Essential Vietnam: Hanoi, Halong, Hoi An, Saigon
Duration : 14 days
Route : Hanoi (3 nights) → Halong junk (2 nights) → Hue flight (2 nights) → Hoi An (3 nights) → Saigon flight (2 nights) → Mekong My Tho (1 night) → return Saigon (1 night)
Custom travel to Vietnam
Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia's most complete destinations — an S-shaped country 1,650 km from north to south, 100 million inhabitants, 54 ethnicities, 5 distinct landscapes (Tonkin mountains, Halong Bay, central coast beaches, Mekong Delta, Highlands). Thousand-year-old Hanoi with its 36 alleys, Halong Bay (UNESCO, 1,600 karstic islands emerging from emerald water), Hoi An the lantern town (UNESCO, silk road port city), frantic Saigon (old town, scooters, markets), Mekong Delta (sampans, floating markets). Cuisine among the world's best (pho, bun cha, banh mi, coconut coffee). Gripping history (resistance to Chinese, French, Americans). Vietnam is one of Asia's most welcoming countries — smiles, hospitality, and a refinement that rivals France.
Highlights
- Halong Bay: 1,600 karstic islands (UNESCO)
- Hanoi: 36 alleys, old town, Hoan Kiem Lake
- Hoi An: UNESCO lantern town
- Saigon and Mekong Delta: floating markets
- Sapa: terraced rice fields and mountain ethnicities
- Hue: imperial city (UNESCO) and royal tombs
Sample itineraries
Vietnam and Sapa: northern mountains
Duration : 16 days
Route : Hanoi (3 nights) → Sapa night train (3 nights, rice fields, Hmong ethnicities) → return Hanoi → Halong (2 nights) → Hue flight (2 nights) → Hoi An (3 nights) → Saigon flight (2 nights) → return flight
Vietnam and Cambodia: complete Indochina
Duration : 18 days
Route : Hanoi (3 nights) → Halong (2 nights) → Hue (2 nights) → Hoi An (3 nights) → Saigon (2 nights) → Mekong (1 night) → Siem Reap flight Cambodia (4 nights, Angkor) → return
When to go
Vietnam is very long (1,650 km) — varied climate. South (Saigon, Mekong): December-April (dry). Center (Hue, Hoi An, Da Nang): February-August (dry, but hot June-August). North (Hanoi, Halong, Sapa): October-April (dry, cool December-February). For Sapa rice fields: March-May (green) or September (gold). Avoid July-August in center (typhoons), January-February in north (very cold at altitude).
- Winter / dry season (October – April) — Whole country, ideal
- Spring (March – May) — Sapa green rice fields, Hoi An
- Wet summer (June – August) — South only, or cool Sapa
- Rice harvest (September) — Golden Sapa rice fields
Frequently asked questions
When?
October-April (dry everywhere). March-May for green Sapa rice fields. September for golden Sapa harvest.
How long?
14 days for essential Vietnam. 16 days to add Sapa. 18 days to combine with Cambodia.
Budget?
€2,200-€3,200 per person for 14 days in comfort, excluding flights. Premium: €3,800-€5,500. Flights: €700-€1,100.
Visa?
30-day e-Visa mandatory (online, ~$25).
Halong by junk: how many nights?
2 days/1 night minimum. 3 days/2 nights ideal to fully enjoy (kayak, more remote cave, sunrise).
Family?
Absolutely, from age 8. Total safety, warm welcome, fun experiences (Halong junk, Hoi An lanterns, Mekong sampan).
How to get around?
Private car with driver (recommended), Vietnam Airlines domestic flights, Hanoi-Sapa night train.
Combine?
Yes: Vietnam + Cambodia (Angkor, Saigon-Siem Reap 1-h flight), Vietnam + Laos (Luang Prabang), Vietnam + Thailand.
Pho for breakfast?
Yes, it's the traditional Vietnamese breakfast. Pho Gia Truyen in Hanoi (5-10 am) is the institution.
Tips?
5-10% appreciated. Not mandatory but well received.