What can you see in Vietnam when you only have 2 weeks?
A trip to Vietnam can give amazing emotions: breathtaking landscapes, crazy cities and extraordinary food.
In this post all the info to organize an amazing trip in this Country.
This is an absolutely feasible route, which can be travelled without running too much and granting few relaxing days on the beach.
North Vietnam is definitely the part of the country with the majority of the attractions.
Here is how the itinerary is structured:
Hanoi-2 days
Mixed Bay-3 days
Ninh (TAM COC)-3 days
Hue-1 day
Da Nang-3 days
Hoi an-2 days
This route should also be amended according to the weather of the period.
To the cities above you can also add SAPA in the north, if you have more time or prefer to skip the beaches.
WHAT TO SEE IN VIETNAM IN 2 WEEKS – HANOI (2 DAYS)
Hanoi is a MUST when visiting Vietnam!
It’s crazy, colourful, vibrant. It’s full of temples, places to eat and things to do.
It’s modern but at the same time authentic. It’s the perfect place to start a trip.
TIMING: No less than 2 days to discover all its beauty
COST: The prices of the accommodation are the same of the rest of the Country. For a bed in a dorm expect to pay 3.50 euro.
BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION ON BOOKING.COM
Hanoi offers a huge variety of places to enjoy the local cuisine. From the stalls at the market to the fancy restaurats, there’s something for everyone. The famous Bahn Mi (baguette) costs 28.000 dong (1 euro) and you can find a beer for only 5.000 dong (0,20 euro)
WHAT TO SEE IN VIETNAM IN 2 WEEKS – CAT BA AND HALONG BAY (3 DAYS)
This place is so beautiful that it looks unreal. Ha Long Bay is one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature and it’s easy to understand why.
The best and cheapest way to visit Ha Long Bay is to join a cruise leaving from Cat Ba island.
You will spend the whole day navigating, eating, kayaking and swimming… doesn’t it sound amazing??
It’s easy to reach Cat Ba from Hanoi, many hotel and guesthouses organize the trip.
TIMING: 3 days in total, one to get to Cat Ba + 1 for the cruise + 1 to go away
COST: Prices for a double room start from 230.000 dong. For the cruise, expect to pay at least 250.000 dong (including kayak, lunch and a stop in Monkey island.)
WHAT TO SEE IN VIETNAM IN 2 WEEKS – NINH BINH (3 days)
From a wonder to the other. The area around Ninh Binh is als called the “Halong bay on land”.
To explore this part of the Country, we suggest to stay in Tam Coc.
The city is small, calm and you just need to rent a bike to enjoy a beautiful scenery made of rice fields, small hills and temples.
Renting a moorbike is also a good way to explore all the placeas around Tam Coc such as Trang An, the ancient city of Hoa Lu and the huge Bai Dinh Pagoda.
TIMING: 1 day to get Tam Coc + 2 days to explore the area
COST: For a doubleroom in Tam Coc expect to pay around 8 euro. There are not so many options for restaurants or cafè and all of thema have “western” dishes.
[wp-svg-icons icon=”star” wrap=”i”] FIND OUT HERE ALL THE DETAILS FOR A 2 DAYS ITINERARY IN TAM COC
WHAT TO SEE IN VIETNAM IN 2 WEEKS – HUE (1 day)
The imperial citadel and many tombs are the main reason to visit Hue, the biggest city in central Vietnam.
TIMING: 1 full day is enough to visit the cittadel, one tomb and the pagoda on the Parfume River..
COST: Like other cities in the Country, the prices of the accommodations start from 3.50 euro/person.
The modern city is the best area where to find restaurants at cheap prices.
[wp-svg-icons icon=”star” wrap=”i”] READ MORE ABOUT WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN HUE
WHAT TO SEE IN VIETNAM IN 2 WEEKS – DA NANG (3 days)
Da Nang has an amazing 10 km long beach, one of the most beautiful in the wolrd: MY KHE BEACH.
There’s not much to see in Da Nang itself but the atmosphere is great. The city center is full of restaurants and cafes and the famous bridges are so colourful with all the lights at night.
Around Da Nang, 2 places not to miss are the Son Tra Peninsula, with the giant Lady Buddha statue, and the Marble Mountain.
TIMING: Minimum 3 days. 1 for the city and the beach + 1 for the Son Tra peninsula + half day for the Marble Mountains and again the beach.
COST:There are so many accommodation in Da Nang, from the small hostels to the luxury hotels on the beach. The same applies also to restaurants and pubs.
WHAT TO SEE IN VIETNAM IN 2 WEEKS – HOI AN (2 days)
Hoi An is definitely the most touristic town in Vietnam. With its typical lanterns and its unique historical centre it has made us dream and wonder. The best timing to visit Hoi An is during the full moon to witness the “Lantern Festival” (here dates for 2018)
Not to be missed around Hoi An is definitely the spectacular archaeological site of My Son.
WHAT TO SEE IN VIETNAM IN 2 WEEKS: TRANSPORT AND COSTS
To travel from one city to the other, the most comfortable means of transport are definitely buses and trains.
Tourist buses are very efficient and ususally on time.
Trains are slightly more expensive than buses and a little slower, but the advantage is that often trains stations are located right in the city centre.
A useful site to schedule travel (especially for trains) is BAOLAU.COM
For the above itinerary we suggest to use the following means of transport:
[wp-svg-icons icon=”truck” wrap=”i”] Bus Hanoi – Cat Ba: 250.000 dong
[wp-svg-icons icon=”truck” wrap=”i”] Bus Cat Ba – Tam Coc: 180.000 dong
[wp-svg-icons icon=”truck” wrap=”i”] Bus Tam Coc – Hue: 280.000 dong (sleeper bus)
[wp-svg-icons icon=”road” wrap=”i”] Train Hue – Da Nang: 75.000 dong
[wp-svg-icons icon=”truck” wrap=”i”] Bus Da Nang – Hoi An: 20.000 dong but you need to barter a lot to pay this price! This is Vietnam! 😉
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Beautiful!