(Last Updated on Apr 2, 2024)
If you have the option to visit only 1 country in South-East Asia, it must be Vietnam! A diverse country with landscapes ranging from tea plantations to dense forests to lush mountains to bustling cities and amazing beaches, Vietnam has something for everyone. And here is our Vietnam itinerary!
Vietnam is quite large in terms of area (4th biggest in South-east Asia) and forms a significant part of the historical region of Indochina (consisting of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia). The erstwhile French colony was named Indochina because of the strong influence of Indian and Chinese cultures in the region – Vietnam takes more from the Chinese culture while the Indian cultural heritage can be seen at large in Cambodia (which is a story for another blog).
Modern culture is also shaped by political ideology which varies as you move from north Vietnam to the south. What does all this mean? Well, for one, it makes Vietnam an amazing place to visit with a lot of history. And don’t even get us started on the food! Vietnam is cheap, safe and great to visit at any time of the year – you can plan your Vietnam itinerary based on which month you are planning to visit.
Best Time to Visit
Vietnam can be divided into 3 regions – North, Central and South and the weather in each region varies largely in different times of the year.
North Vietnam (Hanoi, Sapa): This part of Vietnam has 4 distinct seasons and the winters can get cold. October-November is a very good time to visit as the weather is cool and dry. You get clear blue skies and you can really enjoy your cruise on the Ha Long Bay. Another period which is good is March-May (Spring). The mid months of May-September have scorching summers as well as monsoon rains which can dampen your plans – most of the Vietnam experience is outdoors.
Central Vietnam (Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue): This is a narrow region squeezed between the sea on one side and mountains on the other. January-June is the best time to visit. June-August has hot summers with plenty of humidity while November-December typically sees a lot of rain and typhoons.
South Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta): This region experiences a tropical climate which means the best time visit is November-April. There are options for a lot of day tours from Ho Chi Minh City and having pleasant weather really helps!
Given these windows, the best option to travel from North to South in your Vietnam itinerary would be in the Spring window of March-May. As it was impossible for us to get long leaves from work in those months, we decided to go in November (keeping fingers crossed that we wouldn’t get bad weather in Central Vietnam).
Getting around Vietnam, Visa and Currency
To plan your travel in detail, check out our blog on Travelling in Vietnam made easy. Here is a snapshot to get you started.
You can enter the country from one of the international airports – usually the points of entry are Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. All the major cities are very well connected by flights, train and bus. The flights are quite cheap and make it a viable option even if you are travelling on a budget! We managed to get a flight from Hanoi to Da Nang for $30 (more on that here).
To get the Visa, you can go for one of these three methods:
- The old-fashioned way of getting it done through the embassy – this is also the most expensive option.
- Get a Visa Approval Letter – this is the cheapest option. There are many websites which offer you an approval letter for as low as $6. Do check online reviews to verify the legitimacy of these portals to avoid getting into a scam! We used Vietnam E-Visa which charged us $12 per person for a single-entry visa. Just make sure your name matches exactly on the approval letter as your passport so that you are not denied entry. On arrival at Vietnam, you need to pay the stamping fees of $25 (cash) per person.
- E-Visa – This option is available for a selected list of countries where you can apply online and get your e-visa for $25.
Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND) is the currency here and 1 USD can get you ~23,000 VND. So, make sure you convert in parts or risk carrying around huge bundles of currency! Currency exchanges are available everywhere and you won’t face any problems in getting a good rate. As always, convert a small amount at the airport where you are entering which can get you to the city centre (you will get better exchange rates here).
How many days to spend in Vietnam?
This depends on which parts of the country you would like to explore. You can easily budget 5-6 days for each of North, Central and South Vietnam. We spent 10 days in Vietnam and feel this is a good enough time to explore the highlights of the country. You can easily extend this by another 5-6 days without feeling too stretched.
Our Vietnam Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive at Hanoi by flight. Check-in and relax for the day.
Day 2: Morning bus to Ha Long Bay. 2D/1N cruise package – enjoy kayaking, swimming in the bay and enjoy the beautiful karst landscape.
Day 3: Morning Tai Chi class at sunrise on the boat. Transfer back to Hanoi and explore the city around Hoan Kiem lake.
Day 4: Local sightseeing at Hanoi. Hanoi is one of the best cities we’ve been to in terms of the culture, food and overall vibe – here is how we spent our weekend at Hanoi and our guide on how to make the most of it.
Day 5: Spend the morning exploring more of Hanoi and its foods. Bus to airport for our flight to Da Nang. Cab from Da Nang airport to Hoi An – explore Hoi An at night.
Day 6: Spend the day exploring the UNESCO Heritage Town of Hoi An experiencing the culture and amazing food! Read more about the magical town of Hoi An here.
Day 7: Early morning cab to Da Nang and flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Spend the day relaxing and exploring the Ben Thanh Market.
Day 8: Day trip to the Cu Chi tunnels and Cao Dai temple. In the evening, explore the area near the Skydeck in Ho Chi Minh City. The city itself does not have too much to see but is a great base location for many day trips – here’s our guide on day trips from Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 9: Day trip to the Mekong Delta – exploring the delta and some snake wine! Explore more of Ho Chi Minh City in the evening.
Day 10: Flight to Cambodia.
The “Time-is-not-a-constraint” adventurer: as mentioned before, you can spend up to 5-6 days in each region. While in Hanoi, you can add a couple of days to visit the plantations in Sapa valley in the north. You can visit Tam Coc, which is also called the “Ha Long Bay on land”. You can also add a couple of days in Da Nang exploring the city and go on an excursion to the Ba Na hills where you can spot the Golden Bridge.
History Buffs: You can add Hue to your Vietnam itinerary – this town used to be the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty empire.
Foodies: Vietnam is a heaven for foodies and is the main reason why we would go back in the blink of an eye. Here is our Vietnam food guide.
Hope this post helped you kick-start your Vietnam itinerary.
You can check out our other Vietnam blogs here to plan your perfect trip:
- Vietnam Voyage – Planning a perfect trip to Vietnam (with Itinerary)
- A Weekend in Hanoi – the capital of Vietnam
- Excursion to Ha Long Bay – beautiful and surreal limestone karsts out in the sea
- The Magical Town of Hoi An – a dreamy old town in central Vietnam
- Ho Chi Minh City – financial capital in South Vietnam
- Day Trips from Ho Chi Minh City – visits to the Cu Chi tunnels and Mekong Delta
- Getting around Vietnam – Travel and Where to Stay – tips on how to plan your travel
- Fantastic Vietnamese Food and Where to Find Them – the ultimate food blog!
If you have any questions on how to plan your trip, please leave a comment below and we’d love to help! You can subscribe to our blog for all the updates and travel tips. Do subscribe to the blog for weekly updates.
Nicely shared experience. All these seems so long ago now. Travel, trip, eating out and all.
Thanks Vinay! Ya. Can’t wait for things to go back to the way they were!