Vietnam
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
South-Eastern Asia · VNM
Editorial Snapshot
Why Go To Vietnam
Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia's strongest all-round trips for travelers who want food, heritage-heavy cities, and dramatic landscapes in the same itinerary. It rewards focused pacing more than trying to race the full length of the country, whether that means Hanoi and the north, the central corridor around Hué and Hoi An, or a longer route linking several regions.
Popular For
Things To See
- Hanoi
- Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago
- Hoi An Ancient Town
- Complex of Hué Monuments
- Trang An Landscape Complex
- Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park
Best Months
Know Before You Go
- March, April, October, and November are the easiest broad months in the current brief.
- Most first visits are stronger when built around one or two regions instead of forcing a full north-to-south sweep into a short trip.
- Hanoi, Hoi An and Hué, and the major national-park and bay stops already give enough contrast for a high-hit-rate route.
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Flights
Hotels & Accommodations
Compare stays across major booking options
Open hotel and accommodation options for Vietnam.
Guidebooks
Lonely Planet Vietnam
Lonely Planet
Covers Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long Bay with detailed itineraries and local insider tips.
View on Amazon →
Moon Vietnam
Dana Filek-Gibson
Strategic itineraries, maps, and cultural insights for independent travelers.
View on Amazon →
Lonely Planet Vietnamese Phrasebook & Dictionary
Lonely Planet
Essential phrasebook with two-way dictionary for communicating with locals throughout Vietnam.
View on Amazon →Tours & Activities
Country Data
Stats At A Glance
Practical travel, safety, climate, and quality-of-life stats for Vietnam.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Hanoi
- Population
- 101,343,800
- Area
- 331,212 km²
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia
Languages
- Vietnamese
Currency
Vietnamese đồng (₫)
VND
Exchange rate unavailable for USD.
Cost of Living (World Bank)
28.8
Price level index (US = 100)
- Groceries
- 31.8
- Restaurants
- 15.6
- Rent
- 9.9
Safety & Peace
lower score = more peaceful · 1.0–3.5 scale
Monthly Climate Averages
These weather averages are based on data for Hanoi (21.03°N, 105.85°E).
LGBTQ+ Friendly
34/100
Traveler LGBTQ score
- Legal protections
- 20/100
- Lived safety
- 59/100
This score blends legal protections with lived-safety context so strong laws alone do not automatically push a country to the top of the ranking.
- Homosexuality legal✅
- Relationship recognitionNone
- Adoption recognition❌
- Anti-discrimination laws❌
- Employment protections❌
- Legal gender recognition❌
- Conversion therapy ban❌
Human Development Index (UNDP)
0.766
High human development
- 5-year change
- +0.029
- 10-year change
- +0.062
- Trend
- improving
- Data year
- 2023
- Gender Dev. Index (GDI)
- 0.997
- Gender Inequality Index (GII)
- 0.299
- Planetary-adjusted HDI (PHDI)
- 0.699
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (9)
- 🏛️
Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes
Inscribed 2025
- 🌍
Trang An Landscape Complex
Inscribed 2014
- 🏛️
Citadel of the Ho Dynasty
Inscribed 2011
- 🏛️
Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi
Inscribed 2010
- 🌿
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park
Inscribed 2003
- 🏛️
Hoi An Ancient Town
Inscribed 1999
- 🏛️
My Son Sanctuary
Inscribed 1999
- 🌿
Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago
Inscribed 1994
- 🏛️
Complex of Hué Monuments
Inscribed 1993
Natural Beauty (World Bank)
- Protected land area
- 7.6%
- Forest cover
- 47.4%
Source: World Bank.
Wildlife & Birdwatching
- Threatened mammal species (IUCN)
- 63
- Threatened bird species (IUCN)
- 51
Source: World Bank / IUCN Red List. Higher counts indicate richer biodiversity, typically in tropical rainforest, island, and savannah ecosystems.
Food & Cuisine
38/100
Food and dining score
Built from two layers: dining-scene breadth and open prestige signals. We combine restaurant density, cuisine diversity, distinguished restaurants, and gastronomy-city recognitions from open data sources.
Luxury Infrastructure
87/100
Luxury & premium accommodation score
Based on OpenStreetMap luxury hotel density and World Bank international tourism receipts.
US Travel Advisory
Reissued after periodic review without changes. Exercise normal precautions in Vietnam. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Vietnam. If you decide to travel to Vietnam: Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. Follow the Department of State on Facebook and X/Twitter. Review the Country Security Report for Vietnam. Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel. Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
Read full advisory →Data current as of May 2026 and subject to change. Travel advisory information is sourced from the U.S. State Department and reflects conditions at the time of data collection, not real-time conditions. Do not rely solely on this information for travel decisions. Always check current government advisories for your nationality. Terms of Use · About our data