Vietnam itineraries

A Vietnam itinerary is best built around how many days are available and how much of those days will go to travel between regions. A single base such as Hanoi realistically covers its Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of Literature and one of the major museums in a day, with an evening water puppet show if energy allows. Two to three days in a city let a trip settle in properly, adding a street food tour and a half-day out to a nearby village.

Four to five days is where one full day trip, such as Ninh Binh from Hanoi or Hoi An from Da Nang, becomes realistic, and this length also allows a single overnight excursion, either to Ha Long Bay by cruise or to the Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City. A full week opens up combining two regions, for example Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay in the north, or Da Nang, Hoi An and Hue in the centre. Ten days to two weeks is where a north-to-south or south-to-north route linking the three regions becomes realistic, with domestic flights or the train covering the long distances, and the Ha Giang loop can be added as its own dedicated block rather than squeezed alongside the other stops.

Whatever the length, it makes sense to lock in the longer excursions first, since Ha Long Bay, Sapa and Ha Giang depend on travel time and, in the case of the bay, on weather, and build the flexible city days around them.