Vietnam’s long S-shaped coastline has witnessed ancient kingdoms, dynastic capitals, French Indochina, and a modern boom. Today it’s a mosaic of lantern-lit lanes, emerald karst bays, and cities that hum with motorbikes and café chatter. In one week, you can taste both halves of the country: poetic Hanoi and high-energy Ho Chi Minh City.

Food is the heartbeat here—brothy pho at sunrise, smoky bún chả at lunch, and grilled shellfish with cold bia hơi by night. Coffee is serious business, from chocolatey robusta to velvety egg coffee. Expect friendly haggling at markets, scooters that part around you like a school of fish, and sunsets that paint limestone peaks gold on Ha Long Bay.

Practical notes: Most travelers use Vietnam’s e-visa (apply a couple of weeks ahead). Cash is king but cards are common in cities. Use Grab for reliable rides. Crossing the street is an art—walk slowly, predictably, and let the traffic flow around you. This itinerary assumes arrival in Hanoi and departure from Ho Chi Minh City, with a short flight between.

Hanoi

Hanoi is Vietnam’s poetic capital: lakeside pagodas, the tree-lined French Quarter, and the Old Quarter’s guild streets where silversmiths once hammered by lamplight. The pace is unhurried yet vibrant—temples incense-sweet, sidewalks given over to tiny stools and bigger flavors.

Top hits include Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ngọc Sơn Temple, the Temple of Literature, and the Vietnamese Women’s Museum. Food-wise, think wok-charred phở at Pho Thìn Lò Đức, caramelized pork patties at Bún Chả Hương Liên, and turmeric-dill catfish at Chả Cá Thăng Long. Don’t leave without an egg coffee at Café Giảng, a sweet wartime invention turned cult favorite.

• Stay (Hanoi): Classic elegance at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi; boutique comfort at Hanoi La Siesta Hotel & Spa; skyline views at Lotte Hotel Hanoi. Or browse citywide options on Hotels.com and VRBO.
• Getting in: Fly into HAN (Nội Bài). Compare fares on Trip.com or Kiwi.com. The orange Bus 86 takes ~45–60 minutes to the Old Quarter; a Grab/taxi runs 35–50 minutes.

Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi and Old Quarter Flavors

Morning: In transit. If you land early, stretch your legs around Hoàn Kiếm Lake and peek into Ngọc Sơn Temple’s scarlet bridge.

Afternoon: Check in, then grab a banh mi at Bánh Mì 25 (grilled pork or mushroom-pâté). Wander the Old Quarter’s guild streets—Hàng Bạc (silver), Hàng Mã (paper offerings)—and drop into Café Giảng for the original egg coffee, frothy and dessert-like.

Evening: See, taste, and learn Hanoi by vintage jeep on this small-group favorite: Hanoi Jeep Tour: Food, Culture and Fun by Vietnam Army Jeep. You’ll roll past the French Quarter, Train Street area (from safe viewpoints), and night markets while sampling local dishes.

Post-tour, settle in for bún chả at Bún Chả Hương Liên (the Obama visit is a fun photo-op; the sizzling pork is the real draw). For a nightcap, Polite & Co crafts classic cocktails in a vintage lounge; or pull up a tiny stool on Tạ Hiện Street for crisp bia hơi.

Day 2: To Ha Long Bay – Board Your Overnight Cruise

Get whisked from Hanoi (around 8:00–8:30 a.m.) to the Gulf of Tonkin for a 2D/1N bay adventure: Featured: All-Inclusive OVERNIGHT Halong Cruises - many options. Expect welcome lunch on board, limestone towers all around, and guided activities like kayaking through hidden coves, swimming off Titop Island, or exploring Surprise Cave.

As the sun drops, join a cooking demo (fresh spring rolls are a staple), then try your hand at night squid fishing. Dinner is typically a multi-course seafood feast. Cap the evening on deck under a bright Milky Way if skies are clear.

Day 3: Ha Long Dawn and Return to Hanoi

Wake for tai chi on the sundeck—mist lifting off the karsts is pure movie magic. After a light breakfast, you’ll visit a cave or floating village depending on the boat’s route, then brunch as you cruise back to port. Mid-afternoon, arrive in Hanoi.

Evening: Feast on chả cá (turmeric-dill catfish cooked tableside) at Chả Cá Thăng Long. For dessert, chè (sweet soups) at Chè Bốn Mùa on Hàng Cân. If you like craft beer, the Pasteur Street Brewing taproom near the cathedral pours Vietnamese-inspired brews like jasmine IPA.

Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City—still affectionately called Saigon—runs on momentum. Wide boulevards, shimmering towers, and a kinetic street scene give it a cosmopolitan pulse. French landmarks anchor District 1 while Chinatown (Chợ Lớn) steams with herbal incense and dim sum baskets.

By day, explore the War Remnants Museum, the Central Post Office, and markets stacked with dried fruit, pepper, and coffee. By night, climb to rooftop bars for sunset, then dive into alleys for sizzling shellfish, broken rice, and craft cocktails. The city is a street-food paradise.

• Stay (HCMC): Skyline drama at The Reverie Saigon; serene boutique vibes at Silverland Yen Hotel; great value and pool at Hotel Nikko Saigon; apartment-style stays at Sherwood Residence; social hostel scene at The Common Room Project. Browse more on Hotels.com or VRBO.
• Getting there from Hanoi (Day 4): 2h10–2h20 flight to SGN; expect $50–$120 one-way if booked in advance. Compare on Trip.com or Kiwi.com. Slow-travel alternative: the Reunification Express train (31–35 hours; soft sleeper) via Trip.com Trains.

Day 4: Fly to Saigon, Colonial Icons, and Rooftop Sunset

Morning: Fly Hanoi → Ho Chi Minh City. From SGN, a Grab ride to District 1 is ~25–45 minutes depending on traffic.

Afternoon: Lunch at Phở Hòa Pasteur (broth-rich southern-style pho) or The Lunch Lady (daily-changing noodle soups). Visit the Central Post Office’s vaulted hall and view Notre-Dame Cathedral’s exterior (restoration in progress). Stroll Nguyễn Huệ Walking Street for people-watching and a coffee at L’Usine (airy, design-forward cafe).

Evening: Dinner at Secret Garden 131 Calmette (homey Vietnamese dishes—caramelized claypot fish, lotus stem salad). Watch the city turn gold at Saigon Saigon Rooftop Bar (Caravelle Hotel), a storied perch with live music on select nights.

Day 5: Museums, Temples, and a Night on Two Wheels

Morning: The War Remnants Museum is sobering and essential—plan 90 minutes. Walk to the Reunification Palace for 1960s time-capsule architecture and command rooms.

Afternoon: Head to Chợ Lớn (Chinatown): Thien Hau Temple’s votive coils make for atmospheric photos. Snack on fresh spring rolls or Chinese-Vietnamese dim sum nearby. Coffee stop at Shin Coffee (meticulous single-origin brews).

Evening: Hop on the back of a scooter for the ultimate tasting tour: Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour & Sightseeing By Motorbike. Expect 7–12 dishes—bánh xèo, grilled scallops with scallion oil, goat BBQ, coconut ice cream—plus hidden alleys and local nightlife vibes.

Day 6: Full-Day Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta

Pair wartime history with delta life on this best-of-the-south day: Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta VIP Tour by Limousine. Crawl through preserved tunnel sections, see ingenious wartime traps, then head to the Mekong for boat rides among palm-fringed canals, local music, and honey-tea tastings. It’s a full, guided day with comfortable transport.

Dinner back in the city: Bánh Xèo 46A (crispy turmeric crêpes) or Pizza 4P’s Saigon Centre (house-made cheese on wood-fired pies for a change of pace). For a post-meal cocktail, Layla – Eatery & Bar channels a lively after-work scene.

Day 7: Last Bites and Departure

Morning: Coffee and croissants at L’Usine or a Vietnamese breakfast set (iced coffee, pâté baguette, omelet) at The Running Bean. Shop for edible souvenirs—robusta coffee, Phú Quốc pepper, candied ginger—at Ben Thanh Market’s dated but lively stalls.

Afternoon: One last lunch: cơm niêu (claypot rice theatrics) at Cơm Niêu Sài Gòn or southern “broken rice” with caramelized pork at Cơm Tấm Ba Ghiền. Depart for SGN; build in extra time for traffic, especially during rush hours and rainy season.

Optional Swaps and Add-Ons

• Prefer to skip the overnight cruise? Swap Day 2 for a Ninh Binh day trip of karst peaks and sampan boats (e.g., Hoa Lư, Tam Cốc, Múa Cave climbs) like this full-day tour, then keep Days 3–7 as listed.
• Like golden bridges and hill views? If you extend to central Vietnam, Da Nang’s Ba Na Hills is a photogenic detour: Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge Full-day Tour.

Airport and intercity travel links: Compare regional flights on Trip.com Flights and Kiwi.com; trains in Vietnam on Trip.com Trains. For stays, compare Hanoi and Saigon deals on Hotels.com (Hanoi), VRBO (Hanoi), Hotels.com (Ho Chi Minh City), and VRBO (Ho Chi Minh City).

In seven days, you’ll savor Hanoi’s temple quiet and street-stall brilliance, sleep amid Ha Long’s limestone sentinels, then trade lanterns for neon as Saigon’s scooters guide you from museums to midnight snacks. It’s a fast-paced, flavor-forward introduction to Vietnam—with room to return for the mountains, highlands, and beaches you’ll soon crave.