Vietnam is the country the whole Southeast Asia trail is secretly built around — long, cheap, ludicrously scenic, top-to-bottom. I spent a month riding and bussing it from the far northern mountains down to Saigon, and this is the exact route I did and would recommend. It mixes the big-ticket north with a long, slow middle where I actually stopped and worked for a bit, then eases down the coast to the south.
Hanoi — land here first (2 days)
I flew into Hanoi and spent two days there before heading anywhere. The old quarter is chaos in the best way: motorbikes, egg coffee, plastic stools on every pavement. Two days is enough to shake off the jet lag, eat your weight in bun cha and pho, and sort your onward transport up to the mountains — Hanoi is a city you walk into, not a checklist. Then I moved up north for the loop.
Ha Giang Loop — the north (≈4 days)
The one everyone remembers: the Ha Giang loop. A ~350 km circuit through the far northern mountains, right up against the Chinese border, on some of the most dramatic roads in Asia — limestone peaks, terraced valleys, hairpin passes, villages that feel like another century.
Two ways to do it:
- Ride it yourself if you're a confident motorbiker — total freedom, but the roads are no joke.
- Take an "easy rider" — you're on the back, a local drives. This is what most backpackers do and the right call if you're not experienced: the views without the risk, and the drivers know every viewpoint.
You go in a loose group from a hostel in Ha Giang town, sleep in homestays, and have big communal dinners with a lot of rice wine. Budget four days — people routinely wish they'd stayed longer. Get the overnight bus or limousine van from Hanoi up to Ha Giang to start.
Sapa — 3 days
From the northeast I crossed to Sapa in the northwest for three days: the famous terraced rice valleys, treks between hill-tribe villages, and cool mountain air. It's more touristy than Ha Giang but the walking is gorgeous — get out of Sapa town itself and into the valleys and it's a completely different, much quieter place.
Back to Hanoi — 1 day
Down from the mountains to Hanoi again for a single day to reset — laundry, one more round of bun cha, and sort the trip south. A short, useful pause between the north and the coast.
Ninh Binh — 2 days
Then two days at Ninh Binh — "Halong Bay on land," the same karst towers but rising out of rice paddies and rivers instead of the sea. Take a little rowboat through the caves at Trang An, cycle between the temples, and climb the steps at Hang Mua for the view everyone photographs. A calm, green pause after the mountains.
Da Nang — 10 days (my base for working)
From Ninh Binh I went straight to Da Nang, and this was the surprise of the trip — I stayed ten days. Da Nang was the best place I found to actually stop, rest and do remote work: a proper beach city, a big café scene with fast wifi, and a real community — plenty of networking and meetups if you want them. If you're travelling and working, this is where you plant yourself for a while.
I used it as a base for two brilliant side trips:
- Hoi An — 2 days. The lantern-lit old town is touristy and completely worth it, especially after dark. Get clothes tailored, eat cao lau, cycle out to the beach.
- Hue. The old imperial capital, north over the Hai Van Pass (take the train for that coast-hugging ride). The Citadel and royal tombs are the most rewarding history in the country — of the two side trips, Hue is the one I'd recommend most.
Nha Trang — the beach stop
Heading south from Da Nang I stopped at Nha Trang — Vietnam's big beach resort city. Long sandy bay, islands to hop, diving, and a lively seafront. A good place to swim and slow down before turning inland and up into the hills.
Da Lat — the cool highlands
Then up to Da Lat: pine forests, waterfalls, flower farms, and canyoning if you want adrenaline. A welcome change of temperature and pace before the heat of the south — and the night market's street food is a highlight on its own.
Ho Chi Minh City — the last 3 days
I finished with three days in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) — faster, louder and more modern than Hanoi, with great food, great nightlife, and heavy history at the War Remnants Museum and the Cu Chi tunnels. Easy to add a day trip into the Mekong Delta (floating markets, coconut candy, palm-lined canals) before you fly out from here.
The shape of the month
- North (first ~12 days): Hanoi → Ha Giang loop → Sapa → back to Hanoi → Ninh Binh.
- Middle (the slow bit): ten days based in Da Nang, with Hoi An and Hue.
- South (the run home): Nha Trang → Da Lat → Ho Chi Minh City.
- Non-negotiable: the Ha Giang loop. Everything else you can trade; this you keep.
Getting around is easy and cheap — sleeper buses and trains link every stop, and the domestic flights (Hanoi–Da Nang, Da Nang–Saigon) are inexpensive if you want to save a travel day.
Want this as a day-by-day plan you can actually book? See the full list of the best places to visit in Vietnam, then let farpacker turn your dates and pace into a mapped route.