10-Day Vietnam Itinerary for Americans (Hanoi + Hoi An + Saigon)

Quick answer: This 10-day Vietnam itinerary covers the must-see highlights without rushing, with detailed day-by-day plans, restaurant recommendations, and budget guidance.

Best for: First-time visitors who want to maximize sightseeing while still tasting local culture.

Day 1 — Land in Hanoi

Most US routings connect through Seoul, Tokyo, or Taipei, landing at Noi Bai International Airport north of the capital. Have your Vietnam e-visa printed — the 90-day version now runs about $25 for single entry, and the immigration officer will match your declared entry port. A metered Grab or airport taxi into the Old Quarter takes 40–60 minutes and costs roughly 350,000–450,000 VND (about $14–$18); avoid touts offering flat rates. Buy a tourist eSIM before you fly, or grab a Viettel SIM in arrivals for around 200,000 VND. Once you drop bags, ease into the time zone with a slow loop around Hoan Kiem Lake and the red The Huc Bridge to Ngoc Son Temple. For your first meal, find a busy stall serving bun cha — grilled pork over cold rice noodles, the dish Hanoi does better than anywhere. Sleep early; jet lag from the US is brutal.

Day 2 — Old Quarter Deep Dive

Give Hanoi a full day on foot — the Old Quarter’s 36 guild streets reward wandering. Start early at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex (free, but it closes by around 11am and typically shuts Mondays and Fridays), then walk to the elegant One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, dating to 1070 (entry about 70,000 VND, roughly $3). Refuel with an egg coffee — ca phe trung — a Hanoi invention of whipped yolk over strong coffee. Afternoon: browse silk and street food around Dong Xuan Market, then catch the water-puppet show at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre near the lake (tickets about 100,000–200,000 VND). Insider tip: the so-called Train Street cafes come and go with police crackdowns, so confirm they’re open that week rather than trekking over on spec. Tipping isn’t obligatory here, but rounding up is appreciated.

Day 3 — Ninh Binh Day Trip

Take an early train south to Ninh Binh for a day among karst mountains and rice fields — the SE-series trains from Hanoi station run the route in about 2 to 2.5 hours, with tickets roughly 100,000–150,000 VND ($4–$6). The station sits in town, so hire a Grab bike or local taxi for the last few kilometers to the sights. Choose Trang An, a UNESCO landscape where rowers scull you through flooded caves and past cliffside temples (boat ticket about 250,000 VND, around $10), or quieter Tam Coc nearby. Climb the 500-odd steps to the Hang Mua viewpoint for the postcard shot over the Ngo Dong River bends (entry about 100,000 VND). Try de nui, the region’s grilled mountain goat, a local specialty. Insider tip: your boat rower expects a modest tip — 50,000–100,000 VND is fair and genuinely earned after an hour of paddling. Return to Hanoi by evening train.

Day 4 — Lan Ha Bay Cruise

Trade the city for the sea. Most reputable cruises depart the Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay area around midday, so book a boat that includes the roughly 2.5-hour road transfer from your Hanoi hotel (many run via the new expressway to Hai Phong). Serious travelers increasingly choose Lan Ha Bay, off Cat Ba Island — the same limestone drama as Ha Long but far fewer boats. Expect to pay anywhere from about $120 to $250-plus per person for a one-night cruise depending on the operator; verify the boat’s safety record and read recent reviews before paying. Afternoon activities usually include kayaking through hidden lagoons, a swim off the deck, and a cave visit. Dinner aboard is typically fresh seafood — steamed clams, grilled squid, prawns. Insider tip: pick a cabin toward the stern to escape the anchor-winch noise at dawn, and pack layers — the bay turns cool and misty overnight.

Day 5 — Cruise to Hue

Wake on the water for the cruise’s calm morning highlight — a sunrise tai-chi session on deck and a paddle through a quiet lagoon before the day boats arrive. Brunch is usually served as the boat cruises back toward the mainland, reaching the pier late morning. Your included transfer returns you to Hanoi by mid-afternoon — time it so you can collect any stored luggage and head to Noi Bai for the short hop south. Book an afternoon or evening flight to Hue (Phu Bai Airport, code HUI); the flight runs about 1 hour 15 minutes and fares on Vietnam Airlines or VietJet often land around $35–$70 if booked ahead. From Phu Bai it’s roughly 20 minutes by taxi or Grab into the old imperial city, about 150,000–200,000 VND. Insider tip: fly rather than take the 12-plus-hour overnight train — you’ll bank a full day in central Vietnam. Settle in near the Perfume River for the night.

Day 6 — Imperial Hue

Spend the day in Hue, the seat of the Nguyen emperors and Vietnam’s most atmospheric heritage city. Open early at the walled Imperial Citadel and its Forbidden Purple City — allow two to three hours and expect an entry fee of around 200,000 VND (about $8). Cross the Perfume River and take a short boat or Grab to the Thien Mu Pagoda, its seven-tiered tower the emblem of the city. In the afternoon, visit one of the lavish royal tombs set in the hills — the Tomb of Tu Duc or the fusion-style Tomb of Khai Dinh are the standouts (separate tickets, roughly 100,000–150,000 VND each). Hue’s food is imperial-refined: seek out bun bo Hue, the fiery lemongrass-beef noodle soup that carries the city’s name, and the delicate steamed rice cakes called banh beo. Insider tip: rent a bicycle to reach the nearer tombs — the countryside ride is half the pleasure.

Day 7 — Scenic Train to Hoi An

Take the region’s most beautiful journey — the Hai Van Pass train from Hue toward Da Nang. The heritage-style service departs Hue station roughly around 7:45am or early afternoon; the ride is about 2.5 to 3 hours and tickets run around 180,000–210,000 VND (under $10). Sit on the left-hand side heading south for cliff-hugging views over the East Sea and the bay at Lang Co, where the train pauses briefly. From Da Nang station, it’s a 45-minute taxi or Grab south to Hoi An (roughly 350,000–450,000 VND) — the town itself has no rail station. Arrive by mid-afternoon and drop into Hoi An’s lantern-lit Ancient Town, a UNESCO trading port frozen in the 15th–19th centuries. Insider tip: buy the combined old-town ticket (around 120,000 VND) at an official booth — it covers five heritage houses and supports preservation. Dinner: cao lau, the pork-and-noodle dish unique to Hoi An.

Day 8 — Hoi An Old Town

Give Hoi An a full, unhurried day — it’s the trip’s most photogenic town and best explored slowly on foot or by bicycle. Cross the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, tour the ornate Tan Ky Old House and the Fujian Assembly Hall, and duck into a tailor to have a shirt or dress custom-made — a Hoi An tradition, with simple pieces starting around 700,000–1,500,000 VND ($28–$60) and ready in a day. Late morning, rent a bike (about 40,000 VND) and pedal 20 minutes to An Bang Beach for lunch and a swim. Return for the town’s magic hour: after dark the riverfront glows with silk lanterns, and you can float a paper candle on the Thu Bon River from a small rowboat (around 50,000–100,000 VND). Insider tip: confirm your tailor’s fabric quality and get a fitting the same afternoon so there’s time for alterations before you fly out. Try a white-rose dumpling, banh bao vac, for dinner.

Day 9 — Fly South to Saigon

Fly to Vietnam’s energetic south. From Da Nang International Airport — about a 45-minute drive back from Hoi An, so leave early — take a morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City (still widely called Saigon; airport code SGN). The hop runs roughly 1 hour 20 minutes, with advance fares often around $30–$70. A Grab from Tan Son Nhat into District 1 costs about 150,000–250,000 VND and takes 30–45 minutes in traffic. Spend the afternoon on the city’s colonial and wartime core: the War Remnants Museum (entry about 40,000 VND, roughly $2) is sobering but essential context for American visitors, followed by the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the ornate Central Post Office, and the Reunification Palace. As evening falls, ride the elevator up a rooftop bar near Nguyen Hue walking street for the skyline. Insider tip: cross Saigon’s streets at a slow, steady pace — the scooters flow around you; hesitating is what causes accidents.

Day 10 — Cu Chi & Farewell

Devote your last full day to the Cu Chi Tunnels, about 70 kilometers northwest of the city — a 1 to 1.5-hour drive, longer in morning traffic. This vast Viet Cong tunnel network is the region’s most powerful war site; the entry fee for foreigners runs around 90,000–125,000 VND (roughly $4–$5), and the ticket counter takes cash in dong only. A guided half-day tour from Saigon (about $20–$40 including transport) is the easy way to go, and guides add crucial context; crawling a preserved section of tunnel is claustrophobic but unforgettable. Back in the city by afternoon, do your final shopping and street-food grazing at Ben Thanh Market, and toast the trip with a bowl of southern-style pho or a banh mi from a corner cart. Insider tip: for departures, allow a generous cushion — Tan Son Nhat’s evening traffic and check-in lines are notorious, so leave District 1 at least three hours before an international flight.