Carly My mom and I have talked about visiting Vietnam for such a long time. Having friends from Vietnam, she has always shared with me a fascination of the culture and an obsession over the beauty of the country. My mom is also one of my favorite travel companions so I’d love to be able to travel to Vietnam with her one day but I know, when we do finally go, I want to go with her in style. While luxury travel isn’t for everyone, I know we’d want to spend a significant amount of time on this trip getting to see all we want to see and I think having a nice place to come back to at night would make living out of a suitcase that much more enjoyable. So here is my dream luxury Vietnam Itinerary.
Hanoi
Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam, located in the north, and is one of the largest cities in the country. This makes it an ideal place to fly into when beginning our trip. The Chinese merchant and French colonial history in this city is what I am probably most excited about seeing here.
Suggested minimum length of stay: 3-4 days
Hotel:
- Peridot Grand Luxury Boutique Hotel
- JM Marvel Hotel & Spa
To-do:
- Old Quarter
- Thang Long Citadel
- Ô Quan Chưởng Gate
- Nhà Cổ Hà Nội
- St Joseph Cathedral Nhà Thờ Lớn Hà Nội
- Ba Da Pagoda Chùa Bà Đá
- Train Street
- Ngoc Son Temple Đền Ngọc Sơn
Sapa
This beautiful area of the Vietnamese countryside is known for it’s stunning landscape and, as it is an agricultural area, is popular for its rice terraces.
Suggested minimum length of stay: 2 days
Hotels:
- BB Sapa Resort & Spa (Formerly Victoria Sapa Resort & Spa)
- Silk Path Grand Sapa Resort & Spa
To-do:
- Hike/bike the mountains
- Visit the market
Ha Long Bay
This UNESCO World Heritage Site is probably one of Vietnam’s most famous attractions. The bay is known for its emerald waters and almost mystical-looking limestone mountains that rise up through the bay emerging as jungle-topped islands. I think the most magical way to explore this site would be on a small cruise with day excursions to some of the bay’s beautiful sites.
Cruise:
Phong Nha National Park
Suggested minimum length of stay: 3 days
Another UNESCO world heritage site, Phong Nha National Park is home to some of the most impressive cave systems in the world. It’s actually home to the world’s largest cave, Hang Sơn Đoòng.
Accommodation:
- Phong Nha Coco Riverside Homestay
To-do (without kids):
- Hang Sơn Đoòng (World’s Largest cave) 6-7 day expedition for 18+
- Hang En (World’s 3rd largest cave)
To-do (with kids):
- Phong Nha Cave
- Paradise Cave
- Elephant Cave via Ma Đa Valley
- The Dark Cave
Read also: Travel Stroller Honest Review: Mountain Buggy Nano
Hue
The ancient capital of Vietnam, Hue, I feel, might be one of my favorite spots along our itinerary. While it could be done as a day trip for those less interested in history, I would like to spend a few days here at least really exploring and learning.
Suggested minimum length of stay: 3-4 days
Hotels:
- Silk Path Grand Hue Hotel
- Ancient Hue Garden Houses
To do:
- Citadel Complex
- Mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc (longest serving Nguyen dynasty monarch, the last Vietnamese monarch to rule independently/pre-colonization, most popular)
- Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh (French puppet)
Da Nang
One of the country’s three largest cities, Da Nang is most popular for it’s stunning beaches. It was also a very popular French colonial port and still retains some of those relics. We would definitely be bringing our bathing suits for this one.
Suggested minimum length of stay: 2-3 days
Hotels:
- InterContinental Đà Nẵng Sun Peninsula Resort
To do:
- Beach days
- Hiking
Hoi An
Another of Vietnam’s ancient cities, Hoi An has a well preserved ancient town, giving it loads of historical value and Instagram worthy aesthetics. Being very close to Da Nang, again, this could be a day trip for those less interested in the history or the days could be split between the two if you’d prefer to stay on the beach-side.
Suggested minimum length of stay: Day trip (from Da Nang) – 3 days
Hotels:
- Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai (on the beach/far from old town)
- Bay Resort Hoi An (close to old town)
To do:
- Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Mekong Delta
Known as the “rice bowl of Vietnam”, the Mekong Delta is a beautiful maze of rivers, swamplands, and islands that is home to Vietnam’s famous floating markets. Down here, it seems that the river rules and boats are the main mode of transportation.
Suggested minimum length of stay: 2 days
Hotels:
- JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa
- Azerai Can Tho
To-do:
- Cai Rang & Phong Dien Floating Markets
- Private sampan tour
- Can Tho prison (French prison that held Viet revolutionaries)
- Visit a homestay
Ho Chi Minh
Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh is the most populous city in Vietnam and the main metropolis in the south. This makes it the perfect place to finish our Vietnam itinerary so we can fly back home after our stay.
Suggested minimum length of stay: 3 days
Hotels:
- Hotel Majestic Saigon
- Park Hyatt Saigon
To-do:
- Independence Palace
- Cu Chi Tunnels
- War museum
- Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon
- Jade Emperor Pagoda
Thanks so much for reading my Vietnam itinerary! I hope you found some inspiration for your own trip. Check out the Vietnam tourism board’s website for more on traveling to Vietnam.
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