New year, new spirit, and it comes with new travel ideas. If you want to explore Vietnam during springtime but struggling to choose between so many great destinations, this list will surely be useful for you.
HANOI
The capital city of Vietnam is definitely on this list thanks to its rich cultural and historical values. If you are looking for a full-package for cultural experience, Hanoi can be one of the best destinations in Vietnam for that. During the springtime, the weather is moderate; hence, it is suitable to go around the city and experience comfortably different modes of transportation, such as cyclo, electric car, bike, or motorbike if you are adventurous and desire the most authentic local experience. Also, as spring is the perfect combination of winter and summer weather, it is the perfect condition to try out all the famous food from both seasons. Besides, definitely, if you are in Vietnam by the start of the spring, which is the Lunar New Year period, you cannot miss the chance to try the special gastronomy for this extraordinary occasion.
Also, during this time, there are many spring festivals that you can reach easily from Hanoi, and one of the most famous ones is the Huong pagoda festival. The festival starts on the sixth day after Lunar New Year’s Eve. You can experience the new year tradition, understand more about the religious practices, and admire the natural beauty of the scenery in the surrounding area with the systems of mountains, hills, and limestone caves.
HA LONG BAY (QUANG NINH PROVINCE)
The UNESCO World Heritage and one of the seven new wonders – Ha Long Bay is one of the most natural complexes in Vietnam with the majestic creation from limestone emerging on the ocean surface. This is one of the best destinations in Vietnam if you are looking for natural beauty. With the warm weather and bright spring day, experiencing an active day on the bay with different aquatic activities or relaxing with a luxury experience are both good ideas to spend a day in Ha Long Bay.
Moreover, in Quang Ninh province where Ha Long Bay is situated, there is a famous festival in spring – Yen Tu festival. Yen Tu – Truc Lam Zen School and Dong pagoda are associated with the historical story of King Tran Nhan Tong and his meditation journey. Coming to the festival is a good opportunity to learn more about Vietnamese history, culture, and Buddhism religion. In addition, Yen Tu Mountain is also a good location for trekking if you are into adventure activities.
SAPA (LAO CAI PROVINCE)
Sapa is a famous and majestic destination in the northwest region of Vietnam. Spring is the best season to visit Sapa because the weather condition is ideal, many festivals organize during this time of year, and the scenery is dreamy and stunning. It is not an exaggeration to say that Sapa is the perfect travel combination when you can find culture, nature, and cuisine all in one place.
Coming to Sapa in the spring, you can see the planting process on the terraces, immerse yourselves in the warm spring sunlight while visiting the forests full of blossom and plum flowers, and experience the special new year’s traditions and customs of the ethnic minority people. Furthermore, this is a perfect time to trek if you prefer an active holiday. This a sneak peek that AVT Travel offers many options for trekking on the beautiful routes of Sapa, so keep on reading and I will reveal the interesting travel idea by the end.
Spending your spring day in Sapa is absolutely the most wonderful travel idea. Imagine the days of visiting the beautiful local villages like Cat Cat, Sin Chai, or Ta Van, having lunch with the spectacular view from the hill after a long morning of trekking, and enjoying the starlight with a campfire by the local homestay to enjoy the best gastronomy from the mountainous area. These can be one of the most memorable and amazing experiences of your whole lifetime.
HUE
The old capital of Vietnam is covered by a beautiful coast and majestic mountains. In Hue – a city of World Heritage and classic charms, you will feel like back in time when visiting the citadel, the tombs of the Nguyen dynasty’s King, or ancient pagodas and temples. Especially in the springtime, you can discover the cultural aspect more deeply with the imitation of the Spring festival tradition from the Nguyen dynasty – the era when Hue was the capital city of Vietnam. Besides, in February, you can visit Sinh village to experience the wrestling festival. This is a typical festival to celebrate the new year in Hue, and it promotes the sporty spirits and significates the wish for good health in the new year.
The warm weather in spring is also a perfect occasion to go around Hue city to see the beautiful architecture and observe the slow-living lifestyle of the local people. A high recommendation is to travel with a gear tour where you can seat back on a motorbike, visit the city following a local suggestion list, and interact directly with the local driver. How the experience can be more authentic than this one? Going one-by-one with a local person as your driver is the best way to explore all the hidden gems inside the city.
HUE CUISINE
Hue is one of the best destinations in Vietnam for food. During the whole trip to Hue, you can have one of the best gastronomic experiences of your life thanks to the rich Hue cuisine. Starting with the famous Bun Bo Hue, drinking a cup of salty coffee to kickstart a good day, eating a bowl of grilled pork noodles after visiting Thien Mu pagoda, having some Banh Xeo with Nem Lui (grilled pork with grass lemon and rice roll), and ending the day with various selections of sweet soups. These dishes can fill up your day with full of energy and lift your mood effectively.
HOI AN
The ancient city stands out with its harmonized color and architectural design. For many foreign tourists, Hoi An is always in the toplist as one of the best destinations in Vietnam. Hoi An has recently received much praise and recognition from international tourists and travel magazines. This city in the spring can provide many unique aspects that cannot be touched if you visit during the high season like summer.
Hoi An in the spring gives you a tranquil and calm vibe under the light sun and a touch of cool weather in the evening. It is a perfect time to have a bike tour around the city as well as the rural area surrounding the main common area. Also, if you are lucky to visit Hoi An during Tet Holiday, you can visit the worship ceremony for the fishing god which aims to pray for a year of peace and prospective. Also, you can taste the unique dish – Banh To – which is a speciality for Tet Holiday. Banh To has a gorgeous amber color. It is made from sticky rice, ginger, sugar, and sesame, and wrapped in a banana leaf.
HO CHI MINH CITY
The economic center and the hub for youngsters. Ho Chi Minh City is one of the best destinations in Vietnam for new energy, young vibe, and nightlife experience. The dynamic vibe of the city will be a good start for energy if you visit the city in spring. With the typical dry season, you can visit Ho Chi Minh city without a worry about a bad weather day that might ruin your holiday idea. From Ben Thanh Market to China Town in District 5, or the old-quarter and Nguyen Hue walking street in District 1, the spring vibe is in every corner of Sai Gon with the energetic and bright yellow of the sun, flowers, and street decoration.
Coming to Ho Chi Minh City, not only visiting the famous attractions, the food tour is a thing that you cannot miss. By tasting the famous Banh Mi, Tam rice with grilled pork ribs, and drinking the signature Vietnamese iced coffee, your travel experience cannot be more authentic, real, and so “Saigonese”.
CAN THO
How can we miss out on this beautiful city in the southwest of Vietnam with the breathtaking rice paddings and the vast systems of canals in the southern part of the country? “Cần Thơ gạo trắng nước trong” (Can Tho has white rice and pure water). That is how Vietnamese people think about Can Tho – a pleasant and lively city.
Visiting Can Tho in the first days of the lunar new year, you can enjoy the dynamic atmosphere of the first spring trials at the Cai Rang floating market – a special form of commercial only in the southwest regions. Cai Rang is the most famous floating market in the country. Located in the Lower Mekong river area, Cai Rang is the biggest floating market with diverse types of products on sale. When visiting the market, especially during the springtime, you can eat many types of local food, buy many fresh products directly from the farmers, and buy representative spring flowers like apricot blossoms or yellow daisies. The exotic and tropical vibe in Can Tho is so extraordinary, and you cannot find it anywhere but here in this magical city.
BRIEF CONCLUSION
What a fantastic set of travel experiences! You might find all the destinations so interesting. Hence, it is hard to choose, and you might wonder if you can visit them all. The answer is yes! AVT offers you a tour called Best of Vietnam for 15 days which allows you to experience all the best destinations in Vietnam mentioned above. Click on the tour for more information. However, if you want to personalize the tour based on your taste, no worries, the Build Your Own Trip section is here to take you closer to your dream holiday.
Let’s make this spring become your magical and memorable time with a fantastic travel experience with AVT!
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