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You are here: Home / Southeast Asia / Vietnam / How To Spend A Month In Vietnam: A Perfect Vietnam Itinerary

How To Spend A Month In Vietnam: A Perfect Vietnam Itinerary

March 13, 2020 by Lotte 13 Comments

Vietnam is a wonderful country in Southeast Asia. There are lush ricefields in the North and tropical islands in the South. In between, you can find anything from stunning limestone mountains to colorful temples, historic sites, and interesting cities.

This Vietnam itinerary includes the best things to do in Vietnam and will help you plan your trip. Happy travels!

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Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Vietnam rice fields

Vietnam itinerary

Table Of Contents
hide
  • Vietnam itinerary
    • Vietnam 1 month itinerary
    • The perfect 1 month Vietnam itinerary
    • Important things to know when planning a Vietnam trip
    • Where to stay in Vietnam on a budget
    • Itinerary for Vietnam
    • Day 1-2: Hanoi
    • Day 3-4: A two-day cruise in Halong Bay
    • Day 5: Day trip to the famous Perfume Pagoda
    • Day 6: Day trip to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc
    • Day 7-8: explore Tam Coc and travel to Hue by night train
    • Day 8-9: Hue and around
    • Day 10: traveling from Hue to Hoi An (by minivan)
    • Day 11-17: exploring and relaxing in Hoi An
    • Day 18-19: traveling from Hoi An to Dalat (via Nha Trang)
    • Day 20-21: Dalat
    • Day 22: Dalat to Ho Chi Minh City 
    • Day 23-25: Ho Chi Minh City and around
    • Day 26: Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc (by plane)
    • Day 27-29: Phu Quoc Island
    • Alternative Vietnam itineraries (7 and 10 days + 2 and 3 weeks)
    • The best Vietnam itinerary: in conclusion

In this guide to Vietnam you can find:

  • What to do in Vietnam: day by day itinerary (7 and 10 days + 2 and 3 weeks)
  • Things to know before traveling to Vietnam
  • Where to stay in Vietnam on a budget
  • How to get around in Vietnam

Vietnam 1 month itinerary

In the map below you can find our Vietnam travel itinerary, accommodations, and highlights of our month in Vietnam. I traveled from North to South but you can also do this Vietnam trip itinerary in reverse.

Vietnam itinerary map

Click here for the interactive map.

The perfect 1 month Vietnam itinerary

  • Day 1-2: Hanoi
  • Day 3-4: Halong Bay
  • Day 5: Perfume Pagoda
  • Day 6-7: Hoa Lu and Tam Coc
  • Day 8-9: Hue
  • Day 10: Hai Van Pass and the Marble Mountains
  • Day 11-17: Hoi An
  • Day 18-19: Hoi An to Dalat (via Nha Trang)
  • Day 20-21: Dalat and around
  • Day 22: Dalat to Ho Chi Minh City
  • Day 23-25: Ho Chi Minh City and around
  • Day 26: Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc
  • Day 27-29: Phu Quoc Island

Important things to know when planning a Vietnam trip

What is the best time to visit Vietnam?

The best time to visit Vietnam is between February and April. Vietnam is a long narrow country with different climates in the north and south.

While the north can be ‘chilly’ in winter (around 15°C), temperatures in the south are much more consistent throughout the year (between 22°C and 30°C).

Which currency is used in Vietnam?

The official currency in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong (VND). Here you can find the current exchange rates, at the time of writing €1 is approximately 26.000VND and $1 approximately 23.000VND.

Do I need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes, most nationalities need a visa for Vietnam. You can apply for a visa online.

Keep in mind you will need to pay two fees: online you will pay the Visa Pre-Approval Letter Fee and once you arrive at the airport you must pay a Stamping Fee (to be paid in cash, so be sure to bring dollars).

How to get around Vietnam?

Traveling and getting around in Vietnam is pretty easy. There are many options to choose from (flights, night trains, night buses, minivans, taxis, motor tours, etc.) and plenty of travel agencies selling tickets to each of those options, as well as organized tours.

In the itinerary below, you can find more detailed information about how to travel from A to B in Vietnam.

Sunset on Phu Quoc Island

Where to stay in Vietnam on a budget

In this table, you can find the accommodation we stayed at during our trip around Vietnam. These hotels are all rated 7.5 or higher on Agoda and Booking, we stayed in private rooms with ensuite bathroom.

More details about these hotels can be found further on in the post.

CityName of hotelPriceAgodaBooking
Hanoi Hanoi Serenity Hotel €27/$30 Agoda Booking
Tam Coc Tuan Ngoc Hotel €15/$17Agoda Booking
Hue Charming Riverside Homestay €12/$13Agoda Booking
Hoi AnJolie Villa Homestay €10/$11 Agoda Booking
Hoi AnSac Xanh Homestay €8/$9 Agoda Booking
DalatCam Ly Homestay€10/$11AgodaBooking
Ho Chi MinhThao Nhi Hotel€14/$16AgodaBooking
Phu Quoc islandKinh Bac Hotel€21/$24AgodaBooking

Itinerary for Vietnam

Ideally, if you have a month in Vietnam as we did, you’d travel from North to South (or vice versa). It’s best to start your trip in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, as these are the largest hubs for international flights.

If you have less time available to explore Vietnam, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Further on in the post, I also suggest shorter options (7 and 10 days, plus 2 and 3 weeks) for your Vietnam travel itinerary.

Day 1-2: Hanoi

Chaotic traffic in Hanoi city

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and a fusion of different cultures (Vietnamese, French, and Chinese). It’s a busy city, with many (historic) sights, a chaotic but interesting Old Quarter, beautiful temples and an abundance of restaurants serving delicious Vietnamese dishes.

I recommend spending at least two days in Hanoi, though you could easily stay much longer in this buzzing city without running out of things to see and do.

I spend two days exploring Hanoi on foot, went on a two-day cruise to Halong Bay, took a tour to the Perfume Pagoda and another tour to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

I personally found visiting the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh very impressive, though also a little creepy. I mean, the man died in 1969 and yet it looks like he is sleeping in his glass coffin and could wake up any minute.

Combined with an impressive number of guards, soldiers, and other officials and the endless line of Vietnamese honoring their great leader made visiting the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum a very unusual experience.

Visiting the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum is free, but there can be long queues. The mausoleum is only open from 7:30 am until 10:30 am, so it’s best to arrive very early in the morning. Closed on Mondays and Fridays.

Ho Chi Minh Museum

While this museum is mostly a promotional campaign of the Communist Party of Vietnam, it’s interesting to learn about history from this point of view. However, I’ll be honest: this wasn’t the highlight of my Hanoi itinerary and if you only have one day in Hanoi, I’d skip this particular sight.

The entrance fee is 40.000VND per person and the museum is closed on Mondays and Fridays. On the other days of the week, you can visit from 8 am to12 pm or from 2 pm until 4.30 pm.

The Temple of Literature

This ancient temple was built around the year 1100 and nobles, royalty and other members of the elite traveled from faraway places to study Confucianism here.

It’s pretty incredible that the building is almost 1000 years old. Take a moment to look around and imagine how life must have been in those times.

The Temple of Literature is opened every day of the week from 8 am until 6 pm. The entrance fee is 30.000VND per person.

Ngoc Son Temple

Thue Huc Bridge Hoan Kiem Lake Hanoi

Located on a tiny island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake, it is hard to imagine a place more suited for a temple. It feels like an oasis of peacefulness in the middle of busy Hanoi.

The entrance fee is 30.000VND per person, there is a small booth left of the bridge where you can purchase a ticket. The Ngoc Son Temple is opened every day of the week from 8 am until 6 pm.

Where to stay in Hanoi on a budget: Hanoi Serenity Hotel

Hanoi Serenity Hotel is a lovely place in the middle of the Old Quarter. The rooms are spacious, clean and modern. Breakfast is good and included in the price. The staff is very welcoming and helpful.

Check prices on Agoda | Check prices on Booking

How to travel from Noi Bai International Airport to Hanoi city center

The easiest way, in my opinion, is taking the Vietjet airport shuttle bus. This bus leaves every 1-2 hours and costs just 40.000VND per adult. The price is clearly listed on the side of the bus, so you don’t need to bargain.

The bus will stop next to Hoan Kiem Lake, where you can disembark and either walk or take a taxi to your accommodation (depending on where you are staying).

Day 3-4: A two-day cruise in Halong Bay

Halong Bay Vietnam

Halong Bay is gorgeous, with its blue-green water and steep limestone cliffs rising high above the water, as far as your eyes can see. It’s one of the most popular places to visit in Vietnam and a UNESCO heritage site.

However, I have to admit that while the cruise was a lot of fun and we spent a lot of time chatting to the other travelers on the boat, I didn’t find Halong Bay as impressive as I thought I would.

Perhaps my expectations were too high, or maybe I was spoilt because we had just visited El Nido in the Philippines, which to me is the ultimate tropical island paradise.

We also were a bit unlucky with the weather, the first day of our cruise it was extremely foggy and we barely saw anything of the famous cliffs. Also, there were many other boats and a lot of trash floating in the water.

That being said, we enjoyed our cruise and I’m happy we went on this cruise. Halong Bay is a unique place to visit and should be part of any itinerary to Vietnam.

I booked with Sinh Cafe Travel and we paid $70 per person for a 2D1N cruise. Our boat was operated by Dugong Sail and in good condition (I have heard horror stories from other travelers who ended up on a boat with huge rats!).

Sinh Cafe Travel Hanoi

Aboard there was plenty of delicious food: fish, meat, vegetables, tofu, fruit and heaps of rice of course.

Transport from our hotel to Halong Bay and vice versa was included in the tour price, as was a visit to Sung Sot Cave, kayaking and a cooking class on the boat.

There are very similar tours available via Klook, an excellent online tour operator with a great reputation. Check out this popular deluxe (though very affordable) Halong Bay tour for more information.

Day 5: Day trip to the famous Perfume Pagoda

Perfume Pagoda Vietnam

I really enjoyed this tour because coincidentally we timed our visit perfectly. We did our tour to the Perfume Pagoda tour shortly after the Vietnamese New Year.

The week after the Vietnamese New Year, many Vietnamese people visit this particular pagoda and the Huong Tich cave to make an offering, which makes the tour extra interesting.

During this tour, our guide told us a lot about the complex combination of religions practiced in Vietnam (Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism).

Blue boats at the Perfume Pagoda

To get to the Pagoda complex, we took a seat in a tiny boat rowed by a small but surprisingly strong Vietnamese man.

During this boat trip over the Yen Stream, we passed lots of boats jam-packed with Vietnamese families who were on their way to visit the pagoda as well. They smiled enthusiastically, waved and took pictures of us and it made for an amusing boat trip.

I booked this tour with Sinh Cafe when we were already in Hanoi, but you can easily book online as well.

Check out this day tour to the Perfume Pagoda which includes transport from Hanoi to the Perfume Pagoda (and vise versa), the boat trip, the entrance fee to the Pagoda Complex and a delicious local lunch.

Day 6: Day trip to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc

Hoa Lu Vietnam Dinh Dynasty

This was the last of the three tours I did around Hanoi and my favorite one as well. First, we visited Hoa Lu, which was the capital of Vietnam from 968 to 1009 during the rule of the Dinh Dynasty.

While this historic site was definitely interesting to visit, the highlight of the tour is Tam Coc. The area around Tam Coc is absolutely stunning, it’s kind of similar to Halong Bay but with rice fields instead of water.

There are massive limestone cliffs soaring high above bright green rice fields, a beautiful sight! We made a lovely boat trip along the Hoang Long River (the lady rowing the boat rowed with her feet!) and passed through an impressive case.

Caves of Tam Coc Vietnam

While this is a very worthwhile tour, please note that the bus ride from Hanoi to Tam Coc takes at least two hours (depending on traffic). We opted not to go back to Hanoi, instead, we spent the night at Tam Coc as we planned to travel south.

Check out this excellent Hoa Lu and Tam Coc tour for more detailed information and book your ticket online.

Where to stay in Tam Coc on a budget: Tuan Ngoc Hotel

Filed Under: Vietnam

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carolien

    January 31, 2016 at 3:31 pm

    Wat een handig overzicht als je naar Vietnam gaat! Het staat nog niet op mijn bucketlist maar wie weet..

    Reply
    • Lotte

      January 31, 2016 at 3:39 pm

      Dankje Carolien! Ik vond Vietnam echt een superleuk land en gemakkelijk rondreizen. En het eten… nomnom!

      Reply
  2. Ivonne

    January 31, 2016 at 6:13 pm

    Leuk om te lezen en een handig overzicht. Wij hebben veel van deze route gezien behalve Dalat en omgeving. Hoi An vonden wij niet zo bijzonder, te toeristisch waardoor je de sfeer niet zo proeft, maar dat komt misschien ook wel deels door de continue regen (ook de reden dat we Dalat oversloegen). Vietnam vonden wij een heerlijk land en makkelijk om door te reizen. Wij hadden er 6 weken voor uitgetrokken. Het noorden vond ik helemaal geweldig, maar in de winter is het weer elke dag anders. Dat hoort er een beetje bij. Ik wil graag nog een keer terug naar Vietnam!

    Reply
    • Lotte

      January 31, 2016 at 7:29 pm

      Wow 6 weken in Vietnam, geweldig! Ik vond Hoi An ondanks het toerisme erg relaxt maar wij hadden inderdaad mooi weer en hebben veel rondgefietst, ook in de omgeving van Hoi An waar het een stuk rustiger is. Ik zou ook graag een keer terug gaan!

      Reply
  3. Lotte

    February 3, 2016 at 9:50 am

    Thanks Eva! Ik vond Vietnam een heerlijk land om te reizen. Het verkeer is inderdaad chaos, maar alles went;-)

    Reply
  4. Simone

    February 3, 2016 at 8:59 pm

    Ik zou het geweldig vinden om Vietnam te bezoeken. Ik zou dan een reis maken en alle overblijfselen en memorials van de Vietnam oorlog bezoeken, maar natuurlijk ook de prachtige natuur en stadjes! Als ik deze foto’s zie, wil ik alleen nog maar meer gaan! Grappig he, dat je beleving van temperatuur zo veel anders kan zijn dan de personen die daar wonen. Gaan wij in de winter naar Marokko bv. dan doen wij luchtige kleding aan, terwijl zij helemaal ingepakt zijn. Kom je van de Fillipijnen af, bevries je weer zowat in Vietnam. Zo te zien heeft het je reisplezier niet nadelig beinvloed!

    Reply
    • Lotte

      February 3, 2016 at 10:06 pm

      Vietnam is ook zeker qua historie een bijzonder land om te bezoeken… Ik vond het Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum heel bijzonder net als de Cu Chi tunnels en het War Remnant Museum. En reizen is eigenlijk bij alle temperature leuk, zolang het maar droog is;-)

      Reply
  5. Antonette

    February 5, 2016 at 7:39 am

    A Dutch friend of ours actually moved to Vietnam a couple of years ago and we are invited to come over, however we still haven’t made it. We really should, one day…

    Reply
    • Lotte

      February 5, 2016 at 8:54 am

      Awesome! It’s always really cool to be shown around by somebody who actually lives there and who can take you to off the beaten track places!

      Reply
  6. Laure

    May 10, 2016 at 6:44 am

    Great post, I love that you documented the prices too. We’re going to Vietnam in two weeks and we haven’t chosen our full itinerary yet so your article is a great inspiration!

    Reply
    • Lotte

      May 10, 2016 at 3:23 pm

      Hey Laure, thanks so much for your comment! I am happy to hear my post gave you inspiration for your upcoming trip and helped you plan. Have an amazing journey through Vietnam, I am sure you’ll have a great time:-)

      Reply
  7. stephanie

    November 18, 2016 at 11:10 am

    I love that you spend a week in Hoi An LOL 🙂 I did the same!
    Hoi An is such a cute place with nice food and things to see plus an amazing beach!
    Phu Quoc island looks wonderful, i had no time for that, maybe some other time?
    x

    Reply
    • Lotte

      November 18, 2016 at 2:13 pm

      Haha Hoi An is so relaxing, I loved the vibe… Phu Quoc was definitely nice, I’m curious to see how the island has developed in the past 2 years. There was talk of direct flights from Russia and China so it might be very different now.

      Reply

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