountains and rivers, many rare and precious plants and animals. Protected and covered by lush green rainforest, Phong Nha is famous for its unique rock formations named after natural shapes such as “Lion”, “Unicorn”, “Chầu”, “Royal Palace” or “Buddha Statue”…

Phong Nha cave was used by King Ham Nghi to store treasures and work as a field hospital, a place to hide the bombs of the enemy, and a repository for bullets in the war.

Coming to Phong Nha, visitors will be floating on the Nam River with the mirror-like surface, feeling lost in the dark and light spaces at the moment, enjoying the cool climate in the majestic multicolored stalactite cave, listening to the music in the wine party of the mountain god. The limestone corridor covered with glitter stalactites makes you feel nervous as if lying down a giant monster’s mouth.

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Uncover the unexplored mysteries

Phong Nha – Ke Bang is also known as the “kingdom of caves”, containing many mysteries that have not been discovered yet. Until now, the words in the Bi Ky cave in Phong Nha cave have been a hard-solving problem for many Vietnamese and foreign linguists, cave experts, and social scientists for nearly 100 years.

On the journey to the caves, visitors will explore the local villages, learn about the local culture, and explore the diversity of plants. Take photos of the rare animals on the red list of Vietnam and the world. Exploring cave systems such as Son Doong, Phong Nha, Tu Lan, Thien Duong …also make travelers feel very interesting, relaxed, and pleasant. The fresh and cool air here at about 17 – 19 degrees creates a totally different land from the hot Quang Binh on summer days.

Recognitions

Phong Nha Caves are the fifth world heritage site of Vietnam recognized by UNESCO in 2003, Phong Nha – Ke Bang cave is highly appreciated by experts with the 7 best things: The most beautiful underground river, The tallest and widest cave gate, the most beautiful sand beach and reef, the largest and most beautiful dry cave, The most magnificent stalactites, The longest water cave, and The most beautiful underground lake.

The journey to this S-shaped land now comes to an end,

Vietnam is endowed with nature for its countless beautiful landscapes, unique culture, and friendly people. Each place of the Vietnam points of interest list has its own beautiful scenery and cuisine, so, depending on your preferences, then, choose the most suitable Vietnam points of interest for your next trip. Come and admire stunning Vietnam’s tourist attractions!

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