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🇻🇳 Itinerary · Vietnam · 14 days

2-week Vietnam itinerary 2026: North to South

14 days from Hanoi to Saigon: Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An and the Mekong. The grand North-South axis, with detailed budget and transport.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

14 days

Stops

7 places

Average budget

€1,700-2,600

Total distance

~2,000 km

Profile

Versatile

Season

Mar-Apr, Oct-Nov

Hanoi 3d · Halong 1d · Ninh Binh 2d · Hue 2d · Hoi An 3d · Saigon 2d · Mekong 1d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Vietnam 2-week itinerary map: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An, Saigon, Mekong

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

14 days, day by day

1

~€60/pers

Hanoi · Arrival & old quarter

  • Morning Arrival at Noi Bai. Grab to the center (45 min, €8-15).
  • Afternoon Rest, walk through the 36 guilds.
  • Evening Water puppets, street bia hoi.
🛌 🛌 Old quarter · e.g. La Siesta Hotel (3 nights)·🛵 On foot and by Grab·Hanoi guide →
2

~€45

Hanoi · History and lake

  • 8am Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, Temple of Literature.
  • 5pm Hoan Kiem lake, egg coffee at Giang.
3

~€120

Hanoi → Halong Bay → Hanoi

  • 8am Shuttle to Halong, day cruise among the peaks.
  • 4pm Kayak and cave, back to Hanoi in the evening.
🚐 Shuttle + ⛵ day cruise
4

~€70

Hanoi → Ninh Binh · Inland Halong

  • 8am Train to Ninh Binh (2h).
  • 1pm Sampan in Tam Coc between rice fields and cliffs.
  • 5pm Hang Mua viewpoint (500 steps).
🛌 🛌 Tam Coc · e.g. Tam Coc Garden Resort (2 nights)·🚆 Train Hanoi → Ninh Binh
5

~€55

Ninh Binh · Trang An & Bai Dinh

  • 8am Rowboat in Trang An (UNESCO), caves and temples.
  • 2pm Bai Dinh pagoda, cycling in the rice fields at sunset.
6

~€110

Ninh Binh → Hue · The imperial city

  • Morning Back to Hanoi, flight to Hue (1h15, €50-70).
  • 3pm Imperial Citadel of the Nguyen dynasty.
  • Evening Imperial cuisine dinner, banks of the Perfume River.
🛌 🛌 Hue (2 nights)·✈️ Flight Hanoi → Hue
7

~€50

Hue · Tombs and pagodas

  • 8am Royal tombs of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh, by boat on the river.
  • 2pm Thien Mu pagoda, Dong Ba market.
8

~€80

Hue → Hoi An · The Cloud Pass

  • 9am Hai Van Pass road (Cloud Pass), coastal views.
  • 1pm Arrival in Hoi An, check-in near the old town.
  • 6pm Lanterns lit on the Thu Bon river, first dinner.
🛌 🛌 Hoi An · e.g. Little Riverside Hoi An (3 nights)·🚐 Private car over the pass
9

~€55

Hoi An · Old town and tailors

  • Morning Japanese covered bridge, merchant houses, custom tailor workshop.
  • Afternoon Vietnamese cooking class (3h, €30).
  • Evening Lantern release on the river.
10

~€45

Hoi An · Beach and rice fields

  • Morning Cycling through the Tra Que villages, vegetable gardens.
  • Afternoon An Bang beach, rest by the water.
11

~€110

Hoi An → Saigon · Heading South

  • Morning Transfer to Da Nang, flight to Ho Chi Minh City (1h20, €50-70).
  • 3pm Dong Khoi district, central post office, Notre-Dame cathedral.
  • Evening Rooftop on Bui Vien or Nguyen Hue.
🛌 🛌 District 1, Saigon · e.g. Hotel des Arts (2 nights)·✈️ Flight Da Nang → Saigon
12

~€55

Saigon · History and markets

  • 8am Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum.
  • 2pm Ben Thanh market, Cholon district (Chinatown).
  • 8pm Night street food by motorbike with a local guide.
13

~€70

Saigon → Mekong Delta

  • 8am Road to My Tho or Ben Tre (1h30).
  • 11am Rowboat in the canals, coconut candy factory, floating market.
  • 5pm Back to Saigon.
🚐 Day trip + 🛶 rowboat
14

Flight

Saigon → Return

  • Morning Last shopping, iced Vietnamese coffee.
  • Afternoon Tan Son Nhat airport, return flight to Paris via a Gulf hub.

How much

Itinerary budget (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€1,700

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €700
  • 🏨 Guesthouse: €13/night
  • 🍜 Street food: €8/day
  • ✈️ 2 domestic flights + bus: €200
  • 🎫 Activities: €150
Recommended

Comfort

€2,200

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €800
  • 🏨 3-4★ hotel: €42/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed restos: €20/day
  • ✈️ 2 domestic flights: €150
  • 🎫 Activities: €200

Premium

€3,800

per person

  • ✈️ Upgraded flight: €1,500
  • 🏨 5★: €170/night
  • 🍽️ Fine dining: €50/day
  • 🚖 Private driver
  • 🎫 Private tours: €400

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

The North: Hanoi, Halong and Ninh Binh.

You're here

2 weeks

2 weeks

North to South, Hanoi to Saigon.

1 month

1 month

The grand axis with the northern mountains and the Mekong.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

This itinerary combines 2 domestic flights (Hanoi → Hue, Da Nang → Saigon), 1 train, and a private car over the Cloud Pass. The flights avoid two long road days.

🚆

Train Hanoi → Ninh Binh

€4-6 · 2h · frequent departures

✈️

Flight Hanoi → Hue

€50-70 · 1h15 · toward the Center

🚐

Car Hue → Hoi An

~€40 · 4h over the Hai Van pass

✈️

Flight Da Nang → Saigon

€50-70 · 1h20 · descent South

🛶

Mekong Delta day trip

~€25 · rowboat in the canals

Adapt by season

Three climates in one country

Vietnam stretches 1,700 km: North, Center and South don't share the same weather at once. This itinerary goes North to South, ideal in March-April and October-November, when all three regions are roughly dry. The Center (Hue, Hoi An) sees its rains from September to December, sometimes flooding Hoi An in October-November: shift a month if you can. The South stays warm year-round.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In October 2023, I caught the Hoi An lantern release on a full-moon evening: the old town is lit only by lanterns that night, it stayed the highlight of the two weeks.
  • • The Hue → Hoi An road over the Hai Van pass by private car rather than by plane: photo stops on the coast.
  • • The Hoi An cooking class, after the Tra Que herb market.
  • • The night street food by motorbike in Saigon, with a local guide.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Skip a night in Saigon and add a night in gentler Hoi An.
  • • Prefer Lan Ha Bay over Halong for the cruise, fewer crowds.
  • • If you love the beach, keep 4 nights in Hoi An and shorten Hue.
  • • Add Phong Nha (caves) between Ninh Binh and Hue if you have an extra day.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Should you do North to South or the reverse? +
North to South is the classic direction: arrive in Hanoi, head down to Saigon. The advantage is ending in the warm South before the return flight.
Can you do this itinerary without domestic flights? +
In theory yes, with the Reunification train, but Hanoi-Saigon takes 30 to 35h. Over 14 days, two domestic flights (~€150) save two full days.
Are Hue and Hoi An redundant? +
No: Hue is imperial (citadel, tombs), Hoi An is merchant and seaside (old town, lanterns, beach). They complement each other and are linked by the superb Cloud Pass.
Is this itinerary suitable for families? +
Yes, lightened: the Hoi An cycling, the Mekong rowboat and the cruise delight children. The domestic flights are short. Bring insect repellent.
What's the best period? +
March-April and October-November, when all three regions are roughly dry. Avoid October-November around Hoi An in heavy-rain years (flooding risk).
How much for 14 days all in? +
Count about €1,700 backpacker, €2,200 comfort and €3,800 premium, flight from Paris included, per person.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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