Compare Vietnam holidays

Vast and vibrant, Ho Chi Minh is Vietnam’s largest city. The city is growing fast with new neighbourhoods advancing outwards and tall buildings seemingly at every turn. The iconic Ben Thanh Market is the best place for bric-a-brac and souvenirs – don’t forget to haggle.

The country’s dynamic capital, Hanoi, is less developed than Ho Chi Minh but no less charming. Take a trip to its Old Quarter which is a chaotic maze of three-dozen narrow streets where lively merchants sell everything from traditional medicine to mobile phones. Traffic here can be busy and chaotic – watch out for motorbikes.

Not far from Ho Chi Minh city centre is the famous 120km-long Cu Chi Tunnels. The tunnels were first built in the 1940s to shelter combatants fighting the French occupying forces and subsequently in the Tet Offensive in the late 1960s. Visitors today can explore this amazing labyrinth equipped with dormitories, schools and even hospitals.

After this dark but fascinating experience, you could take in some of the temples and pagodas dotted around the city. Among the best sacred places to visit are the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the Giác Lâm Pagoda.

With hundreds of sandy beaches stretching along Vietnam’s 2,000 miles of coastline, a relaxing beach holiday is never far away. Nha Trang is by far the most popular beach resort and is one of the best places to swim, surf, scuba-dive or just soak up the rays.

166km (62 miles) away from Hanoi is the UNESCO World Heritage Site Halong Bay, renowned for its limestone karst islands jutting from the jade-coloured waters. The name Halong means ‘descending dragon’ and local legend tells of a dragon which created the spectacular bay and tiny islands. An overnight trip to Halong Bay is highly recommended for visitors.

Long, thin, and shaped like an ‘S’, Vietnam has several different climate zones from north to south, giving visitors year-round opportunities for a package holiday in one region or another. The best time to make a trip to the north is March and April (Spring) and October to December (Autumn). Summer can be hot and humid, with frequent heavy downpours.

The best time to see the south is from December to February when evenings are cooler. May to November is the rainy season – sometimes, flooding can be a problem. Nha Trang and other beach resorts in Central Vietnam are best visited from January to August when the weather is dry and glorious. Typhoons may occur from August to November, although they are harder to predict now due to global warming.

The biggest annual festivity is the Tet or Vietnamese lunar New Year, which lasts for up to seven days and is around the end of January or early- to mid-February. Streets are decorated with colourful lights, pagodas hold special events and there are hundreds of musical and other entertainments for locals and visitors to enjoy. Also worth seeing is the Hung Kings’ Festival, which takes place in the third lunar month, which is usually around March or April time.

• Currency: Vietnamese Dong (₫)
• Capital city: Hanoi
• Language: Vietnamese
• Key phrase to learn: xin chào (hello)
• Time difference: Vietnam is 6 hours ahead of the UK
• Average flight time: 13 hours 35 minutes (direct to Ho Chi Minh City)
• International phone code: +84
• Emergency services number: 113
• Public holidays: New Year’s Day (January 1), Tet Holiday (First night of the new moon in the first month of the lunar calendar), Tet Eve (the day after Tet Holiday), Tet Nguyen Dan (first month of the lunar calendar), Hung Kings Temple Festival (10th day of the third lunar month), International Labour Day (May 1), Reunification Day (April 30), Vietnam National Day (November 2)
• Link to FCO travel advice: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam