country
VietnamViệt Nam
First trip: pick two of the three regions (North, Centre, South) for 10–14 nights and fly between them; Hanoi is the northern base, and the night you land decides whether the old-quarter door is still open.
Vietnam is 1,600 km long. The trips that fail try to do Hanoi, Hạ Long, Huế, Hội An and Saigon in ten days by overnight bus. Fly between regions, sleep 3–4 nights per base, and treat traffic, heat and cash as the three rules that apply everywhere.
Regions
Đà Nẵng / Hội An / Huế
3–5 nights
Hồ Chí Minh City + Mekong
3–4 nights
Capital and major cities
Use Ho Chi Minh City as the southern gateway: two to three nights for the war-history sites, markets and food, then move on to the Mekong Delta or the coast.
Choose Da Nang for a beach-and-city stay in central Vietnam and a base for Hoi An, Hue and My Son: three nights suits most trips.
Give Hue one to two nights for the Imperial City and the royal tombs: it is the historic stop between Hanoi and Hoi An.
Plan two to three nights in Hoi An for the old town, tailors and nearby beaches, and expect it to be crowded in the evenings.
Routes that work
North only, 6 nights
Keep the Hanoi bed; send a small bag on the Hạ Long overnight cruise.
- Fly Hanoi → Đà Nẵng → Hồ Chí Minh City (or reverse); overnight buses cost a day of recovery.
- Avoid Tết (Lunar New Year, late Jan–Feb): transport sells out and many businesses close for a week.
- Northern winters (Dec–Feb) are cool and grey; the south is hot all year.
Arrive
HAN
Nội Bài (Hanoi)
35–60 min by car to the Old Quarter
DAD
Đà Nẵng
Planned
SGN
Tân Sơn Nhất (Saigon)
Planned
Time math
- 5 days
- Hanoi 3 + Ninh Bình day-trip + Hạ Long day or overnight
- 10 days
- North 5 + Centre 5 (fly HAN → DAD)
- 14 days
- North 5 + Centre 5 + South 4 (fly both legs)
Country rules
- Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal; lookalike sites charge extra.
- Crossing streets: walk slowly and steadily; motorbikes flow around you — do not stop or run.
- Carry Vietnamese đồng in small notes; many stalls and taxis are cash-only.
Etiquette
- Cover shoulders and knees at pagodas and at the Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum.
- Remove shoes where there is a shoe rack or a raised floor.
- Bargain calmly at markets; fixed prices in shops and malls.
- Tết (late Jan–Feb, moves yearly)
- Transport sold out; many restaurants closed for days.
- Apr 30–May 1, Sep 2
- National holidays; domestic travel peak.
- Typhoon season (Sep–Nov, centre)
- Flights and boats cancelled at short notice.
Money & passes
Cash necessity: 4/5
- VND in small notes (10k–100k) for stalls, markets, xe ôm and tips at spas.
- ATMs are common in cities; bank limits per withdrawal are low, fees vary.
- Ride-hailing apps (Grab and others) show the fare upfront and take cards in-app.
Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · E-visa and entry
Safety
- Traffic is the main risk: cross slowly, use crossings with a local, never rent a motorbike without a licence and insurance.
- Heat (May–Sep in the north): plan AC stops every 60–90 minutes.
- Emergency: 113 police, 114 fire, 115 ambulance.
Vietnam is the spine of the Southeast Asia corridor (planned): Laos and Cambodia connect overland.
Sources
- Vietnam National E-visa portal (official)
- Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (official)
- Wikivoyage — Vietnam (secondary)