Vietnam is a kind of locations that makes me remorse not taking a niche yr after faculty. Itโs a lot greater than a 2.4 household, two-week vacation vacation spot. But when two weeks is all that you’ve, what are you able to see? On this submit Iโm sharing our 2 week Vietnam itinerary together with 5 locations, the place we stayed and what we might have achieved otherwise.
*This submit accommodates affiliate hyperlinks*
Is 2 weeks in Vietnam sufficient?
Whereas I work for myself and our youngsters have and eight week summer time vacation, Mr Tin Fieldโs go away allowance just isn’t fairly so beneficiant. So we may solely enable a fortnight for our Vietnam vacation. When youโre in an identical state of affairs donโt be delay spending simply two weeks in Vietnam.
Would we’ve favored longer? In fact. However two weeks was sufficient time for us to journey between Vietnamโs two largest cities, cruise Ha Lengthy Bay and slot in a seashore break on the finish.
Planning a 2 week Vietnam itinerary ย
Planning our Vietnam itinerary concerned a lot of compromises. I needed to permit sufficient time in to benefit from the experiences we may squeeze right into a fortnight and likewise be certain that we had time to calm down.ย
Once we visited Egypt and Sri Lanka final yr, three nights in every place felt like the correct quantity of time for us.
I checked out just a few tour firm itineraries for Vietnam and so they moved a lot sooner than this. They prompt staying one or two nights in every place, which had the benefit of protecting extra floor. However I knew the tempo would exhaust us.
How I deliberate our Vietnam vacation
So I made a decision to plan our vacation myself utilizing reserving.com*, Get Your Information* and Skyscanner.
I additionally purchased a duplicate of Lonely Planetโs Vietnam vacation spot information (the 2023 version) for inspiration, however was a bit dissatisfied. Quite a lot of the knowledge was generic and I noticed a number of errors.
When you like having a information ebook to plan your travels I counsel making an attempt the Tough Information* or Eyewitness journey information* as a substitute.
And, in fact, I learn blogs about issues to do in Vietnam with youngsters to assist me create a brief checklist of locations we needed to see.
Vaccinations
We all the time test the Journey Well being Professional web site to seek out out the beneficial vaccinations for journey to nations new to us.
Once we had been again within the UK in July I booked us into the journey clinic at Boots the place we had been suggested on what we wanted for the areas we had been travelling to. Do you know you will get Boots Membership Card Factors on vaccinations?
Getting round Vietnam in two weeksย
To save lots of time we booked inside flights all over the place count on to Ha Lengthy Bay, the place we acquired a mini bus switch from and again to Hanoi.ย
Iโm positive we may have squeezed in a coach or a Vietnam sleeper practice someplace however having not traveled this far East with the youngsters I went for the straightforward, and truly moderately low-cost, possibility of flying.
We used Vietnam Airways for all of our inside flights. They had been low-cost, dependable and the onboard service was good. All of our flights had been lower than and hour and a half however would have taken us complete days by street or rail.
All of our native journey for sightseeing was achieved with Seize taxis. Mr Tin Field set this up utilizing our Revolut card for cost and it was tremendous easy to make use of.ย
We organized most airport transfers by way of our lodges and so they added the fee to our invoice.
The one exception was in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis the place the lodge needed us to e-mail them our financial institution card particulars prematurely together with the CVC quantity. This appeared a bit of dodgy. It in all probability wasnโt however we determined to ebook the switch by way of a tour firm weโd utilized in Hanoi.
What to see in Vietnam in 2 weeks
Beneath is an summary of the two week Vietnam itinerary that I put collectively primarily based on how a lot time we had and the locations we actually needed to see.
If you wish to discover out extra about every place Iโve included hyperlinks to my extra detailed guides.
Days 1 to three: Hanoi
We started our journey from north to south Vietnam within the capital, Hanoi, basing ourselves within the Outdated Quarter.
It is a mixture of low degree colonial townhouses and slender streets with loads of shade from bushes and store canopies making it simple to discover even within the warmth of the day.ย
As Vietnam newbies we determined to throw ourselves straight into the road meals scene with a tour. We booked this by way of Get You Information* and opted for a personal tour as we knew this might be simpler with the youngsters.
It was costly however paid off. Our information gave us a great deal of details about Hanoi and took us to locations of eat weโd by no means have discovered on our personal. Pho and Bรกnh mรฌ had been large hits with the youngsters.
They continued to order these and be extra adventurous with their meals decisions all through our journey.
We additionally visited Hanoiโs Practice Road as a part of the meals tour. The remainder of our time was spent seeing Hanoi independently.ย
We wandered across the cafes and touristy retailers within the Outdated Quarter, visited Ho Chi Minhโs Mausoleum and the Presidential Palace, and walked throughout Hoร n Kiแบฟm Lake to see the weird turtle relics at Ngoc Son Temple.
Learn extra about our two days in Hanoi.
The place we stayed: Acoustic Resort & Spa* in Hanoiโs Outdated Quarter
Days 3 to five: Ha Lengthy Bayย
We checked out of our lodge early on day three and had been picked up by a mini bus which took us to Ha Lengthy Bay to hitch a two day cruise.
Ha Lengthy Bay is one among Vietnamโs vacationer scorching spots. Lots of of vessels rotate across the 1969 jungle-draped limestone islands that appear like the set of a Jurassic Park film.
We had been completely wowed by its pure magnificence. The hovering islands lined in tumbling greenery that plunges into turquoise water had been like nothing weโve seen earlier than.
It was an exquisite expertise to kayak across the coves, go to Cat Ba Island and expertise the wonderful hospitality onboard our cruise ship.
Cruising Halong Bay or neighbouring Lan Ha Bay are a should on any Vietnam itinerary. And the excellent news is you donโt have to stint on the nights even on a two week vacation in Vietnam.
We booked a two evening/three day cruise and thought this was the proper period of time.
Iโve defined why and shared extra about what we did on our cruise in addition to addressing the elephant within the bay, aka the garbage, in my submit all about cruising Ha Lengthy Bay.
Our cruise ship: Mon Cheri 2*
Days 5 to eight: Hoi An
From Ha Lengthy Bay we transferred to Noi Bai Worldwide Airport in Hanoi and flew to Da Nang. A taxi booked by our subsequent lodge was ready to switch us to Hoi An.
This historic sea port is unashamedly brash. Itโs vibrant and bustling, and we beloved it.
The Outdated City is a UNESCO World Heritage web site with tons of of historical buildings whose structure was impressed by colonials from China, Japan, Portugal and France. Thereโs tailors for all budgets, chilled out cafes, and meals stalls promoting all the things from pho to fruit and dried fish and ice cream rolls.
By evening the city comes alive with shiny lanterns, fairy lights and throngs of individuals shopping the markets and driving illuminated boats alongside the river.ย
We packed quite a bit into our two days in Hoi An: a go to to the Lantern Woman, and afternoon at An Bang Seaside, a loopy bucket boat expertise, a extra ethereal lantern boat journey and buying within the evening market.ย
However we got here away understanding there was a lot extra to see.ย
Iโve written all about our three nights in Hoi An and the place else we might have favored to have seen within the area.
The place we stayed: Lantana Riverside Resort* in Hoi An.
Days 8 to 11: Ho Chi Minh Metropolisย
We timed our flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh Metropolis good so we had a little bit of time within the afternoon to discover. Nevertheless, not for the primary time throughout out journey, the climate had completely different concepts and handled us to a thunder storm.
As an alternative of a go to to the Conflict Remnants Museum to introduce the youngsters to Vietnamโs twenty first Century historical past we hit the lodge pool and ventured out within the night to the Bitexco Monetary Tower Skydeck when the rain stopped.
The subsequent morning weโd booked a full day tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mykong Delta.
The battle tunnels had been one thing each Mr Tin Field and I needed to do however I wasnโt positive how family-friendly they might be. So the afternoon on the Mekong Delta with boat rides, biking and a yummy lunch was the sweetener for the youngsters.
The tour was an extended day however a shock hit with the women. The significantly beloved the Horrible Histories-style data on the battle tunnels โ man traps and all. And the menagerie of unique animals bred within the Delta villages was fascinating to them.
The subsequent day we made it to the Conflict Remnants Museum and had a enjoyable dinner at Bแบฟn Nghรฉ Road Meals Market.ย
We beloved quite a lot of issues about our time right here. However Iโll be sincere and say HCMC didnโt seize me like Hanoi did. Itโs a contemporary metropolis with quite a lot of western influences. Historical past has an enormous half to play in that and we had the chance to discover a few of this throughout our keep.
Learn extra about our keep in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis.
The place we stayed:ย Orchids Saigon Resort* in District 3.
Days 11 to 14: Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc is Vietnamโs largest Island and a brief 45 minute flight from Tan Son Nhat Worldwide Airport. This makes it a simple add on to a keep in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis.ย
Fishing was the islandโs important trade. Backpackers had been drawn right here by the laid again vibes and pristine seashores. Lately Phu Quoc has change into much more business with costs to match.ย
We stayed on Khem Seaside within the south of the island the place thereโs a free shuttle bus to take you to the retailers, eating places and nightly firework shows at Sundown City in addition to the Hon Thom Cable Automobile to the Aquatopia Water Park and different sights on Hon Thom Island.
Nevertheless we flew to Phu Quoc to calm down on the finish of a busy fortnight and selected to not go away our 5 star resort.
For 2 full days we whizzed down slides on the waterpark, dipped our toes within the turquoise sea and pranced round on inflatable unicorns.ย
The lodging and amenities had been glorious and, I believe, fairly good worth for a beautiful three bed room villa with a personal pool and a formidable breakfast buffet thrown in. The one kicker was the value of the opposite food and drinks which was a lot dearer than on the mainlandย
Learn our full evaluation of our family-friendly Phu Quoc Resort.
The place we stayed:ย New World Phu Quoc Resort*.
Do you want a visa for 2 weeks in Vietnam?
We’re UK passport holders and once we visited in July to August 2024 we didn’t require a visa for our two weeks in Vietnam. The truth is we may have stayed for as much as 45 days.
A bit of recommendation I did take note of in my Lonely Planet information ebook was to test the arrival date stamp earlier than you allow immigration. If the stamp hasnโt been modified to that days date you would be brief modified.ย
That is good recommendation wherever you might be holidaying significantly if thereโs a free however time restricted visa.
In case you are from the UK test the most recent visa necessities on the gov.uk web site.
Different nationalities ought to test their authoritiesโs official web sites for journey recommendation.
What to eat
The meals in Vietnam was a giant spotlight for our hungry youngsters. They beloved Ban Mi, Pho and spring rolls.
The meals was unbelievable all over the place we went, from small cafes in Hanoi to road meals markets in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis to posh nosh spots in Hoi An. And it was so moderately priced, besides in our Phu Quoc resort, which was extortionate compared.ย
The espresso was a giant shock too. Who knew Vietnam was a caffeine loverโs paradise?! Salt espresso and egg espresso with candy and frothy condensed milk are to die for.
In case you are visiting Vietnam for the primary time Iโd advocate together with a road meals tour* in your itinerary. Ours actually opened our eyes to what was on the menu right here and made us extra adventurous.
What to pack for Vietnam
We donโt pack mild and had 23kg of baggage allowance every for our worldwide and inside flights. So if you’re intending to only convey a backpack youโll wish to adapt my ideas to your journey type.
Having stated that each our ladies travelled with a small suitcase and, usually, my mum bag was the place all of the extras just like the seashore bag, journey video games and first support equipment ended up.
So with out providing you with a blow by blow packing checklist, right hereโs our suggestions for what to pack when you observe an identical itinerary as us:
What to pack for sightseeing
Lengthy or cropped trousers, t-shirts and shirts constructed from cotton with sturdy sandals or trainers are the perfect garments for exploring. Donโt overlook your hat and solar glasses too.ย
Shorts are acceptable however you receivedโt see many Vietnamese sporting them as they like to not tan.
In case you are visiting a temple then your shoulders and knees should be lined. That is additionally anticipated when visiting locations of nationwide significance like Ho Chi Minhโs Mausoleum in Hanoi.
Women: chub rub type shorts are your pal when you determine to go for floaty attire within the warmth!
Seaside and pool days
Swim fits or bikinis are tremendous at public seashores and lodge swimming pools. However topless sunbathing could be a step to far.
Iโd commend bringing lengthy sleeve, UV protecting swim fits or rash vests to your complete household particularly if you’re doing a kayaking or snorkelling journey.
Pack flip flops for the seashore โ the sand shall be scorching โ and water sneakers for boat journeys. We additionally threw in just a few light-weight towels which got here in helpful once we visited An Bang Seaside in Hoi An. Towels had been offered in any respect our lodges and our Ha Lengthy Bay cruise.
Additionally, donโt overlook swim goggles for the youngsters. We ended up shopping for some in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis as a result of weโd solely packed one pair. We knew there would have been arguments once we acquired to our pool days in Phu Quoc.
Different issues to pack for Vietnamย
You should buy most stuff you would possibly overlook to pack. In my expertise, thereโs all the time one thing that drops off the checklist!
Nevertheless there are some particular issues Iโd advise bringing to your two weeks in Vietnam:
Issue 50 solar cream โ it doesnโt take lengthy to get burnt in the summertime solar in Vietnam
Insect repellant* โ all the locations we visited had been malaria free so there was no want for anti-malarials however there are nonetheless mosquitos about and so they can carry different nasty illnesses
Common journey adaptor* โ Vietnam has Sort A, C and F plug sockets so that you want an adaptor that can work for one or all of those
First support equipment โ we all the time journey with a bit of bag of plasters, anti-septic cream, Sudocrem, a bug chew zapper, rehydration sachets, paracetamol, Immodium and Rennies.
Moist wipes and tissues โ these are simple to come back by in Vietnam however have a pack or two in your day bag for instant use. We didnโt come throughout a squat and drop rest room throughout our complete two weeks however they’re there.ย
Issues we packed however didnโt use
I hate writing it however we didnโt use our reusable water bottles. Itโs finest to not drink the faucet water in Vietnam and all our lodge lodging offered plastic bottles of water within the rooms.
Our cruise was the one lodging that had refillable glass bottles within the cabin.
When to go to Vietnam
We had been tied to the college holidays for our journey and the summer time was the one time we may get two full weeks off altogether.
July and August are the monsoon season for a lot of Vietnam and we did get rain in every place we stayed. The truth is we noticed every kind of climate from excessive humidity in Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh Metropolis to torrential downpours in Ha Lengthy Bay and Phu Quoc.ย
The moist days had been nonetheless heat. We sat beside the pool in Phu Quoc in heaving rain nevertheless it was nonetheless 27ยฐC.
When the solar was shining there was excessive humidity and temperatures over 30ยฐC. We averted being out in the midst of the day until we had been within the shade.
The changeable climate didn’t put a dampener on our journey.ย
Nevertheless, when you can solely vacation for 2 weeks in Vietnam and wish to keep away from the sticky, moist season then visiting through the Easter holidays is the higher time of yr.
Nevertheless count on the climate to vary by area. Within the spring youโll discover cooler temperatures within the north and hotter temperatures within the south.
Extra from our 2 week Vietnam itinerary
You’ll be able to see extra from our complete two week Vietnam vacation by trying out myย Instagram accountย the place there are three Tales and loads of grid posts about our experiences.
Extra vacation itineraries for households
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Disclosure: this submit accommodates affiliate hyperlinks marked with *. When you click on on one among these and make a purchase order I could earn some fee. This doesn’t have an effect on the value you pay.