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Vietnam Vietnam Guide

The guide · 27 chapters

Vietnam Guide

From Hanoi to Saigon: a thousand years of empires, wars and street food

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Chapter01 · 1 chapter

Introduction

The essential read that puts the country on the map before the journey begins.

01.01 · 9 minIntroduction to VietnamThe country that fits no cliché: 1,650 km of coast, three imperial inheritances and one single language holding them all together.Read the chapter↗

Chapter02 · 6 chapters

History

The essential moments that explain everything you will see afterwards.

0102.01 · 6 minThe Hung kings and Van LangDragon-king mythology, Dong Son culture and the first Vietnamese kingdom of the Red River delta.Locked→0202.02 · 6 minA thousand years under China (111 BC – 938 AD)From Han annexation to Ngo Quyen's victory at Bach Dang: the Chinese mould of traditional Vietnam.Locked→0302.03 · 7 minIndependent dynasties (938–1858)Ly, Tran, Le, Nguyen: nine hundred years, three Mongol invasions stopped and the push south.Locked→0402.04 · 7 minFrench Indochina (1858–1954)Almost a century of colonisation: coffee, baguette, rubber plantations and Dien Bien Phu.Locked→0502.05 · 7 minThe American war (1954–1975)Twenty-one years of conflict, two names for the same war and 30 April 1975 in Saigon.Locked→0602.06 · 7 minDoi Moi and today's Vietnam (1986–today)From famine to economic miracle: forty years of controlled opening and single-party rule.Locked→

Chapter03 · 4 chapters

North

A considered selection for entering the destination with context.

03.01 · 13 minHanoiThe millennial capital: lakes, mausoleums, thirty-six guild streets and the most sought-after pho bo in the country.→03.02 · 11 minHalong BaySoutheast Asia's most photographed bay — and how to see it without getting caught in the tourist loop.→03.03 · 11 minNinh Binh (Tam Coc, Hoa Lu, Bai Dinh)The inland Halong: paddy fields between vertical karst walls, a forgotten imperial capital, and Southeast Asia's largest Buddhist complex.→03.04 · 11 minSapa and the northern mountainsRice terraces, Hmong villages and the Chinese border: the highest and least Vietnamese Vietnam.→

Chapter04 · 3 chapters

Centre

A considered selection for entering the destination with context.

04.01 · 11 minHueThe last imperial capital: citadel, tombs and the most refined cuisine in the country.→04.02 · 10 minHoi AnThe colonial port time preserved: lanterns, tailors and a UNESCO old town almost without traffic.→04.03 · 10 minDa Nang and the central coastDragon Bridge, Marble Mountains, My Son and the Hai Van pass — central Vietnam beyond Hue and Hoi An.→

Chapter05 · 2 chapters

South

A considered selection for entering the destination with context.

05.01 · 13 minHo Chi Minh (Saigon)The former southern capital: colonial, commercial, chaotic — and the only Vietnamese city that works as a global metropolis.→05.02 · 10 minMekong DeltaFloating markets, sampans and rural southern life — the agricultural counterweight to Saigon's metropolis.→

Chapter06 · 3 chapters

Culture

The codes, flavours and rhythms that never fit on a map.

06.01 · 6 minFood and coffeeThree regional cuisines, the essential dishes and Southeast Asia's most eccentric coffee culture.Read the chapter→
06.02 · 4 minReligion and ancestor worshipMahayana Buddhism, Confucianism, family altars and the three teachers.●06.03 · 2 minLanguage and phrasebookTonal Vietnamese in seven phrases: the minimum to get by and earn a smile.●

Chapter07 · 5 chapters

Practical information

Clear answers for travelling with fewer doubts and more freedom.

7 minWhen to go to VietnamThree climates in a single country: how to pick the right month by region.●8 minGetting around VietnamReunification trains, sleeper buses, domestic flights, Grab and motorbikes: how to travel without agencies.●7 minVietnam budgetWhat an independent trip really costs in 2026, with three budget tiers detailed.●7 minSafety and daily life in VietnamCommon scams, real traffic risks, health, connectivity and plugs — everything nobody tells you.●6 minVisa and documents for VietnamE-visa, 45-day exemption and the step-by-step process for Spanish, European, British and US citizens.●

Chapter08 · 3 chapters

Itineraries

Choose a structure and make it yours. No two journeys need be the same.

01Northern VietnamHanoi, Halong, Ninh Binh and Sapa, day by day: the country's historic and mountainous heart.10 daysLocked ↗02Complete VietnamNorth and centre, day by day: Hanoi, Halong, Sapa, Hue and Hoi An — the country's spine.14 daysLocked ↗03Extended VietnamThe complete country from north to south, day by day: Hanoi, Sapa, Hue, Hoi An, Saigon and the Mekong.21 daysLocked ↗