North to South Vietnam Itinerary: 9 Days

A north to south Vietnam itinerary is the route I find easiest to explain to a family planning a first trip: start in Hanoi, work your way down the coast, and fly home from Saigon. I’m Rachel, and in April I looked after Roshan, his partner and their two children for nine days, from a night on Ha Long Bay to a last day in the Mekong Delta.

Roshan sent us one photo, taken with one of our team in their Hanoi hotel lobby. So this is mostly the plan behind the trip: how the nine days ran, why each base got the nights it did, and what I’d pass on to the next family travelling the same way.

Roshan’s trip at a glance

Travellers: a family of four from Australia, two adults and two children
Route: Hanoi & a Ha Long Bay overnight cruise → Hoi An & My Son → Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi & the Mekong Delta
Trip length: 9 days, in April
Trip style: guided sightseeing days with an English-speaking guide; two domestic flights, transfers, entrance tickets and a night on board arranged
Highlights: a night on Le Journey Cruise, kayaking at Luon Cave, Tran Quoc Pagoda, My Son Sanctuary, a boat down the Thu Bon River, the Cu Chi Tunnels

Roshan’s family with one of our team on the lobby sofa at La Dolce Vita in Hanoi

How this north to south Vietnam itinerary is put together

Their flights set the direction. The family landed in Hanoi in the middle of the day and flew home from Ho Chi Minh City after midnight, so the trip runs one way down the country with two short flights in between: Hanoi to Da Nang, then Da Nang to Saigon.

Then I looked at the nights. Hanoi works as a hinge: the family slept at La Dolce Vita before and after Ha Long Bay and left the big bags at reception. Hoi An and Saigon got three nights each, so the second half has far fewer packing mornings than the first. Every hotel gave them two rooms, a double for the parents and a twin for the children.

Ideal pacing: Day 1 land in Hanoi · Days 2–3 Ha Long Bay overnight · Day 4 Hanoi city tour, evening flight to Da Nang · Day 5 My Son · Day 6 free in Hoi An · Day 7 fly to Saigon · Day 8 city sights and Cu Chi · Day 9 Mekong Delta, night flight home.

Hanoi and one night on Ha Long Bay

The flight landed at Noi Bai at 12:30pm. A driver took the family straight to La Dolce Vita Hotel in the Old Quarter, where rooms open at two, and the rest of the day was theirs. A midday arrival is a gentle start, with time for a late lunch and a first walk in the Old Quarter.

The next morning a driver took them about two and a half hours to Tuan Chau, and by half past twelve they were having lunch on Le Journey Cruise as it headed out among the limestone islands. Sung Sot (Surprising) Cave came at 2:45pm, then Titop Island, where you can swim off the beach or climb to the lookout. Back on board came a sunset party, a class rolling fresh spring rolls, dinner on the sundeck and squid fishing after dark for anyone who wanted a go.

Breakfast was at a quarter to seven, then kayaks or a raft around Luon Cave, where monkeys sometimes appear on the cliffs. The boat was back at the marina by eleven for the drive to Hanoi. Our Ha Long Bay travel guide compares the cruise options.

A full day in Hanoi, then south

Day four did two jobs. The guide arrived at eight for the city tour: Tran Quoc Pagoda on West Lake, the oldest pagoda in the city; the Ho Chi Minh complex, with the two houses where he lived and worked; and the One Pillar Pagoda. Late morning was the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, which introduces all 54 of the country’s ethnic groups. After an eight-dish lunch came the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university, and Hoa Lo Prison, the jail American prisoners of war called the “Hanoi Hilton”.

At 5pm the driver took them to the airport for the flight to Da Nang, and on to Kim An Hoi An Hotel that night. It is a long day, I know. But with the city tour after Ha Long, not straight off the long-haul flight, everyone came to it rested, and the evening flight cost no sightseeing time. Our Hanoi travel guide has more on these sights.

Culture note: the gold horse behind the family is a familiar sight in Vietnamese hotels. The saying mã đáo thành công, “the horse arrives, success follows”, makes it a symbol of good fortune, and 2026 is the Year of the Horse, so this year they are everywhere.

Three nights in Hoi An

Day five was the one guided day. The guide collected them between half past seven and eight for My Son Sanctuary, the Cham temple towers about an hour and a half inland, where they spent two hours with the guide, including a short Champa performance. On the way back came rice paper making at a local house, lunch at another, then a boat down the Thu Bon River, the largest river in central Vietnam, into Hoi An. They were at the hotel by two, with the afternoon free.

Day six had nothing on it at all. With children, a day with no pickup time is worth as much as any sight, which is why Hoi An got three nights. On day seven there was still a slow breakfast before the 12:30pm transfer to Da Nang airport. Our Hoi An travel guide has ideas for a free day.

Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi and a last day in the Mekong

The family reached Queen Ann Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City that afternoon, and the evening was free. Day eight was the city and the tunnels. The guide arrived at half past seven for the Reunification Palace, the former presidential palace where the war ended, Notre-Dame Cathedral and the War Remnants Museum. After lunch they drove about 60 kilometres to the Cu Chi Tunnels, finishing with tea and cassava, the simple food the guerrillas lived on.

Day nine went south to My Tho: Vinh Trang Pagoda, a boat to the fruit orchards, folk music played by local families, a bee farm with honey tea and a coconut candy workshop. Then back to the city, and at 9:30pm a driver collected them for a 1am flight home.

Ending on a full day out makes the last evening long, I know. I still like it, because the last day becomes one more day of the trip. Our Mekong Delta travel guide covers the river towns.

Tips from Roshan’s trip

Let the long-haul flights set the direction. Landing in Hanoi and leaving from Saigon kept the route one way, and let Hanoi hold the bags during the cruise.
Check the day of your Hanoi city tour. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed on Mondays and Fridays, and usually from mid-June to mid-August. The Ethnology Museum closes on Mondays, so we swap in the Women’s Museum.
Plan the last evening around a night flight. With a 1am departure, ask about a late check-out or a day room so everyone can shower before the plane, and pack before the Mekong tour.
Expect heat in the south in April. It is one of the hottest months in Ho Chi Minh City, so hats, water and the early pickups matter on the Cu Chi and Mekong days.

Want a trip like Roshan’s?

Like the look of Roshan’s nine days? They follow our Best of Vietnam Tours – 10 Days almost day for day: Hanoi, a night on Ha Long Bay, Hoi An and My Son, then Saigon with the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta. Roshan’s version is one night shorter. Message me, Rachel, and I’ll fit the same route around your family and your flights.

Over to you: have you kayaked at Luon Cave or walked among the towers at My Son? I’d love to hear how you found it. Tell me in the comments below. Thank you!

Quick FAQ from Roshan’s trip

Is 9 days enough for Vietnam from north to south?

Yes, if you fly the two long legs. Roshan’s family fitted in a night on Ha Long Bay, a full Hanoi day, three nights in Hoi An and three in Saigon with two domestic flights.

Is My Son Sanctuary worth a morning from Hoi An?

For most travellers, yes. It runs from half past seven until about two, with a river boat back into town, so the afternoon is still free.

If a north to south Vietnam itinerary like Roshan’s is what your family has in mind, get in touch with My Viva Tour. I’d love to plan it with you, from the midday landing in Hanoi to the late-night drive out to Tan Son Nhat.