How to travel Vietnam | 1, 2, 3 & 4 Week Itinerary BREAKDOWNS

This itinerary is a follow-up to our No BS Guide to Vietnam. If you haven't seen that video, check it out for what to expect before visiting Vietnam. In it we cover arrival, transportation, currency exchanges, apps to download, and more. This video is going to be rather subjective because it's primarily based on only the spots that we visited. Now, Vietnam is a fairly large country, so, like with most places, the more time you have, the more you're going to get to do, to see, and eat. As mentioned in our No BS Guide to Vietnam, most people travel either north to south or south to north. The main reasoning behind this logic is because the two largest cities are located in opposite ends of the country. To the north you'll find Hanoi, and in the south you'll find Saigon. Other than that, there's really no major difference when it comes to the trajectory of your trip. Now, in case you don't want to sit through this video and you're looking for a brief idea, this is what each itinerary is going to look like. The rest of the video will explain in a little bit more detail on how to tackle each stop. We're also going to structure this video so that each itinerary can be worked in reverse should tickets come out cheaper that way. Now, before you take off, you are definitely going to want to make sure you have these apps downloaded. WhatsApp, Agoda, Google Translate, Google Maps, and Grab. Most places, including airports, offer free Wi-Fi, so you'll be able to use all of these as soon as you land. Again, check out that No BS Guide to Vietnam for more detail on why you need them and how you're going to use them. Important thing to note, we like to limit ourselves to around 3-5 activities per day at most. If your points of interest are spread out, aim for around 3 per day. If they're close by, you can increase that number, but make sure you give yourself enough time at each location, hence 5 max. For those of you who will be visiting Vietnam for one week or less, your trip is going to feel a little bit rushed. What we recommend is researching some cities that are interesting to you and make your call from there. Based on our experience, this is how we would structure one week in Vietnam. Fly into Saigon. You'll most likely be jet lagged, so our best suggestion is to check into your Airbnb or hotel and take the rest of the day easy. If you're coming from a neighboring country, you can probably hit the ground running. Saigon has many different districts, so check out This Culture Trip's website for more information For the ease of this video, we'd recommend staying in District 1. It's centrally located, has all the character of Vietnam, including historical and cultural interests, and also has reasonably priced accommodations. Warning, Bui Vien Street is going to be the most concentrated area of backpackers and nightlife in District 1. It gets pretty loud late into the night, so if you typically retire early, aka you're an adult, you may want to stay a few blocks away. We stayed one block away, and we could hear some of the muffled out noise at night, but it wasn't loud enough to keep us up. If you aren't overly exhausted when you arrive, grab a cup of Vietnamese coffee to perk you up and head out for the rest of the day walking around and exploring. If you've never been to Vietnam before, you're going to find most things interesting. The life of the city lies within its streets, and every corner you turn, there's something to see. The next morning, start with a bowl of pho. This is a typical breakfast meal, and you've never had it like they make it at Pho Nho. Portions are hefty, and the taste is on point. Just keep in mind that this place opens early and closes early. After you've gotten your fill of pho, there are tons of markets, museums, and coffee shops to occupy your time. Spend most of your day visiting and roaming around the city until it starts to get dark. You'll notice the best way to explore Vietnam is by eating through it, and there's no better way than a food tour. We linked up with Vu, owner of Saigon Street Eats, for a Street Food 101 tour. They will pick you up from your hotel on their motorbikes and whisk you around different districts. Fire away any questions about food, the history and culture of Vietnam, or just life in general, and you'll be surprisingly rewarded. Soak up the rest of the tour and either head out to experience the nightlife or make your way home. The next morning, head to the airport and fly to Da Nang. Now, yes, we do realize that there are trains that go from Saigon to Da Nang, but remember you're only working with one week, so you're going to need to maximize your time. The train's a great method of transportation, but trips like that can take upwards of 17 hours. From the Da Nang airport, you'll need to get to Hoi An. The most convenient option is to take a Grab. Grab is a rideshare app that works the same way as Uber or Lyft. The cost to get from Da Nang to Hoi An is approximately 350,000 dong, or $15. If you're two people or more, take a Grab. If you're traveling solo, there are pre-arranged van services that can start as low as $6. Hoi An is a charming little town and a tourist hotspot. There you can find historical sites, great food and drinks, custom-made clothing, beaches, and the list goes on. We'd recommend staying here for at least two days. Use one day to explore the city and the other to take advantage of the beach. Ao Bang is located about 4.5 kilometers away, and it is a great way to use a day to just relax in the sun. If you're not interested in the beach during your Vietnam experience, then just spend both days in Hoi An sightseeing and soaking it all up. On your fifth day, head to the airport and catch a flight up to Hanoi. This is where you'll be closing off your trip. Similar to Saigon and city density, Hanoi offers some pretty interesting activities from water puppet shows to historical artifacts, and of course, food and drinks. Check out our videos of Hanoi for more on where to go and what to do. In Hanoi, you're going to want to stay near the Old Quarter. But similar to District 1 in Saigon, it can be quite noisy with the sound of horns throughout most of the day and night. We've stayed in Old Quarter and just outside of Old Quarter, and we definitely prefer staying on the outskirts. Where we were was a quiet residential neighborhood and only about a 15 minute walk to get to Old Quarter. Close out your last two days in Hanoi and head to the airport to head out. More time is always a great thing in Vietnam. For this itinerary, we'll be adding a few stops along the way, but similar to the one week itinerary, start off in Saigon. Aim to spend around three days max in the city. We have a few videos on food in Saigon, which can be a great resource. Again, we would highly recommend doing a food tour with Saigon Street Eats. Not only are they experts in food and culture, but they're awesome ambassadors to Saigon and Vietnam as a whole. From Saigon, take a bus to Da Lat. Trip time is around eight hours and costs approximately 10 US dollars. Tickets can be purchased at nearly any tour agency in and around Saigon. You can purchase tickets day of, but it's best to solidify your plans the day before by getting locked in. Listen, Da Lat is our favorite city in Vietnam. Tucked away in the central highlands of the country, the weather is a bit crisp and cool and has a totally different feel than anywhere else that you'll go in Vietnam. This is an agricultural powerhouse and it puts you front and center with some of the freshest produce and coffee in the country. Da Lat offers activities within the city and on the outskirts of the city. You'll want to aim to spend around three days minimum here. Use one of those days to walk around the city, exploring its restaurants, coffee shops, and sites and use the other two to rent a motorbike and explore the outskirts. One of those days can be used to visit elephant waterfalls and on your way out, be sure to stop by some of the awesome coffee plantations. The other day can be used to visit Da Thanh La Falls, where you can find a roller coaster through the forest, canyoning, zip lines, and another waterfall. On your sixth or seventh day, take a bus to Nha Trang. Try to leave in the morning if you can, as the ride's around six hours. Use the rest of the day to relax. If you want to get a little adventurous, stop by one of the blind massage facilities and do an hour massage. Now, there are a few spread out throughout the city, but our favorite was Hoa Lu. Massages there are led by blind masseuses, which helps employ people that may not otherwise be able to work. These massages use a lot more pressure than a traditional massage, but we enjoyed them and we left feeling like a tenderized piece of meat. The next morning you'll want to head to the infamous mud baths. There you'll soak in mud that's said to be very mineral rich. Soak time in the mud baths is limited, but you can spend as long as you'd like in the pool. Now, that should occupy the first half of your morning, so use the rest of the day to hang out on the beach and grab some food. The next morning, take a flight to Da Nang and make your way to Hoi An. Similar to the one-week itinerary, spend two days there, then fly to Hanoi to close out your last three days. Here's where your itinerary gets a little more interesting. Now you can afford the time to take trains between cities. You'll want to check out dates before your trip to make sure they don't fall on national holidays. You'll also want to check prices of flights beforehand to see what's going to be more economical. In a three-week itinerary, we would personally just add on more days to each city mentioned in our two-week itinerary. If you're looking for an island experience, you could venture down to Phu Wut. Now if you do choose to go there, the Antoi Islands, located at the southernmost point of the island, are going to be the most exotic and attractive for snorkeling. Phu Wut is a lot larger than it appears on a map, so ideally you'll want to spend around three to four days here if you choose to go. Be sure to check out our videos on Phu Wut before you decide to visit, and if you're not into the whole beach scene, substitute days in Phu Wut for either days in Sapa or Halong Bay. In Sapa, you'll find lush mountains and rice fields, and Halong Bay is infamous for its boat tours, in which you'll get to visit and or sleep amongst these dramatic limestone cliffs and formations. We haven't personally visited Sapa or Halong Bay because we've gotten our fair share of rice fields and dramatic limestone karst in our travels through Thailand. So starting in Saigon, plan to spend three days here. From Saigon, catch a flight to Phu Wut. Spend three to four days on the island, then fly either directly to Da Lat, or if tickets are too expensive, fly back to Saigon and catch a bus to Da Lat. Spend four to five days in Da Lat, then catch a bus to Nha Trang. Spend two to three days in Nha Trang, and then from Nha Trang, catch an overnight train to Da Nang. Spend three full days in Hoi An, and on the third day, take an overnight train to Hanoi. Spend your last three days in Hanoi, and then fly out from there. Now you could save one to two days by not taking the overnight train at all. We'd recommend taking it at least once if you can afford the time. It's an experience you'll remember and a great way to see the countryside of Vietnam. For those of you that are lucky enough to visit Vietnam for four weeks, this is going to be the most ideal time frame to grab a motorbike and do the entire country on your own. We've never done this approach, but from what we've heard, it's better to buy the motorbike in the north, travel down the country, and sell it in the south. This apparently gets the best bang for your buck. Motorbike aside, start in Saigon. Spend three days here. From Saigon, shoot out to Phu Quoc. Stay four days exploring, leaving on the fourth day. Fly either directly into Da Lat or back to Saigon, and take a bus to Da Lat. Spend five days in Da Lat, leaving on the fifth day. Take the bus to Nha Trang. Spend three full days in Nha Trang, pampering yourself, then hop on the train to Da Nang. Make your way to Hoi An and make it your home for four days. Take the train again, or catch a flight if it's more economical, to Hanoi. Stay in Hanoi for five days and then shoot out to Sa Pa for three to four days. After you've gotten your fair share of rice fields, make your way to Ha Long Bay and spend three days there at most. If you aren't a beach person, sub out Phu Quoc for either more days in Sa Pa or Ha Long Bay, and that marks 30 days in the country. You'll have hit virtually every point of interest, with the exception of a few cities like Hue, Ninh Binh, and Vinh. We'll leave off on an answer to a question that we frequently get. I'm traveling to Vietnam for only three days, where should I go? Our answer, Hanoi. Now for all of our Southern Vietnamese people, please do not get offended. Saigon and Hanoi are two megacities and both have extremely different feels. We love the food, art, culture, charm, and of course the people of Saigon. The city's more modern there and definitely has an eclectic vibe that's catered to the younger, hip traveler, and we absolutely love that. But on the flip side, we feel that Hanoi is an architectural walk through time, and the city offers plenty of tourist activities in a relatively concentrated area. Similar to Saigon, you'll get a great feel of the hustle and bustle of Vietnam, mixed with of course an awesome food scene. As always, thanks for watching, and we encourage you to share tips in the comment section below for other travelers. We hope we were able to help you firm up your plans on visiting Vietnam, and if you like the content and want to see more of it, subscribe to our channel to get all of our latest drops. Don't you share it. Tips. Okay. Tips. Haha.