I went to Vietnam in March 2023 for 8 days with my husband, Philip, as part of our honeymoon. Here is our itinerary starting in central Vietnam and ending in the north.
Getting to Vietnam
From the US it’s a journey to get to Vietnam with very few direct flights. We flew from Los Angeles (LAX) direct to Taipei (14 hour flight), spent a couple days exploring Taipei, then flew to Da Nang Vietnam (3 hour flight).
Stop 1: Hoi An
Hoi An is a coastal city in central Vietnam and is known for the hundreds of lanterns strung around the city. Many people recommended Hoi An with some saying it was there favorite city in Vietnam, so we added it to our itinerary.
Our first day in Hoi An we enjoyed wandering around the ancient town admiring the hanging lanterns, browsing the many clothing stores, crossing the Japanese Covered Bridge, and eating and drinking along the river.
The next day we biked through the rice fields to the beach and stumbled upon the coolest coffee shop, Sound of Silence. That afternoon we lounged by the hotel pool and thoroughly enjoyed the swim up bar. Later we ate dinner at Morning Glory Signature before celebrating St. Patrick’s day at The Shamrock.
Getting to Hoi An
The closest airport to Hoi An is Da Nang airport which is just 40 minutes away by car. Hoi An can also be reached by train.
Where to stay in Hoi An
I suggest staying within walking distance to the old quarter. We stayed at Bel Marina Resort which was fantastic. It’s not one of the cheapest options but has a lot of great amenities.
Days
Days 1 and 2 in Vietnam.
Stop 2: Hanoi
We flew from Da Nang to Hanoi and had a ride arranged by the hotel into the Old Quarter. I was immediately startled by the chaos of Hanoi in comparison to Hoi An which is much smaller. Nonethless we got out and explored.
We ate lunch at My Pho then walked around Kiem Lake. We stumbled upon a basketball tournament which was fun to watch. For dinner that night we tried Bun Cha, a poplar dish in Hanoi with grilled pork and noodles, at Số 1 Hàng Mành bún chả which was a bit of a tourist trap.
Getting to Hanoi
Hanoi has an international airport with many direct flights.
Where to stay in Hanoi
Most of the tourist attractions are in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, so staying at one of the many hotels in this area is the best choice. There are tons of choices for both budget and upscale hotels. We stayed at Golden Sun Hotel Trendy (budget) and later in the trip we stayed at Soleil Boutique Hotel (upscale). We were happy with both hotels!
Days
Day 3 in Vietnam.
Stop 3: Ha Long Bay
We made sure the world famous Ha Long Bay with it’s hundreds of limestone islands and emerald water was part of our itinerary. We did a one night, two day cruise on the Indochina Junk Dragon Legend. Note that this cruise technically goes to Bai Tu Long bay which is in the same area as Ha Long Bay but is less crowded.
We were picked up by the tour shuttle from our hotel in Hanoi and driven to Bai Tu Long Bay. From there we got through the tour logistics and onto the Dragon Legend boat which was massive and so nice! The cruise consisted of multi-course meals, a tour of a fishing village, a cave visit, kayaking, squid fishing, and down time to enjoy the incredible boat. I say this a lot but photos don’t do this place justice, it was so beautiful and such a neat experience sleeping in the middle of the bay!
Getting to Ha Long Bay
Most tours will pick you up in Hanoi and bring you to and from Ha Long Bay. Other options are to book a private car or take a local bus. We kept it simple and left the logistics to the tour!
Where to stay in Ha Long Bay
I recommend doing at least one night sleeping on a boat. I have heard staying in Cat Ba is really great too!
Days
Days 4 and 5 in Vietnam.
Stop 4: Ninh Binh (Tam Coc)
From Ha Long Bay we went to Tam Coc (Ninh Binh province) which is nicknamed the Ha Long Bay of the land, because it too has limestone cliffs jetting up out of the earth. We took a shuttle arranged by the tour which took longer than I had anticipated. That first evening we ate dinner at Aroma Indian which was a nice change of cuisine.
The next day we ate breakfast and tried egg coffee at Nam Coffee Beer Garden. Then we rented a scooter and explored Thung Sen’s massive property. Later we rode to Bich Dong pagoda which is a complex with multiple pagodas built into the cliff.
We started our third day in Tam Coc by hiking Hang Mua peak which has two pagodas, a dragon sculpture, and great views. That afternoon we swam at the hotel pool and Philip gave me a lesson on driving the scooter. We ended the day with dinner at Tam Coc Lantern – Vietnamese Restaurant & Vegetarian Food.
Getting to Ninh Binh/ Tam Coc
Ninh Binh is just 1.5 hours from Hanoi and about 4 hours from Ha Long Bay. We personally took a shuttle from Ha Long Bay directly to Ninh Binh with other travelers, but other options are a private car, train, or bus.
Where to stay in Ninh Binh/ Tam Coc
Stay in Tam Coc at one of the many fabulous hotels or homestays. We stayed at Tam Coc Marina Villa and absolutely loved it.
Note: I do not recommend staying in Ninh Binh city as it does not appeal to tourists. When people say they went to Ninh Binh, 99% of the time they mean they went to Tam Coc which is a town within Ninh Binh province.
Days
Days 6 and 7 in Vietnam.
Stop 5: Hanoi
After Tam Coc we returned to Hanoi to spend one more day exploring the city and to prepare for our flight to Japan the following day. With our second visit to Hanoi we found delicious Bun Cha and went to the Hoa Lo Prison museum. Later we ate mediocre pho on beer street before going to the Thang Long Water Puppet show which we really enjoyed! We finished the night with a drink at our hotel’s rooftop bar.
Getting to Hanoi from Ninh Binh
From Ninh Binh you can get to Hanoi in 1.5 hours by private car. Other options are to take a bus or train. We took a private car arranged by our hotel for about $50 USD.
Days
Day 8 in Vietnam.
Final Thoughts
I had a great experience in Vietnam, however it was more of a developing country than I realized. I left with a new appreciation for road rules, sidewalks, drinkable tap water, and air quality regulations. We were surprised how polluted it was. On the other hand we were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful scenery, delicious food, and the fantastic cultural experience.
With the limited amount of time we had I don’t know that I’d change much on this itinerary. However I could have used more time in both Hoi An and Tam Coc!
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