Welcome, how amazing that you are planning to visit the northern part of Vietnam!
In November 2023 I visited Vietnam for the first time and directly fell in love with it. I would love to share my journey to make your first time visiting Vietnam as easy and unforgettable as possible.
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Locations: Hanoi, Sapa, Ninh Binh, Halong Bay, Ban Gioc Waterfalls
Table of content
This guide includes the following chapters;
1. The best time to visit
2. Travel checklist
3. Phrases in Vietnamese
4. First time tourist destinations
5. Food recommendations
6. Conclusion
The best time to visit
September to November
- Temperatures range from 20-30°C (68-86°F).
- Humidity levels are lower. It can rain, especially in the early part of September.
- In October and November, the weather is generally dry and sunny.
March to May
- Temperatures range from 18-30°C (64-86°F).
- Humidity levels are still relatively low. It can rain, especially at the beginning of March.
- Because of the recent rainy season the landscapes are green.
The weather conditions can vary a lot, especially in the mountainous regions. Be sure to check the forecast and pack accordingly.
Travel Checklist
1. Requesting your Visa
2. SIM card and money
3. Booking hotels
4. Complete packing list
1. Requesting your Visa
To enter the country you most likely need a visa. The Vietnam E-visa is valid for a maximum of 30 days, single or multiple entry.
A visa for a single entry costs 25 dollars and a multiple entry costs 50. For the visa request, you must fill in a list of questions, send a photo of your passport, and a photo of yourself. Within two to three business days you will hear if the visa is granted. When the visa is granted, you need to take a paper copy with you during your visit.
Through the link below you can apply for a visa through the official website of Vietnam immigration. Do not use any third-party website to request a visa!
It is possible to order a SIM card online and ship it to your hotel in Vietnam. However, I found it easier to buy a SIM card at the airport. Once you are through security and get your luggage there are many stands where they sell SIM cards. I was a bit overwhelmed by all the salesmen trying to get your attention. I just walked up to a stand to see their SIM card packages. The salesmen speak good English and will help install the SIM card. The costs at the airport might be a bit higher, but you can directly use the Internet and book a taxi to the city.
In the city
In the city you can buy a SIM card pretty much everywhere; in your hotel/ hostel, at booking offices, and in shops. A good place to buy a SIM card would be thegioididong, a bright yellow store that can be found all around Vietnam.
Money
At the airport, multiple ATMs can be found. The maximum amount that can be retrieved each time is 2.000.000 Vietnamese dong which calculates to about €75,25 ($82,40). In the city, I found ATMs where more money could be retrieved at once.
Try to get familiar with the money, when paying it can be very confusing which note to use. I tried to remember the colors and lay them in order so I would not give 200.000 instead of 20.000 VND.
3. Booking hotels
For our stay in Vietnam, we booked one hotel in Hanoi for our complete stay. We then would book trips and hotels to places but still kept this room. Because of this, we did not have to carry all our luggage with us during the tours. Good to know that most tours only have pick-up service if you are staying in the Old Quarter.
The list with hotels below are the hotels we stayed in during our trip;
This hotel is located in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, the Silk Flower Hotel is 500 meters away from St. Joseph Cathedral and 700 meters from Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. They offer different tours, airport services, and laundry services if needed. There was also the possibility of getting a city tour by a student who wants to practice their English for free.
The room was nice and had a good bed and the staff was amazing. This hotel is rated an 8.6 and has a level three sustainability score on booking.com.
This was a descend hotel in the city centre of Sapa. The lunch and dinner at the hotel were good and it was an easy place to start the Sapa walking tours to the rice fields and villages. This hotel has a 7.6 rating on Booking.com
This was my FAVORITE place to stay during my trip! The staff was friendly, the view amazing, the bungalows wonderful and there were bikes you could borrow to explore the surroundings. The restaurant within this homestay served good food and there was a great variety of options. The breakfast was exceptional! When I searched this place on booking.com I saw I was not the only one loving this stay, it has a 9.6 rating!
This Homestay had a beautiful spot right on the lake. There was a cozy vibe and at night they put on a big fire in the garden. It also had a swimming pool and decent rooms. The only downside was that the rooms were noisy. But with this location and view that was totally forgiven. The Booking.com rating is a 9.0.
This very small calm village is nestled in the middle of mountains. It was very different from other homestays. It truly was a unique experience to stay here for a night.
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4. Complete packing list
It is difficult to not bring too much and not bring too little. From my own experience, I can tell you that you probably will bring too much, even if you think you have packed the bare minimum. Most of the time I will lay down all the things I want to bring and then try to cut 25% of the things.
To give you a start I found this packing list that might help you out.
Hanoi Old Quater is a famous area in Hanoi. This part of the city brings to life people's image of Hanoi. The busy streets are filled with endless traffic, people selling fruit and snacks, and narrow shops. One of my favorite things to do in Hanoi is to walk around the area and find some delicious food.
From Friday till Sunday, there is the weekend market, with music, performances and stands selling different kinds of things.
Hoan Kiem Lake is a central point in the city. The Ngoc Son Temple is located on a small island in the middle of the lake. This island is connected to the land by a bridge that can be crossed.
The St. Joseph’s Cathedral is a Gothic-style church in the center of Hanoi. There are many cafes and restaurants surrounding the church that offer a nice view of this building.
The Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural is 4 kilometers long. This artwork, located in the center of Hano, is made of thousands of ceramic pieces and shows scenes from Vietnamese history and culture.
The water puppet show is an old art form. It is an hour-long show you can enjoy in the Thang Long Puppet Theater. The dolls dance and slide across the water, controlled by a whole group of dolls of masters hiding behind the curtains.
The lake and surroundings give a peaceful escape from the busy city. The Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest temple in Hanoi. The West Lake area has many cafes where you can relax and enjoy the serene surroundings. We walked from the Old Quarter to this place via the Long Bien Bridge and the Ceramic Mosaic Mural.
In the Muong Hoa Valley, you can find Cat Cat Village. This village is known for its natural beauty and H'mong culture. Cat Cat village is a 2,5 km trek from Sapa. It’s a downhill walk through the rice fields with quite a few steps. From the Sapa town center, you follow the Fansipan Road out of town to the checkpoint. Here you can buy a ticket and start the walk down to Cat Cat Village.
Cost for adults if walking; 70,000 VND per person
Just 12 km from Sapa town you find Ta Van village, a small place in between the rice fields. We took a day trip to this town, walking there through the rice field. This was one of my favorite activities of the vacation. The beautiful surroundings make every step worth it.
Nestled between two towering limestone mountains you will find Hoa Lu. The city was the capital of Vietnam in the 10th and 11th centuries. Today, Hoa Lu is a cultural center full of ancient pagodas and castles. Most of these were built in honor of the royal family of the Dinh dynasty. We took a bike to explore the old city capitol and its surroundings.
The entrance ticket costs 20.000 VND
Tam Coc, also known as the Halong Bay of the land, is a place where the mountains are not surrounded by ocean, but by rice fields and wild nature. An amazing activity to do in Tam Coc is taking a boat trip. Board a traditional sampan rowing boat and let the locals paddle you through the green area.
Tam Coc entrance ticket: 120,000 VND for adults
Boat ticket: 150,000 VND per boat. Each boat can accommodate 2 people.
About 10 minutes driving from Tam Coc you can hike up one of the mountains you saw from the boat. To walk to the top of the mountain you need to climb nearly 500 stairs. The stairs can be challenging so take your time and in the meantime enjoy the stunning views of the area.
The entrance to Mua Cave costs 100,000 VND per person
A bit further away from Halong Bay is this bay. A less touristy version of Halong Bay while still enjoying the same stunning surroundings. We took an overnight boat trip from this bay.
Ba Bể Lake is the largest natural lake in Vietnam. There is a huge amount to explore here, with a wide variety of flora and fauna, as well as interesting geology and landscapes. Take a boat trip on Ba Be Lake and hike through the national park. There are many homestays and hotels in the area to stay near the lake. It is also on your way to the Ban Gioc Waterfall, although it is still a six-hour drive from here.
Probably the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen. It is a waterfall on the border with China. Half of the waterfall is Vietnamese ground the other hall is Chinese ground.
The entrance ticket costs 45.000 VND
The boat trip of about ten minutes close to the waterfall cost 50.000 VND
A more fancy restaurant with a great view of a busy crossroad, where the organized chaos is very visible. On the other side there was a view of a big lake. The food was good and they had awesome lemonade.
Our favorite place for desert. You can order different kinds of crepes. We liked the strawberry Nutella crepe the most.
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6. Conclusion
Thank you so much for reading my guide about Vietnam. I had a great time during this trip and cannot wait to go back and explore more of this beautiful country. If you liked the map and want to see more, please explore my page!
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