So you’re looking for an itinerary for Vietnam or at least some inspiration on where to visit in this wonderfully large country? Then look no further fellow-traveller because I have the itinerary for you.
We spent exactly four weeks/28 days in the country and we arranged our visas in advance which you can read all about here in VISA VISA VISA. I am almost certain however that you can arrange this if you are in Thailand or perhaps a neighbouring country however it might be best to check this out online.
So here is a map outlining just what route we did, working from north to south. This route would work just as good in reverse also.
Week One
We flew in to Hanoi (#1), the capital city in the north of the country so you’ll spend the first week taking in the sites of the capital and making your way to Sapa (#2)(or in fact Halong Bay, they are both in the northern part of the country). Sapa is north-west of the country where you’re practically up in the clouds. It truly is magnificent. I would advise doing a trek, even a day trek rather than an overnight trek and take in the breath-taking views. You’ll also get to meet some of the locals from nearby villages which is lovely however they speak little or no English. Our guide spoke English and she was absolutely lovely.
Read more about Sapa here!
Week Two
Beginning the second week we made our way back to Hanoi and from there on to Halong Bay (#3). Of all the research online and in travel books a cruise in Halong Bay is one of THE things to do in when in Vietnam. We booked a 2-night/3 day tour which included one night on the cruise and one night in Cat Ba Island in a hotel. I think it is best to do 2 nights rather than just 1 night as you get to see more and certainly spend more time in the bay itself. Nearing the end of week two we made our way to Hanoi once again before venturing down south.
Read more about our amazing Halong Bay Cruise here.
Week Three
We booked a day train from Hanoi to Dong Hoi (#4). As much I believe night buses are a great way of saving money, we often did not sleep on them (especially in Vietnam) so we essentially lost the day after in trying to catching up on sleep. So while you are saving money on a night’s accommodation you are losing a day when you arrive. This train took us about 11 hours I think… From Dong Hoi we visited the amazing caves Phong Nha Cave & Paradise Cave, a day trip organised via our hotel. You should spend maybe two nights in Dong Hoi however there really is very little to do so I would recommend moving on sooner rather than later.
Read more about the caves here
And Dong Hoi here
Next up was Hue (#5)(pronounced ‘Hway’) and we got a train here from Dong Hoi for about €6 or so for a 3 hour journey which really is almost next to nothing for such a journey! I had read about Hue in books and online and although some people might even suggest skipping it altogether I in fact quite liked it. The major attraction is the vast Citadel in the centre of the city which is surrounded by a moat and thick walls. A lot of the original buildings were destroyed during the American war but while we were there it seemed like they were restoring some of the remains. We spent 2 nights here.
From here then we hired mopeds and drove from Hue to Hoi An (#6). This was quite an experience and if you’re in any way confident in driving a moped please do it! You will NOT be disappointed. I had no experience at all, as in I hopped up on one the night before just to ‘give it a go’ and it was grand! Easy peasy!
More details on our motorbike/moped adventure can found here
Oh Hoi An! People warned me about this place, in a good way. That it was their absolute favourite spot and as soon as we arrived, although a little wind swept from our 9-hour moped journey, we immediately fell in love with the place too. I almost cannot explain it. We initially planned on spending 2 nights here but ended up staying for 4 nights in total. Beautiful little streets that barely fit mopeds let alone a car, a lot of boutique shops and cafes everywhere. If you want some tailor-made clothes, this is the town to get them in. There are tailors literally everywhere!
Week Four
We got a night bus from Hoi An to Nha Trang (#7) and we spent two nights here at this beautiful sea side city. There has been major recent development along the shoreline which is now dotted with pretty large sky line buildings which in turn casts quite a large shadow on the beach. That in line with the fast approaching tide ended our beach trip one day far too early around 3pm! There is many a dining option, so as far as I’m concerned that calls for an honourable mention in this post! #foodie.
More on Nha Trang here.
Finally we moved on to Mui Ne (#8), our penultimate stop! This is another beautiful sea side town rather on the southern part of the country than Nha Trang on the east. We didn’t venture far from our hotel but we did a day trip from here to the ‘famous sand dunes of Mui’, there are red and white sand dunes. There are ample travel agents along each and every stretch of road so you’ll have no problem arranging this tour.
Please take a look at ‘ The Sand Dunes of Mui Ne’ for further details.
We left making our way to Ho Chi Minh City a little late and only got to spend one night there. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see much at all, rather we had a meal on the afternoon we arrived and a quick stroll up to the park. Therefore be sure to set aside a few nights so that you can check out the Cu Chi Tunnels. We were truly gutted we couldn’t squeeze this in!
Maybe next time :)