Vinh

Vinh is a major city in Central Coast Vietnam.

Understand
Vinh's role as an industrial port city led to heavy destruction by aerial bombing during the Vietnam War. As a result it has remained a drab, rather uninteresting place. However, there are some sights around such as some old citadel gates and a square which can be seen. It also makes for a good pitstop for the train journey between Hue and Hanoi as there is a recreation centre near the train station which provides some leisure activities.

By bus
As the largest city between Hanoi and Hue, it's on the bus route along the coast.

By train


The train line between Vinh and Dong Hoi to the south takes an inland route different from Hwy 1. There is some excellent scenery along the way. If you're travelling along the coast by bus, consider taking a break here and going by train. There are trains daily from Hanoi to Vinh.

Get around


Otherwise, walking, taxi and Grab/Uber are available as always.

See



 * There are three old citadel gates:, and . There are some informational plaques at the gates which are only in Vietnamese. The gates are marked with signs in Chinese (前门, 左门, 右门).







Buy


There are small shops and convenience stores dotted around.


 * Train Station Market

What

 * Chao Luon (the local specialty of eel porridge) may be found at various roadside stalls or small eateries.
 * Banh Muot (rice rolls with fried onion and Vietnamese pate) may be found at roadside stalls.

Where

 * Vinh Recreation Centre has a Breadtalk, King BBQ (Korean BBQ) and Highlands Coffee.

Drink

 * Highlands Coffee at Vinh Recreation Centre

Otherwise, there are numerous coffee and beer shops dotting the city, as with most other cities in Vietnam.

Sleep


There are several Khách Sạn (hotels) near the train station.

Go next

 * Hanoi – The tourist-loaded capital
 * Dong Hoi – A sleepy beach and seaside town on the way to Hue with all the necessary infrastructure; laid back, authentic and genuinely friendly, with at least half a dozen hostels, convenient for accessing Phong Nha Ke Bang national park.

Laos:
 * Phonsavan, Laos – The bus leaves every second day at 06:00 and costs 850,000 dong for foreigners. As of December 2022, visa on arrival is not available and e-visa is not accepted.