Vietnam Travel Guide: Hanoi, Hoi An, Ha Long Bay & Beyond

Vietnam is 1,650 kilometres long from north to south, and that single geographic fact changes everything about how the trip should be planned. A traveler who does not understand this builds an itinerary that tries to connect Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City by land and loses three days of a 10-day trip to overnight buses or lengthy road segments. Vietnam is a country where flying between cities is not a luxury — it is the basic logistics decision that makes the rest of the trip work. Planned correctly, Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia's most rewarding destinations. Hanoi's French-Vietnamese colonial quarter, the two-night cruise on Ha Long Bay, Hue's imperial citadel, Hoi An's lantern-lit old town, and Ho Chi Minh City's street food and museum culture are each distinct and fully formed experiences. The Vietnam that most travelers describe as life-changing is the Vietnam that was planned in chapters — not as a single line drawn from one end of the country to the other. Custom trip planning with a specialist is the most direct route to a Vietnam itinerary that respects the geography and uses it well. Ask begovo before you fix your routing. The north-south sequencing question is the first thing a specialist resolves. Explore Plan My Trip.

Why Vietnam's geography shapes every itinerary decision

Vietnam's shape is the starting constraint of every itinerary. The country runs on a narrow north-south axis. The central section — Hue, Da Nang, and Hoi An — sits roughly halfway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Overland travel between any two major cities takes between 12 and 22 hours by train or bus. Domestic flights on Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways, and VietJet connect Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City with frequent daily service. Hanoi to Da Nang is approximately 75 minutes by air. Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City is approximately 75 minutes. These two flights resolve the geography problem entirely and protect the time budget for the actual destination experiences. The standard specialist structure for a 10 to 12-day Vietnam trip: Fly into Hanoi. Two to three nights in the north, plus a two-night Ha Long Bay cruise. Fly to Da Nang. Use Da Nang as the transit base for Hue (1.5 hours north) and spend the majority of the central chapter in Hoi An (30 minutes south). Fly to Ho Chi Minh City. Two to three nights in the south, with a Mekong Delta day excursion. This structure removes all long-distance overland segments and maximises time in each destination.

Hanoi — the city that sets the tone

Hanoi is Vietnam's capital and, for most travelers, the best entry point for a north-first itinerary. The Old Quarter — 36 streets each historically named for the trade practised there — is the most atmospheric neighbourhood in any Vietnamese city. Walking it at 7am, before the motorbike volume reaches its midday peak, is the single most evocative way to begin a Vietnam trip. Three nights in Hanoi covers the Old Quarter properly, the Hoan Kiem Lake area and the Ngoc Son Temple on its island, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex (allow two hours; the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh is on display and the site operates a strict protocol), and the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first national university, established in 1076. The Vietnamese Women's Museum and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology add depth for travelers interested in Vietnam's cultural and ethnic diversity. Ha Long Bay deserves two nights on a live-aboard cruise, not one. The bay holds 1,969 islands and islets rising from the Gulf of Tonkin in limestone karst formations up to 100 metres high. A one-night cruise reaches the closest and most crowded section of the bay. A two-night cruise moves into the quieter zones of Bai Tu Long Bay or Lan Ha Bay, where kayaking through sea caves and early morning swimming in near-empty coves produces the version of Ha Long Bay that travelers describe as extraordinary. Specialist insight: The quality difference between a one-night Ha Long cruise and a two-night cruise is not marginal. Most budget travelers book one-night cruises because they are cheaper. Most experienced travelers who have done both describe the second night as where the trip actually becomes what they imagined. A specialist always recommends two nights, even for travelers who are constrained on time.

Hue and Hoi An — the central chapter

Hue is the former imperial capital of Vietnam, 700 kilometres south of Hanoi by air. The Imperial Citadel — a 10-square-kilometre complex modelled after Beijing's Forbidden City and built between 1804 and 1833 — is the most historically significant site in central Vietnam. The city also holds seven royal tombs of the Nguyen emperors, each a distinct architectural statement, spread across the hills and riverbanks south of the city. One full day is the specialist minimum for Hue. Two days for travelers with a genuine interest in Vietnamese imperial history. Hue is best used as an overnight stop between Da Nang and Hoi An rather than a base for multiple nights. Hoi An is where specialists allocate the most time in central Vietnam: three nights minimum. The Ancient Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999) is one of the best-preserved examples of a Southeast Asian trading port in the world, with Japanese merchant houses, Chinese clan halls, the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, and French colonial buildings all within a compact, walkable area. The town's tailoring industry — where made-to-measure clothing is produced in 24 to 48 hours — and its cooking class scene make it one of the most activity-rich stops in the entire Vietnam circuit. Trade-off: Hoi An in July and August is extremely hot and humid, with temperatures reaching 35 to 38 degrees Celsius and humidity making midday outdoor walking uncomfortable. It also sits at the northern edge of Vietnam's central typhoon corridor, with typhoon risk highest in October and November. Specialists recommend Hoi An from February to April, when temperatures are 22 to 28 degrees and conditions are significantly more comfortable.

Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta — the southern chapter

Ho Chi Minh City (still widely called Saigon) is Vietnam's largest city: 9 million people, a street food culture that operates 18 hours a day, and a contemporary art and restaurant scene that has grown significantly since 2020. It is also the entry point for the Mekong Delta, one of the most distinctive geographic regions in Southeast Asia. Two nights in Ho Chi Minh City covers the War Remnants Museum (one of the most visited museums in Southeast Asia, documenting the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese perspective), the Reunification Palace, the Ben Thanh Market area, and Bui Vien Street for evening food and atmosphere. Three nights allows for a properly paced Mekong Delta day trip. The Mekong Delta is the flat, river-laced agricultural region southwest of Ho Chi Minh City where the Mekong River fragments into nine channels before reaching the South China Sea. A specialist-arranged day excursion covers Cai Rang floating market (a wholesale vegetable and fruit market operating entirely on boats from 5am to 9am), river boat navigation through narrow canals, and local family homestay visits. This experience requires an early start — specialists arrange departure from Ho Chi Minh City no later than 6am to reach Cai Rang market during operating hours.

Vietnam by destination — planning reference

Practical information

Visa status (2026): Vietnam offers visa-free entry for US citizens for stays up to 45 days, UK citizens for stays up to 45 days, and most EU nationals for stays up to 45 days. GCC nationals and most others require an e-visa, applied for online through the Vietnam Immigration portal. The e-visa costs USD 25 and processing takes three business days. Begovo's Visa Concierge service manages the application. Budget range: Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia's most accessible destinations in terms of daily cost. A specialist-planned Vietnam trip with quality four-star accommodation runs from USD 200 to 350 per person per day including accommodation, internal flights, Ha Long cruise, transfers, and meals. Premium boutique hotels and private guided excursions push the cost to USD 400 to 600 per person. Internal transport: Domestic flights between Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City are the standard logistics solution for a multi-city Vietnam itinerary. Flights cost approximately USD 40 to 120 per segment depending on lead time. A specialist books all internal flights as part of the initial itinerary structure. Health note: Hepatitis A and typhoid vaccinations are recommended by most travel medicine practitioners for Vietnam. Malaria risk exists in some rural and highland areas but is low in major cities and coastal destinations. Consult a travel medicine clinic six to eight weeks before departure.