Want to Make a Trip Out of It? 

If you’re travelling all the way to Vietnam for our wedding, we highly recommend making a holiday out of it! Vietnam has so much to offer, from busy cities and incredible food to beaches, mountains, and unforgettable experiences.

Here are a few places we would recommend visiting before or after the wedding festivities.

Hanoi

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, and if you think Ho Chi Minh City is chaotic and loud… Hanoi is on another level.

We’re not going to lie... it can feel a little overwhelming at first. The traffic, scooters, beeping horns, tiny alleyways, and busy streets can seem completely full on. But give it a day or two and somehow the madness starts to make sense. Before you know it, you’ll be crossing roads like a local and falling in love with the energy of the city.

The food in Hanoi is also AMAZING. Please do yourself a favour and try Bun Cha while you’re there. It’s one of our favourite meals in all of Vietnam.

Things To Do In Hanoi

• Visit Train Street and watch the train pass through the narrow laneway

• Wander through the Old Quarter

• Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

• Explore the Hoa Lo Prison Museum

• Grab a coffee at the famous Note Coffee

• Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, especially in the evening

Hanoi is also a great base for northern Vietnam day trips and overnight experiences.
When we visited, we explored both Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay. Two places we would absolutely recommend adding to your itinerary.

Watch our YouTube video of our time in Hanoi and Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh 

Often called the “Ha Long Bay on land,” Ninh Binh is filled with limestone mountains, rivers, rice fields, and temples. It’s peaceful, scenic, and feels completely different from the busy streets of Hanoi.

Some highlights include:

• Boat rides through Trang An or Tam Coc

• Climbing Hang Mua Viewpoint for incredible views

• Cycling through the countryside

• Visiting ancient temples and pagodas

The tour we did was this one - we have no complaints and would highly recommend it. Hanoi: Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu, Trang An and Mua Cave Tour

Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is one of the most famous destinations in Vietnam for a reason. Thousands of limestone islands rise out of the water, creating some of the most beautiful scenery we’ve ever seen.

We would definitely recommend doing an overnight cruise if you can. Most cruises include kayaking, swimming, cave visits, cooking classes, and sunset views over the bay.

It’s such a relaxing experience and a nice contrast to the busy cities.

The company we went with was called VSpirit Cruises and you can find the exact tour we did here: Ha Long & Lan Ha Bays: 2-Day Cruise with Meals & Kayaking

Ha Giang Loop

Whilst we haven’t done the Ha Giang Loop personally, it’s honestly hard to find people in Vietnam who haven’t. Almost everyone we meet says it was one of the highlights of their trip.

The Ha Giang Loop is a multi-day motorbike route through the mountains in northern Vietnam, known for its incredible scenery, winding roads, waterfalls, mountain passes, and local villages. The views genuinely look unreal.

We can’t give advice on which company to book with, but one thing we strongly recommend is doing your research carefully and choosing a reputable company.

The Ha Giang Loop has become one of the most popular activities in Vietnam, especially with younger travellers, and unfortunately there are quite a lot of accidents involving tourists every year. Some easy riders and companies can be careless, inexperienced, or encourage unsafe behaviour.

Being a bit of a safety sally myself, I would personally pay the extra money for:

• a reputable company with good reviews

• smaller group sizes

• experienced drivers

• proper safety gear

• and a company that doesn’t encourage heavy drinking whilst riding

At the end of the day, the scenery will still be beautiful whether you’re with the cheapest company or not, but your safety is worth prioritising.

That being said, every single person we know who has done the Loop has absolutely loved it and said the landscapes are some of the best they’ve ever seen.

Hoi An & Da Nang 

We definitely think you can combine both of these places into one trip. They’re only a short drive from each other and are both absolutely worth visiting.

Hoi An

Hoi An is one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam and it’s easy to see why it’s UNESCO World Heritage listed. The Ancient Town is filled with yellow buildings, lantern-covered streets, riverside cafes, little boutiques, and markets that make it feel so unique compared to anywhere else in Vietnam.

At night, the town completely transforms. The lanterns light up the streets and river, boats float along the water with candles, and the whole place feels magical.

One thing we highly recommend in Hoi An is getting tailor-made clothes. Honestly… can you really say you’ve been to Hoi An if you didn’t get something tailored? 

You can have dresses, suits, shirts, shoes, and pretty much anything custom made within a few days. Just make sure you leave enough time for fittings and alterations before you leave.

Another really popular activity is the coconut basket boats in Cam Thanh. You’ll float through the coconut forest in round bamboo boats while the locals somehow spin them around without throwing you into the water. It’s chaotic, touristy, and honestly a lot of fun.

Some things we recommend doing in Hoi An:

• Walk through the Ancient Town at night

• Take a lantern boat ride on the river

• Visit the night markets

• Get tailor-made clothes

• Try the coconut basket boats

• Relax at one of the nearby beach clubs

• Try Vietnamese coffee and local food by the river

Da Nang

Da Nang feels much more modern and relaxed compared to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. It has beautiful beaches, amazing seafood, rooftop bars, and a more laid-back atmosphere.

It’s a great place to unwind for a few days either before or after the wedding festivities.

Some highlights in Da Nang include:

• My Khe Beach

• The Marble Mountains

• Ba Na Hills & the Golden Bridge

• Dragon Bridge at night

• Beachfront cafes and bars

• Fresh seafood restaurants

Hue 

Hue is the former imperial capital of Vietnam and is known for its rich history, ancient architecture, and slower pace compared to some of Vietnam’s bigger cities.

It’s home to the famous Imperial City, royal tombs, pagodas, and beautiful riverside scenery. If you enjoy history and culture, Hue is definitely a place worth considering adding to your itinerary.

Although we haven’t personally visited Hue yet, so many people we know who have been absolutely loved it and said it has a very different feel compared to places like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

Some popular things to do in Hue include:

• Explore the Imperial City

• Visit the royal tombs of past emperors

• See the famous Thien Mu Pagoda

• Take a dragon boat ride along the Perfume River

• Try Hue’s local food, which is known for being some of the best in Vietnam

A lot of travellers combine Hue with Da Nang and Hoi An as part of a central Vietnam trip.

Sapa

Sapa is known for its rice terraces, mountain views, hiking trails, and local villages in northern Vietnam. It looks absolutely beautiful and is definitely somewhere we would recommend adding to your Vietnam bucket list.

However, we personally wouldn’t recommend visiting Sapa in July. Northern Vietnam enters rainy season around this time and, honestly, there’s a very high chance it will rain for most of your trip. The mountain views can become completely covered in fog and clouds, and trekking conditions can get very muddy and slippery.

If you plan to come back to Vietnam another time, we would definitely save Sapa for a future trip during the cooler and drier months instead.

That being said, when the weather is good, people absolutely rave about Sapa and the scenery looks incredible. Some popular things to do there include:

• Trekking through the rice terraces

• Visiting local villages

• Riding the Fansipan cable car

• Staying in mountain homestays

• Watching the sunrise over the valleys

We’d probably recommend focusing on central Vietnam or beach destinations in July instead for the best weather.

Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc is one of Vietnam’s most popular island destinations and is known for its white-sand beaches, tropical resorts, beach clubs, and clear water.

It’s a great option if you’re wanting a slower, more relaxing holiday either before or after the wedding festivities.

Again, we personally haven’t visited Phu Quoc yet, so we can’t give any personal recommendations or hotel suggestions. However, over the last couple of years it has become incredibly popular with Australian tourists and we know quite a few people who have loved it.

One of the biggest attractions on the island is VinWonders, a huge theme park and entertainment complex that’s especially popular with families and groups. 

Some popular things to do in Phu Quoc include:

• Relaxing at beach resorts

• Island hopping tours

• Snorkelling and diving

• Visiting beach clubs and sunset bars

• Exploring night markets

• Visiting VinWonders theme park

• Taking the world’s longest over-sea cable car

If you’re looking for a tropical island escape without travelling too far from Vietnam’s major cities, Phu Quoc could be a great option to add onto your trip.

The world's longest over-sea cable car!

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