{"id":29681,"date":"2025-02-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wanderlusttstg.wpengine.com\/inspiration\/hanoi-vs-ho-chi-minh-city\/"},"modified":"2025-02-25T12:51:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T12:51:00","slug":"hanoi-vs-ho-chi-minh-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/inspiration\/hanoi-vs-ho-chi-minh-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City: Which Vietnamese city should you visit?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-sidebar-content\" data-ad=\"first\"><div id=\"wak-acf-block-497992\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-content-layout-default wak-acf-block-advert wak-ad-first\" data-placement-id=\"63374\" data-advert-visible=\"1\">\n    <style type=\"text\/css\">.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-advert .wak-advert-container{display:flex;justify-content:center;width:100%}<\/style>\n    <div class=\"wak-advert-container\">\n        \n            <div 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a{font-size:1.125rem!important;line-height:2.125rem!important}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h1,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h2,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h3,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h4,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h5,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h6{margin:0;padding:0;word-break:break-word}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h1{font-family:Noe Display;font-size:3.75rem;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:4.0625rem}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h2{font-family:Noe Display;font-size:3rem;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:3.25rem}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h3{font-family:Noe Display;font-size:2.25rem;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:2.5rem}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h4{font-family:Noe Display;font-size:1.75rem;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:2.0625rem}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h5{font-family:Noe Display;font-size:1.25rem;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:1.5625rem}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content .wak-copy h6{font-family:Jost;font-size:.75rem;font-weight:500;letter-spacing:.08313rem;line-height:.875rem}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content+.wak-acf-block-article-image,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content+.wak-acf-block-copy-content,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-copy-content+.wak-acf-block-image-carousel{margin-top:80px}<\/style>    <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>Here at\u00a0<em>Wanderlust,\u00a0<\/em>we\u2019re big fans of slow travel, and so if someone asks us \u2018how long should I spend in <a href=\"http:\/\/wanderlustmagazine.com\/destination\/vietnam\">Vietnam<\/a>?\u2019 the answer is always going to be \u2018as long as possible\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>But if you\u2019re short on time, you may be looking to prioritise, especially as there\u2019s so much to see beyond the cities, such as the terraced rice terraces of Sapa and the national parks, like Phong Nha-Ke Bang or Cuc Phuong.<\/p>\n<p>Debating between Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City? Here\u2019s our guide to both cities so you can compare and decide for yourself\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City: In numbers<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-210268\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <style type=\"text\/css\">.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image{flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:center}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image .wak-title{text-align:left;width:100%}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image .wak-title+picture{margin-top:40px}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image .wak-caption{color:gray;margin-top:8px;text-align:right;width:100%}.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image+.wak-acf-block-article-image,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image+.wak-acf-block-copy-content,.wak-acf-block.wak-acf-block-article-image+.wak-acf-block-image-carousel{margin-top:80px}<\/style>        \r\n        <h3 class=\"wak-title wak-h3\">Hanoi<\/h3>\r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1189056259-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1189056259-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1189056259-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1189056259-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1189056259-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1189056259-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1189056259-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1189056259-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1189056259-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-85298\" alt=\"A crowd with busy traffic outside of St. Joseph Cathedral in Hanoi's Old Quarter\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">St. Joseph Cathedral in Hanoi\u2019s Old Quarter<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-770066\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong>Location:<\/strong> Northern Vietnam<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong>Population:<\/strong> 8.5 million<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong>Total area:<\/strong> 3,329 sq km<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong>Famous for:<\/strong> Pho soup, pagodas, the resting place of \u2018Uncle Ho\u2019, tai chi by Hoan Kiem Lake and water puppets<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read next:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/inspiration\/things-to-do-in-hanoi\/\">9 of the best things to do in Hanoi<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-739924\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        <h3 class=\"wak-title wak-h3\">Ho Chi Minh City<\/h3>\r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2532233575-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2532233575-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2532233575-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2532233575-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2532233575-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2532233575-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2532233575-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2532233575-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2532233575-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-85252\" alt=\"Aerial view of downtown Ho Chi Minh City (Shutterstock)\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Downtown Ho Chi Minh City (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-883129\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong>Location: <\/strong>Southern Vietnam<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong>Population:<\/strong> 8.9 million<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong>Total area:<\/strong> 2,061 sq km<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><strong>Famous for:<\/strong> Fox holes, war museums, the Reunification Palace and boat trips on the Mekong Delta<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read next:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/inspiration\/10-things-in-saigon-ho-chi-minh-city-vietnam\/\">9 of the best things to do in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City: History<\/h2>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-sidebar-content\" data-ad=\"in_content_1\"><div id=\"wak-acf-block-333190\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-content-layout-default wak-acf-block-advert wak-ad-in_content_1\" data-placement-id=\"63376\" data-advert-visible=\"1\">\n    \n    <div class=\"wak-advert-container\">\n        \n            <div id=\"div-gpt-ad-63376\">\n                <script>\n                    googletag.cmd.push(() => { \n                        googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-63376'); \n                    });\n                <\/script>\n            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div id=\"wak-acf-block-189079\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        \r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2256676971-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-84831\" alt=\"Changing of the guards outside of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-778778\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>The first thing you notice is the pace. If Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) stands for modernity and Vietnam\u2019s newfound economic might, Hanoi is its antithesis: a capital with at least one eye firmly on the past. After all, \u2018Uncle Ho\u2019 might have leant his name to the city in the south, but it\u2019s here where you\u2019ll find his body on show, resting in a glass case inside a marble-lined mausoleum.<\/p>\n<p>Like its Communist benefactor, Hanoi gives the sense that it too has been preserved with posterity in mind. A wander of the Old Quarter reveals labyrinthine streets named after the goods once (and still) sold there \u2013 you\u2019ll still find paper lanterns on Hang Ma (Lantern Street) today. And even when modernity does rudely barge into this corner of the city, in the form of Train Street \u2013 an actual railway squeezed in between houses \u2013 the cafes lining it just reset once the locomotives have inched by.<\/p>\n<p>If HCMC is the future, Hanoi is Vietnam\u2019s still-beating past. A place where water puppet performances are performed daily in the Thang Long theatre and where strolls around the Ho\u00e0n Ki\u1ebfm and West lakes are still just as enticing as they were centuries ago.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-205827\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        \r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1659299323-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1659299323-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1659299323-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1659299323-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1659299323-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1659299323-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1659299323-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1659299323-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1659299323-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-85301\" alt=\"Aerial panoramic cityscape view of Ho Chi Minh City as taken from next to the Bitexco tower which is in the foreground\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Ho Chi Minh City\u2019s Bitexco Financial Tower<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-537061\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>What the north resists, the south embraces. It was on 30 April 1975 when Saigon finally fell to the North Vietnamese forces. Back then, few would have predicted what an economic powerhouse the city would become. Having been set up by the French as a commercial centre in the 19th century, Ho Chi Minh City is now both the driving force of modern Vietnam and its embodiment: a bustling, cashless, LGTBQ+-friendly, free-wifi metropolis.<\/p>\n<p>Gazing out from the observation deck of the Bitexco Financial Tower (262m), it would be easy to think that much of old Saigon has been lost. Over the last couple of decades, more than a third of its historical buildings have been flattened. But the core of the city\u2019s past remains intact, particularly in the French Quarter, on which the fingerprints of colonial France can still be seen, or the Reunification Palace where the gates fell in 1975 to symbolically signal the end of a war whose legacy is still being unpacked in museums, sites and galleries across the city.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City: Food<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-258982\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        \r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1372494293-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1372494293-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1372494293-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1372494293-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1372494293-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1372494293-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1372494293-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1372494293-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1372494293-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-85302\" alt=\"Close up of pho bo, a beef noodle soup from Vietnam\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Hanoi is a bastion of Pho Bo (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-sidebar-content\" data-ad=\"in_content_2\"><div id=\"wak-acf-block-931061\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-content-layout-default wak-acf-block-advert wak-ad-in_content_2\" data-placement-id=\"63377\" data-advert-visible=\"1\">\n    \n    <div class=\"wak-advert-container\">\n        \n            <div id=\"div-gpt-ad-63377\">\n                <script>\n                    googletag.cmd.push(() => { \n                        googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-63377'); \n                    });\n                <\/script>\n            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div id=\"wak-acf-block-115432\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>Heritage has its place, particularly when it comes to dining. Hanoi is a bastion of the Vietnamese pho (noodle soup). The rightly lauded Pho Gia Truyen, a shop that predates even the war, dishes up a historically authentic version of a dish that originated in the north, where the use of thinner noodles and a simple, salty beef broth (over the sweeter southern version) is still the gold standard for many.<\/p>\n<p>Be sure to explore the food markets of the Old Quarter, where Dong Xuan, erected under French colonial rule, is the oldest \u2013 and still the largest \u2013 in the city. It\u2019s particularly popular with the vespa food tours, whose guests can often be spied greedily slurping up a bowl of<em> bun cha<\/em> (pork and noodles).<\/p>\n<p>After the war, Vietnam sought a new cash crop and put all its efforts into growing coffee \u2013 now it\u2019s the world\u2019s second-biggest producer. A peculiarly Hanoi interpretation of the local fixation on this drink is the \u2018egg coffee\u2019 created by Giang Cafe, which takes the slow-drip condensed-milk version found across the country and beats in an eggy custard. It must be tried.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-455865\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        \r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2315315443-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2315315443-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2315315443-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2315315443-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2315315443-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2315315443-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2315315443-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2315315443-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2315315443-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-85303\" alt=\"Vietnamese woman serving a traditional vietnamese banh mi sandwich in a street food market\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Ho Chi Minh City is famed for its banh mi sandwiches (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-308236\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>While Hanoi is all tradition, Ho Chi Minh City\u2019s mass of expats means there\u2019s perhaps more dining variety in District 1 than in all of the north. Here you\u2019ll find craft beer (try Pasteur Street Brewing), slick roasteries and Turtle Lake\u2019s food carts. The latter is a great place to grab some c<em>om tam<\/em>, a dish of pork, egg and broken grains of rice that gained popularity in the 1930s as a\u00a0cheap filler for Saigon\u2019s dock workers and soon slipped into immortality.<\/p>\n<p>Another famous city treat is the banh mi sandwich. Typically filled with pate or pork and a slaw of pickled carrots, radish and cucumber, all squashed into a wheat- and rice-flour baguette, this humble staple is now an HCMC icon. Head to B\u00e1nh M\u00ec Hu\u1ef3nh Hoa for some of the best examples.<\/p>\n<p>Finish with a city food tour with XO Tours, the first all-female motorbike tour company in Vietnam, which skips a lot of the usual over-packed sights for some genuine finds.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read next: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/inspiration\/history-culture-vietnam-food\/\">Foodie adventures in Vietnam: exploring the history and culture behind the country\u2019s unique cuisine<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City: Culture<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-288822\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        \r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_312608390-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_312608390-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_312608390-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_312608390-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_312608390-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_312608390-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_312608390-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_312608390-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_312608390-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-85305\" alt=\"Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Hanoi\u2019s Thang Long Imperial Citadel (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-354158\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>Despite the endless tide of Vespas surging through the narrow streets, Hanoi is a far slower burn than its southern cousin. It has also retained far more of its history, as exemplified by the city\u2019s half-dozen UNESCO-listed World Heritage sites.<\/p>\n<p>The largest of these is the Old Quarter itself, whose narrow streets are lined with tube-like shophouses, some barely two metres wide. These sprouted in the late 19th century and were said to have been a canny way of avoiding a tax based on the size of the street-level frontage. Today, they are an inseparable part of the character of the city, their workshops and stalls often spilling onto the pavements.<\/p>\n<p>Be sure to also drop by what remains of Thang Long Imperial Citadel, whose 1,000-year history spans imperial, colonial and wartime structures. Early buildings and artefacts are still being discovered as part of an ongoing excavation.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more about the French colonial era, head to Hoa Lo Prison Museum, whose sobering exhibits scatter what little remains of the complex. However, arguably the best stop in the city is the excellent Women\u2019s Museum, which documents the customs, cultures and contributions of Vietnamese women, particularly during the war (1955\u201375). And don\u2019t miss the Water Puppet Theatre, a\u00a0tradition from the rice fields of the north, whose puppeteers artfully convey local folktales while waist-deep in water.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-sidebar-content\" data-ad=\"in_content_3\"><div id=\"wak-acf-block-334856\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-content-layout-default wak-acf-block-advert wak-ad-in_content_3\" data-placement-id=\"63378\" data-advert-visible=\"1\">\n    \n    <div class=\"wak-advert-container\">\n        \n            <div id=\"div-gpt-ad-63378\">\n                <script>\n                    googletag.cmd.push(() => { \n                        googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-63378'); \n                    });\n                <\/script>\n            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div id=\"wak-acf-block-477227\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        \r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2312652625-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2312652625-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2312652625-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2312652625-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2312652625-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2312652625-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2312652625-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2312652625-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2312652625-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-85308\" alt=\"Saigon Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Saigon Central Post Office (Shutterstock) <\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-251218\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>For all its neon-lit ambition, the modern history of Ho Chi Minh City is rooted in the war. The War Remnants Museum is an essential visit, and it is among the most moving (and grisly) accounts of this era, though it\u2019s also worth heading beyond the fringes of the city, where the Cu Chi Tunnels (fox holes) of the Viet Cong thrust you, literally, into the realities of guerrilla warfare.<\/p>\n<p>The bright lights of Ho Chi Minh City simmer to a gentle glow in the French Quarter, where the bulk of the city\u2019s historical buildings from the French era \u2013 Belle Epoque flexes of colonial strength \u2013 survive. Among those that catch the eye are the red-brick Notre Dame Cathedral, Neoclassical Central Post Office building and the elegant opera house.<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, the Chinese influence on the city can be seen in Cho Lon, a district established in the mid-19th century and now one of the largest Chinatowns in the world \u2013 and a mass of chaotic markets. Or head to District 1 to see the Jade Emperor Pagoda, whose exquisite gilt woodwork was commissioned by the city\u2019s Cantonese community in the early 20th century.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City: Outdoors<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-359116\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        \r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2330670835-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2330670835-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2330670835-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2330670835-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2330670835-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2330670835-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2330670835-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2330670835-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_2330670835-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-85309\" alt=\"Top view of terrace rice field in Mu Cang Chai near Sapa city, vietnam,\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">The rice fields near Sapa in Vietnam (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-367205\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>The north has the landscape. The forested peaks and paddies of Ha Giang and Mai Chau wrinkle the land on an epic scale. Here, hiking tours let you trek through hills overlooking giant rice terraces and visit Hmong and Dzay villages where overnight stays shed more light on these communities, their cultures and the other Hill Tribes of the region.<\/p>\n<p>The rainforests of Cuc Phuong, three hours south of Hanoi, inspired the creation of Vietnam\u2019s first national park and remain\u00a0a vital sanctuary for the Delacour\u2019s langur. This area is also great for hikers, with longer guided treks affording a chance to overnight in a Muong village before continuing.<\/p>\n<p>However, most visitors to Hanoi use the city as a jumping-off point for the bays of Halong and Lan Ha, about two and a half hours to the east. Here, boat trips (some overnight) set out among the hidden lagoons and jade-green waters of the bays\u2019 karst-pinnacle islands.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-950482\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        \r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1409400011-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1409400011-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1409400011-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1409400011-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1409400011-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1409400011-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1409400011-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1409400011-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_1409400011-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-85310\" alt=\"Aerial view of tourists on a basket boat tour at Tan Phong island\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Tan Phong Island is best explored on two wheels (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-sidebar-content\" data-ad=\"in_content_4\"><div id=\"wak-acf-block-797705\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-content-layout-default wak-acf-block-advert wak-ad-in_content_4\" data-placement-id=\"63379\" data-advert-visible=\"1\">\n    \n    <div class=\"wak-advert-container\">\n        \n            <div id=\"div-gpt-ad-63379\">\n                <script>\n                    googletag.cmd.push(() => { \n                        googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-63379'); \n                    });\n                <\/script>\n            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div id=\"wak-acf-block-450465\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>The south is all about river life. The Mekong Delta frays the coast below Ho Chi Minh City, and day trips to the floating markets of Can Tho or kayaking tours of the mangroves of Can Gio are easy to do.<\/p>\n<p>For a quiet getaway, head to the city of Cai Be, where you can pick up the ferry to Tan Phong island. This sleepy islet of farmers is criss-crossed with canals and makes for a peaceful escape by bicycle. In fact, much of the Delta is great to explore on two wheels, given its flat terrain, and there are plenty of tours to choose from.<\/p>\n<p>For somewhere truly remote, head 240km west of Ho Chi Minh City to Tra Su Bird Sanctuary, on the border with Cambodia. Here you\u2019ll find small boats inching the 800 hectares of mangrove-scattered waters, which are home to around 70 species of bird. Keep an eye out for white-throated kingfishers, Indian cormorants and Oriental honey buzzards.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City: The Verdict<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\n\n    <div id=\"wak-acf-block-500439\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-article-image wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n                \r\n        \r\n                    \n<picture>\n    <source media=\"(max-width:575px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_694773283-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_694773283-700x470.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(max-width:991px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_694773283-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_694773283-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <source media=\"(min-width:992px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_694773283-1280x693.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_694773283-2560x1386.jpg 2x\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_694773283-350x250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_694773283-350x250.jpg, https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/shutterstock_694773283-700x470.jpg 2x\" class=\"attachment-85311\" alt=\"Traditional boats on yen stream on the way to Huong pagoda\" width=\"350\" height=\"250\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>   \r\n        \r\n        <span class=\"wak-caption wak-image-caption-text\">Yen stream in Hanoi (Shutterstock)<\/span>    <\/div>\r\n\n\n<div id=\"wak-acf-block-112295\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-copy-content wak-content-layout-default\">\r\n        <div class=\"wak-copy wak-body-standard-text\"><p>Hanoi has the scenery and the tradition; HCMC boasts the modern history and the most iconic sight of all: the Mekong. Both are foodie havens and will sorely test your Vespa-dodging skills. But why choose? The Reunification Express north-south railway route runs between the two cities and offers some great stops along the way, including imperial Hue and Danang (the stop for Hoi An). It\u2019s a piece of history in itself. Now it\u2019s a great way to combine both cities into one unforgettable trip.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read next:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/inspiration\/best-time-to-visit-vietnam\/\">Our guide to the best time to visit Vietnam, no matter your itinerary<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"wak-non-acf-block wak-non-acf-block-\">\n\n<div class=\"page\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"wak-acf-block wak-acf-block-sidebar-content\" data-ad=\"last\"><div id=\"wak-acf-block-736391\" class=\"wak-acf-block wak-content-layout-default wak-acf-block-advert wak-ad-last\" data-placement-id=\"63380\" data-advert-visible=\"1\">\n    \n    <div class=\"wak-advert-container\">\n        \n            <div id=\"div-gpt-ad-63380\">\n                <script>\n                    googletag.cmd.push(() => { \n                        googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-63380'); \n                    });\n                <\/script>\n            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vietnam\u2019s north-south divide is more than geographical. Split into two nations in the 1950s, they were only reunited post-Vietnam War. Cultural Hanoi or buzzy Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which is for you?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":85312,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"84823,39941,46460,41826,53308,31222","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"elementor-post":[],"inspiration":[22],"seo-content-tag":[58],"seo-continent":[67],"seo-country":[],"coauthors":[366],"class_list":["post-29681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","inspiration-trips","seo-content-tag-trips","seo-continent-asia"],"acf":{"destination":[3257],"header_video":"","header_image_caption":"","thumbnail_video":"","thumbnail_video_image":"","promoter_image":"","promoter_name":"","promoter_url":"","wak_author_name":"Gareth Clark"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City: Which Vietnamese city should you visit? - Wanderlust<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City: Vietnam\u2019s north-south divide is more than geographical, having only been reunited post-Vietnam War\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wanderlustmagazine.com\/inspiration\/hanoi-vs-ho-chi-minh-city\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City: Which Vietnamese city should you visit? - Wanderlust\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Vietnam\u2019s north-south divide is more than geographical. Split into two nations in the 1950s, they were only reunited post-Vietnam War. 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