Nestled in Hanoi’s bustling Old Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm Lake offers a serene escape from the city's chaos. This natural freshwater lake, stretching 700 metres across 12 hectares, has been a cultural and historical anchor for centuries, its origins possibly predating Hanoi itself by over a thousand years.

Nestled high in the Dong Van Karst Plateau of Ha Giang Province, Đồng Văn Ancient Town carries within its narrow stone-paved streets a haunting blend of history, war and legend. This remote outpost near the Chinese border has long served as a cultural and military crossroads. The town itself is over a century old, with well-preserved architecture reflecting a fusion of Vietnamese, Chinese and French colonial influences.

Tucked high in the Hoàng Liên Son Mountains of northwestern Vietnam, Sapa’s history predates the modern tourism boom by centuries. Archaeological discoveries suggest that humans have inhabited this rugged region for thousands of years. Stone tools, ceramic fragments and burial items uncovered in the Muong Hoa Valley point to a Neolithic culture that once thrived along the riverbanks. These finds, some dating back 3000 years, are among the earliest signs of life in Vietnam’s m

Bảo Lạc Town, near Vietnam’s northern border with China, hides a blood-soaked past beneath its calm surface. For centuries, this rugged land was home to fiercely independent Tày, Nùng, Hmong, and Dao tribes who lived and died resisting Vietnamese and Chinese domination. Imperial forces repeatedly tried to crush their autonomy, but the mountains ran red as rebellion flared again and again.

Known for its striking stone architecture and deeply rooted cultural traditions, Khuổi Ky’s origins trace back over 400 years and was established by the ancient Tay ethnic tribe, after 2,000 years of hardship and migration from the southern regions of China and Cambodia. The Tay people, one of Vietnam’s oldest and most culturally rich ethnic groups, are believed to have journeyed across generations, seeking fertile land and spiritual sanctuary.

A living, breathing time capsule, Hà Nội Old Quarter is a tapestry woven from centuries of colonial exploitation, Confucian rituals, dynastic collapses and wartime destruction. Despite relentless modernisation and gentrification, the Old Quarter remains defiantly alive. It preserves not just Hà Nội’s heritage but the very essence of Vietnam’s ability to adapt and endure.

Often bound in heavy fog, Cổng Trời Ô Quy Hồ or Heavens Gate, is a lesser known temple complex and viewpoint, situated atop the Ô Quy Hồ Pass, one of Vietnam's most majestic mountain passes. Located approximately 18 km's from Sapa town, this pass connects the provinces of Lào Cai and Lai Châu. Perched at an elevation of 2035 metres, it offers visitors panoramic vistas of the Hoàng Liên Sơn mountain range, including glimpses of Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina. 

The temples atop Fansipan Mountain form part of the Sun World Fansipan Legend spiritual complex, a remarkable network of religious structures built to honour Vietnam’s deep-rooted Buddhist traditions. Perched at over 3000 meters above sea level, this complex has transformed the “Roof of Indochina” from a rugged trekking destination into a place of pilgrimage.

Perched 3143 metres above sea level, Fansipan towers over the stunning Hoàng Liên Son mountain range & national park in northern Vietnam. Often called the “Roof of Indochina,” it is the highest point in the country and the broader Indochinese Peninsula. Yet its significance transcends far beyond altitude. Among the swirling clouds and ancient forest paths, Fansipan is a mountain shrouded in ancestral reverence, layered with wartime memories and wrapped in folklore.

Bạch Mã Temple, the oldest temple in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, traces its origins back to the year 1010, during the reign of Emperor Lý Thái Tổ. It is one of four sacred temples in the city, constructed to stand as a spiritual guardian for the eastern side of ancient Thang Long (modern-day Hanoi) and was carefully chosen according to the principles of geomancy and the cardinal points.

Located about 13km's down a winding alpine road from Sa Pa town, the majestic Silver Waterfall thunders 200 metres down the cliffs of the Hoàng Liên Son Mountains from the headwaters of the Lo Sui Tong peak. Known to locals as "Thác Bạc" the falls are fed by glacial runoff that originate near the summit of Fansipan, the highest peak and "Roof of Indochina"

Constructed by the French in 1896 as part of their broader strategy to subjugate Vietnam under colonial rule, Hỏa Lò Prison was built to break the will of Vietnamese revolutionaries and political dissidents. Intended to hold 450 inmates, it regularly crammed in over 2000, locking men and women into rotting, airless cells that stank of urine, sweat and blood. It became a crucible of suffering, where countless resistance leaders endured torture, starvation and isolation.

Tucked away on Sóc Sơn Mountain, roughly 30km's north of Hanoi, Thành Chương’s Viet Palace is far more than a museum or art gallery, it is a cultural time capsule and a living work of art, meticulously crafted by the celebrated contemporary Vietnamese painter Thành Chương.

Tucked away on a small jade-green islet in the heart of Hanoi’s Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Ngọc Sơn Temple (“Temple of the Jade Mountain”) is a portal into Vietnam’s tangled history of war, mysticism, and legend. Ngọc Sơn Temple rose in 1841 to honour the national hero General Trần Hưng Đạo, who crushed Mongol invaders in the 13th century, and its story is woven tightly with both fact and fascinating folklore.

Known locally as Văn Miếu, The Temple of Literature stands as one of Vietnam’s most treasured historical and cultural landmarks. Founded in 1070AD under Emperor Lý Thánh Tông, this sacred site was originally dedicated to Confucius, the revered master of learning and philosophy.

Regarded as one of Vietnam's most iconic architectural treasures, the original One Pillar Pagoda was constructed in 1049AD by Emperor Lý Thái Tông. Officially named Diên Hựu Tự, which translates to the “Temple of Long-lasting Blessings,” this historic Buddhist shrine is dedicated to Quan Âm, the bodhisattva of compassion and has long been a site of worship, particularly for those seeking blessings for fertility and health.

Thủy Trung Tiên Temple, once known as Cẩu Nhi Temple, rests on a quiet, tree-lined island on Trúc Bạch Lake, just north of Hanoi’s West Lake. Modest in size but heavy with history, the temple dates back over 1000 years and is one of the capital’s oldest surviving spiritual sites. Few visitors realise it’s built on the remnants of a forgotten cult, one centred on the worship of a dog.

Deep within the misty limestone mountains of Vietnam’s northern highlands, the H’Mong Kings' Palace stands as a solemn relic of power, ambition & tribal legacy. Also known as the Vuong Family Mansion (Dinh Vua Mèo), construction commenced in 1898 under the directive of H’Mong leader Vương Chính Đức, a powerful warlord and opium King.

With its origins stretching back over 1500 years, Trấn Quốc Pagoda holds the distinction of being the oldest Buddhist temple in the country. It was originally built around 545 AD during the reign of Emperor Lý Nam Đế, who commissioned its construction as part of a broader vision to legitimise Vietnamese sovereignty in the midst of political upheaval and resistance against Chinese rule.

Perched on the forested slopes of Phia Nham Mountain in northern Vietnam’s Cao Bằng Province, this pagoda complex is a spiritual beacon overlooking the breathtaking Bản Giốc Waterfall. Officially inaugurated in December 2014, the pagoda holds the distinction of being the first Buddhist temple built along the northern border of Vietnam.