Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia’s most fascinating destinationsโwhere dramatic landscapes meet rich culture and a complicated history. From the surreal limestone pillars of Ha Long Bay to the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An to the buzzing energy of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam delivers nonstop highlights.
It’s a place where street food is an art form, motorbikes outnumber cars, and every region offers a different flavor, literally and figuratively. Whether you’re drawn by the natural beauty, the layered past, or the unbeatable bowls of pho, this 2 week Vietnam itinerary will help you make the most of your time in Vietnam.
How to visit Vietnam: Perfect 2 Week Vietnam Itinerary
Vietnam may look like a small country but it stretches roughly 1650km (about 1025 miles) in length. You can’t just knock it off your bucket list quickly. Although 2 weeks in Vietnam will definitely give you a chance to visit all the best places.
We spent 3 weeks in Vietnam and could have easily doubled that and still not have seen it all. But, I’m the person that wants to explore every inch of a place. A 2-week Vietnam trip really is the perfect amount of time to get to know the country and have a lot of amazing experiences and adventures. Let’s go!
Vietnam: North to South or South to North?
Vietnam’s two major airports are the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, located in the north of Vietnam and the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City in the south of Vietnam.
It doesn’t really matter which way you decide to travel because you can just follow this Vietnam itinerary in reverse if that works better for you. We started our Vietnam trip in Ho Chi Minh City because we were coming from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Overview of your 14 days in Vietnam
This 2 week itinerary for Vietnam will go from the south to the north, starting in Ho Chi Minh City and ending in Hanoi. I think the country just keeps getting better as you move north so that’s the route I would suggest taking.
The 14 day Vietnam Itinerary below will account for travel days including flights, buses, and taxis. Here’s the break down of days of where you’ll be.
- Ho Chi Minh City: 3 days
- Hoi An: 2 days
- Da Nang: 1 day – day trip from Hoi An
- Ninh Binh: 3 days
- Ha Long Bay: 2 days
- Hanoi: 3 days
Don’t miss the essential Vietnam information at the end of this post that covers visa information, currency, weather, sim cards and travel logistics.
2 Week Vietnam Itinerary Map
Here’s a map of all the locations of places to visit and things to do mentioned in this two weeks Vietnam Itinerary.
Days 1-3: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
You’ll arrive at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in Vietnam. It’s located fairly close to the center of the city, just 6km away. Catch a taxi or Grab to your hotel.
Crossing the road in Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City is noisy, fast, and bursting with energy. It’ll be your first introduction to Vietnam and you’ll need to quickly figure out how to cross the road. I know, we all learned how to do that as kids: look left, look right, look left again…all clear, go!
But, in Vietnam the road will never be clear of the motorbikes. So, here’s how you cross the road in Vietnam.
You’re standing at the edge of the road watching hundreds of motorcyclists, and a few cars and tuk-tuks, coming towards you. What do you do? Well, you just go. It’s truly that simple. Step into the road and start walking at an even pace. Don’t speed up or stop (please don’t stop), just keep walking until you reach the other side. You will not get hit, I promise. They will slow down and go around you.
Day 1: Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is broken down into Districts and about 90% of the major sites to see are in District 1. If you stay in District 1 it’ll make it easier to see everything. Bring some comfortable shoes!
If you arrive in Vietnam in the morning head straight to your hotel, store your bags until check in, find a place to grab some lunch, and then get started exploring Saigon.
Top things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
- War Remnants Museum
- Cu Chi Tunnels
- Ben Thanh Market + Nguyen Hue Walking Street
- Tan Dinh Church
- Saigon Skydeck
The War Remnants Museum is an easy first stop to get done. There are some exhibits inside with photos and stories and outside are some tanks and other military equipment. What you see at the museum is the Vietnam point of view so the info may be different than what you learned in your history class.
The sites in Saigon are fairly close to each other and with the exception of a few places, you can mostly walk to each site. Near the War Remnants Museum is Tan Dinh Church, also known as the pink church, that you can walk to next. Across the street from the church is a cafe called Cong Cafe where you can grab a Vietnamese coffee and get some great photos of the church.
Continue on to the Jade Emperor Pagoda, then to view the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Saigon Central Post Office. The Post Office was built in 1886 and has a colonial French architecture style. Inside is a working post office and a lot of shops. It’s open from 7am – 7pm (6pm on weekends).
If it’s still early enough you can walk to the Nguyen Hue Walking Street. The Cafe Apartments are on this street and you can go up and explore, get some lunch or a drink.
Right off the Walking Street is the Saigon Skydeck that has 360 views of the city. After that, go back to your hotel to rest, clean up and go out for dinner.
That’s a lot for day 1 so don’t feel like you have to do all of that on your first day. You can move some Ho Chi Minh City attractions to day 3 if you need to.
Day 2: Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta
Today you should visit the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta. The best way to do that is with a tour since they are located just outside of Ho Chi Minh City. This highly rated Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta full-day tour takes you to both places and includes lunch.
When you get back to the hotel get ready to go out to eat and enjoy a cocktail at a rooftop bar.
Day 3: More of Ho Chi Minh City
For your final day in Saigon, there’s a few more sites left to see. Take a taxi or Grab to see the 100 year old alley, Hem Hao Si Phuong. It’s not a must-see place but it’s an Instagram famous alley and if you’re like me and have to do ALLLLL the things, then you should see it.
There are rumors that to enter you might be charged money by little old ladies sitting out front. I wouldn’t blame them if they did but that didn’t happen to us when we went. There were three ladies sitting down and we just walked right in like we owned the place, took our photos and got out of there.
Other places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City:
- Bui Vien Walking Street
- Ben Thanh Market
Bui Vien Walking Street is another walking street, however this one is more lively. It’s known as backpackers road (there’s a lot of those in Southeast Asia) because it’s an affordable area to stay in and has a busy nightlife scene.
Days 4-6: Hoi An & Da Nang
Today you’ll leave Ho Chi Minh City and fly to Da Nang. It’s just a short 1.15 hour nonstop flight. Get a morning flight so you’ll have time in the afternoon for exploring.
Day 4 of the two week Vietnam Itinerary: Hoi An
After you’ve flown to Da Nang you’ll need to take a taxi or Grab to your hotel in Hoi An. You’ll come back to Da Nang on day 5 for a day trip to explore Da Nang.
Hoi An is just 30 minutes south of Da Nang and it’s one of the best places to visit in Vietnam. There is so much to explore in Hoi An so you’ll want to make the most of your first day there.
The city of Hoi An is a mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese architectural styles. It’s a charming town with colorful buildings, rivers, and lanterns decorating the streets everywhere you look. The town is on the UNESCO list. There’s a lot to fit into two days so get ready!
How to get around Hoi An
Hoi An is a walkable town. If you’re staying further away from the main sites then you can grab a taxi to take you to the Old Town and walk from there. Most hotels also have bikes that are free for their guests to use.
Top things to do in Hoi An
- Explore Old Town
- Eat a Banh Mi
- Hoi An Night Market
- Take a spin in a Thung Chai Boat
- Visit the Thu Bon River at night
- Have custom clothing made
One of the most popular things to do in Hoi An is to have custom clothing made and you’ll find tailors everywhere that do that. If this is something you want to do then you’ll want to do this on your first day there so there’s time to get it made before you leave Hoi An. The turn around time is about 24 hours, give or take.
You’ll be spending most of your time in Old Town. This is the ancient part of Hoi An. There are a lot of temples and other ancient sites to see but you’ll need tickets.
So the first thing you’ll want to do is purchase a Hoi An Old Town Ticket Book. This ticket is required to enter some of the city’s ancient sites. It’s not that expensive at just $5 and it will get you into five different sites.
There are 22 sites that require a ticket to enter so if you decide to see more than the 5, you’ll have to purchase another set of tickets. The money goes towards continuing the preservation of the buildings. A pack of tickets can be purchased throughout the city.
There is a ticket office right next to the Japanese Covered Bridge.
Some of the top sites to visit in Old Town:
- Japanese Covered Bridge
- Cantonese Assembly Hall
- Quan Cong Pagoda
- Fujian Assembly Hall
- Phuc Kien Assembly Hall
They’re all very pretty with interesting architecture and are close to each other so you can walk to each one. Plan to spend 15 – 30 minutes at each place.
Day 5 of the Vietnam Itinerary: Da Nang
Today you’ll take a day trip to Da Nang to see the Marble Mountains, Golden Hand Bridge at Ba Na Hills, the Da Nang Dragon Bridge, and Linh Ung Pagoda – Lady Buddha.
If you want to see the Golden Hand Bridge then you’ll have to fork over about $40. This will likely be one of the most expensive things you do in Vietnam.
The Golden Hand Bridge is located at Ba Na Hills, an “amusement park” that is designed to resemble a European Village. It’s kind of a mix of a European/Disney/French Village theme.
Golden Hand Bridge/Ba Na Hills opens at 8am and I highly suggest arriving there early if you want to be one of the first people up there (less people in your photos). You’ll ride to the top of the mountain in one of the longest cable car rides in the world, taking approximately 30 minutes to reach the top.
There are some rides along with over 30 restaurants to choose from. The Golden Bridge is really the main star here. We did not stay to experience all of Ba Na Hills. We only went to see the Bridge. To get here you can call a Grab or taxi to take you.
Next up is the Marble Mountains, a cluster of five limestone and marble hills, each named after one of the five elements in ancient Eastern philosophy: metal, wood, water, fier, and earth.
Itโs a fascinating mix of natural caves, ancient Buddhist temples, hidden pagodas, and panoramic viewpoints. The Marble Mountains is open from 7am – 5pm and costs about $1.50 to enter.
Be sure to wear comfortable shoes because there is hiking involved. You’ll be climbing up and down stairs and into caves. The steps will be slick, especially if it rains. The caves do have water dripping so it will be slippery no matter what. Plan to spend 2-3 hours here.
You’ll find food stalls at the Marble Mountains so you can grab some lunch before exploring.
You’ll leave the Marble Mountains and head over to see the tallest Buddha statue in Vietnam which also happens to be a female Buddha. The Linh Ung Pagoda is open from 6am – 9pm and is free.
The Linh Ung Pagoda is located about 9km from the Da Nang city center. This large complex sits on the Son Tra Peninsula so you can watch the sunset on the water as well.
After that, head to Da Nang (the Grab app will come in handy in Vietnam) to grab some dinner. You’ll also want to see the Da Nang Dragon Bridge. You can visit it anytime but on the weekend at 9pm the dragon comes to life and breathes fire. The whole show is about 15 minutes long.
We didn’t stay for that so here’s my daytime photo of the dragon bridge in Da Nang.
Day 6 of your Vietnam 2 weeks Itinerary: Hoi An
There’s a lot to see in Hoi An and it’s your final day here. Use the time to explore more of Old Town, eat a Banh Mi at Bรกnh Mรฌ Phฦฐแปฃng made famous by Anthony Bourdain when he showcased it on his show. It’s an absolute MUST!
You can also head over to the river in Old Town and take a spin in a Thung Chai boat. These are the circular basket boats that you spin around and around in.
If you decided to have some custom clothing made on your first day then it should be ready to pick up. Tomorrow you fly to Hanoi and travel to Ninh Binh.
Days 7-9: Fly to Hanoi – travel to Ninh Binh
Today you’ll fly to Hanoi which is just a 1.5 hour flight from Da Nang. Try to pick a morning flight because once you arrive in Hanoi you’ll be traveling to Ninh Binh. You’ll need to arrange for travel ahead of time from the Hanoi airport to the city of Ninh Binh.
There are multiple ways to get from Hanoi to Ninh Binh including private car, bus, train, and even by taxi. Transportation services run all day long and into the evening.
I like to use 12go for booking trains and buses in Asia. There are a lot of options but be sure to book your transportation for 1-2 hours after your scheduled landing time. Just to be safe.
You’ll likely arrive in Ninh Binh in the late afternoon or evening. If you take the train you’ll end up at the main train station in the city of Ninh Binh and you’ll need to get a taxi to either Tam Coc or Trang An, depending on where you booked your hotel.
There are a ton of places to stay in the surrounding area but the most popular area to stay in (and what I recommend) is Tam Coc. The buses from Hanoi will drop you off here. It’s a cute small town with a lot of restaurants and shops. It’s also pretty close to the main sites you’ll be visiting.
Day 8: Ninh Binh – Trang An Boat & Hoa Lu
Since you have two full days here there’s no need to rush to get up early. You’ll have plenty of time to see everything. If your hotel offers breakfast than go ahead and eat that but if not, or if you want one of the BEST breakfasts in Vietnam, head over to An Tam Coc Restaurant.
It’s on the main strip right near the water and I swear you will not be disappointed! The Smoothie Bowl is soooo good! And the owner is super sweet.
Getting around Ninh Binh
The sites in Ninh Binh are spread out. You’re in a rural area so you’ll need some form of transportation to get to the sites. Although you can usually get a bicycle to borrow or rent from you hotel, riding a bike will take up a lot of your day. I would not choose that option.
You can easily catch a taxi to and from everything and the price shouldn’t be too bad. The other option is to rent a motorbike. This is always our favorite choice of transportation when we travel!
I do NOT recommend doing this in the big cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City but for the smaller towns, it’s a great affordable option. For about $5 a day you’ll be able to drive yourself everywhere. Chose a motorcycle that doesn’t involve shifting gears. You just get on and go.
Once you figure out your mode of transportation, head over to Trang An for the boat tour through the mountains and caves. It’s a very scenic and a beautiful ride. The boats are paddled by women (usually) and the tour lasts about 2.5 – 3 hours.
Trang An options: Once you arrive in Trang An, you’ll chose between three different boat routes. We picked route 1 since it had the most caves and temples but I heard the other routes were great too.
The first route takes you through 9 caves and 3 temples: Boat Wharf โ Trinh Temple โ Toi Cave โ Sang Cave โ Nau Ruou Cave โ Tran Temple โ Ba Giot Cave โ Seo Cave โ Son Duong Cave โ Khong Cave โ Khong Temple โ Bao Hieu Pagoda โ Tran Cave โ Quy Hau Cave
The second route will take you through 4 caves and 3 temples: Boat Wharf โ Lam Cave โ Thanh Cao Son Temple โ Vang Cave โ Thanh Truot Cave โ Suoi Tien Temple โ Dai Cave โ Vu Lam Royal Steps Temple
Route three takes you through 3 caves and 1 temple: Boat Wharf โ Trihn Temple โ Dot Cave โ Van Cave โ Suoi Tien Temple โ Dai Cave โ Vu Lam Royal Steps Temple
After you finish the Trang An Boat Tour, head over to Hoa Lu Ancient City. It’s just 6 minutes from the Trang An Boats and there’s a lot to see there. You might even get lucky and run into a Water Buffalo! This man was nice enough to let us get some photos with one.
Day 9: Ninh Binh – Mua Caves & Bich Dong Pagoda
Today you’ll hike the Hang Mua Caves. Hang means cave and Mua means dancing. This place sits on the grounds of the Hang Mua Ecolodge and once you pay to get in you can spend some time there on the grounds, hiking, and even walk out on the boardwalk through the Lotus Field (they bloom from August to November).
There are actually two peaks to climb. You’ll walk up the main steps and about halfway up there will the option to go left or to go right. The left will take you up to the dragon (the most crowded) while the right goes up to the pagoda that is less crowded.
Getting up and around the pagoda is really easy and there’s a lot of room to maneuver around. It’s also less crowded. The dragon is a different story. It will be more crowded and you actually have to climb up a bit to get next to the dragon. It’s a little harrowing.
Bich Dong Pagoda
After your hike, head back to Tam Coc and over to Bich Dong Pagoda. It’s very picturesque, free, and there’s a lot to see. There’s several levels up some stairs (not a bad climb) so don’t forget to keep going to the top. Afterwards, spend some time relaxing in Tam Coc.
I have an article all about visiting Ninh Binh Vietnam that has information on what to do and see there.
Days 11-12: Ha Long Bay
You’ll leave Ninh Binh today for Ha Long Bay but you’ll need to arrange transportation to leave on the first bus out. It will take a little under 4 hours and you’ll need to be in Ha Long Bay ready to board your cruise by noon.
You can book this through Bookaway for just $15 a person. The 7am bus will have you in Ha Long Bay by 10:30am which will give you time to make your boat. Here’s another option on Bookaway for $18.
Before you leave home for Vietnam you’ll need to book your Ha Long Bay Cruise. There are a lot to choose from so read through the options they all offer and book it online. The boats are all similar but some are better than others.
They all have check in times around noon and they arrive back at Ha Long Bay the day around noon.
You can find a cruise through Booking.com, Get Your Guide, or Viator. Make sure you read all the details carefully so you know when and where to arrive, and when you get back to land.
Days 12-14: Hanoi
You’ll get back on land on Day 12. The times vary from morning to the afternoon. It just depends on which tour you choose. Some will even have transportation service to Hanoi when your done.
If the one you chose does not offer that then you’ll need to arrange for transportation to Hanoi. You can book it online when you book your cruise. The ride to Hanoi will take about 2.5 hours.
Day 12: Hanoi
Depending on what time you arrive in Hanoi you should be able to conquer a few things on the Hanoi Bucket List. Most of the sites are in the Old Quarter and that is very walkable. You’ll find taxis everywhere to take you from place to place if you prefer.
After you check in and drop your bags off, it’s time to head out. All of the things I’m including on Day 12 are things you can do in the afternoon and night.
If you’re interested in hanging out at a bar or getting some good food, check out my article on 11 Bars you have to visit in Hanoi.
Head out and walk around the Old Quarter and it’s 36 Guild Streets where each street is dedicated to a specific item such as silk or silver. You can head to Hoan Kiem Lake to visit the Ngoc Son Temple where you can learn about Hanoi’s famous legend.
Near Hoan Kiem Lake is St. Joseph’s Cathedral which is a Gothic style church similar to Notre Dame in Paris. There are restaurants and cafes surrounding the cathedral so you can grab something light if it’s still early or go ahead and have dinner.
Across from the Huc Bridge (the red bridge on Hoan Kiem Lake) is Hanoi’s famous Water Puppet Show at the Thang Long Theater. The show is only about 1 hour long and the last show of the day is at 8pm. If it’s the weekend, you can visit the Hanoi Night Market in the Old Quarter, visit the Hanoi Train Street (a must!), and if you aren’t too tired yet, check out Ta Hien Beer Street.
If you didn’t have time to do all of that you can move some places to day’s 13 & 14.
Day 13: Hanoi’s History
Today you should conquer some of Hanoi’s historical sites. There’s a lot to choose from like the Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the Hanoi Hilton, where American Pilots were held as Prisoners of War during the Vietnam War and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex.
Other historical sites in Hanoi are the Temple of Literature, which was a university dedictated to the Chinese philosopher Confucius, the Imperial Citadel, the Quan Thanh Temple, and the Tran Quoc Pagoda, Hanoi’s oldest Temple.
On your way back to your hotel, make a stop at the Long Bien Bridge, a historic bridge connecting two Districts in Hanoi. It’s best viewed from the Rooftop of the Serein Cafe. Drinks are pricey here but you don’t have to purchase anything. The sunset views are spectacular!
Day 14: Final Day in Hanoi
It’s your final day in Vietnam and the first site you should visit the Dong Xuan Market. You can shop there for souvenirs and other items (be sure to haggle) but you’re really going there for the experience. There will be cars, trucks, motorcycles, and people EVERYWHERE. The chaos is crazy and it’s something you have to witness.
Afterwards, head over to the Hanoi Trompe L’Oeil Street Murals in the Old Quarter and admire the art showcasing scenes of Vietnam. Some of them are interactive so get some photos.
Know Before You Go: Vietnam Travel Essentials
I’m including some important information that you need to know when you’re planning your 2 week trip to Vietnam.
TRAVEL VISA
Most people traveling to Vietnam will have to obtain a Visa to enter. For residents of 80 countries, you can get your Visa to Vietnam online (an e-Visa) before you leave home. The list of countries that are allowed to do this is here.
Visas for Vietnam are good for 30 days once you enter the country and costs $25. You can apply for it here. Another option is to get a “Visa on Arrival”. You still have to fill out the application online then print your approval letter and bring it with you when you land at an airport in Vietnam.
Currency
The local currency in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong. You’ll need to keep cash on you at all times because not everyone accepts credit cards. ATM’s can be found everywhere in Vietnam so you won’t have a problem taking money out.
Language
Vietnamese is the official language but we found that almost everyone spoke some English, especially in the tourist areas. Just be sure to download the Google Translate app to help you out.
Weather
Vietnam’s weather is mostly hot and humid throughout the year with the exception of northern Vietnam from November through February. It can actually get cold and even snow up in the mountains. Other than that it will rarely get too cold.
We were in Hanoi in December and it was very pleasant. It was in the mid 70’s to low 80’s during the day but it did cool down a bit at night to the upper 50’s. Make sure you bring a light jacket or a sweatshirt if your 2 week Vietnam Itinerary takes place during that time.
Ho Chi Minh City in December was super humid and very hot. Be prepared for all types of weather. Central Vietnam pretty much rained the entire time. Yes, Vietnam does have a rainy season so when to travel is up to you. I would AVOID May – September. It wll be humid and uncomfortable. Southeast Asia weather isn’t for the meek.
Vietnam also has a rainy season that varies depending on where you are in Vietnam.
- South Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) – May to October, heaviest from June to August
- Central Vietnam (Hoi An & Da Nang) – September to December
- North Vietnam (Hanoi & Ha Long Bay) – May to October, heaviest from June to August
You won’t be able to avoid all the bad weather so I recommend visiting during late winter through spring for the best all around weather in Vietnam. This would be late January through early April.
Getting around Vietnam
Besides your flights into and within the country, once you’re at your destination the best way to get around is by walking. Nearly every city you’re visiting is walkable.
You won’t have a problem finding a taxi because they are everywhere. But the best way to get a ride is through the Grab App. Grab is just like Uber (Uber is not in Vietnam). You don’t have to enter any credit card info although you can if you’d like. We ended up paying cash for most rides.
You will need to book some bus or train services between cities. Use 12Go for booking those.
Cell Phone Service
Most hotels and restaurants do have wifi but the absolute best way to use your phone while in Vietnam is to get an e-sim through Airalo. It’s super affordable at less than $10 and you’ll have service during your 2 weeks in Vietnam.
Visiting Temples
When you visit temples in Vietnam please be respectful. It’s a place of worship for someone else’s religion. Don’t be loud or climb on things that you know you shouldn’t be on. Make sure your clothing is tasteful. Cover your knees, shoulders, and stomach. Don’t wear anything too revealing.
Final Thoughts
Does the perfect 2 week Vietnam Itinerary exist? I think this is pretty darn close! There are a lot more places in Vietnam to see but these 6 cities are a good mix of the modern Vietnam and the ancient way of life. You’ll definitely leave Vietnam feeling like you got to really experience the most that this country has to offer.
