Itineraries, practical tips and day trips to plan your stay in Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh and Sapa.
Hanoi tap water is not safe to drink as it comes: locals boil or filter it, and visitors drink bottled or f...
Hoi An is worth 2 to 3 days: the UNESCO-listed old town with its yellow houses and lanterns, local food (ca...
Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam, can be seen in 1 to 2 days: the Imperial City (200,000 VND for...
For US citizens, the State Department rates Vietnam Level 1, "Exercise Normal Precautions", according to it...
Ninh Binh or Ha Long Bay? If you only have one day from Hanoi, choose Ninh Binh: it is closer (about 2 hour...
Fast track at Noi Bai airport (HAN) is a paid escort that meets you at the aircraft door or the immigration...
Phu Quoc is the big beach island of southern Vietnam, in the Gulf of Thailand. The best time to go is the d...
Sapa (Sa Pa), in Lao Cai province, is the mountain town of northern Vietnam, known for its terraced rice fi...
The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is the capital's historic hotel: it has welcomed guests since 1901, at 1...
The best things to do in Ninh Binh come down to three: a rowing-boat ride between the limestone cliffs (Tra...
The Trang An boat ride has three numbered routes. Route 1 is the longest and has the most caves (about 3 ho...
For a business trip to Vietnam, the 90-day e-visa often covers meetings, while a business visa (DN) needs a...
A tour circuit in Vietnam almost always follows the same line, north to south: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Bin...
The currency of Vietnam is the dong (VND, ₫). In 2026 one US dollar is worth about 26,300 VND (April 2026 r...
Vietnam's rainy season has no single set of dates: it runs roughly from May to September in the North, from...
For a first trip to Vietnam from north to south, allow at least 10 to 14 days and 3 or 4 stops rather than ...
The best time to visit Vietnam depends on the region: the North (Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Sapa) is pleasant from...
For hotels in Ha Long, choose Bai Chay if you want a convenient seaside stay, with hotels, restaurants and ...
For hotels in Sapa there are two choices: the town centre, handy for restaurants, markets and trek departur...
Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh is a large resort on the edge of the Van Long reserve, about 90 km from Hanoi (1....
For a capsule hotel in Hanoi, Booking's capsule list (read on 30 October 2026) is mostly hostels in Hoan Ki...
In Hanoi, avoid starting a conversation about politics or the war yourself, do not touch anyone's head, do ...
We found no tourist tax in Hanoi in the sources read on 30 October 2026, but a hotel's displayed price can ...
In Hanoi, a laundry with pickup costs about 25,000 to 40,000 dong a kilo in 24 to 48 hours, against 80,000 ...
