The trip
Overview
Vietnam is best read top to bottom: begin in Hanoi, where old French shopfronts lean over streets given entirely to noodle stalls and motorbikes, and finish in Ho Chi Minh City, which runs at roughly twice the speed of anywhere else in the country. Between the two come a night on a boat among the limestone islands of Ha Long or quieter Lan Ha Bay, and three slow days in Hoi An, the lantern-hung trading port that tailors still run.
This eleven-night routing uses short internal flights to keep the map honest — Vietnam is over 1,600 kilometres long, and we would rather you spend the time in places than on roads. Direct flights link Dubai with both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, so the trip flies in one end and out the other with no repeated ground.
Food threads the whole journey: pho eaten on tiny stools in Hanoi, a cooking class in Hoi An, banh mi from a market counter in Saigon. Bring an appetite and loose expectations of lunchtime.
Highlights
- ✦Hanoi old quarter walking food tour — pho, egg coffee, bia hoi corners
- ✦Overnight cruise among the karsts of Lan Ha or Ha Long Bay
- ✦Three nights in Hoi An's old town with a lantern-lit evening
- ✦Hoi An cooking class starting at the central market
- ✦Cu Chi tunnels and the War Remnants Museum from Ho Chi Minh City
- ✦Optional tailoring session — suits and dresses made in 48 hours
Who it suits
- ●First-time Vietnam travellers who want the full arc of the country
- ●Food-led couples and friends — this is one of Asia's great eating routes
- ●UAE residents with ten to twelve days over winter or Eid breaks
Why this journey works
- ✓In one end, out the other: direct Dubai flights serve both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
- ✓Internal flights replace the punishing overland distances
- ✓One boat night delivers the bay without committing two days to it
- ✓Hoi An's three nights give the trip a still centre
Day by day
Days 1–3
Hanoi — noodles, lakes and the old quarter
Fly overnight from the UAE and land into Hanoi's agreeable chaos. Three nights in a boutique hotel near Hoan Kiem Lake. A guided street-food walk on the first evening recalibrates everyone's idea of dinner; day two covers the Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum quarter and the train-street cafés; day three is loose — cyclo ride, water-puppet theatre, or simply more pho.
Day 4
Lan Ha Bay — a night among the karsts
Drive east to the coast and board a small premium cruiser — we prefer Lan Ha Bay, the quieter southern reach of the same seascape as Ha Long. The afternoon brings kayaking into lagoons ringed by limestone towers and a swim off the boat; dinner is seafood on deck as the karsts go grey-blue in the dusk. Cabins are compact but genuinely comfortable.
Days 5–8
Hoi An — lanterns, tailors and the beach nearby
Return to Hanoi and fly to Danang, thirty minutes from Hoi An. Three nights in a riverside or old-town boutique hotel. The cooking class begins with a market shop for herbs and river fish; the old town rewards early mornings before the day-trippers arrive; and An Bang beach is a ten-minute taxi when you want sand. Tailors can cut a suit or dress in two days — order early in your stay. Evenings, the lanterns come on and the river fills with candle boats.
Days 9–11
Ho Chi Minh City — the accelerating south
Fly south for the final three nights. Saigon, as most locals still call it, is rooftop bars, colonial landmarks and ten million motorbikes. A guided day takes in the War Remnants Museum, the Central Post Office and Ben Thanh market, with a half-day out to the Cu Chi tunnels for those who want the history underground. The last evening deserves a rooftop table and a slow review of everything eaten since Hanoi.
Day 12
Fly home from the south
Direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City back to Dubai — no backtracking, home the same day.
When to go
Vietnam runs three climates at once: the north is coolest and driest from October to April, the centre around Hoi An is best from February to August, and the south stays warm year-round with a rainy season from May to November. October to April suits this full-length routing best — we adjust the order for other months.
Planning around seasons, regions and style? Read the full Vietnam destination guide →
What’s included
- ✓Return flights from Dubai or Abu Dhabi, into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City
- ✓Internal flights and all private transfers
- ✓One night aboard a small premium cruise boat, full board
- ✓Ten hotel nights with daily breakfast
- ✓Guided touring in Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City
- ✓PCT travel consultant support before and during travel
Not included
- —Visas where required
- —Travel insurance
- —Meals not stated
- —Tailoring and personal shopping
- —Personal spending
Ways to extend it
- +Add three nights on Phu Quoc island for a beach finish
- +Include a night in Ninh Binh's river-and-karst country
- +Upgrade the bay cruise to a two-night sailing
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