Places to visit in

Vietnam

Independence Palace (also known as Reunification Palace) is a landmark of Ho Chi Minh City and a symbol of modern Vietnamese history. Completed in 1966 and designed by architect Ngô Viết Thụ, it replaced the old Norodom Palace that was damaged in a 1962 coup. The palace served as the presidential residence and the workplace of the President of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). Its most famous historical moment came on 30 April 1975 when a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through its gates, marking the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War — an event that gave the building its popular name, Reunification Palace. The site now functions as a museum and memorial, preserving period interiors, government rooms, and wartime relics.

Nguyen Hue Walking Street (Đường đi bộ Nguyễn Huệ) is a major civic boulevard in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1, transformed from a colonial-era road into a modern pedestrian promenade and a symbol of the city’s urban renewal. It links historical landmarks (Ho Chi Minh City Hall, the Saigon Opera House area) with contemporary high-rise development along the Saigon River and serves as a primary public gathering place for festivals, civic celebrations, and everyday social life.

Jade Emperor Pagoda (Chùa Ngọc Hoàng) is one of Ho Chi Minh City's most important Taoist-Buddhist temples, built in the early 20th century by the local Chinese community. It is a living place of worship and a cultural landmark known for its syncretic blend of Vietnamese and Chinese religious practices, intricate woodcarving and sculpture, and the strong devotional life that continues there. The pagoda is significant both as a spiritual center for local devotees and as a popular cultural-heritage stop for visitors interested in Vietnam's religious diversity.

Bitexco Financial Tower Skydeck is a modern symbol of Ho Chi Minh City’s rapid economic growth and urban transformation since the early 2010s. As part of the iconic Bitexco Financial Tower (completed 2010), the Skydeck showcases Vietnam’s push toward contemporary architecture and global business presence. The tower’s lotus-bud inspired design and prominent skyline position make it a landmark for both visitors and locals.

Cu Chi Tunnels are an extensive underground network used by the Viet Cong during the First Indochina War and, most famously, the Vietnam War. The tunnels illustrate ingenious guerrilla-engineering, survival strategies and local resistance—serving as living evidence of wartime logistics, command posts, living quarters, hospitals and supply lines. Today they are preserved as a historical site and museum that offers insight into civilian and military life during wartime and Vietnam's contemporary memory culture.

Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve (often called Rung Sac) was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2000. It protects one of Vietnam’s largest mangrove areas and serves critical roles in coastal protection, carbon sequestration, fishery nursery habitat, and biodiversity conservation. The reserve supports mangrove-dependent wildlife and migratory birds and is an important natural buffer for Ho Chi Minh City against storms and coastal erosion.

Cao Dai Holy See (Tay Ninh Temple) is the principal temple and administrative center of Caodaism, a syncretic Vietnamese religion founded in the 1920s. The Holy See is both a religious and cultural landmark: its ornate, eclectic architecture and ritual life reflect Vietnam's complex history of colonialism, nationalism and spiritual innovation. It is a major pilgrimage site for followers of Caodaism and an emblematic example of religious syncretism—blending elements of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity and spiritism—and of 20th-century Vietnamese religious architecture.

Ba Den Mountain (Núi Bà Đen) is the highest peak in southern Vietnam (approx. 986 m). It is significant both naturally—as an isolated granite massif with rich biodiversity and panoramic views—and culturally: a major pilgrimage site with temples and shrines attracting devotees and visitors for centuries.

Vung Tau Lighthouse (Hải đăng Vũng Tàu) is a prominent coastal landmark and navigational aid for vessels approaching Vung Tau and the entrance to the Saigon River. Perched on Núi Nhỏ (Small Mountain), it is an important symbol of Vung Tau’s maritime history and a popular vantage point offering panoramic views of the city, surrounding coastline and South China Sea. The structure reflects colonial-era influences and contributes to the city’s identity as a seaside resort.

Christ of Vung Tau (Tượng Chúa Giêsu Kitô) is one of Vietnam's most recognizable coastal landmarks and an important pilgrimage site for Vietnamese Catholics. Perched on Núi Nhỏ (Small Mountain), the statue functions both as a religious symbol and as a panoramic viewpoint that showcases the natural beauty of Vũng Tàu's coastline and harbor. It has become an iconic part of the city's identity and a major attraction for domestic and international visitors.

Back Beach (Bai Sau) in Vung Tau is one of the city's most significant coastal stretches: a long curved shoreline facing the South China Sea that has served as a seaside resort since the French colonial period. The area combines natural importance—clean sandy beaches, coastal marine life, and scenic sunrise views—with cultural value as part of Vung Tau's identity as a fishing and holiday town for residents of Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces. The beach is also near colonial-era landmarks (such as the Vung Tau Lighthouse) and wartime sites that reflect the peninsula's layered history.

Bãi Trước (Front Beach) in Vũng Tàu is the city’s central waterfront and has long been a coastal gateway and leisure promenade for residents of southern Vietnam. The bay area played a role as a colonial-era resort and port, hosting French villas and seafaring commerce. Today it is important as a cultural meeting place, an access point for maritime travel, and a seaside urban ecosystem linking coral-fringed nearshore waters, rock outcrops and a busy fishing economy.

Cai Rang Floating Market is one of the largest and most iconic wholesale floating markets in the Mekong Delta, located near Can Tho city. It is a living example of life adapted to a riverine environment: trade, transport, and community life take place primarily on waterways. The market reflects the agricultural richness of the Mekong Delta—especially fruits, vegetables, and regional specialties—and is important for understanding local commerce patterns, rural livelihoods, and Mekong Delta culture.

Phong Dien Floating Market is an important local trading hub in the Mekong Delta near Cần Thơ, reflecting centuries-old riverine commerce that shaped daily life and agricultural economies in southern Vietnam. The market demonstrates the region's reliance on waterways for transport and trade and preserves traditional practices of buying and selling from boats rather than on land. It offers a window into the Mekong Delta's agricultural abundance and cultural rhythms tied to the river and seasons.

Ninh Kieu Wharf (Bến Ninh Kiều) is the iconic riverside quay in Cần Thơ city, the largest city in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. It historically served as a trading and transport hub along the Hậu (Bassac) River, connecting riverborne commerce across the delta. Today it is a cultural focal point—an urban park and promenade where residents and visitors gather, offering a front-row view of daily river life and the rhythms of the Mekong. The wharf reflects the region's river-based economy, cuisine, and cultural traditions.

Ben Tre is known as the "Land of Coconuts" and represents one of the most iconic landscapes of the Mekong Delta. The coconut groves are central to the province's economy and rural identity—providing food, handicrafts, building materials and fuel. The network of canals and orchards illustrates traditional riverine agriculture and a slower, village-centered way of life that contrasts with Vietnam's urban centers.

Vĩnh Tràng Pagoda (Chùa Vĩnh Tràng) is one of the most famous and architecturally distinctive Buddhist temples in the Mekong Delta, located in Mỹ Tho, Tiền Giang Province. Founded in the mid-19th century and extensively renovated over time, it serves as an important religious, cultural and community center for southern Vietnam. The pagoda is notable for blending Vietnamese, Chinese and European architectural influences, reflecting the multicultural trading and religious currents of the region.

Sa Dec Flower Village (Làng hoa Sa Đéc) is a historic horticultural center in the Mekong Delta's Đồng Tháp province. For generations it has supplied flowers and ornamental plants across southern Vietnam, notably for Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year). The area blends traditional agricultural techniques with canal-based rural life and is culturally significant as a living example of Mekong Delta floriculture and village economy.

Tram Chim National Park is one of the most important wetland reserves in Vietnam's Mekong Delta. It protects seasonally flooded grasslands and wetland habitats that support a rich diversity of waterbirds, freshwater fish and wetland plants. The park is a key site for the globally significant Eastern sarus crane population and is considered an important example of successful wetland conservation in Vietnam. It also provides ecosystem services to local communities through fisheries, flood control and reed/grass resources.

Tra Su Cajuput Forest (Rừng Tràm Trà Sư) is a rare, well-preserved wetland forest in An Giang Province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. It is ecologically significant as a seasonal flooded forest that supports a high diversity of birdlife, fish, and wetland plants, especially the cajuput (Melaleuca) trees. The forest plays an important role in local flood control, water purification, and as a breeding ground for aquatic species. Culturally, it reflects the traditional relationship between Mekong Delta communities and their waterways, with local livelihoods tied to fishing, rice farming, and eco-tourism.