Are 5 days enough for Northern Vietnam? – The best North Vietnam itinerary 5 days
A North Vietnam Itinerary 5 days is not ideal for traveling in-depth in the North. As the region, itself offers much more diversity in cultural attractions and breathtaking natural beauty. For North Vietnam, we suggest spending at least one week here.
Yet for lots of travelers, traveling times may be restricted. And we are all eager to experience lots of places, not in Vietnam but Thai Land, Cambodia, and others as well. It’s such a headache planning a trip to many countries. After so much weighing up and down, two days in Bangkok, 2 days in Phu Ket, etc. Lots of people then ask me if it’s possible to do a 5-day trip to Vietnam?
The answer is yes, it seems to be a short time, but it is still perfect for you to discover the region with the most well-known destinations and highlights. Before jumping into our well-loved North Vietnam Itinerary 5 days, let’s get started with Airport and flight information, which you have to always look at before planning a trip in a region.
Flights to Northern Vietnam: Which option do I have?
Noi Bai, Hanoi is the only International Airport in the North now. Also, it is the busiest airport in Vietnam with nearly 60,000 passengers on 400 flights each day on average (domestic and international flights). You can easily find almost all international flights to Noi Bai from other countries. It should be your arrival to start the trip in Vietnam and your departure to fly down the South. (the South also has many to offer such as Hoi An, Danang, Nha Trang in the Central; Ho Chi Minh City, and Mekong Delta in South Vietnam).
Another option for domestic flights is Hai Phong Airport, after your Halong cruise. However, I do not highly recommend it because of the limitation of the flights schedule from this airport. Moreover, it takes you only nearly 2 hours from Halong ports back to Noi Bai Aiport, only 30 mins longer than the drive to Hai Phong Airport.
The best North Vietnam Itinerary 5 days
With only five days with arrival flight, you can expect an essential itinerary to see the must-visit sites. My suggested North Vietnam Itinerary 5 days is suitable for most common traveling purposes. It is a perfect option for first-time travelers, family holidays, friends, or even honeymoon trip couples.
North Vietnam Itinerary 5 days in summary
Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi – relaxing and enjoying a short walk around Hanoi Old Quarter and French Quarter (or book a ‘Cyclo’ ride).
Day 2: Having a full day trip to discover all highlights of Hanoi and experiencing street foods in the evening in the Old Quarter.
Day 3: Hanoi – A Full day trip discovering Ninh Binh
Day 4: Hanoi – Halong – Overnight cruise.
Day 5: Halong back to Noi Bai Airport – Your onward flight to the next destinations.
This itinerary covers all of the highlights in North Vietnam at a moderate pace. With my suggestions, you will not only see the region’s highlights but also learn about each destination’s culture and local touch experiences.
Below is my detailed guide of the North Vietnam Itinerary 5 days above. It will give you different choices of sights and activities each day. I will also suggest which suits you best based on common travel style and interests.
Day 1: Arrival – Hanoi Old Quarter Walk
Your first day should be free and easy. After a long flight, you will need to refresh yourself, get acquainted with Vietnam weather get over the jet lag. Then, at night, you can have a short walk around the Old Quarter and Sword Lake to discover Hanoi’s vibrant streets.
If you travel with kids or still feel a bit tired of an international flight, I recommend you to book a “Cyclo”. It is a three-wheeled passenger vehicle, a familiar means of transportation in Vietnam during the French Colonial. Nowadays, you find this unique transportation in Old Quarter. I believe that Cyclo will be a special way for you to see Hanoi’s busy and modern life by this old transportation.
Day 2: Hanoi Explore
On the second day of the North Vietnam Itinerary 5 days, you should spend a full day discovering the capital.
Discover Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in the morning
First, In the morning, you should go to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh. He is a national hero who devoted his life to the Independence of Vietnam. Conveniently, you can combine Mausoleum with President Palace, House on Stilts, One Pillar Pagoda. This complex is open only till 10:00 am, so it should be your first place.
Explore museums, historical sites
After lunch, you can visit the Temple of Literature, which is considered the first national university of Vietnam. The temple represents the characteristics of ancient architecture in Vietnam. In 2013, Government chose the main gate of the temple to be the symbol of Hanoi Capital. After the temple visit, up to your interests, you can select one of the museums below to finish your sightseeing day around Hanoi.
- The Museum of Ethnology
In my opinion, it is the best outdoor museum in Vietnam. It does not only displays the history and culture of all ethnic minorities groups in Vietnam. But it also has a nice landscape. Looking from afar, the museum is like a beautiful park with traditional houses of all minority people, zigzag stone paths, small bridges, human-made streams, indigenous trees to each region. This place will provide you an overview of the mountainous area and minority groups in Vietnam without traveling to many areas. You should visit it if you can not go to the northern mountains.
- Hoa Lo Prison
It was a prison used by the French colonists in French Indochina for political prisoners. Later on, North Vietnam communists used it for U.S. prisoners during the Vietnam War. Hoa Lo is an interesting place for you to learn about the Vietnamese War in depth.
- The Vietnam Women’s Museum
The women’s museum displays three sections – women in the family, women in history, and women’s fashions through the periods across five floors. There are over 1,000 artifacts on display describing the many faces and changing roles of Vietnamese women. Besides knowledge of history and culture, this museum is a wonderful work of art because of the colorful photos, artifacts, and well-organized displays. Tripadvisor chose the Vietnam Women’s Museum for three years in 2012-2014 as “the must-visit site in Vietnam”.
- Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
It is recognized as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2010. Its first foundation was set up in the 7th Century. That was when Vietnam was under Chinese invasion, and a Chinese fortress was said to be built in the area. King Ly Thai To moved ancient capital to this area and built Citadel named “Thang Long” in 1010. Sadly, this place was ruined by many wars in Vietnam and was just found in the early 21st Century after a very long time. In 2004, several artifacts and items between the 6th and 20th centuries were excavated, including foundations of old palaces, ancient roads, ponds, and wells. If you are fond of archaeology and ancient history, this site is worth visiting.
If you are planning a family holiday with children, I recommend you visit The Vietnam Women’s Museum & the Museum of Ethnology. As they are quite open, have an interesting storytelling format, and are kid-friendly with simulating display and game zone.
Embark on a street-food journey
Afterward, in the late afternoon, you will see many food stalls and local street-food restaurants in the Old Quarter. These are just opened and crowded at this time. You will observe the hustle and bustle of Old Quarter with local people sitting on small chairs on the pavement and enjoying street foods.
You can find many popular addresses of street foods for tourists on the Internet. Yet I have a different opinion. Are you looking for the real taste of our traditional foods? Honestly, all food stalls and local restaurants can serve you the best street foods. You just need to walk around the Old Quarter. Then you can easily find all the famous street foods in Hanoi! Do not hesitate to come and try ordering a dish.
To try street food like a local, I want to give you some Vietnamese names of the most familiar street foods. Also, some famous places are serving the real origin taste.
- Pho Bo – the most famous noddle in Vietnam and every traveler know about it – Must try in Hanoi – The best place in my opinion: 24B Trung Yen valley, Hang Bac street
- Banh mi – Vietnamese Bread, Baguette – my favorite place is at No.34 Lo Su Street
- Bun Cha – must-try in Hanoi – famous address: No. 34 Hang Than street or at 47 Hang Quat Street
- Che – Sweet Soup – must-try in Hanoi also – the most famous address for this: No. 95 Hang Bac Street
- Bia hoi – Draft homemade beer => very cheap, authentic and one of the must-try at Ta Hien Street. It is called Beer Street in Hanoi, so try any restaurant on this street.
- Banh – Cake in general
- Banh Xeo – Vietnamese pancake with pork inside – address you can try: No. 25 Lo Su Street
- Banh Goi: – Vietnamese Deep Fried Pillow Cake – famous address: No. 52 Ly Quoc Su street or No. 49 Hang Chieu street
- Nem Ran – Vietnamese Spring roll – you can order this at “Bun Cha” Restaurant.
- Nom – Vietnamese street-salad – you can try at Hoan Kiem Street or Cau go street. Many booths and local restaurants are serving this dish on these streets.
- Che – Colourful sweet soup. It will be a great dessert for your street-food adventure. The best place to have this dish is at 98 Hang Bac Street. They are a three-generation homemade sweet soup restaurant.
Street-food costs you around VND 25,000 – VND 80,000 per dish (USD USD 1,5 – USD 3 per dish). With only USD10-20, I believe that you can try most street foods in Hanoi and have a great memorable food adventure.
Enjoy a puppet show
If you do not want to finish your day yet, you can visit Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in the Sword Lake area. Their latest show is at around 20:00. The theatre has its roots in an art form that dates back to the 11th century. The tradition of water puppet theatre stemmed from when rice paddy fields were flooded, and villagers would entertain by standing in the waist-deep water with the puppets performing over the water. Using large rods to support the puppets, it appeared as if they were moving across the water with the puppeteers hidden behind a screen.
What a great way to finish your busy traveling day full of joy and adventure!
Day 3: A floating boat tour in Trang An Ninh Binh
After discovering Hanoi highlights, you should make a day trip to get out of the city on the third day. Only 1,5 driving hours by car, Ninh Binh with spectacular landscapes is the best choice for you. It also has the tranquillity many are thirsty for in busy daily life. Since you might have heard some names such as Mua Cave, Hoa Lu, Tam Coc or Trang An. Let me help you figure out which one you should select for your trip and how to plan a day trip to Ninh Binh fitting your expectations most.
Morning – boat trip in Trang An or Tam Coc
People call them “Halong on land” for their impressive natural beauty. Trang An will take you around nearly 3 hours excursion to discover all caves and pagodas and Tam Coc is one hour lesser. You can visit Trang An all year round as the scene are unchanged every month. The best time to visit Tam Coc is from mid-April to mid-June when the rice harvest season. In April the rice paddies are evergreen, and from late May till early June, they turn yellow as they ripen. You will have a chance to siting on a sampan and be surrounded by spectacular golden rice fields.
I suggest you choose Tam Coc if you travel from April to June and Trang An for the other months.
Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital or Bai Dinh pagoda
After that, you can consider Hoa Lu Ancient Capital or Bai Dinh for your next destination. If you are passionate about the culture and history of Vietnam, go straight to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu. There, you will be admired to learn the history of the dynasty. However, you should travel with a tour guide to understand the architecture of temples inside, historical stories.
If you are traveling by yourself, you should choose the popular one – Bai Dinh Pagoda. They gather here to burn the incense sticks, ask for the good things in life and cultivate virtues and morals. Not only is it the largest pagoda in Southeast Asia, but Bai Dinh Pagoda also has many records. Some of them are such as the largest well in Vietnam, the highest and heaviest copper Buddhist statue in Vietnam, the biggest bell in Vietnam, etc. Thus, no wonder why this pagoda is more and more majestic in the eyes of travelers worldwide.
Enjoy amazing scenery of Hang Mua or Thung Nham Bird Valley
Both places are very good plans to finish your day trip in Ninh Binh. Hang Mua has its meaning as ‘dancing cave’; because this site was previously set up as the place where Tran King used to come to enjoy dancing and singing shows performed in this cave. After conquering 500 steps to reach the top of the cave, you will have an impressive overview and beautiful photos of the Limestone Mountains, Ngo Giang River & rice fields in Tam Coc and Trang An Complex in Ninh Binh. The best time to catch a sunset moment is around 5:30 pm. You should start your climbing to the top from 4:30 pm.
This place is a great option for travelers looking for light trekking activities and stunning overview, sunset moments.
If you are interested in learning flora and fauna, Thung Nham Bird Valley should be on your plan. This is a really beautiful, quiet, clean, peaceful bird garden, with various attractions for nature lovers. It offers limestone caves, orchard gardens, and a bird sanctuary.
The valley is home to 50,000 birds of over 40 species, including cranes, phoenix, stork, bittern, and some rare breeds listed in the Red Book which might be extinct shortly. The best period to visit Thung Nham is from April to October when various kinds of birds back to the valley from the South. 05:00-07:00 pm to watch birds as they are birds going out and returning from feeding.
You will be back in Hanoi after a full day Ninh Binh trip in the late afternoon.
Day 4+5: Sail on a Halong Bay cruise
Lastly, you spend 02 days 1 night on a cruise in Halong bay to relax and enjoy one of the New Seven World Wonder – the magnificent Halong Bay. There are many types of cruises from budget to luxury cruises that suit your need and interest. Whichever cruises you choose, you can experience activities such as visiting caves, kayaking and enjoy the breathtaking views of the bay. This will be your highlight of the whole trip. As I advised in the beginning, if you put Halong bay on the last day, you can save time for others destinations plus a relaxation at the end of the trip in the North, even though you just have only 5 days.
All of Halong cruises disembark at around 11:00 am – 12:30 pm, so you will have enough time to drive back to Hanoi Airport for 1,5 hours on the motorway and catch your onward flight to the next destination. If your flight departs later in the evening, you can consider driving back to Airport on the highway No.5 and have a quick visit to Yen Duc – a typical northern village to see the real rural life or Ba Vang Pagoda with splendid and eye-catching architecture.
What you will miss in this North Vietnam Itinerary 5 days?
Having only 5 days around the north, you will miss the exquisite chance to explore the northern mountains, which are blessed with rice terraces, exotic ethnic minority cultures, and awe-inspiring nature. In fact, I think the mountains minority culture is one of the most significant features of Vietnam compared to many other countries on the travel map. Having helped lots of friends traveling to North Vietnam, I’ve heard lots of praise for the Vietnam mountains, both for their splendid nature and cultural authenticity. Some even cried when they saw Ha Giang.
However, it’s hard to include a trip to the mountain regions in a North Vietnam Itinerary 5 days. Since Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Ha Long is already the top must-see.
It’s best to extend the trip to 2 or 3 days. Depending on your budget and your travel style, you can choose different mountainous destinations in the following. They are all not very far from Hanoi & offer such unique experiences for your once-in-a-lifetime travel.
A 2-day trip to Pu Luong Nature Reserve then go straight to Ninh Binh
Pu Luong is home to a Thai ethnic minority, who lives on a stilt house and cultivates on amazing stepped-rice fields. As a nature reserve, the district is full of mountains, rivers, rainforests, waterfalls, and local villages. You will get the chance to engage in a wide variety of activities. Some of them are swimming in Hieu waterfall, hiking for local discoveries, bamboo rafting, or simply resting on your lodge balcony to enjoy the view.
It’s best to visit Pu Luong in April, May, or August, September in its rice harvest season.
Being near Ninh Binh, you can combine Pu Luong and Ninh Binh into a 3D2N trip without having to transport back to Hanoi.
Our suggested Pu Luong – Ninh Binh tour
A modernity-escaping trip to Ta Xua
Ta Xua is a distant province of Son La, 240 km to the Northwest of Hanoi. Being the only area at the height of 1500m above sea level in a less-than-300km radical from Hanoi, Ta Xua has a cool climate, which is perfect for those who do not prefer the hot & humid tropical climate of Vietnam. But more importantly, being so high maintains its pristine nature and exotic minority culture. The H’mong people here still live in Fokienia-wooded house, roast tea manually, and plant on rigorous mountains. Not to mention the bizarre mountainous view, and clouds. If Ha Giang is my top Vietnam mountain destination when it comes to majestic landscape. Then Ta Xua would be a perfect substitute for those who do not wish for lots of transportation.
It is perfect for someone serious about getting off-the-beaten-track, a bit of wilderness, majesty & outdoor trekking.
Our suggested Ta Xua tour:
Final thoughts on North Vietnam Itinerary 5 days
After reading my article, I hope you now have a great North Vietnam Itinerary 5 days to go and some insiders tips for your trip. If you want to customize it further, need help with detailed bookings, trip arrangements, or are struggling with making a budget-friendly & enjoyable plan, I am here to help.
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