Haiphong Travel Guide — Best Time, Things to Do & Where to Stay

Why Haiphong

Haiphong is the third-largest city in Vietnam, situated in the country's north-eastern coastal region along the mouth of the Cấm River. Covering a total area of 3,194.72 square kilometers, the municipality borders Quảng Ninh City to the north, Bắc Ninh and Hưng Yên provinces to the west, and the Gulf of Tonkin to the east. Its territory encompasses several offshore landmasses in the gulf, including Cát Bà Island, Bạch Long Vĩ, and the Long Châu islands, as well as coastal tidal flat ecosystems. Within the urban area, the Bính Bridge crosses the river to connect the city center with Thủy Nguyên.

The city has a long historical background, beginning with Lê Chân, a female general who served under the Trưng Sisters and established coastal defenses during the conflict against the Han dynasty in 40 AD. Later, in the nineteenth century, the Hang Kenh Communal House in today's Le Chan District served as an administrative center. Haiphong holds the historical distinction of being the first city in Vietnam and Mainland Southeast Asia to be electrified. During the twentieth century, the city saw military conflict during both the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War, after which it rebuilt its industrial capacity.

Haiphong functions as a major economic, industrial, and commercial center for northern Vietnam. Its industrial sectors encompass heavy and light manufacturing, producing items such as ships, textiles, steel pipes, plastic piping, cement, beer, pharmaceuticals, and software. It is also home to a polyester fiber plant that utilizes petroleum refining by-products. Alongside industrial development, agriculture and fishing remain vital to the local economy. Rice accounts for the majority of cultivated farmland, while aquaculture and marine catches supply a significant portion of local fisheries.

The city operates as an essential transportation node connected by National Routes 5 and 10, as well as an express highway leading to Hanoi. Transport links also include the historic Kunming–Haiphong railway line connecting through to the border region. Maritime trade flows through the Port of Haiphong along the Cấm River, which features the central Hoang Dieu terminal near the heart of the city alongside downstream docks at Chua Ve and Dinh Vu.

Haiphong features a humid subtropical climate characterized by hot, humid summers and warm, dry winters. Approximately ninety percent of the city's annual precipitation falls during the wet season from April through October. Temperatures drop to their lowest levels in January and February, when daily highs average around 20 °C (68 °F), while peak summer conditions in June and July bring average highs of approximately 33 °C (91.4 °F).