North and Central Vietnam Two Week Itinerary

Hanoi is a city that deserves to be deeply discovered.  At first glance, it'll seem chaotic. And then once you find the groove and flow of the city, I promise you'll be eager to return. It's a city where you senses will be constantly in overdrive. Related: Southeast Asia Travel

One of the biggest questions I get about Hanoi is how to cross the street with all the motorbikes and lack of traffic lights. Just start walking... slowly and steadily keep your pace. Don't slow down and the bikes will go around you. I promise it isn't as scary as it looks.

Here's some of my top things to do in Hanoi.

The Temple of Literature: Sprawling temple grounds in the middle of the city with nature and ponds and pagodas. 

Hoan Kiem Lake: This big lake in the centre of the Old Quarter is a great spot for an early morning walk. You'll get to witness local life, as many locals in the area take their morning walks here too. While you're there, a visit to Ngoc Son Temple in the middle of the lake is recommended.

Wander around the Old Quarter: Hanoi's Old Quarter is made for wandering. Stumble into a street food joint, shop along the many streets, and just feel the pulse of the city. There are 79 streets in the Old Quarter and you' ll probably each corresponds with a specific type of merchandise or service, like textile street or shoe street or motorbike repair street.

Take a food tour: Like many tourists, we were overwhelmed with all the street food options. So, a food tour is a great way to get you acclimated to Hanoi's street food culture. Many people are nervous to try the street food, but don't be scared. It was the best food we had in Vietnam. I can really recommend a street food tour with With Locals (our guide was named Hoa N).

Experience Hanoi's coffee culture: Vietnamese coffee options are diverse and unique - there are so many options! I can really recommend the Coffee Lover's Walking Tour with Backstreet Academy. My favourites: egg coffee and coconut coffee.

Visit the famous train street: Before I jump into this, I want to let you know that you can no longer wander up and down the famous train street. In fact, you'll notice security at the entrances for safety reasons. However, there are still many cafes that line this iconic street, so if you tell them you are visiting a cafe, they will let you in so sit at the cafes and watch the trains go by. I can't stress this enough - make sure you follow these rules and be a responsible traveller. Related: Beautiful Train Stations

See a water puppet show: This is a traditional show, all done in Vietnamese, and it is so beautiful. It's a bit touristy but still a must do. The best place to see a show is at Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre.

If you're eager to try the Hanoi street food scene, or just looking for regular restaurants in Hanoi, here are some of my favourites (and their addresses).

Pho Suong - Amazing pho (beef noodle soup); 24B Ngõ Trung Yên

Nha Hang Thanh Hop - Great for bun cha (fatty pork noodles); 12 Đinh Liệt

Che Dung - Coconut ice cream with fresh mango; 95 Hàng Bạc

The Hanoi Social Club - Great place for brunch in a super charming building.

Noodle & Roll - Great spot for bun cha or pho if you're not feeling brave enough to try traditional street food. 

Bun Cha Huong Lien: Where Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate bun cha.

Bao Wow - Great place for bao!

Halong Bay is a spot that is on every Vietnam visitors bucket list - and for good reason. It is one of the most beautiful places you'll ever see. However, with thousands of cruise line operators, it can be very difficult to choose the one that is right for you. I have a few tips for you!

First, you must consider your budget. If you're looking to splurge on a portion of your trip, this is a good place to do it. You can have a premium 5-star luxury experience for an all-inclusive price (excluding drinks) of around 500 USD (for two people/two nights). However, there are tons of wonderful mid-range options too.

I would also encourage you to choose a two night cruise if your schedule allows it. Many people opt for a one-night cruise, but a two-night cruise will take you out of Halong Bay to one of the surrounding bays without any other boats in sight. If you do a shorter tip closer to the shore, you'll encounter many affordable day trip boats and, unfortunately, due to over-tourism, this area is quite polluted and spoiled.

Our cruise took us to Lan Ha Bay and onto Cat Ba Island for a day trip. Some other cruises for to Bai Tu Long Bay which is apparently also very untouched and beautiful.

We loved our time with Doris Cruise and I can really recommend it! It was a brand new cruise line and the experience was premium. We visited a local community on Cat Ba Island, learned about local culture, visited fishing villages, swam in the bay, went kayaking, enjoyed lots of great food, and - of course - admired the views.

The Ninh Binh region is often referred to as the "Halong Bay on land" for its limestone cliffs that cascade above the shallow fields. It is truly so beautiful and - compared to other areas of Vietnam - much less visited. This region is a popular day trip from Hanoi, but I would encourage you to spend two or three nights here. There is so much to do outside of the most popular attractions that make this place special. Related: 2 weeks in Vietnam and Cambodia

If you're wondering how to get around the Ninh Binh region, I'd recommend taking a bike! Many hotels include bikes in the price - or you can rent them in town. My favourite thing to do in Ninh Binh was wander by bike off-the-beaten-path without a plan. So, I'd encourage you to wander down a narrow side road ... it's likely you'll be greeted by the most stunning views!

Here's a few other can't miss attractions.

Bich Dong Pagoda: This famous pagoda is tucked into the side of a cliff and is so beautiful. If you continue through the entrance, you'll be able to visit the temple. My biggest recommendation is arrive early, because this spot is popular with day trip visitors.

Hang Mua: Easily the most famous attraction, this spot actually disappointed me a bit. It was so busy because we were visiting during the Vietnamese New Year when locals were off work which slightly took away from the whole experience. However, the climb up to the top of the iconic peak and the views were incredible. I would absolutely recommend going - just go for either sunrise or sunset.

Go for a boat tour: There are two famous boat tours you can take - one in Trang An and one in Tam Coc. The boat tour in Trang An is apparently the most scenic, and the most popular. However, because of the long queues associated with the Vietnamese New Year, we opted for the less popular Tam Coc option. This may be a case of "not knowing what I was missing," but I thought it was beautiful.

Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital: This formal ancient imperial capital is located in the middle of the famous limestone cliffs and worth checking out.

Động chùa Bàn Long Buddist Temple Pagoda: This colourful pagoda is is painted in neon colours! It was very unique compared to other pagodas we saw.

Hoi An is the city of lanterns, and is home to a UNESCO-world-famous old town with walls painted in bright yellow. There is so much to do in Hoi An you could spend weeks wandering the city. 

The best way to get around Hoi An in by bike. Most hotels will offer you a bike,  but you can also rent them.

Here's all my favourite things to do in Hoi An.

Wander the old town: The old town is so beautiful and you could wander around for hours popping into shops, having coffee, and photographing the yellow-painted streets. While it may appear to be free to wander the old town, there are ticket booths at the entrance. Be a responsible traveller and buy a ticket. The money goes back into maintaining the historical town, and the ticket will give you admission to five local landmarks (including temples).

Get custom clothes made: One of the most popular things to do in Hoi An is get custom clothing made! There are so many custom tailors that will try to ask you to come into the shop. However, do your research and go to a reputable spot. I can really recommend Bebe Tailor.

Visit the Hoi An temples: Some of my favourites include Cantonese Assembly Hall, Phuc Kien Assembly, The Japanese Bridge, Pháp Bảo Temple, and Chùa Long Tuyền. The cost of admission to these temples is included with the old town ticket.

Bike to the Hoi An rice fields: Hoi An is surrounded by stunning rice fields and they have roads that run through them. Bike through the fields for stunning views!

Spend a day at the beach: My favourite, less touristy beach was An Bang Beach.

Hoi An Night Market: Every night the city lights up with lanterns and the night market takes place. You can wander through the market, test out some street food, and buy souvenirs. 

Take a cooking class: It is really popular to do this in Hoi An and you'll probably be a bit overwhelmed knowing which one to choose. I absolutely loved our experience at Hoi An Eco Cooking Class and would really recommend it (not to be confused with Hoi An Eco Cooking School, which apparently copied the name of the more popular class).

Hoi An Central Market: If you want to satisfy your senses, visit this market in the centre of Hoi An. I really recommend picking up free produce here, it was amazing.

My Son Sanctuary: Take a day trip to My Son Sanctuary, about an hour away from Hoi An. The ruins are spectacular! If you want to avoid the crowds (and the heat) you can opt for a sunrise tour and have this magical spot to yourself.

In addition to all the things to do, Hoi An has an amazing food scene. I particularly loved the cafe scene. Here's a few of my favourites.

- 92 Station: Head up to the top floor and enjoy a coconut coffee with incredible views of the old town.
- Faifo Coffee: This spot is very touristy because of the views you get from the top floor. Honestly, I preferred 92 Station for views, but if you want to have a roof top drink (and snap an insta pic) this is a popular spot to do it.
- Sound of Silence Coffee Shop: Located at An Bang beach, this tropically-influenced spot offers coffee on the beach.
- Mot Hoi An: This incredibly popular spot has tourists flocking to it for their famous tea. And it's absolutely worth the hype! The food here is good too.
- The Espresso Station: Amazing and unique (very photogenic) coffee drinks. This was a my favourite coffee shop!
- Reaching Out Tea House: This tea house employs only deaf workers, and has a program to give back to the deaf community. The whole experience was such a highlight of my time in Hoi An.

And if you're looking for the best restaurants, I have a few recommendations for you too

- Madam Khanh for amazing banh mi
- Banh Mi Phuong for the famous banh mi that Anthony Bourdain ate
- Lefe for mid-range Vietnamese dining
- Ganesh if you're looking for a break from Vietnamese and want to try some amazing Indian food
- White Rose Restaurant for white rose dumplings
- Dingo Deli for all-day brunch
- Rosie's Cafe is a popular and trendy brunch spot with more western-focused options