Region
North Vietnam
A region of misty mountains and legendary karsts, stretching from Hanoi's thousand-year-old capital to Ha Long Bay's emerald waters and the H'Mong villages perched above Sapa.
North Vietnam is the country's most diverse and dramatic region — a territory that shifts from Hanoi's animated streets to the limestone cliffs of Ha Long Bay, from the colourful markets of Sapa's hill tribes to the UNESCO-listed rice terraces that cascade down the mountainsides. This is where the historical and cultural heart of Vietnam beats: Hanoi, a capital founded in 1010, packs millennia of history into just a few square kilometres — the ancient 36 Guilds Quarter, Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake and its Turtle Tower.
Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994, is one of Asia's most iconic landscapes. Its 1,969 limestone islets rise from emerald water in cathedral silence, best experienced from a traditional junk boat over one or two nights spent deep in the bay. Further north, the circuit around Cao Bang and the Ban Gioc waterfall — the largest in Southeast Asia, straddling the Chinese border — opens onto a North Vietnam that remains almost intact, where the weekly markets of Tay and Nung villages are still genuine community events.
Sapa and its surrounding region form the third pillar of the north: the rice terraces of Mu Cang Chai, treks through Black H'Mong, Red Dao and Giay villages, and panoramas across Mount Fansipan (3,143 m, the roof of Indochina) make for a tropical high-mountain landscape found nowhere else in Southeast Asia. The north also delivers through its cuisine — one of the most refined on the continent. Hanoi's phở bò, bún chả, bánh mì and cà phê trứng (egg coffee) make the north essential for any food-curious traveller.
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Situation
Où se situe North Vietnam ?
Ouvrir la carte en grand sur OpenStreetMap →Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need for North Vietnam?+
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Our verdict
North Vietnam is the country's most substantial destination for a first visit. Hanoi sets the tone — a city unlike any other in Asia, with its Franco-Vietnamese architecture, its lakes, its 36 guilds and its incomparable food scene. Ha Long Bay remains unmissable despite the crowds, as long as you choose a premium cruise and travel outside July-August. Save two or three days for Sapa and the rice terraces: the northern mountains in the morning mist are the image of Vietnam found nowhere else.