Vietnam is a beautiful country with a variety of things to see and do. You can enjoy the beaches and Amusement Park in Da Nang, instagrammable places for incredible photos in Da Lat, caves and boating/cruise tours in Hanoi and nearby areas, terraced rice fields in Sa Pa, and temples and pagodas all over the country.
We spent 15 days exploring Vietnam and experienced all of that travelling from South Vietnam to North Vietnam. But we also know that not all people can travel for that long. So, here is the Vietnam 7 day itinerary that I think covers most of the fun and important places. I have optimized the itinerary to minimize travel by starting the itinerary from Da Nang and ending at Hanoi.
Table of Contents
Day 1: Arrival in Da Nang
This is the day when you arrive at Da Nang by taking a long flight from your city. If you arrive in the morning, you can hit the beach in the evening once tiredness is worn off.
Day 2: Marble Mountains and Hoi An
First full day of Vietnam 7 days itinerary involves exploring attractions nearby to Da Nang. Hoi An is a historical city about 40 kilometres from Da Nang and Marble Mountains is on the way to Hoi An.
Marble Mountains
Start your day with a visit to the Marble Mountains. There are many mountain caves but none more beautiful than Huyen Khong Cave. You can also see pagodas and Buddha statues there.
Hoi An
After exploring the Marble Mountains, continue your journey towards Hoi An. Make a short stop at Coconut Forest for a coconut boat ride. Ask your boatman to spin the boat very fast for a thrilling experience.
After the boat ride, reach Hoi An in the evening. Hoi An may not seem special before the sunset but it transforms into a magical place once the sun sets down with the sight of colourful lanterns all around you. Both tourists and locals go to Hoai River to take a short boat ride and release glowing paper lanterns.
Private Car to Ba Na Hills from Da Nang – Klook
Hoi An Boat Ride and Release Lantern Ticket – Klook
Coconut Forest Basket Boat Ride Ticket – Klook
Day 3: Day Trip to Ba Na Hills
Ba Na Hills might feel like a tourist trap but it is also a must-visit place. Get your photos at the famous Golden Hand Bridge and the beautiful gardens of French Village. Take many rides at the indoor amusement park and drive an alpine coaster which is a self-drive roller coaster ride.
Ba Na Hills Ticket – Klook
Private Car to Ba Na Hills from Da Nang – Klook
Day 4: Flight to Da Lat and Da Lat sightseeing
Flight to Da Lat
Take a morning flight to reach Da Lat in the afternoon. Be prepared for any flight rescheduling by airlines. Da Lat is not a big airport and a small number of flights operate there. Both our arrival and departure flights got rescheduled to the afternoon from the original morning and evening timings respectively.
After a bit of rest, explore a couple of Da Lat nighttime attractions
Lumiere Da Lat Light Garden
Lumiere is one of the most instagrammable places in Da Lat. Natural light and special effects are used in different sections and believe me you will get beautiful pictures. The staff is very helpful in taking the photographs and suggesting poses.
100 Roof Bar
It is not a normal bar but a multi-storey maze with many dead ends. You need to buy a beverage to enter.
Klook.comDay 5: Da Lat sightseeing and flight to Hanoi
Crazy House
Crazy House is another bizarre architectural building in Da Lat. The house is designed as a 5-storey high Banyan tree with a branch-like structure passing along the walls. It is actually a guest house and you can book one of the 10 themed rooms as your accommodation.
Datanla Waterfall
Leaving all the craziness behind, take a Grab and head to the Datanla Waterfall ticket counter. Drive the self-driven alpine coaster and enjoy the feel of a roller coaster to reach the waterfall. The waterfall is also very impressive with a very high water current.
Linh Phuoc Pagoda
One of the most beautiful pagodas in Vietnam, Linh Phuoc pagoda has a huge indoor statue of Lady Buddha. You can climb the nearby bell tower to see another statue of Lady Buddha made of about half a million flowers.
Flight to Hanoi
End your day by catching a late evening flight to Hanoi, your last destination of Vietnam 7 day itinerary.
Day 6: Day Trip From Hanoi
Halong Bay Cruise
Take a full-day cruise to visit Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site. All the cruises have a standard itinerary – visit a limestone cave, kayaking or boat ride in the waters of Halong Bay and visit an island. Limestone Cave is incredible and out of the world. The views and scenery from cruise and boat rides are just magnificent.
Ninh Binh Day Tour
If you have been to Phuket and have taken a James Bond Tour, you will see the striking similarity between views from Halong Bay Cruise and the James Bond Tour. In that case, you may opt for a full-day tour of Ninh Binh instead of Halong Bay Cruise.
The tour includes a visit to Trang An or Tram Coc for a couple of hours of boat ride, Hang Mua Cave to hike the mountain and enjoy the incredible views of Ninh Binh, Bai Dinh Pagoda or Hoa Lu Ancient Capital.
Klook.comDay 7: Flight Back Home
If your flight is in the evening, you will have a few hours to explore Hanoi. You can visit Lotte Observation Deck, Hoan Kiem Lake, and Opera House on the last day of your Vietnam 7 day itinerary.
Klook.comIf you have any questions about this itinerary or any place in Vietnam in general, please feel free to drop your query in the comments below!!
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