International · Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam · Sea level to 3,143 m (Fansipan); multi-region North–Central–South
Vietnam is three countries in one itinerary — ancient Hanoi alleys, Halong Bay's limestone theatre, and Hoi An lanterns — all at a price that makes five-star feel budget.
Vietnam delivers epic visual range — karst bays, terraced highlands, imperial citadels, colonial beach towns — compressed into a flyable 1,650 km strip. Street food culture rivals any on earth, and mid-range hospitality punches well above its price tag for Indian travellers on 6-10 day breaks.
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In season, days sit around 27° and nights near 18°.
What you'll see & do
The sights worth the trip, and how to spend the days around them.
To see
- Halong Bay — 1,600 limestone karsts rising from emerald water
- Hoi An Ancient Town — UNESCO lantern-lit trading port
- Hue Imperial Citadel and royal tombs
- Phong Nha-Ke Bang caves (Son Doong / Paradise Cave)
To do
- 2-night Halong Bay cruise — kayaking sea caves, floating villages, sunrise on deck
- Ha Giang motorbike loop — 350 km mountain circuit through Dong Van karst plateau
- Hoi An cooking class — market tour, clay pot fish, fresh spring rolls
- Phong Nha cave kayak through Paradise or Dark Cave
Before you go
- Hoi An and Hue flood severely October–November from typhoon runoff; book only with travel insurance and fully flexible/refundable hotels in that window.
- Halong Bay has a serious quality gap: boats under US $80/night carry poor safety records; require mid-tier licensed operators such as Paradise, Indochina Junk, or Heritage Line.
- Tet (late Jan/Feb) shuts restaurants, museums, and transport for 4–7 days and closes government offices and banks for the full 7-day public holiday; prices triple — book 3–4 months ahead or route clients around this window entirely.
Days, already shaped
3-day plan
- Hanoi: Old Quarter walk, Hoan Kiem Lake, Temple of Literature, egg coffee, bun cha dinner
- Halong Bay overnight cruise: limestone karsts, kayaking sea caves, floating village, sunset drinks
- Return Hanoi by noon: quick Ninh Binh pagoda stop or same-day flight south
5-day plan
- Arrive Hanoi: Old Quarter, Thang Long Water Puppets, bia hoi corner
- Halong Bay cruise: kayak sea caves, fishing village, sunrise on deck
- Fly Hanoi→Da Nang; transfer to Hoi An; Ancient Town, lantern riverside dinner
- Hoi An: tailors, cooking class, My Son Cham ruins afternoon
- Da Nang: Marble Mountains, Dragon Bridge; evening flight home
7-day plan
- Arrive Hanoi: Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem, Thang Long Water Puppets, bun cha
- Halong Bay cruise day 1: karst kayak, floating village, cave walk
- Halong return Hanoi; afternoon flight south to Da Nang; Hoi An check-in
- Hoi An: Ancient Town, tailors, white rose dumplings, lantern release at dusk
- Hue day trip: Imperial Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda, royal tomb cycle, lemongrass beef
- Fly to HCMC: Cu Chi Tunnels, Ben Thanh Market, rooftop bar District 1
- Mekong Delta day tour: Cai Rang floating market, coconut candy factory, sampan canals
Getting there, permits & day trips
By air — IndiGo / Vietnam Airlines Delhi→Hanoi ~5 h direct (daily); Mumbai→HCMC ~5.5 h via Singapore or Bangkok (Vietnam Airlines, Vistara codeshare, Air Asia); return fares ₹18,000–38,000. Book 6–8 weeks out for Nov–Feb peak. Internal one-way flights (Hanoi↔Da Nang↔HCMC) on VietJet/Bamboo ₹1,800–5,500.
By rail — No rail link from India. Within Vietnam, Reunification Express Hanoi→HCMC covers 1,726 km in ~30 h; sleeper berths ₹1,200–2,800; scenic Hanoi→Da Nang segment (~16 h, overnight) worth it once.
By road — No viable road route from India. Within Vietnam, open-top tourist buses (The Sinh Tourist, Phuong Trang) link Hanoi–Hue–Hoi An–HCMC; budget option, 10–14 h per leg.
On a Driftibo trip we handle the transfers.
Permits & entry — Indian passport holders require a Vietnamese e-visa; no visa-free entry or visa on arrival is available. Apply at evisa.gov.vn (the current official portal since 11 November 2024); processing takes 3–5 business days, so apply before departure. Single-entry costs US $25 (~₹2,100); multiple-entry costs US $50 (~₹4,200); the visa is valid for up to 90 days. Standard routes (Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, HCMC) require no additional permits. The Ha Giang Loop sits in a border zone: all foreign visitors must collect a border-area travel permit ("Giấy phép vào khu vực biên giới") at the immigration/police office in Ha Giang City before setting off — not at a roadside checkpoint — at approximately VND 200,000–250,000 (~US $10 pp, same-day issuance on passport presentation); self-riders additionally need a valid home-country motorcycle licence and a 1968-convention International Driving Permit (IDP), as enforcement is now active and fines are significant. Son Doong cave is operated exclusively by Oxalis Adventure under an annual quota of 1,000 visitors; as of mid-2026 all tours are fully booked through 2027, making the realistic lead time 18 months to 2+ years ahead; price is approximately US $3,000 pp (VND 79,500,000) — reconfirm availability and open booking windows before quoting clients.
Day trips nearby
- Ninh Binh / Trang An (2 h south of Hanoi) — boat through limestone river gorges, Bai Dinh pagoda
- Sa Pa (5 h Hanoi by overnight train or 4.5 h new expressway) — rice terrace trek, Hmong villages
- Phong Nha caves (4 h south of Hue by hired car) — Paradise or Dark Cave, river kayak
- Phu Quoc island (1 h flight from HCMC) — beaches, night market, snorkel reefs; easy 2-night add-on
Seasons and access shift — we reconfirm every detail before we quote.