Red River Delta
The lowland north around Hanoi, the base for Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba island and the boat rides of Ninh Binh. Eat your way through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, cruise among the limestone islands of Ha Long, and row past caves and rice fields at Trang An and Tam Coc. Most trips sleep in Hanoi and add one night on the bay or in Ninh Binh.
The delta is the part of the north with four seasons. Winter nights in Hanoi can feel chilly. Summer is hot, humid, and stormy.
Travelers usually sleep in Hanoi and add one overnight: a bay boat or Ninh Binh. Doing the bay and a mountain loop in the same three days is a rush. The mountain towns are a separate region.
Top destinations in Red River Delta
Cities
1 Hanoi
Vietnam’s capital, with a busy Old Quarter, lakes, temples, museums and famous street food.
2 Hai Phong
A port city of bánh đa cua, flamboyant trees on the opera strip, and its own sand at Do Son, with the boat…
3 Nam Dinh
A Red River Delta city of the Tran halls and the seal night at Den Tran, with Phu Day to the southwest and…
4 Ninh Binh
A limestone valley south of Hanoi, where rowing boats glide through caves between rice fields and temples.
Towns
Landscapes and islands
Attractions in Red River Delta
- Hai Phong Opera House
Look at the city opera house from the square in front of it.
- Overnight on the bay
A night on a bay boat: stay 24 hours from departure and keep the limestone after the day boats leave.
- Pho Minh pagoda
Give the morning to the stone tower on the same Tức Mặc ground as Đền Trần.
- Phu Day
Give a day to Phủ Dầy, the Mother Goddess complex about 15 km southwest.
- Tran temple
Walk the three Trần halls beside the Pho Minh tower.
- Trang An
Sit a sampan trip through the tower karst on sông Sào Khê, a guide rowing, for the valley’s main outing.
- Bai Tu Long Bay
The bay east of Ha Long: take one of ten boat routes from Ao Tien or Cam Pha.
- Bích Động Pagoda
Cave pagoda in three halls up a limestone hill, 2 km from the pier and on the same ticket as the boat.
- Co Le pagoda
Walk the lotus tower, then the hall, about 15 km from the city.
- Cua Van floating village
Floating village on route 3: boat about 20 km out and row past the raft houses.
- Cuc Phuong National Park
Give a day to Vietnam's first national park: walk the limestone forest and the old tree.
- Do Son
Swim the sand and walk the hill peninsula at Đồ Sơn, a bit more than 20 km from the city.
- Du Hang pagoda
Walk Phúc Lâm pagoda in Hồ Nam, Lê Chân, the hall called Dư Hàng.
- Fighting Cock Islet
Paired rocks on the short boat: watch the gap from the deck in daylight, inside the 3–4 hour route.
- Hang Kenh communal house
Walk the seven-bay ironwood hall at Hàng Kênh and see the boat-shaped floor.
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Join the morning line at 17 Ngoc Ha for the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the columned hall at the head of Ba Dinh…
- Hoa Lo Prison
Walk the remaining cells and yard of Hoa Lo, the prison whose gate still reads Maison Centrale, at 1 Hoa Lo…
- Hoan Kiem Lake
Start here.
- Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
Give the citadel a morning of its own.
- Kayaking on the bay
Paddle a kayak among the limestone: about an hour from a licensed pontoon on the boat routes.
- Lan Ha Bay
Limestone bay off Cát Bà: take a 3–4 hour boat from Bến Bèo for islands, a fish raft, and a beach swim.
- Luon Cave
Water cave on the long boat: row or kayak through the notch into a lake on a 5–6 hour route.
- Mua Cave viewpoint
Climb the stone stair at Hang Múa for the rice, the towers, and one view over the Tam Coc valley.
- Ngoc Son Temple
Cross the red The Huc bridge from the Hoan Kiem path to the small temple on the island, renovated in 1864 a…
- Phat Diem stone church
Give a morning to Kim Sơn’s stone-and-wood church, built from 1875 to 1898 by Đức cha Phê rô Trần Lục.
- Phu Nhai basilica
Look at the gray church at Xuân Phương, more than 1 km from the Xuân Trường town.
- Poem Mountain
A 106 m hill over Cửa Lục: take in the flag, the roofs, and the bay on a shore stop in Hồng Gai.
- Temple of Literature
Walk through the Khue Van gate into the courtyards of Hanoi's Confucian temple, founded in 1070, and the un…
- The three caves
Sampan ride on the Ngô Đồng through three water caves and the rice, about 2 hours out and back.
- Thien Cung Cave
Show cave on the short boat: walk the lit chamber on Đầu Gỗ inside a 3–4 hour route.
- Van Long
Spend half a day on the wetland boat among limestone and reeds, north of the Tràng An caves.
- Viet Hai Village
Remote village in a limestone valley: hike 8–12 km through the national park past Ao Ếch, or come by boat.
- Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Head out to Nghia Do for the Museum of Ethnology.
- Xuan Thuy National Park
Take a boat through the mangroves south of cửa Ba Lạt.
- Am Tien Cave
Climb 205 steps to the cave temple 400 m from the Dinh temple, then look over the valley.
- Bach Ma Temple
Bach Ma is the small temple at 76 Hang Buom: yellow walls, a tiled roof with dragons along the ridge, red l…
- Bai Chay Bridge
Road bridge over Cửa Lục: cross Quốc lộ 18 between the shores, or see both pylons from the cable car.
- Bai Dinh Pagoda
Give half a day to Bái Đính, the 1136 pagoda and the hill complex from 2003, and come for the scale.
- Cai Beo Floating Village
Floating fishing village by Bến Bèo: pass its raft homes and fish farms as your Lan Ha boat heads out.
- Cannon Fort
Hilltop fort above town: ride up 10 minutes, walk its tunnels, and see Lan Ha Bay from above.
- Cat Ba National Park
Limestone forest in the island's heart: climb Ngự Lâm peak in a morning for the widest view of Cát Bà.
- Dau Go Cave
Early cave beside Thiên Cung: walk this chamber on the same landing, inside a 3–4 hour route.
- Dich Long Pagoda and Cave
Climb 105 stone steps to a cave pagoda 15 km north of the city, where wind at the mouth sounds like a flute.
- Dong Hoa Lu
Walk the open valley where Dinh Bo Linh first based himself, 15 km from the temples.
- Dong Xuan Market
Dong Xuan is the big covered market at the north end of the Old Quarter, with Chợ Đồng Xuân across its front.
- Duyen Ninh Pagoda
Walk the court of a small pagoda under the cliff in thôn Chi Phong, xã Trường Yên, inside the old capital.
- Flag tower
Look at the Nguyễn flag tower on đường Tô Hiệu, a short stop in the center.
- Hai Phong Museum
Walk the city museum at 66 Điện Biên Phủ and see the rooms on the port's history.
- Hang Bac
Hang Bac is the silver street, one of the 36 guild streets still named for its trade.
- Hang Ma
Hang Ma is the Old Quarter street of festival goods.
- Hanoi Opera House
Stand on the square at 1 Trang Tien and take in the cream-and-yellow facade, the columns, and the dome of t…
- Hoa Lu
Spend a morning at the old capital, walking đền Đinh, đền Lê, and the tombs on núi Mã Yên.
- Hon Dau
Take a boat to Hòn Dấu, walk to the sea-god temple, and climb the lighthouse.
- Kim Ngan Communal House
Walk through the courtyard at 42-44 Hang Bac and into the communal house altar.
- Ky Lan Pagoda and the Dinh Tomb
Climb about 50 steps to the Dinh family tomb, then the cave pagoda beside it.
- Long Bien Bridge
Walk the steel spans of Long Bien Bridge across the Red River, on the side path beside the railway.
- Ma May Heritage House
Step inside the timber tube house at 87 Ma May and walk its courtyards and carved galleries.
- Me Cung Cave
Cave on Lờm Bò: walk the chambers on the long boat, about 13 km from the Ha Long port.
- Monkey Island
Small Lan Ha island with two sandy beaches: swim and watch its monkeys on the 3–4 hour bay boat from Bến Bèo.
- National Museum of History
One ticket covers two buildings.
- Nhat Tru Pagoda
Walk 300 m north of the Le temple to the pagoda that keeps the pillar dated 995.
- Ninh Binh station
This is where the train puts you down.
- O Quan Chuong
Walk through O Quan Chuong, the brick gate and watchtower at the east edge of the lanes.
- One Pillar Pagoda
See the small wooden pagoda raised on a single stone pillar above its pond, a short walk from the citadel a…
- Quan Thanh Temple
Enter Quan Thanh Temple, the northern guardian temple of old Thang Long, on the West Lake shore.
- Quang Dong Assembly Hall
Walk into the Quang Dong assembly hall at 22 Hang Buom, the tiled gatehouse on the street.
- Quang Ninh Museum
Coal-block museum on Cửa Lục: see more than 30,000 objects between 8:00 and 17:00, with a break at noon.
- Queen Cable Car
Cable car across Cửa Lục: ride about 5 minutes from Bãi Cháy to Ba Đèo for the harbor from above.
- St Joseph's Cathedral
Stand in the square at 40 Nha Chung, just west of Hoan Kiem, and look up at the two stone towers of St Jose…
- Sung Sot Cave
The widest cave on the long boat: climb the steep path and walk the chambers on a 5–6 hour route.
- Ta Hien beer corner
After dark, Ta Hien is where the Old Quarter sits down for a beer: low tables and blue plastic stools pushe…
- Thái Vi Temple
Stone temple to the Trần kings among the karst, 2 km from the pier and on the same ticket as the boat.
- Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
Watch puppeteers stand waist-deep in water and steer lacquered wooden figures through scenes of village lif…
- Thung Nham Bird Park
Karst valley where thousands of egrets and storks roost: boat out to the bird island and climb to a cave.
- Ti Top Island
Crescent island on the long boat: swim, kayak, and climb the view inside a 5–6 hour route.
- Tran Quoc Pagoda
See the tiered brick-red stupa of Tran Quoc rise above the water on the West Lake shore in Tay Ho, then wal…
- Trung Trang Cave
Lit limestone cave 15 km from town: walk its 300 m passage past stalactites and rocks that ring.
- Van Trinh Cave
Walk the lit chambers of a cave of nearly 3,500 square metres inside Mo Mountain, a show cave in Nho Quan.
- Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum
Walk the galleries of the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum at 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc, a short walk from the Te…
- Vietnamese Women's Museum
Spend a morning in the galleries of the Vietnamese Women's Museum at 36 Ly Thuong Kiet, south of Hoan Kiem,…
- West Lake
Tay Ho lake north of the Old Quarter.
- Cố Viên Lầu old houses
Yard of 22 old village houses rebuilt beside the pier, a short walk before or after the boat.
- Train Street
A working railway runs through a residential lane between Le Duan and Phung Hung, with house fronts, plants…
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