14-Day Vietnam Itinerary: Hanoi to Mekong Delta

I landed in Hanoi with a backpack and a loose plan: fourteen days to hit the five spots everyone talks about. No tour bus, no rigid schedule—just trains, bikes, and river boats. By the end, I’d eaten noodles at 7 AM in Hanoi, slept on a junk boat in Ha Long Bay, got a suit tailored overnight in Hoi An, and navigated the chaos of Saigon. Here’s the exact route I took, with the places that worked and the ones I’d skip.

How many days should you spend in each city?

I split my 14 days unevenly because travel between cities eats time. You don’t want to be packing up every 48 hours.

Hanoi: 3 nights — Enough for Old Quarter exploration, a street food tour, and a day trip to Ninh Binh if you have the energy.
Ha Long Bay: 1 night — Most overnight cruises are two days and one night. That’s the sweet spot. Anything longer gets repetitive.
Hoi An: 3 nights — The town is small but the tailor shops and cooking classes need time. Plus, you’ll want a slow day by the river.
Ho Chi Minh City: 3 nights — Two full days for the war museums and Ben Thanh Market, plus a day for Cu Chi Tunnels.
Mekong Delta: 1 night — A two-day trip from HCMC with an overnight in Can Tho. One day is too rushed.

The travel days (Hanoi to Hoi An by train, Hoi An to HCMC by flight) each take half a day. Factor that in.

What’s the best way to get between Hanoi and Hoi An?

I took the Reunification Express night train from Hanoi to Da Nang, then a taxi to Hoi An. It’s not luxurious—I booked a soft sleeper cabin on the SE1 train, which cost about $35. The bed was firm, the AC was arctic, and I woke up to misty hills near Hai Van Pass. The alternative is a 1-hour flight from Hanoi to Da Nang with Vietnam Airlines or VietJet, which saves time but loses the experience.

Train (SE1/SE3): 16 hours, soft sleeper cabin, arrives Da Nang station. Bring earplugs and a sleep mask.
Flight: 1 hour from Hanoi (HAN) to Da Nang (DAD). I flew VietJet for $45, but delays happen.
Taxi from Da Nang to Hoi An: 45 minutes, fixed rate of about $20 from the airport. Use Mai Linh or Vinasun—avoid drivers inside the terminal.

Which Ha Long Bay cruise should you book?

There are hundreds of boats in Ha Long Bay, and most look identical from the outside. I booked a mid-range option with Sinh Tourist—a two-day, one-night cruise that included kayaking, a cave visit, and a cooking demo. The boat had 12 cabins, a sun deck, and decent seafood. I’d avoid the budget boats that cram 30 people into shared cabins, and I’d also skip the “luxury” ones that charge $400 for the same itinerary with a nicer pillow.

Sinh Tourist cruise: $120 per person, includes meals, kayaking, and transfer from Hanoi.
Halong Violet: A step up at $200, smaller boat, better food.
Tip: Check if your cruise goes to Bai Tu Long Bay—it’s quieter than the main bay, with fewer boats and cleaner water.

Where should you eat in Hoi An?

Hoi An’s food scene is small but dense. I ate at three places that stood out, and one that didn’t.

Banh Mi Phuong: The famous spot Anthony Bourdain visited. The grilled pork banh mi with pate is 25,000 VND ($1). The line moves fast.
Cao Lau Thanh: A hole-in-the-wall on Thai Phien Street. Their cao lau—thick noodles with pork and herbs—is the real deal. No English menu, just point.
Mango Mango: Overpriced riverside fusion. The view is nice, but the food is average and the bill stings. Skip it.
Morning Glory Cooking School: I did a half-day class here. We made pho, spring rolls, and banana flower salad. $35 per person, and you eat what you cook.

Is the Mekong Delta worth an overnight trip?

Yes, but only if you get out of the main tourist channels. I booked a two-day tour from Ho Chi Minh City that included a boat ride through the Cai Be floating market, a stop at a coconut candy workshop in Ben Tre, and an overnight in Can Tho. The floating market was active but not as bustling as the photos suggest—most trading happens by radio now. The highlight was cycling through the backroads of An Binh Island, past durian orchards and wooden bridges, with no motorbikes in sight.

Tour operator: I used Mekong Eyes, a small-group operator. $150 per person for two days, including homestay, meals, and guide.
Homestay in Can Tho: Basic but clean. Shared bathroom, mosquito nets, and a family dinner with fried elephant ear fish.
Skip: The “coconut candy” stops on the main river—they’re just souvenir shops with a demo.

What’s the best way to get around Ho Chi Minh City?

Grab bikes. Download the Grab app before you land. It’s like Uber but mostly motorbikes. A 15-minute ride costs 20,000 VND ($0.85). Taxis are fine for longer trips, but traffic in District 1 is a gridlock of scooters—bikes slip through it.

District 1: Where most hotels and backpacker bars are. I stayed at The Common Room Project, a hostel with private rooms and a coworking space. Clean, quiet, and central.
War Remnants Museum: Heavy but essential. Give it two hours. The helicopter and tank exhibits outside are free to photograph.
Ben Thanh Market: Overrated. Vendors start high and haggle hard. I bought a Vietnamese coffee filter for 50,000 VND—fair price. Everything else was tourist markup.

When is the best time to do this itinerary?

I went in November, which is dry in the south and cool in the north. Ha Long Bay had fog, but the rain held off. Hoi An was sunny. HCMC was hot but not oppressive. The trade-off: November is peak season, so hotels and trains book up. Book the Hanoi–Da Nang train at least two weeks out.

October to December: Best for the whole route. Northern Vietnam is cool (18-25°C), south is dry.
January to March: Also good, but Hoi An can be chilly and damp.
May to September: Rainy season in the north and central coast. Ha Long Bay cruises get canceled. Skip unless you’re surfing in Da Nang.

FAQ

Is 14 days enough for Vietnam? It’s tight but doable. You’ll cover the five main stops without feeling like you’re sprinting. If I had to cut one, I’d drop the Mekong Delta overnight and add a day in Ninh Binh instead. But the delta gives you a look at rural life that the cities don’t.

Do I need a visa for Vietnam? Most nationalities need an e-visa or visa on arrival. I applied for the e-visa (25 USD) through the official government site. It took three business days. Print the approval letter and carry two passport photos. The line at Hanoi airport took 20 minutes.

What should I pack for this trip? Light layers. Hanoi in November needed a light jacket. Hoi An was t-shirt weather. HCMC was shorts and sandals. Ha Long Bay was misty—bring a windbreaker. Also: a power bank (long train rides), earplugs, and a reusable water bottle with a filter (tap water isn’t drinkable).

Conclusion

Split your time unevenly: 3 nights in Hanoi, 1 on Ha Long Bay, 3 in Hoi An, 3 in HCMC, 1 in the Mekong Delta.
Take the night train from Hanoi to Da Nang for the experience and to save a hotel night.
Book Ha Long Bay mid-range—Sinh Tourist or Halong Violet—and avoid budget boats.
Eat street food in Hoi An at Banh Mi Phuong and Cao Lau Thanh. Skip Mango Mango.
Use Grab bikes in HCMC and Mekong Eyes for the delta tour to avoid tourist traps.