One of my favorite worldly adventures was visiting Vietnam! I did a bike and boat tour all over Vietnam back in 2014. I want to remember this amazing trip by writing a blog post about it.

Another reason to go back in time to document this trip is because a friend of mine will go to Vietnam next month. I want to give her recommendations based on my experience. I realized that I created a detailed journal of this trip, so I will be referring to my notes and using old digital photos.

I booked our trip using a company I had used before called Islandhopping. They offer biking tours in Europe and in some remote places in the world like Vietnam. We’ve been on numerous tours over the years, most of them being in Greece and Croatia.

I will describe here my 15 days in Vietnam Itinerary (October 26 – November 11), but you may be interested in the tour that Islandhopping still offers in Vietnam (Link to Tour). Our tour group consisted of 18 people from U.S., Germany, New Zealand, England, and us two who live in Switzerland. Our tour guide was a local Vietnamese guy who was very funny and spoke excellent English.

Overall Itinerary

Our organized tour was a combination of hotels, boats, buses, planes, and biking. We started in Hanoi where we visited the city and did a bike tour. We then went to Ha Long Bay to sleep on a Junk boat and bike on different islands. In Ha Long Bay, we spent two nights at a hotel on Cat Ba island.

After seeing the north part of Vietnam, we flew to Hue to visit and bike around this town. Our tour bus took us to Hoi An where we stayed in a hotel and did more biking.

Following Central Vietnam, we flew from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City in the south. There we spent time on another junk boat to tour the Mekong Delta area.

Northern Vietnam

Day 1 – Visiting Hanoi

On our first day in Vietnam after arriving to Hanoi, we reached our nice hotel (Golden Lotus Luxury) and immediately slept for a couple hours after the long 11-hour flight from Switzerland. Hanoi is the capitol of Vietnam with a population of over 5 million.

After a quick rest, we headed out and walked around the nearby Hoàn Kiếm lake and park. I was surprised at how green it was in this metropolitan city. Hoàn Kiếm lake, also known as Sword Lake, is considered the heart of Hanoi, and has a local legend about a magical sword. Emperor Le Thai To was given a magical sword by the Dragon King for his revolt against Ming China. After he fought off the Chinese, a golden turtle collected this sword and disappeared back into the lake to return it to its dragon master, never to be seen again.

One thing to know about downtown Hanoi is the crazy traffic with endless scooters and cars. No one stays in a given lane but they all make their way buzzing around each other. We had a huge challenge every time we wanted to cross the street!

After our one-mile tour of the lake, we found a high terrace bar to have a local beer and enjoy the contrast of lush park scenery and loud traffic noises all around. This was our first culture shock of the trip.

That evening we met our tour group and walked to a nearby theatre to watch a water puppet show which is a traditional Vietnamese form of art. It was my first time seeing this kind of performance and I found it very interesting.

Day 2 – Hanoi Rural Bike Ride

Up bright and early, our group boarded a bus for a 45-minute ride to our first bike ride. The start of the ride was in a rural area with rice fields and colorful villages. We passed many brown cows and heard the sound of roosters all around. I loved it!

The weather at the end of October was partly sunny and not too hot for biking (by the way, ebikes didn’t exist back then). We stopped by a local market where women were chopping sugar cane and selling live chickens.

On the way to Halong Bay, we stopped by an Oyster Farm to learn how they culture pearls. It was interesting to see that there are many oyster farms near Halong Bay. There are 10 species of oyster found in the coastal waters of Vietnam.

We then arrived at the coast where we boarded our junk for the next four days. A junk is a specific type of boat that originated in China and is characterized by its unique, efficient, and seaworthy design. It typically has a flat-bottomed hull, a high stern, and one or more masts with sails shaped like a fan. Our boat was white with green trim and called the White Dolphin.

Ha Long Bay is a majestic place made up of 2000 limestone islands. It was the most amazing scene to be floating amongst so many islands around us. I was in heaven and immediately fell in love with Halong.

Our junk boat headed out into the jungle of islands while the sun was setting. It was gorgeous and so relaxing to be on the boat with the breeze in our hair.

Day 3 – Halong Bay Island Biking

In the morning, we were taken to a deserted-looking island for biking through the rural countryside. It was peaceful and scenic. We passed cows on the path and saw local children walking home from school. It seemed as if we were in a place that time forgot.

We had an afternoon bike ride on another island which was flat and very sandy. There we saw water buffaloes out in fields and the locals clam digging. Later was biking to a beach where we went in the ocean for a quick swim. It was our first time in water in Vietnam!

The last part of the day was spent seeing Vung Vieng, one of the traditional floating villages. I had never seen anything like this before! I was amazed at all the tiny huts built on logs where families lived and worked.

The people of Vung Vieng have lived on the floating village for generations, having a quiet life and making a living from the sea. With the increase in tourism, residents have a better life and some now have tiled houses, television sets, and nice furniture.

Day 4 – Halong Bay Kayaking

Day 4 was an amazing experience to do some kayaking around small islands and through low cave openings. This activity was my favorite of the whole trip.

Day 5 – Halong Bay Sung Sot Cave

This day was special as we were taken to a paradise setting to visit the Sung Sot Cave. This 12,000 square meter cave is the biggest and most popular limestone cave in Halong Bay. We walked all through this colorfully lit up cave and had some lookout views onto the surrounding islands and water. It felt like another planet in this underground wonder!

Following the cave tour, we went on a smaller boat for a delicious lunch. We then had another opportunity to do some kayaking. It felt good to be next to the water.

After our eventful day, we arrived to our nice beach resort on Cát Bà Island called Cat Ba Sunrise Resort. The hotel offered us a refreshing welcome drink and then we walked around the property before having an appetizing dinner.

Day 6 – Biking and Hiking in Cát Bà National Park

The following day, we were taken on a smaller boat to reach the Cát Bà National Park for a gentle bike ride into a tiny rural village called Viet Hai where we had lunch and walked around. Afterwards, we were given the option to do a challenging hike to a viewpoint overlooking Halong Bay. A small group of us eagerly agreed to do the hike. Climbing through steep terrain, we finally arrived to the top. What an amazing view it was!

Day 7 – Return to Hanoi

We left Cat Ba harbor where we went on a fast hydroplane boat to Hai Phong bay. It was a two-hour bus ride back to Hanoi to stay at the same hotel where we started. Our time in Halong Bay was just fabulous.

Central Vietnam

Day 8 – Hanoi to Hue

We had an early flight from Hanoi to our next destionation of Hue (pronounced ‘hwey’ by the locals). Hue is a city in central Vietnam that was the seat of Nguyen Dynasty emperors and the national capital from 1802 to 1945. There are more than 300 temples and pagodas in this ancient imperial city. You can click on this link to learn more about the monuments and history of Hue.

We got settled into our new hotel on the Perfume River (80 kilometers long) and then the group decided to do a rickshaw ride around town. These rickshaws were a seated front chair with two wheels with a driver and one wheel behind.  I thought they looked like handicap wheelchairs but it was a lot of fun!

That afternoon we had a 22-kilometer bike ride from the hotel that led us through the town streets and countryside. We passed a colorful ornate template by the road.

Day 9 – Imperial City in Hue

We spent the day visiting some of the historic sites in Hue. We first went by bus to the Imperial City (also called the Citadel) to walk around and see where the dynasty and emperors lived in the center of town. The ‘Forbidden Purple City’ is where the kings lived from 1802 to 1945.

The Citadel was completed in 27 years, from 1805 to 1832, making it the most gigantic edifice ever erected in modern Vietnamese history, using thousands of employees and millions of cubic meters of rock.

This site was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, with the remaining structures being restored from the Vietnam War’s damage.

We then took a ride on a traditional dragon boat down the Perfume River and stopped at the Thien Mu Pagoda. This seven-story pagoda is an icon of Vietnam and important symbol of Hue. The 21 meter-high octagonal tower, Thap Phuoc Duyen, was constructed under the reign of Emperor Thieu Tri in 1844. Each of its stories is dedicated to a manushi-buddha (a Buddha that appeared in human form).

Day 10 – Hoi An

On Day 10, it was time to transfer to the city of Hoi An on the central Vietnamese coast and an important Southeast Asian trading port from the 15th-19th centuries. This small town is peaceful and has a nickname of “lantern city” due to the amount of lanterns that fill the streets and markets. 

We checked into our hotel and ventured out into the town where we saw the many colored lanterns. Some were floating in the canal waters while others were being sold in market stands.

In the morning of Day 10, we cycled to Tra Que, a small village in the suburban area of Hoi An. Our first stop was at a farm where we met a local farmer who was short, old, and cute (see below photo). He didn’t speak English but had a funny smile. They showed us how they plant their crops and use the double watering can to water the garden.

Our group then biked just down the street to a house where we had lunch and learned how to prepare Vietnamese food. It was a very nice setting and protected from the slight drizzle we had. I discovered on this trip how much I love Vietnamese food!

After a long lunch break, we biked back on a nice path which led us to the beach. It was quite muddy and a challenge to not crash, but it was fun. There were water buffalos right on the path.

The beach was beautiful with some nice waves but there were not many people in the water.

Southern Vietnam

Day 11 – Ho Chi Minh City

We left Hoi An for the airport of Da Nang to fly to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly called Saigon. We checked into a high rise modern hotel that was very different from any of our other destinations. The group went together for dinner and afterwards some of us went to the top of the Rex hotel (Rex Hotel Garden Bar).

This 5-star hotel was the site of the infamous Five O’Clock Follies, a name used by journalists to describe media briefings held here at 5 o’clock during the Vietnam War. The Rex’s Rooftop Bar was a popular hangout for military officials and war correspondents. We had to sample the drink named after the 5 o’clock ritual! The rooftop bar had a band and we enjoyed dancing to the good music.

Day 12 – Mekong Delta – Ben Tre and Ngu Hiep Island

On Day 12,  we went by bus to the Mekong which was a couple of hours south of Ho Chi Minh. We then boarded a cute a junk boat (called ‘Mekong Emotion’) in My Tho to start our journey down the Mekong Delta river.

The Mekong Delta is the southernmost region of the Mekong River and has been occupied as early as the 4th century BC. This river is essential to provide water to rice fields and support 1000 species of freshwater fish and countless rare and endangered species that sustain wildlife and local people.

I was surprised by the color of the river, very muddy looking. Needless to say, we didn’t do any swimming in the Mekong. I liked the boat and our room was very spacious.

Our boat went to Ben Tre where we had a relaxing cycle tour before having a tasty meal onboard. In the afternoon we cycled the small green island of Ngu Hiep. We stopped to learn how rice cakes were made and then another place where we learned how they make honey. There were many bees and we were treated to a honey tea.

I loved seeing how the locals live their simple lives. I’ve never seen as many smiles as the Vietnamese people have.

On one of our bike rides, we stopped by a school and all the children came out to say hello. They were so cute and loved having their picture taken.

Day 13 – Mekong Delta – Islands of Vingh Long and Traon

In the morning we crossed over to Vingh Long Island and under palm-shaded paths we cycled around the island. We continued by boat to Traon Island where we cycled once more.

Later that day, we were taken to an area where we did the typical tourist activity on canoeing through the narrow canals with tunnels of palm trees. My partner and I went on a boat with another couple from the group. I really liked this peaceful experience of gliding through the tropical ambiance.

We didn’t see fish in the water but did pass some cute ducks.

Day 14 – Can Tho – Ho Chi Minh City

During breakfast the ship took us to Can Tho, where we went on a small boat to Cai Rong to see the biggest and most famous floating market on the Mekong Delta. Cai Rong is a wholesale market, so you have to look at what is tied to the long pole above the boat to see what they are selling. This place was a photographer’s delight to take pictures of all the food, people, and small boats.

In early times there were no cars, so waterways were the main means of transport in southern Vietnam. Floating markets started in the biggest city of Can Tho. Although modern life has is invading, the floating market still is the soul of the city.

We stopped off on way back at a wet market where many fish and seafood were being sold. It was very fresh food as the fish and frogs were still moving!

Back in the bustling city, we were dropped off at the Vietnam war museum where we did a self-guided tour to read and see photos of the war.

Day 15 – Departure from Ho Chi Minh City

Our final day of the tour was breakfast and then departure to the airport. We met some really nice people during these two weeks and made memories to last a lifetime.

Summary of our 15 Days in Vietnam

I have to say that seeing the different regions of this spectacular country was a true highlight of my world travels. I especially enjoyed the combination of biking and boating. The Islandhopping tour company does an excellent job showing you the best of Vietnam in two weeks. I’m glad we chose to go with a tour instead of trying to do it ourselves. Vietnam is a great country but can be hectic to navigate around by yourself.

Here are some interesting photos I took of the people riding scooters. It was amazing to see!

If you are interested, here are links to the different places we stayed during our two weeks:

• Hanoi: Golden Lotus Luxury 
• Halong: White Dolphin Cruises
• Halong Cat Ba Island: Cat Ba Sunrise Resort
• Hue: Huong Giang Hotel Resort & Spa
• Hoi An: Vinh Hung Riverside Resort & Spa
• Mekong Delta: Le Cochinchine Junk or Mekong Emotion Cruise
• Ho Chi Minh City: Hotel Grand Saigon

To see my day-by-day video that I put together of our Vietnam vacation, click here.

Click below image to save to Pinterest for future reference!

If you are looking for assistance to plan your next trip, I am here for YOU! I love to plan travel itineraries for myself and others. For more details on how I provide this service, please check out my Itinerary Planning page and drop me a quick email at jan@janadventures.com to get started!