3-week Vietnam itinerary: the Ha Giang Loop to the Mekong Delta

Two weeks covers Vietnam north to south. Three weeks lets you add the mountains along the Chinese border first, plus room to slow down elsewhere. Below is the recommended route, a compact day-by-day table, and two alternatives for readers who'd rather trek than ride, or combine the trip with a second country. For the full range of lengths, see the Vietnam itinerary guide.

The recommended route: the Ha Giang Loop to the Mekong Delta

This takes the 2-week north-to-south route and puts four riding days on the Ha Giang Loop at the front of it, right after your first two nights in Hanoi, then continues exactly as before: a night on Lan Ha Bay, Ninh Binh, the caves at Phong Nha, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta.

This is the same route as our 21-day Vietnam Complete trip, if you'd rather have the easy rider, the sleeper train and every local guide already booked. A 4-day easy-rider tour for the loop itself costs about US$190 to $240 per person at budget operators (some quote US$280 or more), plus a border-area permit of roughly 210,000 to 300,000 dong for the communes near the Chinese border. Our Ha Giang Loop guide has the full route, the licence rules and the 2026 safety changes, and our northern, central and southern Vietnam route guides cover the rest of the journey in full day-by-day detail.

Other ways to spend 3 weeks

• 

  3 weeks · September to November, or March to April

  The same route, with Sapa instead of the loop

  Swap the four riding days for a shorter trek around Sapa's rice terraces, freeing up extra days for Hoi An or the Mekong Delta.

  Best for Trekking and village homestays rather than a motorbike

• 

  3 weeks · December to January

  Thailand and Vietnam together

  Start in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, then fly to Hanoi and follow the same Ha Long Bay to Ho Chi Minh City route, without the far north.

  Best for Two countries, one long trip

The Sapa swap suits anyone who'd rather trek than ride pillion for four days. Sapa's Muong Hoa valley trek and homestay night take about 3 days including the bus from Hanoi, against the Ha Giang Loop's 5 days including transfers, so the days saved can go into Hoi An or Phu Quoc instead.

Thailand and Vietnam together matches our own Thailand & Vietnam trip.

See our Thailand itinerary guide for the Bangkok and Chiang Mai leg in full.

Prefer a beach at the end instead of more mountains? On any of the three routes above, swap the last Mekong Delta night for 2 or 3 nights on Phu Quoc, reached by a short flight from Ho Chi Minh City. Phu Quoc also has its own 30-day visa waiver, but it only applies to travellers who fly there directly from abroad, so it won't cover a domestic flight from Ho Chi Minh City. Travellers who'd rather trade the motorbike for a cool-climate stop can also look at Da Lat, reached from the south of this route rather than the north; see our Da Lat guide for the canyoning and coffee-farm detail.

Choosing between them

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. The Ha Giang Loop's own 4-day easy-rider tour costs about US$190 to $240 per person at budget operators, plus the border-area permit, roughly 210,000 to 300,000 dong; Sapa's shorter trek and homestay cost less but still add to the daily budget. See how much does Vietnam cost for the fuller picture, and hostels in Vietnam for where to sleep at each stop.

Best time for 3 weeks

No single month suits every region on a trip this long, so plan around the trade-offs rather than a single ideal month. The far north (Ha Giang, Sapa) is coldest and foggiest from December to February and is wet, with landslide risk on the mountain roads, from May to September. It's best from September to November (October and November for the Ha Giang Loop) and in March and April. The central coast (Hue, Hoi An, Phong Nha) gets heavy rain from about mid-September to December, with floods most likely in October and November, and is driest from February to May. The south runs its own wet season from about May to November, usually short afternoon storms rather than an all-day washout. March and April is the best overall compromise: the loop is in its shoulder season, the centre is dry, and the south is still in its dry season. If your three weeks land near Tet, the Lunar New Year (6 February 2027), book every train and flight well ahead, since both sell out in the fortnight before and many small restaurants close for several days. 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, and the Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City flight saves a day on the same line further south. Neither Ha Giang nor Sapa has a railway or a fast road, so day vans cover those legs; a cheaper overnight sleeper bus is worth asking about on longer stretches such as Hue to Ho Chi Minh City if you have more time than money. Riding the Ha Giang Loop pillion behind a licensed easy rider is the better choice over self-driving for most solo travellers, since a self-drive licence needs a 1968-convention International Driving Permit that rules out standard permits from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and Ireland. See our Ha Giang Loop guide for the full rules.

Keep planning

• Vietnam itinerary guide
• 2-week Vietnam itinerary
• 10-day Vietnam itinerary
• Backpacking Vietnam: route, costs and tips
• Ha Giang Loop guide
• Sapa travel guide
• Best time to visit Vietnam
• Vietnam visa guide