If you are looking for a really special vacation in the north of Vietnam, but among the beautiful destinations in the North, you do not know where should you travel. So, let Vivutravel suggest you the most wonderful tourist attractions that you should visit when traveling to the North of Vietnam.

1. Hanoi capital city

Hanoi is one of the most attractive cities in Asia which most of the travelers would like to visit in their Indochina trip. In Hanoi, you have chance to visit so many interesting tourist sites including:

+ Ho Chi Minh Complex: Consists of Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Ba Dinh square, Presidential Palace, Stilt-house, One pillar pagoda and Ho Chi Minh Museum. This is an important place for visiting of Vietnamese and also foreigner tourists when traveling in Hanoi. This complex was built to remember the merit of Ho Chi Minh – the leader of Vietnamese in Vietnam war and the first president of Vietnam.

+ Tran Quoc pagoda: It is located on a peninsula of West lake; it is one of the oldest pagodas in Hanoi with its history of more than 1500 years. In the past, this was an attractive place for royal’s family to visit, especially on full moon days or Tet holiday. Nowadays, Vietnamese people still come here to visit and pray on the festival, full moon days and Tet, Besides, it is famous for beautiful scenery and sacred sanctuary which attracted the attention of so many tourists when they travel in Hanoi.

+ Hoan Kiem lake: It is considered as a heart of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem lake is a wonderful place for you to walk around and enjoy the fresh air. If you walk to Hoan Kiem lake in the early morning, you can do exercise morning with Hanoian or just take a sit to get the cool air from the lake that makes you feel very comfortable.

+ Temple of Literature: Located between Ton Duc Thang and Van Mieu streets, it is one of the most picturesque tourist attractions in Hanoi. It was built as a university in 1070 for the member of royal family and talent students. This temple offers a lake of literature, the Well of Heavenly Clarity, turtle stelae, pavilions, courtyards and passageways that were once used by royalty. When visiting this temple, tourists have a chance to explore the historic buildings from Ly to Tran dynasties which are ranked as the most important cultural place in Vietnam.

+ Museum of Ethnology: When traveling to Hanoi, this museum is a place that you cannot miss. Inside this museum, there are so many objects of 54 different minorities in Vietnam are displayed here.
The museum is subdivided into 2 areas: Indoor and outdoor

Indoor: Inside the museum, it will offer you the full information about the ways of life of Vietnamese people from religious events to the symbolic rituals of all the Vietnamese ethnic groups

Outdoor: This area displays a variety of Vietnamese homes as full-scale replicas. Besides, there are leisure pursuits on display including water puppet theater and calligraphy.

How to get to these tourist sites:

It is very easy for you to take taxi, motorbike taxi from your hotel. Just ask the staff of hotels, they will help you to arrange the vehicle for you. Or if you have booked the packaged trip from travel agents, their tour guide and driver with private transfer will escort you to these places.

2. Halong bay cruise

Halong bay is one of seven natural wonder of the world and it is the most highlight of any Vietnam tours which most of the travelers never forget when traveling in Vietnam. Traveling to Halong bay, tourists will have a chance to visit the beautiful Halong bay with thousand islands and islets. Besides, tourists also have chance to visit the following tourist sites:

+ Thien Cung cave: Located on Dau Go island, it is one of the most beautiful caves in Halong bay with a lot of stalactites and stalagmites in different shapes and sizes. This cave is about 10,000 m2 with complicated interior structure, high ceiling making this one be a more attractive place for tourists when visiting Halong bay.

+ Fighting cock islet: Not far from Thien Cung cave, this is small islet with the shape looks like a fighting cock (or kissing cock). It is considered as a symbol of Halong bay which all most of the tourists have to stop in this place to take the photo.

+ Titop island: This is a small island in Halong bay, however, it is the most stunning place for you to view Halong bay from the top. Besides, if you like relaxing and swimming on the beach, Titop beach is also a beautiful place for you to enjoy your time.

+ Bai Chay beach: If you do not like stay overnight on the cruise, there are a lot of good hotels from 3 to 5 stars in Halong city for your choosing. And off course, Bai Chay beach will be the first choice. Located in Halong city center, Bai Chay beach is a large, beautiful, artificial beach with 100-meter-wide-sandy beach spans over 500 m will give you the memorable time when choosing this place.

+ Surprising cave: This is the most beautiful and largest cave in Halong bay. Located on Bo Hon island, this cave has two chambers; the first one looks like and theater hall with a thousand stalactites hanging from the high ceiling. The second chamber is beautiful with colorful light system where you can see more and more stalactites and stalagmites in different shapes and sizes look like Buda, kids, tortoise, waterfall, rice fields etc

+ Floating villages: Floating villages in Halong bay are also the highlight of Halong bay tour. When traveling to Halong bay, you will have a chance to visit and explore the daily life of fishermen in the floating villages; the kids also come to school, the women also go to market, but all the thing is different with people who live on the mainland.

How to get to Halong bay:

It is 165km from Hanoi city, you can easily travel to this place by shuttle bus, local bus, train and private transfer.

If you book the packaged trip from travel agents, it will depend on your budget they will offer you private comfortable transfer or shuttle bus. It will take you from 3 to 3.5 hours to Halong city including 15 minutes relaxing on the haft way.

If you like traveling to Halong by local bus, you can come to Luong Yen bus station and catch Hoang Long bus. Or far from Hanoi city center, you can come to My Dinh bus station and catch Kumho bus. These are the most comfortable local buses to Halong city.

If you would like to discover Vietnam countryside from Hanoi to Halong, you also can catch the day train. However, it is longer because you have to take a taxi from Hanoi center to Yen Vien train station. Departing at 5:15 in everyday and arriving Halong city at 12:15.

3. Sapa

We are sure that most of the tourists in over the world know that Sapa is one of the most stunning destinations in Vietnam they should visit, especially from August to September. Because at this time, Sapa looks like a colorful picture with green mountains, yellow rice fields, colorful followers, friendly people will offer you a great trip in this area.

+ Trekking routes along Muong Hoa valley: Sapa offers so many trekking routes that you may spend more than one week to discover such as Sapa – Lao Chai – Ta Van trekking route. This is considered as the most beautiful because of its stunning terraced rice fields, friendly Hmong, Dzay tribes who still keep their traditional custom and cultural. Besides Sapa – Ta Phin is also a wonderful trekking route where you can enjoy the fresh air of forest, mountain, terraced rice field and you will be welcome by the hospitality of Red Dao people.
At the end of Muong Hoa valley, you can explore the daily life of Tay, Xa Pho or Ha Nhi hill tribes who also still live in their traditional house and keep their traditional cultural.

+ Colorful markets around Sapa: If you travel to Sapa, a colorful market is a place you cannot miss because they are really cool to visit and discover. These markets are places for local people come to sell, buy and exchange their local products. Besides, these markets are also meeting places for friends, couples. Travel to markets around Sapa, tourist will have a great chance to learn more about the local custom and you will have an authentic experience of the local hill tribe culture

+ Dragon Mountain: Located in Sapa center, Just some minutes walking from any hotel in Sapa, you can get up to the top of Dragon Mountain. In this place, you can see so many kinds of native and exotic plants and flowers. Keep your step up to the top of the mountain, you will enjoy the panorama view of Sapa town in the good weather and it is more exciting if fog covers the place.

+ Silver waterfall: Located in O Quy Ho commune, belonging to Hoan Lien Son National park. With the height of 100m, this waterfall is the most stunning fall in Sapa where you can see the white water falls down as the silver. Visiting this waterfall, you will have an opportunity to immerse yourself in the romantic natural scenery majestic but extremely lyrical.

How to get to Sapa:Traveling to Sapa from Hanoi, you can take tourist night train, private transfer or local bus.

If you take a night train, there are different tourist night trains you can choose with the similar service. However, the best train will be Victoria Express train, but is just offers for in-house clients. The second one after Victoria is Sapaly express; its service is similar 4 stars. The other ones are TSC train, King Express etc…It takes you 9 hours from Le Duan and Tran Quy Cap to Lao Cai train station. From Lao Cai, you must catch a taxi, shuttle bus from hotels in Sapa or local bus to Sapa with one more hour.

If you take a private transfer, you have to book with travel agents in Vietnam, it takes you only 5 hours from Hanoi to Sapa.

If you take a local bus, Sapa Express bus is the best one which departing at 7:05 in every day at 12 Ly Thai To, arriving Sapa at 13:00.

4. Ba Be national park:

Located in Ba Be district, Bac Can province, Ba Be national park is a fantastic place for discovering the hill tribe villages, joining to trekking tour, cruising on the lake, visiting the cave, learning about the cultural and daily life of local people.

+ Trekking tour: This is the most amazing adventure tour in Ba Be you should try because this trip will offer the best chance to travel through remote areas, experience true jungle, sublime mountain views and idyllic villages of different minorities people.

+ Puong cave: This is the most beautiful natural cave in Ba Be national park, located on Ba river, was formed energy flows through the river beneath limestone Yan Lung. It is more than 300 m long, 25m high with various stalactites in different colors.

+ Homestay in Pac Ngoi village: when traveling to Ba Be lake, you should stay overnight in Pac Ngoi village with Tay people to discover the traditional custom, cultural and way of life of local people in this place. Besides, you also have a chance to taste the delicious food is cooked by the host.

How to get to Ba Be national park:
245km from Hanoi, there are two ways for tourist travel to Ba Be as below:

+ Private transfer: If you want to book a packaged tour to Ba Be national park, your travel agent will provide a private transfer with a tour guide to take care you during the trip.

+ Public transfer: If you want traveling to Ba Be by yourself, you can buy a bus ticket at My Dinh Bus station and get on Thuong Nga bus to go ahead to Bang Lung ward with price about USD $ 8 per person then transfer to another bus of Thuong Nga to Ba Be national park. This bus offers 2 times per day, departing at 6:00 and 10:00

5. Cao Bang

Have you ever traveled to this province? If not, this is an amazing destination in Northeast of Vietnam you should visit in your Vietnam adventure tour with so many tourist attractions you should explore.

+ Ban Gioc waterfall: Located in Trung Khanh district, Cao Bang province, Ban Gioc waterfall is one of the most impressive and beautiful waterfalls in Vietnam. If you have ever traveled to Vietnam and visited waterfalls, you could see such a beautiful waterfall in Dalat, but when you visit Ban Gioc, you also will be very surprised. The fall is 30 m high, 300 m cross making Ban Gioc widest but not highest waterfall in Vietnam, and it will bring you a memorable time when visiting this one.

+ Nguom Ngao cave: Also similar other cave in Vietnam, Nguom Ngao cave is really amazing and attractive with a lot of stalactites. This cave was formed due to the weathered process of Limestone Mountains by wind and water over a long time. Inside the cave, you can see various stalactites with some look like boats, some look like rice fields, some look like forests.
How to get to Cao Bang
300km from Hanoi, now the road is better, so it is easy for you to travel to Cao Bang by private transfer, motorbike, and local bus.

 If you travel to this place by private transfer, you can book a package tour from travel agents in Vietnam; they will provide you all service you need from accommodation, meals, tour guide, transportation.

 If you like traveling to Cao Bang by motorbike, for young travelers only, you can rent a very good motorbike in Hanoi, or you also can book a Motorbike adventure tour package to travel to this place.

If you like traveling by yourself, you can catch the local sleeping buses such as Hai Van sleeping bus, departing at 20:00 from My Dinh station. Hung Thanh sleeping bus, departing at 9:50 also from My Dinh station.