Haiphong is Vietnam's third largest city, a port near Hanoi.

Get in

• Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar both service Haiphong from Cat Bi International Airport (HPH).
• Several trains a day run from Long Bien station in Hanoi to the Haiphong train station in the city centre (hard seats only, 38,000 dong).
• Frequent buses run from Lương Yên station in Hanoi (near the old quarter) to Tam Bạc station in the centre of Haiphong (50,000 dong). Another option is to take a bus from Gia Lâm station in the outskirts of Hanoi to either Niệm Nghĩa (3 km from the city centre) or Cầu Rào station (~6 km) in Haiphong (65,000 dong ). Gia Lâm station can be reached from the Old Quarter by Bus 34 (3,000 dong).
• A taxi or private car from Hanoi to Haiphong costs about USD80 one way.
• Boats including fast hydrofoils run from Cat Ba town on the south of Cat Ba Island. Beware of touts trying to scam you on this route for 250,000 dong or more - the main company is Transtour and the price is listed on the website, 200,000 dong . The main ticket area is past the waiting rooms and on the right hand side before the gate to exit onto the wharf.

Get around

• At the port (city centre, Ben Binh St) ferries depart to Cat Ba Island (up to 100,000 dong)
• To visit Đồ Sơn Beach, about 20 km southeast of Haiphong, go to Lạch Tray St and board any bus marked Đồ Sơn (17,000 dong).

See

• Hai Phong City Museum (Bảo tàng Hải Phòng), 11 Đinh Tiên Hoàng Quận Hồng Bàng. Mornings, and afternoons from 14:00. Closed Sa. Open late evening Tu and Su.. 

• Military Zone III Museum (254 Le Duan St, Kien An District) (5 km southwest of town.), ☏ +84 9 3196 9388. 

• Naval Museum, 353 St, Anh Dung Commune, Kien Thuy District, ☏ +84 3 1381 4788. 

Do

• Prostitution. This is the prostitution capital of Vietnam. If you are looking for Thailand style prostitution, this is the place. Prostitution is rather muted in all of Vietnam, except this place. (updated Jul 2015)

Buy

• Shop Cuong Lien, 87 Nguyen Duc Canh St. Shoes - Along Nguyen Duc Canh St which is south of the Ho Tam Bac man-made pond, you will find many shoe stores. This is the best one. It carries many styles of brand name sports and formal shoes. This shop is presentable and clean, compared with the other shoe stores on the same street. 

Eat

• "bánh đa cua"- noodle soup with crab and other traditional Vietnamese ingredients. Delicious. Try it once and you won't forget it!
• "bánh bèo"- a white cake made from rice, filled with meat and eaten with a special sauce
• "bún tôm"- a kind of noodle soup, with shrimp
• "chè bưởi"- sweetened porridge, made of beans, glutinous rice and mostly grapefruit, often with added coconut sauce and dry-salted coconut slices

Drink

• Lipton Iced Tea - a branded Lipton tea bag in a narrow drinking glass filled with drinking water with sugar and ice cubes added. Makes a refreshing alternative to coffee.
• Hai Phong Beer - locally made beer.

• Haiphong Brewery (Hia Phong Local Beer), 16 Lach Tray, Ngo Quyen, Hai Phong, ☏ +84 3 1364 0681. Bia hoi, fresh from the brewery that is directly behind this location. Many beer stands here. Look for the bar to the right of the alley where motor bikes are carrying yellow kegs in and out of the brewery. Decent food in an open kitchen. 10,000 for a tall glass (500 ml), 4,000 dong for a regular. The beer is pleasant with a slightly sweet aftertaste. Way better than Hanoi beer! Arguably best beer in Vietnam. A must-visit if you are in town and thirsty. 4,000 dong. 

Sleep

• Classic Hoa Viet Hotel, 50 Pho Dien Phu, ☏ +84 3 1384 2409. Excellent value hotel set inside a nice colonial building. Rooms are simple but comfortable, air-con, hot showers, fridge, and TV. 250,000+ dong including breakfast. 

• Classic Hoang Long Hotel, 25 Tran Quang Khai St, ☏ +84 3 128 2666. This is an exceptional hotel, in perhaps the tallest building in Haiphong. The bar / restaurant on the 17th floor has panoramic views of the city. USD70-135, but an introductory special slices the prices by 45%. 

Go next

• Do Son (Beach) — about 20-23 km from Haiphong. Do Son is resort frequented by the Vietnamese, but by few Westerners. The beaches are not the greatest as silt affects the quality of the water. A visit to nearby Cat Ba is advisable if you want to swim, as the water quality is much better. Do Son sits along the ocean coast, and is filled with low-end hotels, restaurants, and karaoke bars. It has a reputation as a centre for prostitution. There is a casino (one of very few in Vietnam) at the Do Son Resort Hotel. It's worth visiting for a peaceful day or two away from the bustle of Haiphong.

• Ha Long Bay

• Hanoi — about 100 km from Haiphong, about 2-3 hours.