Vietnam End-to-End: Hanoi, Hoi An & Ho Chi Minh City in 14 Days
Vietnam stretches 1,650 kilometres from north to south — and feels like three or four different countries stacked on top of each other. The north is Chinese-influenced, cool and mountainous. The centre is historic and refined, with imperial palaces and ancient trading ports. The south is tropical, chaotic, entrepreneurial. This 14-day itinerary moves south to north, which aligns with most flight connections and allows you to feel the country shift beneath your feet.
The Route
Ho Chi Minh City (2 days) → Mekong Delta (1 day) → Fly to Da Nang → Hoi An (3 days) → Hue (1 day) → Fly to Hanoi (2 days) → Ha Long Bay (2 days) → Sapa (2 days) → Depart Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
The city moves at a velocity that's initially overwhelming. 6 million motorbikes. Food at every hour on every corner. A skyline of glass towers rising behind colonial-era opera houses.
Ben Thanh Market for orientation (prices are inflated; treat it as a food hall). War Remnants Museum — demanding but essential. Pham Ngu Lao Street for backpacker energy and cheap pho. Dinner at Cục Gạch Quán — farm-to-table Vietnamese in a converted house.
Hoi An
Vietnam's most atmospheric town — lantern-lit streets, tailors who produce custom suits in 24 hours, ancient Japanese trading houses, and food that is among the best in the country.
Don't miss: Cao Lau noodles (made only in Hoi An using local well water), White Rose dumplings, bánh mì from Phượng (Anthony Bourdain's specific recommendation), and an evening cooking class.
Ha Long Bay
The UNESCO-listed bay of 1,969 limestone karst islands is unquestionably extraordinary. The quality of cruise boats varies enormously — do not book the cheapest option.
Where to Stay
Ho Chi Minh City (Luxury): Park Hyatt Saigon — a colonial-era building on Lam Son Square, with the city's most elegant pool and a rooftop bar from which the city's skyline is spectacular.
Ho Chi Minh City (Mid-range): The Reverie Saigon is a riot of Italian luxury materials in the Times Square tower — eccentric, glamorous and great value for its category.
Hoi An (Boutique Luxury): Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai — 100 pool villas on a private beach 10 minutes from Hoi An town. One of Southeast Asia's finest resorts.
Villa Vedici is a boutique French colonial-style property right in the old town — intimate, beautiful and excellent value.
Hanoi (Luxury): Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi — opened in 1901 and has hosted every significant visitor to Vietnam's capital from Charlie Chaplin to Barack Obama. The Opera Wing's Bamboo Bar is Hanoi's finest.
