Vietnam is a kind of locations that makes me remorse not taking a spot yr after school. It’s a lot greater than a 2.4 household, two-week vacation vacation spot. But when two weeks is all that you’ve got, what are you able to see? On this publish I’m sharing our 2 week Vietnam itinerary together with 5 locations, the place we stayed and what we might have completed in a different way.
*This publish accommodates affiliate hyperlinks*
Is 2 weeks in Vietnam sufficient?
Whereas I work for myself and our children have and eight week summer season vacation, Mr Tin Field’s go away allowance just isn’t fairly so beneficiant. So we might solely enable a fortnight for our Vietnam vacation. In the event you’re in an analogous scenario don’t be delay spending simply two weeks in Vietnam.
Would we have now appreciated longer? After all. However two weeks was sufficient time for us to journey between Vietnam’s two largest cities, cruise Ha Lengthy Bay and slot in a seashore break on the finish.
Planning a 2 week Vietnam itinerary
Planning our Vietnam itinerary concerned a number of compromises. I wished to permit sufficient time in to benefit from the experiences we might squeeze right into a fortnight and in addition ensure that we had time to calm down.
Once we visited Egypt and Sri Lanka final yr, three nights in every place felt like the correct quantity of time for us.
I checked out a number of tour firm itineraries for Vietnam they usually moved a lot quicker than this. They urged staying one or two nights in every place, which had the benefit of overlaying extra floor. However I knew the tempo would exhaust us.
How I deliberate our Vietnam vacation
So I made a decision to plan our vacation myself utilizing reserving.com*, Get Your Information* and Skyscanner.
I additionally purchased a replica of Lonely Planet’s Vietnam vacation spot information (the 2023 version) for inspiration, however was a bit dissatisfied. A variety of the knowledge was generic and I noticed a number of errors.
In the event you like having a information ebook to plan your travels I counsel making an attempt the Tough Information* or Eyewitness journey information* as a substitute.
And, in fact, I learn blogs about issues to do in Vietnam with children to assist me create a brief listing of locations we wished to see.
Vaccinations
We all the time examine the Journey Well being Professional web site to search out out the advisable vaccinations for journey to nations new to us.
Once we had been again within the UK in July I booked us into the journey clinic at Boots the place we had been suggested on what we wanted for the areas we had been travelling to. Do you know you may get Boots Membership Card Factors on vaccinations?
Getting round Vietnam in two weeks
To avoid wasting time we booked inner flights in all places anticipate to Ha Lengthy Bay, the place we bought a mini bus switch from and again to Hanoi.
I’m positive we might have squeezed in a coach or a Vietnam sleeper prepare someplace however having not traveled this far East with the youngsters I went for the straightforward, and truly moderately low-cost, choice of flying.
We used Vietnam Airways for all of our inner flights. They had been low-cost, dependable and the onboard service was good. All of our flights had been lower than and hour and a half however would have taken us complete days by highway or rail.
All of our native journey for sightseeing was completed with Seize taxis. Mr Tin Field set this up utilizing our Revolut card for fee and it was tremendous easy to make use of.
We organized most airport transfers by our inns they usually added the associated fee to our invoice.
The one exception was in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis the place the resort wished us to e mail them our financial institution card particulars upfront together with the CVC quantity. This appeared a bit of dodgy. It in all probability wasn’t however we determined to ebook the switch by a tour firm we’d utilized in Hanoi.
What to see in Vietnam in 2 weeks
Under is an outline of the two week Vietnam itinerary that I put collectively based mostly on how a lot time we had and the locations we actually wished to see.
If you wish to discover out extra about every place I’ve included hyperlinks to my extra detailed guides.
Days 1 to three: Hanoi
We started our journey from north to south Vietnam within the capital, Hanoi, basing ourselves within the Previous Quarter.
This can be a mixture of low stage colonial townhouses and slender streets with loads of shade from bushes and store canopies making it straightforward to discover even within the warmth of the day.
As Vietnam newbies we determined to throw ourselves straight into the road meals scene with a tour. We booked this by Get You Information* and opted for a non-public tour as we knew this might be simpler with the youngsters.
It was costly however paid off. Our information gave us a great deal of details about Hanoi and took us to locations of eat we’d by no means have discovered on our personal. Pho and Bánh mì had been massive hits with the youngsters.
They continued to order these and be extra adventurous with their meals decisions all through our journey.
We additionally visited Hanoi’s Practice Avenue as a part of the meals tour. The remainder of our time was spent seeing Hanoi independently.
We wandered across the cafes and touristy retailers within the Previous Quarter, visited Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and the Presidential Palace, and walked throughout Hoàn Kiếm Lake to see the weird turtle relics at Ngoc Son Temple.
Learn extra about our two days in Hanoi.
The place we stayed: Acoustic Lodge & Spa* in Hanoi’s Previous Quarter
Days 3 to five: Ha Lengthy Bay
We checked out of our resort early on day three and had been picked up by a mini bus which took us to Ha Lengthy Bay to affix a two day cruise.
Ha Lengthy Bay is one in all Vietnam’s vacationer sizzling spots. Tons of of vessels rotate across the 1969 jungle-draped limestone islands that appear to be the set of a Jurassic Park film.
We had been completely wowed by its pure magnificence. The hovering islands coated in tumbling greenery that plunges into turquoise water had been like nothing we’ve seen earlier than.
It was a beautiful expertise to kayak across the coves, go to Cat Ba Island and expertise the wonderful hospitality onboard our cruise ship.
Cruising Halong Bay or neighbouring Lan Ha Bay are a should on any Vietnam itinerary. And the excellent news is you don’t have to scrimp on the nights even on a two week vacation in Vietnam.
We booked a two evening/three day cruise and thought this was the proper period of time.
I’ve defined why and shared extra about what we did on our cruise in addition to addressing the elephant within the bay, aka the garbage, in my publish all about cruising Ha Lengthy Bay.
Our cruise ship: Mon Cheri 2*
Days 5 to eight: Hoi An
From Ha Lengthy Bay we transferred to Noi Bai Worldwide Airport in Hanoi and flew to Da Nang. A taxi booked by our subsequent resort was ready to switch us to Hoi An.
This historic sea port is unashamedly brash. It’s vibrant and bustling, and we beloved it.
The Previous City is a UNESCO World Heritage website with lots of of historical buildings whose structure was impressed by colonials from China, Japan, Portugal and France. There’s tailors for all budgets, chilled out cafes, and meals stalls promoting all the things from pho to fruit and dried fish and ice cream rolls.
By evening the city comes alive with vibrant lanterns, fairy lights and throngs of individuals searching the markets and driving illuminated boats alongside the river.
We packed lots into our two days in Hoi An: a go to to the Lantern Woman, and afternoon at An Bang Seashore, a loopy bucket boat expertise, a extra ethereal lantern boat trip and purchasing within the evening market.
However we got here away realizing there was a lot extra to see.
I’ve written all about our three nights in Hoi An and the place else we might have appreciated to have seen within the area.
The place we stayed: Lantana Riverside Lodge* in Hoi An.
Days 8 to 11: Ho Chi Minh Metropolis
We timed our flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh Metropolis good so we had a little bit of time within the afternoon to discover. Nevertheless, not for the primary time throughout out journey, the climate had totally different concepts and handled us to a thunder storm.
As a substitute of a go to to the Battle Remnants Museum to introduce the youngsters to Vietnam’s twenty first Century historical past we hit the resort pool and ventured out within the night to the Bitexco Monetary Tower Skydeck when the rain stopped.
The subsequent morning we’d booked a full day tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mykong Delta.
The struggle tunnels had been one thing each Mr Tin Field and I wished to do however I wasn’t positive how family-friendly they might be. So the afternoon on the Mekong Delta with boat rides, biking and a yummy lunch was the sweetener for the youngsters.
The tour was an extended day however a shock hit with the ladies. The notably beloved the Horrible Histories-style data on the struggle tunnels – man traps and all. And the menagerie of unique animals bred within the Delta villages was fascinating to them.
The subsequent day we made it to the Battle Remnants Museum and had a enjoyable dinner at Bến Nghé Avenue Meals Market.
We beloved a number of issues about our time right here. However I’ll be trustworthy and say HCMC didn’t seize me like Hanoi did. It’s a contemporary metropolis with a number of western influences. Historical past has an enormous half to play in that and we had the chance to discover a few of this throughout our keep.
Learn extra about our keep in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis.
The place we stayed: Orchids Saigon Lodge* in District 3.
Days 11 to 14: Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc is Vietnam’s largest Island and a brief 45 minute flight from Tan Son Nhat Worldwide Airport. This makes it a simple add on to a keep in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis.
Fishing was once the island’s essential trade. Backpackers had been drawn right here by the laid again vibes and pristine seashores. In recent times Phu Quoc has turn out to be much more industrial with costs to match.
We stayed on Khem Seashore within the south of the island the place there’s a free shuttle bus to take you to the retailers, eating places and nightly firework shows at Sundown City in addition to the Hon Thom Cable Automobile to the Aquatopia Water Park and different sights on Hon Thom Island.
Nevertheless we flew to Phu Quoc to calm down on the finish of a busy fortnight and selected to not go away our 5 star resort.
For 2 full days we whizzed down slides on the waterpark, dipped our toes within the turquoise sea and pranced round on inflatable unicorns.
The lodging and services had been wonderful and, I feel, fairly good worth for a beautiful three bed room villa with a non-public pool and a powerful breakfast buffet thrown in. The one kicker was the value of the opposite food and drinks which was a lot dearer than on the mainland
Learn our full evaluation of our family-friendly Phu Quoc Resort.
The place we stayed: New World Phu Quoc Resort*.
Do you want a visa for 2 weeks in Vietnam?
We’re UK passport holders and once we visited in July to August 2024 we didn’t require a visa for our two weeks in Vietnam. In truth we might have stayed for as much as 45 days.
A bit of recommendation I did take note of in my Lonely Planet information ebook was to examine the arrival date stamp earlier than you permit immigration. If the stamp hasn’t been modified to that days date you can be quick modified.
That is good recommendation wherever you’re holidaying notably if there’s a free however time restricted visa.
If you’re from the UK examine the newest visa necessities on the gov.uk web site.
Different nationalities ought to examine their authorities’s official web sites for journey recommendation.
What to eat
The meals in Vietnam was an enormous spotlight for our hungry children. They beloved Ban Mi, Pho and spring rolls.
The meals was unbelievable in all places we went, from small cafes in Hanoi to road meals markets in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis to posh nosh spots in Hoi An. And it was so moderately priced, besides in our Phu Quoc resort, which was extortionate as compared.
The espresso was an enormous shock too. Who knew Vietnam was a caffeine lover’s paradise?! Salt espresso and egg espresso with candy and frothy condensed milk are to die for.
If you’re visiting Vietnam for the primary time I’d advocate together with a road meals tour* in your itinerary. Ours actually opened our eyes to what was on the menu right here and made us extra adventurous.
What to pack for Vietnam
We don’t pack gentle and had 23kg of baggage allowance every for our worldwide and inner flights. So in case you are intending to simply convey a backpack you’ll need to adapt my options to your journey type.
Having stated that each our ladies travelled with a small suitcase and, usually, my mum bag was the place all of the extras just like the seashore bag, journey video games and first support equipment ended up.
So with out supplying you with a blow by blow packing listing, right here’s our suggestions for what to pack when you comply with an analogous itinerary as us:
What to pack for sightseeing
Lengthy or cropped trousers, t-shirts and shirts made out of cotton with strong sandals or trainers are the perfect garments for exploring. Don’t neglect your hat and solar glasses too.
Shorts are acceptable however you received’t see many Vietnamese sporting them as they like to not tan.
If you’re visiting a temple then your shoulders and knees have to be coated. That is additionally anticipated when visiting locations of nationwide significance like Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum in Hanoi.
Women: chub rub type shorts are your pal when you resolve to go for floaty attire within the warmth!
Seashore and pool days
Swim fits or bikinis are wonderful at public seashores and resort swimming pools. However topless sunbathing could be a step to far.
I’d commend bringing lengthy sleeve, UV protecting swim fits or rash vests in your complete household particularly in case you are doing a kayaking or snorkelling journey.
Pack flip flops for the seashore – the sand can be sizzling – and water sneakers for boat journeys. We additionally threw in a number of light-weight towels which got here in helpful once we visited An Bang Seashore in Hoi An. Towels had been offered in any respect our inns and our Ha Lengthy Bay cruise.
Additionally, don’t neglect swim goggles for the youngsters. We ended up shopping for some in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis as a result of we’d solely packed one pair. We knew there would have been arguments once we bought to our pool days in Phu Quoc.
Different issues to pack for Vietnam
You should buy most belongings you would possibly neglect to pack. In my expertise, there’s all the time one thing that drops off the listing!
Nevertheless there are some particular issues I’d advise bringing in your two weeks in Vietnam:
- Issue 50 solar cream – it doesn’t take lengthy to get burnt in the summertime solar in Vietnam
- Insect repellant* – all the locations we visited had been malaria free so there was no want for anti-malarials however there are nonetheless mosquitos about they usually can carry different nasty ailments
- Common journey adaptor* – Vietnam has Sort A, C and F plug sockets so that you want an adaptor that may work for one or all of those
- First support equipment – we all the time journey with a bit of bag of plasters, anti-septic cream, Sudocrem, a bug chunk zapper, rehydration sachets, paracetamol, Immodium and Rennies.
- Moist wipes and tissues – these are straightforward to return by in Vietnam however have a pack or two in your day bag for speedy use. We didn’t come throughout a squat and drop bathroom throughout our complete two weeks however they’re there.
Issues we packed however didn’t use
I hate writing it however we didn’t use our reusable water bottles. It’s finest to not drink the faucet water in Vietnam and all our resort lodging offered plastic bottles of water within the rooms.
Our cruise was the one lodging that had refillable glass bottles within the cabin.
When to go to Vietnam
We had been tied to the varsity holidays for our journey and the summer season was the one time we might get two full weeks off altogether.
July and August are the monsoon season for a lot of Vietnam and we did get rain in every place we stayed. In truth we noticed all types of climate from excessive humidity in Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh Metropolis to torrential downpours in Ha Lengthy Bay and Phu Quoc.
The moist days had been nonetheless heat. We sat beside the pool in Phu Quoc in heaving rain nevertheless it was nonetheless 27°C.
When the solar was shining there was excessive humidity and temperatures over 30°C. We prevented being out in the midst of the day except we had been within the shade.
The changeable climate didn’t put a dampener on our journey.
Nevertheless, when you can solely vacation for 2 weeks in Vietnam and need to keep away from the sticky, moist season then visiting throughout the Easter holidays is the higher time of yr.
Nevertheless anticipate the climate to vary by area. Within the spring you’ll discover cooler temperatures within the north and hotter temperatures within the south.
Extra from our 2 week Vietnam itinerary
You possibly can see extra from our complete two week Vietnam vacation by testing my Instagram account the place there are three Tales and loads of grid posts about our experiences.
Extra vacation itineraries for households
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Disclosure: this publish accommodates affiliate hyperlinks marked with *. In the event you click on on one in all these and make a purchase order I’ll earn some fee. This doesn’t have an effect on the value you pay.