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Northern Vietnam

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Northern Vietnam is home to the country’s thousand-year-old capital, Hanoi, but venture farther north, toward the border with China, and you’ll enter an entirely different world. Here, dramatic karst mountains rise above golden rice terraces that tumble down steep hillsides. Winding roads lead to colorful markets and small villages where many of Vietnam’s ethnic minority communities live, each with their own language, dress, and traditions.

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Days in the far north often unfold on the back of a motorbike—maneuvering jaw-dropping mountain passes and stopping for bowls of phở in remote hamlets. Nights are spent at simple stilt-house homestays, where you sit cross-legged on the floor to share meals with local families and sip home-brewed rice wine. Or, opt for a complete change of pace and head east to Ha Long Bay, spending the night aboard a luxury boat surrounded by impressive limestone islets.

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Rice paddies in the mountains of Ha Giang, Vietnam

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Angel Eye Mountain in Cao Bang, Vietnam
Angel Eye Mountain
Rice fields with mountains in the background
Ba Be Lake
People are busy selling goods at the Bac Ha market.
Bac Ha
Ban Gioc waterfall in Cao Bang, Vietnam
Ban Gioc Waterfall
A traditional homestay in Ban Lien Village, Vietnam
Ban Lien
Golden rice fields of Cao Bang with mountains in the background.
Cao Bang
Rice paddies in the mountains of Ha Giang, Vietnam
Cao Bo
Winding road through steep mountains in the Ha Giang region of Vietnam
Ha Giang
A small boat surounded by islands of limestone, Halong Bay
Ha Long Bay
Stairs lead to a temple on top of a mountain in Ninh Binh, Vietnam
Hang Mua
Famous Hanoi Train Street
Hanoi
A temple towers over the landscape of Ninh Binh, Vietnam
Ninh Binh
Rice fields with mountains in the background in Pu Luong, Vietnam
Pu Luong
Boats on a river in Tam Coc, Vietnam
Tam Coc
People on a boat in Trang An, Vietnam
Trang An
A girl walking to school past rice paddies. Mountains in the background
Tu Le
Golden rice fields of Cao Bang with mountains in the background.
Cao Bang
Winding road through steep mountains in the Ha Giang region of Vietnam
Ha Giang
A small boat surounded by islands of limestone, Halong Bay
Ha Long Bay
Famous Hanoi Train Street
Hanoi
A temple towers over the landscape of Ninh Binh, Vietnam
Ninh Binh
Rice fields with mountains in the background in Pu Luong, Vietnam
Pu Luong

Plan Your Trip

Everything you need to know before planning your next holiday. From must-visit locations to tedious visa requirements - plan your trip here.

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Boats on a river in Tam Coc, Vietnam
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Rice fields with mountains in the background in Pu Luong, Vietnam
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