Vietnam itinerary (7, 10 & 14 days)

Vietnam runs more than 1,600 kilometres from top to bottom, which means planning a trip here is really an exercise in choosing a route rather than picking a base. This Vietnam itinerary guide lays out ready-made routes by length — full day-by-day plans for 14, 10 and 7 days — plus a set of regional modules you can slot together to build your own. I’ve travelled this country north to south myself, and the routes below are the versions I’d run again.

Nearly everyone follows the same corridor: Hanoi and the north, down through the central coast around Da Nang and Hoi An, finishing in Ho Chi Minh City. Think of that as the spine. Each duration route is that spine scaled to the time you have, and the modules further down let you go deeper in one region or head off-corridor to the far north, the highlands or the islands.

Jump to your trip length below for a day-by-day plan — but read the three quick questions first, because how long you have, when you go and which direction you travel shape everything that follows.

How Many Days Do You Need in Vietnam?

Two weeks was the number that worked for me. It covered all three regions at a pace that still left room to sit in a cafe for an hour without feeling guilty about it — and that balance is really what you’re solving for when you plan a Vietnam trip itinerary. Here’s how each trip length actually plays out on the ground:

• 5 days in Vietnam: Not a country trip — a region trip. Pick the north or the south and commit to it, because trying to link both in five days means most of your week disappears into transit. It works best when Vietnam is one leg of a longer Southeast Asia route rather than the whole holiday.
  
  
• 7 days in Vietnam: Enough for a genuine taste of all three regions, but only if you fly the long legs and accept losing a stop. You’ll see the headline sights and very little beyond them. Fine for a first look — you’ll just leave with a list of things you want to come back for.
  
  
• 10 days in Vietnam: The point where the country starts to open up. You get the full Hanoi-to-Saigon spine with Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, Da Nang and Hoi An, and one overnight train handles the biggest distance while you sleep. If you only have a week and a half, this is the version to run.
  
  
• 14 days in Vietnam: The one I’d recommend to most first-timers, and the one I travelled myself. Same route as the 10-day, but with the pressure taken off — a beach morning in Hoi An, a slower start in Hanoi, and two deliberate flex days for when a train runs late or the heat wins. Two weeks is where Vietnam stops feeling like a checklist.
  
  
• 21 days in Vietnam: Now you can go off the main corridor. Three weeks gives you the classic route plus the mountains of the far north — Sapa and the Ha Giang Loop — or the cool highlands around Da Lat, or a few slow days on an island at the end. This is the trip people describe as their favourite.

One piece of arithmetic worth doing before you commit to a number: your first and last days are rarely full days. Between a late arrival, an airport transfer and an early check-out at the end, a “10-day trip” usually gives you about eight days of actual travelling. I’d count on that when you’re deciding what fits.

And whatever length you pick, build in more slack than feels necessary. Vietnam is longer than it looks on a map, the heat is genuinely tiring, and a day that reads beautifully on a spreadsheet can unravel when a transfer overruns. On my own trip, the two lightest days ended up being the ones I’d least want to give back.

Best Time to Visit Vietnam

There’s no single best time to visit Vietnam, because the country is long enough to span three distinct climate zones — when the north is cool and misty, the south is warm and dry, and vice versa. That matters for a route like this one: you’re moving through all three, so the “best” month depends on where you’ll spend most of your time.

Region	Best Months	What to Avoid
North (Hanoi, Sapa, Ninh Binh)	Mar–Apr & Sep–Nov — mild and dry	Dec–Feb can be cold and grey, especially in the mountains
Central (Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue)	Feb–Aug — dry, with beach season May–Aug	Sep–Dec brings heavy rain and flood risk, worst Oct–Nov
South (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong)	Nov–Apr — dry season, best Dec–Jan	May–Oct is the wet season with afternoon downpours

If you want one window that works reasonably well nationwide, aim for spring — roughly February to April gives you the widest stretch of dry weather across all three regions, which is why it’s the most popular time to travel the full country. I went at the tail end of November and got away with it, but I’d have taken warmer, drier days in the centre given the choice.

North to South, or South to North?

I travelled north to south — starting in Hanoi, finishing in Ho Chi Minh City — and it’s the direction I’d recommend. You begin cool and calm in the north, work down through the heritage coast, and end on the high-energy note of Saigon, following the line of the old reunification railway the whole way. Because Vietnam is long and thin, committing to one direction means you never double back.

In practice, though, the deciding factor is usually your flights. Land wherever the fare is cheapest and start there — and look specifically for an open-jaw ticket, flying into one end of the country and out of the other. It costs surprisingly little more than a return and saves you an entire day of backtracking. If your cheap flight lands you in the south, simply run any of the routes below in reverse; they’re written north to south but work just as well read from the bottom up.

Vietnam Itinerary: 14 Days (2 Weeks) — The Classic North-to-South Route

This is the exact route I followed on my own first trip through Vietnam — a fortnight running the length of the country from Hanoi down to Ho Chi Minh City. It’s the classic reunification route, and for a first visit it’s hard to beat: two weeks is just enough to link the mountainous north, the heritage-rich centre and the buzzing south without either rushing every stop or leaving Vietnam feeling like a blur.

If you take only one thing from this guide, make it this route. Everything else on the page is either a compressed version of it or a way to extend it.

Day	Destination	Highlights
1-2	Hanoi	Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, Train Street
3	Halong Bay	Day cruise among the limestone karsts, kayaking, cave stop
4-5	Ninh Binh	Trang An boat tour, Hang Mua, Tam Coc, Hoa Lu, Bich Dong Pagoda
6-7	Da Nang	My Khe Beach, Linh Ung Pagoda, Dragon Bridge, Ba Na Hills, Golden Bridge
8-9	Hoi An	Ancient Town, Japanese Covered Bridge, Marble Mountains, An Bang Beach
10-13	Ho Chi Minh City	War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace, Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong Delta, Ben Thanh Market
14	Departure	Fly out from Tan Son Nhat Airport

Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi

Travel time: Noi Bai Airport to the Old Quarter — around 45 minutes by car, or an hour by airport bus.

Morning: Land, clear immigration and transfer into the Old Quarter — this is where you want to base yourself, right in the tangle of the 36 old streets. Drop your bags, then ease into Vietnam gently with a slow loop of Hoan Kiem Lake, crossing the red Huc Bridge to the island shrine of Ngoc Son Temple. Mark the moment with your first proper bowl of pho.

Afternoon: Wander to St Joseph Cathedral, duck into a cafe for a cup of Hanoi’s famous egg coffee, and then simply get lost in the Old Quarter — each street was historically named for the trade it sold, and half the fun is stumbling on them.

Evening: Head to Hanoi Train Street for the atmosphere (stick to the cafe side rules and the posted train times), then settle in for dinner and a glass or two of bia hoi on the plastic stools of Ta Hien.

Insider’s tip: Don’t plan anything ambitious for this day. I arrived convinced I’d fit in a museum and lasted about two hours before the jet lag and the traffic noise won. A lake walk, a bowl of pho and an early night is genuinely the right call.

For where to bed down, browse our best hostels in hanoi guide, or compare hotel prices directly on Booking.com.

Day 2: Hanoi’s Big Sights

Morning: Start early at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex — the Mausoleum, the One Pillar Pagoda and the Presidential Palace grounds sit together, so you can see them in one go. From there it’s a short hop to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, the old seat of Vietnamese power.

Afternoon: Visit the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university and one of the most photogenic spots in the city, then the sobering Hoa Lo Prison.

Evening: Catch the sunset at Tran Quoc Pagoda on the causeway over West Lake, then round off the day with dinner and a traditional water puppet show near Hoan Kiem.

Insider’s tip: The Mausoleum is a morning-only affair and closes on certain weekdays, so check before you set out — I very nearly turned up on a closed day. Worth knowing too that the Vietnam Military History Museum moved in late 2024 to a large new site in Nam Tu Liem District, about 14 km west of the centre. It’s excellent, but it’s now a dedicated half-day trip rather than a quick stop.

For the full rundown of what to see in the capital, our places to visit in hanoi guide covers it, and the hanoi travel guide handles the practical side.

Day 3: Halong Bay Day Cruise

Travel time: Hanoi to the coast — roughly 2.5 hours each way by shuttle, usually with a pickup around 8 am.

Morning: Early pickup for the transfer out to the coast. If you’d rather trade the crowds for calmer water, ask for a Lan Ha Bay cruise instead — it’s the quieter neighbour of Halong proper and just as dramatic. Board your boat and push out among the limestone karsts.

Afternoon: Cruise the emerald water, kayak or bamboo-boat through a lagoon, stop at a cave, and take a seafood lunch on deck as the karst towers drift past. It’s touristy, yes, but it earns its reputation.

Evening: Transfer back to Hanoi for a final night in the Old Quarter.

Insider’s tip: If you can spare the night, swap this day trip for a one-night cruise. The day boats all turn for home in the late afternoon, and the bay only really quietens once they’ve gone — that’s the bit I wish I’d stayed for.

One Thing Worth Pre-Booking

Best to pre-book: your Halong Bay cruise. Almost everything in Vietnam can be arranged a day or two ahead once you’re there, and I’d encourage you to keep it that way — it’s cheaper and it keeps your route flexible. Halong Bay is the exception, for two reasons. You can’t visit it independently unless you happen to have a boat, so you’re buying someone’s tour whatever you do. And the quality gap between operators is enormous: the same stretch of water can mean a cramped cabin and a hard sell on extras, or a genuinely wonderful night moored among the karsts. It’s the one booking where reading reviews in advance materially changes your trip, so reserve a well-rated cruise before you fly.

Everything else — trains, buses, day tours, rooms — you can sort as you go.

Day 4: Hanoi to Ninh Binh

Travel time: Hanoi to Ninh Binh — 1.5 to 2 hours by limousine van or bus.

Morning: Check out and head south. Base yourself near Tam Coc, drop your bags and hire a bicycle, which is far and away the best way to explore the flat, paddy-lined lanes here.

Afternoon: Do the Trang An boat tour — the signature Ninh Binh experience, a two-hour row through flooded caves past riverside temples, all under towering karst. It’s often called “Halong Bay on land”, and it more than lives up to it.

Evening: Climb the roughly 500 steps to Hang Mua for the classic panorama over the Tam Coc river bend at golden hour, then head to the night market for dinner — the local speciality is goat meat, if you’re game.

Insider’s tip: Ninh Binh was the biggest surprise of my two weeks. I’d pencilled it in as a filler stop between Hanoi and the centre and came away thinking it was the most beautiful place I saw in the north. Give it the full two days.

Day 5: Ninh Binh, Then the Night Train South

Travel time: Overnight sleeper train to Da Nang — roughly 14 hours, departing late evening and arriving mid-morning.

Morning: Cycle out to the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Vietnam’s seat of power a thousand years ago, then the tucked-away Bich Dong Pagoda built into the cliff face.

Afternoon: Take the Tam Coc boat ride — the one where the rowers famously use their feet — and, if you’ve the energy, add the vast Bai Dinh Temple complex before you leave.

Evening: Transfer to the station for the overnight sleeper south. Book a soft-sleeper berth: you sleep through most of it and save a night’s accommodation into the bargain — one of the smartest moves on this whole route.

Insider’s tip: Pay the small premium for a four-berth soft sleeper rather than a six-berth hard sleeper. It’s a handful of dollars and the difference between arriving in Da Nang rested and arriving in Da Nang wrecked. Pack a light layer too — the air conditioning is enthusiastic.

For where to stay and the full local low-down, see our Ninh Binh Travel Guide and Best Hostels in Ninh Binh picks.

Day 6: Arrive in Da Nang

Morning: Roll into Da Nang around mid-morning. Check in near My Khe Beach, shake off the train with a swim and a proper coffee, and rent a scooter — Da Nang is made for two wheels.

Afternoon: Ride out along the Son Tra Peninsula to the Lady Buddha at Linh Ung Pagoda — at 67 metres she’s the tallest in the country, with sweeping views back over the coast. Drop into the Museum of Cham Sculpture on the way back for its collection of ancient carving.

Evening: Head to the Dragon Bridge — on Saturday and Sunday nights it breathes actual fire and water at around 9 pm — then eat riverside along the Han.

Insider’s tip: After a night on the train, resist the urge to sightsee immediately. I checked in, swam, ate, and only then started the day properly — and it made the whole central leg better.

For the full picture of the city, our places to visit in da nang list have you covered.

Day 7: Ba Na Hills & the Golden Bridge

Travel time: Da Nang to Ba Na Hills — about 40 minutes each way, plus roughly 20 minutes on the cable car.

Morning: Set aside the full day for Ba Na Hills, up in the mountains west of the city. Ride one of the world’s longest cable cars up to the Golden Bridge — the one held aloft by two giant stone hands — and the surreal French Village at the top.

Afternoon: Explore Fantasy Park, the flower gardens and the viewpoints before taking the cable car back down in the late afternoon. It’s unashamedly a theme-park-in-the-clouds, but the Golden Bridge alone makes it worth the trip.

Evening: Back in Da Nang, unwind on My Khe Beach or take a sunset Han River cruise.

Insider’s tip: Go up on the first cable car of the day. The mountain reliably clouds over by late morning, and the difference between a 7:30 am photo of the Golden Bridge and a midday one is the difference between the shot you came for and a wall of white fog.

Day 8: Hoi An’s Ancient Town

Travel time: Da Nang to Hoi An — about 45 minutes by car or scooter, with the Marble Mountains roughly halfway.

Morning: Make the short drive south, stopping at the Marble Mountains — a cluster of marble-and-limestone hills riddled with caves, pagodas and viewpoints — on the way.

Afternoon: Lose the afternoon to the Ancient Town: the emblematic Japanese Covered Bridge, the old Fujian and Chinese assembly halls, and the tailors’ shops. If you want something made, order it now so it’s ready before you leave. Then paddle out on a Cam Thanh coconut-forest basket boat for something completely different.

Evening: This is Hoi An at its best — the whole Ancient Town glows with silk lanterns after dark. Float a candle-lantern on the Hoai River, browse the night market, and catch the open-air Hoi An Memories Show.

Insider’s tip: The Ancient Town ticket covers entry to a set number of heritage buildings, so buy it once and use the lot rather than paying repeatedly. And go back out after 9 pm — the day-trip coaches have left by then and the lantern-lit streets are a completely different, far calmer place.

Our Hoi An Travel Guide, places to visit in Hoi An list and Best Hostels in Hoi An guide dig into all of it.

Day 9: Beach & Buffer Day

Morning: Slow it right down. Spend the morning on An Bang Beach, or cycle out through the rice paddies ringing Hoi An — this is deliberately your lightest day.

Afternoon: Drift back towards Da Nang. If you skipped anything earlier — the Marble Mountains, say — mop it up now, and swing by the pink-hued Da Nang Cathedral for a photo.

Evening: A final central-Vietnam evening — one more beach sunset, a last seafood dinner, an easy night.

Insider’s tip: This is one of the two flex days I built into my own trip, and I’d defend it hard. If everything has gone to plan, you get a beach morning you’ll remember. If something has slipped, you get the day back. Either way you win.

Day 10: Fly South to Ho Chi Minh City

Travel time: Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City — 1 hour 20 by air, versus 17-plus hours by train. This is the one leg where flying clearly wins.

Morning: Take a morning flight south and check in around District 1 or the Pham Ngu Lao backpacker quarter.

Afternoon: Sort a scooter and some cash, then get your bearings around the French-colonial core — the Saigon Opera House, the grand old boulevards, the Nguyen Hue walking street and the riverfront.

Evening: Dive into Bui Vien Walking Street, the neon-lit heart of Saigon’s backpacker nightlife, and graze the street-food stalls.

Insider’s tip: The jump from Hoi An’s lantern-lit calm to Saigon’s traffic is the biggest jolt of the whole trip. I’d deliberately keep this first evening loose — one street, one dinner, no plans.

To keep flight costs down, it’s worth comparing fares and timings on Aviasales before you book, and our Ho Chi Minh City Travel Guide and Best Hostels in Ho Chi Minh City guide cover where to land.

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City Sights

Morning: Begin with the War Remnants Museum — harrowing but essential for understanding modern Vietnam — followed by the Independence Palace, frozen in its 1970s state.

Afternoon: Walk the colonial core: the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, whose exterior and the Paris Square in front of it are the real draw, and the Gustave Eiffel–designed Saigon Central Post Office beside it. From there, detour to the colourful Mariamman Hindu Temple near Ben Thanh, then out to Cholon — the city’s sprawling Chinatown — for the incense-wreathed Thien Hau Pagoda.

Evening: Take in the skyline from a rooftop bar, then eat your way through a night market.

Insider’s tip: Do the War Remnants Museum first thing, and give it longer than you think. It’s a heavy couple of hours and you won’t want to rush from it straight into something else — I was glad I’d left the rest of the day loose.

For everything worth seeing in the city, our Places to Visit in Ho Chi Minh City has the full list.

Day 12: Cu Chi Tunnels & the Mekong Delta

Travel time: Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi — about 1.5 hours each way; onward to the Mekong around My Tho or Ben Tre, roughly 2 hours. Most combined tours run 7:30 am to 6 pm.

Morning: Head out to the Cu Chi Tunnels, the extraordinary underground network used during the war. Crawling a stretch of the tunnels yourself is claustrophobic and unforgettable in equal measure.

Afternoon: Continue to the Mekong Delta for a sampan glide through narrow coconut-palm channels, a taste of tropical fruit and a river lunch.

Evening: Back in the city, wind down with a night market and a last round of street food. The combined Cu Chi and Mekong day is easiest to arrange as a guided tour through Klook.

Insider’s tip: It’s a long day, so book Cu Chi and the Mekong as one combined tour rather than trying to string them together yourself. And wear something you don’t mind ruining — the tunnels are red dirt from start to finish.

Day 13: Saigon at Your Own Pace

Morning: A gentle last full day. Do your souvenir shopping at Ben Thanh Market, then visit Giac Lam Pagoda, the oldest temple in the city and a peaceful counterpoint to the traffic.

Afternoon: Cafe-hop the quirky Cafe Apartments tower on Nguyen Hue — a whole 1960s block of independent cafés stacked floor on floor — and repack at leisure.

Evening: A farewell dinner and one last Saigon rooftop to toast the trip.

Insider’s tip: This is your second flex day. Mine got swallowed by a very long lunch and an afternoon doing nothing at all, and I’d recommend exactly that.

Day 14: Departure

Travel time: District 1 to Tan Son Nhat Airport — about 30 to 45 minutes, longer in rush hour.

Morning: Squeeze in a final Vietnamese coffee, then transfer to the airport for your flight home. If your departure is early, do the last-minute shopping the night before so the morning stays relaxed.

Insider’s tip: Saigon’s traffic is unforgiving and the airport sits inside the city, which lulls you into leaving late. Give yourself an extra half hour you probably won’t need.

A Note on Those Buffer Days

You’ll have spotted that Days 9 and 13 are deliberately light, and that’s the single best piece of advice I can give you about a two-week Vietnam trip. Things go sideways: a train runs late, an afternoon washes out, or you simply wake up wanting to do nothing but lie on a beach. A fortnight packed with zero slack is a fortnight of low-grade stress. Building in two flex days means the rest of the route holds together even when a day doesn’t — and if everything runs perfectly, you’ve got two easy, unhurried days exactly where you’ll most want them.

Short on time? The 10-day and 7-day routes below run this same north-to-south spine, just compressed. Got longer? Bolt the mountainous far north or the cool Central Highlands onto this route using the regional modules further down — each one slots straight in.

Vietnam Itinerary: 10 Days

Ten days is the shortest window in which I’d still call it a proper Vietnam trip. It takes the same Hanoi-to-Saigon spine as the two-week route above and strips it back to the essentials, trading the beach mornings and buffer days for a tighter, highlight-led pace. You’ll be moving steadily rather than lingering — but you’ll see all three regions and every headline sight.

One overnight train and one internal flight do the heavy lifting on distance, which keeps you off long day-buses and leaves more hours for actually seeing places.

Day	Destination	Highlights
1-2	Hanoi	Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, Train Street
3	Halong Bay	Day cruise among the limestone karsts, kayaking, cave stop
4-5	Ninh Binh	Trang An boat tour, Hang Mua, Tam Coc, Hoa Lu, Bich Dong Pagoda
6-7	Da Nang	My Khe Beach, Marble Mountains, Dragon Bridge, Ba Na Hills, Golden Bridge
8	Hoi An	Ancient Town, Japanese Covered Bridge, Fujian Assembly Hall, night market
9	Ho Chi Minh City	War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace, Ben Thanh Market, Nguyen Hue
10	Departure	Cu Chi Tunnels, then fly out from Tan Son Nhat Airport

Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi

Travel time: Noi Bai Airport to the Old Quarter — around 45 minutes by car, or an hour by airport bus.

Morning: Land, settle into the Old Quarter, and start slowly with a loop of Hoan Kiem Lake, crossing the red Huc Bridge to the island shrine of Ngoc Son Temple.

Afternoon: Wander the Old Quarter’s 36 trading streets on foot, pausing at St Joseph Cathedral and an egg-coffee stop along the way.

Evening: Head to Hanoi Train Street for the atmosphere, then dinner and a bia hoi on Ta Hien.

Insider’s tip: On a ten-day trip the temptation is to hit the ground running. Don’t. I’d still keep this first day to a lake walk and an early night — the pace picks up sharply from tomorrow and you’ll want the sleep.

Our Hanoi Travel Guide has the full practical rundown for the capital.

Day 2: Hanoi’s Landmarks

Morning: Start early at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, taking in the One Pillar Pagoda beside it, then walk over to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.

Afternoon: Visit the Temple of Literature — Vietnam’s thousand-year-old first university — followed by the sobering Hoa Lo Prison.

Evening: Catch a traditional water puppet show near Hoan Kiem Lake, then dinner in the Old Quarter.

Insider’s tip: The Mausoleum opens mornings only and shuts on certain weekdays, so check the day before. With only ten days you can’t afford to lose a morning to a closed gate.

There’s far more detail in our Places to Visit in Hanoi, and the Best Hostels in Hanoi covers where to base yourself.

Day 3: Halong Bay Day Cruise

Travel time: Hanoi to the coast — roughly 2.5 hours each way by shuttle, with an early morning pickup.

Morning: Transfer out to the coast and onto a cruise boat, pushing out among Halong Bay’s limestone karsts (ask for a Lan Ha Bay route if you’d prefer fewer crowds).

Afternoon: Cruise the emerald water with a cave stop, a kayak or bamboo-boat paddle, and a seafood lunch on deck.

Evening: Transfer back to Hanoi for a final night in the Old Quarter. It’s easiest to lock in your cruise ahead of time through Klook.

Insider’s tip: This is a long day for what amounts to five or six hours on the water. If that ratio bothers you, swap it for a Ninh Binh day trip instead and give yourself two easier days in the north — plenty of people prefer the karsts on land.

Day 4: South to Ninh Binh

Travel time: Hanoi to Ninh Binh — 1.5 to 2 hours by limousine van or bus.

Morning: Head south, base yourself near Tam Coc, and hire a bicycle for the flat, paddy-lined lanes.

Afternoon: Do the Trang An boat tour — the UNESCO-listed sampan route through flooded caves and past cliff-side temples that earns Ninh Binh its “Halong Bay on land” tag.

Evening: Climb the roughly 500 steps up Hang Mua for the classic panorama over the Tam Coc valley at golden hour, then eat at the night market.

Insider’s tip: Hire the bike rather than joining a tour. Ninh Binh’s sights are spread across flat, quiet lanes between rice fields, and pedalling between them was one of my favourite half-days in the whole country.

See our Places to Visit in Ninh Binh for the wider picture, and Best Hostels in Ninh Binh for where to sleep.

Day 5: Ninh Binh, Then the Night Train

Travel time: Overnight sleeper train to Da Nang — roughly 14 hours, departing late evening and arriving mid-morning.

Morning: Cycle out to the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital — Vietnam’s seat of power a thousand years ago — and the cliff-set Bich Dong Pagoda.

Afternoon: Take the Tam Coc boat ride, the gentler cousin of Trang An, where the rowers famously use their feet.

Evening: Transfer to the station for the overnight sleeper to Da Nang. Book a soft-sleeper berth and you’ll wake up in central Vietnam having saved a night’s accommodation.

Insider’s tip: On a ten-day trip this train is doing double duty as transport and a hotel night, which is exactly why the route works. Book the four-berth soft sleeper — the few extra dollars buy you an arrival you can actually function after.

Day 6: Arrive in Da Nang

Morning: Roll into Da Nang mid-morning, check in near My Khe Beach, and shake off the train with a swim and a coffee.

Afternoon: Rent a scooter and ride out to the Marble Mountains — a cluster of marble-and-limestone hills laced with caves and pagodas — with the option to carry on to the Linh Ung Pagoda on the Son Tra Peninsula.

Evening: Head to the Dragon Bridge — it breathes fire and water on Saturday and Sunday nights around 9 pm — then eat riverside along the Han.

Insider’s tip: Time your central leg so you’re in Da Nang over a weekend if you can. The Dragon Bridge only performs on Saturday and Sunday nights, and it’s a genuinely daft, brilliant spectacle worth building the route around.

For where to bed down, browse our best hostels in Da Nang article.

Day 7: Ba Na Hills & the Golden Bridge

Travel time: Da Nang to Ba Na Hills — about 40 minutes each way, plus roughly 20 minutes on the cable car.

Morning: Set aside the day for Ba Na Hills. Ride the cable car up to the Golden Bridge — the walkway held aloft by two giant stone hands — and the French Village at the top.

Afternoon: Explore Fantasy Park and the gardens before riding back down.

Evening: Back in Da Nang, wind down on My Khe Beach or take a sunset Han River cruise. Ba Na Hills tickets sell out on busy days, so book ahead through Klook.

Insider’s tip: Take the first cable car of the day. The summit clouds over by late morning almost every day, and an early start is the difference between the Golden Bridge photo you came for and a wall of fog.

Day 8: Hoi An, Then Fly South

Travel time: Da Nang to Hoi An — about 45 minutes. Later, Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City — 1 hour 20 by air.

Morning: Make the short trip south to Hoi An and step straight into the UNESCO-listed Ancient Town — the Japanese Covered Bridge, the ornate Fujian Assembly Hall, and the tailor-lined lanes.

Afternoon: As the lanterns come on, wander the riverfront and browse the Hoi An Night Market across the bridge on An Hoi Islet.

Evening: Take an evening flight from Da Nang down to Ho Chi Minh City.

Insider’s tip: This is the day the ten-day route feels tight — Hoi An deserves an overnight and here it gets a few hours. If you can add a single day anywhere, add it here and fly south the following morning instead.

Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City

Morning: Begin with the War Remnants Museum — harrowing but essential — then the Independence Palace, frozen in its 1975 state.

Afternoon: Walk the colonial core: the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon (its exterior and Paris Square out front are the draw) and the Gustave Eiffel–designed Saigon Central Post Office next door, then browse Ben Thanh Market.

Evening: Stroll the fountains and lights of Nguyen Hue Walking Street, then dinner and a rooftop.

Insider’s tip: Everything on this day sits within a walkable stretch of District 1, so skip the taxis and do it on foot with a coffee stop in the middle. It’s the only day of the trip where you can genuinely amble.

Our Best Hostels in Ho Chi Minh City cover where to stay.

Day 10: Cu Chi Tunnels & Departure

Travel time: Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi — about 1.5 hours each way. District 1 to Tan Son Nhat Airport — 30 to 45 minutes.

Morning: Head out to the Cu Chi Tunnels, the vast Viet Cong network northwest of the city — crawling a stretch of it is claustrophobic and unforgettable.

Afternoon: If your flight allows, pair it with a Mekong Delta run for a sampan glide through the coconut channels.

Evening: Transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your flight home — ten days, three regions, the length of the country behind you.

Insider’s tip: Only attempt the Mekong add-on if you’re flying out late evening. A half-day Cu Chi tour gets you back by early afternoon comfortably; the combined day does not, and missing a flight is an expensive way to see a coconut farm.

Got a few more days? The 14-day route above runs this same spine at a gentler pace, adding Hoi An overnight and two flex days. Tighter than ten days? The 7-day route below flies the long legs instead. And the regional modules further down let you swap any leg for a deeper dive.

Vietnam Itinerary: 7 Days

A week is enough for a genuine first taste of Vietnam, provided you accept the trade-off: this route flies both long legs rather than taking the overnight train, and it makes one clean sacrifice — Ninh Binh — to keep the pace sane. What you get in return is all three regions in seven days.

I’d be honest with yourself before choosing this one. Seven days in Vietnam means seeing the headline sights and very little else, and you’ll spend a meaningful chunk of it in transit. It’s a fine first look — just don’t expect to feel like you’ve got under the country’s skin.

Day	Destination	Highlights
1-2	Hanoi	Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature
3	Halong Bay	Day cruise among the limestone karsts
4	Da Nang	My Khe Beach, Marble Mountains, Dragon Bridge
5	Hoi An	Ancient Town, Japanese Covered Bridge, night market
6	Ho Chi Minh City	War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace, Ben Thanh Market
7	Departure	Cu Chi Tunnels, then fly out from Tan Son Nhat Airport

Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi

Travel time: Noi Bai Airport to the Old Quarter — around 45 minutes by car.

Morning: Land, settle into the Old Quarter, and ease in with a loop of Hoan Kiem Lake and its island shrine, Ngoc Son Temple.

Afternoon: Wander the Old Quarter’s trading streets on foot, taking in St Joseph Cathedral and a stop for egg coffee.

Evening: Head to Hanoi Train Street, then dinner and a bia hoi on Ta Hien.

Insider’s tip: With only seven days, book an overnight arrival flight if you can find one. Landing early morning effectively hands you a whole extra day, which on this route matters enormously.

Day 2: Hanoi’s Landmarks

Morning: Start early at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and the One Pillar Pagoda beside it, then the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.

Afternoon: The Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, followed by the sobering Hoa Lo Prison.

Evening: A traditional water puppet show near Hoan Kiem Lake, then dinner in the Old Quarter.

Insider’s tip: These sights sit close together in the Ba Dinh district, so do them as one walking loop rather than hopping in and out of taxis. On a seven-day trip, the half-hours add up fast.

Day 3: Halong Bay Day Cruise

Travel time: Hanoi to the coast — roughly 2.5 hours each way by shuttle.

Morning: Early transfer out to the coast and onto a cruise boat among Halong Bay’s limestone karsts — the north’s headline sight and, for a week-long trip, the one worth prioritising.

Afternoon: Cruise the emerald water with a cave stop, a kayak, and a seafood lunch on deck.

Evening: Transfer back to Hanoi.

Insider’s tip: If karst scenery matters more to you than the open bay, swap this for a Ninh Binh day trip — Trang An and Hang Mua in a single day. It’s a shorter drive, cheaper, and puts back the stop this route otherwise cuts.

Day 4: Fly to Da Nang

Travel time: Hanoi to Da Nang — 1 hour 20 by air, versus roughly 16 hours on the train.

Morning: Take a morning flight to Da Nang, check in near My Khe Beach, and grab a swim and a coffee.

Afternoon: Rent a scooter and ride out to the Marble Mountains, with the option to carry on to the Linh Ung Pagoda on the Son Tra Peninsula.

Evening: Head to the Dragon Bridge — fire and water on weekend nights around 9 pm — then dinner along the Han River.

Insider’s tip: Book the earliest flight of the day. A 7 am departure costs the same as a midday one and buys you an entire afternoon in central Vietnam — on a seven-day route that’s close to 15% of your trip.

Our Da Nang Travel Guide has the full practical rundown of the city.

Day 5: Hoi An

Travel time: Da Nang to Hoi An — about 45 minutes each way by car or scooter.

Morning: Head south to Hoi An and into the UNESCO-listed Ancient Town — the Japanese Covered Bridge and the ornate Fujian Assembly Hall.

Afternoon: Browse the tailor shops and heritage lanes, or paddle the Cam Thanh coconut forest just outside town.

Evening: The Ancient Town glows with lanterns after dark — wander the riverfront and the night market before heading back to Da Nang.

Insider’s tip: Stay for the evening rather than making this a daytime trip. Hoi An by day is pretty and crowded; Hoi An after the lanterns come on is the reason people fall for Vietnam. Prefer mountains to old towns? Swap this whole day for Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge.

The Hoi Travel Guide has the wider practical detail.

Day 6: Fly to Ho Chi Minh City

Travel time: Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City — 1 hour 20 by air.

Morning: Fly south and check in around District 1. Start with the War Remnants Museum, then the Independence Palace.

Afternoon: Walk the colonial core — the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon and Paris Square, the Gustave Eiffel–designed Saigon Central Post Office beside it — then browse Ben Thanh Market.

Evening: Stroll Nguyen Hue Walking Street, then dinner and a rooftop over the skyline.

Insider’s tip: Saigon after Hoi An is a shock to the system — louder, hotter, faster. I’d lean into it rather than fight it: get a rooftop drink, watch the motorbike rivers below, and let the last night of the trip be the loud one.

Day 7: Cu Chi Tunnels & Departure

Travel time: Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi — about 1.5 hours each way. District 1 to Tan Son Nhat Airport — 30 to 45 minutes.

Morning: Head out to the Cu Chi Tunnels for the morning — the Viet Cong network northwest of the city, where crawling a stretch underground is the sort of thing you don’t forget.

Afternoon: Transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your flight home — a week, three regions, the whole country sampled.

Insider’s tip: Take the half-day Cu Chi tour, not the combined Mekong one. With a flight to catch you want to be back in the city by early afternoon, and the full-day version doesn’t return until around 6 pm.

If you can stretch it, do. The 10-day and 14-day routes above run this same spine at a saner pace, adding back Ninh Binh, the overnight train and a beach day or two — and the regional modules below let you trade breadth for depth in a single region instead.

Build Your Own Route: Vietnam by Region

The routes above are the country at speed. The six modules below are the country at depth — regional segments you can slot into a longer trip, swap for a leg you’re not sold on, or run on their own if you’ve only got five days and one region in mind. Each is a day-by-day plan in its own right.

Think of it this way: the durations tell you what to see, the modules tell you how to see one part of it properly. A three-week trip is simply the 14-day spine with one or two of these bolted on.

Module: The Far North — Sapa & the Ha Giang Loop

The far north is Vietnam at its most dramatic — terraced valleys, ethnic-minority villages and the country’s highest passes. It’s really two separate trips out of Hanoi: Sapa, built around trekking and the Fansipan summit, and the Ha Giang Loop, a roughly 350 km circuit through the Dong Van Karst Plateau. Each stands alone as a three-to-four-day trip, so if you’re short on time, do just one. This module runs them back to back.

One important note before you plan it: police enforcement has tightened, and riding the Loop without a valid motorcycle licence risks heavy fines, so most travellers now ride pillion with a local “easy rider” guide. Every returning traveller I’ve spoken to says the same thing — the guided pillion version is the safer and more sociable way to do it anyway.

Day	Destination	Highlights
1	Sapa	Sapa Stone Church, Sapa Lake, valley-edge cafés
2	Muong Hoa Valley	Guided trek, Lao Chai, Ta Van homestay, Red Dao herbal bath
3	Fansipan	Cable car to the summit, Cat Cat Village, Silver Waterfall, Tram Ton Pass
4	Dong Van	Quan Ba Heaven Gate, Twin Mountains, Yen Minh, Dong Van Old Quarter
5	Meo Vac	H’Mong King Palace, Lung Cu Flag Tower, Ma Pi Leng Pass, Nho Que River
6	Departure	Du Gia Valley, Du Gia Waterfall, night bus back to Hanoi

Day 1: Hanoi to Sapa

Travel time: Hanoi to Sapa — 5 to 6 hours by sleeper bus or limousine van, or an overnight train to Lao Cai plus an hour up the mountain.

Morning: Travel up from Hanoi and settle into town.

Afternoon: Ease into the altitude with the compact centre — the French-built Sapa Stone Church on the main square and a loop of Sapa Lake.

Evening: Warm up in one of Sapa’s valley-edge cafés over a hot coconut coffee as the cloud rolls in.

Insider’s tip: Take the night bus rather than the day one and you arrive with a full day intact. Sapa is also markedly colder than Hanoi — pack a proper layer, because plenty of people turn up in shorts and regret it within the hour.

Our Places to Visit in Sapa article has the full rundown, and Best Hostels in Sapa covers where to base yourself. It’s easiest to book the transfer up through 12Go.

Day 2: Muong Hoa Valley Trek & Homestay

Travel time: Trekking day — roughly 4 to 6 hours on foot, downhill through the valley to Ta Van.

Morning: Set off on the walk Sapa is built around — a guided trek through the Muong Hoa Valley with a local Hmong or Giáy guide, following the stream past Lao Chai and its terraced paddies.

Afternoon: Walk on to Ta Van Village and settle into a family stilt-house for the night.

Evening: A home-cooked dinner and rice wine with your hosts, and — if your legs are protesting — a Red Dao herbal bath.

Insider’s tip: Book through an ethnic-minority-owned operator so the fee goes into the villages rather than out of them. And do stay the night rather than trekking back — the valley after the day-walkers leave is the whole reason to come.

Day 3: Fansipan & the Passes

Morning: Walk back up the valley and ride the Fansipan cable car — the “Roof of Indochina” at 3,143 metres — to the summit’s pagoda complex.

Afternoon: Pick your finish — the accessible Cat Cat Village just downhill, or the drive out past Silver Waterfall and Love Waterfall to Heaven’s Gate on the Tram Ton Pass, the highest road pass in Vietnam.

Evening: If Sapa is your whole northern trip, take the night transport back to Hanoi. If you’re chaining into the Ha Giang Loop, make the transfer east.

Insider’s tip: Go up Fansipan early and check the forecast the night before. The summit spends much of its life inside a cloud, and there’s no view at all on a bad morning — the cable car is worth doing on a clear day and worth skipping on a grey one.

Day 4: The Ha Giang Loop Begins — Quan Ba to Dong Van

Travel time: Sapa to Ha Giang City — around 6 hours, usually routed via Lao Cai. Then Ha Giang City to Dong Van — 5 to 6 hours of riding with stops.

Morning: From Ha Giang City, meet your easy-rider guide and head north. The first big stop is Quan Ba Heaven Gate, where the road climbs to nearly 2,000 metres and the Twin Mountains rise from the valley below.

Afternoon: Ride on through Yen Minh, pausing at the Lao Va Chai rice terraces, with an optional detour to Lung Khuy Cave.

Evening: Roll into Dong Van and overnight in its stone-walled Old Quarter, where the central square turns into a night market.

Insider’s tip: If you’re chaining Sapa and Ha Giang, break the transfer with a night in Ha Giang City rather than attempting it and the first riding day back to back. It’s a long, winding road and starting the Loop tired is a poor trade.

Our Places to Visit in Ha Giang guide covers every stop on the loop, and Best Hostels in Ha Giang covers Ha Giang City before you set off.

Day 5: Ma Pi Leng Pass & the Nho Que River

Travel time: Dong Van to Meo Vac via Ma Pi Leng — around 3 hours of riding, plus the boat trip.

Morning: Detour to the H’Mong King Palace at Sa Phin and, if you’ve the energy for the 800-step climb, the Lung Cu Flag Tower marking Vietnam’s northernmost point.

Afternoon: The Loop’s showpiece: Ma Pi Leng Pass, cut into the cliffside high above Tu San Canyon, then down to the Nho Que River for a boat ride beneath limestone walls rising a thousand metres.

Evening: Overnight in Meo Vac.

Insider’s tip: Try to be in Meo Vac on a Saturday night. The Sunday morning market pulls minority traders down from the surrounding villages and it’s the least touristy thing on the entire Loop.

Day 6: Du Gia & Back to Hanoi

Travel time: Meo Vac to Ha Giang City via Du Gia — around 6 hours. Then Ha Giang to Hanoi — roughly 7 hours by night bus.

Morning: Ride the softer return leg toward Du Gia Valley, where sheer karst gives way to rolling terraces and forest.

Afternoon: Cool off in the swimming hole at Du Gia Waterfall before the final stretch back to Ha Giang City.

Evening: Take the night bus back to Hanoi, where this module rejoins the main routes.

Insider’s tip: Don’t book anything for the morning after the night bus. Ha Giang’s roads are winding and the bus is a rough sleep — give yourself a slow first day back in the capital.

Module: Northern Classics — Hanoi, Halong & Ninh Binh

If you’ve only five days, or you want a northern Vietnam itinerary that does the region properly rather than racing through it, this is the module to build around. It’s the easy, iconic north — the capital, a bay full of karst islands, and the “Halong Bay on land” valleys of Ninh Binh — all within a couple of hours of Hanoi. Where the duration routes sprint through these on the way south, here you slow down: an overnight cruise rather than a day trip, and two full days in Ninh Binh.

Day	Destination	Highlights
1	Hanoi	Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, Old Quarter, St Joseph Cathedral, Train Street
2	Hanoi	Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Imperial Citadel, Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison
3	Halong Bay	Overnight cruise, kayaking, cave stop, night moored among the islands
4	Ninh Binh	Trang An boat tour, Hang Mua, night market
5	Departure	Hoa Lu, Bich Dong Pagoda, Tam Coc, Bai Dinh

Day 1: Hanoi’s Old Quarter

Morning: Ease in with a loop of Hoan Kiem Lake and its island shrine, Ngoc Son Temple, then wander into the Old Quarter’s tangle of trading streets.

Afternoon: St Joseph Cathedral and an egg-coffee stop, then drift through the 36 streets at a slow pace.

Evening: Hanoi Train Street for the atmosphere, then dinner and a bia hoi on Ta Hien.

Insider’s tip: Because this module isn’t racing anywhere, use the first day to just walk. I got more out of an aimless afternoon in the Old Quarter than out of half the museums I ticked off.

Day 2: Hanoi’s Landmarks

Morning: The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex with the One Pillar Pagoda beside it, then the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.

Afternoon: The Temple of Literature — Vietnam’s first university — followed by Hoa Lo Prison.

Evening: A water puppet show near Hoan Kiem Lake, then a last Old Quarter dinner before heading to the coast tomorrow.

Insider’s tip: With a spare afternoon here, the relocated Vietnam Military History Museum out in Nam Tu Liem is worth the trip — it’s a serious, well-curated site, and this is the one module with enough slack to reach it.

Day 3: Halong Bay Overnight Cruise

Travel time: Hanoi to the coast — roughly 2.5 hours by shuttle, boarding around midday.

Morning: Transfer to the coast and board an overnight cruise among Halong Bay’s limestone karsts — the slow version pays off here, reaching quieter water than any day trip manages.

Afternoon: Kayak a sheltered lagoon, visit a cave, and swim off the boat as the day-trippers head back to shore.

Evening: Dinner on deck and a night moored among the islands — the whole point of going overnight.

Insider’s tip: Ask which side of the boat your cabin is on and request one facing east. Sunrise over the karsts from your own window, before anyone else is up, is the single best thing about staying the night out here.

Book the cruise ahead through Klook.

Day 4: Into Ninh Binh

Travel time: Halong back to Hanoi — 2.5 hours; Hanoi on to Ninh Binh — a further 1.5 to 2 hours.

Morning: Cruise the bay at dawn, then transfer back and on down to Ninh Binh, basing yourself near Tam Coc with a bicycle for the flat paddy lanes.

Afternoon: The Trang An boat tour — the UNESCO-listed sampan route through flooded caves and past cliff-side temples.

Evening: Climb Hang Mua’s roughly 500 steps for the golden-hour panorama over the Tam Coc valley, then the night market for dinner.

Insider’s tip: It’s a long transfer day, so take the Trang An boat in the mid-afternoon rather than rushing it on arrival — the light on the water after 3 pm is much better anyway.

Day 5: Ninh Binh’s Temples & Caves

Morning: Cycle out to the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Vietnam’s thousand-year-old first seat of power, and the cliff-set Bich Dong Pagoda.

Afternoon: The Tam Coc boat ride — the gentler, foot-rowed cousin of Trang An — with the vast Bai Dinh Pagoda complex to finish if there’s time.

Evening: Head back to Hanoi, where this module rejoins the main routes — or, if you’re heading south, pick up the spine from here.

Insider’s tip: Trang An and Tam Coc are similar enough that some people skip one. If you’re only doing a single boat trip, make it Trang An — the cave sequence is longer and the scenery grander.

The Ninh Binh Travel Guide has the wider practical detail.

Module: The Heritage Coast — Hue, Da Nang & Hoi An

Central Vietnam packs the country’s richest run of heritage into a short coastal stretch: the imperial capital of Hue, the beaches and bridges of Da Nang, and the lantern-lit old town of Hoi An, linked by one of Asia’s great coastal drives over the Hai Van Pass. This is the module to build around if history and old-town atmosphere are what pull you to Vietnam.

Day	Destination	Highlights
1	Hue	Imperial City, Thai Hoa Palace, Perfume River, Thien Mu Pagoda, Dong Ba Market
2	Hai Van Pass	Tomb of Khai Dinh, Tomb of Tu Duc, Thuy Xuan Incense Village, the coastal pass
3	Da Nang	Marble Mountains, Linh Ung Pagoda, My Khe Beach, Dragon Bridge
4	Hoi An	Ancient Town, Japanese Covered Bridge, Cam Thanh basket boats, lantern night market
5	Phong Nha (optional)	Phong Nha Cave boat ride, Paradise Cave

Day 1: Imperial Hue

Morning: Spend the morning inside the walled Hue Imperial City — Ngo Mon Gate, Thai Hoa Palace and the ruins of the Forbidden Purple City.

Afternoon: Take a Perfume River dragon boat upstream to the seven-storey Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue’s riverside symbol.

Evening: Cross the Truong Tien Bridge after dark, when its steel arches light up in shifting colour, and eat through the Dong Ba Market food stalls — this is bun bo Hue’s home city.

Insider’s tip: Hue is pronounced closer to “hway” than “hue”, which will save you a few confused taxi conversations. Worth being honest, too: if ruins and tombs aren’t your thing, Hue can feel like hard work — in which case give this module’s day to Hoi An instead and skip north to Phong Nha for caves.

For the full picture of the city, our places to visit in Hue list have you covered. For where to stay and the full local low-down, Best Hostels in Hue picks.

Day 2: Royal Tombs & the Hai Van Pass

Travel time: Hue to Da Nang over the Hai Van Pass — around 3 hours by road, or under 2 through the tunnel if the weather is poor.

Morning: Hire a scooter or a driver for the royal-tombs loop south of the city — the mosaic-covered Tomb of Khai Dinh, the garden-like Tomb of Tu Duc and the symmetrical Tomb of Minh Mang — pausing at the Thuy Xuan Incense Village on the way.

Afternoon: Make the run south to Da Nang over the Hai Van Pass, the cloud-wreathed coastal road made famous by every Vietnam road-trip reel — stop at the top for the view back over the coast.

Evening: Arrive in Da Nang and settle in near My Khe Beach for dinner along the Han River.

Insider’s tip: Visit one royal tomb properly rather than all three quickly — they’re spread out and they blur together. Khai Dinh if you want ornate, Tu Duc if you want gardens. And take the pass, not the tunnel, unless it’s genuinely pouring: the tunnel saves an hour and costs you the best drive in the country.

Day 3: Da Nang

Morning: Ride out to the Marble Mountains, then the Lady Buddha at Linh Ung Pagoda on the Son Tra Peninsula.

Afternoon: Beach time on My Khe, or the Museum of Cham Sculpture for the region’s Hindu-era carvings. A big-ticket alternative is a full day up at Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge.

Evening: Catch the Dragon Bridge breathing fire on a weekend night, then dinner riverside.

Insider’s tip: Da Nang is the most liveable city in Vietnam and the one people are always surprised by. If you’re working remotely for any part of your trip, this is where I’d base myself — good coffee, a long beach, and everything else within a scooter ride.

Day 4: Hoi An

Travel time: Da Nang to Hoi An — about 45 minutes.

Morning: Move south to Hoi An and into the UNESCO-listed Ancient Town — the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Fujian Assembly Hall and the tailor shops.

Afternoon: Paddle a Cam Thanh coconut-forest basket boat just outside town, or cycle the surrounding rice paddies to An Bang Beach.

Evening: Hoi An at its best — float a candle on the Hoai River, browse the night market and catch the Hoi An Memories Show.

Insider’s tip: Order any tailoring on your first morning here. Most shops turn work around in 24 hours, but only if you give them the full day — leave it until the afternoon and you’re collecting it in a rush or not at all.

Optional Day 5: The Caves of Phong Nha

Travel time: Phong Nha to Hue — roughly 4.5 hours by road, so this works as a stop on the way south rather than a day trip.

All day: If you’re arriving into central Vietnam from the north, break the journey at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, home to some of the largest cave systems on earth — the underground-river boat ride into Phong Nha Cave and the stalactite walkways of Paradise Cave. This module then flows straight into Hue.

Insider’s tip: Phong Nha is the swap I’d make if you’re travelling with anyone who finds temples heavy going. Caving, ziplining and jungle trekking is a completely different day out, and it sits neatly on the overland route between Hanoi and Hue.

Module: The Central Highlands — Da Lat

Da Lat is Vietnam’s cool-climate escape — a former French hill station at 1,500 metres, all pine forest, colonial villas and coffee farms, where the temperature rarely leaves the mid-teens to mid-twenties. It’s the antidote to the coastal heat, and an easy detour off the southern half of the spine. Two days covers the highlights; a third adds the mountains and a coffee farm.

Day	Destination	Highlights
1	Da Lat	Xuan Huong Lake, Da Lat Cathedral, Domaine de Marie, Crazy House, night market
2	Trai Mat	Dalat Railway Station, heritage train, Linh Phuoc Pagoda, Datanla Waterfall
3	Lang Biang (optional)	Lang Biang Mountain, Radar Station viewpoint, K’ho Coffee Farm

Day 1: Da Lat’s Colonial Core

Travel time: Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat — 7 to 8 hours by bus; Nha Trang to Da Lat — around 4 hours. There’s no rail line up here.

Morning: Start at Xuan Huong Lake in the centre, then the pink-spired Da Lat Cathedral — the “Chicken Church” — and the ethnic-highland rooflines of Domaine de Marie Church.

Afternoon: Explore the surreal, tree-like concrete towers of the Crazy House (Hang Nga Villa), then Lam Vien Square by the lake.

Evening: Wrap up warm and browse the Da Lat Night Market for grilled skewers and the city’s famous avocado ice cream.

Insider’s tip: Take the overnight bus up if you’re coming from Saigon — it’s a long, winding climb, and arriving at dawn into cool mountain air after a week of coastal humidity is genuinely one of the nicer moments of a Vietnam trip.

There’s far more detail in our Places to Visit in Da Lat guide, and the Best Hostels in Da Lat guide covers where to base yourself.

Day 2: Trains, Pagodas & Waterfalls

Travel time: The heritage train to Trai Mat — about 30 minutes each way.

Morning: Ride the vintage heritage train from the Art Deco Dalat Railway Station out to Trai Mat village and the mosaic-covered Linh Phuoc Pagoda (the “Dragon Pagoda”).

Afternoon: Pick your adventure — abseiling the falls on a Datanla Waterfall canyoning trip, or the gentler Robin Hill cable car over the pines to Truc Lam Monastery on Tuyen Lam Lake.

Evening: A quiet highland evening — the cool air is the whole point up here.

Insider’s tip: If you do the canyoning, book with an operator that shows you its safety kit and guide certification. It’s a genuinely adventurous activity on wet rock, and the price gap between the careful outfits and the cheap ones is small.

Optional Day 3: Mountains & Coffee

Morning: Head out to Lang Biang Mountain — a jeep to the Radar Station viewpoint, or a steeper trek to the true summit for highland panoramas.

Afternoon: Finish with a K’ho Coffee Farm tour, where local ethnic-minority families grow Da Lat’s high-altitude Arabica — a world away from the robusta grown elsewhere in Vietnam — before rejoining the spine.

Insider’s tip: Do the coffee farm even if you think you don’t care about coffee. Vietnam is the second-largest producer on earth and almost all of it is robusta; tasting the Arabica grown on these hills next to the stuff in your morning ca phe sua da explains a lot about the country.

Module: Saigon & the Mekong

The south is Vietnam at full volume — Ho Chi Minh City’s traffic, street food and rooftop bars, wrapped around sobering war history, with the languid waterways of the Mekong Delta a short trip beyond. It’s the natural finish to a north-to-south trip. Three days does the city and a Delta day; a fourth lets you go deeper into the water world.

Day	Destination	Highlights
1	Ho Chi Minh City	War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace, Notre-Dame, Post Office, Ben Thanh
2	Cholon	Jade Emperor Pagoda, Mariamman Temple, Thien Hau Pagoda, Binh Tay Market
3	Mekong Delta	Cu Chi Tunnels, My Tho, Ben Tre, sampan through the coconut channels
4	Can Tho (optional)	Cai Rang floating market at dawn

Day 1: Saigon’s Landmarks

Morning: Start with the War Remnants Museum — harrowing but essential — followed by the Independence Palace.

Afternoon: Walk the colonial core: the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon and Paris Square, and the Gustave Eiffel–designed Saigon Central Post Office beside it, then browse Ben Thanh Market.

Evening: Take in the skyline from the Bitexco Financial Tower’s Saigon Skydeck, then dinner and the neon of Bui Vien and Nguyen Hue Walking Street.

Insider’s tip: The conflict is known locally as the American War, not the Vietnam War, and hearing it framed that way in the museum is part of the point of going. Give it two hours minimum and don’t schedule anything cheerful straight afterwards.

Day 2: Temples & Chinatown

Morning: Visit the atmospheric Jade Emperor Pagoda, one of the city’s most striking temples, then the colourful Mariamman Hindu Temple near Ben Thanh.

Afternoon: Head out to Cholon, the sprawling Chinatown, for the incense-wreathed Thien Hau Pagoda and the busy Binh Tay Market.

Evening: A rooftop sundowner and a street-food crawl — the south’s cooking is sweeter and more herb-heavy than the north’s.

Insider’s tip: Cholon is where Saigon stops performing for visitors. It’s a working district rather than a sight, and an hour wandering its wholesale lanes taught me more about the city than any museum did.

Day 3: Cu Chi Tunnels & the Mekong Delta

Travel time: Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi — about 1.5 hours; on to My Tho or Ben Tre — roughly 2 hours. Combined tours typically run 7:30 am to 6 pm.

Morning: Ride out to the Cu Chi Tunnels northwest of the city — crawling a stretch of the Viet Cong network underground is the sort of thing you don’t forget.

Afternoon: Continue into the Mekong Delta for a sampan glide through coconut-palm channels and a river lunch.

Evening: Back in the city for a final Saigon night.

Insider’s tip: The My Tho day-trip version of the Mekong is heavily packaged — coconut candy workshop, honey tea, a song. It’s pleasant but it isn’t the Delta. If the river is what you came for, do the optional day below instead.

Optional Day 4: Deeper into the Delta

Travel time: Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho — around 3.5 hours by bus. The floating market boat leaves before dawn.

All day: To see the real Mekong rather than a day-trip slice, overnight in Can Tho and rise before dawn for the Cai Rang floating market, where trade happens boat to boat on the water. It’s the best way to understand delta life, and a natural bolt-on before you fly out or cross into Cambodia.

Insider’s tip: Be on the water by 6 am. Cai Rang is a genuine wholesale market, not a show, and it winds down by mid-morning — arrive at nine and you’ll wonder what the fuss was about.

Add-On Module: Beaches & Islands

If the spine leaves you craving a few slow days by the sea, Vietnam’s south has three very different beach options — none essential to a first trip, but each an easy add-on. Pick one and give it two or three unhurried days rather than trying to fit in more than one.

Day	Destination	Highlights
1-2	Nha Trang	Nha Trang Beach, Po Nagar Cham Towers, Long Son Pagoda, Hon Mun snorkelling, Thap Ba mud baths
1-2	Mui Ne	White and red sand dunes, Fairy Stream, kitesurfing
1-3	Phú Quốc	Sao Beach, Bai Kem, Hòn Thơm cable car, Duong Dong night market

Nha Trang (2–3 Days)

Travel time: Da Nang to Nha Trang — 1.5 hours by air or around 8 hours by train. Da Lat to Nha Trang — about 4 hours by road.

Day 1: Start on the 6 km sweep of Nha Trang Beach along Tran Phu, then head north to the 8th-century Po Nagar Cham Towers and up to the giant white Buddha at Long Son Pagoda, with the Gothic Nha Trang Cathedral downtown. Round off at the beachfront night market by the lotus-shaped Tram Huong Tower.

Day 2: Get out on the water — the 4-Island Hopping Tour takes in snorkelling at Hon Mun and the macaques of Monkey Island, or go diving in the Hon Mun Marine Protected Area, Vietnam’s first. Soak it off afterwards in a Thap Ba Hot Springs mud bath.

Insider’s tip: Be clear-eyed about Nha Trang: it’s a large, commercial resort city with high-rises along the seafront, and it’s tourist-centred in a way the rest of this route isn’t. If that’s not what you’re after, Quy Nhon further north is quieter and far less developed.

Our Places to Visit in Nha Trang guide and Best Hostels in Nha Trang cover the city.

Mui Ne (1–2 Days)

Travel time: Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne — around 5 hours by bus. Mui Ne to Da Lat — roughly 4 hours on a winding mountain road.

What to do: A fishing town turned beach stop, Mui Ne is known for its red and white sand dunes, the trickling Fairy Stream you wade up between them, and some of Asia’s most reliable wind for kitesurfing. It sits neatly on the road between Da Lat or Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City, making it an easy break rather than a detour.

Insider’s tip: Do the White Sand Dunes at sunrise, not midday — the sand gets genuinely too hot to walk on, and the dawn light is what everyone comes for. If you’re carrying on to Da Lat afterwards and you get carsick, take something before that road.

Phu Quoc (2–3 Days)

Travel time: Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc — about 1 hour by air.

What to do: Vietnam’s largest island sits off the far south coast and it’s the place for proper white-sand beaches — Sao Beach and Bai Kem chief among them. Add the world’s-longest over-sea cable car to Hòn Thơm, a night market in Duong Dong, and sunset off the west coast, and it’s an easy two or three days of doing very little.

Insider’s tip: Phu Quoc is the one to pick if this is the end of your trip rather than the middle. Flying out from the island is straightforward, and finishing a fortnight of overnight trains with two days horizontal on Sao Beach is a considerably better ending than another city.

Getting Around Vietnam

Vietnam runs more than 1,600 kilometres from top to bottom, so how you cover the ground shapes any Vietnam travel itinerary as much as the stops themselves. The good news is that the classic north-to-south corridor is exceptionally well served — a single railway line, cheap internal flights and a dense sleeper-bus network all follow the same route.

You don’t need a packaged tour to do any of this. I booked my entire trip as I went, mostly a day or two ahead, and never once found myself stuck — the tourism infrastructure here is genuinely excellent and the DIY version is both cheaper and more flexible.

Mode	Best For	Worth Knowing
Sleeper train	Long overnight legs (Ninh Binh–Da Nang, Hue–Da Nang)	Book a four-berth soft sleeper; saves a night’s accommodation
Internal flights	Da Nang–Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi–Da Nang	Around 1 hr 20 versus 17+ hours overland
Sleeper bus / limousine van	Hanoi–Sapa, Hanoi–Ninh Binh, shorter hops	Limousine vans cost more but are far more comfortable
Scooter	Da Nang, Hoi An, Ninh Binh, Da Lat	Licence rules are enforced — see the note below
Grab	Cities, especially Hanoi and Saigon	Less reliable in Da Lat, where metered taxis still dominate

The reunification railway is the backbone of the whole trip, and the overnight legs are the ones worth planning around — you travel while you sleep and wake up in a new region. Flights only really earn their place on the long southern hop from Da Nang down to Ho Chi Minh City.

On riding yourself: enforcement has tightened in recent years, and driving without a valid Vietnamese or international motorcycle licence risks significant fines — on the Ha Giang Loop in particular, most travellers now ride pillion with a local easy-rider guide rather than self-driving. Renting a scooter for a day around Hoi An or Da Lat is a different proposition to taking on mountain passes, so judge each leg on its own terms.

One last practical note: sort a local eSIM before you fly so you land connected. Booking a Grab, finding your guesthouse and checking train times all get considerably easier with data from the moment you step off the plane, and it takes about five minutes to set up in advance.

How Much Does a Vietnam Trip Cost?

Vietnam remains one of the best-value destinations in Southeast Asia, and the daily figure depends far more on how you travel than on where you go. Backpackers staying in dorms and eating at street stalls can genuinely keep it low; mid-range travellers taking private rooms, the occasional flight and a few guided days will spend more but still get a lot for it.

Style	Rough Daily Spend	What That Looks Like
Backpacker	$25–$40	Hostel dorms, street food, sleeper buses, a few paid sights
Mid-range	$50–$90	Private rooms, sit-down restaurants, trains and the odd flight, guided day trips
Comfortable	$120+	Better hotels, internal flights, private transfers, overnight cruises

The big-ticket items on a two-week trip are the ones worth budgeting for separately: a Halong Bay cruise, a Ha Giang Loop tour, Ba Na Hills tickets and internal flights. Everything else — food, local transport, entry fees to temples and museums — stays remarkably cheap. Entry to most individual sights runs from well under a dollar to a few dollars, so sightseeing is rarely what breaks a budget here.

Two habits saved me real money: travelling the long legs overnight so transport doubled as accommodation, and booking the headline experiences directly rather than through a hotel desk on the day. One thing I’d spend up on, though, is the Halong cruise — the cheapest boats are where the hidden extras and cramped cabins live.

Tailoring Your Itinerary

The routes above are written for a first trip, but the same spine flexes easily depending on who you’re travelling with and what you’re after. A few adjustments worth making:

Backpackers

Lean on the sleeper trains and buses rather than flights, and give yourself longer — three weeks lets you add the Ha Giang Loop, which is consistently the most-loved stretch of a backpacking trip through Vietnam. Hostels here are excellent and social, so booking one night at a time keeps the route flexible.

Couples

Swap the Halong day trip for an overnight cruise, add two slow days in Hoi An, and consider folding in Da Lat — Vietnam’s own honeymoon capital — or finishing on an island. The 14-day route with a beach add-on is the natural shape.

Families

Cut the overnight train in favour of a short internal flight, and base yourself in fewer places for longer — Da Nang and Hoi An together make an easy week with beaches, and Ba Na Hills is a reliable hit with kids. Build in more downtime than you think you need.

Travelling With Older Parents

Most of this route is manageable, but two things need thought. The Sapa valley treks are proper walks over uneven ground — a homestay stay without the full trek, or the Fansipan cable car, works better. And Hang Mua’s 500 steps and Cu Chi’s tunnels are both optional; the views and the site are worth visiting either way. Halong Bay involves very little walking at all.

First-Timers

Stick to the spine. The 10-day or 14-day route covers all three regions and every headline sight without stretching you, and the modules are there if you want to go deeper on a return trip. Resist the urge to add a fourth region — Vietnam is longer than it looks on a map.

Solo Travellers

Vietnam is one of the easier countries in the region to travel alone. The hostel scene along the spine means you’ll meet people at every stop, and group experiences like the Ha Giang Loop, a Halong cruise or a Sapa trek are sociable by design — the fastest way to turn a solo trip into a shared one.

Vietnam Itinerary FAQ