Most Vietnam itineraries look the same: Halong, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City. I’ve lived in Da Nang for six years, traveled the country end to end, and I’ll tell you straight — the Vietnam worth seeing starts where the standard routes don’t go. Here’s the seven-day plan I actually recommend to friends.
North: Hanoi and Halong — 2 to 3 days
Hanoi is a good city, but two days is plenty. See Hoan Kiem Lake around 7 a.m., before the crowds. Then walk into the Old Quarter: Ta Hien Street in the evening with a beer for 20,000 dong (~$0.80) and street food next door — that’s the real Hanoi.
From Hanoi, do a day trip to Halong Bay. A one-day tour runs $35–40, and you don’t need to overnight there — the bay looks best in the morning. Pick a tour with a licensed wooden junk, not a plastic boat.
Getting there from Da Nang: an overnight sleeper bus is 400–600k dong (~$16–24, 12–15 hours), or a VietJet flight from $20 if you book early.
Center: Hue, Hoi An, Da Nang — the underrated heart of the country
This is the densest part of the trip. And the most underrated.
Hue — the former imperial capital. The Citadel costs 200k dong ($8) and is open 7:00 to 17:30. But the real reason to come is the food. Bun Bo Hue, a beef noodle soup, costs 30–50k dong ($1.20–2) and tastes nothing like the bun bo you’ll find anywhere else in the country.
Hoi An — come in the evening. The old town closes to cars after 8 p.m., and that’s when it becomes what it should be: narrow lanes, lanterns, quiet. During the day it’s hot and packed.
Da Nang — my home. My Khe Beach, the Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son), and the Son Tra peninsula viewpoint over the whole bay. Tour buses don’t go up there, which means almost no people.
South: Ho Chi Minh City — 2 days
HCMC is the opposite of Hanoi. Faster, louder, hotter. You either click with it or you don’t.
Don’t skip: the War Remnants Museum (rough, but honest), the Independence Palace, and Ben Thanh Market. In the evening, head to Bui Vien Street if you want the loud Asian backpacker-strip vibe.
I don’t include Phu Quoc in a one-week plan. Go there separately, and only between November and March. Outside that window, rain and rough surf make the beach experience iffy, according to Vietnam Tourism data .
How to handle the transit
A workable seven-day flow:
- Da Nang → Hanoi (sleeper bus or flight from $20)
- Hanoi → Halong (day tour) → back to Hanoi
- Hanoi → Da Nang (~1 hour flight, from $20)
- Hue → Hoi An → Da Nang (3 days, buses and minivans every hour)
- Da Nang → HCMC (flight from $20)
- HCMC (2 days)
Grab a SIM at the airport: Vietnamobile 20GB for 30 days runs about 150k dong ($6). Grab works in every major city — cheaper and easier than any guide.
If you’re thinking about moving to Vietnam longer-term , the route changes a bit: central Vietnam works better as a base than the north or south.
The mistakes most tourists make
They skip central Vietnam. Most people fly Hanoi ↔ HCMC and think they’ve seen the country. Hue and Hoi An are a different Vietnam entirely.
They go in the wrong season. Center: rain October through December. South: rain May through October. North: cold and fog in January and February. Check the weather before you book.
They don’t book Hoi An ahead. In high season (December to March), the good guesthouses near the old town fill up weeks in advance.
FAQ
Do foreigners need a visa for Vietnam? Most Western passports get visa-on-arrival or e-visa for 30–90 days, depending on nationality. If you’re coming from Russia, Kazakhstan, or Belarus, you get 45 days visa-free. If you need longer or want to extend from inside the country, here’s a detailed guide on extending your Vietnam visa .
How much money do you need for a week in Vietnam? For transport, mid-range lodging, and food: $600–900 per person, not counting international flights. On a tight budget, $350–450 is doable.
Can you do Vietnam independently, without tours? The whole central route (Hue → Hoi An → Da Nang) is easy on your own — buses and minivans run every hour. In Hanoi and HCMC, Grab beats any guide.
If you want a custom route or help with a visa:
- Instagram @vietnam_samurai — DM the word test and I’ll help you build a route
- Telegram @vietnam_samurai — for visa and extension questions