Backpacking Vietnam: 24 best places to visit
The most rewarding stops for backpackers in Vietnam, ranked and mapped — and real routes through them, written by travellers who went.
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Ha Long Bay
Quang Ninh
Limestone islands on emerald water.
2
Hoi An
Quang Nam
Lantern-lit riverside old town.
3
Hanoi
Hanoi
Old Quarter chaos and cafes.
4
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Southern energy and history.
5
Sapa
Lao Cai
Rice terraces and hill tribes.
6
Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh
Karst rivers, 'Halong on land'.
7
Ha Giang
Ha Giang
The epic northern loop.
8
Hue
Thua Thien Hue
Imperial citadel and tombs.
9
Da Nang
Da Nang
Beach city and Golden Bridge.
10
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
Quang Binh
The world's biggest caves.
11
Da Lat
Lam Dong
Cool pine-hill retreat.
12
Phu Quoc
Kien Giang
Tropical island beaches.
13
Nha Trang
Khanh Hoa
Coastal resort and diving.
14
Cat Ba Island
Hai Phong
Gateway to Lan Ha Bay.
15
Mui Ne
Binh Thuan
Sand dunes and kitesurf.
16
Mekong Delta
Can Tho
Floating markets and canals.
17
Cao Bang
Cao Bang
Ban Gioc waterfall, far north.
- 18
Mai Chau
Hoa Binh
Peaceful stilt-house valley.
19
Con Dao Islands
Ba Ria-Vung Tau
Remote beaches and history.
20
Ba Be National Park
Bac Kan
Lake and jungle escape.
21
Quy Nhon
Binh Dinh
Quiet up-and-coming coast.
- 22
Bac Ha
Lao Cai
Colourful Sunday market.
23
Pu Luong Nature Reserve
Thanh Hoa
Terraces off the trail.
- 24
Vung Tau
Ba Ria-Vung Tau
Seaside weekend from Saigon.
Backpacking routes through Vietnam
Real trips through Vietnam, drawn on maps by the people who took them.
Backpacking Vietnam: My One-Month Route, North to South
The exact one-month Vietnam backpacking route I did and recommend — the Ha Giang loop, Sapa, Ninh Binh, ten slow days working from Da Nang (with Hoi An and Hue), then Nha Trang, Da Lat and Ho Chi Minh City.
The Ha Giang Loop: Four Days on a Motorbike in Vietnam's Far North
Riding the Ha Giang loop from Hanoi: renting bikes or easy riders, the Ma Pi Leng pass, homestays in Dong Van and Du Gia, costs and safety honestly.
Saigon to Phu Quoc: Floating Markets and the Slow Mekong Delta
South Vietnam by bus and boat: Saigon's street food, Ben Tre coconut canals, Can Tho's floating market, Chau Doc's rivers and a Phu Quoc ferry finish.
Central Vietnam: Phong Nha Caves, Imperial Hue and the Hai Van Pass
A central Vietnam route between the caves and the coast: Phong Nha's underground rivers, Hue's citadel, riding the Hai Van Pass, and slow Hoi An.
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