Vietnam is an amazing travel destination which hosts a wide range of travel and tour activities. Whether you travel independently, in groups or with your family, there is a variety of choices available for you to do on your holidays here. You look for a land adventure, a beach break, or a romantic escape, or a luxury travel experience, Vietnam has it all! Below are some popular activities that you may like to do on your trip to Vietnam.
1/ Cycling /Motorcycling in Vietnam
Vietnam is ideal for long-distance back road cycling as there are many villages with fairly good village roads in the countryside from northern to southern Vietnam. The countryside scenery is just unbelievable. Caution is needed, however, especially on busier roads as traffic can be very undisciplined.
Get wild on a motorbike adventure tour to Dong Van Rock Plateau of Ha Giang Vietnam
Mountain biking is possible for the adventurous travellers, especially the north western mountains and the Central Highlands. The reward is fresh natural scenery and exotic ethnic encounters. Bicycle hire is widely available.
Vietnam has very diverse terrains which range from flat plain to rugged mountains. The natural scenery is stunning and the local culture is untouched. Motorbiking lovers will find many opportunities for adventure travel in Vietnam.
2/ Water sports in Vietnam
In total, Vietnam has 3,260km (2,021 miles) of coastline. The most popular destination for water sports is in Nha Trang where the clear turquoise water offers good snorkeling and scuba diving. Snorkeling and diving equipment can be hired at most beach resorts in Nha Trang.
Have fun on a kayaking trip on Halong Bay Vietnam
Parasailing on the Bay of Nha Trang Vietnam
Kayaking in Ha Long Bay offers opportunities to discover the systems of limestone karst formations, caves, lagoons in the Gulf of Tonkin.
White-water rafting is challenging for the adventure travellers in the Central Highlands.
3/Beach vacationing in Vietnam
Having beach holidays should definitely not be missed while traveling in Vietnam as the country has over 3,200 km of coastline with pristine powdery white sand beaches. Resorts range from standard to luxury. Honeymooners will surely find haven for their love at some off-shore hidden beaches with 4-5 star luxurious resorts.
Mui Ne Beach, Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan, Vietnam- a hidden gem for beach holidays in Vietnam
Beach holidays can be found at Phu Quoc Island; Con Dao Island; Vung Tau; Long Hai; Phan Thiet - Mui Ne (Binh Thuan Province, well-known for its large sand dunes); Ninh Chu in Phan Rang, Nha Trang, Tuy Hoa (Phu Yen Province), Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh Province), Sa Huynh (Quang Ngai Province), Hoi An (Quang Nam Province), Da Nang, Lang Co (Thua Thien Hue Province), Quang Binh and Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh Province).
4/ Hiking/Trekking/Homestaying in Vietnam
There is good hiking and horse riding in the beautiful countryside around Da Lat. Guides are recommended and can be hired locally. Generally, the North West of Vietnam is the best region for hiking/trekking. Other good destinations include Bach Ma National Park, Cuc Phuong National Park (near Ha Noi) and Lang Biang Mountain (in Da Lat), where guides are compulsory.
In the north, Ba Be Lake National Park (which contains several lakes, waterfalls and caves) and Cat Ba National Park on Cat Ba Island also offer beautiful scenery.
Challenge yourself with a trekking adventure tour in Hoa Binh Vietnam
5/ Birding in Vietnam
Vietnam is getting more and more popular for avid bird-watchers from around the world. There are various nature reserves and national parks that provide opportunities for birding tours such as Cat Tien National Park (Dong Nai Province), Dalat (Lam Dong Province), Bach Ma National Park (Thue Thien Hue Province), Cuc Phuong National Park (Ninh Binh Province). Paradissa organizes birding tours to all the sites with birding-specialist tour guides.
6/ Cooking in Vietnam
Vietnamese cuisine is sensational and is getting more popularly known among the travellers to the country as well as among the savvy diners in the world. Traveling to Vietnam, you can not only taste the different regional dishes in the country, but also take part in hand-on cooking classes for a variety of local dishes in different regions of Vietnam. Paradissa organizes a number of food-tasting experiences and cooking tours in the North, the Central Region and the South of Vietnam.
A fried spring roll (Nem Ran)
7/ Photography in Vietnam
It is indispensable to have a camera on our trips nowadays. For the travellers who have special love for photography, then good cameras with good lenses are not to be missed on your holidays. Still, to ensure great photos on your tour, you'll need a good itinerary designed specially for travel photography guided by experienced photographer tour guide. Paradissa with our carefully selected amateur photographers/licensed tour guides could get you great holiday itineraries that warrant the most stunning photos of Vietnam that you may expect.
Fluid lines of rice terraces at Tu Le - Cao Pha Valley, Mu Cang Chai, Yen Bai, Vietnam
8/ Others Things to Do in Vietnam
8.1 Boat trips in Vietnam
Boat tours are particularly popular in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s southernmost region, which consists of an intricate network of rice paddies, swamps and forests interlaced with canals and rivers.
8.2 River cruises in Vietnam
River cruises are also operated the Mekong River within Vietnam and between Vietnam and Cambodia, on the Saigon River (a good way to see Ho Chi Minh City) or the Perfume River (near Hue).
8.3 Junk cruises on Halong Bay
Junk cruising on Ha Long Bay with an overnight stay on board discovering the stunning karst formations of the bay is a must for the travellers to Vietnam.
Luxurious junk cruise on Halong Bay Vietnam
8.4 Battlefield Tours, History Tours in Vietnam
There are opportunities for the travellers, history researchers, veteran travelers to see some of Vietnam War's sites and other wars' former battlefields in Vietnam. It is possible to walk part of Ho Chi Minh Trails, a series of roads, trails and paths used as supply routes from the North to the South of Vietnam during the war. It ran from North Vietnam southward through the Truong Son Mountains and into western Laos and Cambodia. Besides, Vietnam was at war for thousands of years, there are various sites for learning about different wars in this country.
Cu Chi Tunnel
The legendary network of tunnels used by villagers and guerrillas during the war at Cu Chi (65km from Ho Chi Minh City) and Vinh Moc can also be visited on a one day tour from Ho Chi Minh City and from Hue.
8.5 Caving Tours in Vietnam
Caving enthusiasts may head for the spectacular Phong Nha underground river caves, north-west of Dong Hoi.
8.6 Elephant Riding Tours in Vietnam
Elephant riding is around Dak Lak Province in the Central Highland which offers spectacular views of the surrounding nature and exotic experience of untouched jungles. But recently animal protection activists have voice out their complaints and riding elephants is not recommended.
From 2023, Paradissa stops elephant tours in Vietnam in joint efforts of elephant protection and conservation.
Elephant riding in Daklak Vietnam
8.7 Abseiling and Zipline in Vietnam
Abseiling and zipline adventures, waterfall climbing adventures are available in Da Lat, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. There are several fatal accidents which have taken place in Da Lat and think twice before you take on these adventures.
8.8 Health Tours, Wellness Holidays, Medical Tourism in Vietnam
Health-related activities such as spa, yoga classes and medical travel... are popular in big cities in Vietnam and Paradissa has special wellness tours for you who seek wellness holidays in Vietnam.
