Visit Sapa

Hike between Hmong and Dao villages through emerald terraces cut into the mountains near the Chinese border.

The Roof of Indochina at 3,147 m — two days on foot, or twenty minutes by cable car.

Visit Ho Chi Minh City, the bustling metropolis of southern Vietnam. Explore the War Remnants Museum (powerful exhibits on the Vietnam War), see the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica (19th-century French Gothic architecture), wander through Ben Thanh Market (iconic indoor market with local crafts and street food), and admire the historic Central Post Office (designed by Gustave Eiffel).

Visit Hoi An, a historic port city in central Vietnam. Explore the Ancient Town (a UNESCO World Heritage site with well-preserved 15th-19th century buildings), cross the Japanese Covered Bridge (a 16th-century wooden bridge with a temple), browse the Central Market (famous for fresh produce and local crafts), and relax at An Bang Beach (a scenic stretch of white sand with beach bars).

A fire-breathing Dragon Bridge, My Khe beach and the Golden Bridge held up by giant hands in the Ba Na hills.

A French hill station of pine forests, flower farms and a Crazy House, cool all year in the Central Highlands.

The port for Ha Long Bay: 1,600 limestone islands and an overnight on a junk boat.

The floating markets of the Mekong Delta at dawn, boats selling fruit under a pole that shows what they sell.