Vietnam

Sept. 7 - 14, 2014 (8D7N): Last leg of our 17-day journey in Thailand and Vietnam. See prior posts on Bangkok - Chiang Mai - Koh Samui. While in Vietnam, we visited Hanoi, Da Nang, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City ("HCM" or Saigon). It was easy to fly between the major cities.  This is a good introductory itinerary for your first visit to Vietnam.  You can combine this trip with other parts of Southeast Asia.  But given that Vietnam is not as well established in turns of tourism as Thailand, my suggestion is to visit Vietnam before continuing onto Thailand. 

*Highly Recommended

Day 1 (Hanoi)

• Evening flight arrival in Hanoi from Koh Samui
• Hotel shuttle pickup from airport to Oriental Central Hotel*

Day 2 (Hanoi)

• Breakfast @ hotel
• Taxi to Ba Dinh square
  • Ho Chi Minh museum (learn the history of HCM)
  • Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (free; 8am-10:30am closed on Monday; no shorts, no camera)
  • One Pillar Pagoda (under construction when we were there)
• Taxi to Temple of Literature
• Taxi to Hoa Lo Prison (suggested duration 30 mins)
• Lunch @ Quan An Ngon restaurant*
• Taxi to French Opera House
  • Walk around the French quarter
  • Hoan Kiem Lake
• Massage @ SF Spa (massage was average)
• Shop around Old Quarter
• Water Puppet show @ Thang Long Water Puppet Theater (1hr)
• Dinner @ Restaurant 96*
• Grab che (Vietnamese sweet drink) at some stand nearby

Day 3 (Halong Bay)

• Breakfast @ hotel
• Bus to Halong Bay (4.5 hrs!! It stops at a gift shop along the way)
• 1- 4:30pm: APT Day Cruise (our initial 2D1N boat tour was cancelled due to Typhoon)
  • Lunch on the boat
  • Paradise cave
  • Bamboo boat to smaller caves
• 4:30pm: Bus back to Hanoi (yup, another 4 hrs)
• Dinner @ Mum restaurant

Other points of interest & food in Hanoi:

• Dinner @ Xoi Yen ($2/bow)
• Dinner @ Bun Bo Nam Bo
• Old town walking tour

Day 4 (Da Nang/Hoi An)

• Breakfast @ hotel
• Shuttle to airport (1 hr)
• Morning flight to Da Nang (1:20hr)
• Taxi to Orange hotel (10 mins)
• Hire hotel driver to visit Da Nang & Hoi An ($60/day)
  • Lady Budda (free)
  • Seafood lunch @ My Hanh Restaurant (nice view of the beach but overpriced)
  • CHAM Spa (AVOID!!)
  • Pass by The Marble Mountains for photo
  • Hoi An Ancient Town:
    • Japanese Covered Bridge
    • Assembly Halls
    • Lantern market
    • Dinner @ Streets restaurant café

Day 5 (Da Nang/HCM)

• Breakfast @ hotel
• Walk around town:
  • Han market
  • Lunch @ Quan Com Hue Ngon (BBQ)*
• Taxi ride to airport
• Evening flight to Ho Chi Minh City (1:10hr)
• Taxi (150,000 VND) to Grand Silverland Hotel & Spa (20 mins)
• Dinner @ Cafe Anh

Day 6 (HCM)

• Breakfast @ hotel
• 11am-6pm: Cu Chi Tunnel Tour (Les Rives)
• Saigon River Express Cu Chi Tunnel Tour*
  • 11:30am-1pm: Boat ride to Cu Chi Tunnel
  • 1:15-4pm: Tour/shooting/lunch
• Happy hour @ Chill Skybar (5:30-8pm half-off)
• Dinner @ Quan An Ngon

Day 7 (HCM)

• Breakfast @ hotel
• Taxi to Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral (free)
• Central Post Office (free)
• UBND City Hall (photo only)
• Saigon Opera House (photo only)
• Stroll through Dong Khoi Street (a major shopping street in the center of the city)
• Massage @ Saigon Heritage Spa*
• Taxi to The Reunification Palace
• Visit Ben Thanh Market
• 6-10pm: Back of the Bike Food Tour* (best way to sample all the street food in Vietnam)

Day 8

• Breakfast @ hotel
• Taxi to Airport (20 mins)
• Noon flight to NYC

Other points of interest & food in HCM:

• Dinner @ Cuc Gach Quan
• Coffee/break @ L'Usine
• Get Bun thit nuong: a must-try dish of rice noodles, fried spring rolls and fresh herbs.
• Try Sweet che thap cam: chipped ice, coconut milk and layers of tapioca pearls and soft beans

Tips

• Don't forget to get your Visa if you are a US citizen. Read here for information on how to get your VOA (visa on arrival)
• Avoid the wet (summer) season if all possible (May to October)
• Taxi is cheap in Vietnam
• Best way to visit Halong Bay is through the overnight curise (given the RT bus ride is 8 hrs).  Be sure to book through your hotel in Hanoi so they can arrange everything for you in case the cruise gets cancelled due to weather condition.  We went with Oriental Central and they were able to rearrange our stay when the cruise was cancelled.