Vietnam's history in 2 weeks: a private itinerary
14 days, 13 nights · Hanoi → Ninh Binh → Lan Ha Bay → Hue → Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City
Old Hanoi and the Museum of Ethnology, the thousand-year-old capital at Hoa Lu, imperial Hue and the merchant houses of Hoi An.
The route
Hanoi
3 nights, from day 1
Typical hotel: Apricot Hotel or La Siesta Premium Hang Be
Ninh Binh
2 nights, from day 4
Typical hotel: Tam Coc Garden Resort
Lan Ha Bay
1 night, from day 6
Typical hotel: Halong Capella Cruise (Lyra Cruise Collection) or Heritage Cruises Binh Chuan Cat Ba Archipelago
Hue
2 nights, from day 7
Typical hotel: Pilgrimage Village Resort & Spa or Saigon Morin Hotel
Hoi An
3 nights, from day 9
Typical hotel: Anantara Hoi An Resort or La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa
Ho Chi Minh City
2 nights, from day 12
Typical hotel: Hotel des Arts Saigon Mgallery Collection or Hotel Majestic Saigon
Day by day
14 days, 13 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: 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
4Day 4
Day 4: 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
5Day 5
Day 5: 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
6Day 6
Day 6: 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
7Day 7
Day 7: 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
8Day 8
Day 8: 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
9Day 9
Day 9: 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
10Day 10
Day 10: 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
11Day 11
Day 11: 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
12Day 12
Day 12: 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
13Day 13
Day 13: 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
14Day 14
Day 14: 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.