Vietnam vs. Beijing
 

My husband and I are planning an Asia trip in March. We plan to go to Thailand for about a week. We wanted to go somewhere else for a week afterwards but don't know whether to go to Vietnam or Beijing. We're definitely people who like to see and explore things compared to sitting on a beach. I'm a foodie so food is definitely a motivating point for me. I'm wondering if going to Beijing from Thailand for only 5-7 days may be too ambitious.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

You certainly could visit Beijing for 5-7 days, but it's an expensive visa for such a short stay.

Between the two, I'd opt for VN, choosing one area (Hanoi area or HoiAn/Hue or the HCMC area). If food is important, VN is a much better choice IMO.

Five to seven days in Beijing is enough to do quite a lot, including side-trips out of town, e.g. (fairly obviously) to the Great Wall.

But if I were in Thailand I've probably hop to see Angkor Wat in Cambodia, which, arguably, is simply the greatest historical site in the whole of Asia, and worth a week of anyone's time.

So true, Peter, Angkor and Thailand are a great combination.

It is very hard to answer such a question as you are the best judge of what is best for you. I really liked Vietnam and the food is really good but China's attractions are a multiple of what Vietnam has to offer. There is a large amount of things to do in Beijing and that's only a small fraction of what you can see in China.
Obviously this is just one opinion and other people will differ. It is likely that by the time that you get several answers, you'll be even more confused as there is no right answer to this question.

I in the interest of full disclosure, I haven't been to Bejing and so can't really comment. I have however, spent a lot of time in Vietnam and would heighly commend it. The food is arguably the best in Asia, especially if you are prepare to be a little adventurous. In March, the weather in Vietnam is pretty much perfect country wide. Eating, sleeping and drinking there is really good value. Being a long thin country, it would be best to stick with one region but for a first time visitor I would suggest Hanoi. Lots to see, do and explore. We were there for three weeks last year and didn't get bored. Side trips from the city to maybe Sapa, Ninh Binh, Bai Tu Long are all possible.

Here is a link to our Vietnam blog http://accidentalnomads.com/category/vietnam/ some photos in and more detail including a post by my wife on Vietnamese food

Visited Angkor Wat last year for the third time ( to take my in laws who expressed a desire to see it. They enjoyed it but we we were less impressed. It was exceptionally crowded, very hot and the temples themselves were falling into decay to the clear lack of maintenance - all a bit sad to see really. I certainly would not spend a week there as suggested above.

As you are a foodie, you should consider Penang on the west coast of Malaysia. Some of the best street food you will find anywhere in Asia. Easily reached form Thailand by air or even by ferry if your time in Thailand includes time on the Andaman coast.

To me, the sights in Beijing are much more important historically, and unquestionably more interesting than Vietnam. You could certainly fill several days in Beijing, including the great wall as a day trip.

The logistics should work out quite well. There are many direct flights between Beijing and Bangkok, and you could book your international flights into Beijing, and out of Bangkok, or vice versa. Regarding the Chinese visa as a "deal breaker", I never let expensive or difficult visa requirements deter me from going where I want to go. I just figure it's part of the total cost.

The food is Beijing is quite good. We went to a famous Peking duck restaurant. On our way to the great wall, we stopped at a restaurant where we chose a live fish that the cook prepared for us.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

If you are a foodie, so Vietnam is a good choice would help you satisfy your stomach. City like Hanoi or HCMC also have food tour, you can taste many dishes from different sites that make you more adventure and enjoyable.

You can't make a bad decision with this one, but I would say go to Vietnam first. Beijing will always be there, and is generally easier and cheaper to travel to. The idea that one is 'better' than the other is more a question of argument than fact. Either way you will have so many opportunities to eat great food.

Vietnam is best choice for you because services and price is cheaper than China. Furthermore, you can visit many best destinations in Vietnam such as Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, Danang or Mekong Delta.
If you need more information, you can ask me.
Happy travels!

In Beijing, March, you will need winter clothing and face masks (to protect against coal dust and desert winds carrying sand). Will you want to carry those items from tropical Bangkok? You can probably find 'peking duck' in Hanoi, it's nothing special, IMO. Beijing is getting highly commercialized and intensely traffic jammed at all hours.

Another vote for siem reap if you haven't considered that as it is an amazing site which works so well with Thailand. Otherwise Vietnam makes the most sense due to weather, cost and great food.

Vietnam is a good choice for you. Its only my suggestion.

Seems as the op has not been back since postingso that was all a bit of a waste of time and effort.

Indeed, the OP has already gone on the trip (April) and has probably returned. The thread was topped by a spammer and others didn't notice how old the thread was.