Day-by-day programme of this 15-day itinerary across From Hanoi and Halong to Hoi An and Saigon (north to south).
Day 1 — Arrival in Hanoi
Landing in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam: a chaotic, captivating city where the traffic of millions of scooters flows around lakes, pagodas and the maze of the old quarter.
- ✈️ Hanoi — Aeroporto Internazionale Noi Bai (HAN)
- 📍 Hoan Kiem Lake — Hoan Kiem Lake is the romantic heart of Hanoi: a mirror of water with the Turtle Pagoda at its centre and, on an islet reached by a red bridge, the Temple of the Jade Mountain. All around, the Old Quarter, a labyrinth of 36 historic streets where each once sold a different good; today it is a whirl of scooters, stalls, signs and the scents of street food. You let the gentle chaos sweep you up, before a first Vietnamese dinner.
- 🏨 Golden Legend Boutique Hotel — Quartiere Vecchio (Old Quarter), Hanoi
Day 2 — Hanoi of temples and street food
A full day in the capital: the oldest temple of learning, the mausoleum of the father of the nation, the street food and the water puppet theatre.
- 📍 Temple of Literature — The Temple of Literature, founded in 1070, is Vietnam's first university: an oasis of courtyards, pavilions, ponds and bonsai dedicated to Confucius, where mandarins were trained for centuries. The stone steles on the backs of turtles bear the engraved names of the graduates. It is Hanoi's most serene and beloved monument. From here you reach the great square where the founder of modern Vietnam rests.
- 📍 Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum — The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is Vietnam's most solemn monument: an imposing block of grey granite where the embalmed body of 'Uncle Ho', the leader who brought the country to independence, is displayed and venerated like a father. Beside it, the yellow Presidential Palace, his modest stilt house and the fairy-tale One Pillar Pagoda, on a single column amid a lotus pond. An almost sacred atmosphere. At midday, you dive into the flavours of the street.
- 🍽️ Hanoi Old Quarter food — Hanoi is one of the world's street-food capitals, and the cuisine of the north is the cradle of pho, the rice-noodle and beef soup that has conquered the world. Sitting on little plastic stools in the street you also taste bun cha (grilled pork skewers with noodles, the dish Obama ate here), banh mi (French-legacy sandwiches) and the famous egg coffee, with whipped egg cream. A lunch that is already a journey. In the afternoon you stroll the 36 streets, before the evening show.
- 🎯 Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre — Water puppetry (mua roi nuoc) is a unique Vietnamese art, born a thousand years ago in the flooded rice paddies of the north: the puppeteers, hidden behind a screen and immersed waist-deep in water, animate lacquered wooden figures dancing on the surface of a pool, among dragons, farmers and phoenixes, to live music. At the historic Thang Long theatre it is a poetic, delightful show. You dine nearby; tomorrow you head to the northern mountains, to Sapa.
Day 3 — Sapa and the terraced rice fields
Up to the mountainous north, to Sapa, among the most spectacular terraced rice fields in Vietnam and the villages of the ethnic minorities.
- 📍 Sapa — Sapa, at 1,600 metres in the north-western mountains, is surrounded by the most beautiful terraced rice fields in Vietnam, which step down the valleys changing colour with the seasons: brilliant green in summer, gold at harvest. It is the land of the ethnic minorities - Hmong, Dao, Tay - who live in the villages and sell their colourful textiles at the market. In the background rises Fansipan, the 'Roof of Indochina'. After a first view from above, you venture into the village of Cat Cat.
- 📍 Cat Cat Village — The village of Cat Cat, at the foot of Sapa, is the ancient settlement of the Black Hmong people: a descent among wooden houses, vegetable plots, looms, water mills and a waterfall, amid the rice fields. You meet women in traditional dress dyeing hemp with indigo and smiling children. It is a window onto Vietnam's mountain life. You return to Sapa for the night; tomorrow the real trek, down into the valley.
- 🏨 Sapa Centre Hotel — Centro, Sa Pa
Day 4 — Trekking in the Muong Hoa valley
A day of trekking in the Muong Hoa valley, among terraced rice fields, buffaloes and ethnic villages, before returning to Hanoi.
- 🎯 Muong Hoa Valley — Trekking in the Muong Hoa valley is the finest experience in Sapa: you walk for hours along the paths among the terraced rice fields, crossing the villages of Lao Chai and Ta Van, often accompanied by a Hmong guide. Water buffaloes in the fields, bamboo bridges, children running, green as far as the eye can see: it is the most authentic rural Vietnam, far from the city traffic. An unforgettable walk. In the afternoon you return to Sapa and, in the evening, set off back to Hanoi.
- 🍽️ Sapa - mountain dinner — Before leaving, dinner with Sapa's mountain flavours: 'running' pork, free-range and grilled; salmon and trout from the highland farms; spring rolls, stir-fried mountain greens and a shot of rice wine offered by the Hmong. A cool, welcoming atmosphere. Then you take the night train or bus to Hanoi: tomorrow you head south, into the pinnacle landscape of Ninh Binh.
- 🏨 Golden Legend Boutique Hotel — Quartiere Vecchio, Hanoi
Day 5 — Ninh Binh, the Halong on land
A trip south of Hanoi to Ninh Binh, where the limestone pinnacles of Halong Bay are repeated on land, among rivers, caves and rice fields.
- 🎯 Trang An — Trang An, a UNESCO site, is one of Vietnam's wonders: you board a small rowing boat, often steered by a woman who rows with her feet, and glide in silence among limestone towers cloaked in jungle, flooded rice fields and a series of low caves carved in the water, where you duck to pass. Between one temple and the next, it is the 'Halong Bay on land'. Pure magic. A few minutes away, a climb gives the view from above.
- 📍 Mua Cave — A staircase of nearly 500 steps climbs to the top of Mua Cave, where a small stone dragon serves as a viewpoint: from up there you enjoy Ninh Binh's most famous panorama, with the Ngo Dong river winding among the rice fields of Tam Coc and the pinnacles fading into the horizon. The climb rewards every step. You return to Hanoi for the evening; tomorrow the queen of the north: Halong Bay.
Day 6 — Halong Bay
Boarding the cruise in Halong Bay, a UNESCO site: nearly two thousand islands and rock pinnacles rising from the emerald sea.
- 🎯 Halong Bay — Halong Bay, a UNESCO site, is the symbol of Vietnam: nearly two thousand islands and limestone stacks, cloaked in vegetation, rising from an emerald-green sea like the backs of dragons (legend says dragons created them). You set sail on a traditional junk for an overnight cruise: you drift slowly among the pinnacles, with a seafood lunch on board. An unreal scene. In the afternoon you explore caves and paddle a kayak.
- 📍 Sung Sot Cave — Sung Sot Cave, the 'Cave of Surprises', is the most spectacular in the bay: huge underground chambers full of stalactites and stalagmites lit in colour, atop an island. After the visit you return on board for the loveliest moment: sunset over the bay, perhaps from a little beach or the junk's deck, drink in hand as the sun gilds the pinnacles. A seafood dinner and a night cradled by the water. Tomorrow you return ashore and fly to the centre of the country.
- 🏨 Oriental Sails — Giunca / crociera, Halong Bay
Day 7 — Flight to the centre: Hue
Return from the bay and flight to the centre of Vietnam, to Hue, the former capital of the emperors on the Perfume River.
- ✈️ Hanoi → Hue — Aeroporto di Hue Phu Bai (HUI)
- 📍 Thien Mu Pagoda — Thien Mu Pagoda, the 'Pagoda of the Celestial Lady', is the symbol of Hue: an octagonal seven-storey tower rising on a hill above the Perfume River, reflected in the water. It is the city's oldest Buddhist monastery; in its courtyard is kept the car in which a monk drove to Saigon to self-immolate in 1963. At sunset, with the monks praying, the atmosphere is magical. A short river cruise closes the day. Tomorrow the imperial city.
- 🏨 Moonlight Hotel Hue — Centro, Hue
Day 8 — Imperial Hue
A day among the splendours of Vietnam's last imperial dynasty: the forbidden Citadel and the monumental tombs of the emperors.
- 📍 Hue Imperial City — The Citadel of Hue was the capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945): a vast walled city on the Perfume River, inspired by Beijing's Forbidden City, with the Imperial City and, within it, the Purple Forbidden City reserved for the emperor. Bombed during the Vietnam War, it preserves monumental gates, gilded pavilions, courtyards and temples now being restored. A UNESCO site. After the walls, you head out into the countryside towards the tombs of the sovereigns.
- 📍 Tomb of Khai Dinh — The Nguyen emperors had monumental tombs built in the countryside around Hue, true residences for the afterlife. The most astonishing is that of Khai Dinh: a baroque fusion of Vietnamese and European style, all in blackened concrete outside and, within, a dazzling triumph of glass and porcelain mosaics. The nearby tomb of Tu Duc, set among pines and ponds, is more romantic. A plunge into the Vietnam of kings. Tomorrow you cross the country's most scenic pass towards Hoi An.
- 🍽️ Hue - imperial cuisine — Hue has a refined cuisine, the legacy of the imperial court: you taste bun bo Hue (the spicy noodle-and-beef soup that is the city's signature dish), banh beo and banh khoai (steamed rice cakes and pancakes) and the vegetarian dishes of the Buddhist monasteries. An elegant, spiced cuisine, different from that of the north. Tomorrow you leave early: the scenic road of the Hai Van Pass leads south.
Day 9 — The Hai Van Pass and Hoi An
A scenic transfer south: the Hai Van Pass sheer above the sea, the Marble Mountains of Da Nang and arrival in enchanting Hoi An.
- 📍 Hai Van Pass — The Hai Van Pass, the 'Ocean Cloud Pass', is the most beautiful scenic road in Vietnam: a series of hairpins climbing a headland sheer above the South China Sea, marking the climatic boundary between the country's north and south. At the top, old French and American bunkers and an immense view over the coast. Made famous too by an episode of Top Gear. You descend towards Da Nang for a stop among the sacred caves.
- 📍 Marble Mountains — The Marble Mountains, on the edge of Da Nang, are five hills of marble and limestone rising from the plain, studded with caves turned into Buddhist shrines, pagodas and viewpoints. You climb (by lift too) among altars lit by light filtering from above and enjoy the view over the long My Khe beach. All around, the workshops of the marble sculptors. Then a few kilometres lead to the jewel of the centre: Hoi An.
- 📍 Hoi An Ancient Town — Hoi An is the most enchanting town in Vietnam: an ancient trading port, a UNESCO site, left intact, with yellow wooden houses, Chinese temples, the famous Japanese Covered Bridge and thousands of colourful silk lanterns. Cars are banned from the old town. As darkness falls the lanterns light up, candles float on the river and the town becomes a dream. You stroll unhurried among tailors and cafes. You sleep here: it is the heart of the trip.
- 🏨 Hoi An Historic Hotel — Centro / vicino alla città vecchia, Hoi An
Day 10 — Hoi An, the city of lanterns
A day in Hoi An between the Japanese Bridge, the bespoke tailors, a cooking class and An Bang beach.
- 📍 Japanese Covered Bridge — The Japanese Covered Bridge is Hoi An's icon, depicted even on the banknotes: a 16th-century pedestrian bridge, in wood with a tiled roof and a small temple built in, raised by the Japanese community to connect with the Chinese quarter. Around it, the Chinese assembly halls, the merchants' house-museums and the market. In the morning, with fewer crowds, you lose yourself among the colours. In the afternoon you learn to cook Vietnamese-style.
- 🎯 Hoi An cooking class — Hoi An is the capital of cooking classes: you start at the market to choose ingredients, or at the Tra Que herb-garden village, then learn to make fresh spring rolls, banh xeo (the crispy crepe) and local specialities like cao lau (pork noodles, a legacy of trade with Japan) and white rose. You eat what you cook. The town is also famous for its tailors: a bespoke suit is ready in 24 hours. For the late afternoon, the beach.
- 📍 An Bang Beach — A few minutes by bike from the centre, An Bang beach is the right place to relax: golden sand, palms, beach-bar loungers and the warm South China Sea. At sunset you have a drink with your feet in the sand. Then you head back into town to live Hoi An by night, when the lit lanterns and the candles on the river make it unforgettable. Tomorrow a trip to the Cham ruins of My Son.
Day 11 — The Cham towers of My Son
A morning trip to the Hindu ruins of My Son, then a last afternoon and evening among the lanterns of Hoi An.
- 📍 My Son Sanctuary — My Son, a UNESCO site, is the most important site of the ancient Champa kingdom: a group of red-brick Hindu temple-towers, dedicated to Shiva, built between the 4th and 13th centuries and hidden in a verdant valley ringed by mountains. Many were damaged by American bombing, but the mysterious charm remains intact, among roots, moss and bas-reliefs. Vietnam's 'little Angkor'. You return to Hoi An to enjoy a last magical evening of lanterns.
- 🎯 Thu Bon River Hoi An — For the last evening in Hoi An you treat yourself to the most romantic experience: stepping into a little boat on the Thu Bon river at sunset, lighting a coloured paper candle and making a wish as you let it float away, among hundreds of other lights. The old town, reflected in the water and draped in lanterns, looks straight out of a fairy tale. You dine among the lit lanes. Tomorrow you fly south, to vibrant Saigon.
Day 12 — Flight to Saigon
Flight south to Ho Chi Minh City, the old Saigon: Vietnam's economic engine, chaotic, modern and marked by history.
- ✈️ Da Nang → Ho Chi Minh City — Aeroporto Tan Son Nhat (SGN)
- 📍 Reunification Palace — The Reunification Palace is where the Vietnam War ended: on 30 April 1975 a North Vietnamese tank smashed through its gates, marking the fall of Saigon and the end of the conflict. The interior is frozen in the 1970s: state rooms, the war map room, the underground bunker with the radios of the time. A plunge into recent history. A few steps away, the city's French colonial jewels.
- 📍 Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral — In the heart of District 1, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, in red brick imported from Marseille, and the old Central Post Office, designed in Belle Epoque style (said to be by Gustave Eiffel), tell of French colonial Saigon. All around, tree-lined avenues, cafes and the skyscrapers of the new city. You sip a Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk watching the endless waltz of scooters. In the evening, street food at the market. Tomorrow: the Cu Chi tunnels and the memory of the war.
- 🏨 Silverland Sakyo Hotel — Distretto 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Day 13 — The Cu Chi tunnels and the war
A day to understand the Vietnam War: the Viet Cong underground tunnels at Cu Chi and the moving war remnants museum.
- 🎯 Cu Chi Tunnels — The Cu Chi tunnels are a network of hundreds of kilometres of underground galleries dug by hand by the Viet Cong during the war: a maze of narrow tunnels on several levels, with meeting rooms, hospitals, kitchens and traps, from which the guerrillas vanished beneath the Americans' feet. You can crawl through a section widened for tourists and grasp the harsh conditions of that war. An intense experience. In the afternoon, the story of the conflict from the museum.
- 📍 War Remnants Museum — The War Remnants Museum tells, from the Vietnamese point of view, the horror of the war (1955-1975): in the courtyard American planes, tanks and helicopters, inside harrowing photographs of the bombings, the victims of Agent Orange and the fallen reporters. It is not an easy visit, but it is necessary to understand the country and its incredible capacity for rebirth and forgiveness. You leave in silence. In the evening, to lighten the mood, the colourful chaos of Ben Thanh market.
- 🍽️ Ben Thanh Market — Ben Thanh market is the belly of Saigon: by day stalls of spices, exotic fruit, coffee, fabrics and souvenirs; at sunset, all around, the southern street-food stalls light up. Southern cuisine is sweeter and richer than the north's: you taste banh xeo, noodles, fish and tropical fruit (mango, durian, dragon fruit). Saigon by night vibrates with energy. Tomorrow a trip into the green labyrinth of the Mekong Delta.
Day 14 — The Mekong Delta
A trip into the Mekong Delta, the 'rice bowl of Vietnam': a labyrinth of canals, rice fields, orchards and floating markets where life flows on the water.
- 🎯 Mekong Delta — The Mekong Delta is where the great river, after crossing half of Asia, frays into a thousand branches before reaching the sea: a lush plain of rice fields, orchards and villages on the water. You sail by boat through the palm-shaded canals, visit the craft workshops (coconut candy, puffed rice), lunch on 'elephant ear' fish and, rising early, see the vivid floating markets where everything is bought and sold from the boats. The most authentic, rural Vietnam. In the evening you return to Saigon.
- 🍽️ Saigon - farewell dinner — For the last dinner, a toast to Vietnam on a Saigon rooftop, with the lit city and the river of scooter lights below: a final round of flavours, from fresh spring rolls to fish, from tropical fruit to iced coffee. A journey that has crossed an entire country, from the northern rice fields to the pinnacles of Halong, from the lanterns of Hoi An to the canals of the Mekong. Tomorrow you head home: the flight leaves from Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 15 — Departure from Saigon
Last day: transfer to Ho Chi Minh City airport and the return flight, your heart full of a surprising country.
- ✈️ Ho Chi Minh City — Aeroporto Tan Son Nhat (SGN)
