Exploring Northern Vietnam: A Memorable Two-Week Itinerary

anouskakeco4
Sep 22, 2025
15 min read

Updated: Oct 19, 2025

Before you read on...

Northern Vietnam comprises breathtaking landscapes, vibrant culture, and unforgettable moments. If you're considering a trip to this stunning region, prepare for an adventure that leaves you wanting more! This blog post will provide a two-week itinerary that highlights Northern Vietnam's best, from the lively streets of Hanoi to the tranquil scenery of Ninh Binh, and the awe-inspiring fields of Sapa!

Bookings:

Transfer from Tam Coc to SaPa (GetYourGuide)
HaLong Bay Sapphire Cruise - (GetYourGuide)
Tam Coc Hotel - (Booking link)
SaPa Hotel - (Booking link)
Hanoi Hotel - (Booking link)
Ha Long Bay Hotel - (Booking link)

Arrival in Hanoi

After a long journey (approximately 15 hours of travel), we finally touched down in Hanoi at 10 am. To save on costs, we chose a stopover in Shanghai, and while it was tiring, it turned out to be a good decision. As soon as we emerged from the airport, the warm, humid air and vibrant energy of the city welcomed us! I was so excited, but absolutely exhausted from having stayed up for almost 24 hours at this point.

Getting to our hotel in the Old Quarter was smooth, thanks to a convenient taxi shuttle service by our hotel! I would definitely recommend asking your hotel for this service or getting a Grab – but be careful not to get scammed. The Old Quarter is a maze of narrow streets bustling with shops, street food stalls, and charming colonial architecture, and we definitely had culture shock upon arrival due to how busy it was!

We spent two nights in Hanoi, and there were countless activities to keep us engaged.

Day 1: Discovering the Old Quarter

On our first day, after we dropped our bags off, we explored the Old Quarter on foot. The streets buzzed with honking scooters and the mouth-watering scents of Vietnamese cuisine. The roads are absolute chaos, and we nicknamed it "Crossy Roads Hanoi" due to the pure stress of having to cross the roads! It's relatively safe, though, as long as you keep walking at the same pace and don't panic if you see a scooter heading your way.

We visited Hoan Kiem Lake, a peaceful oasis in the city's heart. Here, we took a stroll and snapped photos of the iconic Turtle Tower! There's so much to see, and we did stop off at the iconic Note Coffee spot – this wasn't that busy, and the coffee was genuinely amazing! My personal favourite is the Vietnamese salted coffee (so good!).

For lunch, we treated ourselves to a local restaurant in the Old Quarter. It was cheap and good, perfect for us after aeroplane food and pure exhaustion!

In the afternoon, we went back to the hotel for some downtime before finding ourselves heading to Lyah's Corner. This is a popular nail salon, and we had planned to get our nails done in the first few days in Hanoi. It was torrential rain (as we went in June), so we spent a few hours getting our nails done! For ten designs on my nails, it only cost £25 for a full set of acrylics! Way cheaper than anywhere in England, so I would definitely recommend it!

We headed to bed early in the evening due to the intense tiredness following our flights.

Day 2: Cultural Immersion

On our second day, we woke up early and went to the Southern Train Street. This was far quieter than Northern Street, and we had a cafe hostess help us across the insanely busy road to get to the street.

We obviously took a few pictures and sat with our smoothies while it passed by – the experience was crazy, as it was genuinely so close to us! I felt terrified it would hit us, but the staff are so organised and make sure we're not in any danger. I'd recommend heading there for the earlier trains! Times can be found just by typing into Google, as they change frequently.

Later, we went to the Hoa Lo Prison. This was nicknamed the "Hilton" by American POWs, and it was a sobering experience to see the conditions the prisoners lived in while there. It was definitely a useful insight into the culture of Vietnam and its rich history. The entry was only 50,000 VND, which is about £1.50, so this is a cheap activity that is rich in history and learning about the country! However, at the time we went, it was around 38 degrees Celsius, so I was borderline suffering from heatstroke!

We headed slowly back in the direction of our hotel and stopped off to try the Banh Mi. This is a Vietnamese sandwich filled with meat, pickled vegetables, herbs, and pate. We probably didn't have the most successful experience, as we were fearful of the vegetables sitting in water (far too paranoid!), so we didn't enjoy the Banh Mi as much as we should have. If I went back now, I would definitely have to try it again!

In the evening, we wrapped up our Hanoi experience by wandering through the shops. So many shops sell 'fake' clothing, shoes, and bags! I bought some Hoka's for approximately £15, a bargain! The shops are typically busy, but you can barter prices if you spot something you want.

We then went to Mia's Restaurant on the edge of the Old Quarter, and the food was amazing (as you could tell by the face I made!). By this point, I think we were all exhausted so we fell asleep pretty quick that evening.

Ha Long Bay Cruise

After two exciting days in Hanoi, we transferred in the early morning to Ha Long Bay for our two-day Halong Bay Sapphire cruise. The journey offered scenic views, with lush green landscapes and limestone karsts dotting the horizon. Our guide on the transfer bus was funny and showed us all the interesting spots on the way to the bay. We also got lucky enough to stop off at an Oyster Farm (which we weren't aware of!). This was an insanely cool experience, and we got to see the farming itself. We grabbed a coffee, as this stop was about an hour, and then off we went again.

Day 3: Setting Sail

Once we boarded the cruise ship, we were greeted with a refreshing welcome drink and escorted to our cosy cabin. The views from the balcony were breathtaking, featuring emerald waters and towering cliffs. I genuinely couldn't believe my eyes - I can understand why it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Our first activity was having a hefty lunch. I think we must have had around 4 courses! I opted out of the seafood due to personal preference, but the food was stunning, and I did pick at my friends' fish!

We then had the amazing opportunity to swim in the bay itself, which, of course, we had to! The current was very strong, though, and we were warned not to go too far out as we struggled to even just stay close to the boat. This was an unusual experience that I would probably never experience again, and that just made it even better. We sunbathed for a while after on the deck until dinner was ready. The food was amazing once again, with many traditional Vietnamese dishes. We also got to try making our own spring rolls - funny but chaotic.

The next day, we were up bright and early to take part in a Tai-Chi class at 5:45 am. This may sound early, but it was already 32 degrees, so it felt impossibly hot. Thankfully, we got to cool down with a boat ride through the tranquil waters and explored the hidden lagoons and caves. Paddling through these insane landscapes felt magical, almost as if we were going into a Jurassic World-type place. We even spotted monkeys on some of the islands! The beauty of the nature around us was something unforgettable.

We were then dropped off at the Bay to get our shuttle to the hotel we were staying in.

Day 4: Exploring the Bay

The peaceful atmosphere provided a refreshing escape from Hanoi’s hustle and bustle. It was quiet, our hotel was pleasant, but after a night here, we noticed Ha Long Bay felt a bit deserted. There were limited activities, and it lacked vibrancy, particularly in the evening hours. It also didn't feel particularly safe for women if they were solo-travelling, as we had a few uncomfortable experiences even in a group. As we had two nights here, we spent a whole day by the pool in a neighbouring hotel before going for a local dinner.

Day 5: Exploring the Beaches

Our next day involved going to the beach in hopes of sunbathing and going to a beach bar. We quickly spotted a large number of dead fish on the shore, which made us hesitant to go in. Instead, we went to the Cosy Beach Club for a pizza and a drink. This was relatively well-priced, but the service was a lot slower than usual. We spent a while here, soaking up the sun (but being careful not to burn!), and having a few drinks. The people are lovely, especially if you need directions or help with anything. Our day was spent here until we returned to the hotel to change and get ready for dinner.

The nightlife here is insane! It felt like the LA of Vietnam. Beach raves, women dancing on elevated stages, bustling crowds, it truly was wild. We didn't stop off; instead just walked past all of these places until we found a more relaxed estaurant for dinner. I had this amazing seabass linguine from Hops & Chops Craft Beer Bar and Grill, a restaurant we had seen on TikTok popular with expats and tourists. We only went here because of how quiet the bay was, and although we didn't see any other tourists, we definitely felt like this was more alive than some of the other places we had passed. Heading home felt slightly more unsafe, but perhaps this was due to the mainly male crowd.

Ninh Binh: The Hidden Gem

Next, we took a bus from Ha Long Bay to Tam Coc, where we checked into the Tam Coc Serenity Hotel and Bungalow. This area quickly became the highlight of our trip! I could have spent a month here, and I'd love to go back as soon as possible.

Day 6: Exploring Tam Coc

Tam Coc is often dubbed "Ha Long Bay on land," and it lives up to its name! Spending two nights here allowed us to truly explore, and I wish we'd stayed longer! The people are lovely, there are enough tourists to make some friends, without it feeling too overwhelmingly westernised, and the food is amazing. Our hotel was gorgeous, and they were especially helpful during the blackout we had on the first day!

On our first day, as we faced a blackout, we decided to take it easy! We had breakfast in a local cafe (and spotted this cute puppy!) and wandered through some of these shops to take some time out of the day.

Next up on our list was a visit to the Hoa Lu - Tan Thanh area! This is the dedicated 'old town' of Ninh Binh, and it's a short Grab ride away from the town of Tam Coc. It's so easy to get to, and costs maybe 400 VND each way! I'd absolutely recommend going here.

We didn't go into the temple as we were inappropriately dressed and didn't want to push any boundaries, but the entire area is gorgeous, with lanterns hanging off the trees and flags decorating the skies. I had my first ever matcha in the Matcha Bar, and it was actually lovely! We were lucky it was a quieter day due to the heavy rainstorms, which meant the shops were quite empty and we had the streets to ourselves.

On the way back, we got off the Grab at Chookie's Beer Garden! It might not sound appealing - but this is a highly rated restaurant in Tam Coc and probably one of the nicest locations we'd been to! The food was cheap but amazingly cooked, and they even had a delicious bakery section!

We got multiple cookies and brownies from here, and the staff were so helpful when we didn't understand things. Plus, they have a cool pool in the middle of the seating area, which adds to the atmosphere and just shows off the beauty of Tam Coc once again.

We ended our day in a karaoke bar, filled with other travellers like us! I sang 'Call Me Maybe' (Carly Rae Jepson) myself, and my friends did a duet. The staff here were so friendly and super encouraging, even when I was feeling nervous! It was just a bunch of fun though, and you got rewarded with a local branded beer for your participation in the karaoke.

Day 7: Cultural Experiences

On our second day in Tam Coc, we woke up early to get to the Lying Dragon Mountain. We left around 7am to beat the heat, and started our trek! It was knacering with the amount of steps it took to get to the top, plus I'm not too good with heights so I was absolutely freaked out half the time!

The steps are steep and crooked, so make sure to wear proper trainers and a good workout outfit. I was probably the least active out of my friends but it was worth it!

By the time we got back down, I think I'd sweated half my body water away. We celebrated with a large salted coffee, and explored the lilypad lake at the bottom of the mountain. This was well worth the early wake-up, and I'd have hated doing it any later!

We then took a boat ride through the Tam Coc caves. Our paddlers, local men, expertly navigated the serene waters. It felt like a scene out of Jurassic Park or something!

The scenery was breathtaking, with towering cliffs and lush greenery all around us. We were sat for about an hour or so (round trip) gazing at the sights and absolutely adoring the whole journey. We were offered prints by our paddler, but we had already bought some back in Tam Coc.

In the afternoon, we rented bicycles and cycled through the countryside to get to Buffalo Cave. This was only about 15 mins cycling from our hostel, but the roads were insanely muddy from all the rain we'd been having this week.

We watched two quad-bikers turn back, as well as some motorcyclists too! However, we battled through it and it was so worth it. Buffalo cave is certainly overhyped and touristy, but if you have the time you may as well go! I was a bit too scared to go into the actual cave itself, but there were opportunities for fishing and just enjoying the view! We spent a while here as it was so pretty!

We cycled back, stopping off at Sisterfields Brunch spot for some food. This was an amazing spot, but so busy! We had to wait to get a decent table, but the food was yum! Be aware, that it was cash only, so make sure you take some with you. We had checked out of our hotel due to our late night sleeper bus, but they were super kind and allowed us to shower, get changed, and store our luggage there!

We stayed around town for around two or three hours before our bus was due to arrive. This involved just walking around, getting some food, and trying to just enjoy the rest of our time.

This ended our trip in Tam Coc, which was devastating as we had such an amazing time!

Sapa: Trekking in the Mountains

Day 8: Relaxing in Sapa

After Tam Coc, we boarded a sleeper bus to Sapa, arriving around 7 AM. The sleeper bus experience is unmissable, and I really hated it initially. Kwells sickness tablets were lifesavers, as I tend to get super travel sick on coaches! I fell asleep for around six hours of the journey, then just listened to music for the final part of the travelling. We did stop a few times, but I tried to sleep solidly through the night so that I was not too exhausted the next day!

We finally arrived and checked into the Sapa Soleil Hotel. Since our room wasn't ready, we left our bags and headed to the Lady Hill Sapa resort for a day of relaxation! It's easy to get a Grab taxi up to the hill, but difficult for it to return without asking at the lobby.

The Lady Hill Sapa resort was absolutely insane. Even just by looking at these photos, I'm sure you can tell! I would recommend coming here to relax, no mater how long you have in Sapa.

There were stunning views of the terraced rice fields and surrounding mountains, and the facilities are amazing for only £15 each. There is a warm hot-tub style swimming pool indoors, which leads into a much cooler swimming pool outdoors! There are sunbeds besides each, but these are limited so make sure to go early to secure some. There's multiple saunas and steam rooms dotted around, including a Himalayan Salt room!

We stayed here until around 3pm before grabbing the taxi back to our hotel. This is when I found out I had the most horrific sunburn yet! I'd genuinely burnt every part of my body lying out on the mountains. I drowned myself in aloe vera to ensure that it wasn't super painful the next day, and then got ready to head out!

We started by wandering through the shops of the many little streets of Sapa. There were so many selling hiking attire or jackets for the cooler weather of the mountains, so make sure to check out deals before buying.

We then ended up in Tim's Sa Pa Kitchen, an Asian Fusion restaurant. This is genuinely worth the visit and it's relatively cheap! The food is so good, and decent sized portions too. We waited maybe 10 minutes for a table at 8pm, so it might be worth getting there a bit earlier if you're in a larger group.

We then went to bed since we were absolutely exhausted! It had been a long day, and the night's sleep before was awful. Plus, we knew we had to get up at around 6:30 for our trek the next day.

Day 9: Trekking Adventure

Waking up early and eating a super quick breakfast, we set out on a trek through Sapa's stunning landscapes! Our local guide led us through picturesque villages, where we were met with the most gorgeous views and friendly locals. They were sometimes a bit pushy with buying things, but we made sure to not engage too much as our guide had warned us about this. We learned so much about their culture from our guide, and she was so helpful with all of our questions. It was just us and her for the entire tour, meaning we could go as slow as we liked.

We didn't stop for drinks or anything because we already had some, but there are quite a few stops if needed! Plus, our hike was quite slow and not super intense, so I didn't feel completely exhausted by the end of it.

The trek was challenging in parts, but each breathtaking view was a reward. We got to see plenty of rice fields, water buffalo, and even a huge canyon! The villages themselves were sweet, looking through small shops and spotting all the stray dogs!

We ended our trek and got dropped off at Moana Sapa, a very touristy photo spot! It's basically filled with picture opportunities with the mountain backdrop, but for approximately £4 (including a soft drink!), it's worth it. We didn't really queue for long for any photo opportunities, and there are so many to choose from.

From here, we booked a Grab to the alpine coaster. I would recommend asking your driver to wait for 20 minutes as taxi's will rarely travel the distance otherwise. Ours offered to wait, and we tipped him for his service! It was around £7 when we went for a single ride, and we didn't queue. This was so fun and so fast, plus it's just a thrill! It lasted maybe a couple of minutes, but it really was a thrill and I enjoyed it a lot.

We really tried to jam-pack our day, but at this point we were so tired, we had to head home. We relaxed by the pool in our hotel for a while to soak after the trek, and then got ready for dinner. This was probably one of the most fun evenings we had of the whole holiday!

We had dinner in a restaurant next to our hotel, and got chatting to some Australians (both young and old). They chit-chatted about their journeys and where they were from, and we spent the dinner enjoying their company and the conversation. I love learning about other people's adventures and this was a perfect way to spend our last evening in Sapa. We went to a neighbouring bar for a few hours before heading home to get some well-needed rest.

Final Days in Hanoi

After Sapa, we took another sleeper bus back to Hanoi, arriving around 3pm. We checked into the Golden Lotus Luxury Hotel straight away and had a well-needed shower and change.

Day 10: Last-Minute Shopping and Exploration

With only one day left in Vietnam, we wanted to make it count. We went and got some food in a local restaurant, and shopped for some shoes and bags that we had spotted during our first few days in Hanoi. After this though, we relaxed in our rooftop pool just in time for the sunset - and wow it was gorgeous! Hanoi sunsets are truly unbeatable.

We had planned ahead and booked in at 4P's Pizzeria. This is a hugely popular restaurant in Hanoi, and you will struggle to get in with a bigger group without a reservation.

We then ventured to Beer Street, a lively area filled with bars and restaurants. I genuinely hated this, and wouldn't recommend it for any solo female travellers. I was thankfully with three others, but it was quite an intimidating experience.

It was super pushy with drinks, as well as the men getting weirdly close up. We even had a host square up to one of us for protecting the other girl from having his arm around us! We left immediately after this as we felt incredibly unsafe.

We went to a rooftop bar and had a few drinks. The drinks are definitely stronger in Vietnam, so be careful with knowing your limits. They are a lot cheaper though, so you only need one or two! We then went to bed because we knew we were having an incredibly long journey the next day, and we'd all been dreading it due to the exhaustion we knew we were facing.

Day 11: Departure

On our final day, we packed up our bags in the early morning and dropped them off at reception, booking a taxi for approximately 2.5 hours before we had to fly. As we didn't have an excessive amount of time, we grabbed a coffee and did a few final tourist shops to grab some gifts. On our way back, we stopped off for lunch in some brunch place near our hotel. We prepared for our flight home, retracing our journey back on the same route we arrived. I was so excited to get home after the journey, especially because it had been delayed by about two hours when we got to Shanghai!

Closing Reflections

Spending two weeks in Northern Vietnam was an unforgettable adventure, and has left me craving another visit. From the dynamic streets of Hanoi to the serene beauty of Tam Coc and the majestic mountains of Sapa, I felt like I truly experienced everything the North had to offer. The only thing left - the Ha Giang Loop! It's on my bucketlist for next time.

Happy travels!