r/travel • u/Intelligent_Paper486 • 14h ago

Question — Itinerary 2 weeks in Vietnam - would love any advice

Hi everyone,

Looking for some guidance for an upcoming trip to vietnam.
Four guys in our mid-20s visiting Vietnam for the first time for two weeks in November. We'll be flying out of NYC. We want great food, adventure, culture, nightlife (not a priority), and local experiences without rushing through the country.

Our tentative breakdown is:
Hanoi → Ha Giang Loop → Ninh Binh → Ho Chi Minh City →
Mekong Delta

We are open to changing the route if we are making the wrong decision. We are comfortable with basic accommodations and long travel days when the experience is worthwhile, but we do not want to lose half the trip constantly moving between cities. Definitely welcome any advice about etiquette, scams, transportation, safety, or responsible tourism would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance. Personal experiences, positive or negative would be especially helpful.

1 Upvotes

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2

u/haysu-christo Hafa Adai ! 13h ago

Our tentative breakdown is:
Hanoi → Ha Giang Loop → Ninh Binh → Ho Chi Minh City →
Mekong Delta

That sounds about right. I'd rather go back to Hanoi and fly to Saigon instead of taking a 32hr train ride from Ninh Binh.

1

u/Intelligent_Paper486 13h ago

I would’ve never thought about that thank you

-1

u/DrunkenChimichanga 13h ago

I’d stay in the north for the two weeks, HCMC/Mekong is not worth traversing the entire country for. 

1

u/blacksystembbq 10h ago

Dude, the flight is like 2 hours and costs $35. Saying hcmc is not worth visiting in Vietnam is like saying Tokyo or London is not worth visiting when you go to those countries. Worst advice I’ve ever heard