3 Week Vietnam Itinerary: Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City

In episode 106 of the Global Travel Planning Podcast, Doug joins Tracy to share the full 19-day Vietnam itinerary: six nights in Hanoi, the overnight Laman Express sleeper to Da Nang, five nights in Hoi An, and four in Ho Chi Minh City, before the bus on to Cambodia. It is the itinerary listeners have been asking for since Vietnam for first-time visitors (episode 4) has become one of the most listened-to destination episodes on the show.

Things did not go to plan. Tracy arrived in Hanoi already unwell after a freezing few days in South Korea, ended up in an international hospital with bronchitis and pneumonia, and reshaped the second half of the itinerary around getting better. So alongside the hotels, tours and train, there is plenty here on flexibility, free cancellation and what they would change next time. If Vietnam is on your list for a first visit, start with the Vietnam travel guide and the 12 essential Vietnam travel tips, then use this episode as the worked example.

You can grab our free Vietnam Travel Planning Cheatsheet on the Vietnam travel guide page, and the free Global Trip Planner workbook if you are starting from scratch.

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Episode 106 – What you’ll learn in this episode

• The full 19-day route: 6 nights in Hanoi (including one night at Ha Long Bay), the overnight sleeper to Da Nang, 2 nights in Da Nang, 5 in Hoi An, 1 more in Da Nang and 4 in Ho Chi Minh City
• Where Tracy and Doug stayed at every stop, from a basic but well-placed Old Quarter hotel in Hanoi to the Anantara in Hoi An, and the one hotel they would book again without hesitation (the Vanda in Da Nang)
• How to get the two-berth private cabin on the 17-hour Laman Express sleeper from Hanoi to Da Nang, why it needs booking months ahead on 12Go, and what boarding at Hanoi station actually involves (crossing the tracks with your own luggage)
• The two Hanoi tours worth booking: the army jeep tour that took them to parts of the city they would never have found alone, and the food tour whose guide got them to Train Street just as the train came through, and taught them how to order without coriander
• Why the water puppet show is the one thing not to miss in Hanoi
• What happened when Tracy went to Ha Long Bay ill and alone, and why she would skip a non-refundable tour next time rather than push through
• What a visit to an international hospital in Hanoi looked like: blood tests, a CT scan and X-rays within an hour, a deposit paid up front, and a claim that came back in full, bar the small excess
• Why Hoi An did not quite live up to expectations, what they skipped, and why they would still go back
• Doug’s honest account of the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta day trip, including how far into the tunnels he actually got and who should give them a miss
• What it was like to cook and eat dinner in a Vietnamese family’s home in Ho Chi Minh City through LikeLocal (and why Kim’s mum videoed Doug in her kitchen)
• The trick to crossing the road in Ho Chi Minh City when nobody stops at the crossings
• Practical notes: cash versus the Wise card, laundry, airport transfers, packing for a trip that ran from hot Vietnam to a European winter, and the mobility points to think about before you book
• What they would change next time: more time in Da Nang, and a second go at Ha Long Bay together

Links to relevant articles and podcasts

Mentioned in this episode

• Hanoi Food, Culture, Sightseeing and Fun Army Jeep Tour – the jeep tour that took us round Hanoi, Banana Island and Train Street
• Hanoi food tour with Train Street – the walking food tour where the guide got us to Train Street just as the train came through
• Thang Long Water Puppet Show, Hanoi – do not miss it
• Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta full-day tour – Doug’s day out of Ho Chi Minh City with Kim Travel
• GetYourGuide – where we booked every tour on this trip
• 12Go – where we booked the Laman Express sleeper, the Giant Ibis bus to Phnom Penh and our airport transfers
• Wise card – accepted at hotels and restaurants alongside cash
• West Hotel and Spa, Hanoi – central Old Quarter, basic, a bit noisy, lovely staff
• Vanda Hotel, Da Nang – our standout stay, overlooking the Dragon Bridge, complimentary spa treatment included
• Anantara Hoi An Resort – the five-star switch for Tracy’s recovery, 10 to 15 minutes’ walk from the old town
• Orchids Saigon Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City – District 1, a short walk from the Saigon Centre food court
• LikeLocal – the home cooking experience with Kim and her family in Ho Chi Minh City
• Colette French Bistro and Wine Bar, Hanoi and Shamballa Vegetarian Bistro, Hoi An – the two restaurants we went back to

Podcasts

• Episode 4 – Tips for first-time visitors to Vietnam – with Ros and Alan of Step into Vietnam, the episode to start with
• Episode 12 – Cultural Immersion Explored: Adventures in Vietnam and Cambodia with LikeLocal – the full story of our LikeLocal experiences
• Episode 9 – Trip Report: Snapshots from Asia – the overview of the whole seven-week Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand trip
• Episode 13 – 21-Day Japan Itinerary – the first leg of the same trip

Articles

• Vietnam Travel Guide – tips, resources and the free cheat sheet
• 12 Essential Vietnam Travel Tips for First-Time Visitors – read before you book
• Cambodia Travel Guide – for the second half of the trip
• 12 Essential Cambodia Travel Tips for First-Time Visitors – practical tips for Cambodia
• Japan Itinerary for First-Time Travellers: A 21 Day Adventure – the Japan leg of this trip, day by day
• How to Plan the Perfect Travel Itinerary for Any Destination – our planning method

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