🤐 SPOILER ALERT 🤐

A Tourist’s Guide to Love protagonist Amanda Riley (Rachael Leigh Cook) isn’t exactly spontaneous: She’s the type to go for a manicure and emerge with the same color she came in with. But when an unexpected breakup pushes the travel executive into a group tour in Vietnam, Amanda finds that throwing out the rule book — and her doorstopper itinerary —  is a lot more fun than she thought. Especially when she meets Sinh (Scott Ly), her guide on this unforeseen adventure… and an absolute hunk. 

Likewise, the film, directed by Steven Tsuchida and written by Eirene Tran Donohue, seeks to push viewers off the beaten path and show a side of Vietnam that Hollywood rarely portrays. “There are almost no American movies that I can think of set in Vietnam that aren’t about the trauma of war,” Donohue, who based the script on her own life-changing trip to Vietnam, previously told Tudum. “It was really important to me to tell a story about life there now, one that was full of joy and love and celebration.”

Watch the first six minutes of the movie right here:

The First 5 Minutes of A Tourist’s Guide to Love

A Tourist’s Guide to Love certainly celebrates the country, showcasing multiple cities and landscapes as Amanda and her new friends discover the wonders of Vietnam. Off-screen, the cast and crew also experienced the trip of a lifetime — and made history as the first film to be shot in Vietnam post-pandemic and also the first film to be almost entirely shot in Vietnam. 

“As someone who had never been to Vietnam before this production, my fervent hope is that it’s worth the watch just to get a sense of this incredible country,” Cook tells Tudum. “We filmed in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Da Nang, Ha Giang and Hanoi, all of which are wildly different places in look, history and energy, so our goal, that I feel like our director Steven Tsuchida accomplished, is that you feel like you had a seat on the bus with us.”

Can’t get away right now? Sightsee your way through the most memorable Vietnam locations in A Tourist’s Guide to Love below. No passport needed. 

Ho Chi Minh City

Formerly known as Saigon, this is the largest city in Vietnam, and where Amanda lands to start her journey. It’s also home to the world-famous Ben Thanh Market, where Sinh schools Amanda on proper negotiation etiquette when she tries to purchase a silk scarf. 

Hoi An

This historic city located on Vietnam’s central coast features lovely canals, which you can spot when Sinh and Amanda stop to make a wish during an evening stroll after a day spent discovering Hoi An’s Ancient Town. The group also pays a visit to Fujian Assembly Hall, where they witness a jaw-dropping rehearsal for a lion dance to be performed for Tet.

Da Nang

After a busy stay in Hoi An, Amanda and the crew get some well-deserved lounge chair time in this coastal city, which is known for its sandy beaches. Not every visitor can expect to get a good long look at Sinh’s abs as he emerges from the water in slow motion, but for Amanda, it’s a definite bonus. The My Son Sanctuary, where Sinh takes the gang (instead of bringing them to see the famed, but tourist-mobbed Golden Hand Bridge), is about an hour away.

Ha Giang

This province on the banks of the Lo River in the north region of Vietnam served as the location for Sinh and Ahn’s (Quinn Trúc Trần) home village, where the group finally celebrates Tet as guests of their grandmother, played by Nsưt Lê Thiện. 

Hanoi

The adventure finally comes to an end in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, known for its centuries-old architecture and a melting pot of Southeast Asian, Chinese and French influences. This is where Amanda’s ex surprises her by joining the tour unexpectedly in an effort to win her back, making for a very awkward trip to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater as she and Sinh fight to keep things civil. Eventually, Amanda realizes that she doesn’t want her old life back — but Sinh has already checked out of the hotel. In a final grand romantic gesture, she races to catch him before his bus leaves from the Hanoi Opera House, and faces her biggest Vietnam fear: crossing a very busy intersection with no traffic lights. Now that’s love.

Watch the trailer for A Tourist’s Guide to Love below:

A Tourist's Guide to Love TrailerGetting lost is the only way to find yourself.