Traveling across Vietnam in all four seasons is a joy.
Returning from her trip to Mong Cai (Quang Ninh) at the end of March, Ms. Thuy Hang (from Son Tay, Hanoi ) is still overwhelmed with emotion as she recalls her experience on the highway dubbed the most beautiful coastal road in Vietnam. Enthusiastically recounting the feeling of spaciousness as the car glided smoothly along the four lanes of the highway, with majestic mountains on one side and the sparkling waters of Bai Tu Long Bay on the other, Ms. Hang never imagined that her journey to the border region would be so enjoyable.
I remember more than 20 years ago, when my family first went to Mong Cai, we spent nearly 7 hours struggling on the old National Highway 18, with its narrow, crowded, and dusty sections. But now, the entire stretch of road from Hanoi to Hai Phong , then to Quang Ninh and all the way to Mong Cai, is a highway, beautiful, and cars speed along smoothly.
Highways reaching all regions contribute to promoting tourism development.
Photo: Independence
"Most of the highway passes through fields, so the air is incredibly fresh. Especially the Van Don - Mong Cai section, the scenery on both sides is breathtaking. Magnificent sea bridges like the Van Tien Bridge open up endless views, making you feel like you're flying between clouds and waves. It only takes about 3.5 hours to travel, and the international border crossing appears before your eyes. Who would have thought that going to Mong Cai could be so quick and beautiful? Last year, my family and some friends went to Hue, and it was the same. The coastal highway in Central Vietnam was mesmerizing. We kept stopping to take pictures and videos. Driving yourself is great; you can rest whenever you're tired, and you can stop immediately to capture any scene you like," Thuy Hang recounted.
That was also the sentiment of Ms. Minh Anh during the 2026 Lunar New Year when her family drove to Ha Giang (now Tuyen Quang) for a spring trip. Known for its challenging roads, Ha Giang makes many people hesitant due to its treacherous terrain. Ms. Minh Anh admitted that she used to worry when thinking about the hairpin bends and winding mountain roads. But her experience showed that the infrastructure has improved dramatically. The roads to the "four great mountain passes" or Ma Pi Leng are now much more beautiful and safer.
According to Ms. Minh Anh, the biggest advantage of driving your own car for travel is the independence. No more rushing to arrange work schedules to get to the airport on time, worrying about finding cheap tickets, or dealing with sudden schedule changes. With a car, you can travel at your leisure whenever you want. The support of technology, with online booking apps, makes independent travel easier than ever. Even without booking in advance, you can browse online to book accommodations while you're on the go, or you can choose to stay wherever is convenient and appealing.
Spectacular scenery along the Van Don - Mong Cai highway
PHOTO: NH
"During Tet (Lunar New Year), my family planned to go to Ha Giang on the morning of the second day and return on the fifth, but my husband's workplace announced that he had to be back at the unit on the fifth day, so we changed our plan to go on the afternoon of the first day and return on the fourth. This holiday is the same; we haven't decided where to go yet because it depends on my husband's work schedule, but we're thinking of going to Ninh Binh if we have time. With our own car, the highway is beautiful and fast, and we can proactively plan our trip, avoiding peak hours to avoid the crowds. That's the most convenient thing about traveling by car – it's completely independent. Once in the car, we can just chat, enjoy the scenery, and not worry about anything. Besides, plane tickets are getting more expensive, and hunting for tickets during holidays like this is exhausting. Actually, since the highway opened, my family has traveled much more often; before, we had to carefully plan every trip," Ms. Minh Anh added.
For professional drivers like Thanh An (Hanoi), the road is not just a livelihood but also a vivid portrayal of the country's transformation. After years of enduring harsh conditions on isolated roads, witnessing the gradual completion of the highway network from North to South, he decided to embark on a different journey this holiday: taking his wife and children across Vietnam on the very roads where he knows every signpost by heart.
One of the routes that Thanh An was most eager to show off to his wife and children was the Van Ninh - Cam Lo expressway , which he considered the "smoothest" stretch in Central Vietnam. Unlike the harsh, dry weather often seen in Quang Tri, this section of the expressway crosses areas around reservoirs for hydroelectric power plants, creating a lush green landscape. Aerial drone shots show the "asphalt" of the expressway winding through the calm water, where mounds of earth rise like isolated islands amidst the vast forest. This is where he and his group of driver friends have often stopped briefly to serve customers taking photos, and each time he secretly wished he could take a commemorative photo shoot for his wife amidst this magnificent natural scenery.
"Driving across Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City has been a dream my wife and I have cherished since we were young. The more we travel and see the highways being extended, the more I believe this dream will soon become a reality. Now that our children are grown and the North-South expressway is almost complete, there's no reason to delay any longer. This trip will definitely be a once-in-a-lifetime journey for me," when these heartfelt words from Mr. Thanh An appeared in Thanh Nien newspaper, perhaps his family had already stopped somewhere in Ha Tinh, enjoying the stunning scenery along the way.
Highways connect journeys to all parts of the country.
Having just taken his parents on a 14-day cross-Vietnam trip, Mr. Pham Van Nam, a resident of Hanoi, excitedly shared his achievement: "Having expressways is great! I traveled with two elderly people, and everyone was perfectly fine. Experiencing a tour of Vietnam is no longer out of reach."
Mr. Nam traveled from Hanoi to Hai Phong to pick up his parents a day in advance, then set off at 7:30 AM the next day, beginning his 500 km highway journey. He arrived in Dong Hoi (Quang Tri) around 4:30 PM. From the second day onwards, he and his parents averaged 300-400 km per day, stopping at all the famous tourist destinations such as Hoi An, Quy Nhon, Phu Yen, Nha Trang, Binh Lap, Vinh Hy, Ca Na, Mui Ne, and by the fifth day, they had arrived in Ho Chi Minh City. From Ho Chi Minh City, his family continued on to the Mekong Delta and all the way to Ca Mau, before returning to Ho Chi Minh City.
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Coastal highways have become a wonderland destination for travel enthusiasts.
PHOTO: POT
"Because my parents are elderly, when we reached our final destination, I booked their flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hai Phong; I drove alone from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, taking only 3 leisurely days to visit various places. The journey lasted 14 days and covered nearly 5,000 km. There were times when gasoline prices peaked at 34,000 VND/liter, which was painful, but for me, it was the most beautiful and happiest journey. I was able to take my parents to every corner of the country!" said Nam, his eyes filled with happiness.
Spectacular scenery along the Van Don - Mong Cai highway
PHOTO: NH
While northern "travel enthusiasts" had already experienced the breathtakingly beautiful highways nearly a decade ago, in recent years, new highways have extended deep into the southwestern provinces, bringing entirely new experiences to people in the South. The distance between regions has narrowed, making road trips and visits home much easier.
Speaking to Thanh Nien newspaper , Ms. Truong Thi Ha Huyen, 36 years old, residing in Cat Lai Ward (Ho Chi Minh City), said: during the April 30th holiday, her family, consisting of her husband and young daughter, will drive to Kien Giang (now An Giang) to visit her parents, and then take a ferry to Phu Quoc Island for a vacation. "Before the expressway was built, the journey from Ho Chi Minh City to Kien Giang could take up to 8 hours, not including traffic jams. But with the expressway now fully operational, the travel time is only about 4-5 hours. The roads are clear and the journey is faster, so my family can combine vacations with visiting my parents several times a year, instead of only being able to visit once a year during Tet (Lunar New Year) as before," she said.
Mr. Minh Duc, Ms. Huyen's husband, excitedly added: "Both of us have driver's licenses, so we can take turns driving. From Ho Chi Minh City to Kien Giang, our family chose the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway, then the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong and Trung Luong - My Thuan expressways, to Can Tho, and then continued on the Lo Te - Rach Gia expressway to get home. Previously, to get onto the Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong expressway, I had to go through the Nguyen Van Linh road with many intersections and quite congested traffic. Now, I bypass it by going via Nguyen Huu Tho road and the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway, which is less busy and doesn't have to go through the city center, saving me more than an hour of travel time," he said.
Drive a scenic road trip to enjoy dreamlike moments.
PHOTO: POT
Traveling to the Mekong Delta during this holiday, Mr. Ly Ngoc Tuyen, residing in Tan Vinh Loc commune (Ho Chi Minh City), was excited to visit Con Dao for the first time without having to book plane tickets months in advance. This time, he will "jump straight to the island from the highway" via the route to Soc Trang (formerly part of Can Tho City) and depart from Tran De port. "Flight tickets to Con Dao are always scarce and expensive, and while there are many ferry routes, the journey is quite long, and many people get seasick. This time, I chose the highway route to Soc Trang, which takes about 4 hours, and then another 2.5 hours by ferry to Con Dao. This route saves a lot of time compared to going from other ports, and the time spent on the ferry is much shorter," Mr. Tuyen shared his experience.
From North to South, up the mountains to the sea, all the way to the islands…; highways are reaching every region, connecting unique and meaningful journeys of experience.
Redraw the tourist map.
In fact, wherever expressways connect, tourism flourishes. The most popular tourist destinations from Ho Chi Minh City during long holidays remain Da Lat and Nha Trang. Since the expressways were put into operation, the number of self-driving cars for holiday trips has increased dramatically. For example, during the recent Lunar New Year, Lam Dong province welcomed nearly 1 million visitors, generating an estimated revenue of 2,000 billion VND, the highest in the past 6 years.
The trend of self-driving tours is becoming increasingly popular thanks to the improved highway network.
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Ms. Dịu Hoàng, originally from Da Lat but living in Ho Chi Minh City, shared: "I frequently return home to Da Lat and have noticed a significant increase in traffic, especially recently as self-driving travel has become much more convenient. Previously, the Ho Chi Minh City - Da Lat route mainly used National Highway 20, but now most people use the Dau Giay - Phan Thiet expressway, and then can choose many branch roads to reach Da Lat in just 4 hours. This shorter travel time has made the trend of using family cars and self-driving vehicles for travel increasingly popular."
Hai Van Pass is touted as a short but extremely popular route for adventurous travelers, connecting Da Nang City and Hue. The pass winds through majestic mountain ranges with views of the East Sea. Fog often adds to the mystical beauty of the landscape. Many tourists combine the pass with stops in Hoi An and the beaches, with the total route being approximately 150 km, making it a perfect day trip.
Travel and Tour World travel information website
Mr. Luu Hoang Tuan, 45 years old, recently had a self-driving trip from Ho Chi Minh City to O Loan Lagoon (formerly Phu Yen, now Dak Lak) and was very impressed with the modern and well-developed infrastructure. "During this trip, I was very impressed with the road from Nha Trang to Phu Yen. Driving by car, you can admire Dai Lan beach from above, the rice fields, and flocks of birds. Experiencing the Deo Ca tunnel, although not the longest tunnel in Vietnam, gave me the feeling that Vietnam's infrastructure is developing very rapidly, like something out of a foreign movie. We traveled from Nha Trang to Phu Yen, checked in at Nghinh Phong Tower, visited Ganh Da Dia, and ate seafood at O Loan Lagoon, returning to Nha Trang in just one day. The number of destinations is shrinking thanks to the highway network," Mr. Tuan said.
Around the world, road tripping is one of the most popular forms of travel, with many amazing adventures taking place on open roads. Countries in Asia and the Americas are among the most popular destinations for road trips, thanks to their picturesque routes and majestic landscapes. Most recently, Vietnam has also appeared on the list of countries with the most beautiful road trip itineraries in the world, as voted by the travel information website Travel and Tour World.
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietravel Corporation, observed that the continuous investment in longitudinal, transverse, expressway, ring road, and bridge routes over the past period has shortened travel time between destinations by about half compared to before, helping tourists access tourism resources more quickly and deeply. The expressway system can be envisioned as the backbone, with branch roads radiating outwards like a fishbone. Wherever these branch roads extend, tourism can develop immediately, highlighting the unique values of each locality in terms of landscape, geography, culture, and lifestyle.
With current visa policies extending the stay for foreign visitors to 45-90 days, coupled with the growing trend of caravan travel and a widespread highway network, Vietnam's tourism industry has the opportunity to develop diverse and attractive new products, creating economic value for many localities.
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky , Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietravel Corporation:
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dat-nuoc-qua-nhung-cung-duong-185260425220758533.htm
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