Vietnam : Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City in 8 Days
Even though Vietnam is a big country, you can get a very satisfying taste of it in 8 days. This is how: 3 days in Hanoi (including Halong Bay Cruise), 2 days in Hoi An and 3 days in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
Hanoi
Vietnam’s capital cannot be omitted from your visit to the country, mostly due its special character. I suggest you staying at the city’s old quarter which looks more like a village than a city. Old buildings, narrow streets, motorcycles at your every step, small restaurants with cute short stools (like having been made for Smurfs), create the image of the city which despite its dirtiness at many parts, is unique and unlike any other.
Walk around the old quarter and end up at the beautiful Hoan Kiem Lake. Vehicles are forbidden to enter the streets around the lake, and it makes it very easy to go around it. Don’t miss the opportunity to enter the Ngoc Son Temple (a beautiful temple located at a little island in the lake) by crossing the Welcoming Morning Sunlight Bridge and admire the Turtle Tower in the middle of the lake. During evenings Vietnamese dance groups use to rehearse by the lake offering a very nice performance to watch. Wander around the French Quarter until the Hanoi Opera House and from the other side of the lake make sure to visit St. Joseph Cathedral.
Do endless shopping and eat street food at the night market of Hang Duong Road. Be sure to haggle a lot and you will get nice products in very good prices (I loved the popular Vietnamese shirts full of bananas). Eat the typical Vietnamese sandwich (Banh Mi) at Banh Mi 25 and Banh Mi Hoi An. Drink the famous Vietnamese egg coffee at the Trung Coffee - The Coffee House and the full of colorful post it notes cafe The Note Coffee. Eat or have a drink at the extremely crowded during night P. Tạ Hiện street. If you have time and you like puppets, you must watch the water puppet show - one hour full of colors, water and music show- at Thang Long Water Puppet near the lake. There are lot of performances per day but make sure to buy your tickets in advance.
If you stray a little from the Old Quarter, you must visit the popular Hanoi Train Street Make sure to check the itineraries (there are only 2 trains per day) and arrive a lot earlier to ensure to get a nice spot at the street’s various little cafes, bars and restaurants full of colorful lanterns. The train passing that close to you is breathtaking. At walking distance from the Hanoi Train Street is located the Temple of Literature, an oasis of tranquility in the busy capital, full of calm gardens and ancient nice buildings.
A more historic place to visit is the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh which stands next to the Presidential Palace. Your knees and shoulders need to be covered, otherwise you will not be permitted to enter. For those interested in history and Vietnamese war at the same area is also located the Ho Chi Minh’s Museum. About 2 kilometers from the Presidential Palace stands a beautiful Pagoda, Tran Quoc Pagoda which also deserves your attention.
Halong Bay Cruise
You can’t leave Vietnam without visiting the marvelous Halong Bay. I am sure that all of you have seen photos of the sea with the endless rocks, islets and limestones. Well, it is time to experience it on your own and I ensure you that it is magic. There are many daily excursions from Hanoi as it is not more than 3 hours away by bus and you can choose your ideal cruise depending on your budget. I would advise you to book one with a slightly better ship and be more comfortable. The scenery of being around this full of rocks nature’s miracle is incredible. Usually during the cruise, there are 3 stops:
- Ti Top Island where you have two options during your stay (about an hour), either to climb up to its top and admire the view or swim at its sandy beach.
- Luon Cave where you can either do kayak till the cave, or If you are not in the mood of kayaking and want to enjoy the landscape you can enter in a little row boat to take you to the cave.
- Sung Sot Cave. You need to climb quite a few stairs to reach the cave as it is located up in the mountain. Nevertheless, it totally worths it as it is full of stalagmites and stalactites which make it impressive.
Hoi An Old Town
There are not enough words to describe this gorgeous little town which looks like a fairy tale, and it is my personal favorite. The closest airport to Hoi An is Da Nang (1 hour distance by car). There are many airlines with low-cost tickets from Hanoi (1 hour and a half flight).
Staying at the ancient town you can go around everywhere by foot exploring its narrow picturesque roads decorated with colorful lanterns and its canals full of little wooden boats. Take a boat ride down the river when it gets dark and feel like making a trip to another era. Visit the Chua Cau, a 18th century’s iconic bridge and admire the marvelous Hội Quán Phước Kiến temple. Visit its two big markets Hoi An night Market and Hoi An Market and don’t miss the chance to buy real pearls and typical Vietnamese hand painted conical hats and lanterns at a very good price (with a little bargain of course). Try delicious Vietnamese food next to Hoi An Night Market at Vy's Market Restaurant.
While wandering around the town, you can observe many tailors’ stores which is a must try experience during your stay. You can choose from a huge variety of dresses, suits, traditional costumes etc that the tailors will have them prepared for you in just a few hours. Make sure to go early in the morning to select your design and enjoy the whole experience. One of the most well know tailor stores is Tuong Tailor. There are also ready to wear clothes if you want to buy something with a lower budget but still beautiful.
Every night at the Hoi An Memories Land Theme Park, takes place the performance Hoi An Memories. It is a show occurring at one of the biggest outdoor theater stages that I have ever seen with more than 100 performers and spectacular sets and lights. It demonstrates different scenes from Vietnamese history and everyday life, and it is unique.
If you go a little further from the city center, you can ride a basket boat at Ba Tran Coconut Village. For about an hour you will go around the fishing village, passing through the green scenery while wearing your traditional Vietnamese conical hat. You will watch the instagrammable basket boat spinning and throwing of fishing net and you will take incredible photos among the bamboos and tropical trees. Don´t miss it.
Finally, a visit to the beach will be a perfect addition to your journey at Hoi An. The cleanest and most beautiful beach nearby the city is An Bang Beach (only 4 kilometers from the city center), a long sandy beach full of restaurants and cafes. Their sunbeds are free if you buy something to eat or drink. You can rent a bicycle to reach the beach or take a grab motorcycle which is very cheap and convenient.
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Saigon, the former Vietnam’s capital and current financial center of the country, certainly deserves a visit. Actually, it resembles more an actual capital than Hanoi. One more 1 ½ internal flight from Da Nang Airport is needed to reach the city which has a completely different sense.
You can start your tour from Saigon Central Post Office whose architecture combines both European and Asian styles and is one of the oldest. A nice idea is to send a post card to your friends and family. There are marvelous 3D postcards with Vietnamese scenes from everyday life that you can buy outside from the local street sellers. Next to the post office is located the Ho Chi Minh Book Street. Grab a coffee or tea and browse the book selections while admiring a collection of paintings and the Notre Damme Cathedral at the street’s end. Walk around and arrive at Ho Chi Ming City People’s Committee, a 20th century French colonial ex town hall in front of which stands with glory Ho Chi Minh’s statue, next to which completes the beautiful scenery the Opera House and a big music fountain. If you take the street D. Nguyen Hue with direction to the river, you can find a long pedestrian road full of local music and little stores. At the same road it is also located the popular Café Apartment -a building full of cafes and restaurants for all tastes and with a great view. At the end of D. Nguyen Hue Street, take a walk nearby the river or a boat ride to enjoy the lights of the city (especially during night). If you get hungry and you are in the mood for Japanese food and culture, go to Saigon Japan Town which is at walking distance. It is composed by narrow streets with Japanese little restaurants, bars and decoration.
A very special market that you can’t miss is Ben Thanh Market, a huge market with all the products that you could imagine, all gathered in one place. Be careful though! In this market the prices are 15-20 times more than any other market that you have visited in the country and needs a lot of bargains to get the products in good prices and not get ripped off. There is also a nice food market where you can find Vietnamese products and spices at very cheap prices. From the market you can take a grab motorcycle to take you to the beautiful pink church Tan Dinh Church. Ola Hale - Restaurant & Bar, is a perfect location to have a drink or eat with the stunning view of the Church.
Speaking about food I highly recommend Bep Me In - Nguyen Thai Binh, Secret Garden Restaurant (no cards are accepted) and Saigon Grill Pasteur in the center of Saigon. For those who love tea, I have the need to mention my favorite tea in Vietnam at Highlands Coffee called Tra Sen Vang. It is a cold tea with lotus seeds and whole water chestnuts- they even give you a spoon to eat the chestnuts (so yummy!). If you feel like partying Bui Vien Walking Street, a street full of clubs and bars is the ideal for you.
Mekong Delta/Cu Chi Tunnels/Vinh Trang Pagoda
An essential day trip from Ho Chi Minh City is a cruise to Mekong Delta, this long – not very clean but beautiful river. Depending on the part of Mekong Delta you can do a cruise by a motorboat and then a sampan boat ride through its scenery canals. You can explore its islets both on foot and by boat and observe the life of local people while tasting honey tea and fruits. You can also see how coconut candies are made with pandan leaves and fruits flavor. Your day trip to Mekong Delta can be combined with a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels or the Vinh Trang Pagoda. For those interested in the Vietnamese war, a visit to Cu Chi Tunnels is mandatory. You can see how the Vietnamese won the war and wander around the underground narrow paths experiencing the energy of this historic place (the entrance is not recommended for people with claustrophobia or back problems). Vinh Trang Pagoda on the other hand may not have the historic heavy load of the tunnels but is composed by a wonderful Buddhist temple that combines different architectural styles while its surroundings are breathtaking.
Survival tip from motorcycles in Vietnam: Vietnam is literally full of motorcycles, but this itself is not an issue. The problem is that they do not stop at traffic lights nor at pedestrian crossings making it extremely hard to cross the road. Locals just raise their hand and start crossing the street with a calm and stable pace which is the correct approach as the drivers are used to avoiding people crossing the street. Once, I was waiting for more than 15 minutes to cross the road under the sun and with no water. I am sure that if they were locals around me watching my attempts would have put bets on what time I will finally cross the street. Finally, I had two options, either to faint due to the heat or to start walking towards the motorcycles. So, I just started walking and I did it! It was easier than I was expecting. You will also get used to it, nevertheless the first times it is better to cross the street near to locals or other people trying to do so, to feel safer and more confident.
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