Top 10 Places to Visit in Vietnam for Families

Packed for Life contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Disclosure policy for more info.

After the buzz of Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc was perfect place to relax. We spent 3 weeks here over Christmas, splitting our time between the Palm Bay Resort in the Long Beach area and the quiet and secluded Bamboo Cottages in Vung Bau Bay area.

With its laid-back beach vibe, we didn’t feel the need to over plan too much. We spent our mornings hopping beaches (Khem Beach was our favorite for its calm, clear water), and our evenings exploring the colorful night markets. Our daughter tried rolled ice cream (Kem cuộn Thái Lan) and we had a huge seafood meal at the night market.

We also got our first taste of Vietnamese cuisine in between visits to the iconic Sunset Town, Hon Thom Cable Car and Kiss Bridge, seeing bees at the phu Quoc Bee farm, and a day at the VinWonders theme Park.

Kid highlight: Besides swimming every day, the overwater cable car to Hon Thom was a fun “first” experience for our daughter, especially the part where you skim over tiny islands.

We also spent a full day at VinWonders even though we only planned for an hour or two. My daughter still talks about getting soaked on the Viking River Rapid’s Ride and watching the mermaid show in the big Turtle Aquarium.

More resources: Also check out our top things to do in Phu Quoc and our 3 day Phu Quoc family itinerary for more ideas.

We spent five weeks in Hoi An and could’ve easily stayed longer.

Yes, it’s touristy, but that glow of lanterns bouncing off the river at night? Still magical. However you do need to explore more than just the Ancient Town to get away from the crowds, which can be alot!

For two weeks, we stayed beachside at Life Beach Villa in An Bang, where our days included beach walks, and lots of cold drinks (coconut smoothies for the kid, and iced Vietnamese coffee for the adults).

In Ang Bang area, the Deckhouse is a great spot for dining or a drink right by the beach, and the Chao (pork rib or clams rice porridge drizzled with chilli oil and shallots) was amazing at Cháo nghêu, xương cô Gió . But do go earlier as it does sell out and is super popular with locals (only ~ 35,000 VND for a bowl).

If you’re looking for spa type services, we really enjoyed the massages & getting nails done at Ocean Spa.

Then we moved to Trendy Life Villa, 20 minutes walk from Ancient Town, where our lovely host Uyen made us feel like extended family.

The glowing lanterns, colorful buildings, and riverside cafes do make the old town area charming to wander around. We had delicious Cao Lau and took a spontaneous, but fun boat ride up and down the river. Then took slow bike rides and walks around the rice paddies to different cafes, and the Tra Que Village.

Don’t miss trying the infamous Banh Mi at Banh Mi Phuong, which I preferred, though Derek decided he liked Madam Kahn’s Bahn Mi better after some fierce debate. Or wandering around the local Ba Le Market (many stalls for delicious Vietnamese food & iced coffee for breakfast / lunch). We also ate many a grilled skewer from the night market near the Ancient Town area.

Derek’s favorite thing was getting leather jacket and high top bright red leather shoes made at I Love Fashion (their sister store is where we got his suit made).

If you plan on getting anything made, do go earlier in your trip so you have enough time for alterations etc.

If you don’t plan on getting anything made, skip the tailors as they’re very persuasive especially if your other family members are getting stuff made. I ended up with some clothes I didn’t plan on ;).

Kid highlight: Eating Che (everywhere!). Getting fancy sandals & a dress made just for her, biking around the rice paddies to Tra Que Village and Ang Bang Beach and taking a lantern making workshop were big wins.

She carefully packed the handmade lantern she made in a class, even though it meant buying an extra suitcase for the rest of our 6 month Southeast Asia trip.

Phong Nha was one of our most unexpected favorites.

Slow, peaceful, and a total shift from city life. We missed out on staying at our first choice, Phong Nha Farmstay (fully booked), but found a sweet family-run homestay (Phong Nha Green Homestay) with mountain views and banana pancakes that our daughter still talks about.

Between my bout of food poisoning (thanks, mystery train station snack!) and the cooler & rainy February weather, we took it easier here than planned.

But we still boated into Phong Nha Cave, climbed up to Tien Son, and hung out with water buffalo and ducks at the weird & wonderful “Duck Stop” in Bong Lai Valley.

There are also many other adventure tours to choose from that included things like ziplining, swimming, mudbaths, and kayaking or guided motor bike tours through the national park (my bucket list pick for next time).

Kid highlight: The Duck Stop was completely ridiculous, and completely amazing in that “only in Vietnam” kinda way. Our daughter couldn’t stop giggling as a crowd of ducks swarmed her for a “duck massage” (yes, really).

She fed them by hand, saw a water buffalo named Donald Trump, and got to eat some tasty Bánh xèo (crispy pancakes). Plus she hasn’t stopped wearing her What the Duck? t-shirt since.

We chose Ninh Binh over Ha Long Bay, and never once regretted it.

Nicknamed the “Ha Long Bay on land,” the dramatic landscapes here felt straight out of a fantasy film: towering limestone cliffs rising out of rice paddies, lazy rivers winding through valleys, and misty hills that made even early mornings magical.

We stayed on the outskirts of Tam Coc and quickly found our rhythm with bike rides around the country side and to Bích Động Pagoda, a three-tiered cave pagoda built into the mountainside.

Opting for a boat tour through the less touristy Van Long Nature Reserve, leaving early, and lucking out to have the river mostly to ourselves until the ride back. No langurs (endangered monkeys) were spotted, but it kept us busy looking.

You can take a Bai Dinh Pagoda & Van Long Nature Reserve Tour or just hire a driver like we did from our hotel.

Unlike Halong, we didn’t need to wrangle ferry tickets or overnight cruise bookings. Everything was simpler, and that mattered with a tween in tow, and a bit of travel fatigue after almost 3 months into our journey.

Kid highlight: Biking to Bích Động Pagoda, a cave pagoda built right into the cliffside. She loved scrambling up hidden staircases and hunting for rock shapes that looked like turtles and horses.

Afterward, we stopped for bubble waffles from a cart, then wandered into Coffee Cat Café. She ended up spending the whole afternoon cuddling rescue cats and playing with local kids, while we soaked up the view with iced coffee in hand.

Not exactly “on the itinerary,” but one of those slow, happy afternoons that makes travel with kids feel totally worth it.

Hanoi was noisy and intense at first, but once we figured out how to cross the street (and where to eat – hello affordable Michelin guide restaurants & delicious Bun Cha), we were hooked. There’s history and modern life layered in every block.

And we liked it way more than Ho Chi Minh. More charm, less sprawl, and easier to explore on foot. However there’s still a lot of pollution / smog.

We based ourselves near Hoan Kiem Lake and explored temples, water puppet shows, and endless street food stalls and night market visits.

Definitely go to that area on the weekend, when they shut down the street and kids can ride around in small electric cars, and scooters. Vendors come out selling balloons, snacks, and cotton candy.

Kid highlight: Train Street was a hit. Watching a train zoom past just steps from her seat while sipping a coconut smoothie? “That was wild!” she said, and immediately asked if we could do it again.

Later in the week we went ice skating in the middle of this tropical city at Vincom Mall, just for an unforgettable the “where the heck are we?” feeling.

Leaving notes at the Note Cafe is a must for tweens / teens. Hanoi keeps you on your toes.

We ended up in Da Nang almost by accident, and stayed one week. Clean streets, walkable sidewalks (rare in Vietnam), and easy access to Ba Na Hills, Marble Mountains and Hoi An make it a gem for families.

Da Nang gave us a great reset. It has the creature comforts of a big city but with a chill beach town energy. Plus how often do you get to see a Dragon Bridge fire show?

My Khe Beach was big, clean, and with surf lessons available one day and sandcastle & beach combing missions the next. We’d head there in the morning, grab smoothies or banh mi from a street vendor for a snack and then pick an activity for the afternoon.

January when we were there wasn’t really sit on the beach weather, so we went for long walks instead.

We visited the Son Tra Night Market numerous times for their lively stalls, street food, and souvenirs, and it was the perfect spot to catch the Dragon Bridge show afterward. Just be aware, if you stand too close there’s a spraying water portion at the end that will soak you.

Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge (aka the “giant hands bridge”) is one of the easy day trips from Da Nang. Yes, it’s touristy, a bit pricy and super busy, but it’s also whimsical, and great for photo ops. Fun if you treat it like a fantasy amusement park rather than a temple trip.

The other is Marble Mountains. We spent almost the whole day here exploring the caves, temples and amazing views. Not to mention a highlight was drinking an ice cold, freshly cracked coconut at the little rest area on the incredibly hot day.

There’s an elevator to the top for little legs, but does require many steps up and down on uneven stone staircases.

This popular Marble Mountain and Hoi An day tour looks fun if you’re short on time, or prefer someone else manage the logistics.

For a true Vietnamese food experience check out the duck salad and cháo vịt (duck porridge) at Cô Chủ Nhỏ. I was super sceptical even though it’s in the Michelin Guide as the chairs & tables were a bit sketchy & dirty looking, but the food was phenomenal.

Then for dessert head over to Che Phuoc Trang for some dessert. We shared a couple of varieties of my daughter’s favorite dessert “Che” and then we each had two flan, they were that good.

Kid highlight: Our daughter was obsessed with the Dragon Bridge Fire Show. After wandering the Son Tra Night Market collecting snacks and souvenirs, we stood on the bridge in a sea of people, watching the dragon light up and shoot fire.

Just stand back unless you want to get soaked during the surprise water blast at the end.

7. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Bold, Busy, and Full of Flavor

Why families will love it: Great food, history, modern comforts, and endless people-watching.

Saigon was fast and hot, but full of life. There’s a different rhythm here than the north, and we appreciated the contrast in hindsight. It was a bit of a blur, as we only spent a few jet lagged days here before heading off down south.

As we were getting acclimatized to the heat, time change and crazy traffic, we didn’t do a lot here, but one of the highlights was this not-to-miss street food walking tour. (We did the evening walking tour to beat the heat…still hot though)

We tried so many delicious foods, and were absolutely stuffed. Bahn Mi, Bánh xèo (crispy pancakes) & Bánh Khọt (mini savory pancakes), Bo La Lot (grilled beef wrapped in betel leaf), grilled scallops & prawns, Kem bơ cốt dừa (Coconut Avocado Ice Cream), and I’m sure some more I’ve forgotten about.

Saigon (as we found most of the locals called it), has a lot of history from the Chinese & French colonizations to the American war (what we know as the Vietnam war) and now to modern Vietnam. So there’s lots of museums, and sites you can visit to learn more about its history, if your family is into that.

The War Remenants Museum, Independence Palace, Chu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City Museum and Museum of Vietnamese History (displays on early Vietnamese civilization, Cham culture, and dynastic periods), are just a few.

If you’re into coffee shops, and snacking (hello kids), the Coffee Apartments were a hit with our youngest, Miss S. who developed a fondness for stealing my iced Vietnamese coffee, and drinking coconut smoothies.

Kid highlight: Our tween loved the Vietnamese Street Food Tour and trying all the different specialties from local places. But her favorite by far was the coconut avocado ice cream from Kem Bơ Hồ Thị Kỷ T&N (of course).

8. Sapa: Mountain Views & Cultural Immersion

Why families will love it: Cooler temperatures, hilltop treks, ethnic villages, and cultural immersion far from the coast.

We didn’t visit Sapa this time, but this mountainous region was high on our radar, especially after stalking dozens of family travel FB groups and watching countless videos.

The idea of sunrise over rice terraces, local guides sharing Hmong and Dao stories, and colorful villages settled among misty peaks made it feel like a must-do destination.

Kid moment we’d love: Our research says kids absolutely adore homestays where they can help feed buffalo, try local snacks, and meet village kids. And apparently, trekking through the terraced rice fields at sunrise (with a light mist) is unforgettable.

9. Hue: Palaces, Pagodas, and Perfume River

Why families will love it: Slow pace, historic architecture, and river cruises

While we didn’t make it to Hue this time around, our planning notes are packed with day trip ideas: floating on the Perfume River, exploring the Imperial Citadel (dressed up in royal robes, apparently), leisurely museum visits, and traditional food tastings like Bun Bo Hue and Banh Beo.

We planned to base ourselves near the Citadel to explore the Imperial City first. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and full of grand gates, koi ponds, crumbling dragon mosaics, and shaded gardens where kids can roam without dodging traffic.

Even just walking around the massive stone walls looked like a great intro to Vietnam’s royal history.

The tombs of the emperors, especially Minh Mang or Khai Dinh were high on our list, with their fusion of nature, symmetry, and ornate carvings. The plan was to pick just one to avoid tomb fatigue, then cool down with a boat ride along the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda.

We also had Thanh Toan bridge flagged for a morning bike ride through rice fields and across its picturesque bridge and a visit to the market.

And the lesser-known Thuy Xuan Incense Village? That was my daughter’s top pick, being super crafty. She couldn’t wait to make rainbow-colored incense sticks and bring home some wildly scented souvenirs.

Kid moment we’d love: Dressing up in royal costumes at the Imperial City and exploring dragon boats along the river. She is fascinated by the idea of real-life princesses and palaces. Rolling incense by hand at Thuy Xuan and biking through rice fields to a fairy-tale bridge.

Also high on the list? Spotting the “dragon water slide” at the abandoned Hồ Thủy Tiên water park — slightly spooky and super cool for adventurous kids.

10. Ha Long Bay / Lan Ha Bay: Explore the Sea

Why families will love it: Boat nights in serene emerald waters, cave kayaking, floating villages, and jaw-dropping scenery.

We couldn’t squeeze in Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay this time, as we chose to do Ninh Binh and Phong Nha instead, but it remains on our bucket list for next time.

This one’s on every list for a reason. Opt for the 2 day cruise in Lan Ha Bay if you want a slightly less crowded experience than Ha Long Bay.

With a 1 or 2 day boat cruise you get small-group kayaking under towering limestone pillars, swimming at hidden coves, and the comfort of everything being handled for you, including food, a bonus with kids.

Most tour companies will pick you up in Hanoi and drop you back off there, making logistics simple.

We followed this Kids Travel Vietnam FB group, which had a lot of great advice and ideas for all over Vietnam.

Kid moment we’d love: Swims off the boat into warm bay waters, paddling kayaks through hidden lagoons, and waking up on deck with mist-shrouded karst hills overhead. Plus, enjoying the floating fishing villages and kiddos waving hello.

Final Thoughts: Top 10 Places to Visit in Vietnam with Kids

Planning your first trip to Vietnam as a family doesn’t have to be overwhelming, especially when you know which places truly deliver for both adults and kids.

After spending three months exploring the country with our 11-year-old, we’ve learned firsthand where the magic happens: places that are safe, easy to navigate, rich in culture, and full of moments your family will never forget.

From lantern-lit nights in Hoi An to boat rides through quiet caves in Phong Nha and exciting beach towns and vibrant cities, Vietnam offers something for every kind of traveler. Use this list to help shape your itinerary, skip the overwhelm, and focus on making memories.