Vietnam

The street flows around you the moment you step off the curb. Scooters part and rejoin, a vendor hands over a steaming bowl, and someone waves you onto a low plastic stool. Beyond the city, green hills and a long coastline wait for you.

The weather is tropical and shaped by the monsoon, with rainy and dry seasons in the south and centre, and four seasons in the cooler north. Pack for sudden downpours. When your list runs out, a Local Friend picks the next stop, whether that is a snack stall, a quiet path or a lane you would have walked past.

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Population

102 million

2025 estimate, World Bank

Independent since

2 September 1945

Declared by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi; unified as one state in 1976.

Climate

Tropical monsoon

Humid subtropical north with four seasons; two seasons in the south.

Capital

Hanoi

Seat of national government.

Did you know?

World's largest cave

Sơn Đoòng was first surveyed in 2009, near the Laos border.

Good to know about Vietnam

Language, money, timing and the details travelers sort out before they land.

National language: Vietnamese
The constitution names Vietnamese the national language (Art. 5).
Currency: Vietnamese đồng (VND)
ISO 4217 code VND, numeric 704.
Time zone: UTC+7
One time zone nationwide; no daylight saving time.
Best time to visit: Varies by region
South: Dec to Feb. North: Mar to Apr and Oct to Dec.
Area: 331,338 km²
Total surface area, World Bank, 2023

Also worth knowing

Driving side: Right
Vehicles keep to the right.
Calling code: +84
International dialling code (ITU E.164).
UNESCO sites: 9 World Heritage Sites
6 cultural, 2 natural, 1 mixed; shared sites count for each state.

Latest Tips & Traps in Vietnam

Fresh advice from Local Friends and travelers: what to do in Vietnam, and what to avoid.

Tip

Eat & Drink

Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm Homemade

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

You can spend lunch there with your friends. The first and main shop of this brand located in Tan Binh district nearby Tan Son Nhat airport. You must try the mixture combo at the begin then you can figure out which you like much and order more. I will note down some dishes ( in VNese) that you have to try there: . Bún…

Tip

Eat & Drink

Banh xeo

Hòa Bình, Vietnam

If you can not decide what there is to eat in the afternoon in Ho Chi Minh City, banh xeo- one of the favorite foods in Vietnamese daily life- could be the best choice for your snack time

Tip

Art & Culture

Noc Nan historial monument

Bạc Liêu, Vietnam

This is a most famous place about historical aspect in Bac Lieu Province and it's wothest for tourist visit one time

Tip

Landmarks & History

Hung Thien Pagoda

Bạc Liêu, Vietnam

Bac Lieu, Viet Nam, Buddha statue at Hung Thien pagoda, Mekong Delta, place for religion travel, big statue of Bodhisattva at Buddhist temple, Vietnam

Tip

Landmarks & History

Xiem Can Pagoda

Bạc Liêu, Vietnam

Xiem Can Pagoda in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu is a splendid architectural structure of the Khmer community and has long been a famous spiritual destination of the province.

Tip

Art & Culture

Cao Van Lau theater

Bạc Liêu, Vietnam

Unique Non La Theater slated to open July in Bac Lieu Huynh Kim By Huynh Kim in Bac Lieu A unique Non La (conical hat) Theater, also known as Cao Van Lau Theater, will be debuted in July in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu.

Tip

Art & Culture

Bac Lieu Salt Fields

Bạc Liêu, Vietnam

In Hoa Binh and Dong Hai communes, people extract salt from seawater. The salt-making season generally lasts from December to April. It is said that the seawater in Bac Lieu is so clean and salty that the salt-making process is easy and quick.