What to See in Vietnam: Cities to Explore on Foot

Vietnam is a long, mountainous country on the eastern edge of Mainland Southeast Asia, known for its layered history, varied landscapes, distinctive cuisine and lively cities. From Hanoi and Huế to Hội An and Ho Chi Minh City, the best way to experience Vietnam is to combine major historical sites with the country’s rivers, forests, coastlines and food culture. Neywo offers free audio guides for 11 cities in Vietnam, with 293 narrated places in total and 16 walking tours.

What to see and do in Vietnam

Understand Vietnam’s history

Vietnam’s modern history has been shaped by long struggles over independence, unity and change. Early states developed in the Red River Delta, and northern and central Vietnam later spent centuries under Chinese rule. Vietnamese monarchies drew on Confucianism and Buddhism, expanded south towards the Mekong Delta and conquered Champa.

The country was divided into two domains for much of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. France later took control after the Nguyễn dynasty surrendered, incorporating Vietnam into French Indochina. In 1945, after the Second World War, the communist-led Viet Minh declared independence. France returned but was defeated, and Vietnam was divided again.

The Vietnam War ended with victory for North Vietnam in 1975. Vietnam was then reunified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam under the Communist Party of Vietnam. The human cost was immense: the war devastated the country and killed between nearly one million and 3.8 million people. This long passage through foreign rule, division, war and reunification remains central to understanding Vietnam.

Explore Hanoi, the capital

Hanoi is Vietnam’s capital and one of the country’s main centres of history and politics. Its narrated places include the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, the One Pillar Pagoda and the Presidential Palace of Vietnam.

The city is a useful starting point for learning about Vietnam’s political history, its earlier states and the periods that shaped the modern country. Neywo covers 81 narrated places in Hanoi, making it the city with the largest collection of narrated sites on the app.

Discover Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s largest city and an important expression of the country’s modern urban life. Its places include Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, Independence Palace, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History and Saigon Opera House.

The city also reflects the changes that followed the Đổi Mới reforms. Launched in 1986, these reforms moved Vietnam away from an ineffective planned economy towards a socialist-oriented market economy. They helped reconnect the country with global economic and political life, while urbanisation accelerated. Neywo’s guide to Ho Chi Minh City includes 65 narrated places.

Visit Huế and the former imperial world

Huế is home to some of Vietnam’s most important royal and religious sites. The Imperial City of Hue and the Hall of Supreme Harmony, within the Imperial City of Huế, point to the country’s monarchic past. Other narrated places include Phủ Cam Cathedral and the Tomb of Khai Dinh.

These sites help explain the importance of the Nguyễn dynasty before French control. Huế has 19 narrated places on Neywo, offering a focused way to explore the city’s historical landmarks.

Walk through Hội An

Hội An offers another perspective on Vietnam’s history and cultural heritage. The city’s narrated places include Hoi An Museum, the Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum, Hội An and Bảo Tàng Thó Sản.

Hội An is one of the destinations covered by Neywo in central Vietnam, alongside Da Nang and Huế. Together, these cities provide different views of the region’s history, from the heritage of Hội An to the former imperial centre of Huế and the wider cultural landscape around Da Nang.

See Da Nang and the heritage of Champa

Da Nang combines a major coastal city with important cultural sites. Its narrated places include Mỹ Sơn, Dragon River Bridge, the Museum of Cham Sculpture and Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum.

Mỹ Sơn and the Museum of Cham Sculpture connect the city with Champa, the historical civilisation conquered by Vietnamese monarchies during their southward expansion. Da Nang has 20 narrated places on Neywo.

Experience Vietnam’s landscapes around Tam Coc

Vietnam’s geography is one of its defining features. The country stretches between China in the north and Laos and Cambodia in the west, with the South China Sea to the east and the Gulf of Thailand touching the southwest. Mountains cover a large share of the land, while plains are limited. Rivers are especially important, and much of their annual water flow arrives during the rainy season.

Tam Coc is among the destinations where Neywo provides narrated places. Its guide includes 80 sites, with the One Pillar Pagoda, Hỏa Lò Prison, Hanoi Opera House and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum among its featured places.

Discover Da Lat and the central highlands

Da Lat introduces a different side of Vietnam’s terrain. The country is hilly and densely forested, and its mountains, forests, rivers and coast create considerable differences in climate. Plains tend to be warmer than mountains, while the south is generally warmer than the north.

Neywo’s Da Lat guide includes 13 narrated places, including Hằng Nga guesthouse, St. Nicholas Cathedral, Lâm Đồng and Linh Phuoc Temple.

Explore Vietnam’s coastal cities

Vietnam’s long coastline gives its cities distinct identities. In Nha Trang, Neywo covers Christ the King Cathedral and the Yersin Museum. Quy Nhon has three narrated places, including Quy Nhơn Cathedral and Binh Dinh Provincial General Museum. In Tuy Hòa, the guide includes one narrated place.

Vung Tau has two narrated places: Christ of Vung Tau and Niết Bàn Tịnh Xá. These destinations show how Vietnam’s cultural sites and urban life extend along the country’s eastern and southern coast.

Taste the balance of Vietnamese cuisine

Vietnamese food is built around rice, fresh herbs, fruit, vegetables and deeply flavoured seasonings. Traditional cooking follows five taste elements: spicy, sour, salty, bitter and sweet. Rice has long been central to Vietnam’s economy and food culture, particularly through wet rice cultivation.

Fish sauce, shrimp paste and soy sauce add depth, while herbs, fruit and vegetables provide freshness. The five tastes are designed to contrast and balance one another: sour can meet sweet, while salty flavours can sit alongside bitterness or spice. This balance is one of the clearest ways to experience Vietnam’s culture in everyday life.

Download Neywo and explore Vietnam at your own pace

Neywo has free audio guides for 11 cities in Vietnam, with 293 narrated places in total and 16 walking tours. Narration is available in 11 languages. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule.

Choose a city such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, Hội An or Vung Tau, start exploring and let the audio guide accompany your walk.