radosdesign

Hello fellow travellers and Vietnam gurus. We have finally come up with itinerary plan for our September vacation in Vietnam (15 days). It would be great if you could have a look on it and comment.

Here you can see it in nice graphical form (so that you do not need to read the list bellow): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

*** 09/12 Tuesday:
16:15 Arrival at Hanoi airport
Sleep in the airport hotel

*** 09/13 Wednesday:
7:15 Flight to Can Tho (VietJet)
9:29 Arrival in Can Tho

*** 09/14: Thursday:
Early morning: Mekong delta market
13:00 Speed boat to Saigon
16:30 Arrival in Saigon

*** 09/15 Friday:
Saigon

*** 09/16 Saturday:
Saigon
20:30 Train departure to Nha Trang (train SNT2)

*** 09/17 Sunday:
5:30 Arrival in Nha Trang

*** 09/18 Monday:
Nha Trang
19:54 Train departure to Danang (train SE22)

*** 09/19 Tuesday:
6:15 Arrival in Danang
Bus/taxi to Hoi An

*** 09/20 Wednesday:
Hoi An
Bicycle trip (https://goo.gl/9Cf0bZ)

*** 09/21 Thursday:
Hoi An
14:13 Train departure to Hue (train SE4)
16:39 Arrival in Hue

*** 09/22 Friday:
Hue

*** 09/23 Saturday:
Hue
19:20 Flight do Hanoi (Vietnam Airlines)
20:35 Arrival in Hanoi

*** 09/24 Sunday:
Hanoi

*** 09/25 Monday:
Hanoi

*** 09/26 Tuesday:
Hanoi
(Halong Bay?)

*** 09/27 Wednesday:
Hanoi
17:30 Flight back home from Hanoi airport

Thank you in advance for all your inputs.

Letsgo2Vietnam

I think that is a pretty good itinerary, obviously flying into HCMC direct would be better, and flying home from Hanoi. But appreciate a return flight from one City is usually cheaper overall.

But really I would go with that, and believe me if I saw a problem I would say so. My only concern would be the weather you will encounter rain, but it won't rain all the time either and it won't be cold. So enjoy.

crellston

Looks pretty good.

Shame to waste an evening in Hanoi at the airport but you would need a very early start to make your flight to Can Tho.

Not the best time to visit the country for a weather perspective and certainly not a beach resort like Nha Trang. Buy an umbrella on arrival!

I really enjoy train travel in Vietnam. One tip for overnight journeys is to book the lower bunks in the soft sleeper cabin - much more convenient that the upper bunks which are a real hassle to get in and out of. Also, try not to get the cabins at ten end of the carriages (I think berths 1-4 and 24-28) as they tend to get very smoky as the AC draws in the cigarette smok ffrom those inconsiderate ********s who stand smoking at the end of the corridors.

Not sure I would bother with a trip to Halong - too far for one day and plenty to keep you occupied in the city. If you want a change of scene, try the perfume Pagoda or The Mai Chau valley.

Enjoy you trip it is a wonderful country.

LancasterLad

We had 5 nights in Hue in September 2015, and were more or less washed out for the duration by a tropical depression.

Immediately prior we were in Danang, and while it was fine and hot during the day and evening, there were heavy storms every night.

After Hue we had a week in Hoi An, and the weather was glorious.

On the train from Danang to Hue make sure you get a ticket to sit on the right hand side. 3rd Class carriages have opened windows, so there's no chance of the view being obscured by dirty windows.

Have a look at Quy Nhon instead of Nha Trang.

travelerwife

While I agree there is much to do in Hanoi, unless your interests are to visit many museums in detail, I would urge to give further consideration to Halong Bay - or more specifically Bai Tu Long Bay which is less crowded and not all junk tours can go there. I suggest Dragon Pearl cruises overnight - they have 1 and 2 night itineraries. Again, if your preference is a lot of city interaction, you may love your 3 days in Hanoi, but the experiences we had on the Dragon Pearl with kayaking and scenery have stayed with us much more than our day and a half exploring Hanoi.

kristin_storm_7

I'm seeing 7 days out of 15 that include some type of transfer/travel, not including flights to/from home. Won't this seem overwhelming? I will have about 18 days, and will start my own thread, but thought I'd see if anyone else might offer insight on moving around so much. While I don't want to feel like I'm missing out, I don't want to feel like I'm sprinting either.

Kathie

I agree Kristin - too many days of travel for the amount of non-travel days. While cutting Halong would help, I think the itinerary is just too busy. Pause, and consider your priories. I think people "miss out" most often because they are trying to cover too much ground, not because they don't go to enough places.

Obviously, there are differences of opinion about this. It's you trip - think about what works for you.

kristin_storm_7

Thanks for your quick response, Kathie. I've been saving a ton to my Pinterest and reading up. I've been thinking I'd focus on 3 areas, but we'll see... I think you're the same Kathie that helped answer questions for my Thailand trip, many years ago (hipvirgochick). I'm a Seattleite too. Cheers!