Vietnam north to south in 2 weeks — the least-rushed version
Seeing north, centre and south in two weeks is doable, but you will spend a big share of it in transit and go home tired. If you want the sampler anyway, this is the least-bad shape: two flights, no same-day cruise-to-airport scrambles, and Hoi An as the slow middle.
- Days
- 14
- Stops
- 5
- Internal flights
- 2
- Best months
- March–April
- Mid-range, pp
- $1,085
- Hanoi · 2n
- Sapa · 2n
- Hanoi · 1n
- Hoi An · 4n
- Ho Chi Minh City · 2n
- Mekong Delta (Can Tho) · 1n
- Ho Chi Minh City · 1n
When this route works
- JanGood
- FebGood
- MarPrime time
- AprPrime time
- MayGood
- JunMixed
- JulAvoid
- AugAvoid
- SepMixed
- OctMixed
- NovMixed
- DecGood
- Hanoi, July–August: Jul: peak heat & humidity; Aug: hot, humid, stormy.
- Sapa, July–August: Jul: peak monsoon; Aug: wettest month.
- Hoi An, October–November: Oct: flood season begins; Nov: peak flooding & typhoons.
- Ho Chi Minh City, September–October: Sep: wettest stretch; Oct: heavy rain & flooding.
- Mekong Delta (Can Tho), September–October: Sep: wettest stretch; Oct: heavy rain & flooding.
We have no separate calendar for Mekong Delta (Can Tho) (uses the southern wet/dry calendar), so treat those verdicts as a close approximation.
Good fit
- Travellers who genuinely want a taste of all three regions
- Return visits are unlikely and breadth matters most
Not for
- First-timers who want to come home rested — the two-week north + central route is better
Day by day
Days 1–2 · 2 nights
Hanoi
The capital and the north’s hub — best explored on foot and through food.
- Day 1:
Grab to the Old Quarter. Jet-lag day: a bowl of pho, a slow loop of Hoan Kiem Lake, early night.
- Day 2:
The real city: breakfast pho on a plastic stool, French Quarter walk, egg coffee, Temple of Literature, then West Lake at sunset and bun cha for dinner.
Days 3–4 · 2 nights
Sapa
Rice-terrace trekking with Hmong and Dao guides — book the guide, not the package.
- Day 3:
Hanoi → Sapa · Limousine van · 5–6h · $13–20
Direct expressway van, the standard choice. Day or night departures.
Arrive by limousine van mid-afternoon. Walk the town, confirm tomorrow’s trek with your guide, eat early.
- Day 4:
Full-day trek through the valley villages with a local guide (Sapa Sisters or Sapa O’Chau), ending at a family homestay.
Day 5 · 1 night
Hanoi
The capital and the north’s hub — best explored on foot and through food.
- Day 5:
Sapa → Hanoi · Limousine van · 5–6h · $13–20
Direct expressway van, the standard choice. Day or night departures.
One neighbourhood, properly: the Ba Dinh / mausoleum area (closed Mondays and Fridays), a Dong Xuan market run, or a half day at Bat Trang ceramic village.
Days 6–9 · 4 nights
Hoi An
Where the trip slows down: cooking schools, tailors, rice-paddy cycling, beach.
- Day 6:
Hanoi → Da Nang · Flight · 1h20 · $35–70
Frequent, cheap, the obvious choice. Da Nang is the gateway to Hoi An.
Da Nang → Hoi An · Taxi / transfer · 40–50min · $12–18
Grab or a private car. Hoi An has no airport or train station — Da Nang is its hub.
Transfer from Da Nang airport (Hoi An has no airport or station). Easy afternoon in the old town, lanterns after dark.
- Day 7:
Morning cooking class (half day, you cook lunch). Afternoon tailor visit if you plan to commission anything.
- Day 8:
Bicycle through the paddies to Tra Que village, then An Bang beach and seafood.
- Day 9:
Second tailor fitting, or a Cham Islands day trip if the sea is calm. Night market in the evening.
Days 10–11 · 2 nights
Ho Chi Minh City
Saigon — fast, loud, and best understood by neighbourhood.
- Day 10:
Hoi An → Da Nang · Taxi / transfer · 40–50min · $12–18
Grab or a private car. Hoi An has no airport or train station — Da Nang is its hub.
Da Nang → Ho Chi Minh City · Flight · 1h25 · $35–70
The default. Da Nang–HCMC is one of the busiest, cheapest routes in the country.
District 1 essentials: a hu tieu lunch, the walking circuit, Reunification Palace, then a rooftop at sunset.
- Day 11:
Cho Lon (District 5) in the morning, Thao Dien in the afternoon, back to District 1 for dinner.
Day 12 · 1 night
Mekong Delta (Can Tho)
Base in Can Tho for the real floating market — not the one-day Saigon tour.
- Day 12:
Ho Chi Minh City → Mekong (Can Tho) · Limousine van · 3.5–4h · $8–14
Vans to Can Tho, the delta hub for the floating markets.
Van to Can Tho, arrive afternoon. Walk the riverfront, eat at a local spot.
Day 13 · 1 night
Ho Chi Minh City
Saigon — fast, loud, and best understood by neighbourhood.
- Day 13:
Mekong (Can Tho) → Ho Chi Minh City · Limousine van · 3.5–4h · $8–14
Vans to Can Tho, the delta hub for the floating markets.
War Remnants Museum in the morning and District 3 in the afternoon — or the half-day Cu Chi tunnels trip if the war history is why you came.
Day 14
Fly home
- Day 14:
Fly home from Ho Chi Minh City. A mid-afternoon flight keeps the last morning relaxed.
What it costs
Shoestring$515per person · Dorms, street food, Grab and your own two feet.Show breakdown
- Accommodation
- $234
- Food
- $234
- Drinks & coffee
- $52
- Local transport (Grab / taxi)
- $104
- Activities & entries
- $104
- Buffer (water, SIM, snacks)
- $78
- Inter-city transport
- $224
- Total for 2
- $1,030
2 dorm beds × 13 nights
6 bus, train or flight legs at published fares
Comfortable$1,085per person · Private rooms, mix of street and restaurants, the odd day trip.Show breakdown
- Accommodation
- $520
- Food
- $468
- Drinks & coffee
- $130
- Local transport (Grab / taxi)
- $182
- Activities & entries
- $390
- Buffer (water, SIM, snacks)
- $156
- Inter-city transport
- $324
- Total for 2
- $2,170
1 room × 13 nights
6 bus, train or flight legs at published fares
Premium$3,133per person · Boutique hotels, good restaurants, private drivers and guides.Show breakdown
- Accommodation
- $1,950
- Food
- $1,300
- Drinks & coffee
- $520
- Local transport (Grab / taxi)
- $520
- Activities & entries
- $1,170
- Buffer (water, SIM, snacks)
- $390
- Inter-city transport
- $416
- Total for 2
- $6,266
1 room × 13 nights
6 bus, train or flight legs at published fares
2 travellers sharing rooms, excluding international flights. Daily rates come from our budget calculator, deliberately on the conservative side.
What this route leaves out — and why
- Halong Bay
- Fitting a cruise in means a same-day cruise-to-flight connection that ruins both. Drop it or drop the south.
- Ha Giang
- The loop needs three to four days; on this route Sapa is the shorter mountain stop that fits.
The 14-day north-to-south Vietnam trip — common questions
- Can you see all of Vietnam in 2 weeks?
- Only as a sampler. The country is about 1,650 km long with three climate zones, so a north-to-south trip in 14 days means two internal flights and a lot of transit. It works if breadth is the goal; most first-timers enjoy a two-region trip more.
- How much does this 14-day north-to-south Vietnam itinerary cost?
- Per person, two travellers sharing rooms, excluding international flights: about $515 shoestring, $1,085 comfortable, $3,133 premium. That covers lodging, food, local transport, activities, inter-city legs at published fares, and big one-offs like the loop or a cruise.
- When is the best time for this 14-day north-to-south Vietnam route?
- March–April — when the route rates best overall, weighted by nights at each stop. Avoid July–August in Hanoi (Jul: peak heat & humidity; Aug: hot, humid, stormy); July–August in Sapa (Jul: peak monsoon; Aug: wettest month); October–November in Hoi An (Oct: flood season begins; Nov: peak flooding & typhoons); September–October in Ho Chi Minh City (Sep: wettest stretch; Oct: heavy rain & flooding); September–October in Mekong Delta (Can Tho) (Sep: wettest stretch; Oct: heavy rain & flooding).
- How many internal flights does this 14-day north-to-south Vietnam route need?
- 2 internal flights; the remaining 6 legs are by road, rail or boat.