Vietnam in 2 Weeks: A 14-Day Itinerary from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam in 2 Weeks: The Short Answer

Yes, if you pick your bases carefully and do not try to see everything. The route below gives you 13 nights in five bases: Hanoi, a night on Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City, with day trips to Ninh Binh and the Cu Chi Tunnels, and the Mekong Delta as an option. It works because you fly the two long legs.

• North (Days 1–5): Hanoi, an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise and a Ninh Binh day trip.
• Centre (Days 6–11): fly to Hue, then cross the Hai Van Pass to Hoi An.
• South (Days 12–14): fly to Ho Chi Minh City for the city and the Cu Chi Tunnels, with the Mekong Delta as an option, before your flight home.

Tour pickup and return times in this guide come from the published itineraries of tours on our site, so you can see how long each day really is before you book. Flight, rail and road times are approximate; check them for your travel dates. Where a choice costs you something, we say so.

The 14-Day Route at a Glance

Day	Sleep in	Plan	Getting there
1	Hanoi	Arrive, Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake on foot	International arrival
2	Hanoi	Temples, museums and the Ho Chi Minh Complex	—
3	Ha Long Bay (on board)	Overnight cruise: caves, Titop Island, sunset	Road transfer from Hanoi
4	Hanoi	Sunrise and kayaking, back in Hanoi mid-afternoon	Road transfer to Hanoi
5	Hanoi	Ninh Binh day trip: Hoa Lu, Tam Coc, Mua Cave	Day trip by road
6	Hue	Arrive, Perfume River at sunset	Flight, about 1¼ hours
7	Hue	Imperial City, royal tombs, street food	—
8	Hue	Phong Nha caves, the DMZ or a slow day	Optional full-day trip
9	Hoi An	Hai Van Pass and the coast on the way south	Road tour or train plus car
10	Hoi An	Ancient Town, lanterns, tailors and cafés	—
11	Hoi An	Cham Islands, Ba Na Hills or a coconut-forest boat ride	Optional day trip
12	Ho Chi Minh City	Fly south, evening in the centre	Flight from Da Nang, about 1–1.5 hours
13	Ho Chi Minh City	Cu Chi Tunnels and city landmarks, or a combined Cu Chi and Mekong Delta day	Half-day or full-day trip
14	—	Departure day; keep it free for the airport	Airport transfer

Days 1–5: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh

Days 1–2: Hanoi

Give yourself an easy first day. Walk the Old Quarter, circle Hoan Kiem Lake in the evening and let the jet lag settle. Hanoi rewards slow wandering more than a checklist.

On Day 2, cover the capital's big cultural sights. If you prefer to have the logistics handled, the Hanoi Cultural Heritage Full-Day Tour visits Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Ho Chi Minh Complex, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, the Temple of Literature and Hoa Lo Prison Museum, with hotel pickup between 07:30 and 08:00 and drop-off around 16:00 to 16:30. More ideas are on our Hanoi page.

Days 3–4: Ha Long Bay Overnight Cruise

Ha Long Bay is close enough for a day trip, but on a two-week itinerary a single night on the water is the better trade. A day trip gives you around five to six hours on the bay for six or more hours on the road; an overnight cruise adds sunset and sunrise and lets the drive feel worth it. Our guide to choosing a Ha Long Bay day trip or overnight cruise compares the two in detail.

As an example of the pace, the published schedule of the Ha Long Bay 2-Day Cruise picks you up in Hanoi at 08:00, reaches Tuan Chau Harbour around noon, visits Sung Sot Cave and Titop Island, and returns to Hanoi at about 15:30 the next day after sunrise, a pearl farm visit and kayaking. That leaves your Day 4 evening free in Hanoi.

The bay was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1994 and 2000, and since 2023 it has been part of the wider Ha Long Bay–Cat Ba Archipelago site. Boats can be held in port in bad weather, so keep the dates flexible if you can.

Sea karst scenery like this is what an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise is built around.

Day 5: Ninh Binh Day Trip

Ninh Binh's limestone valleys look like Ha Long Bay on land, and they are easy to see in a day from Hanoi. The Hoa Lu, Tam Coc and Mua Cave Full-Day Tour combines the ancient capital at Hoa Lu, a bamboo boat ride at Tam Coc, a short countryside cycle and the climb to the Mua Cave viewpoint. Pickup is between 07:00 and 07:45 and you are back in Hanoi around 19:30, so pack your bags the night before your flight.

Not sure whether to ride the boats at Tam Coc or Trang An? Our Tam Coc vs Trang An guide explains the difference. The Trang An Landscape Complex has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2014.

Days 6–8: Hue and an Optional Day in Phong Nha

Day 6: Fly to Hue

Hanoi to Hue is about 1¼ hours by air. The sleeper train takes roughly 12½ to 14 hours, usually overnight; it can save a hotel night, but it is slower and often less restful than flying, and arrival times vary by service. Aim to arrive in Hue by early afternoon and spend the evening by the Perfume River.

Day 7: Imperial Hue and Street Food

Hue was Vietnam's imperial capital under the Nguyen dynasty, and its monuments were the country's first UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. Spend the morning inside the Imperial City and the afternoon at one or two of the royal tombs outside town.

Hue also has its own cuisine. The four-hour Hue Half-Day Walking Food Tour runs morning, afternoon and evening departures and covers dishes such as banh beo, nem lui and banh khoai, crossing Truong Tien Bridge to Dong Ba Market. An evening slot fits neatly after a day of sightseeing. See our Hue page for more.

Day 8: Phong Nha, the DMZ or a Slow Day

This is the most flexible day of the trip, and the one to drop first if you need time elsewhere.

• Phong Nha caves. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, first listed by UNESCO in 2003 and, since a 2025 extension, part of a cross-border World Heritage site with Laos's Hin Nam No National Park, is a long day from Hue. The Phong Nha Cave Full-Day Tour picks up at 06:30 and drops off around 19:30 to 20:00, about 13 hours in total. A Paradise Cave day trip from Hue follows a similar timetable.
• The DMZ. History-minded travellers may prefer a full-day DMZ tour to Khe Sanh, Hien Luong Bridge and the Vinh Moc Tunnels, which typically runs from about 07:00 to 18:00.
• A slow day. Cycle to Thien Mu Pagoda, take a river boat or simply rest before the second half of the trip.

Since July 2025, Phong Nha and the DMZ sites both fall within the enlarged Quang Tri province, which is why you will find them together on our Quang Tri page and Phong Nha page.

Early mornings on the river are the quietest time to start a day in Hue.

Days 9–11: Over the Hai Van Pass to Hoi An

Day 9: Hue to Hoi An by Road or Rail

The journey south is a highlight in its own right, so do it in daylight. You have two good options:

• A sightseeing transfer. The Hue to Hoi An Full-Day Tour picks up in Hue at 07:30 and stops at An Bang Cemetery, Lap An Lagoon, Lang Co Beach, the Hai Van Pass and the Marble Mountains before arriving in Hoi An around 15:30. It ends with drop-off at your hotel in Hoi An, so the transfer and the sightseeing happen on the same day. Check the luggage allowance when you book.
• The coastal train. The railway between Hue and Da Nang takes about 2½ to 3 hours and hugs the coast below the pass. Hoi An has no station, so add a road transfer from Da Nang of about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic.

Travel the coast between Hue and Hoi An in daylight to make the most of the views.

Days 10–11: Hoi An, Cham Islands or Ba Na Hills

Hoi An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999, is at its best early in the morning and after dark when the lanterns are lit. Use Day 10 to explore on foot, visit a tailor if you want clothes made, and leave the late afternoon for the riverside.

On Day 11, choose one excursion rather than trying to fit in all of them. The tours we list for these options depart from Da Nang, so if you are staying in Hoi An, confirm hotel pickup or arrange a transfer when you book:

• Cham Islands for sea air and swimming: the Cham Islands Full-Day Tour crosses by motorboat from Hoi An and returns in mid-afternoon.
• Ba Na Hills for the cable car and the Golden Bridge: a full day from about 07:30 to 18:00 (Da Nang pickup). See our Ba Na Hills page.
• Bay Mau coconut forest for an easy half day: a basket boat ride through the palms in the afternoon, followed by dinner in the Ancient Town.

Hoi An itself is now part of the enlarged Da Nang City following the July 2025 province mergers. See our Hoi An and Da Nang pages for more.

The Ancient Town is at its most atmospheric when the lanterns come on and the crowds thin out.

Days 12–14: Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi and the Mekong Delta

Day 12: Fly South

Fly from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, a trip of roughly 1 to 1½ hours in the air. By train the same distance takes most of a day and a night, which is why nearly every two-week route flies this leg. Spend the evening in the city centre; our Ho Chi Minh City page has ideas.

Day 13: Cu Chi Tunnels and the City

Do the Cu Chi Tunnels in the morning and the city in the afternoon. The Cu Chi Tunnels Half-Day Speedboat Tour travels up the Saigon River to the Ben Dinh site and is back at the pier around 14:30, leaving the afternoon for a walk around the centre and, if time permits, a short visit to the War Remnants Museum, which stops admitting visitors in the late afternoon.

Want the Mekong Delta too? Rather than squeezing it into your departure day, swap Day 13 for the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta Full-Day Small Group Tour, which combines the tunnels with a Tien River boat trip at My Tho and drops you back at your hotel around 19:00. The trade-off is less time in the city, so use the evening of Day 12 for the centre.

Wondering which tunnel site to visit? Our Ben Dinh vs Ben Duoc guide compares them.

Day 14: Departure

Keep your last day free for a final breakfast, last-minute shopping and an unhurried transfer to the airport. A full-day excursion on the day you fly is not worth the risk: the My Tho and Ben Tre Full-Day Tour, for example, is back in the city only around 17:30, so take it on Day 14 only if you are staying another night.

Our guide to a Mekong Delta day trip or overnight stay explains what you see on each option.

Shaded side canals like this are a highlight of a Mekong Delta day trip.

Getting Around in Two Weeks: Flights, Trains and Road Transfers

Vietnam's main railway runs about 1,726 km from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, and the full journey takes well over a day. On a two-week trip, the rule of thumb is simple: fly the long legs and travel overland where the scenery is the point.

Leg	Best option on a 2-week trip	Typical time	Alternative
Hanoi → Ha Long Bay	Cruise transfer by road	About 3–4 hours each way	Day trip, with more time on the road than on the water
Hanoi → Hue	Flight	About 1¼ hours	Sleeper train, roughly 12½–14 hours; can save a hotel night
Hue → Hoi An	Sightseeing road transfer	Full day with stops	Train to Da Nang (2½–3 hours) plus road transfer
Da Nang → Ho Chi Minh City	Flight	Roughly 1–1½ hours	Train, most of a day and a night
Ho Chi Minh City → Mekong Delta	Day trip or 2-day tour by road	Full day	Overnight in Can Tho

Flight and train times vary by service and season, so check current schedules with the airline or Vietnam Railways when you book.

When to Go, and When to Reverse the Route

Vietnam is long and narrow, and its three regions rarely enjoy their best weather at the same time. Over two weeks you pass through all of them, so the season affects how many days you give each region more than which direction you travel.

Region	Usually drier and more settled	Usually wetter	What it means for this route
North (Hanoi, Ha Long, Ninh Binh)	Roughly October to April	Roughly May to September, wettest around July and August	December to February is the cool season and can feel chilly on the bay; pack layers.
Central coast (Hue, Hoi An)	Roughly February to August	Roughly September to December, heaviest around October and November	In the wet months, keep a spare day in the centre and skip the beach and islands if the sea is rough.
South (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong)	Roughly December to April	Roughly May to November	Showers are often short and heavy; plan outdoor time for the morning.

Should you travel south to north instead? The route works just as well in reverse. Choose the direction that suits your international flights, since an open-jaw ticket into one city and out of the other saves a domestic flight. Reversing is also a good way to finish in cooler northern Vietnam. If you would rather end with beach days, add them as a final stop instead of simply reversing the route.

Whatever the month, weather can change plans for cruises and boat trips. Book with operators whose terms you understand; our cancellation policy explains how changes work for tours booked with us.

How to Adapt the Itinerary

Most travellers want to add something. Each change below shows exactly which nights move, so the trip still fits into 14 days, or says plainly when you need extra days.

• A night in the Mekong Delta. An overnight stay lets you see a floating market at dawn. Drop the optional Day 8 in Hue so that everything moves a day earlier: Hue gets two nights, Hoi An keeps three, and you fly south on Day 11. On Days 12–13, the Cai Be and Can Tho 2-Day Tour overnights in Can Tho, visits Cai Rang Floating Market at 07:00 and returns to the city around 17:00 to 17:30, leaving Day 14 free for your flight. The cost is the Cu Chi Tunnels: to fit them in on Day 11 you would need an early flight from Da Nang, enough time to reach a confirmed 12:30–13:00 afternoon pickup in District 1 and a buffer for delays. If that does not work, leave Cu Chi out or add a day.
• A beach stop. Drop the optional day in Hue and one day in Hoi An and you free up two nights for Nha Trang before flying on to Ho Chi Minh City. Before you commit, check flights from Da Nang to Cam Ranh, the road transfer from Cam Ranh Airport into Nha Trang and your onward flight to Ho Chi Minh City; two nights will not give you two full beach days. Three or more beach nights need extra days.
• The northern mountains. Sapa or the Ha Giang loop deserve at least three days of their own. Treat them as an extension to this route rather than a swap; squeezing them into 14 days means giving up most of the centre.
• An island finish. Phu Quoc works best as an extension of two or three nights at the end of the trip. To keep within 14 days, drop the optional day in Hue and one day in Hoi An, fly south on Day 10, spend two nights in Ho Chi Minh City, then fly from there to Phu Quoc for your last two nights. Check that your flight home connects easily from the island.
• On to Cambodia. This is a different ending, not an add-on. Drop the optional Day 8 in Hue, fly south on Day 11 and spend that night in Ho Chi Minh City, then join the Cai Be, Can Tho, Chau Doc and Tra Su Forest 3-Day Tour on Days 12–14: Can Tho on the first night, Chau Doc on the second, and on Day 14 an option to continue to Phnom Penh by fast boat or bus, depending on availability. You give up most of your sightseeing in Ho Chi Minh City, and you should add at least one night in Phnom Penh rather than plan a same-day international flight, so the trip runs to 15 days. Confirm the transport, border arrangements and your Cambodia visa before booking; the visa fee is not included. See our Chau Doc page for the area.
• Travelling around Tet. Lunar New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027. Domestic transport and hotels fill up in the days around it and some shops and restaurants close for a few days, so book early if your dates overlap.

Practical Tips Before You Book

• Visa. Vietnam's e-visa is open to all nationalities and allows stays of up to 90 days, single or multiple entry. Apply only through the official portal at evisa.gov.vn. Citizens of some countries can enter visa-free for a limited period, so check the current rules for your nationality before you travel.
• Passport. Your passport should generally have at least six months' validity remaining when you enter, with blank pages for stamps.
• Budget for the big items first. Most of the cost of this route sits in two domestic flights, the Ha Long Bay cruise, 13 nights of accommodation and any guided day trips. Airport transfers and entrance fees add up too. Price these first, then decide how many optional tours to add.
• Book the fixed points first. Secure your Ha Long Bay cruise and your two domestic flights before anything else; the rest of the route is easy to arrange around them.
• Keep some flexibility. Weather can change plans on Ha Long Bay and along the central coast. The optional Day 8 in Hue gives you room to reshuffle plans in central Vietnam, but it cannot absorb a cancelled cruise once you have left the north. If the bay is closed, you would need to rearrange Days 3–5 or change your cruise booking, subject to availability.
• Place names have changed. Following the province mergers that took effect on 1 July 2025, you may see new province names on maps and signs. For example, Phong Nha now falls within Quang Tri, Hoi An within Da Nang City and Ninh Binh province now also covers the former Ha Nam and Nam Dinh. Our Mekong Delta guide explains the changes in the south.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is two weeks enough to see Vietnam from north to south?

Yes, for the main highlights. Two weeks covers Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City if you fly the two long legs. You will need to leave out the northern mountains, the beaches or the Mekong overnight, or swap one of them in for a central day.

Should I travel north to south or south to north?

Either works. Over two weeks you pass through every region, so pick the direction that matches your international flights and where you would like to finish: the cooler north if you reverse the route, or a beach if you add one at the end.

Is the overnight train worth it on a two-week trip?

It can be. The sleeper train from Hanoi to Hue takes roughly 12½ to 14 hours, usually overnight, so it may save a hotel night and arrive in the morning, but sleep quality and arrival times vary. Flying is faster. If you want one train ride on a 14-day trip, the short Hue to Da Nang coastal section is the easiest to fit in.

Can I add a beach to this itinerary?

Yes. Drop the optional day in Hue and one day in Hoi An to free two nights for Nha Trang or a Phu Quoc finish; for three or more beach nights, add extra days. During the central wet season, roughly September to December, the sea there can be rough, so check the season for any beach you plan to add.

Do I need a visa for two weeks in Vietnam?

It depends on your nationality. Some visitors can enter visa-free for a set number of days. If you do need a visa, Vietnam's e-visa is available to all nationalities for stays of up to 90 days, single or multiple entry. Check the current rules for your passport and apply only through the official portal at evisa.gov.vn.

Can I book this route as a private trip?

Yes. You can book the individual tours in this guide, or ask our team to build a private version of the full route with hotels.

Plan Your Two Weeks in Vietnam

If you would like this route adjusted to your dates, pace and budget, share your plans through our custom tour request form. Our specialists will reply with a personalised itinerary, hotel recommendations and pricing. Prefer to build it yourself? Browse all our tours, or book the day trips linked throughout this guide.