Planning for Vietnam
Planning a vacation to Vietnam but not sure where to start?
We’re glad you’ve chosen Vietnam because the country has a lot to offer. Bustling cities and remote villages. Verdant rice paddies in the mountainous backdrop, delicious food, and a rich cultural history.
If you have just a week in Vietnam, you can still experience the best of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City and even take a short trip.
Got two weeks or a month to explore Vietnam? You will have plenty of time to discover Vietnam’s rich culture, and see the top attractions.
If you have two weeks in Vietnam, it’s best to focus your travel plans in one region. Rushing your Vietnam itinerary in order to cover the North to South is daunting and will only cause stress. Instead, spend more time in one place before going to the next.
While a month traveling in Vietnam will give you more chance to visit more places, it doesn’t mean you should include every place on your bucket list. Instead, look into the places to find out if the activities there match your interests.
For itinerary ideas, see below.
Hanoi – 1 day
Bucket list| Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Water Puppet Show, Ha Giang Cafe, Walking street market, Hanoi Opera House, Train Street, Hanoi Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake
Sapa – 2 days
Trekking in Sapa for 2 days with/without a tour guide and 2 nights stay at a homestay
Cat Ba + Halong Bay – 2 days
Spend a day on a boat tour in Halong Bay before heading to Cat Ba for exploration and an overnight cruise
Hanoi – 2 days
Bucket list| Beer Coner, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Water Puppet Show, Dong Xuan Market, Ha Giang Cafe, Weekend walking street market, Hanoi Opera House, Train Street, Temple of Literature, Westlake, Hanoi Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake
Sapa or Mai Chau + Pu Luong or Cat Ba + Halong Bay – 3 days
Sapa – 3 days
Trekking in Sapa for 3 days with/without a tour guide and 2 nights stay at a homestay
Mai Chau + Pu Luong – 3 days
Spend 1-day trekking in Mai Chau Valley before spending another two days trekking peacefully in Pu Luong.
Cat Ba + Halong Bay – 3 days
Spend a day on a boat tour in Halong Bay before heading to Cat Ba for exploration and an overnight cruise
Hanoi – 1 day
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi Old Quarter, Train Street, Ha Giang cafe
Ha Long Bay – 2 days
2-day 1-night boat cruise
Pu Luong – 2 days
Trekking at the remote Pu Luong Nature Reserve and stay at an eco-lodge or hotel
Ninh Binh – 2 days
Countryside cycle tour and boat ride in Tam Coc & Trang An
Hanoi – 2 days
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi Old Quarter, Train Street, Ha Giang cafe
Ha Long Bay – 2 days
2-day 1-night boat cruise
Pu Luong – 3 days
Trekking at the remote Pu Luong Nature Reserve and stay at an eco-lodge or hotel
Hanoi – 1 day
Temple of Literature, Hanoi Old Quarter, Train Street
Sapa – 2 days
Trekking in Sapa for 2 days with/without a tour guide and 1 night stay at a homestay
Halong Bay – 2 days
2-day 1-night boat cruise
Ninh Binh – 2 days
Countryside cycle tour and boat ride in Tam Coc & Trang An
Phong Nha – 2 days
Cave exploration at Paradise cave, boat ride to Phong Nha Cave & Cave adventure tour
Hue – 2 days
Visit the Imperial city, take a cruise along Perfume River and explore Bach Ma National Park
Hoi An – 3 days
Central Market tour, cyclo tour, light candles on the river, boat ride to Thanh Village, cooking class tour, Cua Dai & An Bang Beach, Japanese covered bridge, Museum of Trade and Ceramics, Cycling in the countryside
Hanoi – 2 days
Temple of Literature, Hanoi Old Quarter, Train Street
Pu Luong + Mai Chau – 4 days
Trekking in Mai Chau and Pu Luong for 4 days with/without a tour guide.
Halong Bay – 2 days
2-day 1-night boat cruise
Ninh Binh – 2 days
Countryside cycle tour and boat ride in Tam Coc & Trang An
Hoi An – 4 days
Central Market tour, cyclo tour, light candles on the river, boat ride to Thanh Village, cooking class tour, Cua Dai & An Bang Beach, Japanese covered bridge, Museum of Trade and Ceramics, Cycling in the countryside
Hanoi – 2 days
Beer Coner, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Water Puppet Show, Dong Xuan Market, Ha Giang Cafe, Weekend walking street market, Hanoi Opera House, Train Street, Temple of Literature, Hanoi Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake
Ha Long Bay – 2 days
2-day 1-night boat cruise
Mai Chau – 1 day
Spend 1-day trekking in Mai Chau Valley before going to Pu Luong
Pu Luong – 3 days
Trek and relax at the Pu Luong Nature Reserve in the remote mountainous valley.
Ninh Binh – 2 days
Countryside cycle tour and boat ride in Tam Coc & Trang An
Phong Nha – 2 days
Cave exploration at Paradise cave, boat ride to Phong Nha Cave & Cave adventure tour
Hue – 2 days
Visit the Imperial city, take a cruise along Perfume River and explore Bach Ma National Park
Hoi An – 4 days
Central Market, cyclo tour, light candles on the river, boat ride to Thanh Village, cooking class tour, Cua Dai & An Bang Beach, Japanese covered bridge, Museum of Trade and Ceramics, cycling in the countryside, visit a tailor
Da Lat – 2 days
Lang Biang Mountain, Cable Car to Truc Lam Pagoda, Elephant Waterfalls, Dalat Flower Gardens, Lak Lake, Hang Nga Guest House – Crazy House
Hcmc – 2 days
Reunification Palace, Hue Walking Street, Bui Vien Street, Ben Thanh Market, The Central Post Office, Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, War Remnants Museum, Bitexco Financial Tower, Jade Emperor Pagoda, Củ Chi tunnels
Can Tho – 3 days
Can Tho Bridge, My Khanh Tourist Village, Cai Rang Floating Market, Binh Thuy ancient house, Nam Nha Pagoda, Mekong Delta Tour
Phu Quoc – 4 days
Sao Beach, Bãi Dài Beach, Ông Lang beach,Làng Chài Hàm Ninh floating seafood village
Phú Quốc National Park,
Hanoi – 3 days
Beer Coner, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Water Puppet Show, Dong Xuan Market, Ha Giang Cafe, Weekend walking street market, Hanoi Opera House, Train Street, Temple of Literature, Hanoi Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake
Ha Long Bay + Cat Ba Island – 4 days
2-day 1-night boat cruise
Sapa – 3 days
Spend 1-day trekking in Mai Chau Valley before going to Pu Luong
Pu Luong – 3 days
Trek and relax at the Pu Luong Nature Reserve in the remote mountainous valley.
Ninh Binh – 2 days
Countryside cycle tour and boat ride in Tam Coc & Trang An
Hoi An – 5 days
Central Market, cyclo tour, light candles on the river, boat ride to Thanh Village, cooking class tour, Cua Dai & An Bang Beach, Japanese covered bridge, Museum of Trade and Ceramics, cycling in the countryside, visit a tailor
Hcmc – 3 days
Reunification Palace, Hue Walking Street, Bui Vien Street, Ben Thanh Market, The Central Post Office, Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, War Remnants Museum, Bitexco Financial Tower, Jade Emperor Pagoda, Củ Chi tunnels
Mekong Delta | 3 days
Phu Quoc – 4 days
Sao Beach, Bãi Dài Beach, Ông Lang beach,Làng Chài Hàm Ninh floating seafood village
Phú Quốc National Park,