Hi all. We so loved our trip to Japan that dd, 23, and I are heading to Vietnam next year. We fly out Feb 25 and land late (10:30 pm) on Feb 26. In and out of Hanoi.

4 nights Hanoi Solaria Hanoi Hotel
2 nights Nin Binh at eithe Tam Coc Wonderland Lodge or Trang An Ecolodge. We hope to arrive early and we depart 10 pm bc we go to Hue next so will take over night train. I hope to reserve the VIP 2 berth car.
2 nights Hue (are 3 advisable?) want to do some bike riding here. Considering staying at Ancient Hue Garden HOuses but worried its a bit too far from the action. Thoughts? Also have Melia Vinpearl Hue booked.
Will do an Easy Rider motorcycle ride from Hue to Hoi an. Wish me luck!
If we only do 2 nights Hue, we have 4 more nights before our final night in Hanoi for an early morning departure. we will fly from Da Nang back to Hanoi.
Do we stay in Ho an all 4 nights? Stay at nearby beach for 2?
What am i missing? WE have 13 full days on the ground.
Appreciate your help!

Looks like a great trip and I don't think you are missing much!

Some comments/observations:

Hanoi - $ nights is the minimum I would want for a city that has a he amount to see, do and eat. You need to be very focused on what you want to visit as the main sights are spread out and navigating the city and its traffic can be problematic. We tend to walk a lot when there but the taxis are ubiquitous (make sure to take registered taxis only - I usually look out for Mai Linh) . I would also set up the Grab app before you go - possibly cheaper and less prone to scams. I haven't stayed at the Solaria but it is in a great location and looks good. Lately when visiting Vietnam we have stayed at one of the "La Siesta" properties which is a v good, Vietnamese owned chain and have been v pleased.

Ninh Binh is very scenic and IMHO a much better use of a couple of days than Ha Long. However, do be aware that some parts can be very, very busy with tour groups for Hanoi especially at weekends. It is one place where ei would recommend getting a guide to take you around , either by bike, motor bike or taxi. Probably easiest organised through your accommodation in advance.

Overnight train - not sure about the VIP carriages as we normally just book berths in soft sleeper carriages (not esp comfortable but good fun and you get to meet other, usually Vietnamese travellers). But tickets from Ninh Binh can be difficult to come by as they always want to sell tickets from Hanoi first. As I say, it could be different for the VIP carriages

Hue - I would gofor at least three nights which will give you a day for a trip on the Perfume River & The Forbidden City/Citadel and a few markets. Another day cycling around the Imperial Tombs. (avoid cycling around mid day as it gets v hot! Don't know those hotels as we have often stayed in local type place in the centre. We have also stayed a couple of time at the Azerai La Residence which really is superb. https://azerai.com/azerai-la-residence-hue/ . it is out of the centre a little but closer to the Citadel

Easy Rider - good luck! If you are going to get on a motorbike in Vietnam , ER are the ones to use. Hai Van pass is a little underwhelming but the Marble Mountains are worth a diversion

Hoi An - Quaint and pretty though it undoubtedly is, Hoi An is not my favourite place. It gets very, very busy with the many , mostly Chinese tour groups , which descend on the town every day from the mega resorts which string the coast road towards Da Nang. Just my personal view but I would perhaps look at spending just a couple of nights there. The beaches outside of the town are just average, but can be quieter and there are some nice bike rides to be had out into the countryside.


Another option that springs to mind would be the Mai Chau Valley which is a couple of hours from Hanoi and could possibly be worked in with NB - Check out the Mai Chau Ecolodge.

thanks for your response. So you are suggesting an extra night in Hanoi? I had read about crowds in Nin Binh so we'd be there Monday - Wed.
Would you suggest we go back to Hanoi and fly to Hue rather than take over night train? I can't decide on this part. And now you have me concerned about getting tickets. What is it like sharing a birth with 2 others? Did you feel safe?
I think we will really like Hue and am fine with 3 or 4 nights here-I originally had 4. What are your favorite lodgings in Hue please?
So Hoi an-is 2 nights enough? Then I could add a night in Hue and Hanoi.
I did look at Mai Chau Valley but it adds alot more travel time unfortuntately.
Is ER worth it? My daughter wanted to do a 4 day trek with them so we compromised on a day trip!!

"So you are suggesting an extra night in Hanoi?" No not at all, a mistype!

4 nights, i.e. 3 full days is enough to cover the main sights. I would allocate the first day to the Old Quarter & French Quarter inc Hoan Kiem Lake. Next day Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum Complex. One Pillar Pagoda & Temple of Literature. Last day maybe explore some markets, Dong Xuang is the biggie. Ho Lao Prison (aka Hanoi Hilton) , The Military Museum , Women's Museum and police museum are all worth a look (if you like museums !). You could spend a lot longer in Hanoi - the food alone is reason enough.

We love train travel in Vietnam and have travelled the length of the country several times by train. https://www.seat61.com/Vietnam.htm is by far the best resource. We have never felt in the slightest bit unsafe on trains. Just don't leave bags unattended. The soft sleepers have 4 berths (always book the bottom two). Generally we found the Vietnamese to be fine to share with. Getting tickets can be a bit involved. We tend to travel for extended periods and so book tickets in person at the station . Seat 61 has info on booking and for VIP seats it may be easier.

Hue is arguably my favourite city in the country so longer there would be my choice. 2 nights in Hoi A would be fine for me but others love it. Staying longer, I would consider a day trip to the Cham ruins at My Son very easy and cheap to arrange a tour on the spot.

In Hue, by far my favourite place is the Azerai La Residence I linked above. We have also stayed in a few much cheaper "local" type places. Another upscale place is Ancient Hue Garden Houses.

Is ER worth it? Difficult for me to say as I ride a motorbike at home and don't relish the thought of someone else being in control! I have ridden motorcycles in Vietnam but against my better judgement!! . Safety standards are not great and traffic rules non existent. Falling off, even at slow speed can cause serous injuries. It is unlikely that they will provide full protective gear. ER are better than most but even so...Casualty rates/ RTA are very high in the country. That said, my 20 something nieces went with ER around the Ha Giang loop last year and had a great time.

One other thought. On one trip between Hanoi and Hue (by train) we stayed a few days at Phong Nha Khe Be - the largest cave system in the world. Spectacular cave and other stuff too. We stayed @ https://phongnhafarmstay.com who were able to sort out all the tours to caves, duck farms, rafting etc. Also teh nicest place in the area

Hello again and thanks for your help. If we fall asleep in a shared berth, is our luggage, purse, passports safe? Would you recommend train over flying?

Also, given our Feb 26 arrival and March 12 departure, does my trip make sense? We land so late so we need to stay overnight in Hanoi but I could do the longer portion of Hanoi at the end if weather might be better.

I am interested in Phong Nha ke Be. So we can take a train there from Hue on way to Hoi an? How many nights do we need there? Would you suggest this over the motorcycle ride which, in all honesty, I am terrified of.

We were considering Ancient Hue Garden Houses as it looks spectacular-just worried location is a bit far from everything.

I would recommend the train over flying but that is just me. I view it as an experience to be savoured rather than just a means of getting from A to B and as someone once said , the journey is sometimes as important as the destination. Others I am sure would disagree. Waiting around at airports and sitting in a plane is not my favourite use of time.

We have never had any problems with our belongings. However, in common with anywhere else, I would NEVER leave valuables such as cash/card/ phone unattended and would just put them all in a cross body bag and sleep with that. Once you are in a compartment they can be locked from the inside. The same cannot be said of bus travel in SE Asia where theft is rife!

Yes, I think your trip does make sense. Hanoi is a great place to start your trip. We often arrive late from Europe and will simply check in and sleep. Usually jet lagged, we rise early and take a dawn walk around Hoan Kiem Lake (close to your hotel) and watch everyone practising Tai Chi - great way to start the day. The weather is pretty much perfect that time of year so won't be a factor.

Yes I would recommend Phong Nha over a bike ride from Hue to Hoi An. You probably need 3 nights/2 full days for Phong Nha. We got there by train to Dong Hoi and got our accommodation to pick us up from the station where think it is around an hour's journey. If stay at Phong Nha Farmstay (not as rustic as it sounds!) they can organise the trip out. NB you can also do teh same journey by taxi (cost approx $50-60 US)

Our trips always used to be for months rather than weeks and it was easy to make it up as we went. Now we take shorter trips , I find it much harder to sort out an itinerary. On method I find helpful is to list teh actual place I want to see and things I want to do and once I have that in date, work out how it fits into an itinerary (easier than it sound!) . I also look at how long it will take me to get form A to B and factor that in to my plans. I usually find that I lose half a day every time I move between locations.

We spent three nights in Hue in January. We had originally booked Ancient Hue Garden Houses and then changed our reservation about a month out for the same reason you are debating -- we were concerned about the location. I'm glad we did. We like to walk, and I think we would have had to rely more on Grab or taxis to/from that location. FWIW, we stayed at Hue River Side Villas, right on the bend of the river and walked everywhere from there. It may or may not be of interest to you -- it's in a much different rate class -- but we found it to be a great value, with unbeatable hospitality.

Ok so now am totally confused how to allot our time. We arrive in and out of Hanoi. We arrive late on 2/26.

2/26-3/1 Hanoi 4 nights
3/2-3/4 Ninh Binh 2 nights
3/4-3/7 will take private car from Nihn Binh to Phong Na (5 hour drive) for a 3 night stay We were quoted $200 USD for this 5 hour drive. Is this fair?
3.7-3/9 Hue for 2 nights May look for private driver here since our time is shorter than I wanted in Hue. I believe its a 3 hour drive. Is this correct? will find a more central hotel now that we are only here for 2 nights.
3/9-3/11 Hoi An 2 nights
3/11 we fly from Danang to Hanoi for final evening before early morning flight out on 3/12

How does this look? I wish we could break up Nihn Binh and Phong Ha but this seems to make the most sense. It's way more moving than I prefer but don't want to cut any of this and it gives us the cities, nature and varied experiences were are looking for. Appreciate all your help.

thanks for confirming!!

Hi Plambers,

What exactly are you confused about? Your Itinerary, though busier than I would like, is entirely feasible.

$200 for the 5 hour drive from Ninh Binh to Phong Nha Khe Be is about right. Though I would prefer to go by train, if only for the experience.

It is indeed approx. 3 hours by car from Phong Nha Khe Be to Hue. I would expect to pay the equivalent of $50-75 US. Again I would also consider the train (perhaps do one or the other by train).

There are plenty of tours that will take you around the sights of Hue relatively cheaply or hire a driver for a couple of days. But you can DIY - the Purple City/Citadel (walk/bike)) The Tombs, (OK by bike) maybe take a boat trip on the Perfume River

Given the geography, it doesn't make sense to split Phong Nha & Ninh Binh. If you did want to streamline the itinerary, I am afraid that really means dropping a location. As a rule of thumb, unless on a roadtrip, I make sure to spend a min of 3 nights in any one place. That allows for 2 full days of sightseeing. Each time you move on you lose around half a day of usable time in transit, checking in and checking out etc. In Vietnam it is more time-consuming than it would have been on your last trip in Japan.

Having spent a lot of time travelling throughout Vietnam, I considered what I might do if we were to return for a similar amount of time to yours. I think I would forget about Phong Nha, stunning though it is. Instead I would look at a private tour with a guide and driver from Hanoi (not expensive in Vietnam) and spend 4-5 nights split between Ninh Binh and the Mai Chau Valley. Both places have some stunning scenery. You could even turn it into a mini road trip and visit places like Pu Long and teh Black River Valley along teh way staying a night or two in one of teh homesteads in the many White Thai villages in the area. The driver could drop you back at Noi Bai airport to fly on to Hue. If you wanted to keep Phong Nha then you itinerary will work.

Another option might be to just go from Hue to Da Nang, Spend a couple of nights there and do a day trip from Da Nang to Hoi An

Essentially my choice would be
Nights

Hanoi 3
Ninh Binh - Mai Chau 5
Hue 3
Hoi An 2
Hanoi 1
Hope this makes sense!

Hi. I really hate fast travel and think we will eliminate Phong Nha.
Are 2 full days enough for Hanoi? Same question for Hoi An. Is mid March beach weather? Could we spend a day at the beach at Hoi An?
Do I really want to take an overnight train? Is it comfortable? Will I get some sleep? Or else I can return from Ninh Binh to Hanoi and fly to Hue. Neither are perfect.
I really appreciate your help here. Let me also look into the Mai Chau option. Thanks again

You could see a lot in two full days in Hanoi though three would be better. Hoi An is small so one full day (and evening) would be enough to explore the old town . Day and night are very different! It does get hellishly crowded though with the (mostly Chinese tour groups visiting from teh mega hotels up teh coast in Da Nang You could spend a day at the beach , though I have stopped say they re not the best in Asia. Easy enough and fund to cycle there from the town and maybe take in one or two of the craft villages etc. Another option would be to hire a car and driver to take your to the Cham Ruins at My Son.

Do I really want to take an overnight train? If you have to ask the question, probably not!

Is it comfortable? Not especially! bottom bunks in the soft sleeper carriages are the way to go. VIP carriage my be a bit better and more private

Will I get some sleep? As a chronic insomniac I sleep very little anyway so I am the wrong person to ask. My wife seemed to manage just fine though..

May be worth asking a couple of tour operators for ideas for a combined Ninh Binh and Mai Chau private tour. We rarely use tours but sometimes it can be the most convenient and cost effective option. Two that spring to mind are https://ninhbinhpuluongtours.wordpress.com and https://ethnictravel.com.vn . I have used Etnic a coupe of time as was very happy. I haven't used MR Toan but know several that have and were very happy. He also comes highly recommended on the Tripdavsor Vietnam forum

Returning from Ninh Binh to Hanoi (or from Mai Chau would work I think . Whether you use a taxi or tour , they could drop you rights at the airport for your flight to Hue.

Hello again. I wll look at the tours you suggested.
I would ideally want the VIP 2 seater birth but think it was you who told me they are difficult to go. I am not even sure how to buy these tickets.
I worry that I am spending way too much time with transportation time. Japan was much faster.

https://www.seat61.com/Vietnam.htm this site is the best for all things train related. It contains the various options for booking online. Apart from a trip to Sapa in the Victoria carriage, , many years ago I haven't used the VIP carriages on other routes , just the soft sleeper. We have traveled the length of the country several times by train. We have also used the JR Railpass to travel around Japan. The two could not be more different! One is an ultra efficient means of transport, the other a travel experience and a lot of fun but not everyones cup of tea.

Thanks again. We loved Japan so much we went back this March, 10 months later.
Would you suggest 4 nihgts Hue or just 3? Hue seems super interesting and not quite as touristy as other spots.

We had 3 nights in Hue and it was quite packed in. Three is good, but you wouldn't be bored with 4.

I cannot tell if Phong Nha is on or off. If it is on, I would suggest doing it as a DMZ tour as there is a lot of history between the two from the Vietnam War (they call it the American War) era to see. We started the tour in Hue and were dropped off in Phong Nha.

Hue is not as touristy as the other spots you are visiting, certainly way less than Hoi An. I agree with trippanners comments above. Two full days in Hue (i.e. 3 nts) is enough to see the key sights ofThe Citadel, The Forbidden Purple City,The Imperial Tombs etc. but will be busy. Another day would allow a more relaxed pace and the opportunity to visit more toms and a few markets. It is one of my favourite cities in Vietnam, more laid back than Hanoi or Saigon and the traffic is nowhere near as manic so getting a bike to see the sights is a very viable option (just avoid midday when it can get very hot!). I would also add that Hue has its own cuisine and has the best food and you will see dishes that are not common in other parts of the country. One of my fav dishes in the whole of Asia is "Bun Bo Hue" - don't leave town without trying!

The biggest holiday for Vietnamese is Lunar New Year aka Tet.
For 2026, it falls on Feb 17th
I'd recommend to spend your time 1 week before this festive, you'll probably see how lively the country is, from its main cities to villages in countryside.