Hanoi, Ha Long, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Saigon and the Mekong. Day-by-day itinerary: Arrival in Hanoi; Hanoi Culture; Ha Long Bay (boarding); Ha Long → Night Train to Hue.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 — Arrival in Hanoi
07:00 — Arrival at Hanoi Noi Bai HAN
09:00 — Taxi → Old Quarter
12:00 — Hotel in the Old Quarter — Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Walk to the Old Quarter — Hoan Kiem, Hanoi → Hoan Kiem
14:30 — The Old Quarter's 36 streets — Hoan Kiem
17:00 — Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple
19:30 — Phở + Bia Hơi beer — Ta Hien
Day 2 — Hanoi Culture
08:00 — Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (outside) — Ba Dinh
09:15 — Grab motorbike to the Temple of Literature — Ba Dinh → Văn Miếu
09:30 — Temple of Literature
11:30 — Grab to the restaurant — Văn Miếu → Bún Chả Hương Liên
12:00 — Bún chả at the 'Obama' restaurant — Bún Chả Hương Liên
13:30 — Grab to the Museum of Ethnology — Hai Bà Trưng → Cầu Giấy
14:00 — Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
18:15 — Grab back to the Old Quarter — Cầu Giấy → Old Quarter
19:00 — Water puppet show — Thăng Long
Day 3 — Ha Long Bay (boarding)
07:30 — Bus Hanoi → Ha Long (3h30)
12:00 — Board a junk for 2 days / 1 night — Ha Long Bay
14:00 — Hang Sửng Sốt cave
16:00 — Kayaking among the karst islets
19:00 — Seafood dinner on board
Day 4 — Ha Long → Night Train to Hue
06:30 — Tai chi + sunrise over the bay
09:00 — Cửa Vạn floating village — Ha Long Bay
13:00 — Back to Hanoi
20:00 — SE3 night train Hanoi → Hue (sleeper)
Day 5 — Imperial Hue
08:00 — Arrival in Hue by train
08:15 — Taxi to the hotel — Hue station → City centre
09:30 — Hotel in Hue
11:00 — Hue Imperial City — Hue
15:00 — Perfume River cruise → Tomb of Tu Duc
20:00 — Bún bò Huế (spicy local soup)
Day 6 — Hai Van Pass → Hoi An
08:00 — Minibus over the Hải Vân Pass
11:00 — Lăng Cô beach — Lăng Cô
13:00 — Minibus to Hoi An — Lăng Cô → Hoi An
15:00 — Check in, Hoi An — Hoi An
18:00 — UNESCO-listed lantern old town — Hoi An
20:00 — Cao lầu (Hoi An speciality)
Day 7 — Hoi An Cooking & My Son
07:00 — Morning market + cooking class — Morning Glory
11:00 — Drive to My Son — Hoi An → My Son
13:00 — My Son Sanctuary — Cham temples — My Son
15:30 — Back to Hoi An — My Son → Hoi An / An Bang
17:00 — Cycle to An Bang beach — An Bang
20:30 — White Rose dumplings (bánh bao vạc)
Day 8 — Golden Bridge & Flight to Nha Trang
08:00 — Bà Nà Hills — Golden Bridge — Da Nang
13:00 — Taxi Hoi An/Da Nang → DAD airport
16:00 — Flight Da Nang → Nha Trang
17:30 — Taxi/shuttle to the hotel — Cam Ranh Airport CXR → Nha Trang
18:00 — Beachfront hotel in Nha Trang
Day 9 — Nha Trang Islands
08:30 — Four-island boat tour — Nha Trang Bay
13:00 — Lunch on the boat
15:30 — Grab to the Cham towers — Pier → Po Nagar Towers
16:00 — Po Nagar Cham Towers — Nha Trang
19:30 — Grab to the seafront — Po Nagar Towers → Seafront
20:00 — Seafood on the seafront
Day 10 — Flight to Ho Chi Minh City
09:00 — Flight Nha Trang → Ho Chi Minh City
11:30 — Grab to the hotel — Tân Sơn Nhất Airport SGN → District 1
12:00 — Hotel in District 1
15:00 — Reunification Palace + Notre-Dame Cathedral — District 1
17:00 — Ben Thanh Market — District 1
19:30 — Grab to Cholon — District 1 → District 5
20:00 — Nguyen Trai Street — street food — District 5
Day 11 — Củ Chi Tunnels
07:30 — Củ Chi tunnels tour
10:00 — Crawl through the tunnels — Củ Chi
13:00 — Cassava lunch (wartime rations)
15:00 — Back to Ho Chi Minh City — Củ Chi → District 1
20:30 — Bui Vien Walking Street — District 1
Day 12 — Mekong Delta (My Tho & Ben Tre)
07:00 — Leave for My Tho / Ben Tre (2h)
10:00 — Rowing boat through the Mekong mangrove canals — Ben Tre
12:30 — Farm lunch — elephant ear fish — Ben Tre
15:00 — Drive → Can Tho (3h)
18:30 — Riverside hotel in Can Tho — Can Tho
Day 13 — Cai Rang Floating Market
05:30 — Cai Rang floating market — Can Tho
08:30 — Breakfast of hủ tiếu on the water
10:00 — Boat back to Can Tho — Cai Rang market → Ninh Kiều
11:00 — Orchards and rice fields — Can Tho
15:00 — Back to Ho Chi Minh City (3h30)
20:00 — Rooftop dinner in Saigon — District 1
Day 14 — Free Day in Ho Chi Minh City
09:00 — War Remnants Museum — District 3
11:30 — Grab to Cholon — District 3 → District 5
12:00 — Bình Tây district — Chinatown — District 5
14:00 — Cơm tấm lunch
17:30 — Grab to the pier — District 5 → Bach Dang Pier, District 1
18:00 — Saigon River cruise at sunset
20:30 — Last dinner in Saigon — District 1
Day 15 — Departure
09:00 — Last shopping at Ben Thanh Market — District 1
11:00 — Last brunch with Vietnamese coffee — District 1