Top 10 Villages in Vietnam You Must Visit to Learn About Local Culture

You may know Vietnam through the images of hustle and bustle cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Hue, Hoi An, Da Nang... However, it will be a big mistake if you think it is all about Vietnam. This Southeast Asian country is much more than that. In spite of being blessed with breathtaking landscapes of pristine mountains and beaches, the most attractive thing in Vietnam is its longstanding tradition as well as the images of idyllic villages with lush rice paddle fields. In this article, we will bring you the 10 Best Villages in Vietnam to help you learn more about the amazing traditional culture of this country.

1. Cua Van Village

It is not an accident that Cua Van village in North Vietnam is on the top villages to visit in Vietnam. Located in a unique position in the Gulf of Tokin, this is currently inhabited by 176 households, with over 750 people who live on fishing. It is also the largest village in the community of fishing villages in Halong Bay as well as one of the most attractive destinations in the World Heritage Site.

Coming to Cua Van floating village, you can not only immerse yourself in the peaceful ambiance, the stunning natural scenery but also have a chance to learn more about the daily life of fishermen in Halong Bay. The beauty of the boats, bamboo ladles parked in front of the house, the rafters tied together against storms, the smile of hospitable locals… all the pristine features of Cua Van fishing village will definitely give you a life-time experience.

2. Cat Cat Village

Once visit Sapa, you don't want to miss the opportunity to admire the beautiful Cat Cat Village. It is one of the most famous mountain villages in Vietnam which is situated about two kilometers from Sapa Town, on the spectacular valley of Muong Hoa.

Cat Cat ethnic village is surely a perfect destination for your trip. Besides possessing the picturesque sceneries of rice paddies, waterfall, this remote village is also home to some ethnic groups, especially Black H’Mong. They preserve many traditional crafts such as planting cotton, linen, weaving and gold and silver jewelry making. Moreover, this place still retains many unique customs that other regions do not have, or no longer exist.

3. Duong Lam Village, Hanoi

Located more than 50km from Hanoi in Duong Lam commune, Son Tay Town, Duong Lam Village is the first ancient village in Vietnam. With basic features of a traditional village in the Red River Delta such as trees, courtyard, temples, well, rice fields... it can be said that Duong Lam ancient village can compare to Hoi An and Hanoi Old Quarter in terms of scale and artistic value, making it a tourist highlight of Hanoi.

In addition, Duong Lam old village is also a land of "masterpieces of spirituality", the birthplace of two popular Vietnamese King Phung Hung and Ngo Quyen, who led resistance wars against northern invasion and won national independence. Therefore, it is also associated with many legendary stories as well as a lot of tangible and intangible cultural relics in the region.

4. Bat Trang Village, Hanoi

Another option for your trip to northern Vietnam is Bat Trang Pottery Village. Well-known for its long-standing history from the 17th century, this traditional handicraft village specializes in producing ceramics with many different functions such as household appliances, worshiping items, fine-art ceramic products, etc. With the secret technique passed through generations, the products have their own distinctive features and have been exported to many places in the world.

Visiting Bat Trang, you will have an opportunity to walk around the village, stop by the famous Bat Trang market as well as learn to make ceramics with locals. Though the village is located outside Hanoi, don't worry if you don't know how to get to Bat Trang Ceramic Village. You can easily reach it by bus, motorbike or other vehicles. Here is Bat Trang village map for you.

5. Tho Ha Village, Bac Giang

Tho Ha village in Bac Giang province is the next interesting destination on our today list. The village allures many domestic and foreign tourists with its traditional Vietnamese architectural complex imprinted with the culture of the Red River Delta. Moreover, Tho Ha village houses are the only of its kind in Vietnam with no gardens.

Discover Tho Ha means you are exploring a village that has a tradition of making rice paper, rice noodles. Tho Ha rice paper and noodles have a unique fragrant, white color, chewy. Therefore, they are very popular and are exported to other countries in the region. Apart from that, similar to Bat Trang, this place is also the cradle of ceramics, one of the oldest ceramics centers of the Vietnamese dating back from the 12th century.

6. Cam Thanh Village, Hoi An

Continue the list of the best villages in Vietnam is a village of central country - Cam Thanh village. Situated about 5km from the ancient town of Hoi An to the east, the village is isolated like a small peninsula, hidden in the immense green of Bay Mau coconut forest.

Entering Cam Thanh coconut village, you will be amazed at the beauty of rustic landscapes, basket boat floating on the river and coconut leaves stretched along the road like rugs in the afternoon. Plus, you can also have a great chance to understand more about the traditional handicraft of this village - the cottage roofing sheet making, which was formed more than 200 years ago.

7. Sinh Village, Hue

If Dong Ho and Hang Trong are the most famous traditional painting-producing villages in the North, Sinh village is the place that makes the distinctive features for the sunny and windy Central region. Located about 10km from the center of Hue City, Sinh village, also known as Lai An village, is the next village you don't want to miss when traveling in Vietnam.

Besides the village wrestling festival, paintings of Sinh village contain the beauty of ancient village culture as well as the unique characteristics of poetic Hue. Moreover, Sinh village paintings also contribute to the diversity and richness of the folk painting line in Vietnam. Sinh craft village has become a renowned tourist destination in Hue attracts a lot of tourists to visit and learn about folklore.

8. Cu Lao Gieng Village, An Giang

Referring to Cu Lao Gieng Island, you may hear about many historical attractions with ancient architecture such as Cu Lao Gieng Church, Thanh Hoa Tu (Dao Nam temple). However, few people know that there is also a special handicraft village on this island - Cu Lao Gieng, a village on the bank of Mekong River specializing in boat-making gone through more than 100 years of ups and downs.

In recent years, the ecotourism routes combined with craft villages have been expanded to the islet in An Giang province. Therefore, boat-making craft villages have become a new destination for domestic and foreign tourists on Vietnam to Cambodia river cruises to visit and explore. Apart from enjoying the making process of dinghy and sampan, you can also buy mini boats as souvenirs when visiting Cu Lao Gieng Village.

9. Sa Dec Flower Village, Dong Thap

If you are flower-lovers, Sa Dec flower village is definitely what you are looking for. Situated in Sa Dec about 150 kilometers from HCM City in Tan Qui Dong Commune, Dong Thap province, the village is one of the biggest flower suppliers of South Vietnam with 500ha of acreage and is home to 2,300 households specialized in growing flowers and bonsai.

Coming to Sa Dec flower gardens, you will have a feeling like you are walking in the wonderland of colors and aromas. There are hundreds of flowers, plants, and herbs from simple trees to priceless bonsai with beautiful and uncanny forms. You can visit Sa Dec flower village at any time of the year, especially during Tết (Lunar New Year).

>> Book our Jahan Cruise now to discover Sa Dec and various tranquil sites in Mekong Delta in comfort and luxury <<

10. Chau Giang Village, An Giang

Last but not least is Chau Giang village. Positioned at Phum Xoai hamlet, Chau Phong commune, Tan Chau District, An Giang province, this is an ancient village which still preserves and develops Cham cultural beauty with brocade weaving.

Visit Chau Giang village, you can not only witness the quintessential combination of traditional and modern beauty but also experience the friendly, intimate ambiance, as well as the ordinary and simple life of the locals. They create many unique, fancy, but extremely beautiful products such as sarongs, scarves, hats, coats or more sophisticated than bags, purses, sandals... This is indeed a very good opportunity for those who searching for shopping spots in Mekong Delta and exquisite crafts.

Top Mekong Cruises hopes that you have already got some ideas of the best villages in Vietnam to visit to gain more unique experiences in Vietnam. If you are interested in luxury cruises on Mekong River, please feel free to see our big collection of them on our website! And Please don't hesitate to contact us for any of your questions, considerations, we love to here from you!