Day 1: Hanoi Arrival & Street Food Crawl

Arrive in Hanoi and drop bags in the Old Quarter. Spend the afternoon at Hoan Kiem Lake and the Temple of Literature (Vietnam’s first university, 1076). When your stomach starts rumbling, join a street food walk through the Old Quarter’s maze of alleys. Start with phở, follow with bún chả (grilled pork noodles), and finish with egg coffee at Café Giảng. End the night with a beer on Tạ Hiện Street’s famous bia hơi corner.

Accommodation: Old Quarter guesthouse ($15–25/night).

Costs: Temple of Literature ($1.30), street food dinner ($4–6), egg coffee ($1.50).

Day 2: Hanoi — Ho Chi Minh Complex & Ha Long Bay Departure

Early morning visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex (open 7:30–10:30 AM) — see the mausoleum, the One Pillar Pagoda, and Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house. Grab a late breakfast, then check out and head to Ha Long Bay. Alternatively, skip the bay and take a Hanoi city deep-dive: Dong Xuan Market, Train Street, and the Museum of Literature.

Option A (with Ha Long): Bus to Ha Long Bay ($10–15), overnight cruise ($50–80).

Option B (city focus): Additional museum entries ($1–3), street food lunch ($2–4).

Day 3: Fly to Hoi An — Lanterns & Night Market

Fly from Hanoi to Da Nang (1.5 hours, $30–60). Taxi to Hoi An (30 mins, $10–15). Check into your homestay and spend the afternoon exploring the ancient Old Town. As the sun sets, Hoi An transforms — thousands of silk lanterns illuminate the streets. Walk the night market along the river, try bánh mì from Madam Khanh, and eat white rose dumplings at a riverfront spot.

Flight: Hanoi → Da Nang ($30–60 Vietjet/Bamboo).

Accommodation: Hoi An Old Town homestay ($12–25/night).

Day 4: Hoi An — Cooking & Cycling

Morning: join a cooking class ($25–40) that starts with a trip to Hoi An’s central market followed by a boat ride to a cooking school on the river. Learn to make cao lầu, spring rolls, and fish in banana leaf. Afternoon: cycle 4 km through rice paddies to An Bang Beach. Swim, read, and eat grilled seafood before cycling back through the sunset-lit fields.

Cooking class: $25–40 including market tour, boat ride, and 4 dishes.

Bike: Free from most accommodations.

Day 5: Fly to Saigon — Cu Chi Tunnels Half-Day

Morning flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City (1.5 hours, $30–60). Check into your District 1 accommodation. Book a half-day tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels ($15–25) for the afternoon — you’ll learn about the incredible 250 km underground network, crawl through widened tunnel sections, and see the ingenious booby trap displays. Return to Saigon in the evening for a street food dinner in District 1.

Flight: Da Nang → Ho Chi Minh City ($30–60).

Cu Chi tour: $15–25 including bus, guide, and entry.

Accommodation: District 1 hostel ($8–15) or hotel ($20–35).

Day 6: Saigon — War Remnants Museum & Ben Thanh Market

Start at the War Remnants Museum (go early, 7:30 AM, to avoid crowds — it’s heavy but essential). Walk to the Notre-Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office for colonial architecture. Lunch at Bến Thành Market’s food court. Spend the afternoon shopping at the market (bargain hard) or exploring the rooftop bars along Đồng Khởi Street. Evening: join a Vespa food tour ($45–60) for a final feast across the city on the back of a scooter.

War Remnants Museum: $1.70, allow 1.5–2 hours.

Vespa food tour: $45–60 — 5 stops, 4 hours, unforgettable.

Day 7: Saigon Departure

Last morning: grab a final bánh mì from Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa (the legendary packed version with pâté and cold cuts). Pick up any last souvenirs at the street market on Lê Lợi Boulevard. Head to Tân Sơn Nhất Airport for your departure flight. If your flight is late evening, consider a morning trip to the Jade Emperor Pagoda — one of Saigon’s most atmospheric Chinese temples.

Departure: Airport transfer by Grab ($8–12). Allow 2 hours before flight.

Jade Emperor Pagoda: Free, 15-minute taxi from District 1.