Vietnam is one of those places that makes me regret not taking a gap year after college. It’s so much more than a 2.4 family, two-week holiday destination. But if two weeks is all that you have, what can you see? In this post I’m sharing our 2 week Vietnam itinerary including five destinations, where we stayed and what we would have done differently.
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Is 2 weeks in Vietnam enough?
While I work for myself and our kids have and eight week summer holiday, Mr Tin Box’s leave allowance is not quite so generous. So we could only allow a fortnight for our Vietnam holiday. If you’re in a similar situation don’t be put off spending just two weeks in Vietnam.
Would we have liked longer? Of course. But two weeks was enough time for us to travel between Vietnam’s two largest cities, cruise Ha Long Bay and fit in a beach break at the end.
Planning a 2 week Vietnam itinerary
Planning our Vietnam itinerary involved lots of compromises. I wanted to allow enough time in to enjoy the experiences we could squeeze into a fortnight and also make sure we had time to relax.
When we visited Egypt and Sri Lanka last year, three nights in each place felt like the right amount of time for us.
I looked at a few tour company itineraries for Vietnam and they moved much faster than this. They suggested staying one or two nights in each place, which had the advantage of covering more ground. But I knew the pace would exhaust us.
How I planned our Vietnam holiday
So I decided to plan our holiday myself using booking.com* to find accommodation, Get Your Guide* to search for tours and Skyscanner* to work out our international and internal flights.
I also bought a copy of Lonely Planet’s Vietnam destination guide (the 2023 edition) for inspiration, but was a bit disappointed. A lot of the information was generic and I spotted several mistakes.
If you like having a guide book to plan your travels I suggest trying the Rough Guide* or Eyewitness travel guide* instead.
And, of course, I read blogs about things to do in Vietnam with kids to help me create a short list of places we wanted to see.
Vaccinations
We always check the Travel Health Pro website to find out the recommended vaccinations for travel to countries new to us.
When we were back in the UK in July I booked us into the travel clinic at Boots where we were advised on what we needed for the areas we were travelling to. Did you know you can get Boots Club Card Points on vaccinations?
Getting around Vietnam in two weeks
To save time we booked internal flights everywhere expect to Ha Long Bay, where we got a mini bus transfer from and back to Hanoi.
I’m sure we could have squeezed in a coach or a Vietnam sleeper train somewhere but having not traveled this far East with the kids I went for the easy, and actually reasonably cheap, option of flying.
We used Vietnam Airlines for all of our internal flights. They were cheap, reliable and the onboard service was good. All of our flights were less than and hour and a half but would have taken us whole days by road or rail.
All of our local travel for sightseeing was done with Grab taxis. Mr Tin Box set this up using our Revolut card for payment and it was super simple to use.
We arranged most airport transfers through our hotels and they added the cost to our bill.
The one exception was in Ho Chi Minh City where the hotel wanted us to email them our bank card details in advance including the CVC number. This seemed a little dodgy. It probably wasn’t but we decided to book the transfer through a tour company we’d used in Hanoi.
What to see in Vietnam in 2 weeks
Below is an overview of the 2 week Vietnam itinerary that I put together based on how much time we had and the places we really wanted to see.
If you want to find out more about each place I’ve included links to my more detailed guides.
Days 1 to 3: Hanoi
We began our journey from north to south Vietnam in the capital, Hanoi, basing ourselves in the Old Quarter.
This is a mix of low level colonial townhouses and narrow streets with plenty of shade from trees and shop canopies making it easy to explore even in the heat of the day.
As Vietnam newbies we decided to throw ourselves straight into the street food scene with a tour. We booked this through Get You Guide* and opted for a private tour as we knew this would be easier with the kids.
It was expensive but paid off. Our guide gave us loads of information about Hanoi and took us to places of eat we’d never have found on our own. Pho and Bánh mì were big hits with the kids.
They continued to order these and be more adventurous with their food choices throughout our trip.
We also visited Hanoi’s Train Street as part of the food tour. The rest of our time was spent seeing Hanoi independently.
We wandered around the cafes and touristy shops in the Old Quarter, visited Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and the Presidential Palace, and walked across Hoàn Kiếm Lake to see the bizarre turtle relics at Ngoc Son Temple.
Read more about our two days in Hanoi.
Where we stayed: Acoustic Hotel & Spa* in Hanoi’s Old Quarter
Days 3 to 5: Ha Long Bay
We checked out of our hotel early on day three and were picked up by a mini bus which took us to Ha Long Bay to join a two day cruise.
Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s tourist hot spots. Hundreds of vessels rotate around the 1969 jungle-draped limestone islands that look like the set of a Jurassic Park movie.
We were totally wowed by its natural beauty. The soaring islands covered in tumbling greenery that plunges into turquoise water were like nothing we’ve seen before.
It was a wonderful experience to kayak around the coves, visit Cat Ba Island and experience the excellent hospitality onboard our cruise ship.
Cruising Halong Bay or neighbouring Lan Ha Bay are a must on any Vietnam itinerary. And the good news is you don’t have to skimp on the nights even on a two week holiday in Vietnam.
We booked a two night/three day cruise and thought this was the perfect amount of time.
I’ve explained why and shared more about what we did on our cruise as well as addressing the elephant in the bay, aka the rubbish, in my post all about cruising Ha Long Bay.
Our cruise ship: Mon Cheri 2*
Days 5 to 8: Hoi An
From Ha Long Bay we transferred to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and flew to Da Nang. A taxi booked by our next hotel was waiting to transfer us to Hoi An.
This historic sea port is unashamedly brash. It’s colourful and bustling, and we loved it.
The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site with hundreds of ancient buildings whose architecture was inspired by colonials from China, Japan, Portugal and France. There’s tailors for all budgets, chilled out cafes, and food stalls selling everything from pho to fruit and dried fish and ice cream rolls.
By night the town comes alive with bright lanterns, fairy lights and throngs of people browsing the markets and riding illuminated boats along the river.
We packed a lot into our two days in Hoi An: a visit to the Lantern Lady, and afternoon at An Bang Beach, a crazy bucket boat experience, a more ethereal lantern boat ride and shopping in the night market.
But we came away knowing there was so much more to see.
I’ve written all about our three nights in Hoi An and where else we would have liked to have seen in the region.
Where we stayed: Lantana Riverside Hotel* in Hoi An.
Days 8 to 11: Ho Chi Minh City
We timed our flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City just right so we had a bit of time in the afternoon to explore. However, not for the first time during out trip, the weather had different ideas and treated us to a thunder storm.
Instead of a visit to the War Remnants Museum to introduce the kids to Vietnam’s 21st Century history we hit the hotel pool and ventured out in the evening to the Bitexco Financial Tower Skydeck when the rain stopped.
The next morning we’d booked a full day tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mykong Delta.
The war tunnels were something both Mr Tin Box and I wanted to do but I wasn’t sure how family-friendly they would be. So the afternoon at the Mekong Delta with boat rides, cycling and a yummy lunch was the sweetener for the kids.
The tour was a long day but a surprise hit with the girls. The particularly loved the Horrible Histories-style information at the war tunnels – man traps and all. And the menagerie of exotic animals bred in the Delta villages was fascinating to them.
The next day we made it to the War Remnants Museum and had a fun dinner at Bến Nghé Street Food Market.
We loved a lot of things about our time here. But I’ll be honest and say HCMC didn’t grab me like Hanoi did. It’s a modern city with a lot of western influences. History has a huge part to play in that and we had the opportunity to explore some of this during our stay.
Read more about our stay in Ho Chi Minh City.
Where we stayed: Orchids Saigon Hotel* in District 3.
Days 11 to 14: Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc is Vietnam’s largest Island and a short 45 minute flight from Tan Son Nhat International Airport. This makes it an easy add on to a stay in Ho Chi Minh City.
Fishing used to be the island’s main industry. Backpackers were drawn here by the laid back vibes and pristine beaches. In recent years Phu Quoc has become a lot more commercial with prices to match.
We stayed on Khem Beach in the south of the island where there’s a free shuttle bus to take you to the shops, restaurants and nightly firework displays at Sunset Town as well as the Hon Thom Cable Car to the Aquatopia Water Park and other attractions on Hon Thom Island.
However we flew to Phu Quoc to relax at the end of a busy fortnight and chose not to leave our five star resort.
For two full days we whizzed down slides at the waterpark, dipped our toes in the turquoise sea and pranced around on inflatable unicorns.
The accommodation and facilities were excellent and, I think, pretty good value for a gorgeous three bedroom villa with a private pool and an impressive breakfast buffet thrown in. The only kicker was the price of the other food and drink which was so much more expensive than on the mainland
Read our full review of our family-friendly Phu Quoc Resort.
Where we stayed: New World Phu Quoc Resort*.
Do you need a visa for two weeks in Vietnam?
We are UK passport holders and when we visited in July to August 2024 we did not require a visa for our two weeks in Vietnam. In fact we could have stayed for up to 45 days.
A bit of advice I did pay attention to in my Lonely Planet guide book was to check the arrival date stamp before you leave immigration. If the stamp hasn’t been changed to that days date you could be short changed.
This is good advice wherever you are holidaying particularly if there’s a free but time limited visa.
If you are from the UK check the latest visa requirements on the gov.uk website.
Other nationalities should check their government’s official websites for travel advice.
What to eat
The food in Vietnam was a big highlight for our hungry kids. They loved Ban Mi, Pho and spring rolls.
The food was incredible everywhere we went, from small cafes in Hanoi to street food markets in Ho Chi Minh City to posh nosh spots in Hoi An. And it was so reasonably priced, except in our Phu Quoc resort, which was extortionate in comparison.
The coffee was a big surprise too. Who knew Vietnam was a caffeine lover’s paradise?! Salt coffee and egg coffee with sweet and frothy condensed milk are to die for.
If you are visiting Vietnam for the first time I’d recommend including a street food tour* in your itinerary. Ours really opened our eyes to what was on the menu here and made us more adventurous.
What to pack for Vietnam
We don’t pack light and had 23kg of luggage allowance each for our international and internal flights. So if you are intending to just bring a backpack you’ll want to adapt my suggestions to your travel style.
Having said that both our girls travelled with a small suitcase and, typically, my mum bag was where all the extras like the beach bag, travel games and first aid kit ended up.
So without giving you a blow by blow packing list, here’s our recommendations for what to pack if you follow a similar itinerary as us:
What to pack for sightseeing
Long or cropped trousers, t-shirts and shirts made from cotton with robust sandals or trainers are the ideal clothes for exploring. Don’t forget your hat and sun glasses too.
Shorts are acceptable but you won’t see many Vietnamese wearing them as they prefer not to tan.
If you are visiting a temple then your shoulders and knees must be covered. This is also expected when visiting places of national importance like Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum in Hanoi.
Ladies: chub rub style shorts are your friend if you decide to go for floaty dresses in the heat!
Beach and pool days
Swim suits or bikinis are fine at public beaches and hotel pools. But topless sunbathing would be a step to far.
I’d commend bringing long sleeve, UV protective swim suits or rash vests for your whole family especially if you are doing a kayaking or snorkelling trip.
Pack flip flops for the beach – the sand will be hot – and water shoes for boat trips. We also threw in a few lightweight towels which came in useful when we visited An Bang Beach in Hoi An. Towels were provided at all our hotels and our Ha Long Bay cruise.
Also, don’t forget swim goggles for the kids. We ended up buying some in Ho Chi Minh City because we’d only packed one pair. We knew there would have been arguments when we got to our pool days in Phu Quoc.
Other things to pack for Vietnam
You can buy most things you might forget to pack. In my experience, there’s always something that drops off the list!
However there are some specific things I’d advise bringing for your two weeks in Vietnam:
- Factor 50 sun cream – it doesn’t take long to get burnt in the summer sun in Vietnam
- Insect repellant* – all of the places we visited were malaria free so there was no need for anti-malarials but there are still mosquitos about and they can carry other nasty diseases
- Universal travel adaptor* – Vietnam has Type A, C and F plug sockets so you need an adaptor that will work for one or all of these
- First aid kit – we always travel with a little bag of plasters, anti-septic cream, Sudocrem, a bug bite zapper, rehydration sachets, paracetamol, Immodium and Rennies.
- Wet wipes and tissues – these are easy to come by in Vietnam but have a pack or two in your day bag for immediate use. We didn’t come across a squat and drop toilet during our whole two weeks but they are there.
Things we packed but didn’t use
I hate writing it but we didn’t use our reusable water bottles. It’s best not to drink the tap water in Vietnam and all our hotel accommodation provided plastic bottles of water in the rooms.
Our cruise was the only accommodation that had refillable glass bottles in the cabin.
When to visit Vietnam
We were tied to the school holidays for our trip and the summer was the only time we could get two full weeks off altogether.
July and August are the monsoon season for much of Vietnam and we did get rain in each place we stayed. In fact we saw all kinds of weather from high humidity in Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City to torrential downpours in Ha Long Bay and Phu Quoc.
The wet days were still warm. We sat beside the pool in Phu Quoc in heaving rain but it was still 27°C.
When the sun was shining there was high humidity and temperatures over 30°C. We avoided being out in the middle of the day unless we were in the shade.
The changeable weather did not put a dampener on our trip.
However, if you can only holiday for two weeks in Vietnam and want to avoid the sticky, wet season then visiting during the Easter holidays is the better time of year.
However expect the weather to change by region. In the spring you’ll find cooler temperatures in the north and warmer temperatures in the south.
More from our 2 week Vietnam itinerary
You can see more from our whole two week Vietnam holiday by checking out my Instagram account where there are three Stories and plenty of grid posts about our experiences.
More holiday itineraries for families
If you enjoyed this itinerary you might also like to read these:
- Our 7 day Oman road trip
- Our 10 day tour of Egypt
- Our two week Sri Lanka itinerary
- Our 7 day multi-generational trip to Budapest
- Our 15 night Caribbean cruise (without the kids!!)
- Things to do in Florence with kids
- Places to visit in Lake Garda
- Where to visit in Chania
- Things to do in Costa Barcelona
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links marked with *. If you click on one of these and make a purchase I may earn some commission. This does not affect the price you pay.
Lizzie
Thursday 5th of September 2024
Super information post thank you!
Claire Hall - Tin Box Traveller
Sunday 8th of September 2024
Glad you've found it useful Lizzie!