There is so much to see and do in this diverse country and it is so hard to squeeze it all into a one month visa. Therefore, I have written up my 4 week itinerary to help you with your planning.

You’re most welcome…

The Mekong Delta: Vinh Long – 2 nights

Lizzie and I began our adventure in Vietnam by travelling via bus from Kep in the South of Cambodia to Vinh Long in the Mekong Delta region of Southern Vietnam.

Whilst reading up on Vietnam, we’d seen that many backpackers choose to do a trip from Hanoi to The Mekong Delta via a tour. However, being the anti-tour gal I am and, having read some terrible reviews from people who had been on these excursions, we opted to get dropped off in Vinh Long on our way up – we were passing by after all.

The Mekong Delta aka ‘the rice bowl of Vietnam’ is a rich, luscious and fertile region brimming with colourful orchards, unique floating fisheries and fruit-laden boats chugging along the Mekong’s mud-brown waterways.

Out of all of the areas in the Mekong Delta, we chose to base ourselves in Vinh Long as we’d read that it wasn’t as geared up for tourists as other places such as, My Tho and Can Tho and was well-known for its homestays on An Binh island (a 5 minute ferry ride from Vinh Long). We spent two days on the island cycling around the dizzying, narrow walkways and exploring life for the Vietnamese on the water.

Bus/mini bus to Ho Chi Minh – approx. 2/3 hours

Ho Chi Minh/Saigon – 3 nights

The bustling city of Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as Saigon) is an overwhelming attack on the senses, but an attack I would happily experience over and over again.

Swarming with hoards of traffic, kaleidoscopic lights and buzzing street stalls, wandering around Ho Chi Minh is an excellent introduction to contemporary Vietnam.

It’s a contrast of old and new. Whilst locals and tourists mingle together on squat stools drinking sharp Vietnamese coffee and wolfing down a $1 bowl of Pho, on the outskirts of the city, the War Remnants Museum and Chu Chi Tunnels whisper of tough years gone by.

Be sure to put aside at least half a day for each of these unmissable sights.

Bus to Dalat – approx. 4/5 hours

Dalat – 2 nights

Dalat is a cool hill station 4 hours North of Ho Chi Minh. Once frequented by the French when they were desperate to escape the tropical heat of Saigon, Dalat now boasts an abundance of rustic French colonial villas, scenic fields sprouting with colourful crops and flowers and a bizarre crazy house.

Spend your first day renting a moped or going on an Easy Rider tour to explore the striking scenery on the outskirts of town before getting yourself a little lost/drunk in The Maze Bar at night.

You don’t need a huge amount of time in Dalat but enough to soak up the cool air and the fact that you’re still in Vietnam.

Overnight bus from Dalat to Hoi An – approx. 12/14 hours

Hoi An – 3 nights

For a lot of backpackers, the UNESCO protected city of Hoi An is the crème de la crème of Vietnam.

Flaunting rustic colourful buildings draped in shimmering lanterns, a ridiculous number of tailor shops sewing shite shirts made out of funky fabric at a reasonable price and vibrant rice paddy fields for as far as the eye can see, it’s no surprise that this riverside city is such a popular spot with travellers.

Rent a bicycle and cycle your way around the nooks and crannies of the city, learn how to make Vietnamese lanterns at a lantern workshop, book onto a cooking class to craft your own summer rolls and relax in the sunshine on Cua Dai beach 4 km Northeast of Hoi An.

Bus/train from Hoi An to Hue – approx. 2/3 hours

Hue – 2 nights

Located on the romantic Perfume River, Hue was once upon a time the capital of the Nguyen emperors.

With a magnificent imperial citadel oozing with regal charm at its core and an eerie abandoned water park with a graffiti-covered dragon on its outskirts, Hue is a unique contrast of ancient history and contemporary architecture.

If you’re rushed for time, you could easily cover the main sights of Hue in one full day.

Bus from Hue to Phong Nha – approx. 5 hours

Phong Nha – 2 nights

Phong Nha was Lizzie and I’s favourite spot in Vietnam and one, which is still yet to be swamped with tourists.

The countryside on the outskirts of the small town is pocketed with impressive caves, picturesque rice paddy fields and limestone karsts sprouting out of every horizon and the town itself is a small, laid-back haven.

Rent a moped and explore the striking caves this area is so well-known for before uncovering hidden waterfalls in the Botanic Gardens.

Overnight bus from Phong Nha to Ninh Binh – approx. 10/11 hours

Ninh Binh – 2 nights

Beside its cute name, I wasn’t a huggeee fan of Ninh Binh. However, I think that was simply because it was a touristier version of Phong Nha and by this point I was very biased.

Home to Tam Coc, the surrounding area of Ninh Binh offers some stunning scenery best appreciated from a boat. Take to the water and watch as the women row the boats with their feet before hopping on a bus to Vietnam’s crazy capital, Hanoi.

Bus from Ninh Binh to Hanoi – approx. 2/3 hours

Hanoi – 3 nights

Hanoi is… mental.

Inundated with hoards of chaotic mopeds, bicycles and horns, Hanoi lives up to every stereotype of a capital city.

The vibrant Old Quarter is dense with bustling markets, aromatic street food stalls and street-side bars selling bia hoi – the locally brewed beer, which you can buy for as little as 7p a pint. Whilst the tranquil Hoan Kiem Lake and ancient pagodas and museums that are dotted throughout the city, are a mellow contrast and escape to the Old Quarter’s mania.

Wander through the city’s colonial streets before catching a bus up to Vietnam’s enchanting North.

Bus from Hanoi to Ha Giang – approx. 4/5 hours

Ha Giang – 3/4 nights

The peaceful province of Ha Giang is so far North it borders China and is still very much untouched by tourists.

Most backpackers who want to unveil Vietnam’s captivating North travel to the tourist hub of Sapa, which is a few hours West of Ha Giang. However, with the promise of treks boasting the same striking scenery as Sapa and not another tourist in sight, Lizzie and I bee-lined for the less discovered land of Ha Giang.

We trekked through 16km of flawless scenery witnessing hill tribes going about their day-to-day lives and spiky mountain ranges like no other.

Note: a lot of backpackers who do make it as far as Ha Giang do so to complete the extreme three-day Northern ‘loop’ on motorbike, which is said to be the last frontier for adventurous travel in Vietnam. It is hardcore and is not for the fainthearted but is supposedly extremely well rewarded with the best scenery in Vietnam!

Bus from Ha Giang to Hanoi – approx. 4/5 hours. 1 more night in Hanoi before booking onto a tour of Halong Bay.

Cat Ba Island – 2 nights

Halong Bay aka. The Bay of Descending Dragons is the most visited spot in Vietnam and it is no surprise why. Rocky karst formations covered in vibrant, lush vegetation rise out of the waters giving the bay a mystical, other-worldly feel and local fishermen still go about their traditional lives on floating villages.

Lizzie and I decided to book onto the 3 day/2 night Hideaway Tour of Cat Ba Island and had an incredible time uncovering the enchanting history of this area. For more info on this trip as well as Cat Ba Island itself, have a read of my review here.

Note: if you have less than 1 month to explore Vietnam, you can cut out places that don’t interest you as much and, fly between major cities to cut down on travel time!

Vietnam was definitely one of my favourite places to travel and after reading this, I’m hoping you can see why too! It’s welcoming, easy to get around and absolutely bloomin’ beautiful.

Enjoy!!

For the Vietnamese, it is believed that when Vietnam was at war with the Chinese, dragons created Halong Bay as a maze to confuse the Chinese.

Consequently, they won the war.

This back story makes this area even more majestic and spiritual to explore.

Quite rightly, Halong Bay is a World Heritage Site and is therefore, the most desirable ‘must see’ spot in Vietnam.

But how can you do this magical area justice?

There are a ridiculous number of tours on offer through hostels and travel agents in Hanoi that vary in length, cost, activities etc. You can also visit Halong Bay independently however, this option is slightly more time-consuming, which is not ideal if you’re on a tight schedule like we were.

We were recommended the Hideaway Tour by a couple of girls we met in Dalat.

This tour is sold through the Central Backpackers Hostel in Hanoi and is based in Cat Ba National Park.

Cat Ba is an area close to Halong Bay, which boasts the same alluring scenery minus the swarms of boat tours – it sounded perfect for us.

We opted for the 3 day/2 night tour, which included transport to and from Hanoi, dorm style accommodation on an island in the archipelago, all meals, a guide and all activities including kayaking, hiking, cycling, swimming and rock climbing ($130 for 2 nights/$85 for 1 night).

As I’m usually very anti-tours, I was keen to find a tour that had a good balance of culture and socialising without feeling like we were being shimmied from one activity to the other – I feel the Hideaway Tour nailed this on the head.

On our first day we travelled for 5/6 hours on a couple of buses and boats before pulling into Monkey Island – our home for the next two nights.

After climbing a rather steep set of stairs, we came to our dorm rooms. Basic yet, with excellent views across the ocean and protruding rock formations, it was a great set up for backpackers (but maybe not for flashbackers).

Once we’d had time to eat lunch and freshen up, it was time to jump back on the boat and explore the surrounding scenery we’d had teasing glimpses of on our way to the island.

As we boarded the boat the clouds parted and the sun emerged – magnifying the area’s beauty. We grabbed a beer, laid back and soaked up the contrast of Cat Ba to the manic streets of Hanoi.

We swam, kayaked and learnt about the locals’ lifestyle before heading back to the island as the sun began to sink behind the craggy karsts.

That night we had an incredible BBQ dinner (all the food on this trip was excellent) before drinking one too many vodkas and dancing the night away to ‘Roxanneeeeee’ in the islands’ bar, which is located beneath the dorm rooms.

We awoke the next morning feeling rather worse for wear. After brekkie and some much-needed coffee, we set ourselves up for another day of activities. We jumped on the boat and beelined for Cat Ba Island.

On the other end we transferred onto bicycles and followed our lovely guide along the waterfront and through local villages.

Before ascending a mammoth rocky mountain (sometimes on all fours) to gain panoramic views across the bay. Unfortunately it was a little cloudy but it was still incredible to admire the scenery from a different viewpoint…

After a scrummy lunch we made our way back to the island to meet the new arrivals (anyone doing 2 nights will spend one day/night with one group and the second night with another).

Due to our voddy overload the night before, we ate dinner and chilled around the campfire with the others before hitting the hay.

The next morning the weather was a little drizzly. Nevertheless, we didn’t let this rain on our parade and still explored the island we were staying on.

We started at monkey beach on the other side of the bay…

Before once again climbed up a cluster of terrifyingly high and sharp rocks to get views across the horizon…

Overall, the Hideaway Tour was everything I had hoped it would be. It was away from the hoards of other tourists, had a great balance of activities and socialising and had incredibly friendly staff as guides.

As a budget backpacker it is a bit on the expensive side however, I feel this trip was worth the extra for the ease of getting around, the standard of food and activities and the opportunity to stay on an island within the area.