In today’s world, social media plays a pivotal role in everyone’s life. Even a vacation somewhere calls for taking pictures worth sharing on your social media handles. Mostly, tourists choose to share their vacation moments on Instagram and for the same reason, nowadays, they align their holidays with destinations that look splendid when captured as a photo or a video. The world is brimming with such places, but Vietnam, a Southeast Asian destination, has popped up as a new favourite among wanderers for being surprisingly picturesque.
For all those who plan a vacation here this year, make a checklist of these attractions below, for these are some of the most photo-worthy places in Vietnam to explore and flaunt on Instagram. Keep your cameras ready, and let’s go!
Golden Bridge, Da Nang (Hands of the Gods)
The first choice for your Instagram post of your Vietnam trip should certainly be a picture of giant stone hands holding a gold-fringed pedestrian bridge. It is the perfect way to pique the curiosity of your followers. Post it on your Instagram feed, and the questions: “Where is this from?” or “Which place is this?”, are definitely going to roll in the comments. This place is known as the Golden Bridge, located in Ba Na Hills Resort in Da Nang, Vietnam.
Try different angles to get the best views captured in your camera. This attraction looks incredible when captured from a bird’s eye view, but in most places, drone photography is prohibited or can only be done after going through a lot of formalities and acquiring special permissions. The simpler way would be to take a panoramic cable car ride at Ba Na Hills Resort, from where you can get special vantage points to click dramatic pictures of this amazing attraction.
Hanoi
The Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, is among the favourite spots for travel vloggers to visit, as this town is steeped in historic, picturesque landmarks. Take, for example, the Old Quarter’s bustling, colourful street markets, teeming with colonial-era architecture. The colour palette and rustic charm will make you want to click macro-photos to capture every detail. In Hanoi, the French Quarter, the magnificent St. John’s Cathedral, and the splendid Hanoi Train Street all act as muses for your camera shots.
One of the popular Hanoi activities to do is to visit the Hanoi Train Street and have a cup of hot coffee in a cafe that’s set edgingly close to the track where a train passes by inches from you, giving a sort of adrenaline thrill along with the caffeine kick. Train Street in Hanoi is also, perhaps, the most Instagrammed place in the city. The cafes and ambience make it an exemplary backdrop for photos. Pose for an iconic picture where you walk along the tracks lined with quaint, colourful Vietnamese coffee shops and small eateries.
Once you have finished visiting Train Street, head back to the city. Between the Old Quarter and the French Quarter, you come across a slice of serenity in the form of the stunning Hoan Kiem Lake, which sits peacefully amid the rushing traffic cacophony. Rest here in the evening to catch a wonderful sunset ‘golden hour’ ambience, apt for those soft-glow snaps.
Hoi An
Hoi An is a coastal town located in eastern Vietnam, popular for its old-world charm and archaic structures. Wander deeper and you will acknowledge it as a postcard-perfect town.
The moment you step into Ancient Town, you find yourself in a frenzy to click everything that catches your eye. Within no time, you will realise that Hoi An is a treasure trove of colourful compositions that would look fabulous on your Instagram feed. From the pastel-coloured shophouses draped in floral creepers to the streets lined with vibrant lanterns and beautiful riverside scenery along the Thu Bon River, each image you click here would be a masterpiece in itself.
Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street and Tran Phu Street, adorned in vibrant rows of silk lanterns, are must-visit spots after sunset to watch them glow, and they would look wonderful in a Bokeh effect. The elements of Hoi An are vibrant and colourful, so make sure you wander around in neutral outfits so that you do not clash harshly with the colour palette in your photos if you are posing in them.
Sapa Rice Terraces
Rice terraces in Asia are somewhat a staple landscape that has to adorn your Instagram feed. Sapa, nestled in Vietnam’s Lao Cai Province, is one of Vietnam’s most beautiful places to visit. The ripple-patterned, emerald wave of rice paddies, manicured centuries ago but nurtured with care today, offers a splendid scenery for landscape photography. These emerald cascades of tiered fields shimmer in shades of green during monsoons and turn golden in harvest season.
Time it perfectly with the pleasant daylight, and you have unearthed gold for your Instagram feed. Early mornings in September are the best time to capture this stellar scenery in the misty morning glow. While you are here, head to Ta Phin Village and Muong Hoa Valley as well for some additional photo opportunities of beautiful hilly views, countryside settings, and crystal-clear lakes.
Ha Long Bay
Most Hanoi tour packages include a day trip to Ha Long Bay, for it is a spot with irresistible scenic charm that no visitor to Vietnam should miss. Post pictures of Ha Long Bay’s jaw-dropping scenery, and sure enough, your feed is going to explode with likes and comments. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is incredibly photogenic and has a spellbinding mix of majestic limestone karsts and emerald waters, the view of which will instantly have you grab your camera for stunning clicks.
Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam is a brilliantly sprawling seascape dotted with over 1600 limestone karsts. Along with bobbing fishing boats, morning mist, and golden sunrays, it becomes a photographer’s dream destination. Take a cruise to meander among the karst landscape to get up-close snaps. For an aerial view, try a short boat ride to Ti Top Island, which offers splendid views of the whole seascape to be captured in your camera from a hilltop ashore.
Thuy Tien Abandoned Waterpark
What do you think usually happens to abandoned theme parks in other countries? In most cases, they are demolished and replaced with something else. But in Vietnam, one water park, though no longer in use, has been kept as a remnant for its beautiful sculptures and installations. The overgrowth of vines and creepers, as time passed, made it look like a forgotten antique from some different era, captivating tourists to come here, hang out, and take photos.
Tucked away on the outskirts of Hue, Thuy Tien Abandoned Waterpark was closed down due to poor reception from visitors in 2024. But it has been luring curious locals, tourists, travel influencers and vloggers since then. This soon turned what was once a fun, splashy attraction into a place to capture mesmerising snapshots. Strike a pose with a time-worn, yet majestic, dragon sculpture that rises from the lake, or the many graffiti-painted walls, to capture a quirky essence of Vietnam. Flanked by a lake, the serene, crystal-clear water adds an alluring charm to the pictures taken here. Get creative with your photographic skills, as this place offers a myriad of spots to capture stellar snapshots.
Marble Mountains, Da Nang
Apart from old colonial towns, rice paddies, and limestone-scattered emerald waters, Vietnam is home to caves and caverns. One of the most fascinating ones to explore is the Marble Mountains, located south of Da Nang City. Here, amid the five incredible limestone and marble hillsides, lies Am Phu Cave, illuminated by natural light filtering through crevices.
The Marble Mountains, or Ngu Hanh Son, sit about 20 minutes from Da Nang City and are not difficult to trek. What makes it a choice for Insta-worthy pictures is the beautiful ambience it creates. For photographers, the mountains offer a striking blend of vistas and textures. From the top of the hills, capture panoramic views of Da Nang below through your lenses. Then, when you visit Am Phu Cave, the verdant hilly ambience takes a contrasting turn to dramatic earthy textures and a play of filtered light through cracks and caverns. These natural spotlights add a certain charisma to the pictures you take, sure enough to get a lot of awe from your followers.
Conclusion
Vietnam, with its chaotic townships, colonial era charm and tranquil natural sceneries, is a perfect destination to snap photos that would elevate your Instagram game to another level. From lantern-lit streets, limestone karsts dotting emerald waters, to something as simple as a bowl of steaming pho against a sunny-yellow cafe, this destination delivers endless opportunities for capturing snapshots that will make your followers eager to visit it next on their holiday. So, if you do want a vacation that also rejuvenates your Instagram handle, Vietnam should be your choice!
