Is Vietnam Worth Visiting? My Honest Opinion
During our travels through Southeast Asia, we spent two weeks travelling the length of Vietnam, from Ho Chi Minh City in the south to Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Sapa in the north. We thought we had a pretty good idea of what to expect from Vietnam before we arrived. We didn’t.
The food was genuinely incredible, we loved Hoi An despite it being quite touristy, and Hanoi somehow became my favourite of the two big cities, even if it did rain. Northern Vietnam was much cooler than I’d imagined, while Ha Long Bay, one of the places I’d been most excited about, didn’t quite live up to expectations.
In this post, I’ll share whether I think Vietnam is worth visiting, what you should know before you go, and a few things I’d do differently next time.
Is Vietnam Worth Visiting?
Yes, Vietnam is absolutely worth visiting. It’s a country with spectacular mountain scenery, fascinating history, distinctive cities and some of the best food I’ve eaten in Southeast Asia. After spending two weeks travelling from south to north, I’d happily go back.
I also found Vietnam easy to travel around. We booked sleeper buses between cities, found tours whenever we needed them and stayed in some great places without spending a fortune. Despite some of the things I’d read before arriving, we had positive experiences with Vietnamese people throughout the trip too.
The Best Reasons To Visit Vietnam
Vietnam has plenty going for it, but I think the biggest reasons to visit are its landscapes, food, history and the variety of its cities. We experienced all four while travelling from south to north, although they didn’t always live up to expectations in quite the way I’d imagined.
From trekking through the rice terraces around Sapa to eating far too many banh mi, these were the things that stood out most during our two weeks in Vietnam.
Landscapes And Scenery
Vietnam has some incredible scenery, but Sapa was a place we really fell in love with.
We spent a day trekking through the rice terraces with a local guide from one of the ethnic minority communities around Sapa, stopping for lunch with her family along the way. It was chilly and overcast at times, but the mountains and terraces were every bit as impressive as I’d hoped.
We also hired a motorbike and headed out along the mountain roads, which gave us a completely different view of the area.
Ha Long Bay was different. The limestone islands are one of Vietnam’s most recognisable landscapes, but our cruise felt quite organised and restrictive, particularly the kayaking, where everyone seemed to be funnelled through the same designated area. The grey weather probably didn’t help either.
I wouldn’t judge Ha Long Bay entirely on that experience, though. I’d still return, but I’d research the cruise and itinerary much more carefully next time.
Food And Coffee
Thai food has always been one of my favourite cuisines, so when travellers we met in Thailand told us they actually preferred Vietnamese food, I thought that was quite a statement. Then we got to Vietnam and I started to understand what they meant.
Banh mi quickly became a favourite, along with bun cha and plenty of other dishes we tried along the way. Zuzi still talks about the lemongrass chicken, and we’ve tried plenty of Vietnamese restaurants since coming home. They’re often very good, but there’s always something missing compared with eating it in Vietnam.
Being a coffee lover, Vietnam was also a bit of a treat. I loved the coffee culture, particularly egg coffee, which tastes far better than its name suggests. Hanoi was especially good for this, and we visited Giang Café, where egg coffee is said to have been created.
Some of my favourite food experiences were also the simplest. A few times, restaurant staff could clearly see we had no idea how we were supposed to eat something and came over to show us. Vietnamese food already has a big reputation, but for me, it absolutely lived up to it.
History
Most of what I knew about Vietnamese history before visiting was connected to the Vietnam War, but travelling through the country gave me a much broader picture. Hue was particularly interesting for this, with its Imperial City and the extravagant tombs built for Vietnam’s emperors.
More recent history is hard to miss too. In Hanoi, we visited Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, while the Cu Chi Tunnels near Ho Chi Minh City gave us a very different perspective on the Vietnam War. We travelled to Cu Chi independently rather than taking a tour, and seeing the tunnels, traps and just how confined some of the spaces were gave me a much better understanding of what fighting there must have been like.
I also found it interesting hearing the war described from a Vietnamese perspective I’d rarely encountered before. Growing up in the UK, most of what I’d seen had been through Western films and documentaries.
At Cu Chi, the Americans were very clearly presented as the enemy, which was a very different telling of a war I thought I already knew something about.
Cities And Culture
One thing I liked about travelling through Vietnam was how different the cities were from each other. Hanoi was my favourite of the two big cities. Even with the cooler weather and plenty of rain, I loved exploring the Old Quarter, stopping at cafés and just watching everything going on around us.
The motorbikes are impossible not to notice. They seemed to be everywhere, and crossing a busy road for the first time was an experience in itself. Just when you think you’re safely out of the way, one can suddenly appear beside you on the pavement. You do get more accustomed to it, although hiring a motorbike in Hue and tackling the roundabouts ourselves was another matter entirely.
Hoi An was completely different again. Yes, it’s touristy, but that didn’t bother me. We’re tourists too, after all. I loved the historic centre and architecture, and seeing the streets filled with lanterns at night was one of those things that genuinely lived up to the photos.
Ho Chi Minh City was bigger and more intense, although looking back, I don’t think we explored it as well as we could have. It’s somewhere I’d spend more time getting to know on another trip, particularly its food scene.
Best Time To Visit Vietnam
If you’re travelling through several parts of Vietnam, there isn’t really one perfect time to visit. The country stretches a long way from north to south, and the weather can be surprisingly different depending on where you are. Generally, March to May offers some of the best weather across the country, but it’s still worth checking the regions on your itinerary.
This was something I underestimated before our trip. I’d spent enough time in Southeast Asia to think the weather was basically some variation of hot and humid, hot and rainy, or slightly less hot during the cooler months. By the time we reached northern Vietnam, though, we were wearing rain jackets and dealing with much cooler weather than we’d packed for.
It didn’t spoil the trip, but next time I’d pay much more attention to the different regions rather than simply checking the weather for Vietnam.
Things To Know Before Visiting Vietnam
There were a few things about Vietnam that either surprised me or turned out differently from what I’d expected before our trip. None of them would put me off visiting, but they’re worth knowing before you go, particularly if you’re planning your first trip.
The Beaches Aren’t Why I’d Choose Vietnam
Vietnam has a huge coastline and plenty of beaches, but they weren’t one of the highlights of our trip. We spent time on the beach in Nha Trang and cycled out to the coast from Hoi An, and while there was nothing particularly wrong with either, they didn’t have the tropical beach scenery I’d become used to in Thailand.
We didn’t visit Phu Quoc, which is somewhere I’d like to experience on my next trip, so I can’t judge Vietnam’s beaches as a whole from the relatively small part of the coastline we saw.
If beaches and islands were the main reason for my trip to Southeast Asia, I’d personally choose Thailand. In Vietnam, the beaches were a nice addition to everything else rather than one of the main reasons I’d go.
Vietnamese People Were Friendlier Than I’d Expected
Before arriving, I’d read and heard that Vietnamese people could be quite unfriendly or guarded towards tourists. That wasn’t our experience at all.
On our first night, we got lost and someone almost immediately tried to help us. People perhaps weren’t always as openly smiley as we’d become accustomed to in Thailand, but we had plenty of friendly and helpful interactions throughout our two weeks, including with our local guide and her family in Sapa.
Popular Places Can Still Be Worth Seeing
Hoi An is touristy. The Golden Bridge is incredibly popular and, for me, was just okay. Neither of those things means I wish we hadn’t gone.
I loved Hoi An, while I’m still glad I saw the Golden Bridge for myself. If somewhere genuinely interests me, I’d rather go and form my own opinion. Even if it turns out to be disappointing, at least I know. I’d take that over going home and wondering whether I should have experienced it for myself.
Is Vietnam Good For First Time Visitors?
Yes, I think Vietnam can be a great choice for a first trip to Southeast Asia. We found it easy to travel around and didn’t need to have every bus, hotel and tour organised before we arrived. We booked plenty as we travelled, which gave us the freedom to work our way north without sticking to a rigid itinerary.
Some of the journeys were an experience in themselves. Vietnam’s sleeper buses were far better than the overnight buses I’d used in Thailand. Some had proper reclining beds, while others had individual booth style bed compartments with curtains for privacy. It felt a bit like travelling overnight in a spaceship. For a backpacking trip, they were a comfortable way of covering some of Vietnam’s longer distances without losing an entire day to travelling.
Vietnam’s shape does make distances easy to underestimate. Travelling from Ho Chi Minh City in the south to Hanoi and Sapa in the north takes time, and the weather can change considerably along the way.
If Vietnam is the country you’re more interested in, I’d go to Vietnam. For a first trip, I’d be far more concerned about trying to squeeze too much into the itinerary than whether Vietnam itself is manageable.
How Many Days Do You Need In Vietnam?
I’d give Vietnam at least two weeks if you want to travel through several parts of the country. We had two weeks and travelled from Ho Chi Minh City in the south all the way to Sapa in the north, stopping at Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi and Ha Long Bay along the way.
Two weeks was enough to see a lot, but there are definitely places I’d have liked more time in.
If you only have one week, I’d still go. I just wouldn’t try to recreate a shortened version of a two week route. Pick one part of Vietnam and enjoy it properly rather than spending half the trip travelling between places.
For me, two weeks is the sweet spot for a first trip, while three weeks or longer would give you much more freedom to slow down.
How I Would Plan My Next Trip To Vietnam
If I went back to Vietnam, I’d happily do most of our first trip again. The difference is that I’d be more selective and spend longer in some of the places we rushed through.
Ho Chi Minh City would get much more time. Looking back, I don’t think we really got a proper feel for it, and next time I’d explore more of its food and nightlife, including one of the scooter food tours we somehow missed. I’d spend longer in Sapa too and do an overnight trek, while Da Nang and Phu Quoc would both be new additions.
There are places I’d return to simply because I enjoyed them. Beer Street in Hanoi was great fun, Hue looked really cool at night, and I’d happily wander around Hoi An beneath the lanterns again. I’d even give Ha Long Bay another go, this time on a cruise I’d researched more carefully.
I’d probably fly some of the longer distances on another two week holiday too. That’s easy to say after you’ve already backpacked the length of Vietnam once, though. If I had months to travel around Southeast Asia again, I’d be in no rush to replace those sleeper buses.
The landscapes and the food would probably be the two things I’d be most excited about returning for. I’d love to see the mountains and rice terraces around Sapa again, then undo all that healthy trekking with as much banh mi, bun cha and egg coffee as possible.
So, is Vietnam worth visiting? Absolutely. I’d genuinely fly all the way back to Vietnam for a banh mi and an egg coffee.