Up the coast by train, then out to sea

VietnamVietnam documentary and travel tips: Ho Chi Minh City, Huế, Hà Nội, Hạ Long Bay

Filmed: 2013
Position: 21.0278° N, 105.8342° E
Status: Archived film, tips checked October 2026

If I had to pick one image from the Vietnam film, it would be the traffic: rivers of scooters that somehow never seem to collide.

The trip began in Ho Chi Minh City, which locals still often call Saigon: French façades, coffee on the pavement, energy everywhere. Go to the War Remnants Museum early in your stay. It is a punch in the stomach, and it changes how you read everything after it.

From there the train carried us north. Huế is the old seat of the emperors, sleepy after dark and beautiful by day among tombs and pagodas. Hà Nội is easy to fall for: the scooters, the noodle stalls, the evenings by the lake. And a few hours away waits Hạ Long Bay. My one firm piece of advice: spend at least one night on a boat there.

South to north along a very long coast.

Filmed in 2013. Plays from YouTube in privacy-enhanced mode, only after you press play. Watch on YouTube

Stop by stop

The country is long and thin. One week: choose the north or the south. Two weeks: ride the train the whole way and stop often.

A busy Vietnamese street with motorbikes, shops and a woman wearing a conical hat

Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon, tunnels and the delta

Between the War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace and the old colonial post office you have a full first day. Finish it on a plastic stool with an iced coffee. Out of town, the Củ Chi tunnels show how a war was fought underground; the visit can feel a bit like a theme park, so keep your own judgement switched on.

Further south the Mekong Delta opens up into canals, fruit gardens and floating markets, easy to see in a day or with one night away.

A beach vendor under a blue umbrella next to stacked inflatable rings

The coast

Nha Trang and Đà Nẵng

Nha Trang is the classic beach stop on the train line. Get up for the sunrise on the sand and have seafood for dinner in any place with plastic chairs and a grill outside. Đà Nẵng, further north, has a long city beach and puts you half an hour from Hội An and its lanterns.

Huế

The emperors’ city

Walk the Citadel along the Perfume River, then go out to the royal tombs in the green hills around town, each one different. A bicycle or a slow boat gets you to the Thiên Mụ pagoda. Not much happens at night here; get up early instead.

Do not miss the stretch of railway between Huế and Đà Nẵng: it climbs over the Hải Vân pass along the sea. Ask for a seat on the water side.

A street in Hanoi’s old quarter with motorbikes and shop signs

Hà Nội

Life at pavement level

Your lungs might not love it, but the best way to understand Hà Nội is to sit on a tiny stool on the pavement with a bowl of noodles and some spring rolls, and watch. Then wander the Old Quarter, see Hoàn Kiếm lake at first light, and find some calm in the Temple of Literature.

How to cross the road: slow and steady, no running, no sudden stops. The bikes will go around you. The trailer above is pretty much a lesson.

Limestone islands rising from the calm water of Ha Long Bay

Hạ Long Bay

A night between the rocks

For me this is the strongest image of the whole country: hundreds of limestone towers coming straight out of a calm sea. Two days on a boat give you a sunset you will not forget and, with some luck, a sky full of stars. Most cruises add a cave and some kayaking between the rocks, which is lovely.

The motorway from Hà Nội now gets you to the bay in about two and a half hours. If you want fewer boats around you, ask about Lan Hạ or Bái Tử Long, two neighbouring bays.

Sa Pa

Terraces in the mountains

In the far north, the rice terraces around Sa Pa are worth the long ride, at their best from May to September when they turn green and then gold. If you are confident on two wheels, a rented scooter lets you reach valleys the tour buses skip, or keep going to the Hà Giang loop.

When to go to Vietnam

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best monthsMixedRain or storms somewhere

The north

Hà Nội, Hạ Long and Sa Pa are cool and often grey from December to February, around 15–20 °C in the city. March–April and October–November are the sweet spots. Summer is hot and rainy.

The centre

Huế, Hội An and Đà Nẵng are at their best from February to August. Autumn brings heavy rain and the risk of typhoons, roughly September to December.

The south

Saigon and the Mekong are warm all year: dry from December to April, then short, violent downpours most afternoons until November.

What to eat in Vietnam

Honestly, the food is the reason I would go back tomorrow. Look at what the next table is eating and point.

Phởbeef or chicken noodle soup, breakfast in the north
Bún bò Huếspicy lemongrass beef noodles from the old capital
Bánh mìthe baguette sandwich, eaten standing by the road
Gỏi cuốnfresh rolls in rice paper with herbs and prawns
Gỏi đu đủshredded green papaya salad
Bún chảgrilled pork, noodles and herbs: Hà Nội’s lunch
Cà phê sữa đástrong coffee dripped over condensed milk and ice
Cà phê trứngegg coffee, sweet and frothy like a dessert

Before you go to Vietnam

These notes are for travelling today, not for the year the film was made. I went through them again in October 2026. Border rules change without much warning, so please confirm on the official sites below before you book anything.

No visa needed (for many)

With an Italian passport you can stay 45 days without a visa; the same goes for France, Germany, Spain, the UK and a few more European countries. Your passport must have six months left. Other nationalities have other rules, so look yours up.

Staying longer: the e-Visa

Anyone can apply online for an e-Visa valid up to 90 days, with one entry or several (roughly US$25 or US$50). Use only the government portal; plenty of copycat sites charge double.

Money

The đồng has a lot of zeros: check notes carefully, because 20,000 and 500,000 have similar colours. Cash for stalls and markets, cards in hotels and bigger restaurants, and in taxi apps.

Trains and taxis

The train from Saigon to Hà Nội takes about 30–35 hours if you never get off. Better to break it at Nha Trang, Đà Nẵng and Huế. Tickets from Vietnam Railways or at the station. In town, Grab and the electric Xanh SM taxis are cheap and honest.

Choosing a Hạ Long boat

Pick operators that show their boat and licence openly. Very cheap packages tend to save on safety. In summer and autumn, trips can be cancelled the day before because of storms.

Health and the road

Bottled or filtered water. Repellent against dengue. If you ride a scooter, you need an international licence that covers motorbikes and a helmet, always. Most tourist injuries here happen on two wheels.

Plugs and SIM

220 V, plugs A, C and F. A local SIM from Viettel, Vinaphone or Mobifone at the airport, or an eSIM set up before departure.

Respect

Dress modestly in pagodas and at Hồ Chí Minh’s mausoleum, which keeps limited hours and closes for maintenance. Haggle in markets, with a smile, but not in restaurants.

Official sources

Next on the route Laos Rainy-season Laos: Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientiane and a very full Mekong.