1 International Flight, 2 Sleeper Bus, 3 Domestic Flights, 4 Days On A Motorbike, 7 Locations, and 10 Accommodations. All in 3 weeks, here is the ultimate 3 week Vietnam Itinerary!!
Day 1 En-route Hanoi
We set off on a 13 hour direct flight from London to Vietnam. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh but wanted to go from North to South so we took a direct flight straight to Hanoi the Capital of Vietnam. Hanoi was going to be our travel hub for this trip. It was evening by the time we got there and checked into our hotel L’Harmonie then decided to head to Tiger Crystal Corner where things are popping off, the food is great and the beers are cheap.
Day 2 Hanoi
Kickstarting the day with breakfast at our hotel, we then headed to the Hoa Lo Prison Museum which is worth a visit to get an insight into Vietnam’s History.
After we found ourselves at Hoan Kiem Lake where the famous Note Coffee shop is located. This place is awesome not just because there are sticky notes everywhere but simply because they do an excellent coconut coffee. We then headed to the famous Bun Cha Ha Noi 26 where Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama ate at.
We finished up and got ourselves back to our hotel to collect our bags to hop on a 6/7 hour VIP sleeper bus to our next destination.
Day 3 – 5 Ha Giang
Arriving in Ha Giang at 5:30 in the morning and knowing that we have a long adventurous day ahead of us we decided to check in to KiKi’s House to catch up on a couple of hours of sleep. The 4 days were going to be spent on a motorbike exploring the Northern Part Of Vietnam and man this was one of the highlights of this trip. Check out our Ha Giang Loop blog for the full Itinerary for this part of our trip.
Day 6 Ha Gaing – Ninh Binh
Finishing up the Ha Giang Loop we relaxed at Ha Giang Hostel until the sleeper bus arrived to take us on what they claimed to be a 6 hour bus journey that turned into a loud 9 hours of hell. Never again will I take a normal sleeper bus when in Vietnam. Honestly, they decided to transport a bunch of screaming piglets under the bus.
Day 7 Ninh Binh
After a sleepless night, we arrived at the Lotus Hotel around 5:30am and rested up before getting the day started. So off to a late start in the day, we rented a motorbike for the next couple of days to explore Tam Coc or most hotels let you use their bikes for free.
We visited Trang An, this tour took a couple of hours and only costs 500K (£18) for a private boat, and a fun fact part of King Kong was filmed here. We ended our day by trying out their KFC and getting an early night.
Day 8 Ninh Binh
We were up early and the lovely owners at the Lotus Hotel made us breakfast. The lotus fields are located right opposite the hotel but unfortunately, it was out of season.
After breakfast, we hopped on our scooter and headed to Hang Mua Cave. Get ready for leg day as this was a 500-step mountain and a very sketchy viewpoint unfortunately due to it being overcrowded and there being no safety at the top I did not manage to touch the dragon at the top but did climb all 500 steps and the view was still spectacular. This place is very Instagramable.
Heading back down to Tam Coc for a spot of shopping and the prices were good. Just past Tam Coc is Bich Dong Pagoda which is free to explore, on the way back you must stop at Nhat Linh for lunch with a view.
For dinner you cannot miss out on Nha Hang Canh Dieu Tam Coc, they do the best roast duck ever. Finishing our evening we had a massage at Lotus Spa and a few drinks on the strip.
Day 9 Hanoi
Our time was up in Ninh Binh, so we got a 2 hour bus back to Hanoi to check into the Dahlia Hotel to drop our things off and head out to explore more of this beautiful city.
The first stop was Ban Mi 25 this is a must, one of the best chicken Ban Mi you will ever have. Then off to Train Street which is meant to be completely closed off to tourists but we ended up getting smuggled in.
Day 10 -11 Ha Long Bay
Early rise and we were picked up by the Genesis Regal Cruise bus, 1 hour into the journey and we were taken to a Pearl showroom and also a toilet stop, proceeding with our journey we finally reached the dock and the cruise office where we will be checking in for 2 nights on a 5 Star Luxury All Inclusive Cruise.
Day 12 Hanoi
So this is where plans don’t always go to plan. Originally we were meant to head straight to Hoi An on a 15 hour sleeper bus but we got food poisoning
We had to get back to the city to rest and where it had everything we needed.
Day 13 Hoi An
We woke up early to catch a quick 1 hour domestic flight from Hoi An to Da Nang, once we arrived we needed to get a Grab Taxi to Hoi An, which took 30 minutes.
We checked into the Fivitel Hoi An Hotel which was located right opposite Cua Dai Beach and 10 minute ride from Hoi An Ancient Town. So, you guessed it we rented a motorbike and headed into the town for some food at Banh Mi Queen. It began to rain and it did not stop till the next day so we spent this time in our hotel.
Day 14 Hoi An
The rain eventually stopped around lunchtime and we took this time to head to the beach and have a swim what I mean by swim is getting pushed around by the wave as this is a very wavey beach.
Later on, we went to explore the Japanese Covered Bridge and the night market. We also took a ride on the boats through the Ancient Town as we watched the buildings covered in colorful lanterns making this beautiful city light up. We were able to release some of our own lanterns in the river for good luck.
Day 15 Hoi An
We kick-started the day by heading to an all-you-can-eat hotpot restaurant called Yo Hotpot.
After lunch, the sun was beaming and this was our opportunity to head over to the Coconut Basket Boats. This is a must, they put on an excellent performance on these boats in the middle of the river and show you how they fish.
In the evening I waited patiently to do and that was to shop till I drop. Hoi An is known for some of the cheapest Tailors, I did not get anything made but that’s because I found everything I wanted and I found this to be the cheapest place to shop in the whole of Vietnam.
Day 16 Phu Quoc
30-minute drive back to Da Nang Airport and it was time to fly 1 hour off the coast of Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand the Vietnamese Island Phu Quoc. If you looking for beaches in Vietnam this is the place you want to visit.
We arrived around 10 am at The Palmy Phu Quoc Resort and Spa. This hotel was really beautiful as it was located right on the beach. We needed to wait till 2 pm to check in, after we did this we rented a motorbike and headed to a beach off the beaten tracks. We spent a few hours at Sao Beach but the water on this day wasn’t the cleanest as it had rained earlier in the morning. We then finish the night by heading to Bach Dang Night Market for the cheapest and fresh seafood feast.
Day 17 Phu Quoc
Early start today and we were off to Aquatopia to get there, there is only one way to do it, and that is by Cable Cart and to cross 3 Islands. This was a super affordable day out paying a round 500l ( £18pp) for a round trip on the cable cars and entry to the water park. Aquatopia has some epic slides!
Day 18 Phu Quoc
Today we decided to relax at the beach, and go snorkeling where I had an encounter with an Octopus. after a whole day of discovering hermit crabs in the sea, we finished the night off at Ocsen Beach Bar with cocktails and a sunset.
Day 19 Ho Chi Minh
On our final adventure in Vietnam, we took an hour flight to the city of Saigon also known as Ho Chi Minh.
We checked into My Arrivals Apartment and this was a cool hotel they have capsule rooms here but we had too many bags to stay in one. We decided to explore the city and some of its shopping centers. One you cannot miss out on is Ben Thanh Market this maker has everything and it’s all fake but get ready to haggle because their prices are way higher than any market you will visit.
Day 20 Ho Chi Minh
We visited The War Remnants Museum for only 40k (£1.40). This gave us a dark insight into the American and Vietnamese war.
Later on, we headed to a food market that is very hard to find on google. It’s located near Bach Dang Wharf and man it gets so packed that people sit on the floor. We stuffed our faces and called it a night.
Day 21 Goodbye Vietnam
Unfortunately, we ran out of time but there was so much more we wanted to see and do until next time.
It was time for us to catch a flight from Ho Chi Minh to Manilla City. We are off to the Philippines!!!!
