Detailed itinerary to Vietnam – North to South

Where should you stay?

If you are looking for a place that will cost you about $14 per night, then I recommend Hanoi Home Hotel.

If you’re traveling with a larger budget and can afford $50 per night, I recommend Romance Hotel.

Both hotels are great and are located on allies so there’s no noise at night.

Attractions in Hanoi

I wrote a detailed post about things to do in Hanoi. Click HERE to read about them.

Recommendations for Food in Hanoi

• The original egg coffee. I know it sounds weird. But it’s really good. Address: 39 Nguyen huu huan.
• Pho – Vietnamese soup.

•  10 Ly Quoc su
• 65 Lan ong str
• bat dan 49 – open only on the morning

• Cha Ca – another great dish with fish. The price is a bit higher than the rest but you should give it a try at least once. Address: Cha ca 14
• Bun Mi – Hanoi has a lot of good sandwiched in baguettes, and you should try one at this address: Hang ca 25.
• Bun Cha – this is a dish that is serves a lot in street food. It’s amazing and addictive, so beware. You should try it, I never got disappointed.
• Bánh cuốn – this is a rice crepe that is filled with beef or chicken. It’s extremely good. Address: hang bo 68 open for dinner only.

How to get to Tam Coc?

• Tourist bus
• Tourist trip from Hanoi. I am personally not a fan of organized tourist trips. When you are going to places by yourselves and you are the boss.
• Local bus.

I recommend going for the local bus because the drive is about 2 hours and costs $3 per person. The tourist bus costs about 4 times more than that.

Where you should stay in Tam Coc?

• If you’re into touristy places with restaurants and bars then you can stay at the touristy area of Tam Coc. I actually don’t have a recommendation for a specific place to stay at.
• If you like nature, and if you enjoy waking up and seeing a gorgeous view, then I recommend sleeping at Chez Beo, which is a really nice guesthouse with a lovely view.

To read more about Tam Coc, Click HERE.

How long should you stay?

At least 3 days. The views and treks are unbeatable, you also get to explore of Vietnamese old traditions and feel like you traveled back in time.

How to get to Sapa?

• You can book a planned trip from Hanoi that includes a train or bus ride and sleeping at a hotel or at a home stay. As I already mentioned, we don’t really like this idea. You go on super touristy treks and sleeping at standard places. The local guides barely get paid and you don’t really get an authentic experience. I recommend going to Sapa on your own and not with a group. Maybe you want to spend some time with new people, so in that case, you should do it, but keep in mind that the experience won’t be authentic.
• Tourist bus of 6 hours – the bus leaves Hanoi at 7am and you will get to Sapa at around 1pm. It’s about $11-14, depends on which company. We picked the more expensive one, and we had a really nice ride. We ordered before we knew there were cheaper companies, and I assume that they were nice as well.
• Night train – It leaves Hanoi at around 9pm and arrives at 6am to Lao Cai and once you get there you’ll need to take a taxi of another 40 minute ride. The train ride is about $25-35 per person. Depends on the kind of car you’re riding.
• Night Bus – Costs about $10. I actually never went on a night bus because I’d rather ride during the day. It’s more safe that way.

The advantages of taking a night bus or train is that you get to Sapa early in the morning and save money by not going to a hotel that night. If you don’t mind getting there in the afternoon then I recommend the express bus.

Attractions – Trekking in Sapa

If you’ve made it to Sapa, then you should find a local guide to take you on a 2-3 day trek, or even just one day. I recommend going on both.

• Go to the church area – this is a central area in Sapa, where there are a lot of guides you could just turn to and ask for some help. Then will most likely approach you when you get there.
• Google recommendations for guides and call them. We went for that option. We found Nu, who is a lovely and humble woman. We went on the hikes with her and we slept in her house. It was one of our most unique experiences of the entire trip and one of the most delicious. Nu is an amazing cook. If you want more details, just click here and visit the website sapadaytour.

Sleeping accommodations: Home stay at our guide, of course.

How to get to Hoi An?

• A train to Danang and from there a taxi to Hoi An.
• A flight to Danang and a taxi to Hoi An.

We’ve been there twice, and both times we flew over. It was so much faster, and it is actually cheaper. If you know your flying date then you should book as soon as possible, because it will make the cost a lot cheaper. I like the website Kiwi to look at flights, it makes it really easy to look.
For some recommendations of Hoi An, you can read the post of the top 10 things to do in Hoi An by Clicking HERE.

How long should you stay?

2-3days. The food is great, the nightlife, and some areas feel like you’re in New York.

Accommodations in Saigon

• If you’re looking for something that is low-budget, then I recommend going to Myhotel. It’s a small and new hotel, which is a big advantage. It’s really clean and the service is kind. The cost is $15 per night for a small room. The hotel is located in a great location, it’s right where all the backpackers go to, but on a side alley so it’s not noisey.
• If you’re traveling on a higher budget, then I recommend staying at Liberty Central Saigon Riverside, which is where I celebrated my birthday. My husband Roman surprised me with a nice hotel that is really luxurious and has a nice happy hour. There is a pool on the rooftop with a view to the mountain. There is a great bar and also a fantastic breakfast. If you feel like indulging then you should go to this hotel. It’s located in a location that is very New-York-like, with super awesome vibes.

Recommended Food in Saigon

• Right in front of Myhotel we found the most delicious Won Ton soup. It’s street food, so it doesn’t have a name, but it’s right across from the hotel. It’s open from 1 or 2pm until the evening. We didn’t only declare it as the best Won Ton, but it’s also considered that way. Even if you go and it’s closed, don’t give up. Just go on the next day.
• An amazinggg Indian restaurant – Taj Mahal. I am obsessed with Indian food and I think it’s probably the best Indian place we’ve been to the entire trip. I recommend trying the signature dishes and the fish and chicken courses.
• There is a ton of street food everywhere so don’t be shy to try it. There is a great blogger who wrote all about street food in Saigon. Just click here for Mark Weins article of street food.

Attractions in Saigon

• Cu Chi Tunnels
• The War Museum – a very interesting museum.
• Local markets
• Bui Vien bar streets
• AAA Spa – I got a mani-pedi and the spa and it was fantastic. They took really good care of me, and the result was amazing. It was only $6… I didn’t get a massage but according to the recommendations it’s supposed to be a great place.