Vietnam

Reasons to go:

1. Hanoi

1.1 Most memorable:

Hanoi Train Street. There are two parts - going north from the Hanoi train station and going south. The Old Quarter part of Hanoi Train Street is between (21.027661, 105.841142) and (21.031144, 105.84489). Train timetables are written on some cafes. I did not figure out how to look up upcoming trains online (including delays and cancellations), but it felt like enough people knew, so when the seats at the cafes started filling up, I grabbed a seat and order a mint tea. I caught a Sunday evening train just after 21:00 and a workday train just after 15:00. The second part of the Hanoi Train Street starts at (21.018828, 105.840834) and continues south from there. Both parts are very similar.
Long Biên and Quảng Bá - two wholesale night markets. Long Biên produce market: to get here (coming from the south) I took a Grab to “241 Hồng Hà, Phúc Tân, Hoàn Kiếm” and then followed Đường Hồng Hà street north, you’ll notice size and frequency of vegetable stalls increasing. The entrance to the market is at (21.041206, 105.850456), it is a narrow (and frankly terrifying) choke point full of competing traffic modes of various sizes trying to get in and out of the market. If you don’t fancy entering through here, continue along Đường Hồng Hà street and turn right at (21.041761, 105.84979), then right again whenever possible. To get out of here, use this staircase over the wall (21.038555, 105.85228) and take a Grab from here. Quảng Bá flower market entrace is at (21.066803, 105.827686). I was at Long Biên produce market at 1:00 and Quảng Bá flower market at 2:00, and it felt like the best time to observe how the markets work. I had no problem getting Grabs at this time of night, neither to/from the markets nor between them. Starting with Long Biên market will make Quảng Bá market feel very relaxing. I didn’t want to stay up past 3:00 at night, but I’m so glad I did - this was one of the most memorable experiences I had in Hanoi. See this blog and this one for more information.

1.2 Ticketed attractions:

Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum - great museum of Vietnamese art through the decades. It is huge and you can spend a long time exploring. From the main entrance, start in Gallery 1, located just before the ticket gate. This is the only gallery where you’ll see the Lạc bird. Then continue through the gates and follow the arrows through all 32 galleries.
Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, which includes Hanoi flag tower and not just one but three underground bunkers. Ticket office at (21.033399, 105.839278). Don’t miss the Statue of Lenin across the street from the Citadel.
Temple Of Literature. This was the only ticketed temple that I explored in Hanoi, because it is a big area with a lot of old structures and fun line-ups of tortoise statues.
Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Museum, etc. There are four parts to this area - the mausoleum (free), outdoor museum (very cheap), indoor museum (very cheap) and the garden in the middle of it all (free). The only entrance is at (21.03582, 105.831467), where you go through security check and they take away your water bottle, lighters and other restricted items. To visit the Mausoleum go through security here (21.035712, 105.83151), then you’ll have to leave your bag in storage if it is too big (very small backpacks are exempt), next you’ll have to leave your camera and other electronic equipment in camera storage (phones are exempt), finally you join the queue, walk through the mausoleum (no photos allowed) and exit into the garden at (21.037113, 105.83473). Depending on the time of the year, the Mausoleum closes as early as 10:30am, so if you are doing it, do it first. To visit the outdoor museum (view of the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s car collection, House on Stilts, etc.), purchase the tickets at (21.038308, 105.835) and follow the list of things to see until you exit into the garden at (21.037142, 105.83389). To visit the indoor museum, you can purchase the tickets at the security check here (21.035907, 105.83155) or right at the museum entrance (21.035559, 105.83294). All three experiences (mausoleum, outdoor museum and indoor museum) are one way walks, don’t expect to be able to come back to something you saw earlier. The garden is free to visit and walk around (not a one way system), you can see the One Pillar Pagoda and the Ho Chi Minh Museum building from the outside; but you have to go through the security check (and loose your water bottle, etc.) to access it. I’d say if you are doing all of these, it is worth it; but I wouldn’t come for just one of these.
Vietnam National Museum of History - was under renovation when I visited, must be good when it reopens.
Gia Lam Train Factory might soon become an interesting museum.

1.3 Neighbourhoods to explore:

Hanoi Old Quarter. Lanterns are sold along P. Hàng Mã street (21.036584, 105.84726), vegetables along P. Yên Thái street (21.031834, 105.847354), all sorts of things happen between this narrow lane (21.033384, 105.85267) and this intersection (21.033042, 105.85302). P. Hàng Buồm street has old temples (ticketed). Despite being very touristy, this area is definitely worth exploring, especially in the evening. But I would avoid eating, drinking or staying here.
French Quarter. I explored St. Joseph Cathedral, Hoàn Kiếm lake, Vườn hoa Con Cóc square, inner courtyard of VNU University of Science (21.020911, 105.85874). From the many beautiful buildings, my favourite were Ho Guom Opera, Nhà khách Chính phủ, Supreme Court (21.025426, 105.847213), Hanoi Opera House, and this one (21.025633, 105.85186).
Trúc Bạch area. I enjoyed walking around the Trúc Bạch lake and exploring the streets of Thuc Bach island (21.046001, 105.840946). Manzi Exhibition Space is a great art gallery (free) near photogenic little streets (21.041624, 105.84579). P. Phan Đình Phùng street is interesting, including Cửa Bắc Catholic Church and Tháp Nước Hàng Đậu water tower. Some nice street art (21.038356, 105.846761) on the railway arches. Chau Long market (21.043907, 105.84192) looks interesting. There is also Quan Thanh Temple (not free), Tran Quoc Pagoda, Đền Thủy Trung Tiên temple. Off street fine coffee - has good coffee. Nhà hàng chay Hồi restaurant is here.
Ngoc Ha neighbourhood. There are many streets leading into this neighbourhood, but the most exciting way is to turn from the busy Phố Ngọc Hà street into the narrow Ngõ 88 Phố Ngọc Hà alley (21.03596, 105.83118) and follow the super narrow alleys until you pop out by the lake (21.036058, 105.82924). To explore the neighbourhood, you could start by doing a lap around the four lakes - Hồ Đầm Tròn, Hồ Bảy Gian, Hồ Ngọc Hà and Hồ Hữu Tiệp (the one with B-52 wreckage). The highlight for me was the Ngõ 158 Phố Ngọc Hà alley (21.037183, 105.82764) bustling with local life. It was really exciting at 12noon, but when I came back at 13:30 it was almost completely dead; so try to visit before 13:00. This temple (21.038272, 105.82617) was under construction. Chay Nhà An is a nice place for vegetarian lunch. See this blog.
Hai Ba Trung area - from this intersection (21.015213, 105.84921) lovely tree lined streets unfold in all directions. Don’t miss the market at (21.017154, 105.85179) and Thong Nhat Park. Both The Berryfield Coffee Co and Quán chay Chạm vegetarian restaurant are nice.
Explore Hanoi beyond the touristy parts: Untitled Espresso Bar is a great coffee place; The Indian Kitchen (21.026797, 105.823909) was one of the best Indian restaurants I found in Vietnam; AntiMusic Cafe & Listening Bar is the best place for an evening by a lake; Anubis Cocktail Bar looks exciting. All of these places are in lovely areas that are fun to explore.

1.4 Flavours of Hanoi:

Nhà hàng chay Hồi Hoi Modern Vegetarian Dining - my favourite restaurant in Hanoi. They have two menus - one with prices (ignore that one) and one called Buffet menu (price per person indicated on the first page, the rest of the menu has no prices). You can order from the Buffet menu as much as you want, as many times as you want. Then you pay fixed (unbelievably low) price per person at the end (drinks cost extra). I’ve never seen fine dining all-you-can-eat anywhere else, so don’t miss the opportunity. Their not-buffet menu is also great, just not as much fun as each dish is much bigger.
Cồ Đàm Chay - great vegetarian tasting menu. The price was about 40 USD per person.
Ưu Đàm Chay - great vegetarian restaurant.
VULAB Specialty Coffee - great selection of coffee beans, more than 10 available for espresso-based drinks. Their flat whites are great. This was my favourite coffee place in Hanoi.
Donkey Coffee Roastery - great selection of coffee beans, many available for espresso-based drinks. Their flat whites are great if you ask for double shot. It is located on an interesting street, take some time to explore this area.
Untitled Espresso Bar - has several beans available for espresso-based drinks. A passion project. It is really cool to go there for a coffee and explore the neighbourhood, don’t skip it.

Hanoi notes:

The best area to stay is between Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Thong Nhat Park.
Grocery shopping: L’s Place (21.029804, 105.856726) - an international supermarket, small but has 4 floors; and they have a second location too. BRGMart at (21.028925, 105.850629) and other locations. WinMart on the 4th floor of Vincom Center (21.011296, 105.849572). There is also Annam Gourmet if needed.
Grab works well throughout the city, throughout the night, to/from the airport and to destinations up to 3 hours away (Ninh Binh, Nam Định, Ham Lon mountain, etc).
Read about Hanoi shophouses.
When to visit: the air pollution during dry season (November to March) is really bad, the rest is wet season.

1.5 Overnight trip to Ninh Bình:

Trang An UNESCO area - boat rides in a breathtakingly beautiful landscape. Not possible to pre-book, just show up. Four people per boat, so you might be sharing with others. It is busy, but super well organised. Official parking at (20.253631, 105.918371), tickets at (20.253741, 105.918685), then through the underpass and join the queue. I did Route 1 (I believe it is the longest one) and it was amazing. If you fancy another boat ride, I’m sure taking Route 2 or 3 here (almost no overlap with Route 1) would be much more exciting and pleasant than taking a boat trip in Tam Cốc.
Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve - a boat ride in a beautiful area full of birds. Not many tourists. Parking and ticket office at (20.362174, 105.88246), then walk to the boat departure point at (20.363466, 105.882671). Two people per boat. Nearby there is an interesting shipbuilding area around (20.317864, 105.917684).
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital. Tickets and parking at (20.284508, 105.90886), from there explore the area between the bridge (20.284369, 105.90797), the gate (20.286944, 105.90679) and here (20.284247, 105.906496) on foot. Temple of Emperor Đinh Tiên Hoàng and Temple of Emperor Le Dai Hanh are the highlights. Afterwards, you can explore everything else on your scooter, there is no need to rent a bicycle or go for a very long (and very boring in between) walk. Tomb of Emperor Lê Đại Hành (20.279119, 105.90663) was interesting, and there are maps with more points of interests.
Lying Dragon Mountain - see the beautiful landscape from above, a perfect place to be for sunset. Parking at (20.231123, 105.93775), tickets at (20.230896, 105.937785), climb to (20.229459, 105.9338). Alternatively, this (20.24968, 105.92848) is a nice viewpoint, with no need to buy tickets or climb anything.
It is best to rent a scooter to travel between these destinations.
In Ninh Bình: Hoa Lu Old town is fun to explore on a Saturday night, when locals party. Climb this hill (20.264196, 105.96776), visit this modern temple open till late (20.264086, 105.96744), good view of the party area from (20.263852, 105.96676). DRIP by haimuoibon - the best coffee in town.
If I’d have more time, I’d visit Cuc Phuong National Park, Bái Đính Pagoda, Huong Pagoda, Phát Diệm Cathedral.
We had no problems ordering Grab from Ninh Binh to Hanoi.
See this blog.

1.6 Overnight trip to Nam Định:

The area between Nam Định and the coast is dense with beautiful Christian cathedrals. My favourites were: Nhà Thờ Lớn Nam Định (20.424707, 106.177824), Nhà Thờ Giáo Xứ Hồng Quang (20.36083, 106.20952), Nhà Thờ Cổ Ra (20.354468, 106.21184), Nhà Thờ Chính Tòa Bùi Chu (20.307419, 106.33127), Nhà Thờ Giáo Họ Phú An (20.30223, 106.34289), Vương Cung Thánh Đường Phú Nhai (20.300017, 106.36324), Nhà Thờ Đền Thánh Thánh Gia Kiên Lao (20.272434, 106.34027), Nhà Thờ Giáo Xứ Đền Thánh Hưng Nghĩa (20.2096954,106.3100454), Giáo Họ Tam Tùng (20.1665336,106.2779852), Nhà Thờ Giáo Xứ Trung Phương (20.165111, 106.29208), ruins of Nhà Thờ Đổ Nam Định (20.130015, 106.31436), Giáo Xứ Lục Phương (20.116461, 106.26122), Giáo Họ Tây Phương (20.1141161,106.2556938), Nhà Thờ Giáo Xứ An Đạo (20.147104, 106.19297), Đền Thánh Mẹ Mân Côi Ninh Cường (20.200483, 106.20554). There are so many big cathedrals and they are all so different; and since this area is really flat, you can spot them from afar.
Apart from the cathedrals, there is a very interesting ship building street around (20.2688, 106.32383) and many interesting cemeteries. I explored Nghĩa trang An Bài cemetery (20.122162, 106.264157) - from afar the graves look typically Vietnamese (apart from the purple flags), but upon closer inspection I noticed that dragons and phoenix have been replaced with candles, grapes and angels.
Hương Vân Chay - great vegetarian restaurant in Nam Định.
Driving between the cathedrals: Renting a scooter is essential. Note that some Google Maps directions include ferries, we avoided those. Cầu phao Ninh Cường bridge (20.206854, 106.196543) was a bit scary to drive across.
We had a great experience renting a scooter from Xe May Ngoc Linh Motorbike Rental (20.437955, 106.188219). They don’t speak English and don’t use WhatsApp (only Zalo), you might need to ask your hotel for help.
We had no problems ordering Grab from Nam Định to Hanoi.
See articles here, here and here.

1.7 Hike up Ham Lon mountain:

There is Ham Lon Fire Trail that goes around the Ham Lon lake, from it there are four trails that go up towards the Ham Lon peak (21.314095, 105.78895). I went up Mosquito Trail and down Silverstone Trail; I avoided Ham Lon Stream Trail; Ham Lon Trail is another option. The transitions between Ham Lon Fire Trail and these four trails is the only slightly tricky bit, the rest is a nice path. For a nice circuit I’d suggest (21.308142, 105.805334), (21.318391, 105.79539), the peak (21.314095, 105.78895), (21.314145, 105.79307), (21.302934, 105.79977).
I started my hike with Chu Thien’s Trail (21.306818, 105.802648), which was a terrible idea; avoid at all costs, unless you’d like an extra challenge.
From Hanoi, I took a Grab to the start of the trail. On the way back there were no Grabs, so I took Bus 64 back to Hanoi - this bus stop (21.295114, 105.811632) with a bench.
See this blog.

2. Hue

2.1 Old stuff:

Hue Imperial City - it is huge and you can spend a long time exploring. My favourites were Kiến Trung Palace (16.471095, 107.57652) and Nine Dynastic Urns (16.466832, 107.57698). Tickets at (16.467664, 107.579893), entrance at (16.467682, 107.57918), exit at (16.470762, 107.58056). Hue Imperial City is located inside the Walled City, which is an old neighbourhood worth exploring. See The National Library of the Nguyen Dynasty, Tinh Tam Lake, etc. Walking across Truong Tien Bridge is the most fun way to get here. Anchay The Garden Cafe & Vegetarian food - nice vegetarian restaurant.
Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh (16.39887, 107.590178) - the most exciting of the mausoleums in Hue.
Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities. The museum is interesting, but the highlight for me was the building it is located in - the beautiful Long An Palace.
Mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc - a large area with many structures. It is lovely, but felt like more of the same.
Temple of Literature (16.452965, 107.5389) - a lovely lineup of tortoise statues. When I visited, the metal gate was closed but not locked, so I walked in to explore. There were posters showing the 2028 vision for restoring this landmark, so it is likely to become ticketed in the future.
An Dinh Palace - the most modern of all the palaces.
If I’d have more time, I’d visit Mausoleum of Emperor Gia Long, Mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang, Mausoleum of Emperor Dong Khanh, Chùa Từ Hiếu temple, Thiên Mụ Pagoda, Thanh Toan Bridge, Nam Giao Esplanade, Chùa Diệu Đế pagoda.
See this blog.

2.2 Cemeteries:

Tam Thai road through the big cemetery, between (16.431227, 107.59121) and (16.41629, 107.605692). The cemetery is very interesting, and locals didn’t mind us wandering around. There seems to be no rules, just leave your scooter by the side of the road and wander deep into the thicket of graves. There are so many exciting sculptures to discover, including the Tomb of Emperor Hiep Hoa (16.417283, 107.605975).
An Bang Cemetery “City of Ghosts” - a large area with huge elaborate tombs. The main road through the cemetery goes between (16.422506, 107.82127), (16.42455, 107.827505) and (16.415078, 107.83563). Don’t spoil the surprise, don’t look up photos or blogs, just drive to (16.422506, 107.82127) and be amazed. Afterwards you can read an explanation here. It is fun to drive here along the Đường Trấn Hải Thành road (16.556859, 107.65233) lined with temples, cafes and agricultural activity. Since you are here, you can see shrimp farming at (16.429883, 107.81633) and lotus farming at (16.440677, 107.7954).
A unique cemetery with graves located on little islands. It is not mentioned on any maps or blogs. It is absolutely fascinating and much fun to explore. This (16.484438, 107.6627) is a good place to start. Take the narrow path leading south into the watery side of the cemetery. Satellite view on Google Maps will be the best help to navigate your way into the watery maze, you can get pretty far, just don’t forget to mark your way on the map to help you on the way back.

2.3 Weird stuff:

Hồ Thuỷ Tiên abandoned water park, which is now seemingly the most popular location for photo shoots in the whole of Hue. The main things to do are climbing into the mouth of the dragon (16.407957, 107.57857), seeing water tubes (16.409052, 107.57621), swimming pools (16.409136, 107.576) and the space simulator (16.411298, 107.57389). We approached from (16.412113, 107.57831) and there was no entrance fee, but there might be people charging an entrance fee at (16.413138, 107.576099). Parking around this round feature (16.412031, 107.57607) is free, just don’t park near a cafe.
Hổ Quyền tiger and elephant fighting arena (16.44849, 107.5544). It is fun to walk around this unique structure. And just like in Google Maps reviews, there was a local person who encouraged me to climb over the fence…and so I did, and it was great to see the inside of the structure from the top. Walk up the stairs and climb around the low metal fence (not over the metal spikes), it is pretty easy to do.
Cao Dai Temple of Vinh Loi - a chance to observe Cao Dai religion. The inside of the temple (upstairs) is fascinating. Enter through the side gate (16.461834, 107.597691). If it is locked, try again around prayer times - 12noon or 18:00. They are serious about the dress code (no exposed knees or shoulders, regardless of gender) and the gender segregated staircases.
Huyen Khong Temple (16.452767, 107.527181) - a modern temple with unique architecture, not like anything else I’ve seen in Vietnam.
Nhà Thờ Chính Tòa Phủ Cam - an architecturally interesting church filled with seemingly AI generated images.
Nhà Thờ Dòng Chúa Cứu Thế Huế - an architecturally interesting church.

2.4 Flavours of Hue:

An Nhien Garden Vegetarian - the best vegetarian restaurant in Hue. Amazing food in amazing setting, for about the same price as any other restaurant.
Nhà hàng chay Tĩnh - great vegetarian restaurant. It was exciting to try ingredients I’ve not encountered in other restaurants, like cottonii and mountain jelly vegetable.
Nhà Quìn Coffee Roastery - THE coffee place in Hue. They have a great selection of Vietnamese beans (not just the “local” beans, which are from this particular province), more than 10 available for espresso-based drinks. I fell in love with their Fine Robusta beans. From Arabica selection, Ara Tu Mrong was extremely interesting.

Hue notes:

Running along the Perfume River. On the south side there is a traffic-free route between (16.472497, 107.595059) and (16.459556, 107.577145) - it is a lovely blend of tourists and local live. On the north side the path west from Truong Tien Bridge is much wider, and there are only locals with not a single tourist in sight. Both sides are great in their own way. You can run across both Truong Tien bridge and Cầu Phú Xuân bridge; both bridges have pedestrian underpasses, so you never cross any traffic. I did all my running after dark and it felt like the best time to observe vibrant local life.
Renting a scooter is by far the best way to explore Hue.
We had a great experience renting a scooter from Hue Motorbike For Rent (Van Anh on http://wa.me/84935028027) at (16.46843, 107.596856).
When I visited, the only functional VP Bank ATM was at (16.455618, 107.583575).
For groceries there is WinMart Vincom Huế.
Grab works well in central Hue.
I stayed in the touristy area around (16.469392, 107.595738), which was a terrible mistake. Out of the three restaurants I tried in this area, all were bad and made me queasy. I found no good coffee. And music was loud every night until 4:30 in the morning.

2.5 Overnight trip to My Son and Hoi An from Da Nang:

If Hue is not on your itinerary, you can start this loop by exploring Lệ Trạch cemetery, this (15.949728, 108.18311) is a good place to start. Some of the new graves have electricity powering lights and music.
My Son - ruins of Champa temples. Scooter parking at (15.774009, 108.10872), tickets at (15.773787, 108.109339), past the ticket gate there is a small museum and a frequent free shuttle between (15.77211, 108.110892) and (15.768666, 108.11935). See this blog.
Seeing Hoi An lanterns in the evening - it is a hopeless souvenir city, but the lanterns make it undeniably enjoyable to stroll through. From around (15.87713, 108.328663) you’ll want to go in all directions. Every evening in Hoi An is a lantern festival, there is no need to aim for a particularly “good” day to visit. After 21:00 things start to shut and the number of lanterns starts to decrease. When I visited, Chùa Cầu Japanese covered bridge was free to explore in the evening.
Seeing Hoi An in the morning - stroll along Trần Phú street to see Cantonese Assembly Hall, Chinese Assembly Hall, Fujian Assembly Hall, Quan Cong Temple, Hainan Assembly Hall and Teochew Assembly Hall. See this blog. When I visited, some of these were free to enter, but most were ticketed. I didn’t find these particularly different from other temples I’ve seen for free and I didn’t notice any places selling Hoi An Old Town entrance tickets, so despite planning to buy a ticket, I ended up just seeing these old buildings from outside, which was an interesting way to spend the morning. And don’t miss this market (15.876184, 108.33157).
Coffee break in the rice paddies. Take this (15.889854, 108.33641) narrow lane through the rice paddies to reach Le Locust Café. Their coconut coffee is great.
Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture - very exciting museum, do not miss it.
Dragon Bridge. The best bit is the short water show at 21:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. You could see it from many places around the head-end of the bridge (east side), but it is most fun to stand right in front of the dragon’s head (there will be no traffic on the bridge during the show). South side is more crowded, so walk up this (16.061489, 108.230097) staircase in the north-east corner of the bridge. You will get completely wet, I mean it. Consider wearing flip-flops and a raincoat, everything will be soaked. Free.
We flew into Da Nang airport, rented a scooter, spent two whole days doing the above itinerary, and then took a morning train from Da Nang to Hue. We paid for 3 nights in a cheap hotel in Da Nang (where we left our luggage), but spent one of those nights in a hotel in Hoi An.
We had a great experience renting a scooter from Tom Motorbike Rentals (http://wa.me/84388593969).
Train from Da Nang to Hue - a diverse stretch of urban, agricultural and coastal landscapes. The wiggly part over Hải Vân Pass had several small viaducts and I could frequently see the nose/tail of the train from the window as it took the corners. It was a fun experience, but not fun enough to make me want to take a longer train journey.
In Da Nang, I tried Soul & Savor Coffee & Vegetarian Kitchen (great for vegan breakfast/brunch) and Indus Indian Restaurant, both were amazing. XLIII Specialty Coffee (43 Factory Coffee Roaster) is on my to-try list. In Hoi An, I tried Minh Kien Vegetarian Restaurant (White Rose Banh Bông Hông Trang was so addictive) and Chickpea Eatery Vietnamese Vegan Restaurant, both were great.

3. Ho Chi Minh City

3.1 Most memorable buildings to explore:

The Cafe Apartment building at 42 Nguyen Hue Street. Nicotin Cafe on the 2nd floor was my favourite. Don’t pay for the elevator, exploring on foot is much fun. See this blog.
Cafe Apartment building at 14 Ton That Dam. The elevator shaft without the elevator is interesting. Whisfee cafe on the 1st floor has a nice view. See this blog.
Catinat Building, 26 Ly Tu Trong (10.778274, 106.700962) - another fun staircase to explore, mostly shops. See this article.

3.2 District 1:

HCMC History Museum - great archaeological museum.
Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum - three architecturally exciting buildings housing a huge collection of Vietnamese art. For a small but exceptionally well curated collection of Vietnamese art, visit Quang San Art Museum across the river.
Geological Museum of Vietnam - a kind of old dusty museum where you have to entertain yourself to have fun, but they do have maps and a lot of rock samples to facilitate self-entertainment. Free.
Beautiful religious buildings: Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon (the famous one), Tân Định Catholic Church (the pink one), Mariamman Hindu temple. I saw these from outside only.
Beautiful architecture of the French Quarter - Saigon Opera House, People’s Committee of Hồ Chí Minh City, Saigon Central Post Office, etc.
Hồ Con Rùa (Turtle Pond) is fun.
Ben Thanh Market - this big market is fun to explore.
Saigon Japan Town - in the evening it is an interesting experience to stroll through these narrow lanes full of girls, especially (10.780161, 106.7053). Just don’t come here for Japanese food.
My favourite vegetarian restaurants: Rau Ơi Quán Chay Vegetarian Lê Thị Hồng Gấm, Nấm Vegetarian Bistro, Vị Quê Kitchen, Be An Vegetarian Café, Shamballa Vegetarian (a bit expensive).
Tales by Chapter - this vegan tasting menu is on my wishlist.
My favourite coffee places: Ghé Coffee casual specialty café Mac Thi Buoi (my favourite, with a great selection of beans available for espresso-based drinks), 96B cafe & roastery (a great place to try Liberica, Excelsa and Robusta beans), JEEPGO Specialty Coffee Roasters, Over extracteD coffee.
For the views of the city from above there is Saigon Skydeck (the old one) and Landmark 81 (the new one). Still on my wishlist.

3.3 Outside District 1:

Quang San Art Museum - small but exceptionally well curated collection of Vietnamese art.
The rest of Thao Dien neighbourhood: Chillala House of Art - cool art gallery with temporary exhibitions (free). Nhà Hàng Chay Kim Sa - great vegetarian restaurant. Fine Coffee Agency - I ordered one “cà phê sữa đá” with Robusta beans and another with Arabica, and enjoyed the comparison. Østerberg Ice Cream - 6 small scoops is a great way to experience many flavours. Kashew Cheese Deli makes nice vegan cheese. See what else you’ll find along Xuân Thủy street and Trần Ngọc Diện street. You can get to Thao Dien neighbourhood from District 1 by metro. It works with foreign cards (no need to purchase a ticket, simply tap in and out) and offers great views of the river.
Narrow lanes in District 10. The highlight for me were these two lively streets at (10.763414, 106.67354) and (10.763838, 106.67349), described as The Hive by Vietnam Coracle. I couldn’t figure out why people hang their cabbage on the hangers along with their laundry. From there I took Hẻm 393 Lê Hồng Phong (10.763821, 106.67504) narrow alley to the lively market around (10.764252, 106.67671), described as Ho Thi Ky Alleys by Vietnam Coracle. Hồ Thị Kỷ street flower market (10.765784, 106.67676) is fun to explore. Hẻm 595 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu street (10.766712, 106.68041) is one of many interesting narrow alleys. This (10.766629, 106.681774) looks like an entrance to the next exciting area to explore, but by then I ran out of time. I loved this walk and would like to follow more suggestions from Vietnam Coracle articles linked below.
Cholon neighbourhood (the Chinatown). My favourite temples were Hội Quán Tuệ Thành (10.753159, 106.661165), Hội Quán Ôn Lăng (10.754075, 106.659722) and Hội Quán Nghĩa An (10.753477, 106.662193). Hội Quán Phước An (10.754999, 106.658867) has indisputably the biggest spiral incense. I didn’t have to go far for an authentic wet market - loads of interesting things for sale around (10.753574, 106.65741).
Walking along the rail tracks. I took a Grab taxi to (10.788112, 106.670907), started with a coffee at Phường Cà Phê (located just off the rail track), explored the narrow lanes around Alo Cafe (10.791088, 106.669872), wished for a baked good from Nhạt & Sourdough (it’s closed on Mondays), had an amazing vegetarian meal at Nhà hàng chay Tami Coffee & Chay, and continued walking along the rail track. Life along the rail track is fascinating to observe. If you see people with professional cameras near rail crossings, that’s a good sign that a train might be coming soon. See this blog.
Saigon Cao Dai Temple - I totally missed this chance to observe Cao Dai religion, but you shouldn’t.
See Vietnam Coracle articles about narrow alleys, clusters of crumbling old apartment complexes, fresh produce markets and streets for street food.

3.4 Overnight trip to Trà Vinh:

This area is dense with Khmer temples. My favourites were: Chùa Sleng cũ (9.7460321, 106.2817835), Chùa Koskeoseray (9.92358, 106.303456), Wat Pisesaram (9.952787, 106.241349), Chùa Vàm Ray (9.655547, 106.274689), Chùa Cà Săng (9.660961, 106.286531), Chùa Long Trường (9.730481, 106.346212), Wat Chông Prây (9.7706924, 106.3260668), Chùa Hang (9.887151, 106.345074), Chùa Kósla (9.674796, 106.277449), Chùa Khươne (9.925151, 106.33344), Chùa Selatro (9.904162, 106.342153), Chùa Cham Ka (9.9084059, 106.3246694). Chùa Âng (9.915955, 106.303464) is the most visited one, it has visitor toilets and pay-for parking.
After a couple of temples, you’ll know exactly what a temple wall looks like. To find less well known temples, look out for the temple walls and then drive around the wall until you spot the entrance. There are no entrance fees or parking fees (we always left the scooter just outside a temple gate, as exploring temples on foot seemed more appropriate). There were hardly any visitors apart from us. The monks didn’t interact with us.
Renting a scooter is essential. Temples were interesting, but most importantly they provided a great excuse to drive down small lanes and explore rural life in the province.
We had a great experience renting a scooter from Motorbike Rent Tra Vinh (http://wa.me/840934585080).
In Trà Vinh: Công viên Phạm Ngũ Lão park seems to be the place where locals hang out in the evening. Lẩu Chay QUÊ NHÀ was my favourite vegetarian restaurant; their lemongrass tofu, vegetarian goat and mushroom dishes are great. Bếp Chay Nhà Ruma - another good vegetarian restaurant. Cà Phê Bột Kim Quang is great for an authentic “cà phê sữa”, 3T Coffee for modern coffee drinks.
To get to Trà Vinh we took a Grab from Ho Chi Minh. Grab doesn’t work in Trà Vinh, so to get back, we asked our hotel (at 19:00) to call us a taxi and to confirm the price with the driver before we set off. Both rides cost almost exactly the same.
See this blog.

Planning your trip:

In Vietnam there is no easy way to rent a car (without a driver) for a reason, the country runs on scooters (think Honda Air Blade). For that reason, I structured my time in Vietnam as longer stays in big cities, with overnight trips on scooters (without the luggage). None of the trips I did would be doable by car - the interesting roads I took were too narrow for cars, and at destinations there was no parking for cars.
If this is your first time in Vietnam and you are planning to visit Ho Chi Minh city, I suggest you start there. With Ho Chi Minh experience under your belt, it will be easy to navigate Hanoi (avoiding for-tourist restaurants that are not good and overpriced, skipping temples that are ticketed just because they are located near hotels, etc).
I purchased train tickets directly from the railway company, as there is now an “International Credit Card” payment option. It took several tries before the payment went through. If no luck, you could try one of the reputable resellers - Baolau, 12Go, Bookaway.
Grab is the local Uber-style taxi app. It works in many cities, even in small ones like Ninh Binh and Nam Định. It works in airports (Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang, Hue, Hanoi and probably more), there is no need to pre-arrange transport from/to the airports. In some places, especially airports, people might pretend to be your Grab driver, take your phone, cancel the ride (thus getting rid of your real Grab driver), and take you to your destination for the same price - to avoid this scam, do not ever give your phone to anyone, even your real Grab driver. They might ask for your phone to look at the app or the map or add their number to your WhatsApp; just say you booked the ride on wifi and you don’t have internet connection, and offer to take a photo of their phone number (while retaining possession of your phone). The drivers can claim all extra expenses (road tolls, airport fees) through the app, there is no need for you to ever give them cash; if they ask you to reimburse them for the road tolls, say you don’t have cash and ask to pay through the app.
Long distance travel with luggage: Apart from flights, trains and buses; Grab works great for up to 3 hour drives, I’ve not tried longer ones. I’ve ordered five Grab rides of more than 2 hours, and never had to wait long or had any problems (just check with the driver that the battery has enough charge, if it’s an electric car). Many Grab drivers will be happy to switch to WhatsApp and become your private driver for a day; I’ve not tried doing that.
Renting a scooter for travel without luggage: It is very cheap and allows you to move around like locals do. Outside Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, scooter is a great way to explore. It does limit you to going from one destination to another, it is not always possible to just park your scooter and wander off. But if your plan is a list of destinations (cafes, restaurants, shops, hotels, museums, temples, hike starting points), then you’ll most likely have no problems with free parking, as it is assumed that you’ll arrive by scooter. There are 3 types of parking: free parking (95% of places, there are no “free parking” signs, because all parking is free unless otherwise stated), pay-for parking (it is rare, you get a receipt when you pay, the most expensive one I found was 0.2 USD), and places with “free parking” signage (these are scams, and you will have to pay much more than 0.2 USD for something - a favour, a drink or a souvenir). Avoid all “free parking” signs, always! To find a scooter rental, I searched on Google Maps. If you get no results from an English search, try searching for “Thuê xe máy”. I’ve asked two different hotels to rent us a scooter, and in both cases we had to ask for a refund - it is a small sample size, but my conclusion is that you usually get a much better scooter if you rent directly from a rental company.
Do not rent a scooter in Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi - it is more parking trouble than it is worth. Parking looks extremely complicated, I don’t think it is a convenient way to get around. These cities have high density of exciting stuff, perfect for exploring on foot. A lot of cool places are located down narrow alleys, with no parking nearby. Grab is available everywhere and at any time of day or night, so there is no need to have your own transport, even if you don’t fancy buses.

Notes:

VP Bank ATMs don’t charge for withdrawals.
Viettel sim card worked well everywhere I went. I purchased it from an official Viettel shop, not a reseller. When I visited it was 50,000 VND for the sim card and 160,000 VND for 30 days of 4GB/day and calls. I landed in Ho Chi Minh airport (SGN), it was full of unauthorised Viettel resellers both before and after passport control. To avoid scams, I used airport wifi to take a Grab to an official Viettel shop. There are at least two in Ho Chi Minh District 1 - Cửa hàng Viettel Trần Quang Khải, and Cửa hàng Viettel Trần Hưng Đạo.
Bottled water: I drank exclusively LaVie (Nestlé) and Aquafina (PepsiCo).
I did most of my grocery shopping in WinMart supermarkets (not WinMart+ convenience stores). In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, there is Annam Gourmet - a chain of international supermarkets where you can find things you won’t find anywhere else.
Chay means vegetarian. Restaurants that have “chay” in their name are vegetarian. Some places are called “coffee and chay”, meaning they serve only coffee and vegetarian food.
Vietnamese coffee: “Cà phê sữa nóng pha phin” means coffee (cà phê) with condensed milk (sữa), served hot (nóng), brewed with a traditional phin filter (pha phin). Or it can be iced (đá) instead of hot (nóng), or black (đen) instead of with condensed milk (sữa). Cà phê muối is salted coffee. Cà phê trứng is egg coffee.
Lattes and flat whites come with one shot by default, way too milky. I always paid for the extra shot.
Tết (lunar new year) is the worst time to visit, as restaurants and other businesses stay shut for more than a week.
Apart from WhatsApp, Zalo is the most common messaging app.
Useful blogs: Vietnam Coracle and Wander Lush.