ITINERARY - Three weeks

Return to ITINERARY PLANNER home

The classic introduction to Vietnam takes three weeks. In this amount of time, you can expect – with a little planning – to see about everything listed in this guide. A couple days in Saigon, three-day trip to Mekong, a flight or bus ride up to Dalat, then a bike or bus ride down the mountains to Nha Trang for a couple days on the beach. Bus/train/plane up to Danang for a few days getting dresses and suits made in Hoi An, taking daytrips to the beach or the Cham site at My Son. Bus/taxi up to Hue, perhaps stopping for a half day’s hike at Bach Ma National Park, then tomb-hop in Hue for a couple days. Head north. Make it easy on your last days — book two-day trek tour of Sapa and two-day cruise for Halong Bay, with just enough time in between to see Hanoi’s Old Quarter and, of course, Uncle Ho himself.

One possibility:

Day 1 Arrive in Saigon, arrange Mekong trip
Day 2 Saigon (perhaps Cu Chi half-day trip)
Day 3 Mekong Delta tour (day one)
Day 4 Mekong Delta tour (day two)
Day 5 Mekong Delta tour (day three), return to Saigon
Day 6 Fly/bus to Dalat
Day 7 Dalat
Day 8 Nha Trang (perhaps by bike)
Day 9 Nha Trang (overnight train/bus to Hoi An, or fly on Day 10)
Day 10 Fly to Danang, taxi to Hoi An
Day 11 Hoi An, snorkel tour or My Son Cham site tour
Day 12 Taxi to Hue (stopping at Bach Ma)
Day 13 Hue, see tombs & Citadel
Day 14 Fly/train/bus to Hanoi, arrange Sapa tour & Halong Bay tour
Day 15 Hanoi, night train to Lao Cai
Day 16 Arrive Sapa, trek (day one)
Day 17 Sapa (day two), night train to Hanoi
Day 18 Arrive Hanoi, see Old Quarter & mausoleum
Day 19 Halong Bay (day one)
Day 20 Halong Bay (day two), return to Hanoi
Day 21 Leave Hanoi