There are so many itineraries for how to spend one week in Vietnam. It really depends on where you want to go and what you want to do. In this article I will suggest some routes for your 7 to 10 days in Vietnam, either starting from the North, South, or Central Vietnam.
Vietnam is a long and narrow country that is known for its stunning natural landscape, interesting history and culture, and delicious cuisines. Within one week (7-10) days in Vietnam, you can explore several popular tourist destinations. They may include:
- the major urban cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
- the mountainous areas of Sapa and Ha Giang.
- the beautiful karst areas around Ninh Binh and Halong Bay.
- the beaches of Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc.
- the ancient town of Hoi An.
- the royal citadel, tombs, and pagodas in Hue.
Is 1 week in Vietnam enough?
In my experience, 1 week is not enough to explore the whole Vietnam, but it will allow you to explore several major destinations in the country. You can comfortably explore one or two regions of Vietnam within 7 to 10 days.
If you want to see as much as possible, for example, “Hanoi, Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City in one week trip”, you will need to travel a lot and spend less time in each city.
Here are my 8 itineraries for how to spend one week in Vietnam:
- One week in North Vietnam
- One week in South Vietnam
- One Week in Central Vietnam
- One week in North and Central Vietnam
- One week in North and South Vietnam
- One week in South and Central Vietnam
- One week in North, Central, and South
- One week in South and Highland Central of Vietnam
One week in Vietnam, where to go?
In my opinion, deciding how to spend one week in Vietnam really depends on where you want to visit. Do you want to go to North, South, or Central Vietnam? Which cities do you have in mind? Do you want to see as many cities in Vietnam as possible or do you just want to explore a couple of places?
I met a friend who spent a week in Vietnam and he only came to explore Hanoi and Ha Giang Loop. Another friend spent his 10 days only exploring the nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City.
Here are some general points of each region in Vietnam:
- North Vietnam is known for its capital city Hanoi, as well as stunning natural landscape areas of Ha Giang, Sapa, Halong Bay, and Ninh Binh. Hanoi is the transport hub of North Vietnam.
- Central Vietnam is known for its beach city of Da Nang, the old town of Hoi An, and the Imperial city of Hue. Da Nang is the transport hub of Central Vietnam.
- South Vietnam is home to Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, and Phu Quoc island. Ho Chi Minh City is the transport hub of South Vietnam.
- Highland Central of Vietnam (Da Lat) known for stunning waterfalls, cool climate, coffee plantation, and beautiful pagodas/temples.
Popular tourist destinations in Vietnam are very well connected by air and road, so you’ll be able to reach them easily. You can choose to travel by airplanes, trains, sleepers, buses, and private transfers based on your budget and travel styles.
Here are the most popular destinations in Vietnam to consider to add into your one week itinerary:
North Vietnam:
- Hanoi (2 nights)– old quarter, street food, cultural attractions. You can get to Hanoi by airplane, trains, sleeper buses, and private transfer.
- Ninh Binh (1 nights) – Trang An/ Tam Coc Boat ride, Bai Dinh pagoda, Hoa lu ancient town. You can get to Ninh Binh by trains, buses, and Limousine. 2 hours drive from Hanoi.
- Sapa (2 nights) – cool weather, visit ethnic villages, trekking, relaxing. You can get to Sapa by night trains, sleeper buses, and vans. 5-6 hours drive from Hanoi.
- Ha Giang Loop (2 nights) – scenic drive. 5-6 hours drive from Hanoi by sleeper buses.
- Halong Bay (1 nights) – overnight cruise. 3 hours drive from Hanoi by buses and limousines.
Central Vietnam:
- Da Nang (2 nights) – My Khe Beach, Han River, Ba Na Hill, Marble Mountains. Easily reachable by air, trains, and buses.
- Hoi An (2 nights) – old town, beaches, custom made clothing. 40km away from Da Nang, easily reachable by buses, and private transfer.
- Hue (2 nights) – royal citadel and tombs. 2 hour drive from Da Nang by car. Easily reachable by train, airplanes, and buses.
South Vietnam:
- Ho Chi Minh City (3 nights) – nightlife, shopping, museums, Cu Chi tunnels, Mekong Delta. It has an international airport, train station, and lots of bus connections.
- Nha Trang (2 nights) – beaches, water activities, seafood. By air, train, buses.
- Da Lat (2 nights) – night mark, waterfalls, pagodas, cable car. By air and buses.
- Phu Quoc (3 nights) – beaches, cable car, relaxing. By air and ferry.
How to spend 1 week in Vietnam: 7-10 days itinerary
Itinerary 1: One week in North Vietnam
If you are spending your one week in North Vietnam, I suggest:
- Hanoi -2 nights
- Halong – 1 night
- Ninh Binh -1 night
- Sapa -2 nights
- Ha Giang Loop (2-3 nights- optional for adventure and nature lovers)
You will fly into Noi Bai international airport, located within 40 km away from Hanoi old Quarter. From the airport, you can use Grab tax, or hotel’s shuttle to get to your hotel. You can spend a day or two in Hanoi to explore the old quarter, try authentic local cuisines, do some shopping, and enjoy the nightlife.
Hanoi’s old quarter is quite compact, you can easily explore on foot or using Grab taxi/bike. You can use services such as guided tours, jeep tours, cyclo tours, or electronic tours to explore the old town.
The best way to explore the old quarter is just wandering around the old town, get lost, see different streets, temples, and pagodas. Some popular points of interest are Hoan Kiem lake, Hoa Lo Prison, Thang Long Imperial palace, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Train Street, and Tran Quoc pagoda.
You can try traditional Vietnamese food such as Pho, Banh Cuon, Banh My, or Bun Cha Hanoi. For some shopping, head to the night market (stretching from Hang Dao Street to Dong Xuan market). For nightlife, check out Ta Hien beer street, where you can drink beer hoi (fresh beer) and people watch.
The best area to stay in Hanoi is the old quarter. I recommend The Rex Hotel for mid-range travelers, West Hotel for budget travelers, and Little Charm Hanoi Hostel for backpackers.
You can book a Halong overnight cruise tour from your hotel in Hanoi. There are options for 1 night and 2 nights cruise, but, in my opinion, 1 night is enough for your one week trip if you want to save time and money to see other destinations during this holiday.
Most Halong’s tours include accommodation, meals, pick up and drop off at Hanoi. You can also book a cruise by yourself from booking.com or agoda.com, and ask your hotel to organize transportation. There are lots of buses, limousines, and private transfers between Hanoi and Halong. The journey is around 3 hours between two cities.
From Halong Bay, you can go straight to Ninh Binh by limousine services (3-4 hours). You can spend a night in Ninh Binh to take a boat ride to Trang An, explore Bai Dinh pagoda, enjoy the nightlife at Tam Coc, Climbing to Hang Mua, and explore Hoa Lu ancient town.
The best area to stay in Ninh Binh is Tam Coc. It is the tourist center of Ninh Binh where you can find many travel agencies, restaurants, bars, and super markets catering for tourists. I stayed at Tam Coc Catalina Hotel and highly recommend it.
From Ninh Binh, you can take a limousine back to Hanoi (2 hour drive), then trains or sleeper buses to Sapa. There are also options for sleeper buses from Ninh Binh to Sapa, you can ask your hotel to organize it for you.
The best place to stay in Sapa is the town center. It is where you’ll find the main square, the night market, and lots of accommodation. Sapa has pleasant climate, beautiful rice terraces, and lots of ethnic minority villages. You can do some trekking and explore these villages.
Itinerary 2: One week in South Vietnam
If you are spending your one week in South Vietnam, I suggest:
- Ho Chi Minh City – 3 nights ( including day trips to Cu Chi tunnels and Mekong Delta),
- Phu Quoc -3 nights ( or 2-3 nights in the Mekong Delta or 2-3 nights in Nha Trang).
You will first arrive at Tan Son Nhat international airport, located just a few km from downtown district 1. You can easily get to your hotel by Grab taxi or your hotel’s shuttle bus.
You can spend 2-3 nights in Ho Chi Minh city to explore the city itself and take a couple of day trips to nearby Cu Chi tunnels and Mekong delta. With 1-2 days in Ho Chi Minh City, you can see major sights like the War Museum, Independence Palace, Ben Thanh Market, and Bui Vien Walking Street.
Saigon has a bustling shopping scene, so you can do some shopping at both traditional markets and modern shopping malls. The nightlife here is also very lively with lots of bars and nightclubs in district 1 around Bui Vien Street, Japan town, and Nguyen Hue/ Dong Khoi area.
The best district to stay in Ho Chi Minh City is district 1 and district 3. I recommend checking out La Vela Saigon Hotel and Orchids Saigon Hotel. I stayed there and liked them for its location and good facilities.
If you want a nice beach holiday, you can visit Phu Quoc. It has an international airport with daily flights from major cities like Ho Chi Minh City and hanoi. The ticket is cheap and the journey is only 45 minutes.
From Phu Quoc airport, you can get a Grab taxi to your hotel. The most popular areas to stay in Phu Quoc are in Duong Dong town and Long Beach. I recommend staying at Sea Star if you are after budget options. For a higher budget, I suggest Dusit and Seashells.
In Phu Quoc, you can highly recommend taking a guided tour to explore the South island. It will take you to the most popular sights in one day, including Ho Quoc Pagoda, Phu Quoc prison, Sao Beach, Fish Sauce Factory, Pearl Farm, and Sunset Town.
Taking a cable car is also one of the must-do’s in Phu Quoc. It connects the main island to Hon Thom island. It is the longest three-wired cable car in the world. You can enjoy stunning views of the sea and island below. Other activities are island hopping, swimming, relaxing, and enjoying water activities.
Be sure to check out Duong Dong town with its lively night market. And don’t miss out on the sunset. It is one of the best places to watch the sunset in Vietnam. You can watch it from your hotel’s private beach on the west coast of the island.
Itinerary 3: One Week in Central Vietnam
If you are spending your one week in Central Vietnam, I suggest staying in either Hoi An or Da Nang then take day trips to other cities in the central region. Or:
Da Nang is the transport hub of central vietnam, so you are likely to arrive at Da Nang international airport. From the airport, you can use Grab to get to your hotel either in Da Nang or Hoi An. The two cities are only located 40 km apart.
Da Nang is known for its beaches, river, bridges, mountains, and several cultural attractions. You can spend a day or two here exploring Han River, My Khe Beach, Han market, Marble Mountains, Linh Ung pagoda on Son Tra peninsula, and Ba Na Hill.
The best neighborhoods to stay in Da Nang are either The city center close to Han River or along My Khe Beach. I recommend Vanda Hotel located right at the foot of Dragon bridge and Mandila Beach Hotel right on My Khe Beach.
Hoi An is best known for its ancient houses with many old yellow wooden shop houses. You can spend a day wandering around the old town, admire its mix of Asian and European architecture, and explore old buildings.
You can try local foods like Cao Lau or Com Ga Hoi An. You can have your custom clothing made here, as well as other leather bags or shoes.
In addition to the old town, Hoi An also has a beautiful countryside area surrounded by rice fields and nice beaches. You can rent a motorbike and cycle to explore its beaches like An bang beach or Cua Dai beach. The coconut boat ride is also a popular activity for tourists.
The best location to stay in Hoi An is the area around the old town. Hoi An Historic Hotel and Square Villa are great options for easy access to tourist amenities and attractions. If you want to stay right on Hoi An beach, I recommend AIRA Boutique Hoi An Hotel & Villa.
You can easily book a guided day trip to Hue from Hoi An and Da Nang. But I prefer staying a night or two in this imperial city to explore its attractions and enjoy some nightlife.
Within one day in Hue, you can visit the citadel, royal tombs (Khai Dinh, Minh Mang, Tu Duc tomb), and Thien Mu pagoda. You can have a night out at the walking street around Vo Thi Sau Street. From hue, you can have nice day trips to DMZ, Phong Nha, or Bach Ma national park.
The best area to stay in Hue is the city center, particularly around Phu Hoi Ward. You’ll find many hotels and homestays along Nguyen Cong Tru street and other main roads. I recommend White Lotus, Jade Scene , and Hue Four Seasons.
Itinerary 4: One week in North and Central Vietnam
If you are spending your one week in North and Central Vietnam, I suggest:
- Hanoi -2 nights
- Halong Bay -1 night
- Hoi An -3 nights
You will fly into Noi Bai international airport, stay for a night or two in Hanoi Old Quarter to explore its major attractions, do some shopping, try local food and enjoy the nightlife. From Hanoi, you can take an overnight cruise to Halong Bay, which is one of the natural wonders of the world.
Halong Bay is only 3-4 hours drive from Hanoi. There are lots of transport options between the two cities, including buses, limousines, and private cars. You can ask your hotel in Hanoi to organize it for you.
After a night in Halong, you go back to Hanoi, and take a flight to Da Nang (in central Vietnam). Taking an airplane is better than a train and sleeper bus in this case as you only have one week in Vietnam.
You can base yourself in Da Nang and take day trips to Hoi An, Hue, Hai Van Pass, and My Son sanctuary. In my experiences, many western visitors prefer to base themself in Hoi An. You can stay in the old town, and organize tours to other parts of the region.
Itinerary 5: One week in North and South Vietnam
If you are spending your one week in North and South Vietnam, I suggest:
- Hanoi – 2 nights
- Halong – 1 night
- Saigon – 3 nights
You can either fly into Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh because they both have major international airports in Vietnam. In the north, you can spend a couple of nights in Hanoi’s old quarter, and choose another destination to visit. They can be Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, or Sapa.
To travel between North and South Vietnam, the fastest way is to take a flight. The journey is only two hours and the ticket is reasonably-priced. You can find cheap tickets with low-cost airlines like Vietjet air.
In Ho Chi Minh City, I recommend staying in either district 1 or 3. Spend one full day exploring the city itself, and day trips to nearby attractions in the region such as Cu Chi Tunnels or Mekong Delta.
Itinerary 6: One week in South and Central Vietnam
If you are spending your one week in North and South Vietnam, I suggest:
- Ho Chi Minh City – 3 nights
- Hoi An/ Da Nang – 3 nights
You can start your one week in Vietnam either from Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang. To travel between cities, you can take trains or airplanes. In my experience, taking a flight is a better option for your 7 day trips in Vietnam. It is faster than a train.
Within 3 days in Ho Chi Minh City, you can spend a day in the city itself, and a couple of day trips to Cu Chi tunnels and the Mekong Delta. Popular points of interest in Saigon are the war museum, Ben Thanh market, Independence palance, and Bui Vien walking street.
In central Vietnam, you can either base yourself in Da Nang or Hoi An. Two cities are very close together and there are lots of taxis and Grab to choose from. From these cities, you can take day trips to Hue, My Son sanctuary, and Hai Van pass.
Itinerary 7: One week in North, Central, and South Vietnam
If you are spending your one week in North, Central, and South Vietnam, I suggest:
- Hanoi -2 nights
- Hoi An -2 nights
- HCMC – 2 nights
This Itinerary involves lots of flights. You’ll need to book flights between these cities to make the most of your one week in Vietnam. Both are major cities, so there are plenty of daily flights between them.
You can spend a couple of nights in each city and use them as a base to take day trips to nearby attractions. In Hanoi, you can take day trips to Ninh Binh. In Hoi An, you can take day trips to Da Nang, Hue, or My Son sanctuary. In HCMC, you can take day trips to Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong delta.
Itinerary 8: One week in South and Highland Central
If you are spending your one week in North and Highland Central of Vietnam, I suggest:
- HCMC – 3 nights
- Da lat – 3 nights
You’ll first fly into Ho Chi Minh City, spend 2-3 days here exploring the city and its region. Then, fly to Dalat. You can also take a sleeper bus but it is a very slow option and it is not suited for short trips in Vietnam.
Lien Khuong Airport is located 30 km from Da Lat city center. You can use a taxi to get to your hotel. Da Lat is known for its cool weather, stunning waterfall, peaceful atmosphere, and lots of impressive spiritual attractions.
See more:
- One month in Vietnam Itinerary
- Two Weeks in Vietnam Itinerary
- Three Weeks in Vietnam Itinerary
- Best places to stay in Vietnam
- How to Get Around in Vietnam
These are my recommendations for how to spend one week in Vietnam. I cover most itineraries for 7-10 days in the country, including North, Central, and South Vietnam. I hope you can make your own itinerary based on my suggestion.