Itinerary for One Week in Vietnam
Day 1: Hanoi Arrival
Certainly, after a long flight, you’d better not to do something hard, just take time relaxing and recover from a long flight route. If you are a stubborn traveler and want to take advantage of your time, don’t hesitate to take a short walk around the
Hanoi Old Quarter for a little sightseeing and then, back to your accommodation, find yourself a good meal and good night to fill up your energy for the following day.
Day 2: Hanoi City Tour & Sightseeing
Considered as the thousand-year-culture capital city of Vietnam, Hanoi is worth to spend one day in your
1 week in Vietnam to discover her corners. The highlights in the centre of Hanoi include Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex, Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison (or Museum of Ethnology), West Lake. If you didn’t visit the Old Quarter the previous day, today’s night is best time for you to walk around and step to the historic
Hoan Kiem Lake, which is very sparkling at night.
Day 3: Hanoi – Halong Bay
There are many tour booking offices in Hanoi Old Quarter for you to book a 2-day-1-night cruise in Halong Bay (perfect choice for a week in Vietnam). Don’t forget to do this on the previous day!
Wake up in the morning and pack your bag (don’t forget your outfit which is proper for swimming, you will not want to miss this chance) for cruise in Halong Bay, the most famous Natural World Heritage Site and in Nothern Vietnam and one of the
best places to visit in Vietnam. You will arrive in a harbor (depends on schedule you booked) at noon and board the cruise, check in room. Enjoy your cruise!
Day 4: Halong Bay – Ho Chi Minh City
Don’t miss the fresh air in Halong Bay in the early morning and the Tai Chi lesson on the cruise. Enjoy the last part of cruise and at noon, it’s time to say goodbye to Halong and return to Hanoi Airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Arriving in HCMC, it’s quite late, so you have nothing to do but put your back on a soft bed and immerse in a deep sleep.
Day 5: Cu Chi Tunnels & Ho Chi Minh City Tour
Don’t hurry to discover the vibrant Ho Chi Minh city immediately, let’s spend time to visit the historic
Cu Chi Tunnels first (60km from Ho Chi Minh City) to learn a little about Vietnam History. Back to HCMC at around 13.00 and you can start your city tour around with the recommended attractions: Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office, Reunification of Independence. The rest is for walking around the astonishing Chinatown.
Day 6: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong Delta – Can Tho
If you reply to somebody that “I didn’t visit Mekong Delta area in my trip to Vietnam in one week”, they will tell you that “You should come back there again to see it”. Mekong Delta is indispensable destination for any travel to Vietnam and it has been mentioned million times in any Vietnam travel guide. Reaching Mekong Delta today, don’t hesitate to visit Vietnam river life in Can Tho, where you will admire not only the bustling floating markets but also the peaceful life local people on the mighty river day by day. Stay here one night is simply a perfect idea.
Day 7: Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh – Departure
Last day! Yes, it’s time to finish your Vietnam 1 week itinerary and come back home. Transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City, pack your bag and head to the airport. Say goodbye and when reaching home, tell your friends that you had a great time in Vietnam in a week only.
Best Time for This One Week in Vietnam
You can follow this itinerary all year round but the best time is from October to February: it’s nice and not too hot but it is in high season. The period from May to September ending is in low season, everything is at good price but it sometimes rains in the North of Vietnam. Specially, the weather in May, June and July is very hot, sometimes it reaches 35°C-40°C.
Some Notes for One Week in Vietnam
If you have only one week in Vietnam and want to enjoy your trip at best, don’t think about visiting the Central Vietnam because it will cost you more money and more time for transfer (with 1 or 2 flights more). Moreover, you don’t have enough time to discover 30% of Central Vietnam.
What to Do in One Week in Vietnam
With one week in Vietnam, apart from visiting and sightseeing, you should not miss at least the experience with street food in Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh as well as the boat trip in Mekong Delta.
