2 Week Vietnam Itinerary: Travel North to South in 14 Days

When you arrive at Noi Bai International airport in Hanoi, you’ll be welcome by one of our representative and transferred to your hotel in the downtown. The remainder of the day will be your own.

Overnight in Hanoi

Meals:
Accommodation: Hotel
Transportation: Private vehicle

After a truly scrumptious breakfast, you’ll start your 2 week Vietnam itinerary with a full day city tour, including Hanoi’s sights and sounds on a tour that covers all the essentials. You’ll visit the Ho Chi Minh Complex, which includes the Mausoleum, Uncle Ho’s former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace, the Ho Chi Minh Museum and The Temple of Literature, which, dating back to 1070, is Vietnam’s oldest university.

In the afternoon, explore the enthralling Museum of Ethnology, which contains an extensive display of life-size structures dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minorities. Next, enjoy an hour-long cyclo ride winding through the narrow, chaotic streets of the Old Quarter – a must for any visitor to Hanoi! The day finishes with a traditional performance of the famous Vietnamese water puppets.

Note: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed all day on Monday and Fridays, as well as from 1st October to 30th November (approx.) for annual conservation.

Overnight in Hanoi   

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel
Transportation: Private vehicle

After breakfast, your time will be your own!

At 11.00 AM, embark on a Hanoi street food tour in Hanoi’s Old Quarter where your expert English-speaking local guide will give you an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular northern dishes. Walking through the maze of bustling streets that make up Hanoi’s Old Quarter, tempt your tastebuds with the famed Hanoi dishes at local eateries. Watch in awe as the skilled chefs demonstrate for you how this tasty dish is put together. Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, you wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago. At the end of your tour you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you with directions or a taxi back to your hotel. The remainder of the day will be your own!

Overnight in Hanoi 

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel
Transportation:

After breakfast, you’ll leave for Halong Bay with a refreshment break en route. Meet the crew upon boarding the traditional wooden junk, then relax and enjoy lunch while the boat heads towards the secluded islands. Visit ancient limestone caves and go sea kayaking and swimming if the weather permits. Return to the junk refreshed and invigorated and relax on deck with a drink to watch the sunset. Enjoy a freshly prepared seafood dinner under the stars.

Overnight on a wooden junk in Halong Bay

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Overnight Cruises
Transportation: Private vehicle, Boat

Enjoy an early morning swim (if weather permits) followed by breakfast. The tour then visit one of the famous caves in the middle of the bay before cruising back to the main harbor for the 4 hour drive straight to Noi Bai airport in Hanoi for a late afternoon flight to Danang. On arrival, met and transferred to your selected hotel in Hoi An.

Overnight in Hoi An

Meals: Breakfast, Brunch
Accommodation: Hotel
Transportation: Private vehicle, Boat, Plane

09:00 a.m., your guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and show you around the old town. You’ll start a walking tour with numerous places of interest: the 400-year old Japanese Covered Bridge, the Phuc Kien Assembly Halls, a museum and the colorful local market. Following the narrow lanes, you walk along tiny streets with houses influenced by Chinese, Japanese, French and European architectures.

After your walking tour, your time will be at leisure to wander around or go shopping. Your lunch will be at a local restaurant. The remainder of the day will be your own.

Overnight in Hoi An

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel
Transportation: Private vehicle

A free day in Hoi An to spend as your wish!

Apart from exploring Hoi An’s World Heritage architecture & colorful market on foot, you might visit Vietnam’s grandest Cham ruins at My Son; attend a cooking class at a riverside restaurant; or join other travelers to get up close and personal to daily farming and fishing life. For early risers, why not capture the real Hoi An by joining a 4-hour photography tour led by a local expat expert? If you want to go below, hop on a boat to Cu Lao Cham Island for a fun and relaxing day to explore exotic coral reefs and marine life [best between March & September]. If you’d like any of these activities to be included during your free time in Hoi An, just let it be known during your enquiry, or ask one of the Travel Specialists.

Overnight in Hoi An

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel
Transportation:

A free morning at leisure in Hoi An.

Afternoon drive north to the Royal City of Hue with en-route stop to visit either the Cham Museum in the city centre OR the famous Marble Mountain, which stands for the five essential elements that establish nature. Continue the scenic route to Hue, enjoy the view of the coast line and Danang from the top of the Hai Van Pass (Pass of the Clouds) makes your journey interesting and have your camera ready for some great photo opportunities.

Overnight in Hue

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel
Transportation: Private vehicle, Boat

After breakfast, you’ll spend the full day for a city tour of Imperial City of Hue, firstly with the ancient walled Citadel including the former Imperial Palace. You’ll then visit the Dong Ba market to learn about local produce and specialties of Hue. You might get some great deals done at the local Dong Ba Market. Have lunch in a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you will cruise the Perfume River by a dragon boat to serene Thien Mu Pagoda and drive to visit the majestic Royal Tomb of King Ming Mang or King Khai Dinh. Return to your hotel by road just before sunset.

Hue was the Vietnamese capital during the Nguyen Dynasty 1802-1945 and ruins of the city s regal past can still be seen inside the Citadel and the Imperial City. Created in the 19th century, the Imperial City was modelled on the Forbidden City in Beijing and holds many palaces and temples inside its giant walls. Many of the buildings were damaged by French aerial bombing and the Tet Offensive in 1968. Now it is slowly being restored thanks to generous funding by UNESCO.

Please note: You might consider a candle-lit dinner set in a garden house which is a traditional feature of Hue’s culture. Both the garden house and the cuisine are great introduction into Hue’s culture.

Overnight in Hue

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel
Transportation: Private vehicle

After breakfast, drive to Phu Bai airport in Hue for an afternoon flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

When you arrive, you will be met by another local expert guide who will escort you for 1,5-hour drive to Cu Chi Tunnels. After lunch at a riverside restaurant, visit the amazing network of underground tunnels was used during the Vietnam War by the Viet Cong. This huge construction was a habitation for villagers in the war time. With 3 levels of depth, it was never discovered by the US during the Vietnam War despite its proximity to Saigon. Visit the fighting tunnel system with your local guide. Returns to Ho Chi Minh City, arriving at around 18.00.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel
Transportation: Private vehicle, Plane

Today, you’ll embark on a guided city tour starting with the War Remnants Museum – a real eye-opening  part of Vietnam’s proud history; followed by the Reunification Palace; the former South Vietnam Presidential Palace; the Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office to get your camera working overtime peeking into the past of Vietnam’s biggest, most energetically progressive city.

In the afternoon, the sights of Chinatown beckon, with a walking tour through its back-streets to become part of the local daily life. Stop off for a visit to Thien Hau temple, which was built in the early 19th Century in tribute to the goddess of seafarers. Delve deeper into Chinatown by visiting the amazing Cholon and Binh Tay Market (or Ben Thanh market) for an insight into where the locals actually shop. Then it’s back to your hotel by around 5.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel
Transportation: Private vehicle

At 8.00am, depart for a 2 hour drive to Ben Tre, one of the country’s southern provinces, situated in the Delta of the Mekong River. Take in the highway as you leave behind the busy city. On arrival, take a boat on Ben Tre River – one of tributaries of Mekong River to witness lively activities along river such as fishing, water transferring. Stop at brickwork to see how to make bricks in traditional style by printing and baking. You will visit one of plenty of coconut processing workshops located along canal. Turn on natural scissors creeks where they look smaller and smaller to go to village. Take a walk to family workshop making sleep mats and enjoying some fruits. Later, take a motor-cart on shady village paths, passing by green rice fields and vegetable plains to be able to touch on real life and find out about tropical culture from peasants. After lunch at a riverside restaurant, enjoy rowing-boat along water palm creek, and boat trip back to pier where you will be taken by your private car to Can Tho for overnight accommodation.

Overnight in Can Tho

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel
Transportation: Private vehicle, Boat

Today an half hour boat cruise will take you to visit the vibrant Cai Rang floating market to experience a special type of market in which all purchasing activities take place on boats and ships. Then continue to small a canal to visit a fruit garden where your guide will show you around before having a plate of delicious fruits. Return to Can Tho and observing the rural life and the lush vegetation along the riverbanks. Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City with lunch en-route, arriving in the late afternoon.

Note: Cai Rang market is one of the three biggest markets (Cai Be, Phung Hiep, Cai Rang) in the Mekong Delta. You can visit the market at any time of the day but it is most crowded and busy from sunrise to 6:00 am.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel
Transportation: Private vehicle, Boat

Your time will be your own until being picked up to head to Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport for your onward journey or departure flight. Be warned, though: you’ll probably want to come back. Farewell from Vietnam!!

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation:
Transportation: Private vehicle