Vietnam’s Bắc Ninh Sees Tourism Boom In 2025 With Millions Of Visitors And Rich Cultural Offerings

Published on December 4, 2025

The northern province of Bắc Ninh in Vietnam has become one of the major tourism destinations in 2025, receiving nearly 6.3 million visitors by November 20. This is a remarkable increase of 26 percent over the previous year and has already exceeded the annual target by 112.5 percent. Of these visitors, about 355,000 were international, largely from regional neighbours such as China and South Korea, while the rest were domestic tourists, mostly from northern provinces. Total tourism revenue is estimated at VNĐ 5,500 billion (roughly following local currency conventions), marking a 13 per cent increase over the previous year and exceeding the 2025 plan by 5 per cent.

Infrastructure & services: Comfort meets culture

To cater to this influx, Bắc Ninh has significantly scaled up its tourism infrastructure: the province now offers more than 1,000 accommodation options, including five five-star hotels, and has at least 38 recognised provincial-level attractions open to tourists.

Local authorities have also streamlined transport and travel access: better connectivity from the capital via road and rail; flexible weekend free-tour programmes; and a push to modernise the tourism ecosystem, blending heritage and convenience.

Cultural heritage at the heart of the tourist experience

What draws many visitors to Bắc Ninh is not luxury resorts, but living culture, ancient pagodas, folk songs, craft villages, and traditional festivals that offer immersive, authentic Vietnamese experiences.

• The province is famous as the birthplace of Quan Ho, a form of Vietnamese folk duet singing recognised by UNESCO. Tourists, domestic and international alike, encounter it especially during festivals like Lim Festival (held on the 13th day of the 1st lunar month), but increasingly also via curated cultural-tourism events throughout the year.
• Historic and spiritual sites such as Phat Tich Pagoda (built in 1057), Bút Tháp Pagoda (with its elaborate Buddhist statues), Dâu Temple (among the earliest Buddhist centres in Vietnam), and others like Đền Bà Chúa Kho (a folk-religious temple) offer insight into centuries-old traditions and spiritual heritage.
• Visitors can also explore traditional craft villages, for instance, Phu Lang Pottery Village and Đông Hồ Painting Village, where artisans still practise centuries-old techniques. These villages add a hands-on, tangible dimension to travel: tourists often get the chance to try crafting pottery or traditional prints, or bring home handmade souvenirs.

Outreach and modern tourism initiatives

Recognising the appeal of heritage tourism, Bắc Ninh’s tourism authorities have rolled out several forward-looking initiatives.

• A campaign under the name Go to Bac Ninh has been launched to promote the province’s cultural tourism through digital platforms, including curated videos and social-media content that highlight attractions, festivals, craft villages, and hospitality offerings.
• The introduction of weekend free tours, beginning early 2025, allowed visitors to explore multiple sites, temples, craft villages, museums, at no cost for transportation. These tours were designed to make cultural heritage accessible, especially to domestic tourists.
• There is also emphasis on specialised tourism: beyond sightseeing, travel authorities are planning growth in MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) tourism and culinary tourism, acknowledging that many visitors arrive with different expectations beyond visiting pagodas or craft villages.

What this means for travellers

For visitors, foreign or Vietnamese, 2025 is an excellent time to choose Bắc Ninh. The expanded accommodation options improve convenience. The steady calendar of festivals and cultural events ensures there is always something live and local happening. Guided tours (including free weekend ones) lower barriers for first-time travellers. And traditional craft villages offer unique hands-on experiences that few other destinations can match.

For families, culture-lovers and travellers seeking something beyond beaches or urban bustle, Bắc Ninh now offers a compelling blend of tradition, comfort and discovery. The province’s efforts to preserve heritage, temples, festivals, craft villages, while expanding modern infrastructure make it a balanced, welcoming travel destination. Local authorities say they plan to continue scaling up offerings: more large-scale cultural events, deeper regional cooperation, and investment in smart tourism systems are on the agenda.

Looking ahead: Sustainable growth with local flavour

As Bắc Ninh positions itself more prominently on the Vietnamese tourism map, the emphasis seems not only on numbers, but on preserving authenticity. Officials suggest tourism will increasingly go beyond sightseeing, towards cultural immersion, heritage preservation, and sustainable development.

For tourists, this could result in nothing less than richer experiences: More festivals, more interactive local cultural tours, maybe traditional crafts or cooking, or MICE-related events. If you want to enjoy Vietnam outside the usual touristic route, to hear folk songs, explore old pagodas, do pottery with a local artist’s guidance, then 2025 might be the perfect time to visit Bắc Ninh for the first time or to come back and rediscover it.