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Where to start
Vietnam is three trips in one. The north has Hanoi, limestone scenery and cool winters. The centre has the imperial city of Hue, the old trading port of Hoi An and a long beach coast. The south has Saigon, the Mekong Delta, the beaches of the south coast and the cool highlands around Da Lat. Our guides started in the south, so that’s where the detail is deepest.
Most visitors only see the places on the standard Hanoi, Hoi An and Saigon line. The guides below also cover the towns off that line, from the Mekong’s quieter provinces to the highland coffee country, which is where a lot of the best days turn up.
If you’re flying into Saigon, the airport transfer page shows the fixed price to any of the southern destinations before you book.
South Vietnam, where we run transfers
These are the places a private car from Saigon reaches in a morning or an afternoon. Each page has the drive range, the alternatives and a booking box.
Saigon and around
- Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City): the city itself, from District 1 to the airport.
- Cu Chi tunnels: the wartime tunnel network, about 1½ to 2 hours out and a half-day trip.
- Can Gio mangrove forest: a biosphere reserve and monkey island south-east of the city.
- Tay Ninh: the Cao Dai Holy See and Ba Den mountain, near the Cambodian border.
- Nam Cat Tien National Park: lowland forest and gibbon trails, about 3½ to 4 hours north-east.
The south coast
- Vung Tau: Saigon’s weekend beach, about 1½ to 2¼ hours away.
- Long Hai: a quieter fishing-town beach just up the coast from Vung Tau.
- Ho Tram: a strip of big resorts and a long beach, 2½ to 3¼ hours from the airport.
- Binh Chau: hot springs in the forest inland from Ho Tram.
- La Gi: a low-key fishing coast between Vung Tau and Phan Thiet.
- Mui Ne and Phan Thiet: kitesurfing, sand dunes and a beach strip, 2½ to 4 hours from Saigon.
- Ke Ga: a lighthouse and a quiet beach, about as far by road as Mui Ne.
- Phan Rang: Cham towers and the dry coast, with salt flats and vineyards.
- Nha Trang: Vietnam’s main beach city, with island trips and the Po Nagar towers.
- Con Dao: an island group with a notorious prison history and some of the best beaches in the south, reached by plane from Saigon.
The Mekong Delta
- My Tho: the nearest delta town, about 1½ to 2¼ hours away.
- Ben Tre: coconut country, with canals you cross by small boat.
- Vinh Long: homestays and orchards on the islands of the river.
- Can Tho: the delta’s main city and its floating markets.
- Chau Doc: the river border with Cambodia and the pilgrimage hill of Sam.
- Rach Gia: the port for Phu Quoc and Nam Du ferries.
- Ha Tien: a quiet border town on the Gulf of Thailand, with its own Phu Quoc ferry.
The Central Highlands
- Bao Loc: tea and coffee country on the road to Da Lat.
- Da Lat: a cool hill town with pine forests, French villas and flower farms.
- Buon Ma Thuot: the coffee capital, with waterfalls and elephant country around it.
The centre
Not our patch for transfers, so these are plain guides. The centre is where the country narrows, and the same coast road links all four places below.
- Hue: the imperial capital, with the Citadel, royal tombs and a cuisine of its own.
- Da Nang: a beach city with an international airport, and the base for the Marble Mountains and Ba Na Hills.
- Hoi An: a lantern-lit old town, tailors and a beach nearby.
- Phong Nha-Ke Bang: cave country in the national park, north of Hue.
- Quy Nhon: a quieter coast town between Hoi An and Nha Trang.
The north
- Hanoi: the capital, the Old Quarter and the lakes.
- Ninh Binh: rivers and rice fields between limestone peaks, a short ride south of Hanoi.
- Ha Long Bay: the limestone bay most people visit on a cruise.
- Sapa: rice terraces and hill-tribe villages in the far north-west.
The islands
- Phu Quoc: the big island in the Gulf of Thailand, reached by plane or by ferry from Rach Gia or Ha Tien.
- Con Dao: listed above under the south coast.
When to go where
The country has no single dry season. Pick the month, then the region.
| Region | Best months | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Hanoi and the north | October to April; spring and autumn are best | Winter is cold and grey, and summer is hot and wet |
| Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An | About February to August | Heavy rain and typhoon risk from about September to December |
| Saigon and the south | About November to April | May to October brings short, heavy afternoon showers, not all-day rain |
| Nha Trang and Phan Rang | About January to September | Rainy and windy from October to December |
| Phu Quoc | About November to April | Rain and rougher seas in the middle of the year |
| Da Lat | November to April | Cool all year, and the wet season is cloudy |
These are the usual climate patterns, and individual years vary. Check a forecast a week out before you book internal flights.
Linking the regions
A north-to-south run is easiest in February to April or August to October, flying the long legs. Saigon to Hanoi takes about 2 hours by air, Saigon to Da Nang about 1½ hours, Saigon to Phu Quoc about 1 hour and Saigon to Nha Trang about 1 hour. Check the domestic flights guide for the 2026 schedule changes and the budget airlines guide for baggage rules.
The Reunification Express runs the whole length of the coast, 1,726 km in roughly 30 to 38 hours. Most people ride a section, and Hue to Da Nang is the favourite. The guide to getting around compares trains, sleeper buses and cars leg by leg.
Before you go
Two practical pages are worth reading before you book anything. Money in Vietnam covers cash, cards and ATMs, and the information page covers visas, health and the basics. Since July 2025 Vietnam has had 34 provinces instead of 63, which is why Vung Tau and Con Dao now appear under Ho Chi Minh City and Hoi An under Da Nang. The names travellers use haven’t changed, and neither have ours. For where to sleep, see our best hotels in Vietnam, and for a first look at the country, Vietnam in pictures.