Hanoi · Ninh Binh · Hue · Hoi An · Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam itinerary in 3 weeks from north to south: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City

A 20-night Vietnam trip through five places, by train, taxi and one domestic flight.

20 nights, 5 stops Best time to travel: March and April

Best time to go, weather and road tips

1. 

   Hanoi

   4 nights

   You can spend four nights in Hanoi and explore the busy Old Quarter. This area sits north of Hoan Kiem Lake. The lake is in the middle of the old part of the city. On weekends, cars cannot drive along the lakeside. Instead, people walk there freely.

   The Temple of Literature is to the west. People built it in 1070. Starting in 1076, it held the first university in the country. You might want to use a whole day to visit Ha Long Bay. This is the trip from Hanoi that most visitors choose. Hanoi has four seasons. From December to February, the weather is cool and quite dry. From May to September, it is hot, wet and humid with a lot of rain.

   Good areas to stay

   Old Quarter

   You will find this place in the busy area to the north of the lake. It sits near where the bars are. Be ready though. It tends to be noisy and full of people.

   French Quarter

   You will find this area south of Hoan Kiem Lake. The Old Quarter sits on the other side of the lake from here.

   Tay Ho (West Lake)

   West Lake is roughly 2 km away from Hoan Kiem Lake. You can take express bus 86 directly from the airport to get there.

   On to Ninh Binh: about 2 h 15 by train

2. 

   Ninh Binh

   3 nights

   In the area around Ninh Binh, you will see steep limestone hills that stick up from the rice paddies. Between these hills are rivers and valleys that are flooded with water. The Trang An Landscape Complex covers much of this region. It became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014 because it is important for both nature and culture. You can visit Trang An and Tam Coc. There you sit in a small rowing boat and travel across the water. The boat also takes you through caves.

   You can go to Hang Mua if you want to climb. There are about 500 steps that go up the rock. When you reach the top, you can see the river below you and the rice fields all around. Hoa Lu is also in this area. It was the capital of the country during the 10th and 11th centuries. If you stay for three nights, you will have enough time to do the boat trips, climb the rock, and ride a bike through the villages near Tam Coc. You will not feel rushed.

   Good areas to stay

   Tam Coc

   You will find lodging about 9 km to the southwest of town. This area sits where the mountains begin. Most visitors sleep here. If you have a bike, you can ride directly out into the countryside from this spot.

   Trang An

   You can find another well-liked place to sleep west of town. It sits next to the limestone scenery. This spot is the other popular choice besides Tam Coc for where you might want to stay.

   Near the station

   The town is useful if you need to board another train. You will find many basic accommodation options here. However, there is not much for you to visit or look at in the town.

   On to Hue: about 10 h 30 by overnight train

3. 

   Hue

   3 nights

   Hue was the capital of Vietnam's last imperial family, the Nguyen dynasty, from 1802 to 1945. The monuments here became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. You can find the Citadel and the Imperial City on the north bank of the Perfume River. The emperors' tombs sit further up the river. You can visit the tombs of Tu Duc, Minh Mang and Khai Dinh by taxi or by bike. Thien Mu Pagoda also sits on the river and has a seven-storey tower.

   Three nights are enough. This gives you one day for the Citadel, one day for the tombs, and time to visit Dong Ba Market and eat the city's food. From October through the end of the year, Hue often floods.

   Good areas to stay

   South bank around Pham Ngu Lao and Le Loi

   You will find that most of the hotels and restaurants are located in this area. You can walk to the Citadel and to the riverside from here.

   North bank by the Citadel

   You will find yourself in the old section of the city if you choose to stay near the Citadel. This area has not as many places to sleep or eat as you will discover on the south bank.

   On to Hoi An: about 3 h 15 by train and taxi

4. 

   Hoi An

   6 nights

   From the 15th to the 19th century, Hoi An worked as a trading port. Merchants from China, Japan and later Europe came to live there. The port stopped being important after that time. Because of this, the old town on the Thu Bon River stayed mostly unchanged. You can find more than 1,100 wooden houses along narrow pedestrian lanes. UNESCO made it a World Heritage site in 1999. The most famous thing to see is the covered Japanese Bridge from the 18th century. When evening comes, lanterns light up the old town.

   If you stay for six nights, you have time to do more things. In the morning you can cycle through the vegetable gardens of Tra Que and Cam Thanh. An Bang beach is about a ten minute drive away. My Son is a temple complex from the Cham kingdom. It lies about 40 km away in the hills inland. Hoi An does not have a train station or an airport. You can find both of these in Da Nang. The station is 30 to 45 minutes away by taxi. The airport is about 50 minutes away by car.

   Good areas to stay

   North of the old town (Hai Ba Trung Street)

   You will find lots of accommodation options. You are able to stroll into the historic town center on foot.

   An Bang

   You will find this spot sitting directly on the beach. There are places to eat that serve fish and other seafood. It takes roughly ten minutes to drive here from the historic part of town.

   Cua Dai Street

   You will find it to the east of the old town. It is in the direction of the sea. It is quite a distance to walk from the centre.

   On to Ho Chi Minh City: about 2 h 20 by car and plane

5. 

   Ho Chi Minh City

   4 nights

   Ho Chi Minh City was once called Saigon. It is the biggest city in the southern part of Vietnam. You can walk along Dong Khoi Street and see Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office and the Opera House. You should also visit Ben Thanh Market. The large Binh Tay Market and Thien Hau Pagoda are in the Cho Lon district and are worth seeing too. From December 2024, the city's first metro line has operated between Ben Thanh Market and the northeast.

   If you stay for four nights, you have a day free to visit the Mekong Delta or the Cu Chi Tunnels. You can reach both places by boat on the river as well. The weather is warm throughout the year. April and May are often very hot.

   Good areas to stay

   Ben Thanh (formerly District 1)

   The market sits in the heart of the city center. You can catch the metro from Ben Thanh station.

   Around Dong Khoi Street

   The cathedral, post office and opera house are all near each other in this area. You can walk to all of them easily.

   Thao Dien

   You can find this place on the side of the Saigon River. It sits roughly 15 minutes away from the middle of the city if you take a taxi.