VIETNAM TRAVEL PLANS FOR 10 DAYS and 15 DAYS

Vietnam is huge and varies surprisingly, therefore, has a lot to offer as a destination. 
Vietnam is still authentic, very cheap, and easy to get around.
​The food is amazing and the people are very friendly. 
If you wish for nature, in Vietnam you will enjoy immense rice terraces, massive limestone mountains on the sea and on land; rivers; rainforests cloud forests; white sand beaches; and marvellous islands. 
If you wish for culture; you will know about ethnic minorities, tribal markets, life in the Mekong, and amazing culinary traditions.
If you like history; you will find imponent ancient temples, huge king tomb complexes, Imperial history as well as Vietnam War.

VIETNAM TRAVEL PLANS
​NORTH, SOUTH AND CENTRAL VIETNAM

Table of contents:

1- VIETNAM IN 15 DAYS: ​NORTH AND SOUTH VIETNAM
GOOD FOR FIRST-TIME IN VIETNAM

2- VIETNAM IN 10 DAYS - CENTRAL NORTHERN VIETNAM

FIRST-TIME ITINERARY IN 15 DAYS 
nORTH AND SOUTH VIETNAM​

1. day Hanoi
Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, St. Joseph's Cathedral.

Hanoi Old Quarter

Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi

2. day Hanoi
Ho Chi Minch's Mausoleum, Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House, Temple of Literature. Comfortable overnight train to Sapa.

Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, Presidential Palace, Hanoi

Temple of Literature, Hanoi

One Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi

Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Hanoi

Comfortable overnight train to Sapa from Hanoi.

3. day Sapa
Arrived in Sapa, left luggage and departed for 6 hours trekking to our homestay in Ta Van Village, where ethnic minorities Black Hmongs and Red Zaos live together peacefully. ​

Sapa Welcome Comitee

Sapa Trekking

Sapa trekking

Ta Van Village, Northern Vietnam

4. day Sapa
Back to Sapa by trekking all day long. Joined a local festival in the evening in Sapa. Sapa night stay.

Northern Vietnam ethnic minorities Black Hmongs and Red Zaos

Sapa, Northern Vietnam

5. day Sapa - Hanoi
Took a minibus from Sapa to Lao Cai. Explored the famous local Bac Ha Market; visited a Hmong ethnic minority home. Got the same comfortable night train from Sapa back to Hanoi. ​

Bac Ha Market, Sapa, Northern Vietnam

Bac Ha Market, Sapa, North Vietnam

6. day Halong Bay
Early check-in in a hotel in Hanoi and joined the day tour to Halong Bay by minibus. Took a boat tour in Halong Bay with kayak experience. Got back to Hanoi by night.

Halong Bay, Northeast Vietnam

Halong Bay, Northeast Vietnam

Fruit Vendor, Halong Bay, Northeast Vietnam

7. day Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon
Departure in the morning for Ho Chi Minh City by flight.  
Opera House, City Hall and Cafe Apartment building in the morning, Ben Thanh Market for lunch.
​In the afternoon, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office.
Purchase a tour of the Mekong River Area from a local travel agency

Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, South Vietnam

8. day Mekong River 
Departure to the Mekong River Area by minibus. Mekong Riverside Family homestay.

Mekong Riverside Family homestay

9. day Mekong River 
Mekong River area tour by bike and by canoe. Back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Mekong River by canoe

Mekong River Area by bike

10. day Ho Chi Minh City - Phu Quoc
Early morning flight to Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc Island

11. day Phu Quoc Island

Bai Sao/Sao Beach, Phu Quoc Island

12. day Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc Island

13. day Phu Quoc Island

Basket boats, Phu Quoc Island Vietnam

14. day Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc Island Vietnam

15. Hanoi
Low-cost flight back to Hanoi. Ho Loa Prison during the day before taking the night flight back home. 
Bye bye Vietnam...

​2- VIETNAM IN 10DAYS- CENTRAL NORTHERN VIETNAM

After our first time in Vietnam, we thought we had covered all the essentials. We went back to Vietnam with less curiosity but more nostalgia. We weren't expecting that Vietnam could offer that much. We were surprised by the variety of things to see in Vietnam and how much we missed the first time. 

Ninh Binh Area, Northern Central Vietnam

1. day Saigon - Hue 
Arrived in Hue in the evening and enjoyed the royal cuisine of this once emperor city.

Hue, Imperial Cuisine

2. day Hue
Hue is the Ancient Capital of Vietnam. Visited the great Citadelle and explored the impressive tombs of the emperors and the Abandoned Water Park around Hue by renting a motorbike. ​

Hue, The Ancient Capital, The Citadel Complex

Hue, Mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang

Hue, Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh

Hue, Abandoned Water Park

3. day motorbike drive from Hue to Hoi An
We joined Family Riders and drove a motorbike on the famous Ho Chi Minh Road. From Hue to Hoi An, it is about 250km. During our trip, we stopped to swim in a waterfall, had a great seafood lunch and visited Marble Mountain. 
Impressed by darling Hoi An's evening atmosphere full of lanterns, taking a romantic boat tour.

From Hue to Hoi An by motorbike, The Ho Chi Minh Highway

​

---

The View from Marble Mountain

Hoi An Night Market

4. day Hoi An 
Rented a motorbike and explored MySon early in the morning before the tourist buses.
Went to the An song beach and had amazing seafood on the beach. 
Joined local tourists on a basket boat ride at the coconut forest in Bai Mau. Explored Hoi An old city and houses ​

My Son Sanctuary, Hoi An, Central Vietnam

An Song Beach, Hoi An

Basket Boat Ride in the Coconut Forest, Hoi An

Beautiful Hoi An by night

5. day Hoi An to Hanoi*
Took a morning flight to Hanoi from the nearest big city, Danang Airport. Enjoy the Capital's old quarter and chaos. Had lots of street food, went to train street and organized our trip for the day after.

Hanoi Old Quarter

6. day Hanoi to Ninh Binh
Took a minubus to Ninh Binh Region early morning. Explore the splendid area by motorbike. Took an amazing boat tour in Trang An. ​

Trang An, Ninh Binh, Northern Central Vietnam

7. day Ninh Binh
Climbed up the Mua Cave and Pagoda to admire the iconic view of the region.
Visited Hua Lu Ancient Capital.
Went to Van Long Nature Reserve to see the birds at sunset on a boat ride. 
Took pictures of the largest Buddist temple (Bai Dinh Pagoda) in South East Asia. 
Enjoy a cheerful evening with locals in Ninh Binh city centre, near the lighted pagodas on the water. ​

Mua Cave View, Ninh Binh

Van Long Nature Reserve, Ninh Binh Area

Ninh Binh City, weekend near the pagodas

8. day Ninh Binh to Hanoi
Visited Tam Choc Area and Bich Dong Pagoda by motorbike 
Departed by minibus in the afternoon to Hanoi
Night market and good street food. ​

Hanoi Old Quarter

​9. day Hanoi back home by night flight. 
Strolled around Hanoi's Old Quarter, did last souvenir shopping and went to the airport back home.
Bye, bye Vietnam!

*Our main plan (my husband's excel spreadsheet) was Hue - Hoi An- Na Trang and island hopping - Dalat - Cat be National Park Forest and Saigon. However, after Hoi An, it started to rain badly. There was no sense in continuing our plan to Na Trang, as it is basically a beach destination. 
So we decided to take the cheapest flight to any dry place in the country. And it was Hanoi. We were back in the North. From Hanoi, we decided to explore Ninh Binh Region, which looks like Halong Bay but on land.