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Seven days in Vietnam works best as a north-plus-centre trip: three nights in Hanoi with a Ninh Binh day trip, one night on a Ha Long Bay cruise, then a 1 hour 20 minute flight to Da Nang for two nights in Hoi An. Do not try to cover Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in a week.
The country is 1,726 km long by rail, and every extra base costs you half a day in transit.
| Day | Sleep in | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanoi (Old Quarter) | Arrive, street food, Hoan Kiem Lake |
| 2 | Hanoi | Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, egg coffee |
| 3 | Hanoi | Day trip to Ninh Binh: Trang An boat ride |
| 4 | Ha Long Bay cruise | Expressway transfer, kayaking, cave visit |
| 5 | Hoi An | Cruise back to Hanoi, evening flight to Da Nang |
| 6 | Hoi An | Old Town heritage sites, lanterns at dusk |
| 7 | Flight home | Morning bike ride, fly out via Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi |
Why you should skip the north-to-south run in 7 days
The Reunification Express takes 32 to 36 hours from Hanoi to Saigon, and even Hanoi to Da Nang is 15.5 to 17 hours by train. Flying the full length takes only about 2 hours 10 minutes in the air. Add the airport runs and check-in, though, and each flight eats most of a day. A north-to-south week loses roughly two days to transit. If a week feels too tight, our guide to how many days in Vietnam you really need shows what three weeks adds: mountains, the Mekong or an island.
So pick two regions and fly once. North plus centre is the strongest first-timer combination: limestone karsts, Hanoi’s food and Hoi An’s old town. If you can stretch the trip, our 10-day Vietnam itinerary with a third region is the next step up. The two-week Vietnam route from Hanoi to the Mekong does the full length without wrecking you.
Days 1–2: Hanoi’s Old Quarter on foot
From Sydney, Vietnam Airlines runs the only non-stop to Hanoi. It takes about 10 hours 5 minutes, with fares from around AUD 733 · USD 528 one way. Melbourne’s direct flights land in Ho Chi Minh City instead, after 8 hours 25 to 8 hours 40 minutes on Jetstar, VietJet or Vietnam Airlines. If you are flying from Melbourne, either connect north or run this route in reverse.
Get your e-visa on the official evisa.gov.vn portal at least a week out. It costs AUD 35 · USD 25 for a single entry, is valid for up to 90 days and takes 3 to 5 Vietnamese business days. Our Vietnam eSIM guide compares data plans for Grab-heavy weeks.
Spend day 1 recovering: pho, a lap of Hoan Kiem Lake, an early night. On day 2, do the Temple of Literature and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex (check the hours, because it closes early), then go on a street-food crawl after dark.
Day 3: Ninh Binh day trip from Hanoi
Ninh Binh is about 93 km south of Hanoi, 1.5 to 2 hours by car or tour bus. The highlight is the Trang An boat ride: 2 to 3 hours rowed through caves and past temples. The ticket rose on 1 January 2026 and now costs AUD 16 · USD 11.50 (VND 300,000) per adult, with up to four passengers per boat.
Sleep in Hanoi again. Your Ha Long shuttle collects from the Old Quarter tomorrow, so moving hotels for one night in Ninh Binh gains nothing.
If you are short on time: drop Ninh Binh. The cruise gives you similar scenery, and you get a slower Hanoi day back.
Day 4: one night on Ha Long Bay
Cruise shuttles pick up around the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake. The expressway run takes 2.5 to 3 hours with a rest stop. Go overnight. A day trip means 5 to 6 hours on a bus for a few hours on the water, and you miss sunset and early morning on the bay.
What a two-day, one-night cruise costs in 2026:
| Tier | Price per person | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | from AUD 125–146 · USD 90–105 | Older boats, shared shuttle, basic cabins |
| Mid-range (4-star) | AUD 180–347 · USD 130–250 | Better food and cabins |
| Luxury | from AUD 347–417 · USD 250–300 | Top-end boats, more inclusions |
Fares normally cover the cabin, meals on board, a guide, kayaking, the bay entry fee and the shuttle from Hanoi. Solo travellers pay a single supplement of 30 to 70 per cent. Ask which bay the boat sails.
Day 5: back to Hanoi, fly to Da Nang
One-night cruises finish with lunch on board and then the drive back, so plan on reaching Hanoi in the late afternoon. Book an evening flight to Da Nang and leave at least three hours between the expected drop-off and departure, because shuttles run late. The flight takes 1 hour 20 minutes.
Fares run AUD 56–139 · USD 40–100 return. Hoi An is about 30 km from Da Nang airport, 40 to 50 minutes by Grab or taxi, or up to 90 minutes in peak traffic.
If you are short on time: skip Hoi An and do Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long only. That gives you a relaxed northern week with no internal flight.
Days 6–7: Hoi An, then home
Buy the Old Town ticket, which costs AUD 7 · USD 5 (VND 120,000) and covers five heritage sites. Walk the river at dusk when the lanterns come on. On day 7, cycle out to the rice fields or An Bang beach before an afternoon flight.
We could not confirm a non-stop flight from Da Nang to Sydney or Melbourne for 2026, and VietJet’s own route page lists only Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne. Connect through Saigon or Hanoi on a single ticket.
Timing warning: central Vietnam’s rainy season runs September to December and peaks in October and November, when Hoi An’s Old Town often floods. The north is best October to April and the centre February to May, so February to April suits both halves. See Rough Guides’ month-by-month breakdown, and for daily costs, read our Vietnam travel budget for Australians.
Where to stay in Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An
– Hanoi Old Quarter (3 nights): walkable, full of food and inside nearly every Ha Long and Ninh Binh pick-up zone.
Noisy, so ask for a back room. – Hoan Kiem Lake edge: quieter, still near pick-ups, and better for couples and light sleepers. – Hoi An Old Town edge or An Bang beach (2 nights): the Old Town edge means you can walk in for the evenings, while An Bang has sand and quiet and suits families.
Find your Hanoi hotel on the map
Live prices from Booking, Airbnb and more — move the map or change dates to compare stays across Hanoi.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 7 days enough for Vietnam?
Seven days is enough for two regions, not the whole country. Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An fit comfortably with one internal flight. Adding Ho Chi Minh City or the Mekong Delta means extra flights and roughly two days lost to transit, so save the south for a trip of 10 days or more.
Should I do north or south Vietnam in a week?
For a first visit, do north plus centre. Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh and Hoi An are the most distinctive sights and sit one short flight apart. The south suits a beach-and-city break, and Melburnians may prefer it, because direct flights from Melbourne land in Ho Chi Minh City.
Do Australians need a visa for Vietnam?
Yes. Australians need a visa, and the official e-visa from evisa.gov.vn costs USD 25 for a single entry, valid for up to 90 days. Processing usually takes 3 to 5 Vietnamese business days. Apply at least a week before you fly and use the government portal, not an agency site.
Is a Ha Long Bay day trip worth it on a 7-day trip?
Usually not. The transfer from Hanoi is 2.5 to 3 hours each way, so a day trip means 5 to 6 hours on a bus for a few hours on the water. An overnight cruise costs more, but you get sunset, sunrise and kayaking after the day boats leave.
