Two weeks in Vietnam covers ancient temples, limestone karsts, lantern-lit old towns, and street food so good you'll plan your return before you leave. Here's the perfect Vietnam itinerary.
The motorbike appears from nowhere, weaving through a gap you were certain didn’t exist, and then the street opens into a square where a woman in a conical hat sells pho from a cart so small you wonder how the broth stays hot. The air smells of lemongrass, exhaust, and something charred and wonderful from a grill two stalls down. You’ve been in Hanoi for six hours and you already know you haven’t booked enough time. Vietnam does this to people.
Two weeks is the minimum to do Vietnam properly. A 2 weeks in Vietnam itinerary covers the country’s greatest highlights: the capital’s French-colonial streets, the limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay, the lantern glow of Hoi An’s ancient town, and the controlled chaos of Ho Chi Minh City, with time left to drift through the Mekong Delta on a wooden boat. This vietnam itinerary 2 weeks guide covers everything you need to plan your vietnam trip.
Few countries pack this much variety into one long, narrow strip of land. Vietnam stretches about 1,650 kilometres from north to south, and along the way you move through distinct climates, a dozen regional cuisines, and centuries of layered history: Cham temples, French boulevards, imperial palaces, and the remnants of a war that still shapes the country’s identity. The value is exceptional. A good hotel room costs $40 to $80 a night, and a bowl of street food $1.50 to $3. Ha Long Bay cruises, Hoi An cooking classes, and Mekong boat trips are all within reach without a luxury budget. Vietnam is one of the few places where travelling well and travelling affordably are the same thing.
Start in Hanoi: chaotic, layered, and completely compelling. The Old Quarter’s 36 guild streets, each historically dedicated to a single trade, are the best way to orient yourself. Walk them slowly, duck into the courtyards behind the shopfronts, and eat everything.
What to do:
Where to eat in Hanoi: Bun cha at Bun Cha Huong Lien (24 Le Van Huu), where Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama ate in 2016. Banh mi from Banh Mi 25 on Hang Ca. Egg coffee, a Hanoi invention, at Cafe Giang on Nguyen Huu Huan.
Where to stay in Hanoi:
From Hanoi, take a cruise on Ha Long Bay. The roughly 1,600 limestone islands rising from the Gulf of Tonkin are among the most extraordinary landscapes on earth, and a day trip barely scratches the surface. Spend at least one night on the water, two if you can. Most cruises include a shuttle from the Old Quarter, now about 2.5 to 3 hours each way on the expressway.
Look for kayaking included, a smaller boat (20 cabins or fewer), and a sunrise session on the top deck. Skip the cheapest day trips, which are crowded and rushed. A mid-range two-day, one-night cruise runs about $145 to $250 per person; expect drinks, tips, and extras to add more.
For the full guide, see our Ha Long Bay Vietnam kayaking guide.
Fly from Hanoi to Da Nang (about 1 hour 20 minutes), then drive 45 minutes south to Hoi An. This is the visual heart of Vietnam: a UNESCO-listed trading port where Chinese merchant houses, the Japanese Covered Bridge, and French colonial facades line a river lit nightly by silk lanterns. The Ancient Town is compact enough to walk in a morning and rich enough to fill three days.
What to do:
Where to eat in Hoi An: Cao lau (thick noodles with pork and crispy crackers) at Thanh Cao Lau on Thai Phien. White rose dumplings at White Rose Restaurant on Hai Ba Trung. Banh mi from Banh Mi Phuong on Phan Chau Trinh.
Where to stay in Hoi An:
Fly from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City (about 1 hour 20 minutes). The contrast with Hanoi is immediate: Saigon is faster, louder, and more international. French colonial architecture survives in pockets, including the Central Post Office and Notre-Dame Cathedral, still undergoing a long restoration.
What to do:
Where to eat in Ho Chi Minh City: Hu tieu (pork noodle soup) from neighbourhood stalls in Cholon (District 5). Com tam (broken rice with grilled pork) from any sidewalk stall in the morning. Banh xeo (sizzling crepes) at Banh Xeo 46A on Dinh Cong Trang.
Where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City:
Take a day or overnight trip into the Mekong Delta. My Tho and Ben Tre, about 1.5 hours by road, offer river villages reached by wooden sampan and family-run coconut candy workshops. Can Tho, now about 2.5 to 3 hours away on the expressway, has the most famous floating market (Cai Rang, best at 6 to 7am) and is worth an overnight. Group overnight tours from Saigon usually bundle transport, a homestay or hotel, and most meals, so compare inclusions carefully.
Vietnam’s climate varies dramatically by region.
December to April is the dry season in the south (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta). February to April is ideal in central Vietnam (Hoi An), where September to December brings heavy rain and flood risk.
October to December and March to April are the most pleasant months in the north (Hanoi, Ha Long Bay). January and February are cool and often grey; summer is hot, humid, and typhoon-prone.
May to September brings heat and rain to much of the country, but prices drop.
For a north-to-south trip like this one, February to April gives the best odds of good weather everywhere.
Fly into Hanoi (Noi Bai International Airport) and out of Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat International Airport): this open-jaw routing avoids backtracking. From the US, Vietnam Airlines flies nonstop from San Francisco to Ho Chi Minh City; otherwise connect through Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, or Hong Kong. From the UK, Vietnam Airlines flies nonstop from London, and Singapore Airlines via Singapore is a strong one-stop option. Ho Chi Minh City’s new Long Thanh International Airport is scheduled to begin commercial flights in December 2026; check which airport your ticket uses.
Getting around Vietnam:
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Vietnam will surprise you. Not because it’s undiscovered (it isn’t), but because no amount of reading prepares you for how alive it feels: the food, the pace, the warmth of the people, the landscape at dawn. Two weeks is enough to fall in love with it. It is not enough to see all of it. That’s exactly the point.
