12 days in vietnam north to south any suggested itinarary please

Replies: 9 - Last Post: Mar 11, 2013 10:53 PM Last Post By: mooslie

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Mar 9, 2013 6:04 PM
Posts: 19

12 days in vietnam north to south any suggested itinarary please

Hi,
We have booked a last minute visa run from Thailand to Vietnam and will be starting in Hanoi and finishing in Saigon. Can anyone suggest an itinerary that might include Sapa, Hoi An, Halong Bay, etc. We dont mind doing one internal flight and one long night trip, but due to the timescale we wonder how far the distances are ie between Hanoi and Sapa etc are and if this is possible to do all in 12 days?
Thanks

Dale164

Mar 9, 2013 10:01 PM
Posts: 271

As a suggestion:

1. Hanoi
2. Hanoi
3. Hanoi
4. Halong Bay
5. Halong Bay
=> night train Hanoi to Lao Cai (Sapa)
6. Sapa
7. Sapa
8. Sapa
=> night train Lao Cai (Sapa) to Hanoi
9. Morning flight Hanoi to Danang, drive to Hoi An / afternoon in Hoi An
10. Hoi An
11. Hoi An
=> flight to Saigon
12. Saigon

That would be quite a reasonable itinerary. If you wanted to have more time in Saigon you would have to shave a day off somewhere else.
You would need to book your Halong bay tour and your train tickets to Sapa as soon as you arrive into Hanoi.

mooslie

Mar 10, 2013 4:16 AM
Posts: 2,222

^ @#1 has nailed it. Maybe shave a day off Hanoi & one off Hoi An & visit Hue for two days /one night.

malvolio

Mar 10, 2013 9:39 AM
Posts: 1,113

An alternative to #1 (which is excellent): drop Ha Long (it's beautiful, but chews up two whole days for a nice afternoon and evening of cruising) and instead fly Huế, see that, take the train to Danang in the afternoon (two hours, lovely views), see Danang, Hoi An, and environs, then take the night-train to Saigon and spend a day or two there.

Bisbee

Mar 10, 2013 10:09 AM
Posts: 343

Hue airport will be closed at the end of March. You'll need to fly to Danang after 3/20/13.

malvolio

Mar 10, 2013 10:59 AM
Posts: 1,113

Hue airport will be closed at the end of March

Wow. So it is. How do you spend 8 months doing "runway repair"? Commies...

If (like me) the OP doesn't like doubling-back, she can fly to Dong Hoi, see whatever there is to see there (never been there myself, but it looks nice) and take the train to points south.

quynhnguyen

Mar 10, 2013 7:21 PM
Posts: 39

Itinerary #1 is good! You should consider that.

mooslie

Mar 10, 2013 9:58 PM
Posts: 2,222

@#5 How do you spend 8 months doing "runway repair"? Commies...
Do you mean "runaway repairs" ...they 'run away' with the costs...into some deep pockets.If you see the way they work you will understand why it takes so long!

rochelleshepherd

Mar 11, 2013 8:59 PM
Posts: 19