Vietnam travel guide
A 5-day Vietnam itinerary covers Hanoi, a Ha Long Bay cruise and either Ninh Binh or Hoi An. Five days is a good length, but do not try to include all three regions. Fly to Da Nang on day four if you want Hoi An, or stay in the north for a calmer pace.
Facts checked 2 Nov 2026
Based on a 6-night package
Land at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and meet your driver for a private transfer to your hotel. Travellers report overcharging by unverified airport taxis, so this transfer is booked in advance. Check in and rest. If you have energy, take a short evening walk around the Old Quarter to get your bearings.
Spend the day exploring Hanoi. Walk the Old Quarter, see French colonial architecture and stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake. Hanoi has Vietnam's strongest street-food culture, so leave room to try local dishes with your guide's suggestions. Keep the day unhurried, because tomorrow starts early for Ha Long Bay.
Drive from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay and board your cruise. Sail among limestone karsts and see caves and floating communities in this UNESCO-listed seascape. The night is spent on board. An overnight stay is far less rushed than a day cruise. Weather can change the sailing route, so your planner confirms the vessel's plan.
After breakfast on board, return to shore and transfer back towards Hanoi for your domestic flight to Da Nang. Your planner times the flight against the cruise schedule. On landing, drive to Hoi An and check in near the old town. Spend the evening among the lanterns of this preserved trading town.
Hoi An rewards a slow day. Explore the Ancient Town, its tailor workshops and nearby countryside, then add beach time separately if you wish, since An Bang is not walkable from every hotel. Return for a lantern-lit evening along the river, which many travellers call the highlight of the town.
Transfer to Da Nang airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City, then check in to your District 1 hotel. Use the afternoon to walk the central district on foot, taking in French colonial landmarks and the energy of a busy southern city. Try southern Vietnamese dishes at a local restaurant in the evening.
Cluster the District 1 sights on foot: colonial landmarks, wartime museums and a busy market. Traffic in the city is unpredictable, so keep the schedule light on the day you fly. Your driver takes you to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, leaving ample time for traffic and check-in.
Five days is a good length for a focused Vietnam trip. It lets you give Hanoi two days, spend a night on Ha Long Bay and then either stay north for Ninh Binh or fly to central Vietnam for Hoi An. What it cannot do is include all three regions, and attempts to do so leave travellers tired and in transit. This plan follows the standard five-day skeleton and explains the choices. For more time, see the 7-day itinerary.
Land at Noi Bai International Airport and go straight to your hotel by pre-booked transfer. Travellers report overcharging by unverified taxis, so arrange the ride in advance. Check in at a hotel in or near the Old Quarter. Spend the evening walking the Old Quarter, around Hoan Kiem Lake and through the street-food stalls. Keep the first day light, because the next two days are busy.
Spend the whole day in Hanoi. See the French colonial architecture, circle Hoan Kiem Lake and wander the Old Quarter at a relaxed pace. A water-puppet theatre show is a classic evening option. Do not combine this day with a Ha Long Bay cruise, because early starts and transfer traffic make the combined day exhausting. Use the afternoon for rest, and eat well, since Hanoi has Vietnam's strongest street-food culture.
Transfer to Ha Long Bay and board an overnight cruise. Sail among limestone karsts, caves and floating communities in a UNESCO-listed seascape. An overnight cruise is materially better than a rushed day trip, and travellers often switch from a day trip to an overnight cruise. Weather can alter the sailing route, so verify the vessel's actual route. Avoid non-refundable cruise dates in storm-prone months.
You have two options. Option A, stay north: return to Hanoi after breakfast on board and spend a relaxed afternoon, or add a Ninh Binh half-day. Option B, go central: return to shore and take a domestic flight to Da Nang, then drive to Hoi An and stay near the old town for lantern-lit evenings. Ask your planner to time the flight against the cruise return. Option A is calmer. Option B shows a second region but costs time in transit.
If you flew to Hoi An, spend the morning in the Ancient Town, with its preserved trading-town core and tailor workshops, then transfer to Da Nang International Airport for your onward flight. If you stayed north, use the morning for a final Hanoi walk or a last visit to a market, then transfer to Noi Bai International Airport. Leave plenty of time for transfers and airport queues.
Ninh Binh gives you karst waterways at Trang An, Hoa Lu and viewpoints around Mua Cave, and it is easy from Hanoi. Hoi An gives you a heritage old town, lanterns and tailors, but it needs a flight. Travellers often say they wish they had allowed more time for Ninh Binh. Pick Ninh Binh for a calmer trip, and Hoi An if you want a contrast with Hanoi. Doing both in five days is not realistic.
Hanoi's Old Quarter or Hoan Kiem area suits the northern nights. If you go to Hoi An, stay near the old town or the riverside for evening access, and plan beach time separately, because An Bang is not a walkable extension of every hotel. For a ready-made version, see our Vietnam Highlights 6N package.
Skip trying to include all three regions. Skip Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, which need extra nights and flights. Skip both Trang An and Tam Coc, and pick one. Skip the Golden Bridge, which is far from the coast and takes a full day. Keep one slow evening to absorb the trip.
March to April and October to November are the broadly favourable windows. For the north, November to February are comfortable and dry. May to September is hotter and wetter, and typhoon disruption is possible in northern and central coastal areas, so keep the cruise flexible. See the best time to visit Vietnam.
The cost depends on hotel category, cruise type and cabin, whether you add a domestic flight, and season. Packages are land-only and quoted per person on twin sharing, so flights are extra. Read Vietnam trip cost for the full list of drivers.
Our planners turn this outline into a priced, day-by-day plan. Browse our Vietnam tour packages, read places to visit in Vietnam, check the Vietnam visa guide for Indians, or start with the shorter 3-day itinerary.
Ready-made trips
Hanoi 2N · Ha Long Bay 1N · Hoi An 2N · Ho Chi Minh City 1N
Hanoi 2N · Ha Long Bay 1N · Hoi An 2N · Da Nang 2N
Hanoi 2N · Ninh Binh 1N · Ha Long Bay 1N · Hoi An 2N · Da Nang 1N · Ho Chi Minh City 2N
*Approximate price per person, excl. GST. Contact us for exact pricing.
Packages cover stays, transfers, sightseeing and meals as listed. Flights are not included. Prices are per person, excl. GST.
FAQs
Short answers to what travellers ask about Vietnam.
Five days is a good length for a focused trip: Hanoi, an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise and either Ninh Binh or Hoi An. It is not enough for all three regions. Choose seven days or more for central and southern Vietnam.
Hanoi's Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and French colonial landmarks, an overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay and either Ninh Binh or Hoi An. Keep to two regions at most, and avoid adding Ho Chi Minh City.
Ninh Binh is easy from Hanoi and gives karst waterways and viewpoints. Hoi An gives a heritage old town but needs a flight to Da Nang. Travellers often say they wish they had allowed more time for Ninh Binh.
Yes. Travellers say an overnight cruise is materially better than a rushed day trip, and it fits the five-day plan. Weather can alter routes, so verify the vessel's actual route and avoid non-refundable dates in storm-prone months.
Not comfortably. It needs another flight and at least two days. Trying to include all three regions in five days is the most common mistake. Choose seven days for Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City.
Stay in Hanoi's Old Quarter or the Hoan Kiem area, and near Hoi An's old town or riverside if you go central. These areas keep sights close and save transfer time, which matters on a short trip.
Tell us when you want to travel and who is coming. A trip expert builds a day-by-day plan with prices that you can change.
Prefer to answer a few questions step by step? Use the trip planner.
