The Atlas Obscura Guide To Vietnam

87 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Vietnam

Updated October 14, 2026

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Unusual Attractions in Vietnam

Xuân Trạch, Vietnam

Hang Son Doong

World's largest cave was only discovered in 1991, and now offers tours to the public.

Diesel train coming down the train tracks through a narrow street in Hanoi.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi's Train Street

Twice a day a speeding train passes only inches from the homes of this residential neighborhood.

Golden Bridge.

Hòa Vang, Vietnam

Golden Bridge

This spectacular bridge supported by two gigantic hands looks like something out of a fantasy universe.

Am Phu cave demon

Da Nang, Vietnam

Am Phu Cave

This Vietnamese hell cave lets visitors take a walk through a devilish underworld full of demons.

Da Nang, Vietnam

Fire-Breathing Dragon Bridge

This bridge is embedded with a giant steel dragon that breathes fire from its mouth.

Water puppet show

Hanoi, Vietnam

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

Home of the unusual art of water puppetry, one of Vietnam's oldest curiosities.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Cafe Pho Co

Walk through a clothing store, across a courtyard, and up several flights of stairs for delicious coffee with a side of beautiful views.

See All 87 Things To Do in Vietnam

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Vietnam

Hanoi, Vietnam

Cafe Pho Co

Walk through a clothing store, across a courtyard, and up several flights of stairs for delicious coffee with a side of beautiful views.

Dalat, Vietnam

100 Roofs Cafe

This Vietnamese bar doubles as a multistory labyrinth.

Place setting 55.5, where the two men ate their famous meal in April 2016.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama's Dinner Table

The spot where the two men ate together now stands enclosed in glass.

See all 16 Places to Eat in Vietnam

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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Vietnam

Architecture 9

History & Culture 8

Military 7

Geological Oddities 7

Statues 6

War History 6

Sacred Spaces 6

Buddhism 5

Caves 5

Ecosystems 5

Museums 5

Noodles 5

Temples 5

Vietnam War 5

Geology 5

Street Food 5

Restaurants 4

Subterranean Sites 4

Bridges 4

Colonialism 4

Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

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Stories About Vietnam

Though traditional tāngyuán are plain dumplings, you can also make artful variations.

5 Recipes to Make for Lunar New Year

Welcome the Year of the Dragon with fortune-telling soups, lucky goldfish dumplings, and more.

by Sam O'Brien, Atlas Obscura

February 9, 2024

Along the Vietnamese coast, temples constructed in reverence to whales and other marine mammals—such as this one in Phan Thiet—house valuable information on the country’s little-studied cetaceans.

How Vietnam’s Ancient Whale Temples Are Helping Science

For centuries, hundreds of shrines have preserved crucial information about the marine mammals' diversity and distribution.

by Anne Pinto-Rodrigues, Atlas Obscura

September 19, 2022

An artist’s rendering of the moment an ancient crocodilian really stepped in it.

An Ancient Croc Stepped in Poop and Created a Portal to the Past

Scientists braved rain, mud, and a close encounter at a crocodile farm to learn what fossilized feces reveal about life 33 million years ago.

by Kate Golembiewski, Atlas Obscura

February 28, 2022

A springy bamboo pole helps a villager lighten his load.

How Bamboo Sticks Help Vietnamese Villagers Shoulder Mighty Loads

It's a matter of simple physics.

by Isaac Schultz, Atlas Obscura

January 31, 2020

A strong solar flare from 2012.

The Sun Set Off 4,000 Sea Mines During the Vietnam War

Only now do scientists fully understand just how strong a 1972 solar storm was.

by Sarah Laskow, Atlas Obscura

November 14, 2018

Solid proof the muntjac is still around.

Found: A Rare Tiny Deer in Vietnam

It's called a muntjac, and the last time it appeared was nearly two decades ago.

by Christina Ayele Djossa, Atlas Obscura

This perfect flower was injected right into the jelly.

The Beautiful Cakes Injected Full of Flowers

Watch as jelly masters create 3-D designs with needles and syringes.

by Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura

November 17, 2017

The elfin mountain toad.

Found: Tiny ‘Elfish Eyebrow Toad’

It is very small.

by Sarah Laskow, Atlas Obscura