Are you planning a trip to Vietnam but don’t want the hassle of actually planning? We have you covered with a 28-day detailed itinerary.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Da Lat, Lam Dong, Vietnam

Da Nang, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam

Vietnam

Huế, Vietnam

The Ultimate MONTH itinerary to 
VIETNAM!

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As it is officially the first day of exploring Hanoi, wake up early and head to the Ho Chi Minh complex, which will take up most of your day. 

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Today is a travel day that will take you from one location to the next, whether by plane, bus, or train. Once you have reached your destination in Hanoi, the plan is to sort out your sleep and prepare for the next day.

There are plenty of places to stay in Hanoi. If you are interested in accommodation across Vietnam, we have a separate FREE blog of places we recommend for each location, so check that out. 

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is the final resting place of President Ho Chi Minh. With such significance to its people, it was decided that Ho Chi Minh’s body would be embalmed to allow the people to visit him when they wished. Despite the outlined times, we believe these are not set in stone. We attempted twice to get into the Mausoleum (and the Ho Chi Minh Museum), but the times were forever changing. This resulted in us being unable to see Ho Chi Minh’s preserved body.

The Presidential Palace is recognisable by its bright yellow colour and European architecture. The palace is closed to tourists, but the ground holds various buildings displaying items linked to President Ho Chi Minh. These include a wooden stilt house where he lived, a house where he worked, and a garage that housed his cars.

From here, take a 10 minute stroll to Quan Thanh Temple.

Continue another 9 minutes to arrive at Tran Quoc Pagoda.

Finish the day as you would any other day in Vietnam, sitting on tiny chairs, eating cheap food and watching the mayhem of everyday life. 

Note that you cannot record or take any photos of Ho Chi Minh’s preserved body, and the viewing is extremely quick. It is almost like a conveyor belt of people where you cannot stop. So, what could be a very long queue will result in a blink of an eye moment.

Tran Quoc Pagoda is a beautiful complex situated on the edge of Truc Bach Lake. From walking along the riverside towards the gated entrance to the glossy golden statue to the Bodhi tree, the whole experience is memorable. This pagoda is known most famously for being the oldest in Hanoi and housing a stunning eleven storey stupa. Red in colour and shaped like a hexagon, each storey presents six doorways displaying a Buddha statue. 

Prepare for a full-on day travelling all over Hanoi, starting with booking a Grab bike (super cheap motorbike transportation) to drop you off at Train Street.

Hanoi is only complete once you have visited Train Street. This popular attraction allows you to wait on the side of train tracks with a coffee, waiting to be inches from a passing train. The online times are confusing as they all say different things, but we can confirm that a train goes through at 3:30pm. There are two main entrances to Train Street: the north, where Google will suggest Train Street is (Coffee 64 Pho Phung Hung) and the south (Ca Phe So 10 Pho Duong Tau – Kham Thien) which is slightly out of the way. The north end is a lot more chaotic. It has guards and coffee shop owners pressuring you into quickly finding somewhere to sit. Meanwhile, the south end is much more relaxed and welcoming, and you can walk freely along the tracks without any problems.

From here, walk 25 ish minutes to roam around The Temple of Literature. 

Next on the agenda is the National Fine Art Museum, which is only minutes away. 

After another 7 minute walk, you will come across the Vietnam Military History Museum. 

Note that the address on Google Maps is incorrect. If you search for Hanoi Flagtower, this weirdly, is the correct location.

After going hard exploring Hanoi over the last two days, you will be taking it a bit easier, especially because you will be moving on this evening.

A short 13 minute walk, and arrive at Ly Trieu Quoc Su Pagoda.

Next, walk into the Heart of Hanoi to mould over the gothic-style Catholic church of St Joseph’s Cathedral inthe Old Quarter. 

Continue to explore the Old Quarter by visiting Hoa Lo Prison, formerly the most extensive French colonial prison in Vietnam. 

End the day by jumping on a 5-6 hour sleeper bus to North Vietnam to start an incredible three-day adventure. 

A Confucian/Taoism temple settled on a small patch of land on Hoan Kiem Lake. To enter this charming temple, cross over a visually captivating red bridge and walk through a gate decorated with a turtle and dragon. One of the two main areas displays the bodies of two giant turtles that once lived in this lake. If seeing huge turtles does not interest you, you may be interested in the other area commemorating the 13th-century general. 

Originally the grounds of a Buddhist pagoda, St Joseph's Cathedral was reconstructed as a cathedral during the French colonial period. The first time we visited it was in late December, which meant the area had been decorated with Christmas decorations, including an enormous tree, wreaths, and a large nativity scene. 

Do note that you can enter but only during ceremonial times.

This is one of Hanoi’s most remarkable sights and is Vietnam’s first university. Established in 1070, it aimed to educate nobles and scholars on Confucian principles and values. In one of many structures, there is an abundance of information outlining Confucianism itself, but honestly, a large quantity of information went straight over our heads. This is why we recommend getting an audio guide to highlight the most significant information and to block out the crowds of people. Despite our little understanding, the complex is worth seeing - multiple courtyards, imposing gates, and magnificent architecture.

This grand building provides insight into Vietnamese culture and a respite from outside chaos. During our visit, we visited four floors, all of which have very different artistic styles. The bottom floor displayed a collection of artefacts and objects dating back thousands of years, while the other floors displayed paintings and sculptures of various mediums.

An exciting museum featuring detailed information, weapons, and photographs of wars against China, France, and the United States. For the price and wealth of information, this museum should not be missed. For a lover of military history, you can spend half a day or even a whole day here - it has that much! It even has the Hanoi Flagtower, an observation post that symbolises Hanoi and provides a great view of the whole city.

It is now a museum sharing the cruel and brutal punishments that the French imposed on Vietnamese prisoners. The intention was to imprison any Vietnamese who were to threaten the French regime, even if it meant wavering conditions. Built to house 500 inmates, 50 years later in 1954, it housed 2,000 American prisoners during the Vietnam/American War.

This complex consists of a Mausoleum, a museum, a pagoda and a palace.

Over the next 3 days, you will take on a journey of a lifetime along the Ha Giang Loop.

This unforgettable experience is a circular route highlighting some of the country’s most scenic landscapes. What makes the experience even more extraordinary is not the dramatic mountains or the authentic cultural interactions but travelling on insane winding roads by motorbike (with the option to drive yourself or have a driver).

There are plenty of companies who offer tours for this. We chose Cheers Hostel, which was $199 per person, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, three nights of accommodation, transport to and from Ha Giang, and an easy rider (scooter driver). For more details on this specific tour and an itinerary, click the link below.

Do know that during our visit, it was late December and their off-season. This meant it was cheaper, and the group size was much smaller, BUT the disadvantage was it was freezing cold!

After 3 days of touring the north by motorbike, over the next two days, you will be relaxing on a boat, off of the North East coast, visiting Ha Long Bay.

Ha Long Bay is an archipelago 3.5 hours from Hanoi, known for its limestone mountains and emerald-green water. This area provides picturesque views and offers opportunities to kayak, venture into caves, and explore floating villages.

We paid about £41 per person for a tour through GetYourGuide, BUT we would not recommend doing this specific tour.

Mid-afternoon, you are transported back to Hanoi.

Arriving back to Hanoi mid-day on Day 9, catch up on anything you have missed while in Hanoi, because tonight you will be taking either a sleeper bus (12 hours 20) or train (13 hours 30) to Hue. 

3 Days Ha Giang Loop Tour | Ha Giang Cheers Tour

With an overlap of travelling the previous evening and an interrupted sleep, today you will be taking it easy visiting only Dong Ba Market.

This guide outlines several options for places to stay in 5 different locations in Vietnam. To help, we have put together the pros and cons of each accommodation!

Please note all pricing stated is based on our stay during December 2022 and April 2023. 
Click the 'Check Prices' button for more up-to-date pricing!

Accommodation Options for VIETNAM

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The Ultimate MONTH itinerary to VIETNAM!

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