Vietnam newbies! Get it all in 14 night itinerary.
By Jen / January 25, 2021
You can spend a month in Vietnam and still not see the entire country. It’s a big country. It’s also a long county with extended travel times between destinations or required internal flights. If you are a first time visitor and have only a week or two to explore Vietnam I think you need to narrow your choices and choose to focus on either North Vietnam or South Vietnam. You are likely going to find yourself with a couple of long travel days on either option. It’s just how it is. But Ohhhhh so worth it!!!
I chose to focus on North Vietnam. If you are a first-timer, you will probably will choose this region as well. Because it’s got all the goods! Hanoi, Hoi An (which really can be added to either North or South Vietnam), Ninh Binh, Halong Bay, and Sapa. These are some of main tourist spots but there is plenty more to see in Vietnam!! Of course, South Vietnam has amazing gems to be discovered and you should venture south if you have more than 2 weeks. I suspect, like me, you will find Vietnam to be one of your all-time favorite countries ever ever ever and you will want to return after a first trip! For SURE it’s my plan!!
I had been traveling solo for the previous 2 months through Thailand, Bali, and Cambodia before I arrived in Vietnam. I was soooooooo happy to have a friend join me for the Vietnam portion of my trip. I can say with confidence I would have been fine alone in Vietnam. I would have enjoyed everything, felt safe, had fun, and come home with amazing memories. Please don’t discount Vietnam as a solo female traveler. For me, it was time for some company! Unlike my beach destinations in Thailand and Bali, Vietnam is filled with tours and excursions that I wouldn’t want to miss. Meaning to make the most of your trip there will be added expenses and it will help if you have a friend along for fun and your budget. I will say, I had a $60 a day budget for my 3-month trip and this is the place that made me go over that budget. No regrets! It was worth every single penny!!
My friend Jess would join me in Vietnam and Laos. I was so glad to have her with me. I mentioned in my post about manifesting this trip and how important it is to vocalize your desires to a friend and set a plan in action. Jess is the first person I shared my dream about making this trip happen. She is one of the reasons I went. Which made it even more special to have her with me on this portion of the trip. I was so happy to be in Vietnam with Jess!
The following is our 14 night Vietnam Itinerary. And it’s completely doable! You might feel a little rushed. Honestly, if you are on a time restraint this itinerary is 100% feasible and you will get to see a lot and still have some chill time. I think it’s an amazing full 2 week Vietnam Itinerary for newbies!
Night 1-Hanoi
Night 2-Hanoi
Night 3-Hanoi
Night 4-Ninh Binh
Night 5-Ninh Binh
Night 6-Halong Bay
Night 7-Halong Bay
Night 8-Overnight train to Sapa
Night 9-Sapa
Night 10-Sapa
Night 11-Overnight Hanoi hotel waiting for next day early morning flight to….
Night 12-Hoi An
Night 13-Hoi An
Night 14-Hoi An
Hanoi - 3 nights
Let’s start in Hanoi.
Not only is Hanoi awesome but it’s likely where you will arrive in the country. It’s a logical place to start. I loved Hanoi. We had 3 nights and my feeling was I could have spent a full week in Hanoi. There were parts of the city that I felt equal to Greenwich Village in NYC. As I was walking around I kept thinking I’m in the Vietnam version of Greenwich Village. Cause, everything felt miniature to me. Not unlike some local restaurants in the East Village.
Wandering Hanoi.
It all felt so cute! We spent our days in Hanoi visiting the Temple of Literature, finding coffee spots, wandering through the Old City, walking on Train Street, and popping into a few shops. We just wandered. There are museums and sites to see but we chose to spend our time walking around. If I have one regret it’s we didn’t join locals drinking beer in on the small stools you will find all over town. Next time, right?
A highlight to mention; I made it a point to visit the restaurant Anthony Bourdain took President Barack Obama to enjoy a meal. Man do I love these two men! Peace to you Anthony……This was something on my list I was very excited about. The meal did not disappoint. It is called Bún Chả Hương Liên. They serve this dish only-Bun Cha. You can order a few add on’s. The restaurant is 3 levels and I think the seats Anthony and Barak ate is on the 3rd floor. It is crowded and it’s not a secret. The dish was awesome, I loved the flavor, and was the best thing I ate in Vietnam. Plus it’s got great energy and there are locals along with the tourists. Win!
**Pro tip: I learned this the hard way. Make sure to establish a fair cost with all taxi drivers before you get in. Total cost, that’s it, nothing more. Make sure that is clear. Otherwise, find another way. Even if the taxi has a meter get this set in stone. Jess and I got into a “metered” cab right after this meal to take us probably 3 miles and 20 minutes only to our Airbnb and he charged us $60. Yes, you heard that correct. $60!!!! This was quite literally robbery and it should have been less than $10 at best! It was 3 pm but he told us it was a “rush hour” charge. This is bullocks and to avoid police intervention we paid him $40 and said you know what to him and left! Grab is a wonderful travel option for countries in SE Asia that offer it. I’s a great deal and safer too. It’s just like Uber and will be your friend.
A women set this on Jess's shoulder as we were waling by and we had fun taking pictures and supporting locals.
Hanoi by night-the red bridge.
Ninh Binh - 2 nights
Our next stop would be Ninh Binh.
This is a do not miss! Especially if you can’t make Halong Bay fit or decide the Junk Boats are out of your budget. They call this area Halong Bay on land. It’s an amazing substitute should that be the case. Try not to make that the case though. You want to give Halong Bay a try. It’s a very short 2.5-hour bus ride from Hanoi. Our bus was a sleeper bus and we reclined. I listened to a podcast and we made it lickity split! I like to call this place “Misty Magical Ninh Binh” because we didn’t see the sun the entire 2 days. It felt like that was appropriate. It fit the landscape and my mood as I was suffering from a pretty annoying sinus infection. You don’t need a ton of time here. 2 days will be sufficient unless you need some R & R. See my post on Ninh Binh for more details.
Halong Bay - 2 nights
From Ninh Binh we picked up a local bus to Halong Bay. I mean it was a local bus. We sped through small towns and the driver had his/her hand on the horn the ENTIRE trip which was around 4 hours. I won’t ever forget the sound of that horn-constantly “bling bling bling… bling bling bling”! People got on and off, space was tight and our bathroom stop was a concrete slab next to a river. I did my business in the open with the other ladies on the bus. No toilet, no privacy, and no toilet paper (always carry tissue ladies!). The joys of travel! I’m not being sarcastic here, it was fun!
*Pro tip: do you major business before getting on the bus if you catch my drift.
Anywho, we nearly missed our Halong Bay boat because our bus was late and took a little more time than we anticipated. It was hard to figure out our stop and our driver didn’t speak English to help so we had to wing it. A little hurried stress ensued but in the end, we made it to our Junk Boat. We booked Indochina Sails and the boat was adorable and the scenery epic!
Halong Bay-Expect lots and lots of boats!
Let’s back up a bit. Before my trip, I had decided I was going to skip Halong Bay. Was I one silly lady! My reasoning was I didn’t want to spend the money on the boat and I was worried it was going to be too touristy. I was right. It was super duper touristy but even so, it was worth it! This was a highlight of Vietnam. I could have spent a couple more days on that boat lounging on the deck with wine taking in the views. Funny thing though, the boat doesn’t go very far from shore. It just sort of putzes around. If you want to get into the nooks and crannies I’d say you need a 3-night junk boat that goes a little further out. I’ll share another post on what a junk boat tour of Halong Bay is like. Until then….
Sapa - 2 nights
Next up would be Sapa. Which is far north. Like almost in China north. Part of our Halong Cruise with Indochina Sails included transportation back to Hanoi which was convenient and helpful. We made it to Hanoi with a few hours to spare before our overnight train to Sapa. We had our driver drop us off at the train station so we could leave our bags (the train station in Hanoi has luggage storage) and explore a little more of Hanoi. We enjoyed our last amazing Vietnamese iced coffee, checked out the Old Quarter at night, had a foot massage, and I ate one last Banh Mi. By then it was time to hop on the Orient Express overnight train to Sapa. Don’t mistake. This train was not the real Orient Express-at all.
Sapa Town.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the train and more so the cost of the train. I have more on this in my Sapa post and you can check that one out for more information.
Sapa, however, did not disappoint. Jess and I had a good giggle because we did not anticipate how chilly it was going to be and we didn’t have appropriate clothing. We were there in early November so I don’t know why we didn’t prepare for this. My outfits especially were comical and I sported the wool socks with Teva’s look and layered up. Both of us felt the vibe was how we would expect to feel in Nepal and seemed more like we were in the lower Himalayas rather than Vietnam. We both loved the mountain town feel and it was a nice change from the heat. Not only from home in South Carolina but our travels as well. We truly lucked out with the weather the day we did our Sapa Sisters hike. And this was the entire reason for our visit to Sapa. To hike with these women and check out the rice terraces. Sapa is a bit of a trek because it’s so far north but it’s not to be skipped. It’s worth the journey. Even if you just hop over for a couple of days.
Hanoi - 1 night
Now we begin to make our way south again. We decided this time to take the bus back to Hanoi. I have to say the bus was easier and faster than the train. It took around 6 hours. It was an “overnight” style bus so we had a bed to rest, we had wifi, it left on time and was cheap. Much cheaper than the train at $10 each as opposed to $50 each for the overnight train. (Plus the train was longer at 8 or 9 hours).
We had one last night in Hanoi to sleep before leaving bright and early the next morning for a flight to Da Nang making our way to Hoi An. The flight was $100 from Hanoi and I think this is your best bet unless you are budgeting. It’s quick and easy.
Hoi An - 3 nights
Hoi An is as charming as you would expect. This is a city to eat, go to the beach, bike around the countryside and wander the Old City. Sweet lanterns are hanging everywhere, music playing from speakers on the streets, the old Japanese bridge to check out, many many shops, tailors, food tours, cooking classes, lantern releases, and bars etc…etc…et… It’s very romantic. All this makes for a sweet couple of days. It’s your ideal Vietnam. We did all of this in 3 days. I don’t think you need much longer in Hoi An. However, it might be a place you don’t leave. There is a growing ex-pat community both here and especially in Da Nang. Which is just 45 minutes away.
Wow! That went fast! 14 days sure flew by for me!
I truly feel this is an amazing first time route to Vietnam! You get a bit of everything. Cities, mountains, beaches, cute towns, culture, water views and you will leave feeling very satisfied you have seen a lot in this amazing country. I’d bet a lot you will want to return to Vietnam after this glimpse.
