Pho Thin restaurant
Tip: Famous for stir-fried beef pho; go early in the morning before the queue builds.
Open in Google MapsSmart Maps & Offline Navigation
Web vs app: full offline navigation lives in the app later. On this website you can read downloaded content and use simple maps — download the offline maps below before you travel.
Offline maps — how to download
Google Maps (offline areas)
- Open Google Maps and search for the city or area (for example, “Tam Coc, Ninh Binh”).
- Tap the place name at the bottom, then Download offline map (or your profile picture → Offline maps → Select your own map).
- Zoom to cover the whole area you will visit, then download over Wi-Fi.
- Download each destination's map before you leave your hotel — the guides name Google Maps as the navigation app to use in every province.
Maps.me (fully offline)
- Install Maps.me and download the Vietnam map (and the map of each region you will visit) over Wi-Fi before you travel.
- It works with GPS alone, no mobile data needed — useful on boats, in mountains and in the countryside where signal is weak.
Street Food Safety Guide
How to choose a safe street-food spot — the rule used in the guides: pick places where you can see the kitchen, ingredients are covered, local customers are eating, and prices are listed on a menu. This site only marks a restaurant as meeting hygiene standards when it passes specific, checkable criteria like these — never on a feeling.
Restaurants from the guides (with their tips):
Pho Gia Truyen restaurant
Tip: The classic clear-broth pho; a 3-minute walk from Hoan Kiem Lake.
Open in Google MapsBun Cha Huong Lien restaurant
Tip: The "Obama bun cha" — where Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate in 2016. Go at lunch.
Open in Google MapsCha Ca La Vong restaurant
Tip: One dish only, since 1871 — turmeric fish sizzled at your table with dill. The original is at 14 Cha Ca; there is a second branch at 107 Nguyen Truong To.
Open in Google MapsCafe Giang restaurant
Tip: The birthplace of egg coffee (1946). The entrance is a narrow alley off Nguyen Huu Huan — use Google Maps.
Open in Google MapsBanh Mi 25 restaurant
Tip: The reliable Old Quarter banh mi — good for a quick lunch between sights.
Open in Google MapsHong Hanh Restaurant 3 restaurant
Tip: The most famous seafood restaurant in Ha Long — try the cha muc (grilled squid patties). Dine on level 4 for bay views.
Open in Google MapsLinh Dan Restaurant restaurant
Tip: A well-regarded seafood restaurant on the Bai Chay strip.
Open in Google MapsThuy Chung Restaurant restaurant
Tip: Another solid seafood option on the Bai Chay strip.
Open in Google MapsChinh Thu Mountain Goat Restaurant restaurant
Tip: In the Trang An - Hoa Lu area, near Trang An.
Open in Google MapsThang Long Restaurant restaurant
Tip: On the Trang An - Bai Dinh route, about 3 km from Trang An.
Open in Google MapsQuoc Quan Restaurant restaurant
Tip: A large goat restaurant in the Trang An - Hoa Lu area.
Open in Google MapsTam Coc 0km restaurant
Tip: Right by Tam Coc Boat Pier, handy for lunch after the boat.
Open in Google MapsDuc De Restaurant restaurant
Tip: A goat restaurant in the town center.
Open in Google MapsThe Hill Station Signature Restaurant restaurant
Tip: A reliable upmarket pick in the town centre for Hmong-inspired dishes and good wine. Book ahead on weekends.
Open in Google MapsRed Dao Restaurant restaurant
Tip: Popular with travellers for salmon hotpot and grilled dishes. Go early — it fills up by 19:00.
Open in Google MapsBamboo Cafe restaurant
Tip: A long-running traveller favourite on the main street for Vietnamese dishes, good coffee and a relaxed garden. A good first dinner after a long travel day.
Open in Google MapsPhong Nha Farmstay Restaurant restaurant
Tip: Set dinners are served family-style on the veranda overlooking the fields — book in the morning so the kitchen can prepare.
Open in Google MapsBun Bo Me Keo restaurant
Tip: The most famous bun bo Hue in the city, and a morning-only affair. Come early, order a bowl with everything, and eat it the way the regulars do: fast, hot, and with plenty of fresh herbs.
Open in Google MapsQuan Cam (Bun Bo Hue) restaurant
Tip: Phone: +84 234 3931 762. A reliable all-day option for bun bo Hue on the main riverfront street — good when you miss the morning-only shops.
Open in Google MapsCom Hen Ba Cam restaurant
Tip: Com hen — rice with tiny river clams, peanuts, herbs and a spoonful of chilli — is Hue's working-class lunch. It is salty, spicy and addictive. Ask for "it cay" (less spicy) if you are not used to Hue chilli.
Open in Google MapsBanh Khoai Lac Thien restaurant
Tip: Banh khoai is Hue's crispy pancake — smaller and thicker than the southern banh xeo, filled with pork and shrimp. Eat it with the peanut dipping sauce, and order the banh beo (tiny steamed rice cakes) on the side.
Open in Google MapsBanh Beo Ba Cam restaurant
Tip: Banh beo are delicate little steamed rice cakes topped with dried shrimp and crackling, served in stacks of small dishes. A proper Hue snack — order two plates, not one.
Open in Google MapsLien Hoa Vegetarian Restaurant restaurant
Tip: Hue has a strong Buddhist vegetarian tradition, and this is one of the city's best-known vegetarian restaurants. The vegetarian bun bo Hue is a revelation — ask for it by name.
Open in Google MapsMi Quang Ba Mua restaurant
Tip: Order mi quang thit bo (beef) or mi quang tom thit (shrimp and pork). Add the rice crackers on the table — they are meant to be crumbled into the bowl.
Open in Google MapsBun Cha Ca 109 restaurant
Tip: The fish cakes are made fresh in-house. Eat it the local way: squeeze in the lime, add chilli to taste, and eat it hot and fast.
Open in Google MapsBun Cha Ca Ba Hoa restaurant
Tip: A reliable breakfast spot, open all day. The broth is lighter and sweeter than the Hanoi version — very Central Vietnamese.
Open in Google MapsMy Hanh Seafood restaurant
Tip: Pick live seafood from the tanks and ask for the price per kilo first. Grilled scallops, garlic prawns and steamed clams with lemongrass are the safe bets.
Open in Google MapsBanh Mi Phuong restaurant
Tip: The banh mi shop Anthony Bourdain made famous. Expect a queue at lunch — it moves fast. Order the classic mixed (thap cam) and eat it standing on the street like everyone else.
Open in Google MapsMadam Khanh — The Banh Mi Queen restaurant
Tip: The locals' favourite, and the one most Hoi An residents will send you to first. The egg and pork version is excellent, and the queue is usually shorter than at Phuong.
Open in Google MapsMorning Glory Restaurant restaurant
Tip: The best place to try cao lau and white rose dumplings in one sitting, in a beautiful old house. It is the most tourist-oriented restaurant on this list — and the food earns it.
Open in Google MapsCao Lau Thanh restaurant
Tip: A small, local spot for cao lau away from the main tourist streets. Order cao lau and a fresh beer, and sit with the regulars.
Open in Google MapsWhite Rose Restaurant restaurant
Tip: White rose dumplings — delicate shrimp dumplings shaped like roses — are a Hoi An invention, and this family-run restaurant is where they started.
Open in Google MapsCom Ga Ba Nga restaurant
Tip: Chicken rice the Hoi An way: shredded chicken, turmeric rice, pickled onions and herbs. A proper lunch for very little money.
Open in Google MapsNem Nuong Dang Van Quyen restaurant
Tip: The most famous nem nuong in town, a 3-minute walk from Dam Market. The set comes with grilled pork skewers, rice paper, herbs, green mango, and a rich peanut dipping sauce. It is a hands-on meal — wrap it yourself, and do not be shy about the herbs.
Open in Google MapsLac Canh Grilled Beef Restaurant restaurant
Tip: A Nha Trang institution for decades. Small pieces of marinated beef are grilled at your table on a charcoal stove, then eaten with fresh vegetables and dipping sauce. It gets smoky and busy in the evening — that is part of the fun. Come early to get a table.
Open in Google MapsDam Market food stalls restaurant
Tip: The cheapest and most local breakfast in town: bun cha ca, bun sua, and banh can (small savory rice pancakes) from the stalls inside the market. Point, smile, and sit on the small plastic stools like everyone else.
Open in Google MapsLien Hoa Bakery & Restaurant restaurant
Tip: A Da Lat institution for banh can, noodles and baked goods. Come for breakfast before the tour buses arrive.
Open in Google MapsThe Married Beans Coffee (or any lakeside cafe) restaurant
Tip: Da Lat runs on coffee. The Central Highlands grow Vietnam's best arabica, and the lakeside cafes are made for slow mornings. Order ca phe sua da (iced coffee with condensed milk) or try a pour-over of local arabica.
Open in Google MapsPho Hoa Pasteur restaurant
Tip: In business since 1968 and holding a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Order the pho dac biet (special) and add the fresh herbs and bean sprouts from the table basket. It is a 10-minute Grab ride from Ben Thanh.
Open in Google MapsBanh Mi Huynh Hoa restaurant
Tip: The most famous banh mi in the city — pate, cold cuts, pork floss, and pickled vegetables, packed until the baguette nearly bursts. The line moves fast. Eat it on the spot; it does not travel well.
Open in Google MapsCom Tam Ba Ghien restaurant
Tip: A Saigon institution for nearly 30 years. The grilled pork chop is the star — thick, smoky, and bigger than the plate. It is in Phu Nhuan, a short Grab ride north of the center.
Open in Google MapsCuc Gach Quan restaurant
Tip: The prettiest Vietnamese restaurant in the city — a converted French-era house full of antiques, serving home-style dishes like caramelized pork in clay pot and morning glory with garlic. Book ahead for dinner.
Open in Google MapsHum Vegetarian restaurant
Tip: The city's best-known vegetarian restaurant, set in a calm garden villa near the War Remnants Museum. The menu is entirely plant-based and the lotus rice is the signature. Good for a quiet lunch after the museum.
Open in Google MapsQuan An Ngon Can Tho (local restaurant area, Ninh Kieu) restaurant
Tip: The Ninh Kieu riverfront is lined with local restaurants serving Delta dishes at local prices. Pick a busy one, point at what looks good, and order the grilled fish — it is usually the best thing on the menu.
Open in Google MapsXin Chao Restaurant restaurant
Tip: A long-running seafood favorite on the main street, with a terrace overlooking the sea. The grilled squid, hotpot, and goi ca trich are the dishes to order. Prices are by weight for some seafood — confirm the price before they cook it.
Open in Google MapsRa Khoi Restaurant restaurant
Tip: A popular local seafood spot on the main strip, known for its grilled fish and hotpots. Come at sunset and sit outside if you can get a table.
Open in Google MapsThe Pepper Tree Restaurant (La Veranda Resort) restaurant
Tip: The island's most elegant dining room, in the colonial-style La Veranda Resort on Long Beach. French-Vietnamese cooking, a proper wine list, and a garden setting — the right choice for a special night out.
Open in Google MapsHidden Gems
Quieter, local places from the guides — not the main tourist circuit.
Ha Long
Hidden gems and quieter water
Ninh Binh
Hidden gems
Sa Pa
Hidden gem — Ta Phin village. About 12 km east of town, home to Red Dao families famous for herbal baths. A soak in a wooden tub of medicinal herbs costs roughly 150,000–200,000 VND (~$6–8) — perfect after a long trek. Go by motorbike or arrange a car through your hotel; the village is much quieter than Cat Cat.
Da Lat
Hidden gems. The flower gardens at the Valley of Love and the hydrangea fields on the city's edge are at their best in the dry season. For something different, visit a coffee farm on the road to Langbiang — weasel coffee and arabica tastings run about 100,000–200,000 VND (~$4–8) per person, and the farm setting beats any city cafe. Ask your hotel for a farm that welcomes visitors rather than turning up unannounced.
Can Tho & Mekong Delta
Hidden gem — the small canals after the market. Most visitors go straight back to the hotel after Cai Rang. Instead, ask your boat driver to take you through the small canals behind the market for another hour: stilt houses, children going to school by boat, women washing vegetables at the water's edge. That quiet hour is the Delta at its most real.
Photo Spots — best light
Check-in spots from the guides, with the best time of day for light.
Hanoi
Best light and photo times
- Hoan Kiem Lake: 06:00 for tai chi and mist, and again at dusk when the Turtle Tower lights up.
- The Old Quarter: early morning, before the motorbikes take over, and at night when the lanterns and signs come on.
- Temple of Literature: 08:00-09:00, before the tour groups arrive.
- West Lake and Tran Quoc Pagoda: late afternoon to sunset.
- Train Street: golden hour, with the cafes lit and a train due after 19:00 on weekdays.
Ha Long
Best light and photo times
- On the bay: early morning, before the day boats arrive — the reason to sleep on an overnight cruise. Late afternoon golden hour is the second-best light.
- Ti Top Island summit: late afternoon, for the view over the bay in warm light.
- The Queen Cable Car: sunset, looking back over Cua Luc Bay and the city.
- Bai Chay Beach: sunset, with the karsts on the horizon.
- Quang Ninh Museum: daytime, for the black glass facade reflecting the sea and sky.
Ninh Binh
Map clusters and best light
- Tam Coc cluster (stay, eat, cycle): Tam Coc Boat Pier, Bich Dong Pagoda, Thai Vi Temple, Hang Mua, Thung Nham. Street food and local restaurants; cycle early in the morning; stay in a homestay with a field view.
- Trang An - Hoa Lu cluster (heritage): Trang An Boat Pier (pier coordinates about 20.2537, 105.9187), Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Am Tien Cave. Hidden gem: Am Tien in the morning; Hoa Lu history; Trang An boat early in the morning.
- Northern cluster (spiritual + nature): Bai Dinh Pagoda, Van Long Lagoon. Bai Dinh before 08:30; Van Long at sunset.
- Western cluster (forest): Cuc Phuong National Park. A full day in the forest; butterfly season around April-May.
Best photo times
- Hang Mua summit (whole Tam Coc view): sunrise and 16:30 to sunset. In rice season, late May to early June, it is the best frame of the year.
- On the Tam Coc boat: 07:30-09:00. Low angled sun, the rice fields pick up color, few boats coming the other way into your frame.
- Trang An: 07:00-08:30. Early mist on the water between the cliffs.
- Lotus lake at the foot of Hang Mua: early morning in June-July. Lotus blooms best in the morning and closes as the midday sun grows.
- Van Long Lagoon: 15:30 to sunset. The water is flat as a mirror, birds flying home to roost.
- Bich Dong Pagoda: before 08:00. Few visitors, incense smoke and early sun through the gate.
Sa Pa
Photo spots and best light: Muong Hoa Valley at sunrise (mist in the valley, 6:00–7:30); the Fansipan summit on a clear morning before 10:00; Cat Cat waterfall in the late afternoon; Tram Ton Pass at sunset. September golden rice is the best month for terrace photography.
Phong Nha
Photo spots and best light: Inside Paradise Cave the boardwalk lighting is best in the morning, when the groups are thin; the Son River at sunset, from the bridge in town; the Bong Lai Valley in the late afternoon, when the light goes gold over the fields; and the Chay River from the Dark Cave zipline platform.
Hue
Da Nang
Hoi An
Nha Trang
Photo spots: The white Buddha viewpoint at Long Son Pagoda at golden hour; the cable car crossing to Hon Tre at sunset; Hon Chong Promontory at dusk; the fishing boats at Cau Da Port in the early morning; and the Tran Phu promenade at blue hour, when the city lights come on along the bay.
Da Lat
Photo spots and best light: Xuan Huong Lake at sunrise (mist on the water, 5:30–7:00); Langbiang summit in the late morning, when the clouds lift; Datanla Waterfall in the early morning before the crowds; the flower gardens in the dry season, in the soft light before 9:00.
Ho Chi Minh City
Photo spots: The Ben Thanh clock tower at dusk (long exposure from the roundabout); the Post Office interior in the morning light; the view from the Bitexco Skydeck at sunset; Cholon's Thien Hau Temple rooftop at golden hour; and the riverfront at Bach Dang Station, where the skyline meets the Saigon River.
Can Tho & Mekong Delta
Photo spots and best light: Cai Rang at sunrise (5:30–6:30), when the light is low and the market is busiest; the small canals in the mid-morning, when the light filters through the coconut palms; Ninh Kieu Wharf at sunset; and Tra Su forest in the morning, when birds are active.
Phu Quoc
Photo spots: Sao Beach in the early morning, before the day-trippers arrive; the Hon Thom cable car crossing at mid-morning, with the An Thoi archipelago below; the sun setting through the gap in the Kiss Bridge; the fishing boats at Ham Ninh village at dawn; and Long Beach at golden hour, when the whole west coast turns orange.