Standard route: Hanoi → Halong → Hoi An → Saigon. But that's only 5% of what Vietnam offers. Below 10 places most tourists do not know about.
1. Ha Giang Loop — Motorboat Odyssey
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TRAIN OF VIETNAM.350 km of serpentine among the mountains on the edge of the Chinese border. 3-4 days on a motorcycle. Ethnic villages (H'mong, Dao, Tay), limestone elevations of “karst world”, “Happiness Road” (QL4C) — one of Asia's most dramatic roads.
- She has Pi Leng Pass(2000 m) — Nho Que River Canyon panorama 800 m deep
- Dong Van Karst Plateau— UNESCO Global Geopark
- Bảo Lạc, Mèo Vạc, Lũng Cú Flag Tower(most north of Vietnam, border with China)
- Sunday Market Đồng Văn— Miao, Dao, Tay in traditional outfits
Logistics: bike rental + guide-translator (optional): 3 million VND for 4 days. Newbies: “Easy Rider” — you sit behind an experienced leader.
2. Phong Nha-K
Province of Quảng Bình, UNESCO. Complex of 300 caves includingHang Sun Đoòng—The largest cave in the world. Length 5 km, height 200 m, width 150 m. You can fit a 40-story skyscraper in it.
- Sên Đoòng expedition: 5 days with Oxalis (only licensed company), 3000 USD/person, lasts 5-8 months waiting list. Only 1000 people per year
- Paradise Cave (Thiên Đường): 31 km underground stalactite gallery, access with a half-hour wooden trape. Introduction 250,000 VND
- Dark Cave (Hang Toi): tarzan, zipline, mud bath in the cave — for adrenaline. 450,000 VND
- Phong Nha Cave: available by boat, 45 min of underground river. 150 000 VND
Base:Phong Nha town, 500 km south of Hanoi (12 hours by train or 1 hour flight to Đồng Hới).
3. Con Dao Archipelago — intact beaches
16 islands south of the continent. Historically: French and South Vietnamese Prison for Political Dissidents (1862-1975). Today: World-class diving, sea turtles, pristine beaches.
- An Hai Beach— 3 km of white sand, almost empty
- Ong Dung Beach— snorkeling for coral colony
- Bay Canh Island— turtle eggs season (June-September), eco tourism with bodyguards
- Con Dao National Park— trekking, national park with endemics
- Con Dao Prison Museum— a historical museum of tiger cages
Directions: plane from Saigon (Vasco Airlines) 45 min, from 1.5 million VND. Alternate: ferry from Vũng Tàu 5 hours.
4. Mai Châu — villages of Tây
140 km from Hanoi (3,5 hours). Valley among mountains, ethnic villagesTay and Muong, traditional houses on stakes. Homestay in villages Pom Coong or Lac.
- Cycling in rice fields
- Trekking in the mountains
- Evening folk dances
- Baths in Suoi Mo Waterfall
Alternative to Sapa — closer to Hanoi, less tourists, less cold.
5. Ba Bể Lake — a lake in the mountains
The largest natural lake of Vietnam (500 hectares) in the province of Bắc Kạn, surrounded by limestone mountains. National park. Boat ride 4 hours through lakes, caves, waterfalls.
- Puông Cave— 300 m underground tunnel with river
- Đầu Đẳng Waterfall— 3-step cascade
- Homestay in the village of Pác Ngòi(Tay) — traditional wooden house on stakes
Directions: 240 km from Hanoi (6 hours by bus, no train).
6. Cao Bằng — Ban Gioc Waterfall + Ba Bể
The province at the Chinese border.Ban Gioc Waterfall—4. the largest cross-border waterfall in the world(It is at the Vietnam-China border, height 30 m, width 300 m). A bamboo boat ride to the bottom levels.
Bonus:Nguom Ngao Cave— 2 km of underground stalactites, one of the most beautiful caves in Vietnam.
Directions: 300 km from Hanoi (7 hour bus). Definitely for troublemakers.
7. Mũi Né and Bàu Trắng — the desert of Vietnam
Province of Bình Thuận (200 km from Saigon). Fishing town + sand dunes (yes, in Vietnam!).
- White Dunes (Bàu Trắng)— like the Sahara, the quad or the jeep
- Red Dunes (Đồi Cát Đỏ)— smaller, just near Mũi Né. Sunrise Perfect
- Fairy Stream— a stream through blood red canyons
- Fishery village— round bamboo coracle boats
Mũi Né is also the capitalAsian kitesurfing— the best winds of October-March.
8. Dà Lat — The Mountain Capital of Romanticism
Central highlands, 1500 m above sea level. The climate of eternal spring (16-24°C). French architecture, lakes, strawberry farms, coffee plantations. A place for Vietnamese honeymoons.
- Crazy House— Surreal hotel-labirint as a baobab tree
- Truc Lam Zen Monastery— Buddhist monastery + Lake Tuyen Lam
- Elephant Falls,Dannla Falls— waterfalls
- Coffee and strawberry farms— tastings
9. Cát Tiên National Park — Jungle and Elephants
150 km from Saigon. Vietnam’s largest national park — 720 km2 of tropical jungle. The last wild elephants of Vietnam (~120 individuals), gorillas, gaurys.
- Trekking in wild paths
- 4x4 night safari (animal vision)
- Bear Sanctuary
- Bird watching (350 bird species)
10. Kon Tum — Villages of Bahnar
Central highlands, not much visited province. Ethnic villagesBahnarandGia Rai— Christian minority (French missionaries of the 19th century). Characteristicrongi— Up to 30 m high assembly houses.
- Kon K'tu Village— Best Preserved
- Wooden Cathedral of Kon Tum— French Cathedral of 1918, all of wood
- Chief Villages Marketing: textiles, music
Bonus: Vietnam off schedule
- Cát Bà Island— Halong alternative, economically
- Nam Du Islands— 21 islands near Phú Quēc, “Vietnam 30 years ago”
- Bai Tu Long Bay— Halong neighbor, less tourists, more natural
- Ninh Van Bay— luxury resorts near Nha Trang, but wild island
- Y You(Province of Lào Cai) — Further than Sapa, truly authentic villages of Hmong
15-day off-beat routes
Route 1: Extreme North
Hanoi (2 days) → Ha Giang Loop (4 days by motorcycle) → Ba Bể Lake (2 days) → Cao Bằng + Ban Gioc (3 days) → Cat Ba (3 days) → Hanoi
Route 2: Off-beat from sea to mountains
Saigon (2 days) → Mũi Né (2 days) → Đà Lạt (2 days) → Nha Trang (2 days) → Phong Nha (3 days) → Huế (2 days) → Nẵng/Hoi An (2 days)
Route 3: Delta + islands
Saigon (2 days) → Mekong Delta (3 days) → Cần Thơ floating fair → Phú Quốc (5 days) → Con Dao Islands (5 days)