5 places in Vietnam that don't look real

By Himanshu and Arushi. Updated 4 November 2026. We haven't been here yet, so this guide is researched.

A train that squeezes past café tables, boats rowing through mountains, a jade river far below a cliff road, a bridge held up by giant hands, and a cave with its own clouds. All five are real. Here's how to see each one, counted down like the reel.

The countdown

Same order as the reel. Three are in the north around Hanoi and two are in central Vietnam, so the trips below split them that way.

1. 5

   Old Quarter, Hanoi

   Train Street

   Tiny cafés line a working railway track. People sip coffee right on the tracks, and when a train is due the owners pull the stools back and it squeezes past just inches away.

   See

   • Coffee at a trackside café (egg coffee or coconut coffee)
   • A train passing, if one is running while you're there
   • Long Bien Bridge nearby, the old steel railway bridge over the Red River
   • Hoan Kiem Lake and the rest of the Old Quarter on foot

   Get there

   A short walk or Grab ride from Hoan Kiem Lake. Noi Bai airport is about 45 minutes away by taxi.

   Best time

   October to April, when Hanoi is cooler and drier

   Time

   An hour or two

   Tip: since February 2026 fewer trains run through here, and the street has been closed to visitors at times. Check recent reviews or ask your hotel before you go, sit inside a café, and do exactly what the staff say when a train comes.

2. 4

   Ninh Binh, northern Vietnam

   Trang An

   Local rowers take you in small boats between giant limestone cliffs and straight through caves under the mountains. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Kong: Skull Island filmed here.

   See

   • The Trang An boat ride: pick one of three routes, each about 2–3 hours through several caves
   • Mua Cave viewpoint, roughly 500 steps up for the view over the river and rice fields
   • Tam Coc, a second boat ride through rice fields
   • Hoa Lu, Vietnam's ancient capital

   Get there

   About 2 hours by road from Hanoi, or a train to Ninh Binh station

   Cost

   The boat ticket is about 250,000₫ (≈ ₹925) per adult

   Best time

   February to June. Late May to early June has golden rice fields. Avoid weekends and Vietnamese holidays if you can.

   Time

   One night, or two if you want Tam Coc and Mua Cave too

   Tip: stay overnight in Ninh Binh instead of doing a day trip from Hanoi, and be on the first boats in the morning, before the tour buses arrive.

3. 3

   Far north, near the Chinese border

   Ha Giang loop

   A mountain road loop with roads carved into the cliffs. At Ma Pi Leng Pass, the jade-green Nho Que river runs hundreds of metres below.

   See

   • Ma Pi Leng Pass and its viewpoints
   • A boat ride on the Nho Que river through the canyon
   • Lung Cu flag tower, near Vietnam's northernmost point
   • Dong Van's old quarter and its Sunday market

   Get there

   An overnight sleeper bus from Hanoi to Ha Giang city, about 6–7 hours. Most loops start there.

   Cost

   A 4-day easy-rider tour is roughly US$270–340 per person with stays, meals and fuel

   Best time

   September to November: golden rice in September, buckwheat flowers in October and November. Heavy rain from June to August can cause landslides.

   Time

   3–4 days

   Tip: unless you ride mountain roads regularly, go on the back of a bike with an easy rider (a local driver). Riding yourself needs a valid licence and permit, and many travel insurance policies won't cover you without one.

4. 2

   Ba Na Hills, near Da Nang

   Golden Bridge

   A gold walkway about 1,400 metres up in the hills, held in the air by two giant stone hands. It opened in 2018.

   See

   • The Golden Bridge, early, before the crowds
   • The long cable car ride up through the forest
   • The French Village and gardens at the top

   Get there

   About an hour by road from Da Nang. The cable car takes you up from the base station.

   Cost

   Entry with the cable car is about 1,000,000₫ (≈ ₹3,700) for a foreign adult. Combos with lunch cost more.

   Best time

   February to August, when central Vietnam is drier. Mornings are usually clearer than afternoons.

   Time

   Half a day to a full day

   Tip: take one of the first cable cars and walk the bridge before about 9 am. By midday it's packed. Carry a light jacket, because it's much cooler up there than in Da Nang.

5. 1

   Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

   Son Doong

   The biggest cave in the world. It's so huge it has its own jungle, its own river and even its own clouds. Only about 1,000 people get in each year, and the spots for 2026 and 2027 are reported sold out.

   Son Doong

   A 4-day expedition run only by Oxalis Adventure, at about US$3,000 per person. You need to be fit, and you can join their waitlist for future seasons.

   See now

   • Hang En, one of the world's biggest caves, with an overnight camp on its sand beach (Oxalis, about US$333)
   • Paradise Cave, a long wooden walkway through huge chambers (about 270,000₫)
   • Phong Nha Cave, a boat ride into a river cave

   Get there

   Fly or take the train to Dong Hoi, then about an hour by road to Phong Nha town

   Best time

   Roughly February to August. October and November are the flood months.

   Time

   2–3 days in Phong Nha, or 4 days for Son Doong itself

   Tip: if Son Doong is your dream, book Hang En now and get on the Son Doong waitlist. Hang En is on the same route and gives you a night in a giant cave.

Do them in two trips

Or one long one: fly Hanoi to Da Nang (about 1 hour 20 minutes) in the middle.