16 days in Vietnam Itinerary

Indisputably one of Vietnam's most atmospheric destinations, Hoi An contains a World Heritage-listed old town boasting over 2,000 years of culture and history.

To see ratings, where to stay, reviews, and more tourist information, go to the Hoi An visit planning website.

Athens, Greece to Hoi An is an approximately 18.5-hour flight. The time zone changes from Eastern European Standard Time (EET) to Indochina Time (ICT), which is usually a 5 hour difference. Expect a bit warmer weather when traveling from Athens in March: highs in Hoi An hover around 32°C, while lows dip to 26°C. Wrap up your sightseeing by early afternoon on the 6th (Mon) to allow time for the car ride to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

Marked by underground rivers, famous caves, limestone cliffs, and tropical rainforests, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park wows visitors with a spectacular range of landscapes and wildlife.

To find more things to do, photos, reviews, and other tourist information, read our Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park trip planner.

You can drive from Hoi An to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in 5 hours. Other options are to fly; or do a combination of taxi and train. Finish your sightseeing early on the 7th (Tue) to allow enough time to travel to Halong Bay.

Halong Bay encompasses a cluster of verdant limestone islets that jut out from the sea and make up an enchanting setting recognized as a World Heritage Site.

To find where to stay, photos, maps, and more tourist information, you can read our Halong Bay trip planner.

You can do a combination of flight and ferry from Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park to Halong Bay in 11 hours. Other options are to do a combination of flight and ferry; or do a combination of train, car, and ferry; or do a combination of train, bus, and ferry. On the 10th (Fri), you're off to Ninh Binh.

A fairly nondescript town, Ninh Binh acts as a base for explorations of the province of the same name, with the karst landscape and lush valleys that surround the town offering a wealth of scenic vistas of rice paddies and rugged rocks.

To see maps, reviews, more things to do, and tourist information, use the Ninh Binh trip maker app.

You can do a combination of ferry, car, and bus from Halong Bay to Ninh Binh in 6 hours. Another option is to do a combination of ferry and bus. In March, plan for daily highs up to 28°C, and evening lows to 22°C. On the 13th (Mon), you're off to Sapa.

A hub of tourism in the country's northwestern mountainous region, Sapa represents home for a large number of ethnic minorities from the hill tribes of the region, and acts as a base for explorations of the surrounding area's wealth of natural sights.

To find reviews, photos, where to stay, and more tourist information, go to the Sapa vacation website.

Traveling by car from Ninh Binh to Sapa takes 5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus; or do a combination of bus, flight, and car. On the 16th (Thu), you're off to Hanoi.

The capital of Vietnam, Hanoi has bounded back from the effects of war, and today serves as a bustling commercial and cultural hub bursting at the seams.

To see maps, other places to visit, more things to do, and more tourist information, you can read our Hanoi itinerary builder app.

Drive from Sapa to Hanoi in 4 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus; or do a combination of bus and train. You'll set off for home on the 18th (Sat).