How to Spend 30 Days in Vietnam: A Practical Travel Guide

Name: How to Spend 30 Days in Vietnam: A Practical Travel Guide
Uploaded: 2026-11-07T13:04:51+00:00
Duration: 17 min 45 s
Channel: Lloyd & Mandy

00:00Almost two years ago we were lucky enough to spend an entire month in Vietnam

00:05traveling from the city of Ho Chi Minh City all the way to the northernmost

00:09city of Sa Pa completely by bus. We then took a 32-hour train back to Saigon

00:15before leaving the country. Vietnam is one of our favorite countries to visit

00:20in the world and although we loved every minute of our whirlwind trip there there

00:25are a few things we would change if we were to spend another 30 days in the

00:29country. We were lucky enough to visit Vietnam once again recently and we were

00:34reminded of just how special this place is which is why we decided to make for

00:39you guys a perfect 30-day Vietnam travel itinerary. Before we get into today's

00:46episode we just want to say a big thank you to Surfshark for supporting our

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02:07for listening. Now let's get into the episode. We believe 30 days is the perfect

02:13amount of time to travel the entire country of Vietnam and it also just so

02:18happens to be the amount of time you will be given granted on a tourist visa.

02:22for Vietnam. But because we're making this content for you guys we also took a

02:27poll on our community page and most of you said that if you were to travel to

02:31Vietnam in 2024 that you would like to spend 30 days there. So without further

02:37ado here's our perfect one month Vietnam travel itinerary and if you think we

02:42missed anything along the way leave us a comment down below to let us know.

02:46Vietnam is a diverse country stretching 650 kilometers from the northernmost point to

02:52the southernmost. With the two biggest cities being on either end of the country

02:56you can choose to start in the north and work your way down or as we did start in

03:02the south of Ho Chi Minh City and work your way up. First stop Ho Chi Minh City.

03:07Ho Chi Minh City commonly known as Saigon is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population

03:14of around 9 million people as of 2023. The city is also the busiest international transport

03:20hub in Vietnam as the international airport accounts for nearly half of all international

03:26arrivals to the country. And as soon as you step off the plane and into the bustling streets

03:31you can definitely feel it. Ho Chi Minh is separated into 14 different districts each

03:37with their own unique vibe and culture. However if you're visiting for the first

03:40time it's probably best to stay somewhere in district 1 as it is the most tourist

03:46friendly. There is an abundance of hotels restaurants and cafes that blend

03:50Vietnamese culture with French colonialism. And if you're looking for a fun night out

03:55of people watching then look no further than Boi Vien walking street where crowds line

04:00the sides of the road from around 7 p.m. onwards until the road shuts down at 2 a.m.

04:07Here you'll find plenty of bars and nightclubs that also serve delicious local

04:11cuisine. However don't expect to get the cheapest prices as this is really an

04:17extremely touristy area. For a more authentic food experience we recommend the

04:23motorbike food tour ran by Exo Tours. Here local Vietnamese women will drive you

04:28around to many different districts by scooter combining sightseeing with a

04:33culinary experience like no other. This was by far our favorite thing we did in

04:38our month-long stay in Vietnam and is probably the best way to start your trip.

04:43And if you're into history there are a ton of museums in Ho Chi Minh City to choose

04:47from although some are a little more depressing than others given the country's

04:52history. We really enjoyed our time in Ho Chi Minh City and we think spending four

04:57nights here to start your trip while you recover from jet lag is just a great way

05:01to get acclimated to Vietnam. Next stop Moine for two nights. From Ho Chi Minh you

05:08can jump on a bus to the quiet fishing village of Moine. A quick side note buses

05:13are by far the most popular and easiest way to get around in Vietnam and they're

05:18surprisingly comfortable with onboard bathrooms and sleeper seats that are more

05:22like beds plus some even have free Wi-Fi. They're also reasonably cheap and you

05:27can get a ticket almost anywhere in the country for under ten to twenty dollars.

05:32Moine is a beach resort town along the sea in southeast Vietnam with a long palm

05:37lined stretch of sand it's become a popular getaway from Ho Chi Minh City for

05:42locals with a busy strip of hotels restaurants and shops. But perhaps the

05:47most surprising part of Moine was the natural sand dunes that make you feel like

05:52you're in the middle of the Sahara Desert. If you're feeling adventurous you can book

05:56one of the Sunrise Jeep tours that will take you to the perfect viewpoint before

06:00the area gets too crowded and trust us it does. The sand dune tour is followed by a

06:06tour of the local fishing village which we found quite interesting as well as a

06:10trip to the natural wonder that is Red Cliff Creek. And just in case you're

06:15someone who enjoys trying some of the more exotic foods while you're traveling

06:18believe it or not the local cuisine in Moine of choice is iguana. Local people

06:25cook iguana in seven different ways. Grilled, steamed, fried, roasted, raw, served in

06:32porridge, iguana pie and served alongside vegetables. Although I wasn't brave enough

06:38to try it on our trip as I was already having some stomach issues but as they say

06:43when in Rome. From Moine you can get on another sleeper bus to the larger beach

06:49resort town of Nha Trang where you can spend four nights. It's about a four hour

06:54journey according to Google Maps but don't let that fool you. Like most trips in

06:59Vietnam it will most likely take longer. So allow yourself up to five hours to get

07:04there. Nha Trang is a coastal resort city in southern Vietnam known for its beaches,

07:09diving sites and offshore islands. Its main beach is a long curving stretch along

07:14Tran Phu Street backed by a promenade, hotels and seafood restaurants. Aerial

07:19cable cars cross over to Hon Trae Island and the nature reserves of Hon Mun and

07:24Hon Tam Islands which are also reachable by boat and have some amazing coral reefs.

07:30Our favorite part of Nha Trang was visiting the beach in the late afternoon for

07:34sunset where you can see plenty of local families coming out to spend their time

07:38flying kites and enjoying the cooler weather and also enjoying a couple of

07:42cold beers. While in Nha Trang you can also visit the Nha Trang walking street to

07:47grab yourself some amazing street food as well as some local arts and crafts. We

07:52recommend getting around Nha Trang by either grab taxi or scooter both of which

07:56are extremely affordable. Next stop one of our favorite towns in Vietnam, Hoi An

08:03where you'll be spending three nights. Hoi An is a little bit of a longer bus ride

08:07from Nha Trang with about eight hours in total which is why we recommend buying a

08:12VIP sleeper bus ticket. However if you do get car sick don't expect to get too much

08:18sleep. Although the drive is very beautiful and we think it's a great way to see the

08:22country it can be quite bumpy. If you prefer a less bumpy ride then you can

08:27always take a train which is only a little bit more expensive and also offers

08:31sleeper cabins. But just be warned you may need to share a cabin with others unless

08:36you purchase the cabin for yourself of course. And if you're traveling to Hoi An

08:41we recommend planning your trip around the monthly lantern festival which is a

08:45sight to behold. The Hoi An lantern festival is held on the 14th day of the

08:50lunar month when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. It starts around

08:556 p.m. and continues on until around 10 o'clock. Many people choose to arrive

09:00early often before 6 p.m. to enjoy the sunset and dinner before the glimmering

09:05colorful lanterns still to show. Here you can take a boat ride through the river

09:09to take in the beautiful sights of the lanterns which is truly a captivating

09:13experience and one not to be missed. But don't worry because during the day there

09:17is still plenty to do and the best way to get around here is by bicycle. Although

09:22it does get extremely hot here so to avoid the midday heat we recommend doing

09:27most of your exploring either early morning or late afternoon. Just a short to our bus

09:33ride from Hoi An is the city of Da Nang. Da Nang is the commercial and

09:38educational center of central Vietnam and is the largest city in the region and

09:43the fifth largest city in Vietnam by population. While we didn't spend a lot of

09:48time in Da Nang we really regretted not visiting some of the nearby natural

09:53wonders such as the Marble Mountains, Ngon Nhuok Beach and the Ba Nha Hills which is a

09:59mountain resort with a five kilometer long cable car system which carries guests

10:03up to Ba Nha's peak at almost 1500 meters above sea level. As well as Sontra

10:09Mountain just a few miles away from the city center with some wild streams and

10:13resorts along the seaside. Da Nang also has some great night markets as well as the

10:19famous Dragon Bridge which is definitely a sight to see at night. Da Nang is also a

10:24great place to get a cheap flight to Hanoi as by now you're probably sick and

10:28tired of the long bus journeys. Next stop Hanoi where you'll be spending four

10:35nights. The capital of Vietnam is known for its centuries-old architecture and a

10:40rich culture with Southeast Asian, Chinese and French influences. At the heart of

10:46Hanoi is the chaotic old quarter where the narrow streets are filled with coffee

10:50shops, local street food vendors as well as other local trades. There are many

10:55little temples including Bac Ma honouring a legendary horse plus Dong Zhuan

11:01Market selling household goods and street food. You can walk the old quarter

11:06relatively easily or choose to take a pedicab for a more relaxing view of the

11:11area but be sure to pay a visit to the famous Huan Kiem Lake which is right

11:16across the road from the old quarter. And if you're looking for nightlife in

11:20Hanoi then Beer Street is a perfect blend of backpackers, locals and even

11:25businessmen. They say if you can't make friends on Beer Street then you might be

11:30the problem. No trip to Hanoi would be complete without a visit to the famous

11:35Train Street. Nestled in Hanoi's old quarter this narrow alley attracts travellers

11:40hoping to snap a picture on the active train track and even catch a train whiz

11:45by. This alley is actually a residential area and many of the locals have

11:50recognised the unique business opportunity that Train Street delivers and

11:55have subsequently converted their houses into cafes where you can sip on

11:59traditional egg coffee while waiting for the train to pass by. This happens a

12:03handful of times throughout the day but be careful though as like most places in

12:07Vietnam the street can get extremely busy so get there early to grab a spot. Fun

12:13fact there have actually been many instances in the past of accidents due to

12:17tourists not moving far enough from the moving trains causing the line to be

12:22shut down on multiple occasions. However we still think it's one of the most

12:26iconic things to do in Hanoi.

12:30Nin Bin. From Hanoi you can easily take a grab taxi to the scenic town of Nin

12:36Bin for as little as $40 which will take you just over one hour. We were lucky

12:40enough to recently visit this amazing town which may just be our new favorite

12:45destination in Vietnam. It's a very chill place to spend a few days after the

12:50craziness of Hanoi. If you haven't seen our recent two-part series of Nin Bin

12:54then go and check it out it's truly amazing. But be warned it does get

12:58relatively cold in the north of Vietnam in the winter months so make sure you pack

13:02accordingly. We made the mistake of not packing warm clothes and we had to

13:06purchase them when we got there which was fine because there are so many

13:10clothing stores in both Hanoi and Nin Bin. Nin Bin is lined with homestays, Airbnbs and

13:17hotels and we really think you can't go wrong no matter which area you stay in.

13:22Although there are no grab taxis here it is easy enough to get around by bicycle or

13:27scooter which are both extremely cheap to hire. Some highlights of Nin Bin are the

13:32Tamcock River paddle boat tour, Muwa Cave and Muwa Viewpoint and the Tai V

13:38Temple as well as the abundance of beautiful scenery. All of which can be

13:43accessed by bike or scooter however we do recommend taking the convertible Jeep

13:47tour that we did it was so much fun and the driver even let us stop to fly our

13:51drone a few times. Even though Nin Bin is a relatively quiet town there's still a

13:58lot of places to go out and enjoy a great meal or a few drinks at night.

14:02Nin Bin really does have it all and we highly recommend putting it on your

14:06Vietnam itinerary. From Nin Bin you can book a trip directly to Ha Long Bay to take

14:13a two-night boat trip sailing on what is perhaps the most breathtaking scenery in the

14:18whole country. Although it has become increasingly popular over the years

14:23amongst tourists we still highly recommend a visit to Ha Long Bay. It's

14:28known for its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone islands

14:32topped by rainforests. Junk boat tours and sea kayak expeditions take visitors

14:38past islands named for their shapes including Stone Dog and Teapot Islands. You

14:44really can't go wrong with any of the junk boat tours here however when we

14:48visited the bay we were on board the Paradise Elegance and it was truly a

14:52five-star experience. The food was 10 out of 10 as was the service and they even

14:57had live music for entertainment every night on board. Although some of the

15:02activities are encouraged you're not obligated at all to leave the boat during

15:07the cruise and you can do what we did which was enjoy a cold beer in the hot tub all

15:12to ourselves while taking in the spectacular views of Ha Long Bay. This

15:16place might just be the most Instagrammable place in Vietnam. And last

15:22but not least Sa Pa. Finish up your trip in the northern town of Sa Pa which is a

15:28town in the mountains of northwestern Vietnam. It's a popular hiking spot and

15:33overlooks the terraced rice fields of the Muang Hoa Valley and is near the 3,000

15:38metre tall Fung Chi Pang Peak which is climbable via a steep multi-day guided

15:44walk. Hill tribes such as the Ha Long, Tei and Dao make up much of the town's

15:50local population. While in supper we recommend visiting Cat Cat Village which

15:54is known for its natural beauty and Ha Long culture and traditions. Traditional

15:59wood huts some serving as homestays overlook the mountainside rice field terraces. On

16:08homemade corn wine and naturally dyed clothes on the way to Tien Sa Waterfalls.

16:14Cultural shows are performed at the Nga Hang Dung Thu Centre. While we were in supper we

16:20splurged on our hotel and stayed at the Hotel de la Coupole which is a five star

16:25property and honestly one of the nicest hotels we have ever visited in the world.

16:30The hotel which sits right in the centre of town is designed by fusing the local culture,

16:36French history and vibrant ambience of Sapa into one impressive property. Boasting

16:42incredible views of the Sapa Valley and the famous rice fields, the Hotel de la

16:46Coupole Sapa has 250 rooms, a gymnasium, multiple restaurants and an indoor pool.

16:54It is by far the best hotel in Sapa however if this hotel is out of your

16:58budget there are plenty of cheaper options around. And so that wraps up our one

17:04month Vietnam travel itinerary. We have to give special mentions to the cities of

17:09Hue and the Ha Giang Loop, two places in Vietnam we haven't yet been lucky enough

17:14to visit. But as Vietnam is one of our favourite countries in the world I'm sure

17:19it won't be long until we do. If you guys think we missed anything along the way

17:23please let us know down below in the comments and as always thank you for

17:27watching and if you enjoy this content please consider liking and subscribing.

How to Spend 30 Days in Vietnam: A Practical Travel Guide

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