Fourteen days is the shortest length that takes in the whole country, running from the north to the south so you never backtrack. Below is the recommended route, a compact day-by-day table, and two alternatives for readers who'd rather trade breadth for depth, or add a second country. For the full range of lengths, see the Vietnam itinerary guide.
The recommended route: Hanoi to the Mekong Delta
This is the classic shape: start in the north, finish in the south, and let one overnight sleeper train on the Reunification Express line and one short flight cover the two long jumps, rather than a string of day-long bus rides.
| Day | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Hanoi | Old Quarter street food, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of Literature | Bun cha, pho, egg coffee |
| 3 | Lan Ha Bay | Van and boat, about 3 h; an overnight cruise with kayaking and a floating fishing village | Dinner on board |
| 4 to 5 | Ninh Binh, then the night train | Van, about 2.5 h; Tam Coc by rowing boat, Hang Mua's steps at sunset, Trang An's caves by boat the next morning, then the overnight Reunification Express south to Dong Hoi (4-berth soft sleeper, about 7.5 h) | Com chay, Ninh Binh's crispy fried rice |
| 6 to 7 | Phong Nha | Van, 45 to 60 min from Dong Hoi; Paradise Cave's boardwalk, Dark Cave's zipline and mud bath | Lon mit (jackfruit and pork salad) |
| 8 | Hue | Van, about 4 h; the walled Imperial City, the tomb of Khai Dinh | Bun bo Hue |
| 9 to 10 | Hoi An | Over the Hai Van Pass, about 2.5 h; a cooking class, basket boats at Cam Thanh, the lantern-lit old town | Cao lau and Hoi An-style banh mi |
| 11 | Ho Chi Minh City | Flight from Da Nang, about 1 h 20 min; Independence Palace, the War Remnants Museum | Com tam |
| 12 to 13 | Mekong Delta (Can Tho) | Van via Ben Tre's canals, about 3 h; an overnight riverside homestay, dawn boat to the Cai Rang floating market | Grilled snakehead fish |
| 14 | Departure | Fly out from Ho Chi Minh City |
This is the same shape as our 15-day Vietnam North to South trip, if you'd rather have someone else book the train, the boat and the flight. For the full day-by-day detail on each leg, see our northern Vietnam, central Vietnam and southern Vietnam route guides, plus our place guides to Ninh Binh, Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay, Hue and the Mekong Delta. Check which airport your ticket uses on the way home. Long Thanh, a new airport about 40 km from the centre, opens on 1 December 2026, and long-haul flights are proposed to start moving there from late March 2027.
A few of the local van legs (Lan Ha Bay to Ninh Binh, Phong Nha to Hue, Hue to Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho) don't have one fixed public fare, since they're usually booked through a guesthouse or an agent rather than bought online. Get a quote once you're there, or ask about a cheaper overnight sleeper bus if you'd rather save money than time; Futa Bus is one of the largest nationwide operators.
Other ways to spend 2 weeks
The north and centre, in more depth
Skip the south and give the north and centre longer instead: the full Northern Loop, then a fuller run through Phong Nha, Hue and Hoi An.
Best for Bays, karst country and old towns, no long flight south
Vietnam and Laos together
A shorter northern loop, then fly Hanoi to Luang Prabang for a week in Laos instead of continuing south.
Best for Two countries in one trip
The north and centre, in more depth trades the flight south and the Mekong Delta for longer stays in the places you'd otherwise rush through.
| Day | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Hanoi | Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of Literature | Bun cha |
| 3 to 4 | Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay | Trang An and Tam Coc by boat, a night on the bay | Com chay, fresh seafood off the boat |
| 5 to 7 | Sapa | Van on the Noi Bai to Lao Cai expressway, about 5.5 to 7 h; a trek to Ta Van, the Fansipan cable car | Sapa hot pot |
| 8 | Hanoi | Fly south to Da Nang | Bun cha before you go |
| 9 to 10 | Phong Nha | Paradise Cave and Dark Cave | Lon mit |
| 11 | Hue | The Imperial City | Bun bo Hue |
| 12 to 14 | Hoi An | The Hai Van Pass, a cooking class, a free beach day, depart from Da Nang | Cao lau |
Vietnam and Laos together suits anyone building a longer Southeast Asia trip rather than seeing Vietnam alone.
| Day | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Hanoi | Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake | Bun cha |
| 3 to 4 | Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay | Trang An by boat, a night on the bay | Fresh seafood off the boat |
| 5 to 7 | Sapa | A trek to Ta Van, the Fansipan cable car, back to Hanoi | Sapa hot pot |
| 8 | Fly to Luang Prabang | About 1 h 10 min on the direct flight; check which days it runs | An arrival dinner |
| 9 to 11 | Luang Prabang | Kuang Si Falls, the night market, the Pak Ou caves | Or lam and sai oua |
| 12 to 13 | Vang Vieng | The Laos-China Railway from Luang Prabang, about 1 to 1.5 h; kayaking and the Blue Lagoon | A riverside dinner |
| 14 | Vientiane or depart | Train on to Vientiane, about 1 h, or fly home from Luang Prabang |
The Laos leg follows our 1-week Laos itinerary, compressed by a day to make room for the flight. See our Laos visa guide for entry rules before you book flights.
Choosing between them
| Choose | If |
|---|---|
| Hanoi to the Mekong Delta (recommended) | You want the whole country, north to south, without doubling back |
| The north and centre, in more depth | You'd rather go deeper into two regions than skim all three, or you're not fussed about the far south |
| Vietnam and Laos together | You're building a longer Southeast Asia trip and want two countries in two weeks |
A 15-day version
The extra day is easiest spent in Hoi An, taking it from 2 nights to 3, which is exactly what our 15-day Vietnam North to South trip does. It gives you a full free day for the beach, a lantern-making class or a first tailoring fitting, on top of the cooking class and basket boats. If you'd rather use it earlier in the trip, an extra night in Hanoi before you head to the bay works just as well, especially if it lets you catch a weekend on Hoan Kiem Lake, when the streets around it close to traffic. Our 9-day Vietnam Express trip covers a shorter version of the same opening, Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay, then Hoi An, without Phong Nha or the south, if two weeks feels like more moving than you want.
What this costs
Outside the transport legs and activities named above, budget about 400,000 to 600,000 dong a day (roughly US$15 to $23) for food and drinks, a bit more in Hoi An. A street-food dish runs 30,000 to 80,000 dong and a local beer 20,000 to 40,000 dong. Dorm beds cost about 120,000 to 350,000 dong in Hanoi and 200,000 to 350,000 dong in Hoi An. See how much does Vietnam cost for the fuller picture, and hostels in Vietnam for where to sleep at each stop.
Best time for 2 weeks
Seasons differ by region on a route this long. The north is coldest and greyest from December to February; the central coast (Hue, Hoi An, Phong Nha) floods from about October to November and is driest from February to May; the south runs a wet season from about May to October, usually short, heavy afternoon storms rather than an all-day washout. Late February to May is the best window for the whole route: mild in the north, dry in the centre and still in the south's dry season. June to August is a second choice: hot, with typhoon risk in the north, mostly from July. If your dates land near Tet, the Lunar New Year (6 February 2027), book trains and flights well ahead, since both sell out around the holiday and many small shops and restaurants close for several days. The government hasn't set the 2027 public holiday yet (4 to 10 or 5 to 14 February are the options). See best time to visit Vietnam and our Tet guide for the detail.
Getting around
The Reunification Express covers the Ninh Binh to Dong Hoi leg overnight while you sleep, and the Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City flight saves what would otherwise be a full day and more on the same line. Local vans link the shorter legs; a cheaper overnight sleeper bus is worth asking about on stretches such as Hue to Ho Chi Minh City if you have more time than money. See getting around Vietnam for fares and booking.
