Vietnam Travel Guide

Vietnam Travel Guide: A 10-Day Itinerary

📚 This guide is based on thorough research from official tourism and government sources rather than a personal visit. Written by Debarun Sana.

Vietnam stretches over 1,600 km north to south, and that length translates into genuine regional variety — Hanoi's old-world density in the north, a UNESCO-listed limestone bay, a preserved historic trading port in the center, and Ho Chi Minh City's fast-moving energy in the south. This 10-day route covers Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City.

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Entry Requirements

• U.S. citizens are not visa-exempt for Vietnam — despite Vietnam's 30-day visa exemption covering ASEAN neighbors and a 45-day exemption covering a specific list of European countries, the U.S. is not on either list, and a common source of confusion is Americans assuming otherwise.
• The standard route is a 90-day e-Visa, applied for online through the official evisa.gov.vn portal, generally approved within 3-5 business days, and valid for either single or multiple entry depending on what you select during application.
• The e-Visa is accepted at a wide range of entry points — over 80 international airports, land borders, and seaports — but you must select your intended entry point during the application and use one that actually supports e-Visa entry, or risk being denied entry at the border.
• Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months beyond your entry date, with at least two blank pages.
• In-country visa extensions are generally not approved as of current policy — most travelers needing more time do a short "visa run" (a brief trip to a neighboring country like Cambodia or Thailand) and re-enter on a new e-Visa rather than trying to extend in place.
• Apply only through the official government portal — unofficial visa sites charging inflated fees or providing inaccurate application guidance are a genuine, documented problem.

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Best Time to Visit

Vietnam's length means weather varies considerably by region at any given time — there's no single "best" month for the whole country. February to April and October to December tend to offer reasonably favorable conditions across most of the stops on this itinerary, but check region-specific forecasts for your exact dates rather than relying on one blanket recommendation.

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How to Reach Vietnam

By Air: Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) and Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) are the two main gateways, with a domestic flight or overnight train connecting the two if your itinerary, like this one, covers both ends of the country.

By Land: Border crossings from Cambodia, Laos, and China are functional for overland travelers already in the region.

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A 10-Day Itinerary

Days 1-2: Hanoi

Vietnam's capital genuinely rewards slow walking over a checklist approach. The Old Quarter, with its narrow streets historically organized by trade guild (many street names still reference the specific goods once sold there), is dense with street food, small shops, and constant motorbike traffic — crossing the street here is a genuine skill that takes a bit of nerve at first. Hoan Kiem Lake, at the edge of the Old Quarter, includes the small Ngoc Son Temple on an island connected by a red bridge, and is a genuine center of daily local life (morning exercise, evening strolls), not purely a tourist stop. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, including his preserved body on public display (closed certain days and during an annual maintenance period — check current visiting rules before planning around it), and the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first national university dating to 1070, round out the historical sightseeing. Train Street, a residential lane where a working rail line passes within touching distance of homes and cafés on either side, has become a genuine attraction in its own right — note that access has been restricted or closed periodically for safety reasons, so check current status rather than assuming open access.

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Days 3-4: Ha Long Bay

A drive of roughly 3-4 hours from Hanoi reaches Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site made up of nearly 2,000 limestone karst islands and islets rising out of emerald water. An overnight cruise is the standard, and genuinely the best, way to experience the bay — daytime activities typically include kayaking through limestone arches, visiting caves like Sung Sot Cave (one of the largest and most impressive in the bay), and swimming, while evenings on board offer a different, quieter perspective as the light changes over the karst formations. Choose a licensed, well-reviewed cruise operator specifically — quality and safety standards have varied considerably between operators in this area historically, so this isn't a place to book blind on price alone.

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Days 5-7: Hoi An

A flight from Hanoi to Da Nang, followed by a short drive, reaches Hoi An, a UNESCO-listed former trading port whose old town has remained remarkably intact since its peak as a Southeast Asian trade hub in the 16th-17th centuries. The Japanese Covered Bridge, built in the 1590s, and the Ancient Town's well-preserved merchant houses reflect a genuine blend of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and European architectural influences layered by centuries of international trade. Hoi An is also internationally known for its tailoring industry — custom clothing made to measure within 24-48 hours is a genuine local specialty worth taking advantage of, though quality varies between shops, so research or ask for recommendations rather than picking the first storefront you pass. The monthly Lantern Festival, held on the 14th day of each lunar month when the town dims its electric lights in favor of traditional lanterns, is worth timing a visit around if your dates allow. A day trip to My Son Sanctuary, a cluster of ruined Hindu temples built by the Champa civilization between the 4th and 14th centuries, adds a genuinely different historical layer nearby.

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Days 8-10: Ho Chi Minh City

A flight south reaches Ho Chi Minh City (still commonly called Saigon by many locals), Vietnam's largest and most economically dynamic city. The War Remnants Museum presents a genuinely difficult and one-sided (Vietnamese-perspective) account of the Vietnam War — worth visiting with that context in mind, alongside the Reunification Palace, the former South Vietnamese presidential palace whose gates were famously breached by a North Vietnamese tank in 1975, marking the war's end. The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica and Central Post Office, both French colonial-era buildings, reflect a very different, older layer of the city's history. A half-day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an extensive underground tunnel network used by Viet Cong forces during the war, gives a genuinely visceral sense of the conditions involved — some sections are open for visitors to crawl through, which is not for anyone with claustrophobia concerns. Ben Thanh Market is the standard final stop for last-minute shopping and street food before departure.

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Vietnamese Cuisine

• Pho — a noodle soup with genuinely significant regional variation between northern and southern styles, worth trying both
• Banh Mi — a baguette sandwich reflecting Vietnam's French colonial history combined with distinctly Vietnamese fillings and flavors
• Bun Cha — grilled pork served with rice noodles and herbs, a Hanoi specialty worth prioritizing specifically there
• Cao Lau — a noodle dish genuinely unique to Hoi An, using water traditionally drawn from a specific local well, giving the noodles a distinct texture not replicated elsewhere

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Travel Tips

• Traffic: Motorbike traffic in cities, particularly Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, is genuinely intense — cross streets at a steady, predictable pace rather than stopping or running, which is counterintuitive but is what actually works.
• Currency: The Vietnamese Dong involves large numbers (thousands per unit of most purchases) — double-check totals to avoid confusion, especially early in the trip.
• Sensitive history: War-related sites, particularly the War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi Tunnels, present a specific historical perspective — approach with genuine openness rather than expecting a fully neutral account.
• Transportation: Domestic flights are the practical way to cover this itinerary's north-south distance; overnight trains are a slower but genuinely scenic alternative for at least one leg if you have the time.
• Tailoring in Hoi An: Get recommendations rather than picking blind, and allow enough days in Hoi An for at least one fitting adjustment before your custom items are finished.

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Vietnam's north-to-south range — dense old-world Hanoi, a natural wonder in Ha Long Bay, a beautifully preserved trading port in Hoi An, and a fast, modern southern city carrying real, recent history — makes this one of the more comprehensive single-country itineraries in Southeast Asia.

Have a correction or update for this guide? Email me at dscreationconnect@gmail.com.