Vietnam in 3 weeks: the whole country, slowly
21 days, 20 nights · Hanoi → Ninh Binh → Lan Ha Bay → Hue → Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City
Three weeks lets every stop on the classic route breathe, with spare days where they matter.
The route
Hanoi
4 nights, from day 1
Typical hotel: Apricot Hotel or La Siesta Premium Hang Be
Ninh Binh
3 nights, from day 5
Typical hotel: Tam Coc Garden Resort
Lan Ha Bay
1 night, from day 8
Typical hotel: Halong Capella Cruise (Lyra Cruise Collection) or Heritage Cruises Binh Chuan Cat Ba Archipelago
Hue
4 nights, from day 9
Typical hotel: Pilgrimage Village Resort & Spa or Saigon Morin Hotel
Hoi An
5 nights, from day 13
Typical hotel: Anantara Hoi An Resort or La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa
Ho Chi Minh City
3 nights, from day 18
Typical hotel: Hotel des Arts Saigon Mgallery Collection or Hotel Majestic Saigon
Day by day
21 days, 20 nights
Built from our Vietnam Highlights journey. Times are approximate; every day can change in the builder, where it opens on your own dates.
1Day 1
Day 1: Arrive in Hanoi
Noi Bai airport to Hanoi · about 45 minutes by private car
- Afternoon:
- Your driver meets you at Noi Bai airport and takes you into the city.
- Evening:
- Time to settle in, with a quiet dinner close to your hotel if you would like one.
Overnight: Hanoi
2Day 2
Day 2: Hanoi, slowly
- Morning:
- An early walk around Hoan Kiem Lake while the city does its morning exercise, then the Temple of Literature and the old streets of the Old Quarter.
- Afternoon:
- Free. Your guide suggests a café, a gallery or simply a rest.
Overnight: Hanoi
3Day 3
Day 3: Hanoi through its food
- Morning:
- A walk through a neighbourhood market with your guide, tasting as you go: pho, fresh rolls, the fruit of the season.
- Afternoon:
- Free, or a slow coffee in one of the old cafés above the lake.
- Evening:
- Street food in the Old Quarter at a table your guide knows, at an unhurried pace.
Overnight: Hanoi
4Day 4
Day 4: The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
- Morning:
- The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, with its houses of Vietnam's peoples rebuilt in the garden.
- Afternoon:
- The One Pillar Pagoda and the quiet streets around Ba Dinh Square.
Overnight: Hanoi
5Day 5
Day 5: Into the limestone valleys of Ninh Binh
Hanoi to Ninh Binh · about 2 hours by road
- Morning:
- The drive south to Ninh Binh.
- Afternoon:
- A rowing boat takes you through the caves and rice fields of Trang An.
- Evening:
- Quiet, among the karst hills.
Overnight: Ninh Binh
6Day 6
Day 6: Hoa Lu, the ancient capital
- Morning:
- The temples of Hoa Lu, Vietnam's capital a thousand years ago, among the limestone hills.
- Afternoon:
- A slow cycle or a ride by electric cart through the rice fields around Tam Coc.
Overnight: Ninh Binh
7Day 7
Day 7: The view from Mua Cave
- Morning:
- The stone steps up to the viewpoint above Mua Cave, for the view over the river and the karst. Steep: your guide waits below if you prefer.
- Afternoon:
- Free among the hills.
Overnight: Ninh Binh
8Day 8
Day 8: Ninh Binh to Lan Ha Bay
Ninh Binh to the Lan Ha Bay pier · about 4 hours by road and short ferry
- Morning:
- An early start: the drive and short ferry to the pier, where you board a small cruise ship on Lan Ha Bay, the calmer neighbour of Ha Long Bay.
- Afternoon:
- Among the islands, by kayak, small boat or simply from the deck.
Overnight: Lan Ha Bay
9Day 9
Day 9: Morning on the bay, evening in Hue
Lan Ha Bay to Hanoi airport · about 2½ hours by road, then a flight of just over an hour to Hue
- Morning:
- Sunrise on deck, a late breakfast and a gentle return to shore.
- Afternoon:
- The longest travel day: the drive to Hanoi airport and the flight to Hue.
- Evening:
- Arrive in Hue.
Overnight: Hue
10Day 10
Day 10: Imperial Hue
- Morning:
- The walled Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City in the cool of the morning.
- Afternoon:
- Lunch in a family garden house, then a free afternoon by the Perfume River.
Overnight: Hue
11Day 11
Day 11: Hue's kitchen
- Morning:
- Dong Ba market with your guide, then a cooking lesson in a garden house: the dishes of the old royal city.
- Afternoon:
- Lunch is what you cooked; the afternoon is free.
Overnight: Hue
12Day 12
Day 12: More of the royal tombs
- Morning:
- The tombs of Minh Mang and Tu Duc, each in its own garden of lakes and pavilions.
- Afternoon:
- Free by the Perfume River.
Overnight: Hue
13Day 13
Day 13: Over the Hai Van Pass to Hoi An
Hue to Hoi An · about 3 hours of driving in all
- Morning:
- One of the royal tombs on the way out of Hue.
- Afternoon:
- The coast road over the Hai Van Pass, with stops for the view.
- Evening:
- Arrive in Hoi An.
Overnight: Hoi An
14Day 14
Day 14: Hoi An's old town
- Morning:
- The old merchant houses, assembly halls and the Japanese Bridge, seen early before the day visitors arrive.
- Evening:
- Lanterns are lit along the river at dusk.
Overnight: Hoi An
15Day 15
Day 15: The countryside and its makers
- Morning:
- The craftspeople around Hoi An: a pottery village, a lantern maker or a vegetable garden, depending on the day.
- Afternoon:
- Free, by the pool or on the beach.
Overnight: Hoi An
16Day 16
Day 16: A cooking day in Hoi An
- Morning:
- The morning market with a cook, then a cooking lesson in a farm kitchen outside the town.
- Afternoon:
- Lunch is what you cooked; the afternoon is free.
- Evening:
- Cao lau and white rose dumplings in the old town, if you are still hungry.
Overnight: Hoi An
17Day 17
Day 17: My Son sanctuary
Hoi An to My Son and back · about an hour each way by road
- Morning:
- The Cham temples of My Son in the jungle, early, before the heat.
- Afternoon:
- Back in Hoi An for a free afternoon.
Overnight: Hoi An
18Day 18
Day 18: Fly south to Ho Chi Minh City
Hoi An to Da Nang airport · about 45 minutes, then a flight of about an hour and a half to Ho Chi Minh City
- Morning:
- The drive to Da Nang airport and the flight south.
- Afternoon:
- Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Evening:
- A walk through the colonial centre, from the Opera House to the old Post Office.
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City
19Day 19
Day 19: A day on the Mekong
Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre and back · about 2 hours each way by road
- Morning:
- The drive to Ben Tre, in the Mekong Delta.
- Afternoon:
- Small boats along the coconut-lined canals to family workshops and orchards.
- Evening:
- Back in the city.
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City
20Day 20
Day 20: Saigon by its food
- Morning:
- Ben Thanh market and the food stalls around it with your guide.
- Afternoon:
- Free, out of the heat.
- Evening:
- An evening of street food on foot with your guide, a few small dishes at a time.
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City
21Day 21
Day 21: Depart
Your hotel to Tan Son Nhat airport · about 30 to 45 minutes
- Morning:
- A slow breakfast and time to pack.
- Afternoon:
- Your driver takes you to the airport for your onward flight.
Overnight: none (departure day)
Make it yours
The builder opens with these days on real dates: change the length, the pace, a day or a hotel, then book the pieces yourself with partners, or send it to us and a person fine-tunes it with you, free.