Ideal places for families to discover Vietnam from North to South

A greeny day on Vietnam Mekong river

When visiting a country, families need to consider many factors to suit the purpose of the trip and the interests of each member. Below is a list of destinations in Vietnam that we think will be suitable for families when joins in Vietnam tours together because of the variety of activities to explore for all ages, the uniqueness of showing the country’s culture, and the convenience of visiting as well as accessing infrastructure and services.

Hà Nội - Hanoi the cutural capital of Vietnam
Hà Nội – Hanoi the cutural capital of Vietnam

Ha Noi Capital – The cultural and political center of Vietnam

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, also the cultural and political center of Vietnam as well as the oldest city in Southeast Asia with more than 1000 years of history. Hanoi has not only ancient beauty but also combined with rapid urban development. This is a fertile delta in the center of the North, easy to move to other cities by all kinds of means.

Visiting the capital city, families can visit iconic historical sites such as Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam, Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Hanoi Old Quarter… There are many museums in Hanoi such as the Vietnam National Museum of History, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, and Vietnam Military History Museum. Members can visit ancient Vietnamese villages, join in making pottery, and watch the water puppet show. Hanoi food tours or double-decker bus tours, and motorbiking are also good programs to explore Hanoi quite comprehensively and close to reality. Hanoi is also the hub of shopping, you can easily find many interesting and useful items in markets or large commercial centers.

Hanoi is a great city to explore the historical side along with the urban development of the Vietnamese people because this is where many people from all over the country come and live for generations. However, the city is quite crowded and bustling both day and night.

Ninh Bình - Cycling in Ninh Binh countryside
Ninh Binh – Cycling in Ninh Binh countryside

Ninh Binh – Picturesque ancient capital

Located 90km southeast of Hanoi, also different from the crowded bustle of Hanoi. Ninh Binh has charming and peaceful beauty. This was the capital of Vietnam’s first feudal dynasty and also kept many relics of prehistoric people in caves.

The topographic feature of Ninh Binh is the limestone mountains surrounding water valleys. Therefore, there are 4 boat docks here. Each boat dock has boating routes with different essences. When taking a boat tour, people can also explore caves where vestiges of prehistoric people are kept, historical sites, visit temples of local people or explore the diverse submerged ecosystem to see the living environment of many kinds of birds, storks, and monkeys. If you want to explore ecological diversity more visually, the family can choose to visit Cuc Phuong National Park to trek in the forest and visit the bear and monkey sanctuary. Ninh Binh is poetic with fields and houses interspersed between limestone mountains, which is also very suitable for cycling tours. In the summer, this area will have stunning lotus ponds scattered everywhere in full bloom. The specialties here include goat meat, scorched rice topped with pork floss snacks, and hill chicken. Goats and chickens here are often left free in the limestone mountains to walk and climb on their own.

Ninh Binh is easily accessible from Hanoi, its nature is calm, unspoiled, and beautiful. Tourist or spiritual places in the high domestic travel season (summer and at the end of the year) will often be crowded. If you go to the city center, it will be relatively busy and a bit more modern. The tourist attraction here is located about 10-20 kilometers from the city center.

Hạ Long - Unwind in the UNESCO natural heritage together
Ha Long Bay – Unwind in the UNESCO natural heritage together

Ha Long and Hai Phong – Cities with renowned bays

These are two famous coastal cities in the North of Vietnam. Ha Long is especially well-known for the UNESCO world heritage Ha Long Bay. There is also Bai Tu Long Bay. Hai Phong has Lan Ha Bay. All 3 bays are located in the Gulf of Tonkin with bay scenery really worth seeing once in a lifetime.

Ha Long has developed into a convenient, modern, clean tourist city with a newly built highway that is easily accessible. In the city, there are many interesting attractions such as museums, libraries, seafood markets, commercial centers, amusement parks, squares, and flower gardens. The highlight of Ha Long tourism is visiting the bay by day or night cruise. People will enjoy going on the sun deck to watch the scenery, sunbathe, and jacuzzi while enjoying drinks and observing the islet in the bay with diverse natural shapes. The cruise will stop at islands for visitors to visit, climb to the top of the mountain to have a panoramic view, or swim, kayak, visit caves, fishing villages, and do squid fishing at night.

Hai Phong is also a coastal city worth visiting, located right next to Quang Ninh where Ha Long Bay is located. Seafood in both cities is fresh from the sea, but Hai Phong cuisine is more diverse, savory, and famous. If you visit the bay in two cities, you should check the weather carefully because if the bay has strong waves or is affected by storms, cruises on the bay may change their schedule or be canceled.

Sapa - Discovering Vietnam freelands with your family
Sapa – Discovering Vietnam freelands with your family

Sapa – Unique highland culture with Fansipan peak, the roof of Indochina

Sapa is quite far from Hanoi, about 400 km to the northwest. The beauty of this destination is worth visiting. Sapa is now a crowded tourist city and easy to access local facilities.

Many people love going to Sapa by trains, which are old Vietnam Indochinese style trains. Seats or sleeper carriages are available. If you book a sleeping cabin from a train supplier, the carriage will usually be decorated differently with Vietnam tradition or Sapa style. Coming to Sapa, people often visit the top of Fansipan, which is the highest mountain in Indochina. Families can go up to the top by a cable car. The weather above is usually much colder than below. On the top of the mountain is Sun World Fansipan Legend entertainment complex, where people can have fun with the amusement park or visit spiritual destinations, take a mountain climbing train and so on. Besides, Sapa is home to ethnic minorities. Therefore, learning about the cultural life of local people through mountainous cuisine and local markets is also very interesting.

 

Hoi An – An ancient city with complete experiences

Hoi An is a famous ancient town in Vietnam. This place long ago was once a busy international port in Asia, now it is one of UNESCO’s world cultural heritage sites. Hoi An is also a place with diverse and interesting experiences. Visitors coming here will be immersed in the ancient cultural space of yellow-painted houses and colorful lanterns all around the streets. Families can participate in cooking classes, gardening life tour, making cloth lanterns or taking a basket boat ride, sitting on a boat in Thu Bon river to watch the sun set and releasing flower lanterns in the river at night. Furthermore, visitors can explore the old town with souvenir shops, beautiful fabric products, ancient houses and its up-and-down stories. Hoi An cuisine is also highly recommended, so don’t miss the fragrant egg coffee and dishes here. In addition, about 17km from Hoi An ancient town, there is Vinwonders amusement park, which is also an interesting cultural and entertainment destination for families to discover together its 95 indoor and outdoor games.

 

Da Nang – Vibrant coastal city

Da Nang is a young and lively city of Vietnam. It has beautiful long beaches, spiritual tourist attractions, temples, excellent cuisine and many activities. Visitors coming here often go to Ba Na Hills, which is an entertainment center located on the mountain. To reach Ba Na Hills, visitors need to take the cable car and can see the whole city from above on the way up. If Ba Na Hills is too crowded, visitors can also visit Asia Park downtown.

Đà Lạt - Family travels to Vietnam
Da Lat – Family travels to Vietnam

Da Lat – The pure and poetic plateau

Da Lat is located on Lam Vien plateau, one of the top romantic destinations in Vietnam due to its cool and foggy weather. Moreover, Da Lat is known as the land of  flowers in Vietnam with a variety of tree and flower species here. Coming to Da Lat, families can visit waterfalls, lakes, historical sites and famous bustling night markets. A point that many tourists also like in Da Lat is the fresh air, slow pace of life, poetic space and diverse unique architecture.

 

Nha Trang, Mui Ne – Ideal places for beach leisure

If your family loves a comfortable beach resort destination to completely relax, Nha Trang and Mui Ne would be two places with the right atmosphere. Nha Trang is associated with wonderful beaches for you to comfortably scuba dive, watch corals, swim, and play on long sandy and rocky beaches of all shapes and sizes. Ninh Van Bay in Quy Nhon is the place that develops famous luxury beach resorts. Tourists can also visit the ancient Champa tower, monkey island or play golf.

Mui Ne besides the beaches also has immense sand dunes to develop the experience of off-road riding. Visitors can visit coastal fishing villages here.

HCM - Let_s capture family memories in Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City – Let_s capture family memories in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City – Where lives meet

Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh are two important centers in the North – South of Vietnam. If Hanoi stands out for its cultural and political aspects, Ho Chi Minh is also marked by strong economic development rhythm mixed with the life beat of human and history. Visitors can join a vespa tour around the city to discover current life, visit Cu Chi tunnels to learn about wartime story, visit iconic buildings such as churches, post offices, Independence Palace, Ben Thanh market and so forth.

Mekong - Steering on the water of Mekong Delta
Mekong – Steering on the water of Mekong Delta

Mekong Delta – The region of nature and culture associated with river life

The Southwest Delta is an alluvial floodplain. This is considered the largest rice granary in the country with a unique river attached culture expressed through raft houses and floating markets. Families can visit the floating market, take a boat tour to visit Cham Chim National Park or Tra Su Cajuput Forest. With fertile advantages and favorable climate, tours to visit the farmers’ garden village life and pick fruits at the garden are also very popular.

Phú Quốc _ Family summer holiday discovering Phu Quoc islands
Phu Quoc _ Family summer holiday discovering Phu Quoc islands

Phu Quoc – Vietnam tropical island amusement paradise

In Phu Quoc, the entertainment services of Vinwonders and Sunworld are diverse such as panoramic cable car complex to look out at the island, zoo safari, shopping centers, resorts, waterparks, temples, historical sites… endless options in just one island. Besides, there are clear blue seas with starfishes, coral reefs near shore for families to explore. You can choose to take a boat to the sea, go to Phu Quoc market, or visit the pearl factory.

 

1 Comment

  1. Dear Eviva
    We are 4 people from South Africa and need help to organise our visas. We are planning our own trip but I heard that you can help with a letter and details required by the embassy if we book something through you? We would lile to visit Hoi An, Hue and Hanoi. We are looking at renting a car between Hoi An and Hue. Perhaps you can guide me there?

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