Destinations & ItinerariesBy Clever Tourists · Published
Four weeks is enough to travel Vietnam from top to bottom without rushing: we spent 29 days going north to south, from 20 April to 19 May 2023. The route was Hanoi (2.5 days), Ninh Binh (4), Hue (2), Hoi An (6), Da Lat (5), Nha Trang (3) and Ho Chi Minh City (6), with a two-night Can Tho side trip into the Mekong Delta from Saigon. Below is the route stop by stop, what the weather does by region in late April and May, which direction to travel, and the realistic transport options between each stop.
• Hanoi, 2.5 days (20-23 April): we arrived from Tokyo at midday and had two full days for the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and the Temple of Literature. Our 3 days in Hanoi itinerary is the fuller version, and the Train Street guide explains its current status.
• Ninh Binh, 4 days (23-27 April): longer than most people give it, which left room for the Trang An boats, Hoa Lu, Bich Dong and the rural roads around Tam Coc without rushing. See 2 days in Ninh Binh for the core plan.
• Hue, 2 days (27-29 April): one day for the Imperial City, one for Thien Mu Pagoda and the royal tombs, as laid out in our Hue guide.
• Hoi An, 6 days (29 April-5 May): the longest stop of the trip, including a day trip to the Cham ruins of My Son on 2 May. Six days is more than most people need; our how many days in Hoi An breakdown explains why 3 to 4 is the sweet spot.
• Da Lat, 5 days (5-10 May): the cool highland town, with time for the lake, the night market, the old railway and the waterfalls. See the Da Lat guide.
• Nha Trang, 3 days (10-13 May): beach, the Po Nagar Cham towers and the bay islands (covered in our Vietnam guide).
• Ho Chi Minh City, 6 days (13-19 May), with Can Tho 15-17 May: Saigon was the base for the last week, with a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels and two nights in Can Tho for the dawn floating market. The Ho Chi Minh City guide has the two-day core.
Vietnam spans several climate zones, so the same month is very different at each end. For our dates, this is the pattern our regional guides and Vietnamese weather sources describe:
• Hanoi and Ninh Binh (north): late April is warm and humid with frequent low cloud, and May turns hot with heavier afternoon showers. Our April visit to Ninh Binh brought low cloud and saturated greens: good on the water, less good for the Hang Mua viewpoint.
• Hue and Hoi An (central coast): April and May sit in the dry season, the best window of the year here, but by May it is hot. Start early and rest at midday. The central coast's heavy rains and floods come later, roughly September to December.
• Nha Trang: January to August is the driest beach weather, so May is reliable on the coast.
• Da Lat (Central Highlands): at about 1,500 m it stays mild, but the rainy season starts around May. Mornings are often clear and rain tends to arrive in the afternoon; nights drop to about 15°C.
• Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta (south): April is the hottest month, and the monsoon usually arrives in May as short, heavy afternoon downpours. Seasonal onset varies year to year; in 2026, for example, Vietnam's national forecasting centre expected the southern rains to start later than usual.
For an April-May trip, north to south worked well: Hanoi and Ninh Binh before the northern heat peaks, the central coast in its driest weeks, and the south as the first rains cool the afternoons. The reverse also works if you start earlier, in March or early April, so Saigon and the Mekong Delta fall in the dry season.
The bigger factor is usually flights. Book an open-jaw ticket, into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City or the other way round, so you never backtrack the 1,700-plus km length of the country. The Reunification Express and domestic flights run both directions equally, so direction makes no difference to the logistics in between.
Before you book, check the Vietnam e-visa rules: a four-week trip fits inside the 90-day e-visa, but the dates are fixed when it is issued.
The route data shows where we stayed, not how we moved, so here are the standard options for each leg, with 2026 timetable figures where we could check them:
• Hanoi to Ninh Binh (about 90 km): Reunification Express trains take about 2 hours 15 minutes; buses, limousine vans and private transfers also run.
• Ninh Binh to Hue: the overnight train from Ninh Binh station takes about 10.5 hours (for example SE3, 21:35 to 07:59), so you skip a night's hotel and do not return to Hanoi.
• Hue to Hoi An: about 2.5 to 3.5 hours by bus or car through the Hai Van Tunnel, or a full day over the Hai Van Pass by easy rider or private car. Our Hue to Hoi An guide compares them.
• Hoi An to Da Lat: there is no railway to Da Lat. The usual way is a direct flight from Da Nang to Da Lat (Lien Khuong airport), about 1 hour in the air, plus around 30 minutes from the airport into town. Overland means going via the coast and then up the mountain road.
• Da Lat to Nha Trang (about 135-150 km): buses and limousine vans over the Khanh Le pass take about 3 to 4 hours; travel by day, since fog and occasional landslides are possible in the rainy season.
• Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City: the SE1 overnight train takes about 8 hours (21:44 to 05:45), or fly from Cam Ranh airport.
• Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho: buses from Mien Tay station take about 3 to 3.5 hours on the expressway, with frequent departures from operators such as Phuong Trang (FUTA).
If you want the whole line in one go, the fastest Reunification Express (SE1) takes about 33 hours from Hanoi to Saigon, against about 2 hours 10 minutes for a direct flight. Book trains on the official Vietnam Railways site, dsvn.vn; our Vietnam train guide covers berth classes.
The route itself held up. The days were uneven: Hoi An at 6 days is generous unless you are having clothes made or want beach time, and Hanoi at 2.5 days is tight for a capital this dense. Moving one or two Hoi An days to Hanoi gives a better balance.
Nha Trang is the easiest stop to drop if you are short of time: it is a beach city, and Hoi An's An Bang Beach covers the same need. Can Tho is worth keeping as an overnight from Saigon, because the floating market is over by about 8am and a day trip arrives too late. For a 14-day version, see our 2-week Vietnam itinerary.
Budget-wise, cash still matters outside the big cities; our Vietnam tipping guide covers what is expected with guides and drivers.
Yes. Our 29-day route covered Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Hue, Hoi An, Da Lat, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City, plus a Can Tho side trip, at a relaxed pace without overnight-only stops.
Both work. In late April and May, north to south gets the north before peak heat and the central coast in its dry season. Book an open-jaw flight so you do not backtrack.
Hot and increasingly showery in Hanoi, dry and hot on the central coast around Hue, Hoi An and Nha Trang, and the start of the rainy season in Da Lat and Ho Chi Minh City, usually as afternoon downpours.
About 33 hours on the fastest Reunification Express (SE1). A direct flight takes about 2 hours 10 minutes.
There is no train to Da Lat. The usual way is a direct flight from Da Nang to Da Lat's Lien Khuong airport, about an hour in the air, then around 30 minutes into town.
An overnight is better. The bus takes about 3 to 3.5 hours each way and the Cai Rang floating market is mostly over by 8am, so you need to be on a boat before dawn.
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