ITINERARY - Where to go?

Return to ITINERARY PLANNER home

Vietnam has three distinct regions. The good news is that airlines don’t punish you for going in one and out the other on roundtrip flights from across the world. Considering Vietnam’s skinny shape, it’s the perfect place for itineraries – start in Saigon and work your way up to Hanoi, or vice versa.

North Vietnam

Vietnamese culture is most richly linked with NORTHERN VIETNAM, where you’ll also find Vietnam’s most beautiful scenery (the jagged limestone formations of Halong Bay and inland Tam Coc near Ninh Binh; or Southeast Asia’s highest mountains at Sapa) but a little more reserved locals. From the capital Hanoi (one of Southeast Asia’s loveliest cities), it’s easy arranging a two- or three-day cruise to Halong Bay, or a four-day (including two overnight train trips) to Sapa for treks and homestays in ethnic minority villages.

Those who prefer arranging their own trips can bus to Ninh Binh for motorbiking, or to Haiphong for the ferry to Cat Ba Island, off Halong Bay.

Central Vietnam

Aside from Phu Quoc island off the Mekong Delta in the south, CENTRAL VIETNAM is where Vietnam’s best beaches are (Nha Trang, China Beach at Danang, Hoi An’s beach) and the bulk of Vietnam War sites (like the DMZ or the tragic My Lai Massacre site).

Towns like Hoi An and Hue offer irresistible looks into history without the exhausting pace of Saigon or Hanoi. Those who prefer shopping — and having dresses or suits made — stick a while in Hoi An, a sleepy ancient trading town. It’s easy to get through this region – by bus, train or plane – on a trip between Saigon and Hanoi.

South Vietnam

SOUTHERN VIETNAM is the country’s commercial heart, with welcoming people long-geared to trade. The Mekong Delta – and its flat ricefields and chocolate-colored rivulets – provides the nation with most of its rice, Saigon most of its movie stars and fake smiles.

Less atmospheric than Hanoi (but not less interesting), Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City to some) is the south’s main hub, with frequent transport links up the coast, to the Cu Chi Tunnels on daytrips, or to the Mekong on group tours or (more rewarding) DIY trips.

–> From anywhere on the site, access each region (North, Central, South) by the thumb tabs above — once you’re ‘in’ a region, chapters for locations within each (eg Saigon, Mekong Delta in ‘South Vietnam’) will appear below.