Itinerary & Budget (Vietnam)

Vietnam is a destination that truly shines when it comes to planning your ideal getaway. It takes pride in its rich cultural heritage and awe-inspiring natural landscapes. Whether you’re navigating the lively streets of Hanoi or admiring the breathtaking beauty of Ha Long Bay, each region boasts its own unique charm. Here, we have tried to provide a suitable itinerary and the budget for a comprehensive travel through Vietnam. But, trust us, no amount of time is enough to explore everything here.

Itinerary:

It offers a range of options with itinerary available for 7, 10, or even 15 days along with budget, allowing you ample time to explore this remarkable country of Vietnam. We invite you to take a look at this highly popular 10-day itinerary, which provides a comprehensive experience of all that Vietnam has to offer. However, it’s important to note that even with this carefully crafted itinerary, there are still numerous enchanting places awaiting your discovery. To uncover these hidden treasures, we encourage you to consider extending your trip, and we will provide further details for your convenience.

With a 10-day itinerary, you will have the opportunity to explore essential destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, and the mesmerizing Mekong Delta. However, the adventure doesn’t end there! By prolonging your journey, you can delve deeper into the local culture and unveil hidden gems that lie off the well-trodden path. Picture yourself exploring the ancient temples of Hue or embarking on a memorable trek through the lush mountains of Sapa. Vietnam offers limitless possibilities for an unforgettable adventure. We have covered most of the tourist places of Vietnam in this post. Therefore, we recommend considering the addition of a few extra days to your itinerary, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the captivating beauty and irresistible charm that Vietnam exudes. We assure you, this decision will bring you immeasurable joys and memories to cherish.

HaNoi- Day 1:

• Arrive in Hanoi. Go to your hotel and complete the check-in process. Discover the historic district and visit Hoan Kiem lake. If it’s the weekend, enjoy shopping at the night market.
• Book your trips to Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay on this specific day.

Hanoi- Day 2:

• Go on a short trip around the city on a motorbike to discover some famous places like the Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison, watch a water puppet show, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Ba Dinh Square, and Tran Quoc Pagoda.
• You can explore most of the attractions in just one day, but remember that many of them close at 5PM. Therefore, it’s advisable to prioritize visiting these places first.

Hoa Lu- Day 3:

• You will be collected from your hotel at 8:00 AM in the morning. The minibus that is shared by multiple people will go to Hoa Lu temple first. Here, you will have the opportunity to spend one and a half hours. Your guide will provide you with all the necessary information.
  Afterwards, you will proceed to Hang Mua peak. The ascent and descent and exploring the gardens will approximately take two hours.
• After this, you will go for your buffet lunch to a nearby restaurant in Trang An. This was one of the best meals we had. You will have many different choices and Vietnamese dishes that are famous and unique.
• Your final destination will be Trang An village visit and a one-hour boat ride in Tam Coc.
• You will go back to your hotel between 7 and 8 in the evening.

Ha Long Bay- Day 4:

• This is a very important day because you will be going on a cruise to Ha Long Bay. During the cruise, you will visit Tea Top Island and explore the beach as well as some caves filled with interesting formations called stalagmites and stalactites.
• You can go kayaking or snorkelling at any of the locations. It’s part of the tour and there’s no extra charge for it.
• You will also visit a village where oysters are farmed and observe how pearls are obtained or grown.
• You will come back to your hotel between 7 and 8 in the evening.

Da Nang- Day 5:

• Check out from the hotel in Hanoi. Take your flight to Da Nang. Once in Da Nang, check in to your hotel in either Da Nang or Hoi An. Spend the rest of the day exploring the beaches, local areas, or the market.

Ba Na Hills- Day 6:

• Hire a motorbike/taxi and go to Ba Na hills. Spend your entire day there.
• On returning, go to Lady Buddha/Ling Unh Pagoda.
• Check out the Dragon Bridge. Take the river cruise or just walk along the river taking in the city lights and shopping at the nearby night market.

Hoi An- Day 7:

• Go to Marble Mountains, which falls on the way to Hoi An.
• Spend 2 hrs exploring the place completely.
• Go to Hoi An. Explore the various specialized villages. Take a walk exploring the old town and the river area. Have your lunch.
• Lastly, take the river boat ride. Click some pictures with the lamps. Or release a lamp yourself.
• Return to your hotel in Da Nang.

HCMC- Day 8:

• Check-out from Da Nang. Take your flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
• Check in and explore the local monuments, museums, parks, palaces.
• At night, go check out the Bui Vien Walking Street.
• Book your tour to Chu Chi tunnels and Mekong Delta (you can hire a taxi on your own or take a motorbike to visit these places).

HCMC- Day 9:

• Take a trip to Chu Chi tunnels. Spend 2-3 hours exploring all the tunnels and the historical artefacts. Learn something about the Vietnam war.
• Next, go to Mekong Delta. Definitely go for the boat ride. This boat ride will be different from the one you took in Trang An in terms of landscapes. Explore the local villages.
• End your day with a visit to the Saigon square market. Shop for made in Vietnam clothes, shoes, artefacts, souvenirs or Vietnamese coffee.

Day 10:

• Say good bye to Vietnam and take your flight back home or onward.

Following are some other noteworthy places which you may add to your itinerary:

• +1 day for trip to Hue and Mỹ Sơn. These are heritage places with My Son awarded the UNESCO World Heritage status for the cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples built by the Kings of Champa. Stay at Hue/My Son. It is a worthy inclusion.
• +1 day to explore the Paradise Caves. Thiên Đường Cave (Paradise Cave) is a cave in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, again a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. You may book a tour to Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park from Hue, it will take about 2 hours. It is a stunning place, 31km long but you can take a tour up to maximum 7km. Highly recommended to visit.

Budget

You’re going to find a bunch of fancy thumbnails on YouTube claiming that you can travel to Vietnam for less than ₹40,000 and get super cheap flight tickets for ₹6,000. But let me spill the tea — they’re just trying to rack up views. In addition, they usually cater to backpackers, but not everyone wants to rough it out. Some of us like our comforts, dressing up, and taking a million photos, right? And that’s exactly what we focus in our post.

We aim to be practical on our website, so our itinerary and budget might seem a bit higher but are very practical for Vietnam. You can easily stay below that limit by snagging some deals or being an early bird. Of course, you can trim down your budget by about ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 by making some compromises, like opting for longer flights with no checked baggage. So, you have the flexibility to adjust your budget by cutting corners elsewhere. Based on a 10 day itinerary, we break down the budget for Vietnam trip into two parts: mandatory expenses and optional expenses. The details are as under:

Mandatory:

These expenses are ones that are fixed and not dependent on your itinerary:

Optional:

These expenses depend on your itinerary, preferences, mode of transport, your budget, conditions in Vietnam etc. The following estimates are on the basis of the above mentioned itinerary. These expenses are subject to variations depending on factors such as accommodation preferences, dining choices, and additional activities. It is important to carefully consider these aspects when planning your budget. Please note that any changes or modifications to the itinerary may result in adjustments to these estimated expenses.

From the above, your Vietnam expenses for a satisfactory trip will be anywhere in the range ₹75,000-1,00,000 per person.

Embrace the plethora of possibilities available to enhance your travel experience! There are countless avenues for you to explore, with endless permutations and combinations at your disposal. Consider the excitement of delving into more budget-friendly accommodations or taking advantage of advantageous early bookings to unlock lower prices. Let the option of trains or buses, instead of flights, unveil substantial savings for you. Moreover, by taking the route of minimal luggage with only cabin bags or opting for flights with layovers, you could potentially slash your expenses by an impressive ₹5,000. Another uplifting idea is to curtail the number of organized tours and embark on self-guided adventures to truly immerse yourself in the captivating destinations. Always remember, every rupee you invest in your Vietnam trip is worthwhile, as it promises experiences that will leave you without a hint of regret. Let the optimism guide your journey!