A first-timer's guide to Vietnam

# A first-timer's guide to Vietnam Vietnam is not a small country. At 1,650 km long, you can fit Portugal, Denmark, the Netherlands, and most of Italy inside it. First-time visitors who try to see it all end up exhausted and only scratching the surface. Two weeks is the right window. Long enough for the north, the centre, and the south. Short enough that you have to choose. ## The route The classic first-timer route is the long S: Hà Nội → Huế → Hội An → HCMC → Mekong Delta. You can do it in two weeks without rushing. Trains connect the whole spine. **Days 1-4: Hà Nội and the north.** Spend at least three nights in the capital. The Old Quarter is the heart — eat phở at Phở Thìn, drink bia hơi on the street, and see a water-puppet show once (only once, you don't need to go back). **Days 5-6: Hạ Long Bay or Ninh Bình.** A night on a junk boat in Hạ Long Bay is the iconic experience, but Ninh Bình is the quieter, more interesting alternative — limestone karsts rising from rice paddies, rowed by locals. **Days 7-9: Huế and Hội An.** Take the overnight train or a short flight south. Huế is the old imperial capital, slow and heavy with history. Hội An is the opposite — a perfectly preserved trading port full of lanterns and tailors. **Days 10-12: HCMC and the Mekong.** Fly from Đà Nẵng to HCMC. Two nights is enough. Day-trip to the Mekong Delta. **Days 13-14: Phú Quốc or stay put.** If you want a beach, Phú Quốc is a 1-hour flight from HCMC. Otherwise, eat your way through Saigon and fly home. ## Common mistakes The biggest mistake first-timers make is trying to fit Sapa, Hà Giang, the Central Highlands, and the beaches all into the same trip. You will not enjoy any of them. Pick a region and commit. The second biggest mistake is under-budgeting time for food. Vietnamese food is the reason most people come back. Give yourself at least one dedicated eating day per city. The third is over-researching on Instagram. Most of the photos you see are from professional shoots in commercial settings. Your experience will look different. That's fine. The food will taste the same. ## When to go February to April is the sweet spot — dry season, mild temperatures, low humidity. Avoid June-August (hot, rainy) and December-January (cool, occasionally typhoon-disrupted in the centre). ## What to bring - A light rain jacket (not an umbrella) - Comfortable walking shoes that can get wet - Modest cover for temples (shoulders and knees) - A universal adapter (Vietnam uses A/C and D/G plugs) - More SD cards than you think you need Vietnam rewards people who slow down. Don't try to be everywhere. Pick the things you'll remember and skip the rest.