10-Day Vietnam Itinerary (7 and 14-Day Options)
Vietnam is over 1,000 miles long, about Florida to New York, so the trick is choosing. After roughly four months of trips here, from Saigon-to-Hanoi on motorbikes to the far north, this is the route we would book: a week in the north, ten days with Hoi An, or two weeks top to bottom. Switch the length below and the plan rebuilds itself.
Hanoi → Ha Long Bay → Tam Coc → HanoiHanoi → Ha Long Bay → Tam Coc → Hoi AnHanoi → Ha Long Bay → Tam Coc → Phong Nha → Hoi An → Saigon
day by day
The Vietnam itinerary
Hanoi2 nights2 nights2 nights · fly in here
DayLand in Hanoi and set up Grab
Buy a SIM card at the airport (it is the easiest place) and download Grab: rides, motorbike taxis and food delivery in one app, with English menus. Ride it to your hotel. The Wi-Fi is so good it put ours at home to shame.
DayStreet food in the Old Quarter
Learn three words and you can eat anywhere: phở (noodle soup), cơm (rice) and bún (noodles; bún chả with grilled pork is the Hanoi classic). Ask for bò (beef) or gà (chicken) like a statement, not a question, and finish with cà phê sữa đá, iced coffee with condensed milk. Fin is celiac and never got sick here: almost everything is made from rice.
Ha Long Bay1 night1 night1 night · overnight cruise
DayOvernight cruise on Ha Long Bay
One night is enough to see it, but count it as two days: the transfer from Hanoi, usually included with the cruise, takes about half a day each way. Want slow days on the water? Book a longer cruise. Avoid December and January, when it is too chilly to swim.
Tam Coc2 nights2 nights2 nights · Ninh Binh
DayFrom the bay to Tam Coc
Tam Coc is Ha Long Bay on land: limestone cliffs over rice fields and rivers. People try it as a day trip from Hanoi, but it is far, and the stays are charming, so sleep here.
DayRiver boat through the caves, then a viewpoint hike
This is why you book two nights: a whole day for the boat ride through the caves and the hike up to the viewpoints, with no travel in the way. It is our rule all over Vietnam: never fewer than two nights in one place.
Hanoi1 night · fly home from here
DayBack to Hanoi
About two hours back to the city for a last night of street food and coffee in the Old Quarter.
DayFly home
Hanoi is the right airport for a short trip: everything on this route is within about half a day of the city.
Phong Nha2 nights · cave country
DayTrain south to Phong Nha
Take the train from Ninh Binh. Our advice for all of Vietnam: always the train over the bus, every time. Phong Nha is remote and less visited, which is the point.
DayCaves and jungle in Phong Nha
Home of Son Doong, the largest cave in the world (that expedition runs about $3,000 a person). There are plenty of other cave trips, from day tours to overnight treks. We did a four-day trek with Oxalis and filmed all of it.
Hoi An4 nights3 nights · fly into Da Nang · train to Da Nang
DayOn to Da Nang, then straight to Hoi An
Domestic flights are cheap, so fly from Hanoi to Da Nang (from Phong Nha, take the train). Skip Da Nang itself, a big local city without much charm, and go 45 minutes on to Hoi An, by far the most charming town in Vietnam. Walk the Old Town after dark, when the lanterns come on.
DayGet clothes tailored
Hoi An is famous for its tailors: dresses, suits, all the way up to the leather motorcycle jacket Tim had made here. Order early in your stay so there is time for a fitting before you leave.
DayA slow day, or the Golden Bridge
If the giant stone hands of the Golden Bridge near Da Nang are on your list, go get the photo. Otherwise, take a slow day in Hoi An.
DayLanterns on the river
Once a month, on the full moon (the 14th day of the lunar month), the Old Town floats candlelit lanterns down the river. Plan around it if you can. On any other night, the paper lanterns still make this the prettiest town in Vietnam after dark.
DayFly home from Da Nang
Da Nang airport is about 45 minutes from Hoi An.
Saigon3 nights · fly home from here
DayFly to Saigon
Your tickets will say Ho Chi Minh City, but everyone calls it Saigon. It is such a fun city, and we prefer the food in the south: spicier and more flavorful.
DayCrawl through the Cu Chi Tunnels
About an hour outside the city, you can climb down into the tunnel network yourself. Go with a guided tour; any hotel can set one up.
DayMarkets, the War Remnants Museum or the Mekong Delta
Spend a day on the markets and the War Remnants Museum. The Mekong Delta is the classic day trip, about two hours south. It is the one big Vietnam trip we have never done, so tell us how it is.
DayFly home
Saigon has the most international flights in the south.
- Central and southern Vietnam. With a week, stay in the north, fly into Hanoi and keep every stop within half a day of the city.
- We skip it. It was the letdown of our trips (bad weather did not help), and Vietnam has so many temples and pagodas that Hue did not stand out. Spend the day in Hoi An instead.
- Phong Nha for the caves, by train from Ninh Binh.
- Saigon and the Cu Chi Tunnels.
- With three weeks: a night in Da Lat, the Ha Giang motorbike loop (three days minimum) or a stay in Sapa.
before you go
Watch the whole trip
Itinerary sorted? Watch the whole country end to end: our motorbike trip from Saigon to Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, filmed as a full documentary.
the route
Route and travel tips
The whole north-to-south route in Google Maps. Remember the scale: Hanoi to Saigon is over 1,000 miles, so fly between regions.
book this trip
Where to stay
pack for vietnam
What we packed
Pack for two climates: it can be 90°F and humid in Saigon and cold in the north on the same day. Our gear is from Tripped, our own travel brand.
watch vietnam
Every stop on video
good to know
Vietnam trip questions
How many days do you need in Vietnam?
A week covers the north from Hanoi: Ha Long Bay and Tam Coc. Ten days adds Hoi An. Two weeks takes you top to bottom with Phong Nha and Saigon. With three weeks, add Da Lat or the Ha Giang loop.
Should I fly into Hanoi or Saigon?
Hanoi for a trip under 10 days: the most iconic sights are within about half a day of it. For two weeks, fly into Hanoi and home from Saigon.
Is Sapa worth visiting?
The rice terraces are beautiful, but tourism has changed the town: the street selling there was some of the most intense we have seen anywhere. Go for a specific hotel with a view rather than wandering the town. For the same scenery with fewer crowds, adventurous travelers can do the Ha Giang loop.
Are Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Hue worth it?
Not on a first trip. Nha Trang is a beach town popular with Russian tourists, Hue did not stand out from the many temples elsewhere, and Mui Ne is worth one night only if its red sand dunes are on your list.
Do you need a visa for Vietnam?
Most travelers, including Americans, need an e-visa. Apply online at least a week before you go, print it and bring it with you.
keep planning
More for your Vietnam trip
Budget, when to go, getting around and every video we filmed there is in our Vietnam travel guide.
Vietnam travel guideHow we plan every trip
