Vietnam · 12 days · Untravel editors
The full first-timer corridor — Hanoi, Ha Long, Hoi An, Saigon — with the domestic flights and the Mekong day done right. Fly the long legs, cluster each hub, never rush.
12 days and 21 stops — Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City and Mekong Delta, with five moves between them. It opens with land into the old quarter. Every stop carries the note that put it on the list. Read it all here, no app and no account.
The 12-day Vietnam itinerary, day by day
Day 01 · Hanoi
Land into the Old Quarter
Hoan Kiem Lake
Lake and Ngoc Son Temple to ease in (quiet room — it's loud).
Bun Cha Huong Lien
First bun cha, finish with egg coffee.
Day 02 · Hanoi
The icons
Temple of Literature
1070, the calm green hour, after a 36-streets wander.
Pho Thin Lo Duc
Smoky garlic-seared Hanoi pho institution for lunch.
Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
Northern folk art + banh mi at Banh Mi 25 after.
Transfer · day 2 → 3139 km apart
Day 03 · Ha Long Bay
Overnight cruise
Ha Long Bay
The iconic northern set-piece, the boat is the hotel — kayaking, caves, the karst at dawn. Book a reputable operator.
Day 04
A free day
Nothing scheduled. This is the slack in the trip: sleep in, go back to the thing you liked, or do nothing at all.
Transfer · day 4 → 5572 km apart
Day 05 · Hoi An
Lanterns
Tailor fitting
Get measured at a tailor on arrival so there's time for a second fitting before you leave.
Hoi An Ancient Town
Lantern-lit Ancient Town + lantern-boat release at dusk.
Banh Mi Phuong
Dinner: cao lau at a local stall, then the marquee Hoi An banh mi.
Day 06 · Hoi An
Cook + ruins
Hoi An cooking class
A morning cooking class — market shop plus hands-on, the slow-travel highlight.
Madame Khanh (The Banh Mi Queen)
White Rose dumplings and banh mi for lunch (sells out by noon).
My Son Sanctuary
Cham UNESCO ruins, half-day (~1h out).
Day 07 · Hoi An
Beach + free
An Bang Beach
A beach morning to balance the lanterns.
Tailor pickup + Japanese Covered Bridge
Second tailor fitting/pickup, then a last slow Ancient Town evening past the Japanese Covered Bridge.
Transfer · day 7 → 8595 km apart
Day 08 · Ho Chi Minh City
Saigon, fast and loud
War Remnants Museum
Go before 10am for crowds and heat — heavy but essential.
Dong Khoi & Notre-Dame
Afternoon in the Dong Khoi/Ben Thanh core — the old Post Office and Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Banh Mi Huynh Hoa
The famous loaded cold-cut banh mi, then drinks — Saigon's nightlife is the country's best.
Day 09 · Ho Chi Minh City
Elevated street food
Anan Saigon
Michelin-recognised, the famous '$100 pho' and banh-xeo tacos — one big night, or stay street-level.
Transfer · day 9 → 1076 km apart
Day 10 · Mekong Delta
Down to the delta
Cu Chi Tunnels
The Vietnam-War tunnel network, commonly paired with the Mekong as a long full day.
Mekong Delta
Sampan through coconut canals (My Tho/Ben Tre), a local family visit, honey tea and folk music.
Transfer · day 10 → 1176 km apart
Day 11 · Ho Chi Minh City
Buffer + the city
Ben Thanh Market
A final Saigon morning — coffee, the market, a rooftop — with a buffer day for the archipelago's transfers.
Day 12
Fly out
Nothing scheduled — the day is the journey home.
