Vietnam in 2 Weeks: The Perfect North-to-South Itinerary

Vietnam is long. Stretch it out on a map and it runs 1,650 kilometers from the Chinese border to the southern tip of Ca Mau Peninsula -- roughly the distance from London to Athens. Two weeks is not a lot of time for a country this tall, but it is absolutely enough to experience the highlights if you plan the transitions carefully.

This itinerary moves north to south, starting in Hanoi and ending in Ho Chi Minh City. It hits the tier-one stops -- Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An, the Mekong Delta -- without running you ragged. Read the transport notes carefully: how you move between cities has as much impact on your experience as what you do when you arrive.

The Route at a Glance

Days	Destination	Nights
1-3	Hanoi	2
3-5	Ha Long Bay (cruise)	1-2
5-6	Ninh Binh (optional)	1
6-8	Hue	2
8-11	Hoi An / Da Nang	3
11-14	Ho Chi Minh City + Mekong	3

---

Days 1-3: Hanoi — Getting Your Bearings

Day 1: Arrive, Orient, Eat

Land at Nội Bài International Airport. A Grab car to the Old Quarter (Phố Cổ) takes 35-50 minutes and costs 250,000-350,000 VND ($10-14). Do not take unmarked taxis from the arrivals hall.

Drop your bags and walk. The Old Quarter's 36 streets are dense, loud, and exhilarating. Each street historically belonged to a single guild: Hàng Gai (silk), Hàng Bạc (silver), Hàng Thiếc (tin). Today it is a jumble of tailors, coffee shops, and street food.

Evening: Hoan Kiem Lake (Hồ Hoàn Kiếm) at dusk is genuinely beautiful. Sit at a plastic stool café on the lakeside with a cà phê trứng (egg coffee) from Café Giang, 39 Nguyễn Hữu Huân. The egg yolk-and-condensed milk foam on top of dark robusta coffee is uniquely Hanoian -- invented here in the 1940s when fresh milk was scarce.

Dinner: Bún chả at Bún Chả Hương Liên, 24 Lê Văn Hưu -- the place Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama ate in 2016. A full meal with nem rán (fried spring rolls) costs 70,000-100,000 VND ($2.80-4).

Day 2: Hanoi History

Start early. Pho breakfast at Phở Gia Truyền, 49 Bát Đàn -- queue before 8 AM for the best broth. A bowl costs 50,000-60,000 VND ($2-2.40).

Morning: Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum complex (entrance free, closed Monday and Friday). The mausoleum itself houses Ho Chi Minh's preserved body -- dress respectfully and move in silence. Adjacent: the Presidential Palace, stilted house, and the One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột). Allow 2 hours.

Midday: Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (Bảo Tàng Dân Tộc Học Việt Nam), 10,000 VND admission, Cầu Giấy District. The best museum in Hanoi, covering 54 ethnic groups with outdoor reconstructed village houses. Take a Grab (15-20 minutes, ~80,000 VND).

Afternoon: Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu), 30,000 VND entry. Vietnam's first university, founded in 1070. A peaceful contrast to the street noise outside.

Evening: Bia hơi (fresh draft beer, 7,000-10,000 VND per glass) at the corner of Tạ Hiện and Lương Ngọc Quyến in the Old Quarter. This is where backpackers and locals collide. Order a round and watch the corner happen.

Day 3: Morning in Hanoi, Afternoon Departure for Ha Long

Free morning for anything you missed. Check out of your hotel and store luggage. Board a transfer bus to Hạ Long Bay through your cruise operator -- most depart around noon from the Old Quarter. The drive takes 2.5-3 hours.

---

Days 3-5: Ha Long Bay — The Overnight Cruise

An overnight cruise is non-negotiable. Day trips exist but they leave you with just a few hours on the water before rushing back -- not worth it. Budget options start at 1,500,000 VND ($60) per person; mid-range cruises run 3,000,000-5,000,000 VND ($120-200).

What to look for: Operators sailing into Lan Hạ Bay (adjacent to the more crowded main bay, equally beautiful, fewer boats) or Bai Tu Long Bay. Read reviews on TripAdvisor and check that the boat has life jackets and a visible safety rating.

Day 3 afternoon / Day 4: Kayaking through limestone karst formations, swimming in clear water, exploring Thiên Cung Cave (Heavenly Palace Cave). The bay covers roughly 1,500 km² with 1,600-plus limestone islands. Sunsets here are spectacular; the mist-wrapped rocks at dawn are otherworldly.

Day 5: Most cruises disembark by noon. Board your transfer bus back to Hanoi, then onward transport -- see options below.

Optional extension: If you have a spare day, Ninh Bình (3 hours from Hanoi by bus or train, around 100,000-150,000 VND) offers similar karst scenery on land. Tràng An and Tam Cốc are both beautiful, and crowds thin out past midday. See our Ninh Binh guide for details.

---

Days 6-8: Hue — Vietnam's Imperial Capital

Getting there: Fly from Hanoi to Phú Bài Airport (Hue) -- 1 hour, 500,000-900,000 VND ($20-36) on VietJet or Bamboo. Alternatively, take the overnight Reunification Express train from Hanoi (13 hours, soft sleeper from 700,000 VND / $28) -- you wake up in Hue having saved a night's accommodation.

Huế (pronounced "Hway") was Vietnam's imperial capital from 1802 to 1945 under the Nguyễn Dynasty. The city moves slowly, food is extraordinary, and most visitors do not stay long enough.

Day 6: The Imperial City

Morning: The Imperial Citadel (Đại Nội) -- 200,000 VND entry. A walled city within a city, partially damaged during the 1968 Tết Offensive but still magnificent. Allow 3-4 hours to do it justice.

Lunch: Bún bò Huế at Bún Bò Cô Liên, 6 Trần Cao Vân -- 40,000-50,000 VND ($1.60-2). The original bún bò Huế is spicier and more complex than any version you've eaten elsewhere. The lemongrass-spiked beef broth with thick round noodles and cubes of congealed blood (optional) is one of Vietnam's great dishes.

Afternoon: Thuyền Rồng (dragon boat) ride on the Perfume River (Sông Hương) to Thiên Mụ Pagoda. The 7-tiered tower is Hue's most iconic image. Negotiate the boat ride from the riverside near the citadel -- around 150,000-200,000 VND per boat for 1-2 hours.

Evening: Cơm hến (tiny baby mussels on rice with shredded banana flower) at a street stall near Dong Ba Market. This hyper-local dish costs 25,000-35,000 VND and is almost impossible to find outside Hue.

Day 7: Royal Tombs and Departure

Morning: Minh Mạng Tomb (Lăng Minh Mạng) -- 100,000 VND, 12 km south of the city. The most architecturally coherent of Hue's royal tombs, set in parkland around a lake. Take a xe ôm (motorbike taxi, ~80,000 VND each way) or rent a bicycle.

Afternoon / evening: Board the train to Da Nang (2.5 hours, 100,000-180,000 VND). This is one of the most scenic rail journeys in Vietnam -- the train crosses the Hải Vân Pass (Đèo Hải Vân) with dramatic views of the South China Sea. Book a seat on the ocean side.

---

Days 8-11: Hoi An — Ancient Town and Beaches

Getting to Hoi An: From Da Nang, take a Grab (~150,000 VND / $6) or shared minibus (~50,000 VND). The drive takes 45 minutes.

Hội An is Vietnam's most photogenic town. The UNESCO-listed Ancient Quarter is a compact warren of yellow-painted merchant houses, Chinese temples, covered bridges, and tailors who can copy any garment in 24-48 hours.

Day 8: Ancient Town Immersion

Morning wander before the tour groups arrive -- the Ancient Town is most atmospheric before 9 AM. Key stops: Hội An Ancient Town covered bridge (Cầu Lai Viễn, built by the Japanese community around 1593), Phúc Kiến Assembly Hall, and the riverside market.

Afternoon: Book a tailor. Hoi An's tailors are genuinely skilled. Quality varies enormously -- see reviews and allow at least two fittings over two days. Budget 500,000-2,000,000 VND ($20-80) per garment.

Evening: Cooking class. Several schools offer half-day classes including a market tour -- An Hội Cooking School and Thuan Tinh Island Cooking Class both receive consistent praise. Cost: 550,000-700,000 VND ($22-28).

Day 9: An Bang Beach and Cham Islands

An Bàng Beach is 3 km north of town -- rent a bicycle (30,000-50,000 VND/day) and ride there. It's less developed than Cửa Đại Beach (which has suffered serious erosion) and has excellent seafood restaurants directly on the sand.

Optional: Cù Lao Chàm (Cham Islands), 18 km offshore. Boats depart from Cửa Đại Pier, 150,000-200,000 VND return. Snorkeling is excellent; day trips include lunch. The sea can be rough from September to January.

Day 10: Day Trip to My Son or Da Nang

Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary -- 100,000 VND entry, 45 km from Hoi An. Hindu temples built by the Champa kingdom between the 4th and 13th centuries. Hire a car or join a tour (~300,000-400,000 VND total). Go early -- afternoons are punishingly hot.

Alternatively, Da Nang: Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn), Dragon Bridge (spectacular at night on weekends when it breathes fire), and the Museum of Cham Sculpture -- 60,000 VND entry, the finest collection of Cham artifacts in the world.

---

Days 11-14: Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta

Getting there: Fly Da Nang to Tân Sơn Nhất Airport. 1.5 hours, 400,000-800,000 VND ($16-32) booked in advance. A Grab from the airport to District 1 costs 150,000-200,000 VND.

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City First Impressions

Ho Chi Minh City (still called Sài Gòn by almost everyone who lives here) is denser, faster, and louder than Hanoi. The motorbike traffic alone will recalibrate your sense of what traffic means.

Afternoon: Reunification Palace (Dinh Thống Nhất), 40,000 VND entry. The moment the North Vietnamese tank crashed through these gates on April 30, 1975, the war ended. The interiors are frozen in 1975 -- bunkers, war rooms, and the rooftop helipad still intact.

Evening: Bến Thành Market area for dinner -- cơm tấm (broken rice with grilled pork, 45,000-65,000 VND) from street stalls. Craft beer district along Bùi Viện Street if you want a late night.

Day 12: War History and Cu Chi

Morning: War Remnants Museum (Bảo Tàng Chứng Tích Chiến Tranh), 40,000 VND. Confronting and important. The photography exhibitions documenting the impact of Agent Orange are particularly powerful.

Afternoon: Củ Chi Tunnels -- see our Cu Chi guide for full details. Day tours from Ho Chi Minh City cost 250,000-350,000 VND per person including transport. The tunnel network used by Viet Cong guerrillas stretches over 250 km underground.

Day 13: Mekong Delta Day Trip

The Mekong Delta is Vietnam's rice bowl -- a flat, green world of rivers, floating markets, and fruit orchards. Day trips from Ho Chi Minh City to Mỹ Tho and Bến Tre cost 350,000-500,000 VND ($14-20) including boat rides and lunch. See our full Mekong Delta guide.

The floating markets at Cái Bè are best visited early (before 9 AM). Most day tours make it there if you book a private car rather than a group bus.

Day 14: Final Morning, Departure

Phố Cổ Bến Nghé (the colonial-era streets around Đồng Khởi) for a last morning walk. Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon (currently under renovation but impressive from outside), Central Post Office (Bưu Điện Trung Tâm Thành Phố), and a final cà phê sữa đá at a streetside café before heading to the airport.

---

Transport Summary and Costs

Leg	Best Option	Time	Cost (VND)	Cost (USD)
Hanoi → Ha Long Bay	Cruise transfer bus	2.5-3 hrs	Included in cruise	Included
Ha Long Bay → Hanoi → Hue	Overnight train or fly	13 hrs / 1 hr	700,000-900,000 / 500,000-900,000	$28-36 / $20-36
Hue → Da Nang	Reunification Express train	2.5 hrs	100,000-180,000	$4-7
Da Nang → Hoi An	Grab	45 min	150,000-200,000	$6-8
Hoi An → Da Nang Airport	Grab	45 min	200,000-250,000	$8-10
Da Nang → Ho Chi Minh City	Domestic flight	1.5 hrs	400,000-800,000	$16-32

---

Budget Breakdown for 2 Weeks

Category	Budget/Day	Mid-range/Day
Accommodation	200,000-400,000 VND ($8-16)	600,000-1,200,000 VND ($24-48)
Food	150,000-250,000 VND ($6-10)	400,000-700,000 VND ($16-28)
Local transport	80,000-150,000 VND ($3-6)	150,000-300,000 VND ($6-12)
Activities	100,000-200,000 VND ($4-8)	250,000-600,000 VND ($10-24)
Daily total	530,000-1,000,000 VND ($21-40)	1,400,000-2,800,000 VND ($56-112)

Ha Long Bay cruise (1-2 nights) and domestic flights are the biggest single costs. Budget for these separately: roughly 1,500,000-5,000,000 VND ($60-200) for the cruise and 900,000-1,700,000 VND ($36-68) for two domestic flights.

Estimated 2-week total: $450-700 (budget) or $1,000-1,800 (mid-range), excluding international flights. See our detailed Vietnam budget guide for a full breakdown.

---

Practical Tips

SIM card: Buy a Viettel or Vietnamobile SIM at the airport on arrival -- 150,000-200,000 VND ($6-8) for 15 days with 30-60 GB data. Much cheaper than roaming.

Cash: ATMs are everywhere but charge fees. Withdraw from TP Bank or VP Bank ATMs for lower charges (sometimes free for international cards). Always have cash outside of major cities.

Grab app: Download it before you arrive. Use GrabCar in cities rather than negotiating with street taxis. Prices are fixed, displayed before you confirm, and drivers know where they're going.

Stomach: Vietnam's street food is extraordinarily safe by global standards, but your gut needs 2-3 days to adjust. Start with cooked foods; build up to raw herbs and salads by day three.

Motorbike traffic: Cross streets slowly and steadily. Traffic in Vietnamese cities flows around pedestrians who maintain a consistent pace. Stop-start crossing will get you in trouble. Make eye contact, keep moving.

For first-time Vietnam visitors, our complete first-time guide covers visas, money, cultural etiquette, and more.