Major Festivals in Vietnam

If you want to experience Vietnam at its best, you should definitely check out the major festivals in the country. Here you will get up close and personal with the myths and culture of Vietnam.

Tet Nguyen Dan, around late January or early February: Tet Nguyen Dan is one of the major festivals in Vietnam. It marks the arrival of spring according to the Lunar calendar but most importantly, it is the Vietnamese New Year.

Hoi An Lantern Festival, every month: The Hoi An Lantern Festival is celebrated every month during the full moon. The lanterns are its biggest feature. At around 8 pm, you will witness the beauty of the floating lanterns.

Mid-Autumn Festival, September 15: Mid-Autumn Festival is unlike any other. It originates to around 20,000 years ago. Here, family relationships are celebrated and mooncakes are eaten.

Vietnam Travel Guide: Paradise Cave
Top Things to Do in Vietnam
Eat all the food that you can
When in Vietnam, you have to eat all the food that you can. One of the best places to be in is Hanoi. It has some of the best and cheap street food in the world.

Take a trek in Sapa
Just 6 hours away from Hanoi, Sapa boasts of stunning rice terraces and waterfalls especially when the weather is clear. Book a bus online from Hanoi to Sapa so you don’t have to worry about transportation when you’re there.

Visit Paradise Cave and Dark Cave
If you love caves, then you’ll definitely love Dark Cave and Paradise Cave in Phong Nha. In the Dark Cave, you can trek, zip-line, and swim in a cave lake. On the other hand, Paradise Cave is one of the most gigantic caves in the world. It used to be the largest cave until Son Doong took its place.

Go Canyoneering in Da Lat
For more adventures, don’t miss going to Da Lat. You can go cliff jumping and repelling down waterfalls in this fantastic place.

Insider Tip: For the highlight of your trip to Vietnam, don’t forget to take the secret tour in Da Lat.

Did you know Vietnam is a great place to teach English? Find out how to get certified to teach English abroad.

Vietnam Travel Guide: Seafood Soup
Best Food to Eat in Vietnam
Most households in Vietnam eat vegetables and noodle soups. A typical meal would be a vegetable dish, a seafood or meat dish, soup, fish sauce, and rice.

Here are some of our favorites:

Grilled Chicken: fresh and ordered half or whole

Banh Bot Loc: great as an appetizer with shrimp-stuffed tapioca dumplings

Banh Khoai: savory pancake

Bun Bo Hue: vermicelli noodle beef soup that’s spicy

Bánh mì baguette sandwich: cheap and tasty street food

Cao lầu: noodle soup

Insider Tip: Happy Cow is a great resource for finding vegetarian and vegan restaurants all around the country!

Vietnam Travel Guide: Hanoi Street
Typical Budget for Vietnam
Vietnam is such a large country that offers a lot of things to do and places to see. For travelers on a budget, Vietnam is a dream come true. For as low as $20 per day, you can survive on a shoestring budget and travel around the country.

Good to know: If you know how to drive a motorbike, you can rent one on the cheap and save on your transportation costs. Plus, Vietnam has some pretty epic drives that are best discovered on two wheels!