Vietnam Diaries

Sat, Apr 4, 2026

Planning a holiday trip to Vietnam from India? Got limited time to plan but looking for a comprehensive itinary? Or just want to know what should you prioritise for the limited days you have got? Fret not, you are at right place. In this article, we will be covering the personal research and first hand experience covering north, central and south Vietnam - including Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Danang, Phu Quoc and Ho Chi Minh City.

We will start with the logistics of visa and tickets first. Then we will delve into details of itinary for different cities mentioned above. We will cover some useful tips to make the travel easy and more fun. And then we will wrap with my personal ratings and opinion on the places I have visited. without further adieu, lets jump straight into the logistics first.

Tickets and Visa

Visa

Apply for your Vietnamese e-Visa through the only official government website: https://evisa.gov.vn/

The process is entirely online and straightforward
Processing time is typically 2–3 working days
Avoid third-party visa agents — they charge extra for the same service

Flights

Round-trip flights from major Indian cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore) cost approximately ₹30,000–₹35,000 per person
Vietjet is Vietnam’s equivalent of IndiGo — budget-friendly, direct, and widely used
You can get direct flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from major Indian airports
Important: Flights don’t operate every day of the week. Check the entire week’s schedule before fixing your travel dates to find the best options

Itinerary

Vietnam is broadly divided into three tourism regions:

Region	Key Destinations
North	Hanoi, Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, Sapa
Central	Danang, Hoi An
South	Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc

A recommended approach is to fly into Hanoi and fly out of Ho Chi Minh City, covering the country from north to south.

Hanoi

I landed at Hanoi at 5:30 AM on an early morning flight. Here’s how I structured my time:

Day 1 — Local Sightseeing

Hoàn Kiếm Lake — A beautiful lakeside walk in the heart of Hanoi. Best in the morning or evening.

Train Street

St. Joseph Cathedral Church — A striking French Gothic cathedral, great for photography.
Temples — Several ancient temples are walking distance from the lake.
Train Street — One of Hanoi’s most unique experiences. Two famous spots:
- 224 Lê Duẩn Train Street
- The more famous Train Street
- No reservation needed. Walk into any café, order 1–2 drinks, and they’ll let you sit.
- Check the train crossing time with the café staff and arrive at least 30 minutes early.

Train Street

Beer Street — Vibrant nightlife. Has strong Thailand walking-street vibes. Not recommended for kids or elderly parents. Best experienced as a couple or with friends.
Shopping — Hanoi is one of the cheapest places to shop in Vietnam. Stock up on souvenirs here rather than Danang or Phu Quoc.

Day 2 — Ninh Binh or Halong Bay

You have two options for the second day:

Option A: Ninh Binh (Recommended)

Ninh Binh has two major attractions:

Trang An Cave Boating — Three routes available. I chose Route 2, which covers 4 caves and 3 temples. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an absolute must-do. Rating: 9/10
Mua Caves Hike — A hike offering panoramic views of the valley. Good for the fit and adventurous.

Pro Tip: Book a private round-trip taxi from Hanoi to Trang An. The location is slightly isolated, and Grab is not easily available for the return journey. Your hotel can help arrange this, or negotiate directly with your first Grab driver on arrival (more on this in Chapter 3).

Option B: Halong Bay

Halong Bay offers:

Day Tours: Cover Sung Sot Caves, kayaking/boating in a small cave, and TiTop Island.
Overnight Cruise (1–2 nights): A more immersive experience with better value.

My personal opinion on Halong Bay (I skipped it due to elderly parents):

It is 3 hours one-way from Hanoi, consuming a full 2 days even with just 1 overnight stay
TiTop Island gets extremely crowded with long queues at Sung Sot Cave
The boating/cave experience at Trang An is far superior and less crowded
Day trip rating (per friends): 6/10. Overnight luxury cruise: 7–9/10 depending on the cruise booked

Bonus Tip for Enthusiastic Travelers: If you arrive in Hanoi by early morning flight, you can take a taxi directly from the airport to Halong Bay and check into a cruise. This saves a full day.

Danang

I took a direct flight from Hanoi to Danang. I stayed at Hotel Parosands — great location on Mykhe Beach, near Dragon Bridge. Highly recommend staying on Mykhe Beach in a beach-facing room.

Hotel Parosands: view from the hotel at night

Day 1 — Marble Mountain + Hoi An

Marble Mountains:

Allows at least 2 hours to explore fully. Closes at 5 PM — arrive no later than 3 PM.
You can either climb the stairs or take a lift (separate tickets for up and down).
Features stunning caves, temples, and panoramic views from the top.
Rating: 8/10

The largest Cave in Marble Mountain

Hoi An Lantern Boating:

Do the boating after dark — the experience is entirely different (and far more magical) at night.
The entire riverfront is beautifully lit with lanterns and colorful boats.
Prices are fixed at the boating pier — do not buy from touts before reaching the pier, as they overcharge significantly.
Price for entire boat: VND 170,000
Rating: 8.5/10

Note: Hoi An also offers Coconut Boat Rides (the famous round bamboo boats). These happen during the day. For best prices, head to Boat Club Café.

Day 2 — Bana Hills (Sunworld)

This deserves a full day — do not try to squeeze it with anything else.

Must visit. 10/10.
If visiting in December–February, be prepared for North India-level cold at the top.
Best arrival time: 8:30 AM to beat the crowd at the Golden Bridge (also called the Hand Bridge).
Download the Sunworld Bana Hills app — essential for navigation, otherwise it’s very easy to get lost.
At the starting point, choose the cable car line going to Marseille station for the Golden Bridge.
Cable car tickets are the only entry tickets needed — no additional park entry fees.
Golden Bridge gets crowded by 10 AM but clears up around 4:30 PM. Plan accordingly.
Exit via Marseille station at the end of the day.

Booking via Klook (Recommended):

Item	Approx. Cost
Ticket only	₹2,500
Lunch buffet (Bharata Restaurant — Indian + Vietnamese)	₹1,000
Silver Wow Pass (queue skip)	₹1,000/person

The Wow Pass is only worth it on weekends. On weekdays, skip it.

Alpine Coaster: VND 100/person — fun add-on inside the park.

Phu Quoc

I flew directly from Danang to Phu Quoc. Phu Quoc is split into two distinct tourism areas:

South Phu Quoc

Best for evening experiences and beach views.

Symphony of the Sea Show (7:30 PM) — The most famous show on the island. Rating: 9/10
- There’s also a second show at 8:45 PM, but the 7:30 PM show is the best.
  
  Symphony of the sea from the balcony
Kiss Bridge — Iconic landmark. Views are great especially with the evening lights. Rating: 7/10

Kiss Bridge view from the Balcony rooms for Venice Hotel
Sunworld Cable Car — One of the world’s longest over-sea cable cars. Spectacular views. Rating: 10/10
4 Island Tour — Decent but not exceptional. Rating: 6/10

Accommodation Tip: Book Venice Hotel Phu Quoc with balcony rooms — specifically Amoris Infinitus or Aeternus Amoris categories. The Kiss Bridge is directly visible from the balcony, and you can watch the Symphony of the Sea show without leaving your room.

Starfish Beach: Avoid. Starfishes are artificially placed by locals for tourist photos. Most are dead or dying. Please do not pick up starfishes — they die when taken out of water. Rating: 6/10 — not recommended on ethical grounds.

North Phu Quoc

Best for theme parks, wildlife, and entertainment.

VinWonders — Universal Studios-style theme park. Rating: 8/10
- Worth it if you haven’t been to Disney World or Universal Studios before. Otherwise, nothing new.
- Install the app for navigation inside the park.
VinSafari — Wildlife safari with good animal collection. Rating: 7/10
- Can be skipped if you’ve done Singapore Zoo.
- Go as early as possible (ideally 8:30 AM) to avoid queues at the safari.
- Book an electric car and skip the first stop — get off at the second stop (safari stop) directly.
- It is a hop-on hop-off system.
- Giraffe Feeding: Only carrots are allowed. Carry them from the hotel.

Grand World — Evening entertainment complex with light shows, restaurants (including many Indian options), and a lively atmosphere. Best viewed from Lake Masala Indian Restaurant across the lake.

Accommodation Tip for North Phu Quoc: Book a Vinpearl Resort directly. Since Vinwonders and Vinsafari are Vinpearl properties, you get flat discounts (better than Klook), free shuttle service to all attractions, and free airport pickup and drop (inform them of your flight details at check-in).

Suggested Split:

2 days in South Phu Quoc (cable car + kiss bridge + shows or 4 island tour)
2 days in North Phu Quoc (VinWonders + VinSafari + Grand World)

Ho Chi Minh City

I visited Ho Chi Minh for just 1 day before my return flight — but it was well worth it.

Oasis Restaurant

An aquarium-themed restaurant — visually stunning and unlike anything else in Vietnam. Extensive non-veg menu with a limited but decent veg selection. We tried the Veg Hotpot, which was good. Smoothies and drinks were great too.

Landmark 81

Vietnam’s tallest building — the country’s answer to the Burj Khalifa.

Head to the Landmark 81 Mall
Go to B1 Floor (take the escalator right in front, then first right) for entry tickets
Only cards accepted — no cash
Offers a stunning panoramic view of Ho Chi Minh City from the top floor

Panoramic view of Ho Chi Minh from top floor of Landmark81

Practical Tips

Connectivity

Avoid SIM card swaps if ejecting your SIM disables your banking apps (as it does in India)
Alternatives:
- International Roaming: Airtel offers 10 days / 3 GB data for ₹1,098 — works well
- eSIM: Convenient, no physical swap needed
Most hotels, cafés, and tourist spots offer good Wi-Fi

Immigration

Vietnam immigration queues can be 45 minutes to 1 hour — especially when transiting through Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc
Fast-track immigration is available via Klook for approximately ₹1,400–₹1,500 per person — genuinely useful

Hotel Check-In Policy

Vietnam is very strict about hotel check-in times. There is virtually no concept of early check-in — not even 10 minutes early.
Plan your first day’s activities around this. Don’t count on dropping your bags at the hotel first.

Payments and Currency

Credit cards are widely accepted at most places.
Book tickets in advance through Klook in INR — it saves you from currency conversion hassle.
Scapia card is excellent for international use as it applies Google’s conversion rate with no forex markup.
Carry approximately $300 cash for a 7–10 day trip.
Best places to convert USD to VND: Gold shops (best rates) and many hotels also offer competitive rates.
Cash is specifically needed for: Hoi An boating pier, Train Street cafés, Beer Street, and street shopping.

Transportation

Grab (Vietnam’s Uber):

More readily available than Uber in India
Works in almost all cities and tourist areas
Also doubles as a food delivery app (like Swiggy/Zomato)

Where Grab is NOT available:

Trang An Boating area (if not part of a Ninh Binh day tour)
Starfish Beach in Phu Quoc

Smart Tip for Round Trips: On arrival at any Vietnam airport, negotiate directly with your first Grab driver for pre-booked round trips to remote locations. Just like India, drivers are happy to offer round trips at Grab rates or lower, with free waiting time at the destination. Travel agencies like Lily Travel also exist but charge more.

Language

Barely anyone speaks English in Vietnam — everyone uses Google Translate for communication
Download Google Translate and install the offline Vietnamese language pack before you go
This is non-negotiable for a smooth trip

Shopping

Buy all souvenirs in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City — they are significantly cheaper than Danang, Phu Quoc, or other tourist spots
Indian food is widely available all over Vietnam — finding vegetarian options is much easier than expected

Flights Within Vietnam

Domestic flights (e.g., Hanoi → Danang → Phu Quoc → Ho Chi Minh) are affordable and time-efficient
Check all days of the week for the best prices and availability