Vietnam is a vibrant country with adventures ranging from river cruises to motorcycle tours to cave diving. It has absolutely delicious food, stunning views, and so much history. Below, I highlighted my top 8 things to do in Vietnam.

My full trip report of my 6 weeks in Vietnam lists all of the areas I visited while riding a motorcycle from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, so check it out if you want to read more about Vietnam!

Note: If you don’t have international data, I highly recommend downloading an e-sim before your trip! While many of the huts have wifi, it’s good to have service in case of emergencies or to ensure your map loads. I use Airalo for my e-sims, which is affordable and is easy to download. Make sure your phone is e-sim compatible!

1. Get custom clothes made in Hoi An

Hoi An, located in the south central part of Vietnam, is a bustling market famous for its tailors. Within 48 hours, you can walk into a tailor shop and come home with a fully made custom suit.

This was a really fun experience! I recommend walking around to 3-5 shops, looking at the materials, and talking to the tailors about their timelines and costs. Make sure you negotiate! My partner got 2 suits made for $410 total (so $205 each). This depends largely on the material you pick and your timeline.

After picking the material, you will go in for 2-3 fittings. It’s truly remarkable what the tailors can make! You can even show up with a picture of something you’ve always wanted and they will make it for you.

Hoi An is a wonderful city with lots to do, so spending 3 days here is easy to fill with visits to places like My Son, Danang, and the Marble Mountains.

2. Cruise through the limestone rocks of Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay and nearby Cat Ba Island are infamous in Vietnam. The limestone pillars in the ocean are absolutely stunning and worth a visit. If you are short on time, sign up for a 1-day (or 2-day overnight) cruise through the bay, where you will visit caves, viewpoints, and have a 5 star lunch onboard your ship. Most of these trips can be booked in advance online, or you can find a local operator in Hanoi that includes transportation to the coast.

If you have extra time, take a bus over to Cat Ba Island where you can have a less touristy experience. You can hike through Cat Ba National Park and go on smaller kayak tours without the large boat crowds. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, try deep water soloing (climbing on the cliffs without a rope, and falling into the water). This is not for the faint of heart, and I highly recommend having climbing experience if you want to try this.

3. Explore the world’s largest cave system in Phong Nha

Did you know the largest cave in the world, called Son Doong Cave, is located in Central Vietnam? This cave was discovered in 1990, and only allows 1,000 visitors per year. This type of trip costs $3,000+ and you need to book over a year in advance with Oxalis Adventure.

Alternatively, you can explore the nearby caves on other cave tours (which I did) and it amazing! Trust me, even the other caves in the area are enormous. I did the 5-day / 4-night Tu Lan cave tour with Oxalis Adventure for about $300, and it was one of the highlights of my 6 weeks in Vietnam.

If you’re looking to explore the caves, you can fly into or take a train to Dong Hoi, where the tour company can pick you up or organize transfer (~1.5 hour drive) to Phong Nha.

4. Rent a motorcycle and go on a road trip

The driving in Vietnam can be… pretty crazy. If you’re feeling up to it, I recommend getting on a bike and taking a road trip through the unique roads and mountain passes in Vietnam. While I drove the entire country (Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi), you can do smaller loops through rice paddy fields or up to mountain passes on a day trip or a few night loop. My favorite road stretches were:

Ho Chi Minh Highway (QL15), running from Khe Sanh to Phong Nha: 3-5 day loop
Hai Van Pass, connecting Danang to Hue: day trip or 2-3 day loop
Mountains to beach road from Dalat to Nha Trang: day trip or 2-3 day loop
Ha Giang Loop: 3-4 day loop (note that you should book a tour to do this, as police monitor this loop and you need a Vietnamese license). International Driving Permits are not accepted from American citizens. Also, the road is extremely challenging!

I rented my bike from Style Motorbikes, which has locations in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hoi An, Danang, and Ha Giang.

5. Visit a floating market on the Mekong Delta

Floating markets are unique to Vietnam and still function as a means to trade and sell goods for people in Southern Vietnam, ranging from clothings products to food. Unfortunately, floating markets are becoming less popular with the installation of more bridges, but they still are important means to transport materials to smaller villages.

You can visit a floating market on a 2-day / 1-night trip from Ho Chi Minh City, going south to Can Tho and Ben Tre. I recommend doing a group trip, as you will need to wake up extremely early (~5am) to see the market in full swing and it’s hard to manage the visit on public transportation. The market operates very early, with sellers showing up around 3am and the market closing around 9-10am. If you go later, it is less authentic and tailored for tourists.

6. Experience temples like the Marble Mountains outside Hoi An / Danang

While you will find temples throughout Vietnam, my favorite was the Marble Mountains. About half way between Hoi An and Danang (~30 minute drive from each), the Marble Mountains consist of a network of natural caves with religious statues erected. There is a beautiful viewpoint from the top and a short hike around the area.

The highlight of the Marble Mountains is An Phu Cave. A stunning and enormous cave system opens up to a breathtaking temple. It was one of the most beautiful things I saw in Vietnam.

Give yourself 2-3 hours to explore the whole area. You can visit this using a tour company from Hoi An or Danang.

7. Get lost in the Maze Bar in Da Lat

Da Lat is a really fun and interesting town north of Ho Chi Minh City. Known as a “honeymoon” destination for South Vietnamese people, this town hosts a variety of art installations, giving the city an artsy and creative vibe. You can spend days exploring all the different art areas surrounding the city, ranging from fantasy structures (God Valley… the most interesting $6 I spent in Vietnam) to the Clay Tunnel (featuring the famous faces over water), there is something for everyone.

One of my favorite things was exploring Maze Bar. Located close to the city center, this place was built by an artist and extends nearly 5 floors with a massive garden in the background. Entrance fee is just the cost of a drink and then you can go explore and get lost. Note that all the steps are not always the same height and there are some narrow passages, so be careful as you adventure through this place!

8. Visit the Bang Gioc waterfall and see the border of China

More off the beaten path, Bang Gioc waterfall is located ~2.5 hours from Cao Bang in Northern Vietnam. The waterfall itself is relatively small but absolutely stunning. Make sure you visit when the water flow rate is high (typically from 11am to 1pm, but make sure you check ahead of time or talk to your hotel in Cao Bang!).

If you want to visit, I would recommend going with a tour group. Alternatively, I found a public bus to take me out there that runs every 1-1.5 hours. The drive alone is intimidating, but it’s worth the trip!