Two Weeks in Vietnam: The Best North-to-South Itinerary

Vietnam is 1,650 km long. Two weeks is enough to see the highlights, with a few detours for the best food and the most dramatic scenery. This is the working itinerary that the locals use for visiting friends and family — slower than the backpacking version, but with all the best bits.

The itinerary at a glance

1. Days 1-3: Hà Nội
2. Day 4: Hạ Long Bay / Lan Hạ Bay (overnight boat)
3. Day 5-6: Hà Nội → Huế (sleeper train, ~13 hours)
4. Day 7: Huế
5. Day 8-9: Hội An (via Hai Van Pass, 4 hours)
6. Day 10: Fly to Saigon (1.5 hours)
7. Day 11: Saigon
8. Day 12-13: Mekong Delta (Bến Tre or Cần Thơ)
9. Day 14: Saigon → fly home

Day 1: Arrive Hà Nội

Get to your hotel in the Old Quarter. Rest. Don't fight the jet lag. Eat dinner in the alleys around Hàng Bông street — bún chả, bánh cuốn, bia hơi. Go to bed early.

Day 2: Hà Nội — Old Quarter + food tour

Morning: walk the Old Quarter's 36 streets. Stop at Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Coffee at Café Giảng (egg coffee). Lunch at Phở Thìn (Bát Đàn) or any bún chả place.

Afternoon: walk to the Temple of Literature, then take a cyclo (or just walk) through the French Quarter. Sunset at West Lake (Tây Hồ).

Evening: street food tour. The 3-hour Hà Nội food tour industry is mature, well-priced ($25-50), and genuinely illuminating.

Day 3: Hà Nội — museums, water puppet, and the best egg coffee

Morning: Hỏa Lò Prison (the "Hanoi Hilton"), Vietnam Women's Museum, Ethnology Museum. Pick 2.

Afternoon: water puppet show at Thang Long Theater (a unique Vietnamese art form).

Evening: dinner at Tống Tố (or a more adventurous local spot), then the "Train Street" coffee scene (yes, the train comes through — drink fast).

Day 4: Hạ Long Bay / Lan Hạ Bay

Limousine bus from Hà Nội to Cat Ba or Tuan Chau, then board a 1-2 night cruise. The cruise operator picks you up. Stay overnight on the boat. Kayak, swim, eat, sleep.

Day 5: Return to Hà Nội, then sleeper train to Huế

Return from the cruise late morning. Recover at the hotel. Evening: board the SE3, SE7, or similar sleeper train to Huế (13 hours, you sleep on the train, arrive day 6 morning).

Day 6-7: Huế

Day 6: arrive Huế in the morning, half day for the Citadel, half day for the markets and the river. Eat bún bò Huế for lunch, bánh khoái for dinner.

Day 7: motorbike or guided tour to the tombs. Lăng Tự Đức + Lăng Khải Định is the standard pair. Lunch at a riverside garden restaurant.

Day 8-9: Hội An (via Hai Van Pass)

Day 8: drive from Huế to Hội An over the Hai Van Pass. 4 hours of the most scenic road in Vietnam, with a stop at Lang Co beach and the Marble Mountains. Arrive Hội An for lunch, walk the Old Town, dinner at the night market.

Day 9: Hội An day. Tailoring, cooking class, beach, or just slow wandering. The full moon night festival is on the 14th of every lunar month — if you time it right, this is the highlight.

Day 10: Fly to Saigon (HCMC)

Morning flight (1.5 hours) from Đà Nẵng to Saigon. Half day in Saigon: the War Remnants Museum (don't skip, even if you think you know), the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame, the Post Office.

Day 11: Saigon

Morning: District 1 walking tour — Book Street (Đường Nguyễn Văn Bình), the café scene, lunch at Cơm Tấm Mục Riếtnguyễn (legendary).

Afternoon: Chinatown (Chợ Lớn), Bình Tây Market, Thien Hau Temple. Or the Cu Chi Tunnels half-day trip.

Evening: dinner at Quán Ớt (or Bún Bò Huế Nam Giao for late-night bún bò).

Day 12: Mekong Delta day

Day trip to Mỹ Tho or Bến Tre. 1.5-2 hours by bus. Boat through the canals, lunch on the river, fruit orchards, return to Saigon by evening.

Or: take the speedboat to Cần Thơ (4 hours), stay overnight, do the Cái Răng floating market at sunrise, return to Saigon by afternoon flight day 14.

Day 13-14: Saigon or return

Day 13: open in Saigon. Shopping for tailored clothes, last meals, farewell.

Day 14: fly home.

What to skip with only two weeks

• Sa Pa: Needs 2-3 nights minimum. Skip this trip.
• Phong Nha: Needs 2-3 nights. Skip this trip.
• Phú Quốc: Needs 2-3 nights for a beach stay. Add as a pre-trip extension if you have 3-4 days extra.
• Đà Lạt: Needs 2-3 nights. Skip this trip.

What to add if you have one more week

Add Sa Pa (2 nights) to the start of the trip, OR add Phú Quốc (3 nights) to the end. Either one turns "highlights" into "real."

Total cost (mid-range, per person, 2 sharing)

• Flights (international + internal Hà Nội → Đà Nẵng): $800-1500
• Accommodation (mid-range hotels, 1 night on boat): $700-1100
• Food: $250-400
• Transport (sleeper train, bus, internal flights, taxis): $200-300
• Activities (cruise, food tours, museums): $300-500
• Total: $2,200-3,800