Are you planning to visit Vietnam ? You have planned to go to Hanoi for a 5 days and 4 nights trip ? You have booked your flight tickets to reach Hanoi and you have no idea of what to see in Hanoi and around the capital ? You are looking for a suitable Hanoi 5 days itinerary ?
Then you’re on the right page !
First off all, 5 days in Northern Vietnam is a reasonable time, not too long, not too short to explore Hanoi and the most popular places around Hanoi.
So what is the most suitable Hanoi 5 days itinerary ? What to do during 5 days in Hanoi, in this chaotic, colorful and scooter-infested 1.000-year-old city?
Our travel agency is specialized in short trips to Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh. We arrange short trips at reasonable price. You have different choices depending on what are your interests. In Vietnam, you can enjoy amazing views and learn more about history. You can also do trekking and many other activities.
For a first trip to Vietnam, Hanoi would be the best destination because there are more things to see and to do in Northern Vietnam than in the other parts of Vietnam. That’s why Hanoi is the most popular destination for a short trip to Vietnam.
Hanoi 5 days itinerary
Hanoi 5 days / 4 nights itinerary for sightseeing lovers
Hanoi is a good destination for sightseeing lovers. Hanoi is a good choice if you like natural landscapes.
Here is the most popular Hanoi 5 days / 4 nights itinerary :
Day 1 : Hanoi arrival, overnight in Hanoi
Day 2 : Hanoi – Halong bay, overnight on cruise
Day 3 : Halong bay – Hanoi, overnight in Hanoi
Day 4 : Ninh Binh full day trip, overnight in Hanoi
Day 5 : Hanoi departure
Upon arrival at Hanoi Airport, it will take between 45 minutes and 1 hour to reach downtown Hanoi. Then you can visit the capital of Vietnam which has more than 1000 years of history.
The ideal is to select a hotel in the old district of Hanoi that will allow you to be closer to the street restaurants and all the shops for shopping.
After check-in hotel, you will be able to walk in the old quarter also called district of the 36 guilds, then around the Hoan Kiem lake. Nothing better than a little stroll around the lake to relax. This place is always busy and is closed to traffic during weekends from 7am.
Next to the lake, you can visit St. Joseph’s Cathedral, the Hanoi Opera House or the famous train street.
The next day you can take the bus to visit Halong Bay. Only a 3-hour drive away, Halong Bay offers breathtaking views. Imagine thousands of islands all over the sea.
The ideal is to book a 2 day cruise and a night with a night aboard the boat. This allows you to enjoy the majestic sunset over the bay and the sunrise. It’s a show not to be missed!
Many activities are planned on board such as kayaking, visiting a cave or free time for swimming.
On the third day, different options are possible:
- Either it is possible to go directly to Hanoi with the cruise bus
- Either it is possible to go directly to Ninh Binh for one night in Bungalow (It takes about 4 hours to reach Tam Coc)
On the fourth day, you will visit Ninh Binh. This region is also called Halong Bay on Land. Thousands of rocks come out of the ground in the middle of the rice fields. This natural landscape is today known worldwide.
It is possible to visit different places of Ninh Binh during a group excursion. The most popular destinations are Hoa Lu and Tam Coc or Bai Dinh and Trang An.
Hoa Lu is the ancient capital of Vietnam. You can admire ancient temples.
Tam Coc allows you to go for a ride in the middle of the mountains and rice fields. This is the best known place for boating
Trang An is less known but just as beautiful. Trang An is a complex of buildings, rivers and mountains. The landscapes are more natural. The duration of the boat trip is also longer than Tam Coc since it can last up to 3 hours.
Bai Dinh is the largest pagoda in Vietnam. This destination is very popular with Asian tourists.
Hanoi 5 days / 4 nights itinerary for city lovers
If you prefer to spend more time in Hanoi to visit historical monuments and for shopping. This Hanoi 5 days itinerary will be more suitable for you and your group.
Day 1 : Hanoi arrival, overnight in Hanoi
Day 2 : Hanoi city tour, overnight in Hanoi
Day 3 : Hanoi – Halong bay, overnight on cruise
Day 4 : Halong bay – Hanoi, overnight in Hanoi
Day 5 : Hanoi departure
On the second day, you can join a group city tour or a private tour to visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex.
Just next door Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts and lying to one side of the Mausoleum is the One Pillar Pagoda, which was founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049 – the structure hasbecome an important symbol for the people of Hanoi.
You can also visit the Temple of literature with nice typical vietnamese architecture.
Close to Hanoi, you can visit Bat Trang pottery village. It is a nice destination to buy some traditional potteries for some souvenirs.
Hanoi 5 days / 4 nights itinerary for hiking lovers
If you love hiking in the mountains or if you like to enjoy the fresh mountain air, you can include Sapa in your itinerary:
Day 1 : Hanoi arrival, overnight in Hanoi
Day 2 : Hanoi – Halong bay on day tour, overnight in Hanoi
Day 3 : Hanoi – Sapa, overnight in Sapa
Day 4 : Sapa Fansipan – Hanoi, overnight in Hanoi
Day 5 : Hanoi departure
With this itinerary, you will spend a single day at Halong Bay. One day is enough to visit Halong Bay but with a 3h30 drive to reach the port from Hanoi, the time spent in Halong Bay is only 4 to 5 hours. It’s very short and quite tiring.
Also, you will not have the chance to see the sunrise and sunset in Halong Bay. The ideal is to stay one more day in Vietnam and spend 6 days in Vietnam to enjoy the cruise in Halong Bay.
Regarding Sapa, there are several possibilities to reach Sapa. You can take the night train that takes about 8 hours from Hanoi Station to Lao Cai Station. You will still have to drive 1 hour by minibus to reach Sapa. The total journey time is therefore about 9 hours. The train is the most expensive and the least comfortable solution because many people have trouble sleeping on the train because of the jolts.
It is also possible to reach Sapa by following the new highway in just 6 hours from Hanoi. Our travel agency offers the sleeper bus or the limousine (more comfortable) to get to Sapa. The sleeper bus is the fastest and least expensive solution.
Around Sapa, you will not have to miss the Cat Cat village where you can learn more about the ethnic minorities living around the city of Sapa.
After a night in Sapa, you will climb to the top of Mount Fansipan, which is the highest peak of Indochina (3143 m). The cable car goes up to Mount Fansipan. Then you have to climb about 500 steps to get to the top.
Note that in winter, Mount Fansipan is often fog. The best time to visit Sapa is from May to September. At this time, you will be more likely to have sunny weather.
Conclusion : Hanoi 5 days itinerary
Hanoi is a must-see destination if you want to visit Vietnam. This destination offers a total immersion in the culture of Vietnam. Around Hanoi are the most beautiful and popular landscapes of Vietnam with Halong Bay, Ninh Binh and Sapa.
If you want more information about these Hanoi 5 days itineraries, feel free to leave a comment or send us a message by WhatsApp: +84.947.891.345
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