Suggested Travel Itineraries in Vietnam

The following itineraries are based on my personal experience of more than three months of travel in Vietnam. They cover the main sites and assume that your time is limited and your are interested in seeing as many sites as possible. However, remember that the more you can slow down, the better.

When to come

• The South has relatively nice weather year round. From May to November it is the monsoon season. Skies are dramatic, the country is very green. The precipitations are mostly brief but intense afternoon showers, however mud can make travel more difficult. December and January are very nice. From February to April, it gets progressively more hot and humid, and I don't recommend this period due to the uncomfort and the fact that the Delta landscape looks too dry.
• In the Center, From November to January, it can rain continuously and floods are frequent. Dryer weather begins in February, and it gets pretty hot starting from June.
• In the North, the best period is also in spring. Summers are hot and more rainy. Winters are relatively dry, but often overcast and drizzly (which is OK for many subjects) with temperatures getting below freezing in the mountains.

Three Days (in Saigon)

• Visit the temples and markets (wholesale markets are most active in the morning), especially in the Cho Lon district, return by following the Saigon Arroyo. Hang out around the town hall for the night atmosphere (the terrace of the Ritz is good too), especially on Saturday evenings.
• Spend an evening and morning in Vung Tau (the hydroplane boat is considerably faster than the road). Enjoy the beaches, and take a tour around the peninsula by renting a bicycle or a motorcycle to see traditional fishing villages.
• Attend the noon ceremony at the great Cao Dai temple in Tay Ninh. Many people combine this visit with the Cu Chi tunnels.

Three Days (in Hanoi)

• Starting at sunrise, stroll around the Hoang Kiem lake to see the locals practicing morning exercises, visit the Ngoc Son temple, then stroll in the old city for interesting shops and street life. Visit the temple of literature, the West Lake, and the complex around the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. End up the evening at the water puppets theater.
• Visit either the Halong Bay (karstic landscape, bay trip), the Perfume Pagoda (karstic landscapes, river trip, temples) or Ninh Binh (historic architecture, river trip, karstic landscapes). By rushing you might be able to do two visits, each as a long day trip.

One week (in the South)

• Dalat (old hill station, hikes to lakes and waterfall, ethnic minorities) then Nha Trang (beach, take a cruise to fishing villages on the islands).
• Can Tho (floating markets), Chau Doc (temple complex, floating houses, ethnic muslim/cham minorities), Ha Tien (fishing town, temples) Hong Chong (undeveloped beach and fishing village, limestone formations).

One week (in the North)

• Sapa and Bac Ha (mountains, ethnic minorities)

One week (in the Center)

• Fly into Danang. Marble Mountains. Cham Museum. Hoi An. My Son.
• Danang to Hue through the Hai Van pass and Lang Co, maybe the most beautiful stretch of road in Vietnam.
• Hue: visit the citadel. Take a river trip on the perfume river to visit the imperial tombs and the Thien Mu pagoda. Attend a night concert of traditional music on the water. Fly out of Hue.

Two weeks to a month

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