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Itinerary: Northeast and Central Vietnam (3 weeks)

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Below is our DIY itinerary of our trip to Vietnam last month. Folks planning a similar route might find it useful. We skipped Ho Chi Minh City since I’ve been there before. We also took it easy some days to catch our breath. There’s so much to see in Vietnam that three weeks isn’t enough, but this is a pretty good start.

Day 0
Evening

We arranged for a private transfer since we arrived at the airport at around 2 am. Our hotel sent a car to pick us up for USD 18. The ride to the Old Quarter took around 45 minutes.

St Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi, Vietnam
St Joseph’s Cathedral

Day 1
Afternoon

Evening

  • Self-guided walking tour
    • Hoan Kiem Lake
    • Ly Thai To Flower Garden
    • Night Market along Hang Dao
Ho Chi Minh Museum, Hanoi, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh Museum

Day 2
Morning

Afternoon

We got around the city by public bus for only VND 7,000 per person per ride.

Day 3
Morning

  • Travel to Cat Ba

Afternoon

Evening

  • Bamboo Cafe

We rode the bus-boat-bus combo to Cat Ba on Hoang Long for VND 240,000 per person (one way). There are faster ways to get to the island from Hanoi, but dealing with just one transportation company was more convenient with less hassle.

Cannon Fort, Cat Ba, Haiphong, Vietnam
View of Lan Ha Bay from Cannon Fort

Day 4
Morning

  • Guided motorbike tour
    • Cat Ba National Park

Afternoon

It’s easy enough to ride around Cat Ba by oneself with a map, but we opted for a guided tour for most of the day. It worked out great, as our guide knew practically everyone on the island, and the locals were more open to us with him around. They let us inside their homes, allowing us to see a different side of the island other than the usual touristy one.

Lan Ha Bay, Haiphong, Vietnam
Swimming at Lan Ha Bay

Day 5
Morning

  • Cat Ba Ventures
    • Lan Ha Bay and Halong Bay (UNESCO World Heritage site)
      • Me Cung Grotto

Afternoon

  • Cat Ba Ventures
    • Lan Ha Bay and Halong Bay (UNESCO World Heritage site)
      • Kayaking and swimming
      • Floating fishing village

We opted for the day cruise that spends more time at Lan Ha Bay because it is less crowded and has less rubbish floating on its waters than the better-known Halong Bay. We feel that one day is enough, because after a while one gets karst-ed out and the rocks begin to look the same.

Day 6
Morning

Again, we rode the bus-boat-bus combo back to Hanoi on Hoang Long.

Day 7
Morning

  • Self-guided tour
    • Vietnam Fine Arts Museum
    • Lenin Park

We rode the public bus to and from the museum. We learned which bus to take by consulting Google Maps and clicking the Transit icon.

Afternoon

Evening

  • Self-guided walking tour
    • T20 Beach

Our hotel, which is a short walk from the beach, provided us with free airport pick-up.

Goddess of Mercy, Linh Ung Pagoda, Danang, Vietnam
67 m-tall Guanyin statue at Linh Ung Pagoda

Day 8
Afternoon

  • Self-guided motorbike tour
    • Han River
    • Danang Cathedral
    • Thuan Phuoc Bridge
    • Linh Ung Pagoda
    • Pham Van Dong Beach

Evening

  • Self-guided motorbike tour
    • Han River Bridge
    • Dragon Bridge

Danang’s sights are quite spread out; one can cover more ground cheaply by motorbike.

Day 9
Afternoon

Evening

  • Mandarin Cafe

We rode TheSinhTourist open bus to Hue and walked from the bus stop to our hotel.

Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue, Vietnam
Thien Mu Pagoda

Day 10
Morning

  • Self-guided motorbike tour
    • Citadel (UNESCO World Heritage site)

Afternoon

  • Self-guided motorbike tour
Khai Dinh Tomb, Hue, Vietnam
Khai Dinh Tomb

Day 11
Morning

  • Self-guided motorbike tour
    • Khai Dinh Tomb (UNESCO World Heritage site)
    • Gia Long Tomb (UNESCO World Heritage site)

Afternoon

  • Self-guided motorbike tour
    • Minh Mang Tomb (UNESCO World Heritage site)
    • Thieu Tri Tomb (UNESCO World Heritage site)

Day 12
Morning

Afternoon

  • Lam’s Travel
    • Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (UNESCO World Heritage site)
      • Paradise Cave Eco Tourism Site

Evening

After days of motorbiking by ourselves, we decided to take a step back and book a package tour for this day and the next. We bargained hard and got the 2 days/1 night all-inclusive tour of the two caves for USD 59 per person.

Phong Nha Cave, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Bo Trach, Quang Binh, Vietnam
Entrance to Phong Nha Cave

Day 13
Morning

  • Self-guided walking tour
    • Son Trach town

Afternoon

  • Lam’s Travel
    • Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (UNESCO World Heritage site)
      • Son River cruise
      • Phong Nha Cave

Evening

Day 14
Morning

Afternoon

Day 15
Morning

Afternoon

  • Self-guided walking tour
    • Tan Ky House
    • Phuc Kien (Fukien) Assembly Hall
    • Japanese Covered Bridge
    • Ba Le Well

We rode TheSinhTourist open bus to Hoi An. Our hotel provided us with free pick-up from the bus station.

Day 16
Afternoon

  • Self-guided motorbike tour

Evening

  • Enjoy Restaurant
    • ASIAN GALLERY
My Son, Duy Xuyen, Quang Nam, Vietnam
My Son

Day 17
Morning

Afternoon

Day 18
Morning

  • Self-guided walking tour
    • Duc An Old House
    • Phung Hung Ancient House
    • Quan Cong Temple

Afternoon

Hang Dau Park, Hanoi, Vietnam
Hang Dau Park

Day 19
Morning

  • Self-guided walking tour
    • Hang Dau Water Tank
    • Hang Dau Park
    • The Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long (UNESCO World Heritage site)
      • Cua Bac Relic
      • Kinh Thien Palace Relic
      • Flag Tower Relic

Afternoon

Evening

  • Hanoikids
    • Hanoi Opera House
    • Xoi Yen
    • Cafe Giang
  • Fly out