The Atlas Obscura Guide To Vietnam

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

Updated May 15, 2024

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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.

Golden Bridge.

Hòa Vang, Vietnam

Golden Bridge

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

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.

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.

Entrance

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Suoi Tien Cultural Theme Park

Have fun at the world's first Buddhist waterslide park.

Hương Thủy, Vietnam

The Tomb of Nguyen Emperor Khai Dinh

An extravagant monument to an extravagantly unpopular Emperor.

Dalat, Vietnam

100 Roofs Cafe

This Vietnamese bar doubles as a multistory labyrinth.

See All 72 Things To Do in Vietnam

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Vietnam

Dalat, Vietnam

100 Roofs Cafe

This Vietnamese bar doubles as a multistory labyrinth.

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.

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.

Hội An, Vietnam

Reaching Out Teahouse

Located off a bustling strip, a silent teahouse employs workers with hearing- or speech-related disabilities.

See all 10 Places to Eat in Vietnam

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Flavors of Vietnam: Fish Sauce, Pho & Royal Tea

Eating your way from North to South in Vietnam.

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Explore Vietnam

Architecture 9

History & Culture 7

Military 7

War History 6

Sacred Spaces 6

Ecosystems 5

Museums 5

Statues 5

Geology 5

Vietnam War 5

Street Food 5

Noodles 5

Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

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Recent Vietnam Activity

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has been to The Massive Darahoa Rooster
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has been to The Tomb of Lê Văn Duyệt
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wants to go to Ănăn Saigon
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wants to go to Bún Thang 29 Hàng Hành
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wants to go to Phở Hàng Trống

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

November 17, 2017

The elfin mountain toad.

Found: Tiny ‘Elfish Eyebrow Toad’

It is very small.

by Sarah Laskow

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