FromDC

Agonizing over this way too long and am committed to finalizing before the weekend is over. Context: Oct 20-Nov 24, last week decided to begin in HongKong. Altho this isn't too different from my orignal post a couple of months ago, at least I have a better idea of what the places are like:
Oct 26-30: Hanoi (arrive from HongKong without jet lag).
Oct 31: Halong Bay, Ginger Junk
Nov 1: Hanoi (so we can leave luggage in hotel and don't have to sit at the airport for 5 hours waiting for the flight to Hue since the Halong Bay tour ends at noon and the flight to Hue is at 7)
Nov 2-4: Hue
Nov 5-7: Hoi An
Nov 8: to BKK
So here is the issue: All that time in Hanoi! Plan to spend one day going to Perfume Pagoda. MAYBE continue that as a long day to CucPhong National Park. My main concern is that I don't think we have enough time seeing the beautiful scenary in VN but I am not sure where to include it or where to go. For me, this is a bit too much "city" time. We don't want to go to Sapa-don't want 2 nights on a train. Any suggestions about day trips out of Hanoi, Hue or Hoi An that would be more interesting than the usual stuff(we could always subtract a day from Hanoi and add it elsewhere if there were something along those lines?) We really want to take this leisurely without alot of flying around VN, just staying in north/central. And how did other deal with the Halong Bay tour ending at noon and then going elsewhere?That's why we added another overnight in Hanoi.
THANKS EVERYONE!

Kathie

I don't think you have too much time in Hanoi at all. It's a fascinating city. If you do a full day to the Perfume Pagoda, you'll only have three days in the city by my account (plus a part of a day when you get back from Halong). In fact you'll be hard pressed to see some of the major sites plus have time to wander in Hanoi (one of the pleasures of Hanoi).

I really think your plan is just fine. Stop ruminating and book!

goddessintl

Kathie is right, your itinerary looks fine. The one place where I would have liked more time when I was in Vietnam, was Hanoi.

Make sure to get your tailoring sorted as soon as you get to Hoi An, you don't want to miss out on getting custom-made clothes at very low prices. Yaly is the best-known place, they have two locations, and I had very good luck with Ha Phuong at 159 Nguyen Duy Hieu St. Treat yourself to a silk dressing gown!

cmenoni

I agree with you about not having enough time to see the scenery. We, too, were not "city people" and got very tired very quickly of the chaos that is now Hanoi. (It was lovely in 1997, before the motorbikes took over!!). We really enjoyed our 2 nights at the Long Hotel right by the Tam Coc caves. Many small tour companies combine this with the Halong Bay trip. Maybe you could do that. We did it seperately and on our own by just booking a minivan to the caves, booking our own hotel and then a bus back to Hanoi.

ekscrunchy

DC I had the same problem in that I had to return to Hanoi for one night after the Halong Bay cruise. As you will learn when I finish my still-in-progress after-all-this-time report, I used the afternoon to relax and just walk around. I had a flight to Danang the next morning and there was no way around this for me...

Bisbee

One issue you'll potentially have is weather. Oct/Nov are the wettest times of the year to visit Hoi An/Hue. There is usually flooding during this time of year, especially in Hoi An (last year was particularly bad). Bring a travel umbrella or pick one up in Hanoi.