Northern Vietnam
Northern Vietnam
Hanoi
A thousand-year-old capital that still runs on plastic stools, motorbike horns and the smell of charcoal — and the natural first stop for the north.
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Northern Vietnam travel guide
Limestone country. Hanoi anchors a region of terraced valleys, karst bays and mountain passes, with four genuine seasons — cold, damp winters and a short, luminous autumn that is the best travel window in the country.
Where to go in Northern Vietnam
7 destinations worth building a trip around — pick one for the full guide.
Northern Vietnam
Lao Cai Province, Northern Vietnam
Sapa
Terraced valleys under the Hoang Lien Son range, and the easiest place in Vietnam to spend two days walking between highland villages.
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Northern Vietnam
Ha Giang Province, Northern Vietnam
Ha Giang
The northernmost province in Vietnam, and the country's best road trip: three or four days of limestone plateau, hairpin passes and border villages.
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Northern Vietnam
Ninh Binh Province, Northern Vietnam
Ninh Binh
Ha Long Bay's limestone towers, but standing in rice fields instead of the sea — and only 90 minutes from Hanoi.
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Northern Vietnam
Thanh Hoa Province, Northern Vietnam
Pu Luong
A nature reserve of terraced valleys, bamboo waterwheels and Thai stilt villages — the quiet version of Sapa, four hours from Hanoi.
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Northern Vietnam
Hoa Binh Province, Northern Vietnam
Mai Chau
A flat green valley of Thai stilt villages three hours from Hanoi — the easiest overnight escape from the city.
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Northern Vietnam
Son La Province, Northern Vietnam
Moc Chau
A high plateau of tea terraces, dairy farms and plum orchards that turns white with blossom in January and February.
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Landmarks worth the detour
The places most visitors to Northern Vietnam regret missing.
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