Itinerary Advice 12 days in Vietnam early Nov

No rice terrace in Oct - Nov in Sapa, we went Sapa in middle of Sept - not much rice that time. 2 nights in Sapa are enough for us, you can take train or daily bus from Hanoi to Sapa, departure Hanoi around 07:00 AM and arrival Sapa at 12:00 noon. If you take night train, they will stop in Lao Cai station then take other bus to Sapa town about 1 hour.

Weather can change everyday, I prefer to visit Hue - Hoian, if you like history - much to see there.

Would like to suggest you as below
Hanoi: 1 night
Take morning bus to Sapa: stay there 2 nights
Afternoon bus from Sapa to Hanoi around 09:00 PM: stay Hanoi another night
Halong Bay - 2 days/ 1 night is fine ( most of cruises will arrange shuttle bus to Halong)
Take bus from Halong to Ninh Binh - stay one night
Take train or sleeper bus from Ninh Binh - Hue ( one night on train)
Hue: one night
The rest in Hoian.

Other option you can visit Hanoi, Sapa - Halong then back to Hanoi to take flight to Phu Quoc. If you like to spend more time to relax on beach.

Personally, I would choose the destinations that appeal most to you, without considering the weather to much (weather is so unpredictable anyways). With 12 days you could do 2 nights in Sapa, a 1 night/2 day Halong Bay Cruise, 3 nights in Hanoi - that includes a 1 day tour to the beautiful dry Halong Bay (Ninh Binh), take an overnight train to Hue, 1 night in Hue, and the 3 last nights in Hoi An - for the city and for some time on the beach. This itinerary will be much more varied than the second one you are considering, but also more rushed of course.

Vietnam has so much to offer in terms of culture, landscapes, history etc. - myself with only 12 days I wouldnt include to much beach time (which would be the case with your second option).

One night, One night, haha.

Of course there are rice terraces in October, they are there all the year round.

Last year was pretty wet in Hue/Hoi An, so I would see nearer the time, no need to book anything well ahead.

For 12 days in Vietnam, you should spend time to travel from the north to the south of Vietnam

Thank you so much for the input! That's good to know that there is a morning bus to SA PA. I do like history so it's probably in our best interest to visit Hue and Hoi An like you suggests :)

Would you recommend going to Saigon over hue and hoi an?

Good to know! I guess we will wait and book the second leg of the trip closer to date. We can book Sa Pa, Halong Bay, and Hanoi sooner. Thank you!!

Thank you for your suggestion! You're right, the purpose of this trip is to experience the culture and history of Vietnam. We would probably be selling ourselves short if we went with option 2.

I used to stay in Hoi An for from Oct to Dec, rain sometimes but not heavy, so it's still ok to travel then, it's worth visiting. Much more rain in Hue then (kind of drizzle) but rain is kind of typically Hue, I've been there several time and experienced rain all the time but still love it and still possible to travel.