Vietnamese coast and islands off the beaten path.
Less-touristed coastal towns and islands in Vietnam, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
thi xa Quang Tri
This weathered stone gateway fronts a lotus-filled moat, with coconut palms rising behind the old walls — this North Central Coast Vietnamese town carries vi…
Hà Tiên
A coastal city in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, Hà Tiên sits on the water at the Cambodian border with mountains close by and a walkable centre of cafés and restau…
Nha Trang
Vietnam's most prominent seaside resort city, Nha Trang sits on the South Central Coast with a long beach, a dense café and restaurant scene, and a reputatio…
Go Cong
This Mekong Delta city where a grand two-storey colonial building with arched green shutters and ornate facades slowly surrenders to tropical vegetation, off…
Da Nang
A large coastal city in central Vietnam with a dense café and restaurant scene, long beaches within walking distance, and mountains close by offering scenic…
Sơn La
A patchwork of vivid rice and vegetable fields spreads across the valley floor of this northwest Vietnamese provincial capital, with forested karst peaks ris…
Lang Son
A compact Vietnamese city in far northern Vietnam where dramatic karst limestone peaks rise directly above a low-rise urban streetscape of palm trees and red…
Sa Đéc
A river port city in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, Sa Đéc sits on the water in Đồng Tháp province and serves as an agricultural and trading hub for the surrounding…
Vinh
A large city on the Lam River in Vietnam's North Central Coast, Vinh has a walkable centre with a solid spread of cafés and restaurants.
Song Cau
A broad bay dotted with fishing boats stretches out below dense palm groves in this coastal city on Vietnam's South Central Coast, with green hills framing t…
Cẩm Phả
A working Vietnamese port city in Quảng Ninh, where colourful wooden fishing boats line a calm waterfront backed by rolling hills, and the wider region borde…
Kiên Giang
Former coastal province in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, Kiên Giang was long regarded as one of the region's leading cultural and tourism destinations, known for t…
Ninh Thuận
Ninh Thuận, a former coastal province on Vietnam's South Central Coast now merged into Khánh Hòa, was for centuries the political and cultural heart of the C…
Hai Duong
Mid-sized Vietnamese city on the Red River Delta, where calm lakeside streets lined with colourful villas sit at the convenient midpoint between Hanoi and th…
Cua Lo
Cửa Lò is a coastal town in Nghệ An province, in Vietnam's North Central Coast region, serving as the main seaport for the city of Vinh.
Haiphong
Vietnam's principal northern port city, Haiphong is also the gateway to Cát Bà Archipelago, home to a UNESCO-recognised biosphere reserve, and to the beach r…
La Gi
Vietnamese coastal city where a broad red-brick temple courtyard — guarded by stone lions and decorated with vivid dragon reliefs under ornate tiled roofs —…
Đà Lạt
This highland city in Vietnam's Central Highlands, Đà Lạt sits roughly 1,500 metres above sea level on the Langbiang Plateau, giving it a cool, misty climate…
Đông Hà
Đông Hà, the provincial capital of Quảng Trị in central Vietnam, sits at the junction of Highway 1 and Highway 9 — the eastern starting point of the East–Wes…
Ha Tinh
This city in Vietnam's North Central Coast region with a walkable centre and a dense café and restaurant scene, Ha Tinh sits close to the South China Sea and…
Vũng Tàu
A coastal city on a peninsula in southeastern Vietnam, Vũng Tàu draws visitors with its beaches — including Bãi Sau and Bãi Trước — a warm year-round climate…
Oc Eo
Oc Eo, in An Giang Province of southern Vietnam's Mekong Delta, is an archaeological site that was once a major port of the Funan kingdom between the 2nd cen…
Long My
Flat, low-rise Mekong Delta town in Vietnam's Hậu Giang province, where palm-lined streets buzz with motorbikes and local commerce along the waterway-laced l…
Gia Nghia
A Central Highlands city in Vietnam's Đắk Nông Province, where a yellow pedestrian bridge crosses a calm waterway toward colorful domed buildings and thatche…
Chàm Islands
A UNESCO-recognized marine biosphere reserve off the central coast of Vietnam, the Chàm Islands are a group of eight islands in the South China Sea, reachabl…
Ba Ria
This busy Vietnamese provincial town lined with palm trees, a lively commercial centre, and a good spread of cafés, restaurants, and churches, with upland co…
Đồng Hới
A coastal city in central Vietnam with a long stretch of white sand beach along the South China Sea, Đồng Hới also sits on the Nhật Lệ River and is the close…
Quảng Ngãi
Quảng Ngãi, a city on Vietnam's Central Coast, is most closely associated with the My Lai massacre of 1968, making it a significant stop for those tracing th…
Thanh Hóa
Sitting on both banks of the Ma River, Thanh Hóa is a large provincial capital in Vietnam's North Central Coast region, with mountains visible from the city…
Lao Bao
Lao Bảo sits on the Sepon River, the natural border between Vietnam and Laos, at the western end of National Route 9 in Quảng Trị Province.
An Khe
A workaday Central Highlands town in Gia Lai province, An Khe sits along a broad tree-lined highway corridor connecting the coast to the uplands, with local…
Tam Ky
A workaday Vietnamese coastal city on the South Central Coast, Tam Ky offers wide palm-lined boulevards, a lively street scene of motorbikes and local commer…
Ganh Hao
A flat coastal town on Vietnam's far southern tip where lush green shoreline meets a wide, murky sea lined with a striking row of offshore wind turbines stre…
Mong Cai
Vietnamese border city on the Ka Long River in Quảng Ninh province, Mong Cai sits directly on the frontier with China, with more than 70 kilometres of shared…
Hong Linh
Broad rice paddies stretch to the horizon under misty skies in this North Central Coast town, backed by the multi-peaked Hồng Lĩnh mountains and bordered by…
Ky Anh
A working coastal city in Vietnam's North Central Coast, Kỳ Anh fronts a busy port where cargo ships and patrol vessels share the waterfront, with upland cou…
Qui Nhon
Qui Nhon is a large Vietnamese coastal city with a lively central café and restaurant scene, easy waterfront access, and enough independent-traveller appeal…
Tuy Hòa
A mid-sized Vietnamese coastal city with a walkable centre packed with cafés and restaurants, Tuy Hòa sits right at the water with upland country close by, m…
Bai Chay
A coastal Vietnamese town with a walkable café and restaurant scene, hilly surrounds with scenic viewpoints, and easy access to the UNESCO-listed waters of H…
Vinh Chau
This mid-sized Vietnamese coastal city where the water meets everyday urban life, offering visitors a glimpse into a working waterfront community in the Meko…
Kep
This compact Vietnamese coastal town where calm waterfront walks meet easy access to upland countryside, with several UNESCO World Heritage sites scattered a…