Vietnam 12 days itinerary

You plan to visit Vietnam during two weeks ? You are looking for a Vietnam 12 days itinerary ? You don’t know what are the best places to visit during 12 days in Vietnam ?

Then, you are on the right page to prepare your Vietnam 12 days trip !

First of all, 12 days in Vietnam is long enough to visit the main destination of Vietnam. However, it is too short to visit everything. That’s why, you should make some choices in your Vietnam 12 days itinerary and skip some destinations. The preparation of your Vietnam 12 days itinerary is very important in order to save time and fully enjoy your 12 days trip.

Vietnam is a very long country (1800km) from North to South and the transportation time by bus or car can be very long. You shouldn’t miss that point because 12 days are very short and it could be a shame if you spend more time in the transportation than for sightseeing.

Vietnam 12 days itinerary : Northern and Central Vietnam

For a first trip to Vietnam, we recommend to visit Northern and Central Vietnam for a 12 days trip. In these parts of Vietnam, you will visit the most beautiful places of the country.

Here is the itinerary we recommend for a 12 days star in Vietnam :

Day 1 : Hanoi arrival – walking city tour, overnight in Hanoi
Day 2 : Hanoi – Halong Bay, overnight on cruise
Day 3 : Halong Bay – Hanoi, overnight in Hanoi
Day 4 : Ninh Binh one day trip, overnight in Hanoi
Day 5 : Hanoi – Sapa, overnight in Sapa
Day 6 : Sapa – Hanoi, overnight in Hanoi
Day 7 : Hanoi – flight to Danang – Hoi An ancient town, overnight in Hoi An
Day 8 : Hoi An Ancient town – Basket boat eco tour – My Son Sanctuary, overnight in Hoi An
Day 9 : Hoi An – Ba Na Hills – Danang, overnight in Danang
Day 10 : Danang – Hue city tour, overnight in Danang
Day 11 :  Danang city tour – Hanoi, overnight in Hanoi
Day 12 : Hanoi departure

After reaching Hanoi airport, you will spend some time to visit Hanoi by feet. You can visit Hanoi cathedral, Hoan Kiem lake, Hanoi opera and others famous places in Hanoi during a relaxing walking tour.

On the second day, you will spend 2 days on cruise in Halong Bay which is one of the most beautiful places of Vietnam. You can see thousands of islands in a beautiful emerald see. It is time to enjoy one of the most memorable sunset of your life.

After Halong Bay, back to Hanoi and you can reach Ninh Binh which is also called Halong Bay on land. Ninh Binh is a beautiful place for nature lovers. Note that Tam Coc is the village from where you will be able to take a boat trip and climb on a mountain called “Hang Mua”.

The last part to visit in Northern Vietnam is Sapa. This village is in the mountainous area of Vietnam. In Sapa, you can take the cable car to reach the top of Indochina : Mont Fansipan.

After visiting these beautiful landscapes, it is time to take a flight to reach Danang city. From Danang, you can take a car to visit Hoi An ancient town. This cosy town is an ancient japanese style harbour. It is a must see place in Central Vietnam for a Vietnam 12 days itinerary. You should not miss the famous Hoi An Lantern Festival once a month.

You can stay one night in Hoi An ancient town before moving to Ba Na Hills. You can take the cable car to reach the very famous Golden Bridge.

Then, back on the road to visit Hue ancient capital with its amazing imperial citadel.

Finally, you will take a flight back to Hanoi and spend one more day there for shopping before taking your flight back to your home. Say Goodbye Vietnam !

Our travel agency can support you to arrange this itinerary. You can check out the detailed itinerary by following this link : Vietnam 12 days itinerary

When is the best time to visit Northern and Central Vietnam ?

The choice of the best period is essential for a pleasant stay in Hanoi and Danang.

In Northern Vietnam, the rainy season is from July to August. In Central Vietnam, the rainy season is from September to December with some storms in September and October. So, the best time to come for a Vietnam 12 days trip is from February to May with cooler and dry season.

Note that in Northern Vietnam, it can be cold during the winter in December and January : around 15°C.