Southeast Asia
Street food, motorbikes, and a thousand years of history.
Vietnam is a long, lush ribbon of a country down the edge of Southeast Asia — emerald rice terraces, limestone bays, French-colonial towns and some of the best, cheapest food on earth, all buzzing with the energy of a nation on the rise. Hanoi, the ancient capital in the north, is the cultural heart: a chaotic, charming maze of an old quarter where motorbikes swarm, street kitchens sizzle on every corner, and lakes and pagodas offer sudden calm. Cheap, frantic and utterly captivating.
What things cost: Vietnam is one of the cheapest countries you can travel — a bowl of phở or a bánh mì costs a euro or less, a glass of bia hơi even less, and rooms are a bargain. Prices rise in the smart hotels and rooftop bars, but you never have to spend much. When a zone below says 'low', that means very low indeed.
Sometimes the event picks the city for you.
A joyful children's festival that lights up the Old Quarter — streets full of glowing lanterns, lion dances, drums and mooncakes, with Hang Ma street a riot of decorations. A wonderful, colourful time to be in Hanoi, and one of the most photogenic nights of the year.
Hanoi · The Old Quarter
Hoi An's magical signature night — once a month, on the eve of the full moon, the old town switches off its electric lights and is lit only by silk and candle lanterns, the streets closed to traffic, the river covered in floating candles, with traditional music, games and poetry. If you can, time your visit to be here for it.
Hoi An · The Ancient Town & riverfront
Vietnam's biggest and most important holiday, when the city dresses in kumquat trees and peach blossom, families reunite, and temples fill with incense and prayers for the year ahead. Magical and atmospheric, though many shops and restaurants close for several days as the country goes home.
Hanoi · Citywide
Vietnam's biggest festival transforms Hoi An into a sea of flowers, kumquat trees and red-and-gold decorations, with dragon dances, fireworks over the river and the whole town in celebration. Deeply atmospheric and beautiful, though many shops and restaurants close for the family holiday itself; a special, if quieter, time to visit.
Hoi An · Across the town
The anniversary of Ho Chi Minh's 1945 declaration of independence, marked with flags, parades and a big fireworks display over Hoan Kiem Lake, on the very square where the speech was made. A patriotic, celebratory day, and a lively (if busy) time to be in the capital.
Hanoi · Ba Dinh Square & Hoan Kiem
The children's festival at the autumn full moon, especially charming in lantern-loving Hoi An — troupes of lion and unicorn dancers weave drumming through the streets, children carry glowing star-shaped lanterns, and everyone eats sticky mooncakes. One of the prettiest and most joyful nights of the Hoi An year.
Hoi An · The Ancient Town
