9 Days in Vietnam

ClintonL on 17/07/2023 - 12:09
Last edited 18/07/2023 - 01:08

Hi guys, so I decided to jump on a last minute deal to go to Vietnam in 2 weeks. I've got 10 days but get there 1030pm so effectively it's about 9 days. Flying in and out of Ho Chi Minh City. Wondering what I'll have time to do there. Was thinking 4 days HCMC then fly to Hoi An for 2 days then 2 days Hanoi or Ha Long Bay then fly back to HCMC. Wondering if this is too much travelling? I'm 29M and travelling solo.

EDIT: Just wondering am I able to wing it when i'm over there, eg book domestic flights/hotels/day tours for the next day and stuff and play it by ear or do prices skyrocket closer.

Travel Asia Vietnam

Comments

  • Muzeeb on 17/07/2023 - 12:14
    +4

    travelling solo

    Are you treating yourself for your birthday?

    • [Deactivated] on 17/07/2023 - 12:19
      +1

      Patisserie cake or baked by the MiL?

  • [Deactivated] on 17/07/2023 - 12:15
    +1

    That itinerary is only doable if you're a 28M & travelling with your wife, 4 kids, in-laws & all your 3rd cousins on your mother's side

  • Tee Rex Arms on 17/07/2023 - 12:23
    +2

    Saigon -> Da Nang -> Hoi An -> Saigon fly out

    • payless69 on 17/07/2023 - 14:45
      +1

      Enter the Citadel in Hue from the exit and it is free.
      Maison Centrale is giving away how nice French colonizers were!

    • Sawtell on 17/07/2023 - 16:54
      -1

      Saigon -> DaNang Dong Hoi -> phong nha -> Hue -> Hoi An -> Saigon fly out

  • cv05 on 17/07/2023 - 12:42
    +1

    I wouldn't do 4 days in HCMC, you'll be bored in no time. Check out Dalat, Hoi An, Danang, Hue, Ninh Binh, Sapa and Hanoi.

    Edit: not all of them over 9 days, just giving an example of better places to go rather than HCMC.

    • Tech5 on 17/07/2023 - 14:57

      Why do you say Hanoi is better than HCMC? Curious as I am organising 2 weeks in Vietnam and need to work out how to split the days

      • Shadowsfury on 17/07/2023 - 15:17
        +2

        As someone who's going for the first time for 3 weeks in Sept, I assume they say that because HCMC is like any other bustling emerging Asian metropolis - at least Hanoi might feel a bit more authentic

        (FWIW I am doing: Hanoi 2 days, Sapa 3 days, Hanoi 2 days, Halong Bay 3 days, Ninh Binh 2 days, Phong Nha 2 days, Hue/Hoi An 3 days, HCMC 4 days)

        Don't forget to organise your visa with plenty of time.

        • Hangryuman on 08/08/2023 - 10:27

          I loved Hanoi French Quarter and stayed there 2 weeks - I hated Saigon and only stayed there 4 days because I nearly died from food poisoning from some bad snails I ate just before getting on a night bus from Nha Trang.

    • bargaino on 19/07/2023 - 12:02

      Yes, 4 days in Saigon is too much.

      Don't be like Martin Sheen's character: https://youtu.be/2-bvNttwAUc?t=12

  • Phlume on 17/07/2023 - 12:48
    +1

    Visit a suit tailor in Hoi An for a custom suit measuring. Hoi An have some decent tailors that can custom make decent suits at reasonable prices. 9 days should be adequate for a tailoring. Can also pop over for a quick side trip to Hue and Da Nang.

  • payless69 on 17/07/2023 - 13:07
    -6

    Get the best noise cancelling headphones for Hoi An.
    You pay to get in for supposedly car free experience but none of the bikes have muflers.
    Bundle of cash goes a long way, might as well visit QLD instead it is just as corrupt and full of husband tossing Vietnamese…..

    • jv on 17/07/2023 - 13:13

      full of husband tossing Vietnamese…..

      😲

      • payless69 on 17/07/2023 - 13:30

        If you can afford a bulletproof vest I can show you where they hang out….

    • AustriaBargain on 17/07/2023 - 14:06

      AirPod Pro can help cut a lot of this loud background noise down, and similar headphones have the same features. Ironically the best place I have worn them while out to lower annoyingly loud background noise is in an Apple Store, which is as loud and busy as the trading floor of Wallstreet. I bet the loud energy encourages people to buy or whatever, Apple Stores are meant to make more profit per square foot than any other retailer, or it did six years ago https://chainstoreage.com/news/most-profitable-retailers-sal…

    • pegaxs on 17/07/2023 - 14:17
      +2

      full of husband tossing Vietnamese…..

      Da fuq?

  • GG57 on 17/07/2023 - 13:36

    I'm 29M and travelling solo.

    Interests?
    Things you specifically aren't interested in?

    • ClintonL on 17/07/2023 - 13:41

      Nothing in particular. Alot of what comes are museums/buildings etc but apart from seeing the tunnels I can't see myself spending time at places like that. Ha Long Bay looks really nice but upon researching apparently the water there is just full of junk now.

      • GG57 on 17/07/2023 - 14:45

        So no interests? Might as well not travel.

        Ha Long Bay is certainly not the cleanest bit of water I've ever seen, and the amount of tourist traffic daily is incredible.

      • Sawtell on 17/07/2023 - 17:07

        You are right i did the Halong Bay thing last month and it is nice but water quality is not that good.

        Check out the Voc Minh tunnels as an alternative to Cu Chi and if you are up that way you can go to the caves around Phong Nha which are awesome and go to Khe Sanh if you are into that.

        I met a heap of people your age sinlge travelling in Phong nha.

  • McSquintus on 17/07/2023 - 13:41
    +1

    I personally don't like spending a lot of time travelling between places, but 9 days in one place will get you bored. Unless you get a list of all the things you want to do in HCM and stick to it. I did go to Hanoi myself as well when I was there and it is really nice, but just less to do at night in the city area. I preferred Hanoi to HCM for exploring the city centre during the day though. Train Street in Hanoi was closed as of last year too, don't know if it has opened since.

    Just keep in mind the size of Vietnam, it can take a while to travel between places (north to south) so I would also consider the towns near HCM.

  • soan papdi on 17/07/2023 - 13:44

    Have you done any research on their official website? https://vietnam.travel/

  • George Washington on 17/07/2023 - 13:50
    +2

    29 yo male…………. there is a famous street in ho chi minh

    • payless69 on 17/07/2023 - 14:41
      +1

      My backpackers owners daugther was smart enough to test my credit limit on my card.
      Yep she was very keen to share some sweet tasting canine meat with me. She tried hard to sell her French boyfriend to my wife. Quite a place to visit, bike riders can load 2 washing machines and still text going round corners. They fix gearboxes on footpaths, their compressors have 240V fed in via miles long speaker cable.

    • Sawtell on 17/07/2023 - 17:09

      Yeah and everywhere else. Have you been to Beer Corner in Hanoi recently? Its like Patong.

    • bargaino on 19/07/2023 - 11:53
      +1

      Bui Vien?

      WARNING: Do not book a hotel within 500m of that street. Preferably stay 1km away if you intend to sleep.

  • ChatCPT on 17/07/2023 - 14:04

    Subscribed as I’m doing the same!

  • huu on 17/07/2023 - 14:36
    +7

    Here are things i wish i knew when landed in HCMC.
    After immigration go downstairs look for a trolley and pick up you luggage. Go to the exit, you got put your luggage through the xray. After xray you will enter a “hallway” this is where you can use the ATM to get some local currency. Couple of UOB ATM (these are Citibank rebranded, if you have Citibank Plus Debit card it will be fee free) probably get max amount 8M (which is about $500. It will come out with some 200K notes and 500K notes. Pocket a couple of 200K notes and hide away the rest. Here you get a lot people yelling at you for selling sim card and taxi and transfer etc, just ignore them and go to exit. You will get more people crowd around you for taxi and transfer (if you land at 10:30pm it should be less crowded. Once you exit the gate turn left, ignore more shouting for you to use their taxi. walk all the way to end to the “official” taxi stand, there you find some people with clipboard or in uniform, go to the guy in green/white uniform, he belong to the official “mai linh” taxi company tell him the name of hotel or address. If you dont see them just wave down a green/white mai linh taxi (should cost less then 200K to district 1).

    local esim: www.gigago.vn

    • GG57 on 17/07/2023 - 14:47
      +4

      That info got OP out of HCMC airport.
      Nine days of their itinerary left.

      • Phlume on 17/07/2023 - 14:53
        +1

        Time to hit the streets and have bia hoi and consume that street food. I miss the amazing food over there so much.

        • George Washington on 17/07/2023 - 15:02

          Are you telling OP he belongs on the street, thought ozbarginers were better than that

        • Hangryuman on 08/08/2023 - 10:34
          +1

          'hit the streets and have bia hoi and consume that street food. I miss the amazing food'

          my bliss point was Hanoi Hang Bac every night, having come back from a strolling lap of Hoan Kiem Lake, sitting on a shop step drinking bia hoi, served by a length of garden hose from a plastic barrel beside me, while on the other side, a guy was fanning a smoky hibachi charcoal bbq grilling delicious pork on a stick

          that was all I ever wanted right there - relaxing to the pleasant sound of Honda Dreams burbling past in the narrow street in an endless stream of humanity. No need to be anywhere else.

    • huu on 17/07/2023 - 15:02

      Hotel: High end - Pullman, Sheraton - 3-4 M per night , international standards

      Low end: AA Toronto hotel 28 Truong Dinh St District 1 Ben Thanh leaky shower, small room no windows 800k per night larger one with windows 900k.

      Noble swan hotel 229 Le Thanh Ton district 1 ben thanh small room 800 - 1 M leaky showers and tap

      at these price range you have to put up with leaky shower and questionable water pressure bit still doable

      after settle can relax with massage at “my spa 15 thi sach st” this is a “family friendly” massage

    • Tee Rex Arms on 17/07/2023 - 15:53
      +2

      Or just download bolt / grab app

      • huu on 17/07/2023 - 18:13

        they are not allow that far into airport, so you have to tug your luggage out to meet them, and they cost same as taxi sometime even more

    • bargaino on 19/07/2023 - 11:57

      When you come out of the airport, turn right and look for #109 mini-bus.

      It has aircon, english-speaking conductor, as fast as a taxi but more comfortable. Caters to tourists.
      The only question is how frequently they run. If there is not one already waiting there, you can get a Grab.

      https://www.geckoroutes.com/vietnam/ho-chi-minh-airport/

  • cookietime on 17/07/2023 - 14:52
    +2

    Have you considered going on multiple-day tours to other parts of the country? Mekong delta and the central region would be my pick as they are different from each other and very different from Saigon. There are quite a few companies offering tours departing from Saigon and tour length can vary between 3-5 days.

    We used to love Viettravel, however their services after Covid time appear to be quite poor.

  • nubzy on 17/07/2023 - 16:18

    What's the last minute deal?? Wouldn't mind a quick solo trip there myself

    • ClintonL on 18/07/2023 - 00:42

      Jetstar return flight for $530, 3rd of August to 13th.

  • Ozymandias on 17/07/2023 - 16:23
    -2

    Two days is all you need in Saigon if you keep yourself busy. Hanoi is a better city imo, four days there would be enough but it's obviously a fair way up the country - if you can't make it all the way up there then Hoi An is still beautiful, just try not to visit on a weekend, it gets kinda manic.

    Closer to Saigon, Da Lat is a lovely mountain town - doing a motorbike tour in its surrounds is an experience.

    If you want to see Ha Long Bay but can't stand the idea of the throngs of tourists, go to Cat Ba Island. Geologically the same structure but far fewer people (with some great rock climbing available too).

    Also, sleeper trains are a great alternative to flying - a night's accommodation and you can hop between major centres while you sleep, e.g. Saigon > Nha Trang, Hue > Hanoi, etc.

    • Ozymandias on 19/07/2023 - 13:49

      lmao what on earth are the negs for

      • activ8newbs on 06/08/2023 - 02:15
        +2

        Agree with you. Wtf are the Negs for? Info is legit

  • We Out Here on 17/07/2023 - 17:31
    -7

    off topic but tinder goes off in vietnam

    you can have a new girl every week if thats your thing, and the expat girls here are very open for that!

    • Bargainitis on 17/07/2023 - 23:42

      firstly, thats definitely not off topic.

      hit BOSS, OP

  • huu on 17/07/2023 - 18:32

    You need to count Fly days are wasted days so dont do to many fly days. eg Fly to ha noi and back wasted 2 days just for line up in and out of airports. Near’ ish to HCMC that you can bus to is Can Tho or Vung Tau (about 100k one way, just book 1 way) … Phuong Trang is a popular bus company to book with, they have free transport from hotel to bus depot, ask hotel to book for you or get number from them. dont book smaller company because they have too many stops to sell you stuff, unless you want the experience, where it stop at small markets and people come up and sell you stuff, 3 hrs turn out to be 6 hrs ride.

    • Nedward on 08/08/2023 - 09:10

      Very true, tourism is a huge part of it, almost every tourist attraction or bus ride forces you to walk through market stalls and get heckled by everyone for your money. I know these people are impoverished, but it holds true that tourism ruins most of Vietnam's natural beauty.

  • ClintonL on 18/07/2023 - 00:47

    Would you guys suggest Hoi An/Da Nang vs Ha Long Bay and Hanoi?

    • Hol on 06/08/2023 - 07:43
      +1

      Yes definitely

  • JIMB0 on 18/07/2023 - 08:19

    Visit the Phát Phúc coffee shop

    https://maps.app.goo.gl/qW1MPk5GpUnWoWcu9

  • Hol on 18/07/2023 - 08:54
    +1

    Hi just had three weeks in Vietnam, it is very hot there now.
    Loved Sapa and it is cool. Can recommend a good guide for trecking.
    Danang great lots to see close to Hoi An and lots of other places, have good driver there. HCMC do you want to go to Long Tan memorial, great one day tour another great tour guide there. I was disappointed with Hang long bay unless you did several day cruise.
    Loved Vietnam

  • mlbrooke on 18/07/2023 - 09:49
    +1

    One tip from me, don't wait to cross the road until there is a clearing in the traffic because you will use up your nine days before you have crossed the road.

    Visit Nha Trang, less than an hour flight from HCM and has good food, nice beaches etc. We are there at the moment and come here every year though we have family here too.

  • Richie1010 on 18/07/2023 - 10:13

    Why not fly out of Hanoi? It would be much easier and a much more simple trip than going back on yourself. Plus of course giving you more time to see stuff.

    • Shadowsfury on 18/07/2023 - 11:16
      +1

      There's no direct flights from Hanoi to/from Australia

  • Socialsuicide01 on 18/07/2023 - 13:33

    If you like the beach island vibe then check out Phu Quoc.

  • wilsondavid93 on 20/07/2023 - 21:58

    Did you have any exact tour pipeline in mind?

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