Vietnam is a large country with lots places to choose from. With this route you’ll see all the highlights, the rice terraces, bustling cities, serene temples and impressive landscapes. I included my advice on what places you could skip and a few places that I missed, but that you may want to consider putting in your schedule. Here’s what I think is the perfect travel route for Vietnam.

Choose your travel direction

You can choose to start your travels in Vietnam in the North or in the South. Vietnam is around 1600 km long from north to south, so you need a bit of time to see all the destinations along the way. Since I was coming into the country from Cambodja, I started in the South. Both Hanoi in the North and Ho Chi Minh in the South have an international airport. Therefore you could fly into either one for the start of your trip.

Most backpackers choose to travel by bus and train, but while more expensive, sometimes flying is more convenient. However, the night bus in Vietnam is usually not too bad, so if you’d like to save money that could be good option.

Travel Route Vietnam:

Ho Chi Minh

Vietnam’s biggest city with a whopping 9 million inhabitants. Especially the traffic can feel a bit overwhelming and chaotic. I wouldn’t recommend spending too much time here, but you can definitely enjoy yourself for a day. District 1 is most popular among travelers and has  some nice restaurants and bars. Pictured below is the cafe apartment building with lots of cute places inside.

How to get from Ho Chi Minh to Dal at:

Flight: Price: $30 – $60, Time: 50 min 

Comfy sleeper Bus:Price  $8.5-$13, Time: 7-8 hours

Extra luxurious limousine bus: Price $17 – $26, Time: 6-7 hours (companies: Limo Vietnam, Phuong Trang Limousine, The Sinh Tourist)

Dalat

If you like adventure activities DaLat is a great destination! You can go canyoning, hiking and visit several waterfalls. Keep in mind that if you don’t have your own transport you may have to book a tour for these adventure activities and costs can quickly add up. Since I had already planning a lot of tours and activities in other places, I skipped the canyoning and trekking here. In the few days I was there I visited some waterfalls and Dalat’s crazy house and maze bar. Both great examples of whimsical surreal architecture. Additionally Dalat is  located in a coffee region, so visiting a coffee farm or just trying the coffee is another thing to do here. I wasn’t my favorite place in Vietnam, but definitely worth a stop for a few days.

You can find my full guide on Dalat here.

How to get from Dalat to Hoi An:

You could also choose to make a stop in Nha Trang to split up the long travel day.

flight (To Danang, 30 min bus to Hoi an from there) : between  €50-120, time: 1 hour flight, 30 min bus. 

Bus: Futa Bus en Hanh Cafe leave several times a day. Price~€21

Hoi an

This is many peoples favorite destination in Vietnam. It’s easy to see why travelers enjoy the beautiful historical center and the beach nearby. The center has lots or colorful houses and good cafe’s and restaurants. There’s definitely plenty to to do in this city! I think 4-5 days is a good amount for time for this city.

(Phong Nha)

I personally didn’t visit Phong Nha, but it’s a well known destination for adventure travelers. I’ve been told by many that it was definitely worth a stop. There are several caves that you can explore here. The worlds largest cave can be found here and there are several overnight tours through the caves. Some of the most famous cave tours need to be booked far in advance to secure a spot. However, there are also some caves that you can visit on short notice.

There is the possibility to do a 6 day/5night trek. It is called Son Doong Expedition. This is a cave trekking tour that lets you explore the largest cave in Vietnam. It’s real adventure expeditions and you need to be physically fit. In 2014, UK National Geographic named the Son Doong Expedition as the best adventure tour. If 6 days is a bit much or you are too late to book this trip you can also consider Hang En Cave Adventure. This trek is only 1 night and includes camping in the middle of the cave, where there is a cave entrance above. You’ll camp on a wide sandy beach with a beautiful emerald lake. The cave entrance above shines a magical light onto the campsite.

Hoi An to Phong Nha:

Bus: Price: $11-17, Time: 6 hours

How to get from Hoi An to Hanoi:

Flight: Danang to Hanoi: Price between €45-€100.

Train: Price starting from €27, Time: 18 hour sleeper train

Hanoi

Hanoi is the bustling capital of Vietnam. There’s lots to do and especially taste in this capital that’s the birthplace of Vietnams’s egg coffee and lots of wonderful street food. Try a street food tour and explore the city, while getting used to the chaos.

How to get from Hanoi to Cat Ba?

Bus: Price: Between €7 and €20, Travel Time: 3,5 tot 5 uur, Bus companies: Goodmorning Cat Ba, Inter Bus Lines, Cat Ba Express en Grouptour.

Halong Bay/Cat Ba & Lan Ha Bay

Halong Bay is famous for the limestone islands rising from the emerald water. Everyone has heard of Halong Bay and very few people have heard of Lan Ha bay. However, it’s located in more or less the same area and looks very similar. If you’re looking for a less touristy experience and don’t want to spend a fortune on a cruise, I’d recommend staying on Cat Ba island and doing the Lan Ha Bay cruise from there. The views are similar, but it will be cheaper and not as overrun with tourists. On Cat Ba island you can also go hiking, rock climbing and visit some caves.

Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh was one of my favorite stops in Vietnam. It has incredible landscapes and temples, planted between the rice fields in the beautiful Vietnamese countryside. We explored temples, lakes, caves and mountains. The best way to explore is by renting a scooter and driving from one spot to the next. I’d advice to spend at least 3 days there, but 4 might be better.

For my full guide on Ninh Binh go here.

How to get from Ninh Binh to Sapa

Sleeper bus: Price €24, time: 8 hours. 

Sapa

Sapa is one of the most famous spots to see the rice fields. Travelers go here to trek through the landscape for a few days. The town is nestled between the mountains and since it’s high up in the North, it feels a lot colder then in the rest of the country. It wasn’t quite the right time when I was there unfortunately. The best time to go is form June until September. May is when the farmers plant the new rice and from that moment on the terraces will grow greener with the peak in September. In the winter months it’s a little barren, cold and very foggy on most days. I was here in February and it definitely wasn’t ideal. You may want to choose to leave it off your travel route if you are traveling during this time. I still enjoyed making a stop there, but it would have been much more impressive in the right season.

How to get from Sapa to Ha Giang?

Bus: Price: ~€14, time: 6 hours

Ha Giang Loop

To explore the North of Vietnam in an adventurous manner, look into the Ha Giang Loop. You’ll drive past different villages in the Vietnamese countryside on motorcycle. Besides the life in the mountain villages you’ll also drive past incredible landscapes. Don’t know how to drive a motorcycle? Not a problem. You can get a local ‘easy rider’ to take you. This is a local guide that will take you on the back of his motorcycle. You can either rent a motorcycle yourself and drive the famous loop or you can join one of the groups leaving for this trip everyday. I’m not usually one for group trips, but I joined a group for this route and we had such a fun time together.

Cao Bang (If you have time left)

All the way North, you can find Cao Bang and the famous Ban Gioc Waterfall. I really wanted to visit, but ran out of time. I had a flight to the Philippines I needed to catch and didn’t want to risk it. However, the landscapes and waterfall look like an incredible destination! If I’d found out about this waterfall earlier, I would have adjusted my plan and put this on my travel route for Vietnam.