# 3 weeks in Vietnam > Three-week Vietnam itinerary from Hanoi to Saigon: Sapa, the Ha Giang Loop by motorbike, Lan Ha Bay, Ninh Binh, Hue and Hoi An, with night bus and food tips. - URL: https://efficienttravellers.com/destinations/3-weeks-in-vietnam/ - Authors: Carola & Martín - Region: Asia - Published: 2025-05-16 - Places covered: Hanoi, Sapa, Ha Giang Loop, Lan Ha Bay, Ninh Binh, Hue / Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) - Authors' ratings: Budget-friendly 5/5, Adventure 4/5, Food 4/5, Overall 5/5 - Source: Efficient Travellers (https://efficienttravellers.com/) --- ## Let's start Vietnam is one of the countries we visited during our backpacking trip. If we had to summarize Vietnam in very few words, it would be “variety and nature”. It’s a country full of contrasts, with chaotic yet deeply traditional cities, unique landscapes you won’t find anywhere else, and a powerful history that’s still so present in people’s memories. ### Before you go - **Vaccines**: No special vaccinations are required—just the standard ones. - **Visa**: When we went, no visa was needed for stays of up to 30 days (with our Italian passports). Check the most current official information before you travel. - **Dengue**: Dengue fever is a real risk, and the consequences can be quite bad. Always carry a reliable insect repellent. - **Stomach flu**: Just be cautious—always drink bottled water and stick to well-cooked local food. If you do, you shouldn’t have any issues. - **Rainy season**: No need to stress! The weather is quite unpredictable, but at least according to our personal experience, when it rains it just consists of a quick (although maybe intense) storm that passes in about an hour. ![3-weeks-in-vietnam](https://efficienttravellers.com/images/posts/3-weeks-in-vietnam-img-1.webp) ## TL;DR - Vietnam is a land of contrasts: chaotic cities, peaceful nature, rich traditions, and deep history. The north is definitely the area with the most variety of activities and things to do. - Night buses are cheap, safe, and help you save on accommodation—great for long-distance travel. - There are two things that Vietnam is great for: unique food and amazing “fake” clothes and gear. You will find places to eat and buy clothes almost everywhere in the big cities. You have to learn to choose, but you can find incredibly good quality. Remember to bargain when buying clothes in these shops! - The Ha Giang Loop by motorbike is a must. Go solo if you can, instead of with easy riders–you have way more freedom to stop wherever you want and choose your own itinerary. - Vietnam is becoming increasingly touristy, so try visiting during the rainy season—since the weather is unpredictable anyway, it won’t make a huge difference. Also, make an effort to go off the beaten path for a more authentic experience. ## Efficiency tips ### Transportation from the airport If you land in Hanoi airport, there is a super cheap bus that goes to the center in about 1 hour, just outside the airport. Beware: you can pay only with cash. ### Money Always use your Wise or [Revolut](https://revolut.com/referral/?referral-code=martin_qh_ww83!OCT1-26-AR-L1&geo-redirect) card to have the best exchange rate, but be aware that a lot of activities don’t accept cards. It's not convenient to exchange cash since there are ATMs with no withdrawal fees, like **TP Bank** and **VP Bank**. ### SIM card If you are looking for a company that is not a tourist trap, we strongly recommend **Viettel**. Don't do the SIM card in the airport but go to a Viettel shop in a big city and do the local package, it works perfectly and it’s 7€ for a month (they will try to sell you the tourist package but it’s not convenient). ### Clothes Take with you clothes that dry fast and always have in your daily backpack a pair of long trousers for the temples. Laundry: it's full of places around. Just do a quick search on Google Maps. Prices could vary from 1 to 3€ per kilo. ### Night buses This is an awesome way to travel around Vietnam! You’ll find both day and night buses connecting the whole country. They’re safe, cheap, and reliable, plus you’ll save money on accommodation by traveling overnight. Most of the time, you can just ask your hostel or guesthouse, and they’ll sort out a budget-friendly ride for you. They typically don’t have a bathroom inside, so remember to go before getting on if you have a very long trip (although they usually make some stops to eat or go to the toilet). ### Shopping Vietnam is famous for its "fake" sports brand clothing, but honestly, the quality is usually great, especially for backpacks and duffle bags. It may take some time to find actual good-quality clothes, but if you do some research, you will eventually find them. Always remember to bargain! ## Authentic experiences 1. Do the Ha Giang Loop by motorbike 2. Take a local cooking class 3. Visit the most remote areas of northern Vietnam to really experience the local culture 4. Learn about the war by visiting museums and talking to people 5. Have a meal on a minuscule bench on the streets of Hanoi 6. Get a haircut on the street for €2 7. Visit Son Doong Cave, the largest in the world (we regret not doing it!) 8. Join the Lantern Festival in Hoi An (every 14th of the lunar month) 9. Get a tailor-made suit/dress in Hoi An for an incredibly cheap price ![3-weeks-in-vietnam](https://efficienttravellers.com/images/posts/3-weeks-in-vietnam-img-2.webp) ## Itinerary Ideally, you’d need four weeks to travel all of Vietnam, it's so big! That’s why, in this itinerary, we had to skip a few places in central Vietnam, which we regret—like **Son Doong Cave**. **The north** is definitely the most diverse in terms of both nature and cities, and it was by far our favorite part of the country! - 2 days in Hanoi - 4 days in Sa Pa - 3 days doing the Ha Giang loop (+ 1 day in Ha Giang) - 2 days in Cat Ba (to visit Lan Ha Bay) - 3 days in Ninh Binh - 2 days in Hue - 3 days in Hoi An - 3 days in Ho Chi Minh City (a.k.a. Saigon) ### 1. Hanoi Hanoi is definitely a chaotic city, but maybe that’s part of its charm. That said, we wouldn’t recommend staying more than **2-3 days**, especially considering the heavy pollution. If you’re a shopping lover, then the **Old Quarter** is your paradise–it’s packed with shops and street food spots everywhere. The city has several tourist landmarks, such as Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake, and the Ngoc Son Temple. However, we believe that they are not anything mind-blowing. Instead, the real fun of staying in Hanoi is trying all the food you can find and finding the best shopping deals (especially the “fake” clothes, particularly sporty ones) you can get. Maybe the gloomy weather didn’t help when we were there, and that’s why the landmarks didn’t catch our attention that much, but we still believe that wandering around with no real plan is actually the best way to experience Hanoi. One place that totally lives up to the hype is **Train Street**—super cool and definitely worth a visit, even if it's super touristy. We caught the train passing at **11:50 AM**, and all the cafés along the tracks are pretty similar in price and vibe. The train timings may change with time, so make sure to check out the most recent timetable when you’re there. ### 2. Sa Pa To get there, we took a **sleeping bus** booked through our hotel for €10. Sa Pa town itself is nice, but really just a stopover—you don’t need more than one night. It’s a great place to escape Southeast Asia’s humidity and enjoy the fresh mountain air. The main activity here is **trekking** with local guides through the **rice fields** and visiting the Hmong people (DM us for the contact of Zu, our amazing guide). The tour is totally worth it—well-organized and an easy trek. We’d recommend the 3-day trek (around €80) to fully experience the local culture. The landscape is beautiful, but not mind-blowing. Just a heads-up: in October, the rice fields are dry and yellow, so the best time to visit is from June to September. The real highlight? Staying with local families, eating delicious home-cooked meals, playing with the kids and animals, and asking all the questions you want about their culture. ### 3. Ha Giang Loop This is definitely one of the most stunning areas of all of Vietnam. You can’t skip it in your itinerary! Quick & Honest Guide: - Ha Giang City → nothing to do here, just useful to have a place to stay one night before starting the loop. - Motorbike rental → Get a semi-automatic (with gears) because of all the steep climbs and descents. We rented a 110cc for 5-7€/day. - International driving permit → fundamental, or you risk a $60 fine (police stopped us twice to ask for it). - Solo vs Group? → 100% Solo! It's absolutely worth doing it on your own. It’s not dangerous at all—just drive slowly and pay attention to your surroundings. However, do check the forecast before, since the bad weather may not only make it riskier but also ruin the sightseeing. Many people write that doing it solo is dangerous and stuff, but don’t let these blogs scare you! Check out this [Reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/VietNam/comments/1gqc23b/the_truth_about_the_ha_giang_loop/) to learn about our experience! #### Day 1 – The Longest but Most Stunning Route: Ha Giang → Heaven’s Gate → Yen Minh (with several stops in between) → Dong Van (overnight). Road conditions: Very good, fully paved. Views: Insane, especially towards the end! The best part of the loop is from Yen Minh to Meo Vac. #### Day 2 Since we were tired, we skipped Lung Cu Flag Point (doable if you wake up early). Route: drove down to Ma Pi Leng Pass, stopped for a long trek, then took a shortcut through the **DT181**. (**Warning: AVOID DT176 towards Du Gia—roads get bad!**). Road conditions: normal, not too bad. Stayed overnight in a random but super beautiful valley at **Duong Tong Eco House.** The number of huge mosquitoes here was overwhelming, since it was a deep rural area–remember to always have some repellent with you! #### Day 3 – Easy & Chill We got back to Ha Giang by 12:30; looking back, we could have fit more into Day 2. Road conditions: here roads were a bit rougher (gravel, rocks) but still manageable. Would we do it again? 100%. ### 4. Cat Ba (Lan Ha Bay) Cat Ba is mainly a jumping-off point for a Lan Ha Bay tour, the island itself is nothing special. We arrived there thanks to a night bus that we booked through the same agency as the tour (20€). The agency is **Beka Travel** and you can find the information about the tour [here](https://bekatravel.com/st_tour/from-hanoi-cat-ba-lan-ha-bay-full-day-boat-trip/) (30€ - later found also cheaper options). Some people stay overnight on the cruise, but honestly, once you’ve seen it, it’s not really worth it unless you just want to relax. The tour was nice—kayaking was a highlight, and the bay has way fewer boats than Ha Long Bay. The only downside was that we got back around 5 PM, before sunset (seems like all tours here do this). If you want a proper sunset view, Ha Long Bay might be a better option, though it’s way more touristy and annoyingly crowded. ### 5. Ninh Binh We took a 4-hour bus for €10. We suggest staying in **Tam Coc** instead of Ninh Binh city, which isn’t great. Here renting a motorbike is a must since everything is spread out—€4/day. #### Day 1 We started with a visit to the **Bai Dinh Buddhist complex**, which cost us €5 for entry. We opted for the walking ticket; the complex is massive, but it's manageable to explore on foot. The best part was by far the mountain caves inside the complex. After that, we headed to **Mua Cave Viewpoint** to catch the sunset. Entry was €4, and there are 500 steps to climb (a bit tiring but totally doable). It’s pretty touristy, but the view is definitely worth the effort. #### Day 2 On the second day, we rode around the **Van Long Wetland Reserve**. While the place itself isn’t particularly special, it was really interesting to see the non-touristy villages. It gave us a glimpse into the local way of life, which felt very authentic. Later, we did the **Trang An river tour** (€10), choosing the shorter Tour 2, which combines a little bit of everything—landscapes, caves, and temples. It’s definitely touristy, but the scenery is pretty unique, making it well worth the experience. #### Day 3 Our final day was spent visiting the charming **Bich Dong Pagoda**. It’s small, but it has a lovely, peaceful atmosphere. Afterwards, since it started raining, we spent the afternoon exploring Ninh Binh city and relaxing at the hostel. ### 6. Hue / Hoi An Unfortunately, we don’t have much to say about these two cities because we each caught a stomach bug and it was pouring rain, so we didn’t explore much. **Hue**: We took an overnight bus (€15), which was more affordable than the train, though the train ride could be a nice experience. In the morning, we walked around the city center, and in the afternoon, we visited the **Imperial City** (entry costs €10). It’s absolutely stunning, and we highly recommend taking a guided tour or joining a free walking tour to gain a deeper understanding of its history and significance. **Hoi An**: The city is small, and it’s nice to just get lost in its little streets on foot. The most beautiful part is the riverside, especially at night. It’s the perfect city for some shopping, especially if you want to get a custom-made suit for an insanely low price. ### 7. Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) To get to Ho Chi Minh City, we took a 15-hour night bus… which, of course, ended up taking like 3 hours more—way too long. If you’re not planning on making stops along the way, we’d definitely recommend flying instead. Highlights: - Breakfast at Apartment 42 (super touristy but cool concept). - War Remnants Museum (really interesting and well worth a visit). - Book Street & Notre Dame Cathedral. - A must-try: coconut coffee at Cộng Cà Phê—absolutely amazing! We also highly recommend doing a free walking tour around Saigon, a really nice way to explore the city. Another must-do: the Củ Chi Tunnels tour. We booked it through GetYourGuide ([link here](https://www.getyourguide.com/ciudad-ho-chi-minh-l272/ciudad-de-ho-chi-minh-visita-a-los-tuneles-de-cu-chi-t195248/)), and our guide, Bao, was amazing! The war history and all the stories behind it are just mind-blowing. ## Food Vietnam is an incredible place to try outstanding food for absurdly low prices. Their cuisine is super rich in variety and really high-quality as well, so it’s hard to come up with a list of must-tries that wouldn’t take years to read. This is just a quick summary according to our criteria and experience: Dishes that you must try while in Vietnam: - **Phở** (probably the most famous one). - **Bánh mì** (a Vietnamese staple, but you’ll find the best ones in Ho Chi Minh City). - **Bánh xèo** (one of our favorite Vietnamese dishes). - **Phở xào bò** (Martín’s favorite dish–meat lover alert– that is not so popular nor easy to find). - **Bún chả** (most typical in Hanoi). - **Bún bò Huế** (as the name indicates, you can only find the good ones in Huế). - **Bánh bao** (not strictly Vietnamese as it originated in China, but really popular anyway). Other dishes that are really popular but didn’t blow our minds: - **Bún bò Nam Bộ**. - **Bánh cuốn**. - **Cơm cháy** (typical from Ninh Bình–you probably won’t find it anywhere else). - **Cơm hến** (popular in Huế). Apart from the food listed above, you NEED to try the unusual Vietnamese coffees. In particular, the famous egg coffee (**cà phê trứng**) and, our favorite, the coconut coffee (**cà phê cốt dừa**). Regarding specific spots where to eat, these were our favorites (in no particular order): - [Cà Phê Lâm](https://maps.app.goo.gl/NCVx7d5vcz8egGsf7) (Hanoi): Classic old-school place to have the best, super creamy **cà phê trứng** you’ll find. There were no tourists when I went, just local guys enjoying their coffees. It has a fair price when compared to others in the area (40k VND or 1.30€). - [Mr Bảy Miền Tây - Bánh Xèo](https://maps.app.goo.gl/NKHuZaj5w4H8S5c5A) (Hanoi): Among the best meals we’ve had in Vietnam. Their **bánh xèo** is out of this world. It’s quite packed with tourists, and there are very few tables, so be ready to queue for a bit. It’s not very budget-friendly for Vietnamese standards (145k VND or 5€ for the chicken bánh xèo), but it’s totally worth it. - [Phở Xào Phú Mỹ](https://maps.app.goo.gl/NUQh5iAQXaCUJeu9A) (Hanoi): We found it recommended by a local on Reddit and it was glorious. The **phở xào bò** for 65k VND (2.20€) is just unbelievable: huge portion, massive amount of meat, and absolutely NO tourists. This place is the definition of a hidden gem. - [Ninh Loan Rose Restaurant](https://maps.app.goo.gl/d8ABQdLx1bGRJcw3A) (Tam Coc): Here you will find a rare dish that really blew Martín’s mind (meat again): stuffed tofu with meat (**đậu phụ nhồi thịt**) for 60k VND (2€). Apparently, it’s a classic in homemade food but really hard to find in restaurants. The place is aligned with this, as you basically eat in an extension of a family’s living room. Highly recommended. - [Bún Bò Thủy](https://maps.app.goo.gl/UtNVEDFxy5zx5aeu8) (Hue): You will find only locals eating here. The service is lightning fast. If you are looking for a traditional bún bò Huế at a local price (50k VND or 1.70€), this is THE spot. - [The Seeds Plant-Based Foods & Desserts/Tiệm Chay](https://maps.app.goo.gl/vQ54H6AXnGEJA1Xa6) (Hoi An): Not Vietnamese at all, but a really good place to eat vegan food if you need a break. It’s super good quality and really fair prices, too. The entrance is quite difficult to find, so check the reviews on Google Maps to get some instructions. - [Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa](https://maps.app.goo.gl/aZU5R7usxhNDjTod9) (Ho Chi Minh City): The bánh mì that makes all the rest we’ve tried before seem dull. This place has probably one of the best **bánh mì** in the country. They only sell one flavor (which is SUPER loaded with several types of meat and stuff that we couldn’t really identify). The sandwich is absurdly big despite the really low price (68k VND or 2.30€), so you’ll probably want to share it in two. The queue is quite long, but it advances really fast since they only do takeaway. - [Cộng Cà Phê](https://maps.app.goo.gl/y6ScMrXNHkQeAK9CA) (Ho Chi Minh City): It’s a chain so look for the one that is the closest to your position. Here we had our favorite **cà phê cốt dừa**, although this place violated our low-budget principles. It’s kind of on the pricey side since it’s kind of “instagrammable” (65k VND or 2.20€ for just one beverage–more expensive than most of our full meals!).