The short answer
- First visit
- 12 to 15 days
- North only
- 6 to 8 days
- North to south
- 14 days
- With Sapa and a beach
- 18 to 21 days
Vietnam is long and thin, and the big highlights sit at both ends and in the middle. Most tours link them with two short domestic flights: Hanoi to Hue or Da Nang, then Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City.
The most common mistake is squeezing north to south into ten days. It can be done, but two weeks gives you time to enjoy each place rather than just pass through it.
Quick guide by trip length
| Length | Route | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh | A short trip focused on the north |
| 10 days | Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue and Hoi An | North and centre without rushing |
| 14 days | Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An, Saigon, Mekong | The classic first trip, north to south |
| 21 days | The 14 day route plus Sapa, and Phu Quoc or a central beach | A deep first visit |
7 days: the north
Best for: A short trip, or the first week of a Vietnam and Cambodia trip
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Hanoi. Evening street food walk in the Old Quarter | Hanoi |
| 2 | Hoan Kiem Lake, Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum (from outside), water puppets | Hanoi |
| 3 | Drive to Ha Long Bay (about 2.5 hours) and board an overnight cruise | Cruise |
| 4 | Sunrise on deck, kayaking, back to land, drive to Ninh Binh | Ninh Binh |
| 5 | Boat trip at Trang An or Tam Coc, climb Hang Mua viewpoint, cycle the villages | Ninh Binh |
| 6 | Return to Hanoi (about 2 hours). Free afternoon | Hanoi |
| 7 | Fly home |
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14 days: north to south
Best for: Most first time visitors
| Days | Place | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Hanoi | Old Quarter, street food, Temple of Literature | Hanoi |
| 3 to 4 | Ha Long Bay | Overnight cruise, kayaking, caves | Cruise |
| 4 to 5 | Ninh Binh | River boats through karst landscapes | Ninh Binh |
| 6 to 7 | Hue | Imperial City, royal tombs, Perfume River (fly from Hanoi, about 1 hour 15 minutes) | Hue |
| 8 to 10 | Hoi An | Drive over the Hai Van Pass, lantern lit old town, tailors, beach | Hoi An |
| 11 to 12 | Ho Chi Minh City | Fly from Da Nang (about 1 hour 20 minutes). Cu Chi tunnels, War Remnants Museum | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 13 | Mekong Delta | Boats through the canals, floating market | Mekong or Saigon |
| 14 | Fly home |
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10 days: north and centre
Best for: Travellers who prefer depth to distance
With ten days, drop the south: Hanoi (2 nights), a Ha Long Bay cruise (1 night), Hue (2 nights) and Hoi An (3 nights), flying home from Da Nang. You see the most iconic sights without spending a day in airports at the end.
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A local specialist will send a free itinerary and price for 10 days, built around your dates.
21 days: add Sapa and a beach
Best for: A long holiday or a slower pace
Three weeks lets you add two or three nights in Sapa for trekking among the rice terraces (an overnight train or a 5 to 6 hour drive from Hanoi), and end with four nights on Phu Quoc or the beach near Hoi An.
Another popular option is to spend the third week in Cambodia, crossing from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap for Angkor Wat. See Vietnam and Cambodia in one trip.
Want this trip made for you?
A local specialist will send a free itinerary and price for 21 days, built around your dates.
Mistakes to avoid
- Doing Ha Long Bay as a day trip from Hanoi: you spend about five hours on the road for a few hours on the water. Stay one night on board.
- Taking the train from north to south to save money: it takes more than 30 hours. Use it for short scenic stretches such as Hue to Da Nang.
- Booking central Vietnam without a backup plan in October and November, when floods are common.
- Ignoring Tet. Plan around the week of Lunar New Year or book very early.
Compare tours by length
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Frequently asked questions
Is 10 days enough for Vietnam?
Ten days is enough for the north and centre: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue and Hoi An. Covering north to south in ten days is possible but rushed.
Is 2 weeks enough for Vietnam?
Yes. Two weeks is the ideal length for a first trip from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, with a night on Ha Long Bay and three nights in Hoi An.
Should I travel Vietnam north to south or south to north?
Either works. Choose the direction that puts each region in its best weather: for example, finish in the south in winter and in the north in autumn.
Vietnam month by month
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