Must-see attractions in Northeast Vietnam

  • Unoccupied beach at the Lan Ha Bay in Vietnam

    Lan Ha Bay

    Cat Ba Island

    Lying to the south of Halong Bay off the north-eastern coast of Vietnam, the 300-or-so karst islands and limestone outcrops of Lan Ha are just as…

  • Cannon Fort, Cat Ba Island.

    Cannon Fort

    Cat Ba Island

    For one of the best views in Vietnam, head to Cannon Fort, where there are astounding panoramas of Cat Ba Island's jungle-clad hills, the harbour and the…

  • Hong Van beach in Co To Island.

    Hong Van Beach

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    Most Vietnamese visitors make a beeline for Hong Van Beach – and justifiably so. It's nearly 3km of fine, white sand lapped by blue water and backed by a…

  • Queen of the Rosary Cathedral

    Haiphong

    Haiphong’s elegant Roman Catholic cathedral was built in the 19th century and comprehensively restored in 2010. The building’s grey towers are a local…

  • Cat Ba National Park.

    Cat Ba National Park

    Cat Ba Island

    Cat Ba's beautiful national park is home to 32 species of mammal, including most of the world's 65 remaining golden-headed langurs, the world's most…

  • Hang Coc Bo

    Northeast Vietnam

    After 30 years of exile, Ho Chi Minh re-entered Vietnam in January 1941 and took shelter in this small cave in one of the most remote regions of Vietnam,…

  • Cruise ship at anchor in Bai Tu Long Bay, Vietnam.

    Bai Tu Long National Park

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    The spectacular islands of Bai Tu Long Bay, immediately northeast of Halong Bay, form Bai Tu Long National Park and are every bit as beautiful as their…

  • The hospital cave of Cat Ba Island in Vietnam

    Hospital Cave

    Cat Ba Island

    Hospital Cave served both as a secret bomb-proof hospital during the American War and as a safe house for Viet Cong (VC) leaders. Built between 1963 and…

  • Ba Be National Park

    Northeast Vietnam

    Often referred to as the Ba Be Lakes, Ba Be National Park was established in 1992 as Vietnam’s eighth national park. The scenery swoops from towering…

  • Opera House, Haiphong

    Opera House

    Haiphong

    With a facade embellished with white columns, Haiphong’s neoclassical Opera House dates from 1904. It's usually not possible to view the interior, but…

  • Hang Trong Cave also known as Drum Cave – The most beautiful cave in Ha Long Bay.

    Hang Trong

    Halong Bay

    Hang Trong has wide-arched entrances on either side and a ceiling clustered with stalactites. It's so named because when the wind blows through its…

  • Cat Co Cove

    Cat Ba Island

    A 10-minute walk southeast from Cat Ba Town, the three Cat Co Cove beaches boast the nearest sand to town, though all are being developed with hotel…

  • Ba Be Lake

    Ba Be National Park

    Rimmed by limestone peaks, Ba Be (meaning Three Bays) is in fact three linked lakes, with a total length of 8km and a width of about 400m. Most boat…

  • Sunworld

    Halong City

    Vietnamese and cruise-ship tourists flock to this cable car that spans the Cua Luc inlet, offering dramatic views over Halong Bay. The views are…

  • Nhi Thanh Cave

    Northeast Vietnam

    Paths follow the the Ngoc Tuyen River through this beautiful cave for about 1km. The entrance has a series of poems carved in Chinese characters by the…

  • Minh Chau Beach

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    The beautiful 1km-long crescent-moon sweep of Minh Chau Beach, 12km from Quan Lan town on the northeastern coast, is the island's main drawcard. Between…

  • Haiphong Museum

    Haiphong

    In a splendid colonial building, this small museum concentrates on the city's history, with English translations on displays. The front hall's taxidermy…

  • Hang Dau Go

    Halong Bay

    This huge cave consists of three chambers reached via 90 steps. Inside, ceilings soar up to 25m high, while some rather disco-festive lighting illuminates…

  • Du Hang Pagoda

    Haiphong

    Du Hang Pagoda was founded three centuries ago. It’s been rebuilt several times, but remains a fine example of traditional Vietnamese architecture and…

  • Tam Thanh Cave

    Northeast Vietnam

    Tam Thanh Cave is vast and seductive, with a water pool inside and natural ‘window’ offering a sweeping view of the surrounding rice fields.

  • Quan Lan Pagoda

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    The only attraction within Quan Lan Town itself is this beautiful 200-year-old pagoda, flanked by the town's communal house and a temple, all of which are…

  • Bac Van Beach

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    Directly north of Hong Van Beach is its slightly scruffier sister, Bac Van Beach. It's quieter, but coarse sand and water not quite deep enough for…

  • Hang Sung Sot

    Halong Bay

    The popular Hang Sung Sot has three vast chambers – in the second there’s a pink-lit rock phallus unsurprisingly regarded as a fertility symbol. Even less…

  • Mong Rong Headland

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    For coastal scenery beyond the beaches, head south from town for 3km, bearing left at the pond, to the flagpole and headland of Mong Rong, where walking…

  • Trung Trang Cave

    Cat Ba Island

    Within Cat Ba National Park but accessed from a separate roadside entrance 2km north of Hospital Cave, the multi-chambered Trung Trang Cave is fun to…

  • Cat Co 3

    Cat Ba Island

    Cat Co 3 is the closest beach to Cat Ba Town but its blink-and-you-miss-it sliver of sand isn't really worth stopping for. Head here just to take the…

  • Hua Ma Cave

    Ba Be National Park

    One of Ba Be's most popular off-the-water sights is this 800m-long cave complex with a pathway leading down into a soaring 50m-high cavern. It's 6km…

  • Cat Co 1

    Cat Ba Island

    Cat Co 1 has a decent stretch of beach but is dominated by a rather ugly resort. Don't expect much peace and quiet here during the summer months as it's…

  • Hang Thien Cung

    Halong Bay

    Part of the same cave system as nearby Hang Dau Go, Hang Thien Cung has ‘cauliflower’ limestone growths as well as stalactites and stalagmites.

  • Van Chay Beach

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    Located in the northwestern corner of Co To Island is broad Van Chay Beach. During the summer months it's home to lots of food stalls, as well as kayak…

  • Uncle Ho Museum

    Northeast Vietnam

    This modest museum sits at the entrance to the Coc Bo Cave area. It covers the period in 1941 during which Ho Chin Minh lived here, planning his…

  • Beach No 1

    Halong City

    This wide and sandy beach offers good sunset strolls and views of the cruise ships and lighthouse. It's accessible behind the massive Sunworld complex.

  • Cat Ba Market

    Cat Ba Island

    The market at the northern end of Cat Ba Town's harbour is a scruffy local affair with twitching crabs, jumbo shrimp and pyramids of fresh fruit.

  • Dau Dang Waterfall

    Ba Be National Park

    The Dau Dang Waterfall (also called the Ta Ken Waterfall) is a series of spectacular cascades between sheer walls of rock.

  • Ho Chi Minh Monument

    Cat Ba Island

    This monument stands up on imaginatively named Mountain No 1, the hillock opposite the pier in Cat Ba Town.

  • Cat Co 2

    Cat Ba Island

    By far the nicest beach in Cat Co Cove is Cat Co 2 with a pretty swathe of white sand.

  • Navy Museum

    Haiphong

    The Navy Museum is interesting for visiting sailors and US Vietnam veterans.