10-Day Vietnam Itinerary (2026): Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City

Day 1 — Landing in Hanoi

Fly into Noi Bai International Airport and grab a Grab car or the metered airport bus into the Old Quarter — the 35km ride runs about 400,000–500,000 VND (roughly $16–20) by car, far cheaper by bus. Drop your bags near Hoan Kiem Lake, then walk the tangle of trade streets around Hang Bac and Hang Gai, where each lane still sells one craft. As the light softens, cross the scarlet The Huc Bridge to Ngoc Son Temple. For dinner, seek out a bowl of bun cha — grilled pork over rice noodles, Hanoi’s signature lunch dish — for around 50,000–70,000 VND (about $2–3). Insider tip: adjust to the traffic by walking at a steady pace and letting the motorbikes flow around you rather than stopping suddenly. Turn in early to beat the jet lag.

Day 2 — Hanoi Deep Dive

Start at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, arriving before 9am since it closes around late morning and shuts on Mondays and Fridays; the grounds and nearby One Pillar Pagoda are free. Walk to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university dating to 1070, where entry is roughly 70,000 VND (about $3). After a noodle lunch, spend the afternoon at the excellent Vietnamese Women’s Museum (entry around 40,000 VND, about $1.60), one of the city’s most thoughtful collections. As evening falls, join locals for egg coffee — a Hanoi invention of whipped yolk and condensed milk — at one of the tucked-away cafes near the lake, about 35,000–50,000 VND. Insider tip: if it’s a weekend, the streets around Hoan Kiem close to traffic and fill with games and music. Book tomorrow’s Ha Long cruise transfer tonight.

Day 3 — Sailing Ha Long Bay

This morning your cruise transfer collects you from the Old Quarter for the drive east to the coast — the new Hanoi–Hai Phong expressway has cut this to roughly 2.5–3 hours. You’ll board an overnight junk at Ha Long Bay or the quieter, less crowded Lan Ha Bay near Cat Ba Island, both threaded with the same limestone karsts. Reputable overnight cruises typically run from about 2,500,000–5,000,000 VND per person (roughly $100–200) including meals, kayaking and a cave visit. Spend the afternoon paddling into a hidden lagoon or swimming off the deck, then watch the karsts turn violet at sunset over a seafood dinner aboard. Insider tip: pick a smaller boat and the Lan Ha route to escape the day-tripper crowds around the main harbor. Book a cabin with a private balcony if the budget stretches — sunrise over the bay is the reason you came.

Day 4 — South to Hoi An

After a tai-chi session on deck and brunch as the boat cruises back, your transfer returns you to Hanoi in the early afternoon. Catch a short domestic flight from Noi Bai to Da Nang International Airport — Vietnam Airlines and the budget carriers fly it in about 1 hour 25 minutes, with fares often around 700,000–1,500,000 VND (roughly $30–60) if booked ahead. From Da Nang it’s a 45-minute taxi or Grab south to Hoi An, about 30km, for roughly 350,000–450,000 VND (about $14–18). Check into the lantern-lit old town and wander the riverfront once the day-heat lifts. Insider tip: buy the Hoi An Ancient Town heritage ticket (120,000 VND for foreign visitors, about $5) — it funds preservation and admits you to five historic houses and assembly halls. Try cao lau, the pork-and-noodle dish unique to Hoi An, for dinner.

Days 5-6

Hoi An magic: Day 1: Ancient Town walking + lantern night. Day 2: An Bang Beach + Hoi An cooking class. Custom tailoring (book 3+ days ahead for delivery).

Day 7 — Saigon Arrival

Transfer back to Da Nang for the roughly 1 hour 20 minute flight south to Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City (still widely called Saigon); fares booked ahead often run about 800,000–1,600,000 VND (roughly $35–65). A Grab from the airport into District 1 costs about 150,000–250,000 VND (roughly $6–10) and takes 30–45 minutes in traffic. Spend the afternoon on foot: the sobering War Remnants Museum (entry about 40,000 VND, roughly $1.60), the Reunification Palace, and the French-colonial Central Post Office beside the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Finish with a stroll down the Nguyen Hue Walking Street. Insider tip: for dinner, dive into the street-food lanes around Ben Thanh Market and order com tam (broken-rice with grilled pork), a Saigon staple. The city stays lively late — grab a rooftop drink to see it glow.

Day 8 — Cu Chi & Mekong

Give your last full day to the countryside beyond the city. Most travelers book a combined full-day tour covering the Cu Chi Tunnels — the Viet Cong’s remarkable underground network about 70km northwest — and the Mekong Delta, though the pairing makes for a long 9–11 hour day; small-group tours run roughly 750,000–1,500,000 VND ($30–60). If that feels rushed, choose one: the tunnels for war history (site entry about 110,000 VND), or a slower Delta trip to My Tho or Ben Tre for sampan rides through the coconut canals, fruit gardens and a honey-farm stop. Insider tip: at Cu Chi, the widened tourist tunnel section is claustrophobic — skip it if tight spaces trouble you; the surface exhibits tell the story well. Back in Saigon, toast the trip with a ca phe sua da (iced condensed-milk coffee) before your onward flight from Tan Son Nhat.

Day 9

Day trip: Cu Chi Tunnels (90 min from HCMC) or Mekong Delta full-day. Or stay in HCMC for District 3 cafe culture + Ben Thanh Market.

Day 10

Last day: Saigon coffee culture + last shopping. Departure from Tan Son Nhat airport.

Skip the Cu Chi Tunnels full-day tour and visit the My Tho version of the Mekong Delta instead (closer to HCMC, less touristy, more authentic). Most tourists do Cu Chi half-day morning + Mekong half-day afternoon, when actually the Mekong full-day is more rewarding than the Cu Chi crowds.