Itineraries

The Ultimate 14-Day Vietnam Itinerary

Two weeks is the sweet spot for a first trip to Vietnam — enough to travel the length of the country from Hanoi to the Mekong Delta without rushing. This 14-day itinerary runs north to south: a few days in and around Hanoi, an overnight cruise on Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay, the imperial city of Hue and the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An in the centre, then Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta in the south. You take two or three short internal flights to skip the long overland legs, and still have time to slow down.

Vietnam is long and narrow — around 1,650 km end to end, so Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is a similar distance to London to Barcelona. Trying to do it all by road eats whole days; a couple of one-hour flights between regions are what make two weeks feel unhurried rather than a race. Here is the route day by day, then how to adapt it to your own pace.

The route at a glance

The north (days 1–5): Hanoi, a day in Ninh Binh, and an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise. The centre (days 6–9): a flight south to Hue, then over the Hai Van Pass to Hoi An. The south (days 10–14): a flight to Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta before you fly home. Two internal flights do the heavy lifting — Hanoi to the centre, and the centre to the south.

Days 1–2 — Hanoi

Arrive, drop your bags and take the first day gently — the flight in is long and the Old Quarter is best wandered slowly. Lose an afternoon in its tangle of streets, try egg coffee and bun cha, watch a water-puppet show, and pay your respects at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature and Hoan Kiem Lake. A street-food walk on your first evening is the easiest way to shake off the jet lag.

Day 3 — Ninh Binh

Head about two hours south to Ninh Binh, often called "Ha Long Bay on land." A rowing boat through the caves and rice paddies of Trang An or Tam Coc is the highlight, and the climb to the Mua Cave viewpoint rewards you with the view you have seen on postcards. You can do it as a long day trip from Hanoi or stay a night to slow the pace. Torn between here and the bay? Our guide to Ha Long Bay vs Ninh Binh helps you weigh them up — on a 14-day trip you have room for both.

Days 4–5 — Ha Long Bay

Transfer to the coast (about two and a half hours) and board an overnight cruise among the limestone karsts. Expect kayaking or a bamboo boat through the lagoons, a cave or two, sunset from the top deck and tai chi at dawn. The quieter Lan Ha and Bai Tu Long bays offer much the same scenery with fewer boats. One night is the classic choice, though two lets the bay empty out after the day trippers leave — we cover the trade-off in one night or two. Browse the boats we know and trust on our Ha Long Bay cruises page.

Day 6 — fly to the centre (Hue)

Back to Hanoi for a short flight south to Hue (about an hour and twenty). Vietnam's old imperial capital sits on the Perfume River: spend your time in the walled Citadel, at the royal tombs scattered through the countryside, and at the riverside Thien Mu Pagoda. Hue's refined imperial cuisine is a reason to linger over dinner.

Days 7–9 — Hoi An

Drive from Hue to Hoi An over the Hai Van Pass — one of the most scenic stretches of road in the country, worth doing by car so you can stop for the views. Hoi An itself is the highlight of many Vietnam trips: a UNESCO-listed old town of lantern-lit lanes, tailors who will run up a suit in a day, riverside cafes and the Japanese Covered Bridge. Give yourself three nights to cycle out to the rice paddies and An Bang beach, take a cooking class, and make a half-day trip to the My Son temple ruins.

Days 10–11 — Ho Chi Minh City

Fly from Da Nang (a short drive from Hoi An) to Ho Chi Minh City, about an hour and twenty in the air. The south's biggest city is fast, hot and full of energy: the War Remnants Museum and Reunification Palace for history, Ben Thanh Market and the backstreets for street food, and a rooftop bar for the skyline. A half-day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels is the usual add-on.

Days 12–13 — the Mekong Delta

Finish somewhere slower and greener. The Mekong Delta is a couple of hours from the city — trade the traffic for sampans winding through coconut-palm canals, fruit orchards and, if you start early, the Cai Rang floating market near Can Tho. It works as a pair of day trips or, better, an overnight so you catch the market at dawn and the delta at its quietest.

Day 14 — departure

Fly home from Ho Chi Minh City. If your international flights work better out of Hanoi, simply run the itinerary in reverse — the route is just as good south to north.

How to adapt this itinerary

This is a framework, not a rulebook. If the far north pulls at you more than the south, swap the Mekong days for the rice terraces and hill-tribe villages of Sapa or Ha Giang — our take on whether Sapa is worth adding will help you decide. Beach lovers can trade a city day for more time on the coast at Hoi An or a hop to Phu Quoc. If you would rather move slowly, take two nights on the bay and drop one southern stop. And families usually do best with fewer moves and a little more pool time built in.

The one thing we would not change is the flights: two or three short internal hops are what keep two weeks feeling relaxed. Fourteen days is exactly the length our guide to how many days you need in Vietnam recommends for a first full-country trip — and the season matters too, so it is worth checking the best time to travel before you lock in dates.

How we plan it for you

We build a trip like this as a private, end-to-end itinerary — you tell us your dates, your pace and your budget, and we handle the internal flights, private transfers, cruise, hotels and English-speaking guides from arrival to departure. We are planners, not resellers, and we never take commission, so every choice is made on merit rather than what pays us most. It is free, and there is no obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 14 days enough for Vietnam?

Yes — two weeks is the classic length for a first trip and enough to travel north to south without rushing, covering Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, the central towns of Hue and Hoi An, and the south. Our guide to how many days you need in Vietnam goes into the trade-offs by trip length.

Do you need internal flights for a two-week Vietnam trip?

In practice, yes. Two or three short flights — Hanoi to the centre and the centre to the south — save whole days compared with the train or road, and they are what make a 14-day trip feel unhurried.

Should you travel Vietnam north to south or south to north?

Both work equally well; the order is usually decided by which international flights suit you. North to south, starting in Hanoi and ending in Ho Chi Minh City, is the most common.

How many nights should you spend on a Ha Long Bay cruise?

One or two. One night is the classic taste of the bay; a second night takes you into the quieter bays after the day boats leave. We compare them in one night or two.

When is the best time to do a 14-day Vietnam trip?

Vietnam's regions have different seasons, so no single month is ideal everywhere, but roughly October to April is a good window for the north and centre. See our guide to the best time to visit.