Sapa to Saigon

Who it is for

For a first trip to Vietnam that wants the country from end to end: the northern capital, the mountains, the old port of the centre and the southern metropolis.

Not for anyone who needs guaranteed dry weather at every stop: the country is long, and no single month is the best season in all four cities at once.

The strategy

Hanoi comes first, with two days for the lake, the Old Quarter, the citadel and the Temple of Literature. From there to Sapa it is about 313 km: 4 to 6 hours by executive minibus on the expressway, or the night train to Lào Cai, 8 to 9 hours, plus 33 km of mountain road. Sapa gets two full days, one for the Mường Hoa valley on foot and one for Fansipan, picking the clearer day for the cable car. Return to Hanoi the same way and fly on to Đà Nẵng, whose airport is 28 km from Hội An. Hội An gets three days: the old town, the bike ride through the Trà Quế gardens to An Bàng beach, and the Mỹ Sơn sanctuary, 43 km away, early in the morning. From Đà Nẵng, fly on to Ho Chi Minh City, whose airport is 7 km from the centre, with two days for the colonial centre and the War Remnants Museum, and for Chợ Lớn and the river. March is the closest fit: it falls in the best season for Sapa, Hội An and Ho Chi Minh City, while in Hanoi it is the month of nồm, humidity above 90% that makes the walls sweat, uncomfortable but closing nothing. Avoid October and November, when the Thu Bồn River often floods Hội An’s riverfront.

What you will see

• Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ngọc Sơn Temple, Hanoi. A 12-hectare lake in the center, with the Turtle Tower on a small island and the 19th-century Ngọc Sơn Temple, reached by the red Thê Húc bridge.
• Thung lũng Mường Hoa, Sa Pa. The valley of rice terraces south of town is the landscape that defines Sapa.
• Phố cổ Hội An, Hoi An. The old town is the whole ensemble, more than any single monument: narrow, deep merchant houses, with the shop at the front, the storeroom in the middle, and the family altar facing inward, double roofs of thin clay tiles, and facades painted yellow.
• Dinh Độc Lập, Ho Chi Minh City. Seat of the South Vietnamese government, designed by architect Ngô Viết Thụ and completed in 1966 over the ruins of the Norodom Palace.

Day by day

Hanoi

1. 1
   Day 1: The lake, the Old Quarter and the bia hơi corner

   
2. 2
   Day 2: Ba Đình, the citadel and official history

   1. 4Imperial Citadel of Thăng LongWorth a visit
   2. 3Temple of LiteratureEssential
   3. 6Hỏa Lò PrisonUp to half an hourWorth a visit
3. 3
   Day 3: West Lake, the river and a slower day · if you have more time

   1. 9Vietnam Museum of EthnologyOne to two hoursIf there is time
   2. 8Long Biên BridgeUp to half an hourIf there is time

Sa Pa

1. 4
   Day 4: Fansipan and the center

   1. 1FansipanHalf a day or moreEssential
2. 5
   Day 5: The Mường Hoa Valley on foot
3. 6
   Day 6: Cát Cát, the waterfalls and Ô Quy Hồ · if you have more time

   1. Thác BạcUp to half an hourIf there is time
   2. 8Tả PhìnOne to two hoursWorth a visit

Hoi An

1. 7
   Day 7: The old town, from morning to lanterns

   1. 2Chùa CầuUp to half an hourEssential
2. 8
   Day 8: By bicycle: gardens, beach, and palm forest
3. 9
   Day 9: Mỹ Sơn (day trip) · if you have more time

Ho Chi Minh City

1. 10
   Day 10: The colonial center and the war
2. 11
   Day 11: Chợ Lớn and the river

   1. 9Landmark 81 and BitexcoIf there is time
3. 12
   Day 12: Tunnels, market, and farewell · if you have more time