Vietnam bucket list
18 Best Things to Do in Vietnam: 2026 Bucket List
Vietnam delivers north-to-south variety — Hanoi old quarter to Hoi An lanterns to Saigon energy. Plus Halong Bay + Mekong Delta + Phu Quoc. Here are 18 essentials.
Halong Bay overnight cruise
Karst islands in turquoise water. Sleep on a junk boat.
Hoi An ancient town + lanterns
UNESCO-listed Japanese + Chinese + Vietnamese architecture lit by lanterns at night.
Hoi An tailor-made clothing
Get a suit or dress made in 24-48 hours.
Ha Giang motorbike loop
3-4 day mountain motorbike circuit in far north.
Sapa rice terraces + Hmong villages
Northern hill country. October-November is harvest season.
Phong Nha caves (UNESCO)
Largest cave system in Asia. Hang Son Doong requires permit.
Mekong Delta floating markets
Cai Be + Cai Rang. Wholesale boat markets at dawn.
Ho Chi Minh City War Remnants Museum
Sobering Vietnam War history.
Cu Chi Tunnels day-trip
Vietnam War-era tunnels you can crawl through.
Phu Quoc island beaches
Vietnam’s largest island. Best in November-March.
Mui Ne sand dunes
Red + white dunes meeting Pacific coast. Sandboarding.
Da Lat coffee country
Highland city. French colonial architecture + strawberry farms.
Hue Imperial Citadel
Former Nguyễn Dynasty capital. UNESCO-listed.
Mỹ Sơn Cham temple ruins
Hindu temple complex near Hoi An. Pre-Khmer Hindu civilization.
Bun cha lunch in Hanoi
Obama + Bourdain ate at Bun Cha Huong Lien (2016).
Egg coffee at Cafe Giang (Hanoi)
Hanoi specialty since 1946. Egg yolk + condensed milk + coffee.
Saigon street food crawl in District 1
Banh mi 25 + Bun Bo Ganh + Pho Hoa.
Train Street (Hanoi)
Cafe at the rails. Trains pass inches away during scheduled times.