Vietnam is an amazing place and is definitely worth a visit. For those who prefer the cities to the mountains and beaches alike, there is something for everyone and a lot of interesting history, culture, and culinary delights. While Vietnam may seem like a small country relatively speaking (the entire country is 22% smaller than California), the country boasts nearly 3,000 miles of coastline and inter-region travel can be time consuming. You could easily spend 2 weeks or even longer traveling around. I will share my Vietnam itinerary with you and in hindsight, share what I think I would have preferred to do instead. Along the way, I will share some insight on hotels, intercity travel, tours, and dining options.
Vietnam Itinerary
First, I would like to share my original itinerary. We spent 10 days and 9 nights in Vietnam so we had to be selective of where we went and what we did. Here was our original plan:
Days 1 – 3: Hanoi
Day 4 & 5: HaLong Bay Cruise
Days 6,7, & 8: Hoi An
Day 9 & 10: Ho Chi Minh City
We intended on taking a day trip from Hoi An to the Golden bridge and Hue, but it ended up falling through. We also debated taking a tour of the Mekong Delta while we were in HCMC, but decided not to because of the heat.
The Weather and Getting Around
We took this trip in early April, and it was HOT! I have lived in New Orleans and Dubai, but this was next level. I think most of it had to do with the fact that air conditioning is limited. We had it in our hotel, but many shops, restaurants, and museums do not have AC, so it does not compare. I ended up getting very dehydrated with debilitating headaches so biking and kayaking in the Mekong Delta was not going to work for me.
One major part of traveling in Vietnam is that you need an international driving license to rent a car, which you will understand once you see the driving conditions. However, that does make taking day trips from the city difficult unless you are on an organized tour. Many of these tours are long days and I am sure they want the tourist to feel like we are getting our money’s worth. So, many tours are long drives to remote locations with sightseeing, a bike ride, maybe some kayaking, lunch, and a long drive back to the city. For me, this is too much stuff. I would much prefer one activity as opposed to lumping it all together, so the cancellation of our day tours was not a huge deal to me.
Ideal Vietnam Itinerary
Overall, the major thing I would change in my Vietnam itinerary was time spent in each location. In retrospect, I would shorten all city stays by one night and then spend time on the beach. Maybe something like this:
Days 1 & 2: Hanoi
Day 3 & 4: HaLong Bay
Days 5 & 6: Hoi An
Days 8 & 9: Take a morning train (for sightseeing!) to Quy Nhon for some beach time
Day 10: Fly home or spend one night in HCMC prior to departure
Read on for more Vietnam itinerary options and great places to stay and eat!
Things to do in Hanoi
Hanoi is a great representation of Vietnam. It’s a bit gritty and grungy, but the organized chaos of the scooters is something to behold. The streets have a culture all their own with every inch accounted for from scooter parking, to tiny chairs and tables for eating at a street side restaurant, to dishwashing and cooking alike. The sidewalks are for almost everything except for walking. This is where life in Hanoi happens.
Stay in the Old Quarter to maximize your exposure and really immerse yourself in the culture. We stayed at the Pan Pacific hotel which was nice, but is advertised as adjacent to the Old Quarter. Apparently, this means about a 20 – 30 minute walk, which was not ideal. However, the views from the rooftop bar were great and so was the buffet breakfast.
Train Street and Street Scenes
While in Hanoi you can’t miss beer street for nightlife, cheap beer, street food, and markets. The Instagram famous Train Street is also a must see. There are 2 sides to this attraction, one side is more accessible while the other seems closed to foot traffic. The train comes much closer on the side that is “closed” to foot traffic. To get in, hang out at the gate and a local merchant will invite you to buy a drink or a snack as the train goes by. This is frequent in the evening, beginning at 7pm.
The street culture is also amazing, so just wandering and watching the orchestra of scooters is very cool. I highly recommend hopping on a cyclo, or a rickshaw type bike with 3 wheels. You ride in the front and someone pedals for you in the back to see the sights. You get to be in the center of the chaos and you can see just how the symphony operates.
Hanoian Cuisine
The street food is not to be missed and is incredibly affordable. The pho is a no-brainer, but the coffee scene and fried tofu were also amazing. Try Kings Coffee for coconut coffee, egg coffee, or a salted latte. We had lunch at MET Vietnamese, which has delicious food, but was also a sanctuary with AC.
We also ate at the most amazing vegetarian restaurant, Kasaya, twice because it was that good. Also, the architecture and design of the building was a sight to see on its own. I love a spring roll and they had many unique versions to try, including the Saigon Summer rolls with lotus root which was beautiful and delicious. They also had a vegetarian banh xeo, or a crispy Vietnamese pancake, and plenty of delicious soups like a ramen and brown noodles rice bowl with fried tofu. Even my man, a fierce carnivore, didn’t mind the absence of meat. Kasaya is a must try for meat eaters and vegetarians alike for unique takes on traditional Vietnamese foods.
HaLong Bay
The next stop on our Vietnam Itinerary is a trip to HaLong Bay. It’ s a bit far, but definitely worth it. We took the bus that was included in our booking from Hanoi. The 1.5 hour long drive is stretched to 2 hours with the rest stop at a tourist shop complete with food and bathrooms. It’s a nice ride out of Hanoi and you can see a lot of agriculture, including the rural rice patties.
Things to do in HaLong Bay
Our boat was the La Regina, which is a luxury cruise with large rooms, a balcony, and a huge bathroom complete with a tub. We were transported to the boat via tender and arrived for a buffet lunch. We then went on a kayak trip through the “Light and Dark Cave” (it was really just a tunnel). The next morning there was an early morning tour of Cat Ba island (like 6am early) which we skipped. Overall, the scenery was fantastic, but the food on the cruise was regrettable. However, we did get a chance to buy some Mulberry wine from some local vendors that came by boat and delivered our goodies by a net. Do not be afraid of this. They are not pirates. Buy something from them.
You depart the boat at about 11 am for the journey back to Hanoi. Instead, you can opt for a taxi to the airport, which is a great option if you plan on flying out to Hoi An. There is a train from Hanoi to Hoi An, however, it takes about 13 hours. The flight for intercity travel is quick and simple, taking about an hour. Also, the airport for domestic travel is very easy as compared to an airport in the US. You do not need to remove liquids through security, just your shoes and computers. Our flight was at 3pm and we spent less than 15 minutes checking in and going through security.
Hoi An
Hoi An is much more rural than Hanoi, but you will still contend with many tourists and scooters. The ancient town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is closed to traffic, unless you have a ticket to ride through on your scooter.
Hoi An is known for bespoke clothing and is the cheapest place in the world to have a suit made and fast. Less than a 24 hour turnaround was the norm, but I would say that the tailoring was best for menswear. I tried to get 2 things made and neither worked out for me. However, my man got a bunch of items and they all came out well and were inexpensive, but still seemed like decent quality. While the turnaround was quick, be prepared to spend about 45 minutes on measurements, a return trip the next day for a fitting, and then another return trip that evening for any changes.
An Bang Beach
Because we skipped the beach on our trip, we took a quick, 10 minute taxi ride to An Bang Beach. There we spent a few hours at The Deckhouse, which has food, drinks, and chairs with umbrellas. Even though the beach was only a short drive away, there were rice patties and water buffalo in between our hotel (Bay Resort, which had an amazing location and lovely riverside pool) and the beach.
While in Hoi An, enjoy some of the amazing cuisine of the central region. We had an alfresco meal at Morning Glory Original, which had many traditional options but a more upscale atmosphere. We also went to Com Linh, which was a recommendation from the tailor that made some leather sandals for us (Hoi An is also known for leather making and the sandals did not disappoint!). Have the local specialty, chicken rice or com ga and more pho for lunch. Wash it down with the local beer, La Rue, and it’s a perfect meal.
Alternate Vietnam Itinerary: What I Would have done
If I could go back in time and re-plan my Vietnam Itinerary, I would spend 2 days in Hanoi, 2 days in HaLong bay, 2 days in Hoi An. And then, I would hop a train to the coast. Alas, I didn’t do that, so you will just have to dream with me.
The train to Quy Nhon leaves from Danang and takes about 6 hours through rural and coastal Vietnam. This train line offers a seated ticket, a sleeper ticket, or a first class sleeper ticket from $13 – $22 USD. There is also the Vietage which is a luxury train car which is modeled after Emirates first class. This is much more expensive at $420 USD per person, but includes a 3 course meal, all beverages, a 15 minute spa treatment, and caviar and champagne – so worth it right?? I guess I will have to go and let you know! Either way, the beach at Quy Nhon looks wonderful and there are several resorts to choose from. There is also a local airport for departure or to either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
Ho Chi Minh City
By the time we arrived in HCMC, I was severely dehydrated or had heat exhaustion or both (suck down that water people!). We stayed at the Park Hyatt Saigon, which was an amazing hotel with an unbeatable breakfast, spectacular pool, and amazing location near the opera house. They arranged an airport transfer for us in a Maybach, which was a nice touch (although they didn’t tell us how much we had to pay for it!!).
Things to do in HCMC
We only spent 2 days here, so our time was limited, and because I wasn’t feeling great, we didn’t end up doing too much. One of the things we did was take the big, red Hop On Hop Off bus to see the sights. It offered a chance to see everything out of the rays of the beating sun and with some AC. The ticket was about $20 per person and included a night tour, and a ticket to the War Remnants Museum. It was interesting to see the city both night and day.
Overall, I think this tour was worthwhile, especially if you have limited time in HCMC. The museum doesn’t have AC so I had to skip it, but the review from my husband is that it was sad but educational. I don’t know about you, but I learned my fill about the Vietnam war in high school!
After the evening bus tour, we walked through the Vietnamese film festival to VO Roof restaurant. Vo is a very cool place in the middle of a little shanty market. The drinks were great and the food was amazing! Including a spring roll the size of your head and bun bowls with this delicious avocado sauce which I will definitely recreate. Check out my Bun Chay recipe with crispy tofu, enoki mushrooms, and avocado sauce for a delicious meal to transport you to Vietnam!
A Great trip and what’s next!
And that’s our trip and Vietnam Itinerary! Overall, a great trip full of history, delicious food, and amazing culture. The country has so much to offer. There are many ways to customize your visit depending on what you want to do and see.
Next up, I share my pros and cons for Emirates business class. And I will break down if flying Vietnam Airlines business class domestically throughout Vietnam is worth it. Stay tuned!
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