Pho heaven's sake, explore!

There's more to Vietnam than the Golden Bridge or Ha Long Bay. Discover limestone cliffs, rice terraces, and local foods that haven't made it to the 'gram

- Urvee Modwel

So, you're going to Vietnam. You can't wait to reach Ha Long Bay and post an unsolicited deck pic captioned 'Waited Ha Long time to come here'. There'll be a selfie with the train rushing past. You'll drop pins on all the must-visit cafes. A walk around the French Quarter in Ha Noi is part of the dream.

Dream bigger.

Most visitors to Vietnam follow the same routes.

They start with Ha Noi and head south to Ho Chi Minh City, or journey the other way. They'll throw in Da Nang too; for selfies at the Golden Bridge.

Stray off the path. Outside of the tourist trail is a whole other country. The national carrier, Vietnam Airlines, flies to several smaller domestic destinations, on short flights. Here's what to add to your Vietnam itinerary - if it ever makes it out of the group chat.