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VIETNAM 🇻🇳

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jaeWALK

From the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh City in the south, to the breathtaking terraced rice paddies of Sa Pa in the north, Vietnam surely does not run out of surprises awaiting any visitor. Now, add that to a colorful cultural heritage and a rich yet tragic history, and you get one very fascinating and photogenic country.

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Hội An, Hải Châu

Day 1 Itinerary

Places visited: Da Nang International Airport - Quan Cong Temple - Assembly Hall Of Fujian Chinese - Tran Family Chapel - Hoi An Traditional Art Performance Theatre - Lê Lợi

Da Nang International Airport

Quan Cong Temple
Quan Cong Temple
Quan Cong Temple
Quan Cong Temple
Quan Cong Temple

Quan Cong Temple

Assembly Hall Of Fujian Chinese
Assembly Hall Of Fujian Chinese
Assembly Hall Of Fujian Chinese
Assembly Hall Of Fujian Chinese
Assembly Hall Of Fujian Chinese

Assembly Hall Of Fujian Chinese

Tran Family Chapel
Tran Family Chapel
Tran Family Chapel
Tran Family Chapel
Tran Family Chapel

Tran Family Chapel

Hoi An Traditional Art Performance Theatre

Hoi An Traditional Art Performance Theatre

Lê Lợi
Lê Lợi
Lê Lợi
Lê Lợi
Lê Lợi
Lê Lợi
Lê Lợi

Lê Lợi

The Ancient Town of Hoi An, lined with bright yellow shophouses and beautiful lanterns of various shapes, sizes and colors was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

Admission. The Hoi An Old Town entrance ticket costs 120,000 VND (5 USD) per person (per duration of stay not per day) which goes towards the maintenance and preservation of the city. It is mandatory for entry to the Old Town. It allows all access to the streets within the Ancient Town. It also includes admission to only 5 sightseeing places (heritage buildings, museums and a theatrical performance, whatever you choose). If you wish to visit more than 5, you need to purchase additional tickets.

For more information about Hoi An Old Town Tickets, click HERE.

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Thành phố Huế, Lăng Cô, Thị xã Hương Thủy

Day 2 Itinerary

Places visited: Hải Vân Pass - Imperial City of Hue - Pagoda Thiên Mụ - Tu Duc Tomb - Royal Tomb of Khai Dinh King

Hải Vân Pass

Hải Vân Pass

Imperial City of Hue
Imperial City of Hue
Imperial City of Hue
Imperial City of Hue
Imperial City of Hue
Imperial City of Hue
Imperial City of Hue

Imperial City of Hue

The Imperial Citadel is the former seat of government and Hue’s prime attraction, Within the Citadel grounds is the Forbidden Purple City which was almost entirely destroyed during the Tet Offensive in 1968.

Pagoda Thiên Mụ

Pagoda Thiên Mụ

The Thien Mu Pagoda (Pagoda of the Celestial Lady) with its iconic 7-storey Phuoc Duyen Tower, is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the city of Hue.

Tu Duc Tomb
Tu Duc Tomb
Tu Duc Tomb
Tu Duc Tomb
Tu Duc Tomb
Tu Duc Tomb
Tu Duc Tomb
Tu Duc Tomb
Tu Duc Tomb

Tu Duc Tomb

Luu Kiem Lake

Mandarin at the Necropolis forecourt

Royal Tomb of Khai Dinh King
Royal Tomb of Khai Dinh King
Royal Tomb of Khai Dinh King
Royal Tomb of Khai Dinh King
Royal Tomb of Khai Dinh King

Royal Tomb of Khai Dinh King

Built on the side of a mountain, the Tomb of the Nguyen Emperor Khai Dinh, is unique among the royal tombs in Hue because of its flamboyant and monumental style, with a blend of Eastern and Western architecture.

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Hội An, Duy Xuyên

Day 3 Itinerary

Places visited: My Son Sanctuary - Japanese Covered Bridge - Faifo Coffee - Cantonese Assembly Hall

My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary

My Son Sanctuary

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the My Son Sanctuary is a cluster of ruined temples dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva in a tropical jungle setting. The complex belonged to the kings of the Champa Civilization, which had its peak between 7th-11th century AD, ending when the final vestiges of the kingdom were absorbed by modern Vietnam in 1832.

Japanese Covered Bridge
Japanese Covered Bridge
Japanese Covered Bridge
Japanese Covered Bridge
Japanese Covered Bridge

Japanese Covered Bridge

Faifo Coffee

Faifo Coffee

Eat. White Rose dumplings, Locally known as Banh Bao Vac, are one of Hoi An’s culinary specialties. They are made from meat or shrimp, wrapped in rice paper that resemble flower petals, hence its name.

Cantonese Assembly Hall

Cantonese Assembly Hall

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Hội An

Day 4 Itinerary

Places visited: Hoi An Trade Union Hotel - Old House of Tan Ky

Hoi An Trade Union Hotel

Hoi An Trade Union Hotel

Old House of Tan Ky

Old House of Tan Ky

Tan Ky House, located at 101 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, near the Japanese Covered Bridge, features an interesting combination of Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese architectural elements, built in the 18th-century. It was the first old house recognized as a cultural historical relic by the Ministry of Culture in 1985.

Do. Visit Tan Ky House at the beginning or end of the day and have coffee at one of the shops nearby.

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Cầu Giấy, Hang Trong

Day 5 Itinerary

Places visited: Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology - Hoàn Kiếm Lake

Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology
Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology
Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology
Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology
Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology
Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology
Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology
Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology
Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology
Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology
Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology

Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology

The most interesting museum in Hanoi, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology offers an insight into the 54 different ethnic groups of Vietnam in a variety of exhibitions relating to the traditional Vietnamese way of life, religion and rituals. Some of the highlights of the museum are the full-scale replicas of ethnic minority homes in the outdoor area.

Hoàn Kiếm Lake
Hoàn Kiếm Lake
Hoàn Kiếm Lake
Hoàn Kiếm Lake
Hoàn Kiếm Lake

Hoàn Kiếm Lake

Ngoc Son Temple

Huc Bridge

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Sa Pa, San Sả Hồ

Day 6 Itinerary

Places visited: Chau Long Sapa Hotel - Cat Cat Village - Tả Phìn - Nhà Thờ Đá Sapa

Chau Long Sapa Hotel
Chau Long Sapa Hotel
Chau Long Sapa Hotel
Chau Long Sapa Hotel
Chau Long Sapa Hotel
Chau Long Sapa Hotel
Chau Long Sapa Hotel

Chau Long Sapa Hotel

Cat Cat Village
Cat Cat Village
Cat Cat Village
Cat Cat Village
Cat Cat Village
Cat Cat Village
Cat Cat Village
Cat Cat Village
Cat Cat Village

Cat Cat Village

Female members of the Black Hmong wear long blouses and short trousers, and wrap long scarves around their legs. They are famous for making cloth from hemp and dying it a deep indigo blue.

Tả Phìn
Tả Phìn
Tả Phìn
Tả Phìn
Tả Phìn
Tả Phìn
Tả Phìn

Tả Phìn

Nhà Thờ Đá Sapa
Nhà Thờ Đá Sapa
Nhà Thờ Đá Sapa
Nhà Thờ Đá Sapa
Nhà Thờ Đá Sapa

Nhà Thờ Đá Sapa

Holy Rosary Church

Playing Da Cau (Hacky Sack)

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Sa Pa

Day 7 Itinerary

Places visited: Tả Van - Sapa Market

Tả Van
Tả Van
Tả Van
Tả Van
Tả Van
Tả Van
Tả Van

Tả Van

with San and La during the trek to Ta Van Village

Sapa Market
Sapa Market
Sapa Market
Sapa Market
Sapa Market

Sapa Market

Female members of the Red Dao usually shave their eyebrows and have similar hairstyles – long on top, with the rest smoothly shaved. They also wear a distinctive red triangular headdress.

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Ba Đình, Hoàn Kiếm, Đống Đa, Ly Thai To

Day 8 Itinerary

Places visited: Moca Cafe - Nhà Thờ Lớn Hà Nội - Ho Chi Minh Museum - One Pillar Pagoda - Ba Dinh Square - Presidential Palace - Temple Of Literature - Lý Thái Tổ - Quảng Trường Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục

Moca Cafe
Moca Cafe
Moca Cafe
Moca Cafe
Moca Cafe

Moca Cafe

Nhà Thờ Lớn Hà Nội

Nhà Thờ Lớn Hà Nội

St. Joseph Cathedral of Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh Museum

Ho Chi Minh Museum

One Pillar Pagoda
One Pillar Pagoda
One Pillar Pagoda
One Pillar Pagoda
One Pillar Pagoda

One Pillar Pagoda

Originally built by the Emperor Ly Thai Tong who ruled from 1028 to 1054, the One Pillar Pagoda rises in the center of a square shaped lotus pond.

Ba Dinh Square
Ba Dinh Square
Ba Dinh Square
Ba Dinh Square
Ba Dinh Square

Ba Dinh Square

Presidential Palace
Presidential Palace
Presidential Palace
Presidential Palace
Presidential Palace
Presidential Palace
Presidential Palace
Presidential Palace
Presidential Palace

Presidential Palace

Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House

Temple Of Literature
Temple Of Literature
Temple Of Literature
Temple Of Literature
Temple Of Literature

Temple Of Literature

Ha Noi's ancient Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) was built in 1070, under Ly Thanh Tong’s dynasty to honor Confuciu. The Temple of Literature hosts the Imperial Academy, Vietnam's first national university.

Lý Thái Tổ

Lý Thái Tổ

Quảng Trường Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục

Quảng Trường Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục

Dinh Tien Hoang Roundabout

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Hoàn Kiếm, Hang Trong

Day 9 Itinerary

Places visited: Hanoi Ancient House - Old Quarter - Bach Ma Temple - Opéra de Hanoi - Tháp Rùa

Hanoi Ancient House
Hanoi Ancient House
Hanoi Ancient House
Hanoi Ancient House
Hanoi Ancient House

Hanoi Ancient House

87 Ma May Street Old House

87 Ma May Street Old House

Old Quarter
Old Quarter
Old Quarter
Old Quarter
Old Quarter
Old Quarter
Old Quarter
Old Quarter
Old Quarter
Old Quarter
Old Quarter
Old Quarter
Old Quarter

Old Quarter

The 36 streets of the Old Quarter (although they number up to 70) may have had its roots in the 15th century, when they developed from 36 guilds or workshop areas, each having a different function and characteristic. When streets were later developed, the guild names were applied.

Drink. Skip your Starbucks (during this trip it has not penetrated the Vietnamese market yet), have some local ca phe instead. Vietnam is the second largest coffee producer in the world and local coffee is xxx times better than any Starbucks drink ever will be.

Bach Ma Temple
Bach Ma Temple
Bach Ma Temple
Bach Ma Temple
Bach Ma Temple

Bach Ma Temple

Statue of Emperor Ly Thai To’s White Horse

Opéra de Hanoi

Opéra de Hanoi

Tháp Rùa

Tháp Rùa

According to legend, Hoan Kiem Lake is where Emperor Le Loi returned his magic sword to the Golden Turtle. At the northern end of the lake is an islet which stands the Turtle Tower (Thap Rua), which honors the turtle that still guards the sword of Le Loi. Sightings of the lake’s rare enormous soft-shell turtle named, Cu Rua (great-grandfather turtle) is believed to bring good luck. Unfortunately, it died in 2016, bringing the species one step closer to extinction.

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Hoàn Kiếm, Hạ Long

Day 10 Itinerary

Places visited: Handspan Indochina Travel - Halong Bay Vietnam

Handspan Indochina Travel

Handspan Indochina Travel

Book. Handspan is located at 78 Ma May Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Reputable and highly recommended, the company arranged my excursion to Sapa and Halong Bay.

Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam

Halong Bay Vietnam

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Hạ Long

Day 11 Itinerary

Places visited: Halong Bay Vietnam

Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam
Halong Bay Vietnam

Halong Bay Vietnam

Ha Long Bay which literally means "Descending Dragon Bay," is located in Northeastern Vietnam and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It features thousands of spectacular limestone rock formations and islets.

Do. Opt for an overnight cruise, rather than a quick day tour to truly enjoy this place.

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Pham Ngu Lao

Day 12 Itinerary

Places visited: Phạm Ngũ Lão

Phạm Ngũ Lão
Phạm Ngũ Lão
Phạm Ngũ Lão
Phạm Ngũ Lão
Phạm Ngũ Lão
Phạm Ngũ Lão
Phạm Ngũ Lão

Phạm Ngũ Lão

Pham Ngu Lao did not give a very good first impression of HCMC. After almost 2 weeks of hopping from one city to the other, i was on the verge of a breakdown. I will always remember this day as the time I had an epiphany that backpacking was not meant for me. I had to get out of the area only after one night and get settled in a different part of the city.

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Quận 1

Day 13 Itinerary

Places visited: Ben Thanh Market - Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts - Fanny Ice Cream - Saigon Opera House - People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City - Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers - Grand Hotel Saigon

Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market

Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts

Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts

Fanny Ice Cream
Fanny Ice Cream
Fanny Ice Cream
Fanny Ice Cream
Fanny Ice Cream

Fanny Ice Cream

Ice cream makes everything better

Saigon Opera House

Saigon Opera House

People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City

People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City

Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers
Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers
Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers
Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers
Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers

Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers

Happy Hour. Between 4:30-6:30 (2 cocktails for the price of 1) at the 23rd floor is not to be missed. The Sheraton has one of the best views of the city, specially during sunset. Arrive before happy hour to get a good seat.

Grand Hotel Saigon
Grand Hotel Saigon
Grand Hotel Saigon
Grand Hotel Saigon
Grand Hotel Saigon

Grand Hotel Saigon

After a miserable day in Pham Ngu Lao, I walked around Dong Khoi in District 1, a much better neighborhood, and found the Grand Hotel, where i had no second thoughts about checking in. Long story short, I was such in a better mood after a long hot bath.

Book. Choose a room in the Old Wing in One of HCMC’s historic hotels offering modern comfort with a very classic French atmosphere.

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District 1, District 3

Day 14 Itinerary

Places visited: Ngọc Hoàng Pagoda - Independence Palace - War Remnants Museum - Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon - Saigon Central Post Office - Rex Hotel Garden Bar

Ngọc Hoàng Pagoda
Ngọc Hoàng Pagoda
Ngọc Hoàng Pagoda
Ngọc Hoàng Pagoda
Ngọc Hoàng Pagoda

Ngọc Hoàng Pagoda

Independence Palace
Independence Palace
Independence Palace
Independence Palace
Independence Palace

Independence Palace

The Reunification Palace, formerly called the Independence Palace, is a 1960s government building designed for General Ngo Dingh Diem, the president of South Vietnam during the American-Vietnam War. It was the site of the end of the war after a North Vietnamese communist tank crashed through its gates during the Fall of Saigon in April, 1975.

War Remnants Museum
War Remnants Museum
War Remnants Museum
War Remnants Museum
War Remnants Museum
War Remnants Museum
War Remnants Museum

War Remnants Museum

The most popular museum in the country, The War Remnants Museum feature the horros of war and how it has shaped moden Vietnam.

Note. Expect to be depressed after visiting this museum.

Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon

Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon

Saigon Central Post Office

Saigon Central Post Office

Rex Hotel Garden Bar
Rex Hotel Garden Bar
Rex Hotel Garden Bar
Rex Hotel Garden Bar
Rex Hotel Garden Bar

Rex Hotel Garden Bar

Capping the entire trip with a beer and beautiful view of the city

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