Since 1 July 2025 Vietnam has 34 provinces and cities instead of 63. Tap a province on the map, or pick one from the list, to see what it is known for, what to eat, what is in bloom and when to go. Towns and sights kept their names; only the province some of them belong to has changed, so Hoi An is now in Da Nang, while Sa Pa is still in Lao Cai.
On 1 July 2025 Vietnam merged 52 of its 63 provinces and cities into 23 larger ones; the other 11 kept their borders. The country now has 28 provinces and 6 cities run directly by the central government: Hanoi, Hai Phong, Hue, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho. The district level was abolished at the same time, so an address now reads street, ward or commune, then province. Most merged provinces took the name of one of their members, which is why some famous places seem to have moved: Hoi An is now in Da Nang, Phu Quoc in An Giang and Mui Ne in Lam Dong. And three highland provinces, Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Lam Dong, now reach the sea.
Hanoi Hà Nội
Borders unchanged in 2025
- See
- The capital, founded more than a thousand years ago: the lanes of the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of Literature, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and sunsets over West Lake.
- Taste
- Phở, bún chả (grilled pork with rice noodles), bánh cuốn (steamed rice rolls) and egg coffee.
- In bloom
- Lotus on West Lake from late May to August, peach blossom for Tết, the scent of milk-flower trees in October and November, and daisies in November. The Quang An night flower market sells them all.
- Best time
- October–November and March–April.
Flowers to your hotel: Hanoi
Hai Phong Hải Phòng
Merged in 2025: Hai Phong + Hai Duong
- See
- Vietnam’s big northern port and the gateway to Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay, a quieter neighbour of Ha Long Bay. From Hai Duong: the Con Son pagoda and the Kiep Bac temple.
- Taste
- Bánh đa cua (crab noodle soup) and, from Hai Duong, bánh đậu xanh (mung bean cakes).
- In bloom
- Red flame trees flower in May and June: Hai Phong calls itself the city of red flame flowers.
- Best time
- April–June and September–November.
Flowers to your hotel: Hai Phong
Quang Ninh Quảng Ninh
Borders unchanged in 2025
- See
- Ha Long Bay, with some 1,600 limestone islands and islets (UNESCO World Heritage), and quieter Bai Tu Long Bay; the pagodas of Yen Tu mountain; the beaches of Co To and Quan Lan islands.
- Taste
- Chả mực (fried squid cakes) and fresh seafood.
- Best time
- March–May and September–November; storms can cancel cruises between July and October.
Flowers to your hotel: Ha Long
Bac Ninh Bắc Ninh
Merged in 2025: Bac Ninh + Bac Giang
- See
- The home of quan họ folk singing, on UNESCO’s list of intangible heritage, with old pagodas such as Dau and But Thap and the Dong Ho woodblock-print village. From Bac Giang: the lychee orchards of Luc Ngan.
- Taste
- Lychees (vải thiều) from Luc Ngan, in June.
- Best time
- Early spring, for the festivals after Tết such as the Lim festival; June for the lychees.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Bac Ninh →
Hung Yen Hưng Yên
Merged in 2025: Hung Yen + Thai Binh
- See
- Quiet Red River delta countryside: Pho Hien, a trading port of the 16th and 17th centuries with old temples, and, from Thai Binh, rice fields and Keo Pagoda with its wooden bell tower.
- Taste
- Longans (nhãn lồng), once sent to the royal court, in July and August.
- Best time
- September–November.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Hung Yen →
Ninh Binh Ninh Bình
Merged in 2025: Ninh Binh + Ha Nam + Nam Dinh
- See
- Rowing boats through the limestone karst and caves of Trang An and Tam Coc (UNESCO World Heritage), Hoa Lu, the capital in the 10th century, Bai Dinh pagoda and the stone cathedral of Phat Diem. From Ha Nam: Tam Chuc pagoda; from Nam Dinh: the Tran temples.
- Taste
- Goat meat and cơm cháy (crispy rice). Nam Dinh is often called the birthplace of phở.
- In bloom
- The rice around Tam Coc turns gold in late May and early June.
- Best time
- Late May–early June for the golden rice; March–April and September–November.
Flowers to your hotel: Ninh Binh
Phu Tho Phú Thọ
Merged in 2025: Phu Tho + Vinh Phuc + Hoa Binh
- See
- The Hung Kings Temple, which honours the legendary founders of Vietnam; the Tam Dao hill station (Vinh Phuc); and Mai Chau valley, with the stilt houses of the Thai people (Hoa Binh).
- Taste
- Pomelos from Doan Hung (bưởi Đoan Hùng).
- Best time
- The Hung Kings festival, on the 10th day of the third lunar month (usually April), is a public holiday; autumn suits Mai Chau.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Phu Tho →
Thai Nguyen Thái Nguyên
Merged in 2025: Thai Nguyen + Bac Kan
- See
- The tea hills of Tan Cuong, the source of Vietnam’s best-known green tea, and, from Bac Kan, Ba Be National Park, whose lake is the largest natural lake in Vietnam.
- Taste
- Green tea from Tan Cuong (chè Tân Cương).
- Best time
- March–May and September–November.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Thai Nguyen →
Tuyen Quang Tuyên Quang
Merged in 2025: Tuyen Quang + Ha Giang
- See
- The Ha Giang Loop: the Ma Pi Leng pass, the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark and the flag tower of Lung Cu, near Vietnam’s northernmost point. Around Tuyen Quang: Na Hang lake, and giant lanterns for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
- Taste
- Buckwheat cakes, and cháo ấu tẩu, a rice porridge sold late into the night in Ha Giang.
- In bloom
- Buckwheat flowers turn the hills pink in October and November; peach and plum blossom in early spring.
- Best time
- October–November and March–April.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Tuyen Quang →
Cao Bang Cao Bằng
Borders unchanged in 2025
- See
- Ban Gioc waterfall on the border with China, Nguom Ngao cave and the Non Nuoc Cao Bang UNESCO Global Geopark; Pac Bo, the cave where Ho Chi Minh lived after returning to Vietnam in 1941.
- Taste
- Bánh cuốn served in broth, and chestnuts from Trung Khanh.
- Best time
- August–October, when the waterfall is full and the rice is ripening.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Cao Bang →
Lang Son Lạng Sơn
Borders unchanged in 2025
- See
- A border province on the road from Hanoi to China: Mau Son mountain, where frost sometimes forms in winter, the Tam Thanh and Nhi Thanh caves and the busy Ky Lua market.
- Taste
- Roast duck and roast pork flavoured with mắc mật leaves.
- Best time
- September–November; December–January for a chance of frost on Mau Son.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Lang Son →
Lao Cai Lào Cai
Merged in 2025: Lao Cai + Yen Bai
- See
- Sa Pa: rice terraces, treks to ethnic minority villages and the cable car up Fansipan (3,143 m), the highest peak in Indochina; the Sunday market at Bac Ha; and, from Yen Bai, the terraces of Mu Cang Chai.
- Taste
- Salmon and sturgeon farmed in cold mountain water, cơm lam (rice cooked in bamboo) and smoked buffalo meat.
- In bloom
- The terraces are flooded and silver in May, green in summer and gold at harvest in September; peach blossom in January and February.
- Best time
- September–November and March–May; winter nights can be close to freezing.
Flowers to your hotel: Sa Pa
Lai Chau Lai Châu
Borders unchanged in 2025
- See
- One of the least visited provinces: the O Quy Ho pass on the road from Sa Pa, the Sin Ho plateau and some of Vietnam’s highest peaks, a challenge for experienced trekkers.
- Taste
- Smoked buffalo meat and cơm lam.
- Best time
- September–November.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Lai Chau →
Dien Bien Điện Biên
Borders unchanged in 2025
- See
- Dien Bien Phu, where the 1954 battle ended French rule in Indochina: the museum, Hill A1 and the French command bunker, in the wide Muong Thanh valley.
- Taste
- Rice from the Muong Thanh valley, among the most prized in Vietnam.
- In bloom
- White bauhinia (hoa ban) covers the hills in March, when the province holds its Ban Flower Festival.
- Best time
- March for the flowers; October–November.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Dien Bien →
Son La Sơn La
Borders unchanged in 2025
- See
- The Moc Chau plateau, with tea hills, dairy farms and orchards, and the huge reservoir of the Son La dam.
- Taste
- Moc Chau milk and yoghurt, and plums in May and June.
- In bloom
- Plum and peach blossom in January and February; white mustard flowers in November and December.
- Best time
- November–February for the flowers.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Son La →
Thanh Hoa Thanh Hóa
Borders unchanged in 2025
- See
- Sam Son beach, the stone Citadel of the Ho Dynasty (UNESCO World Heritage), built in 1397, and Pu Luong nature reserve, with rice terraces and stilt-house homestays.
- Taste
- Nem chua (fermented pork rolls).
- Best time
- May–June and September–October for the golden rice of Pu Luong; May–August for the beach.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Thanh Hoa →
Nghe An Nghệ An
Borders unchanged in 2025
- See
- Kim Lien, where Ho Chi Minh was born and spent his childhood; Cua Lo beach; and the forests of Pu Mat National Park.
- Taste
- Cháo lươn (eel porridge) and oranges from Vinh.
- Best time
- May–August for the beach; summers are hot, with a dry wind from Laos.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Nghe An →
Ha Tinh Hà Tĩnh
Borders unchanged in 2025
- See
- Quiet beaches such as Thien Cam, the memorial to Nguyen Du, author of The Tale of Kieu, the best-loved poem in Vietnamese, and the hillside Huong Tich pagoda.
- Taste
- Kẹo cu đơ, peanut brittle on rice paper.
- Best time
- May–August.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Ha Tinh →
Quang Tri Quảng Trị
Merged in 2025: Quang Tri + Quang Binh
- See
- From Quang Binh: Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park (UNESCO World Heritage), home to Son Doong, the largest known cave in the world, and easier caves such as Paradise Cave and Phong Nha. Around Quang Tri: the former Demilitarised Zone, with the Vinh Moc tunnels and the Hien Luong bridge on the 17th parallel.
- Taste
- Cháo canh, a thick noodle soup from Quang Binh.
- Best time
- February–August; some cave tours stop during the autumn rains.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Quang Tri →
Hue Huế
Borders unchanged in 2025
- See
- The Imperial City of the Nguyen dynasty (UNESCO World Heritage), the royal tombs along the Perfume River and Thien Mu pagoda.
- Taste
- Bún bò Huế, small steamed rice cakes such as bánh bèo and bánh nậm, and sweet soups (chè).
- In bloom
- Lotus flowers fill Tinh Tam lake and the moats of the citadel in summer.
- Best time
- February–April; October and November bring floods.
Flowers to your hotel: Hue
Da Nang Đà Nẵng
Merged in 2025: Da Nang + Quang Nam
- See
- My Khe beach, the Marble Mountains, the Dragon Bridge and Ba Na Hills with its Golden Bridge; since 2025 also Hoi An Ancient Town and the My Son Cham temples (both UNESCO World Heritage) and the Cu Lao Cham islands. The Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago is part of Da Nang.
- Taste
- Mì Quảng (turmeric noodles) and, in Hoi An, cao lầu and bánh mì.
- Best time
- February–August; the rainy season runs from September to December.
Flowers to your hotel: Da Nang · Hoi An
Quang Ngai Quảng Ngãi
Merged in 2025: Quang Ngai + Kon Tum
- See
- Ly Son, a volcanic island of garlic fields; the Son My memorial to the 1968 massacre; and, from Kon Tum, highland villages with tall communal houses, a wooden cathedral built by French missionaries and the pine forests of Mang Den.
- Taste
- Ly Son garlic and small river gobies (cá bống) from the Tra Khuc river.
- Best time
- March–August.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Quang Ngai →
Khanh Hoa Khánh Hòa
Merged in 2025: Khanh Hoa + Ninh Thuan
- See
- Nha Trang’s beach, island boat trips and diving, and the Po Nagar Cham towers; from Ninh Thuan: Vinh Hy bay, the Nam Cuong sand dunes and the Po Klong Garai towers. The Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago is part of Khanh Hoa.
- Taste
- Bún chả cá (fish-cake noodle soup), nem nướng (grilled pork rolls) and grapes from Ninh Thuan.
- Best time
- January–August; the rains come from October to December.
Flowers to your hotel: Nha Trang
Gia Lai Gia Lai
Merged in 2025: Gia Lai + Binh Dinh
- See
- Around Pleiku: Bien Ho crater lake, tea and coffee plantations and the Chu Dang Ya volcano. Since 2025 the province reaches the sea: the beaches of Quy Nhon, Ky Co and Eo Gio, Cham towers, and the home of Binh Dinh martial arts.
- Taste
- Phở khô, Gia Lai’s two-bowl noodle soup, and, in Quy Nhon, bánh xèo (crispy pancakes) and fish-cake noodle soup.
- In bloom
- Wild sunflowers turn the roadsides yellow in November.
- Best time
- November–April in the highlands; February–August on the coast.
Flowers to your hotel: Quy Nhon
Dak Lak Đắk Lắk
Merged in 2025: Dak Lak + Phu Yen
- See
- Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam’s coffee capital, with Ede longhouses, Lak lake and the Dray Nur waterfall. Since 2025 also the coast of Phu Yen: the basalt columns of Ganh Da Dia and Mui Dien, the easternmost point of mainland Vietnam.
- Taste
- Coffee, of course, and tuna from Phu Yen.
- In bloom
- The coffee plantations flower white early in the year, usually in February and March.
- Best time
- November–April.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Dak Lak →
Lam Dong Lâm Đồng
Merged in 2025: Lam Dong + Dak Nong + Binh Thuan
- See
- Da Lat: pine hills, flower farms, lakes and French villas; the Dak Nong UNESCO Global Geopark and Ta Dung lake; and, since 2025, the coast of Binh Thuan, with the sand dunes of Mui Ne and Phan Thiet.
- Taste
- Strawberries, artichoke tea and avocados from Da Lat; fish sauce and dragon fruit from Binh Thuan.
- In bloom
- Vietnam’s flower garden: flowers all year, cherry blossom in January and February, wild sunflowers in November, and the Da Lat Flower Festival roughly every two years in December.
- Best time
- December–March, the dry season.
Flowers to your hotel: Da Lat · Mui Ne
Ho Chi Minh City TP. Hồ Chí Minh
Merged in 2025: Ho Chi Minh City + Binh Duong + Ba Ria-Vung Tau
- See
- Saigon: Ben Thanh market, the War Remnants Museum, the Central Post Office and the Cu Chi tunnels. Since 2025 also the beaches of Vung Tau, the Con Dao islands and the lacquerware workshops of Binh Duong. Flosa’s shop is here.
- Taste
- Cơm tấm (broken rice with grilled pork), bánh mì and hủ tiếu noodle soup.
- In bloom
- Before Tết, Nguyen Hue walking street becomes a street of flowers.
- Best time
- December–April, the dry season.
Flowers to your hotel: Ho Chi Minh City · Vung Tau
Dong Nai Đồng Nai
Merged in 2025: Dong Nai + Binh Phuoc
- See
- Cat Tien National Park, one of the last large lowland rainforests in the south, with birdwatching and a primate rescue centre; Tri An lake; and, from Binh Phuoc, Ba Ra mountain and cashew orchards.
- Taste
- Cashew nuts from Binh Phuoc and pomelos from Tan Trieu.
- Best time
- December–April; the forest is at its greenest in the rainy season.
Flowers to your hotel: Bien Hoa
Tay Ninh Tây Ninh
Merged in 2025: Tay Ninh + Long An
- See
- Ba Den mountain, the highest peak in southern Vietnam, with a cable car to the top; the Cao Dai Holy See, centre of the Cao Dai religion; and, from Long An, the forest walkways of Tan Lap floating village.
- Taste
- Bánh tráng phơi sương (rice paper softened by the night dew) with shrimp salt.
- Best time
- December–April.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Tay Ninh →
Dong Thap Đồng Tháp
Merged in 2025: Dong Thap + Tien Giang
- See
- Pink lotus fields, the wetland birds of Tram Chim National Park and the flower village of Sa Dec; from Tien Giang: My Tho, the Cai Be floating market and the orchards of Thoi Son island.
- Taste
- Lotus seeds, lotus-stem salad and hủ tiếu Mỹ Tho noodle soup.
- In bloom
- Lotus from May to August; the gardens of Sa Dec are busiest in the weeks before Tết.
- Best time
- December–April; from September to November the fields flood.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Dong Thap →
Vinh Long Vĩnh Long
Merged in 2025: Vinh Long + Ben Tre + Tra Vinh
- See
- River islands with orchard homestays and the brick and pottery kilns of Mang Thit; from Ben Tre: coconut country, canals and coconut-candy workshops; from Tra Vinh: Khmer pagodas and Ba Om pond.
- Taste
- Coconut candy (kẹo dừa) and Nam Roi pomelos.
- Best time
- December–April; the fruit season peaks from May to August.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Vinh Long →
Can Tho Cần Thơ
Merged in 2025: Can Tho + Soc Trang + Hau Giang
- See
- The Cai Rang floating market at dawn, Ninh Kieu wharf and fruit orchards; from Soc Trang: Khmer pagodas such as the Bat Pagoda, and the Ok Om Bok festival with its boat races; from Hau Giang: the Nga Bay floating market.
- Taste
- Bánh pía (flaky pastries filled with durian and mung bean) from Soc Trang, and bún nước lèo noodle soup.
- Best time
- December–April; Ok Om Bok falls in November or early December.
Flowers to your hotel: Can Tho
An Giang An Giang
Merged in 2025: An Giang + Kien Giang
- See
- Chau Doc and Sam mountain, the Tra Su cajuput forest by boat and Cham villages; since 2025 also Phu Quoc island, Ha Tien and the Nam Du islands.
- Taste
- Fish sauce from Phu Quoc, fermented fish (mắm) from Chau Doc and bún cá (fish noodle soup).
- In bloom
- The Tra Su forest is at its greenest in the flood season, from September to November.
- Best time
- November–April for Phu Quoc; September–November for the flood season around Chau Doc.
Flowers to your hotel: Phu Quoc
Ca Mau Cà Mau
Merged in 2025: Ca Mau + Bac Lieu
- See
- Cape Ca Mau, the southern tip of mainland Vietnam, with mangroves and the U Minh cajuput forests; from Bac Lieu: the wind farm on the coast and the mansion of the “Prince of Bac Lieu”.
- Taste
- Mud crabs from Ca Mau.
- Best time
- December–April.
Flowers to your hotel: check delivery in Ca Mau →
