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Two weeks is exactly the right length for Vietnam's full length. Three nights in Hanoi, two on a Halong Bay junk, three in Hoi An (with Hue as a day trip), three nights split between Phu Quoc or the Mekong Delta, and two in Ho Chi Minh City. Domestic flights handle the long hops (VN Airlines and VietJet); everything else is ground transport.
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Each day is written to balance structure with breathing room. Named hotels, named meals, named activities; logistics noted where they matter.
Land at Noi Bai (HAN), 45-minute airport shuttle or taxi to the Old Quarter. Dinner at a sidewalk bun cha stall (the one Obama ate at in 2016 is Bun Cha Huong Lien, worth the queue once). Evening at a Hanoi Old Quarter rooftop for a first beer.
Walking day. Temple of Literature (Vietnam's first university, 1070). Hoan Kiem Lake and the Ngoc Son Temple. Lunch at a pho counter (Pho Gia Truyen on Bat Dan street). Afternoon at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (taxi out; it's one of the best museums in Southeast Asia). Water-puppet show in the evening at Thang Long Theatre.
Morning van transfer to Halong Bay (3 hours by the new expressway). Board a traditional junk-boat cruise for 2 nights — Bhaya, Paradise, or Aphrodite are the established operators. Afternoon kayaking through karst caves; dinner on board.
Full day of the junk cruise itinerary — most operators include a visit to a floating fishing village, a pearl farm, swimming at a deserted beach, and a Vietnamese cooking demo on board. The less-commercialised Lan Ha Bay is better than crowded Halong itself.
Morning disembarkation, van back to Hanoi (3h). Short domestic flight HAN → HUI (1h 15m) to Hue. Afternoon at the Imperial Citadel (the Nguyen Dynasty capital until 1945; the Forbidden Purple City within). Dinner at Ancient Hue Garden Houses.
The most scenic land transfer in Vietnam. Private car over the Hai Van Pass — 20 km of mountain coast road that Top Gear filmed in 2008, with stops at Lang Co Beach and Marble Mountains. Arrive Hoi An by 14:00. Afternoon walking the Ancient Town (UNESCO; lantern-lit evenings).
Morning half-day to My Son — 4th–13th-century Cham temple ruins 1h from Hoi An. Back to Hoi An for lunch. Afternoon for a tailor fitting (48-hour turnaround; Yaly or Bebe are the well-reviewed options). Evening on An Bang Beach.
Morning Vietnamese cooking class — most include a market tour (buy pho herbs, fresh bun) and a boat ride across the river. Red Bridge is the best-established; Morning Glory Cooking School the most centrally located. Afternoon rest; final Hoi An dinner.
Morning flight DAD → SGN (1h 30m). Check into your Saigon hotel (District 1, typically). Afternoon walking: Notre-Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office (Gustave Eiffel-era), Bitexco Financial Tower. Evening cocktails at EON51 for city views, dinner at Anan Saigon (modern Vietnamese, run by Peter Cuong Franklin).
Heavy history day. War Remnants Museum (Vietnam's side of the American War, unflinching). Afternoon trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels — the Viet Cong tunnel network outside the city. Dinner at Quan Bui (traditional Vietnamese) or Secret Garden (rooftop).
Morning flight SGN → PQC (1h). Taxi or hotel transfer to a Phu Quoc resort on the west coast (Long Beach area) or the quieter Bai Sao / Bai Khem on the south. Afternoon beach and pool; Phu Quoc is where you stop planning and start recovering.
Morning cable car to the An Thoi archipelago (world's longest overwater cable car, 7.9 km). Beach island-hopping, snorkeling. Afternoon back at the resort. Dinner at Dinh Cau Night Market (Duong Dong) or the resort.
A genuine rest day — no plans, long lunch, sunset-viewing somewhere on the west coast (Thanh Kieu or Sunset Sanato Beach). A last night at the resort.
Morning flight PQC → SGN (1h), then international connection out of Tan Son Nhat. Or direct international from PQC — a handful of Korean, Thai, and Chinese carriers fly direct.
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For a north-to-south highlights trip (Hanoi + Halong + Hoi An + HCMC + one island), yes. Adding Sapa (northern mountains), the Mekong Delta in depth, or Con Dao island would need 3 weeks.
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