Vietnam travel tips for your first trip

Two weeks gives you enough time to enjoy each of those stops, including a morning when all you plan to do is find a good bowl of noodles.

If you have a fortnight, pick two regions that work for your travel month. For a trip in April, northern and central Vietnam fit together well. In October, give the north more of your time and keep plans around the central coast flexible.

Set your arrival and departure cities

For the route below, look at flying into Hanoi (HAN) and out of Da Nang (DAD). Compare the price of booking those two flights together with the full cost of a return ticket, including any train or flight back to the original airport. If you have to connect on a separate ticket, leave enough time to collect and recheck bags. An overnight stop can make an early onward flight easier.

• A week to 10 days. Stay in one region. Hanoi and Ninh Binh work for a city-and-countryside trip. Hue and Hoi An offer a mix of historic sites and coast. Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta work well if you are drawn to the south.
• Two weeks. Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Hue and Hoi An make a route you can follow without a domestic flight between the stops. If the Mekong Delta is a priority, start your planning in the south and add just one other region.
• Three weeks. Add Ho Chi Minh City and a stay in the Mekong Delta. Consider flying from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City for this longer leg. If you want to see the floating markets, stay in Can Tho so you can get out on the river early.

Use the weather to choose your route

If a boat trip is one of the reasons you are going, leave another morning free in case the weather shifts. For a December break built around warmer weather, the south is an easier place to start than the northern highlands.

A two-week itinerary from Hanoi to Hoi An

Count 14 days and 13 nights in Vietnam, including arrival and departure. An overnight flight to get there may take up a separate day of annual leave.

If you would rather travel during the day, check for a daytime train from Ninh Binh to Hue and start your Hue stay on day six. That replaces the overnight berth with a fourth night in Hue.

For the limestone scenery, Tam Coc works well if you want to pair a shorter boat trip with other plans. Trang An is a good choice if the caves are the main draw. If you are set on sailing on Ha Long Bay, give it its own slot in the itinerary and include the road transfer in your plans.

Check your passport, visa and arrival form separately

Checked on 13 November 2026. Check the rules for the passport you will use, the purpose of your visit and your length of stay. Your passport should have at least six months left when you enter. Some nationalities qualify for a visa-free stay of up to 45 days; for twelve European countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands, that runs until 14 August 2028 (Vietnam Tourism). Check the conditions that apply to your passport, including whether you need evidence of onward travel.

If you need an e-visa, use the Immigration Department's official website, evisa.gov.vn. E-visas can be issued for up to 90 days and cost US$25 (about €23) for a single entry or US$50 (about €45) for multiple entries (Vietnam Tourism). If you are planning a side trip to another country, confirm that you can re-enter Vietnam under the conditions you are using. Check your passport details, the approved dates and whether your border crossing accepts e-visas.

There is also a Pre-Arrival Information (PAI) declaration at major airports, including Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. The official portal is prearrival.immigration.gov.vn; fill it in within the three days before you arrive (Vietnam Ministry of Public Security) and save the confirmation QR code offline. Use only this address: sites that charge for it are not needed. Rules can change, so check your government's travel advice shortly before you leave.

What to sort out before you go

• Reserve your longest journeys first. Trains and timetables are on Vietnam Railways. If you are booking a sleeper, check how many berths the compartment has. Book early around Tết, Vietnam's Lunar New Year, and ask your accommodation what will be open during the holiday.
• Plan for short transfers. Save the name and address of your first hotel, your booking and an offline map. For buses and minivans, confirm the exact pick-up and drop-off points. The itinerary above works with rail and road transfers. If you intend to ride a scooter, check the licence you need for the vehicle and whether your insurer covers it.
• Carry smaller Vietnamese dong notes. Cards work for many hotel bills and larger purchases. Keep cash for markets, small food stalls and stops outside the cities. Read the number before handing over a blue note, as the VND 20,000 and VND 500,000 notes can look similar (Vietnam Tourism).
• Price the route one leg at a time. Add up accommodation, long-distance transport and any big excursions first. Then budget per day for meals and local rides. When comparing flights and trains, include hold luggage, the cost of reaching the airport and the price of a berth.
• Get travel health advice for your route. Ask a travel health clinic, or see TravelHealthPro, about vaccinations and mosquito precautions for the places and activities on your itinerary. Check that your travel insurance includes medical care and evacuation.

Give yourself at least one unhurried lunch in each place. In Hanoi, try bún chả with grilled pork, rice noodles and fresh herbs. Order bún bò Huế for a warming noodle soup in Hue and cao lầu for chewy noodles and crisp toppings in Hoi An. If you go south, try cà phê sữa đá, iced coffee with condensed milk.

Still choosing between destinations in Asia? See Thailand's rainy season coast by coast, one day in Bangkok with kids and Kyoto or Osaka as a base. All our guides to the country are on the Vietnam page.

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