Vietnam is a long country — 1,650 km north to south — and 10 days is just enough to see the highlights if you plan the transport right. The key is knowing when to fly (long legs), when to take a sleeper bus (overnight, saves accommodation), and what to cut if you're short on time. This itinerary goes north to south: start in Hanoi (best for Halong Bay access), end in Ho Chi Minh City (easiest international flight home).
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- Arrive Land at Noi Bai International Airport. Grab taxi or Grab app to Old Quarter (₹250–350, 45 min).
- Afternoon Check in, freshen up. Walk Hoan Kiem Lake — go slow, get oriented.
- Evening Bia Hoi corner (Ta Hien × Luong Ngoc Quyen) — ₹30–50/glass. Order street food at nearby stalls.
- Night Walk the lit-up Old Quarter lanes. Early night — jet lag is real.
- 6:00 AM Hoan Kiem Lake at sunrise — tai chi, empty paths, Ngoc Son Temple in morning light.
- Morning Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) — Vietnam's first university, 1070 AD. Entry ₹120. Worth 90 minutes.
- Lunch Bun Cha Huong Lien (the Obama–Bourdain restaurant, Le Van Huu St). ₹150/person.
- Afternoon Hoa Lo Prison museum (the "Hanoi Hilton") — entry ₹60. Then French Quarter walk.
- Evening Egg coffee at Giang Café (hidden alley off Nguyen Huu Huan St). ₹80–120. Then street food dinner.
Book your cruise in person from Old Quarter operators — save ₹3,000–8,000 vs online platforms. Mid-range 2-night cruise: ₹8,000–12,000 per person (all meals, kayaking, cave visits included). Luxury: ₹15,000–25,000.
- D3 Morning Bus transfer from Hanoi to harbour (included in cruise price, ~3.5 hrs).
- D3 Afternoon Board cruise. Kayaking through limestone karsts, floating fishing villages, sunset on deck.
- D3 Evening Dinner onboard, squid fishing off the stern, stargazing.
- D4 Morning Sunrise on deck. Tai chi on the bow if your cruise offers it. Cave tour (Sung Sot Cave).
- D4 Afternoon Return to Hanoi harbour. Transfer back to city. Rest evening.
Take an early morning flight Hanoi → Da Nang (1 hr, ₹1,500–3,500 on VietJet or Bamboo). Da Nang is your hub for both Hue and Hoi An.
- Morning Fly Hanoi → Da Nang. Grab to your hotel.
- Afternoon Option A: Day trip to Hue (90 min by car, ₹800–1,200 return with driver). Imperial Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda, royal tombs. Option B: Afternoon on My Khe Beach (Da Nang's clean, less-crowded beach) + Dragon Bridge at night.
- Evening Return to Da Nang. Dinner on Han River waterfront.
Hoi An is 30 km south of Da Nang (Grab: ₹250–350, 40 min). Check in here and base yourself for 2 nights — it's one of the most beautiful towns in Asia and worth the time.
- D6 Morning Ancient Town at 7am before the crowds — Japanese Covered Bridge, Chinese Assembly Halls, merchant houses. ₹250 combined ticket.
- D6 Afternoon Tailor street (Le Loi, Tran Phu) — custom clothes made in 24–48 hrs. Budget ₹1,500–4,000 for quality custom pieces. Compare 3 shops.
- D6 Evening Lantern release on the Thu Bon river at dusk — ₹30 per lantern. Most magical between 6–8pm.
- D7 Morning Cooking class — half-day market tour + hands-on Vietnamese cooking. ₹1,500–2,500. Highly recommended.
- D7 Afternoon An Bang Beach (4 km from town, quieter than Cua Dai). Rent a bicycle to get there — ₹80/day.
- D7 Evening Cao lau and banh mi — Hoi An's signature dishes. The banh mi on Ba Trieu St is internationally famous (Banh Mi Phuong). ₹40/sandwich.
Grab back to Da Nang airport (₹250–350) and fly to Ho Chi Minh City (1.5 hrs, ₹1,500–4,000). HCMC is a different energy entirely — faster, louder, more commercial than Hanoi.
- Afternoon Check in District 1 (most convenient for first-timers). Walk Nguyen Hue Walking Street.
- Evening Ben Thanh Market for street food (not shopping — overpriced for goods). Surrounding streets have better food at lower prices.
- Night Bui Vien Street — HCMC's famous backpacker party strip. Loud, chaotic, genuinely fun. Or rooftop bar at Chill Skybar (District 1) for a quieter view.
- Morning Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour (depart 7:30am). 250 km of underground tunnels used during the Vietnam War. Entry ₹120, guided tour from HCMC ₹600–900 including transport. Back by 1pm.
- Afternoon War Remnants Museum — not a light experience, but important. Entry ₹40. Allow 2 hours.
- Evening French colonial architecture walk — Notre-Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office, City Hall. All within 500m of each other.
- Night Dinner in District 3 — less touristy than D1, better local food. Try com tam (broken rice with grilled pork, ₹80–120).
- Morning Slow breakfast. Pick up last-minute gifts at Dong Khoi street shops or Ben Thanh market periphery.
- Midday Grab to Tan Son Nhat International Airport (₹200–300, 30–45 min depending on traffic). Allow 2.5 hrs before departure.
Real Cost Breakdown — 10 Days in Vietnam
All costs per person. Flights quoted from Delhi or Mumbai return. Mid-range figures assume comfortable hotels, sit-down restaurants for most meals, and paid activities.
| Category | Budget (₹) | Mid-Range (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| Return flights (India → Vietnam) | 20,000–28,000 | 28,000–38,000 |
| Accommodation (9 nights) | 8,000–12,000 | 20,000–35,000 |
| Halong Bay cruise (2 nights) | 7,000–10,000 | 12,000–20,000 |
| Internal flights (HAN→DAD, DAD→SGN) | 4,000–6,000 | 6,000–10,000 |
| Food (10 days) | 5,000–8,000 | 10,000–18,000 |
| Activities & entrance fees | 2,000–3,500 | 5,000–9,000 |
| Local transport (Grab, taxis) | 1,500–2,500 | 2,500–4,000 |
| Shopping & miscellaneous | 2,000–4,000 | 5,000–12,000 |
| Total per person | ₹49,500–74,000 | ₹88,500–1,46,000 |
Transport: How to Get Around Vietnam in 10 Days
Vietnam is long and thin. The smart move is to fly the long legs and use ground transport for short hops. Here's the matrix:
- Hanoi → Da Nang: Fly (1 hr, ₹1,500–3,500). The train takes 14–16 hrs — scenic but time-consuming.
- Da Nang → Hoi An: Grab (40 min, ₹250–350). Do not take the tourist shuttle — Grab is cheaper and faster.
- Hoi An → Da Nang airport: Grab (40 min, ₹250–350).
- Da Nang → Ho Chi Minh City: Fly (1.5 hrs, ₹1,500–4,000).
- Within Hanoi/HCMC: Grab app. ₹80–200 per ride. Grab Bike (motorbike taxi) for short hops: ₹40–80.
Book internal flights at least 2 weeks in advance on VietJet or Bamboo Airways. Prices increase sharply in the last week. For Halong Bay, let your cruise operator arrange the bus transfer — it's included in the price and going independently saves nothing.
5 Things That Will Make This Trip Significantly Better
1. Download Grab before you land. It's the default ride app in Vietnam — works in all cities, prices are fixed, no haggling. Set it up at the airport before leaving arrivals.
2. Carry cash (Vietnamese Dong). Street food stalls, local markets, and smaller restaurants are cash-only. ATMs are widespread in cities. Withdraw in large amounts to minimise fees (BIDV and Vietcombank ATMs charge the lowest fees for foreign cards).
3. Book Hoi An tailor clothes on Day 6, collect on Day 7. Good tailors need 24–48 hours. Don't leave it to your last afternoon. Bring reference photos of what you want.
4. The north is cool, the south is hot. Hanoi in October–December can drop to 15°C at night. Ho Chi Minh City is 30°C year-round. Pack for both.
5. Don't try to do Sapa on a 10-day trip. Sapa is spectacular but requires 2 nights minimum from Hanoi (overnight train up and back). Adding it means cutting 2 days from the south. Worth it on a 14-day trip; not on 10. Check our Vietnam Honest Scorecard for a full overview of what to prioritise.
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