Most 10-day Vietnam itineraries try to squeeze in the whole country, from Hà Nội to Sài Gòn. On paper it looks great; in reality you lose two or three days to airports and early starts. This plan is built the other way round: start with how long each journey really takes, then fit the sights around it.
The route at a glance
| Days | Base | Getting there |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Hà Nội | Arrive at Nội Bài airport, about 45–60 minutes to the Old Quarter |
| 3 | Ninh Bình | About 2 hours by road from Hà Nội |
| 4–5 | Hạ Long Bay (overnight cruise) | About 2.5–3 hours by road; most cruises include the transfer |
| 6–7 | Huế | Short domestic flight from Hà Nội (about 1 hour 15 minutes in the air) |
| 8–9 | Hội An | About 3 hours by car, over the Hải Vân Pass |
| 10 | Đà Nẵng | About 45 minutes from Hội An; fly home from Đà Nẵng |
Book an open-jaw ticket (into Hà Nội, out of Đà Nẵng, or the reverse). It saves you a full day of backtracking.
Day by day
Day 1 — Arrive in Hà Nội
Keep the first day light. Check in, walk around Hoàn Kiếm Lake, and have a first bowl of phở or bún chả. If you land late, sleep — tomorrow is busier.
Day 2 — Hà Nội
Morning at the Temple of Literature and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum area; afternoon getting lost in the Old Quarter. Finish with a water puppet show or a plastic-stool beer on a street corner.
Day 3 — Ninh Bình
Leave early for Ninh Bình. Take a rowing-boat trip through the river caves at Tràng An or Tam Cốc, then climb the steps at Hang Múa for the view. Either stay one night in a homestay here, or return to Hà Nội.
Days 4–5 — Hạ Long Bay or Lan Hạ Bay
Board an overnight cruise. One night is enough for most people. If you want fewer boats around you, ask for routes that visit Lan Hạ Bay or Bái Tử Long Bay. Return to Hà Nội in the afternoon of day 5 and sleep near the airport or in the Old Quarter.
Days 6–7 — Huế
Fly to Huế in the morning. Spend the afternoon in the Imperial City, and the next day visit one or two royal tombs (Khải Định and Minh Mạng are good choices) and the Thiên Mụ Pagoda by the Perfume River.
Day 8 — Over the Hải Vân Pass to Hội An
Hire a car (or join a motorbike tour if you are confident) and drive the coastal Hải Vân Pass, stopping for the views and at Lăng Cô bay. Arrive in Hội An by late afternoon, just as the lanterns come on.
Day 9 — Hội An
Walk the old town early, before the day-trippers. In the afternoon cycle out through the rice fields to An Bàng beach, or take a cooking class. Hội An is also the place for a tailor-made shirt or dress — order on day 8 and collect on day 9.
Day 10 — Đà Nẵng and fly home
Depending on your flight, spend the morning on Mỹ Khê beach or at the Marble Mountains, then head to Đà Nẵng airport — it is only about 15 minutes from the beach.
Alternative: the winter route (December to March)
From December to February the north is cool and often grey. If you travel then, swap the north for the south and the Central Highlands:
- Days 1–3: Sài Gòn, with a day trip to the Mekong Delta
- Days 4–5: fly to the Central Highlands — Đà Lạt for pine hills and cool air, or Buôn Ma Thuột if you love coffee
- Days 6–10: fly to Đà Nẵng for Hội An and the beach (the central coast dries out from around February)
Check flight connections between these cities when you book, as direct routes vary by season.
How to make it 7 days or 14 days
- 7 days: drop Huế and the Hải Vân Pass; fly from Hà Nội straight to Đà Nẵng for Hội An.
- 14 days: add Sa Pa or Hà Giang in the north (2–3 days), and finish with 3 days in Sài Gòn and the Mekong Delta.
Practical tips for this route
- Book the Hạ Long cruise and the domestic flight first — they sell out, especially around Tết and in summer.
- Leave one evening free in each city. Plans in Vietnam often change because of weather.
- Check the weather on the central coast if you travel between September and December. See the best time to visit Vietnam.
- For a realistic budget for these 10 days, see our Vietnam travel cost guide.
BEFORE YOU BOOK FLIGHTS
Sort out your entry first
Ten days fits within many visa-free allowances — but not for every passport. Check what you need before you pay for flights.
Read our visa guide →Still deciding where to focus? Read north or south Vietnam: how to choose.