Central Vietnam: 10+ spots for endless bucket-list experiences in 2024

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Central Vietnam has lots of interesting things waiting for you to discover

Central Vietnam has a lot of interesting things for you to discover, with diverse landscapes, tasty food, extraordinary traditions, and friendly locals. This article has suggested some favourite destinations in the region for you to get a general understanding about them before departing for your Vietnam travel.

1. Where is Central Vietnam? The best time to visit Central Vietnam

Central Vietnam consists of 19 provinces and cities. The west of the region is surrounded with high mountain ranges running along the borders between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The east of the region borders the East Sea. The region also has the highest number of coastal provinces. Hence, some of the most beautiful beaches of Vietnam are located here.

Central Vietnam is divided into three sub-regions, namely the north central region; the south central coast region and the central highlands.

From January to June is the best time to visit Central Vietnam

In the north central region, it is hot and dry in summer while in winter, the weather is cold and rainy. In the south central coast region, it is less cold in winter, because the Bach Ma mountain range here acts as a shield against the chilly monsoon. In the central highlands, there are two distinct seasons, namely the dry season and the rainy season, with the temperature in the day greatly differing from that at night.

Notably, there is a flood season in Central Vietnam, which lasts from July to October in the north central region, and from October to December in the south central coast region. Hence, the best time to visit Central Vietnam is from January to June.

2. Top 10+ places to visit in Central Vietnam with your beloved

Central Vietnam has the most spectacular beaches in the country. Below are the top suggestions for the beaches to be included in your Central Vietnam itinerary:

2.1. Nha Trang – One of the best places to visit in Central Vietnam

Nha Trang has many Central Vietnam tourist attractions. The beaches here are pristine, have turquoise clear water with long white sand stretches and colourful coral reefs. The most beautiful beaches can be found in Tre Island and Monkey Island.

Nha Trang is also home to many unique architectural works, such as Ponagar Cham Towers and Tram Huong Tower. The local seafood is famed for its fresh and delicious taste.Some popular dishes that you should try are jellyfish salad, white sardine salad, grilled sea urchin, fish noodles, and jellyfish noodles.

VinWonders Nha Trang will bring you endless fun

VinWonders Nha Trang is an ideal destination that can bring you endless fresh experiences in Nha Trang. This is a top-rated amusement park with beautiful landscapes and countless attractive games.

Here, tourists have a chance to challenge themselves with the 880-meter-long zipline, which is the steepest, longest, and highest zipline in Vietnam. If you are not a thrill seeker, you can feast your eyes on the million-dollar masterpiece – Tata Show instead. Or you can try a lot of other fantastic activities that will surely blow your mind.

>>> Book tickets of VinWonders Nha Trang to have even more fun on your Central Vietnam travel!

2.2. Da Nang – Among the top Central Vietnam tourist attractions

Da Nang is one of the most vibrant cities in Central Vietnam that you should not miss out on. This bustling coastal city has many beautiful beaches, namely My Khe, Nam O, Non Nuoc, and Son Tra, which are some of the most popular ones. Here, visitors can swim, relax and play many exciting water games.

Da Nang is also known as a city of bridges, where you can find many distinguished bridges with special architecture, such as Love Lock Bridge and Dragon Bridge.

Enjoying Da Nang dishes is one of the must-try things to do in Central Vietnam, such as fried pancakes with pork, shrimp, and herbs; smoked calf meat; chicken rice.

Da Nang City has many fascinating bridges and sightseeing spots (Source: Collected)

2.3. Central Vietnam travel destination: Hoi An

Hoi An Ancient Town is located right by the gentle Thu Bon River. This is one of the most popular places to visit in Central Vietnam. It has more than 1,000 architectural works that date back to hundreds of years ago. The town, once a bustling commercial port, was also a frequent meeting point for people of various nationalities, including Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese.

Here, tourists can admire the ancient yellow houses with mossy red tiles and feel the slow space of life. Hoi An also attracts visitors with various delicacies, such as Hoi An chicken rice, cao lau, Quang noodles, Phuong bread, and many kinds of cakes made from rice powder.

VinWonders Nam Hoi An is one of the best Central Vietnam tourist attractions

While you are in Hoi An, it is also an excellent idea to visit VinWonders Nam Hoi An, a world-class amusement park with 5 subdivisions:

• Adventure Land: a place that tests the bravery of thrill-seeking tourists who love adventure and like to break their limits through heart-pounding games.
• Island of Folk Culture: a place that shows the architectural features of every region in Vietnam and vividly reproduces Vietnam’s traditional craft villages.
• Water World: a water paradise with slides and pools for children, families and friends, along with 11 exciting games for you to cool off in summer.
• Harbor Corner: a place where you can immerse yourself in a contrasting space of cultural features of the past and present, of the East and West.
• River Safari: the first and largest river safari in Vietnam, home to more than 50 species, 550 individuals of animals carefully preserved and raised.

>>> Book tickets of VinWonders Nam Hoi An to enjoy one of the most modern parks in the central region of Vietnam!

2.4. Nghe An

Nghe An has various popular tourist destinations, each having its own charm. Some places will help you learn more about the nation’s history, such as Vinh Ancient Citadel or Kim Lien Relic Site. Or you can relax on pristine beaches, such as Cua Lo, Bai Lu, or Cua Hoi.

In addition, Pu Mat National Park is a place where nature is well preserved. On the other hand, coming to Thanh Chuong Tea Hills or the Sunflower Field, you can get away from the urban dust to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful landscape here.

Nghe An has many Central Vietnam beaches (Source: Collected)

While in Nghe An, there are many tasty specialties that you should try, such as eels, mussels, Cua Lo squid, and various kinds of cakes made from rice powder. The dishes here are often prepared in a simple yet extraordinary way.

2.5. Hue Central Vietnam

Considered a land of heritage, Hue is another potential highlight in your Central Vietnam itinerary. Here, there are many spectacular landscapes and historical sites, such as Truong Tien Bridge, Ancient Citadel Relic Complex, Ngu Binh Mountain, Lang Co Bay, Lap An Marsh Lagoon, Tam Giang Lagoon, and many ancient royal mausoleums, temples, and pagodas.

Hue Central Vietnam preserves many ancient architectural works (Source: Collected)

The traditional royal music of Hue was recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage. In addition, the royal culinary art is another valuable treasure of the ancient citadel. Hue has some of the most popular dishes in Central Vietnam, such as rice with mussels, beef noodles, Hue noodles, vermicelli with grilled pork, and many kinds of cakes made from rice powder.

2.6. Quang Binh

With a record number of caves of over 400, Quang Binh is likened to a kingdom of caves. Quang Binh also has diverse natural landscapes with mountains and sea. Here, some unique Central Vietnam tourist attractions include Mooc Streamline, Nhat Le Beach, Da Nhay Beach, and Quang Phu Sand Hill. In addition, there are many new tourism sites, such as Ozo Park, Sea Star Ecological Tourism Site, Dong Hoi Night Market, and Mother Suot Monument.

Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park is a natural wonder of Quang Binh. With its rich ecology and mysterious cave system, the national park has attracted a huge number of foreign tourists.

In Quang Binh, there are many dishes typical of Central Vietnam food, such as Quang noodles; vermicelli with pork and fish sauce; pancake with pork, shrimp, and herbs; and some unique local dishes like Bau Sen fish porridge, fish from Son River, Khoai fish hot po,t and salad of dried squid and mango.

2.7. Ha Tinh

Ha Tinh has a lot of potential for tourism. The province has various historical and ecological sites, as well as new tourist spots such as the beaches of Hoanh Son, Thien Cam, and Xuan Thanh; Vu Quang National Park; Hong Linh Mountain; Dong Loc Junction Relic Site; Trai Tieu Lake Tourism Site, and Vinpearl Waterpark Ha Tinh.

Ha Tinh has many historical and ecological sites (Source: Collected)

In addition, Ha Tinh has various delicacies for you to try, such as Huong Son Mountain goat meat; Duc fish salad; Do Trai beef vermicelli, and Vung Ang fresh squid.

2.8. Phu Yen

Phu Yen, the land of yellow flowers and green grass, has many spectacular landscapes and sightseeing spots in Central Vietnam. Some unique destinations here include the volcanic cliff of Ganh Đa Dia, Dai Lanh Lighthouse, Nghinh Phong Tower, Mang Lang Church, and Ong Cop Wooden Bridge.

While you are in Phu Yen, don’t forget to try many delicious local dishes, such as chicken rice, white sardine salad, stewn tuna’s eye; O Loan Lagoon red oyster, and jellyfish vermicelli.

2.9. Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh)

Quy Nhon City in Binh Dinh Province has many romantic and tranquil landscapes. Here, there are many popular attractions, such as Salangane Island, Thi Nai Bridge, Eo Gio Beac, Cham Twin Towers, Cu Lao Xanh Lighthouse, Ky Co Island, Phuong Mai Sand Dune, and Ghenh Rang Tourism Site.

Eo Gio Quy Nhon, a spectacular landscape in the South Central Coast Vietnam region (Source: Collected)

In Quy Nhon, there are many delicacies that you should try, such as fried shrimp roll, pancake with shrimp, fried pork roll, and fish vermicelli.

2.10. Buon Ma Thuot (Dak Lak)

Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province is the centre of culture and tourism in the Central Highlands region. It has immense primitive forests and mountains with spectacular waterfalls and aromatic coffee fields.

In Buon Ma Thuot, you can pay a visit to popular places, such as Dak Lak Museum, Trung Nguyen Coffee Village, Mother Elephant Stone Mountain, Ea Kao Lake, the villages of the local ethnic minority groups, and other ecological tourism sites.

Here, you should definitely try the local delicacies, such as vermicelli in red broth with pork, egg, and fried shrimps; rolls of grilled pork and herbs; coffee; and avocado.

2.11. Da Lat (Lam Dong)

Your trip to Central Highlands Vietnam will be imperfect if you don’t come to the romantic city of Da Lat. Here, the weather is cool all year round, which is suitable for flowers, fruits, and vegetables to grow. As a result, Da Lat has long been known as the city of flowers.

In Da Lat, you can find various French architectural works, such as Rooster Church, Da Lat Railway Station; King Bao Dai Palace; Domaine De Marie Church. Or you can visit many beautiful tourist spots, such as Love Valley, Lam Vien Square, Xuan Huong Lake, Tuyen Lam Lake, and Van Thanh Flower Village.

Da Lat has a cool and fresh atmosphere all year round (Source: Collected)

Da Lat is also known for its many tasty dishes, such as noodles with chicken intestine, chicken hotpot; beef hotpot, fruit jam, and grilled pork.

If you are a travel enthusiast who is eager to learn about new cultures, Central Vietnam is the right place for you. The above top destinations will offer many wonderful landscapes and unique experiences, along with delicious cuisine and extraordinary tradition.