Seven days is enough to see both ends of Vietnam if you fly into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City: Hanoi and Ninh Binh, a night on a Halong Bay cruise, a domestic flight south, the Cu Chi Tunnels and a day on the Mekong Delta. That is the route our 7 Days Vietnam Halong Saigon Mekong Bliss runs, and this plan follows it day by day, with the drive times, where to stay and the best months. A second seven-day route, south to north through Hoi An and Ba Na Hills, is further down.
The route at a glance
| Day | Plan | Night |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Land in Hanoi; the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake | Hanoi |
| 2 | Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu and the Tam Coc boats | Hanoi |
| 3 | Drive to Halong Bay and board the cruise | On board |
| 4 | Surprise Cave, then fly to Ho Chi Minh City | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 5 | Cu Chi Tunnels and the city sights | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 6 | Mekong Delta: My Tho and a river boat | Ho Chi Minh City |
| 7 | Fly home | None |
Days 1 and 2: Hanoi and Ninh Binh
Day 1. The non-stop flights from Hyderabad and Bengaluru land in Hanoi early in the morning, so start with the private transfer to the hotel and some rest; early check-in depends on the hotel. The rest of the day is yours: walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter, whose streets are named after the trades once sold on them, then book a water-puppet show and a street-food dinner at your own cost. From Chennai you arrive after one connection.
Day 2. Drive about 2 hours south to Ninh Binh. Start at Hoa Lu, the old capital, with temples built for the Dinh and Le dynasties, then take a rowing boat through Tam Coc, past limestone pillars, rice fields and river caves, and return to Hanoi for the night.
Days 3 and 4: a night on Halong Bay, then fly south
Day 3. Drive 2.5 to 3 hours on the expressway to the marina at Tuan Chau and board a traditional boat. Sail past floating fishing villages and limestone islets towards Lan Ha Bay, with kayaking or a swim if conditions allow, and sleep in your cabin. The cruise and its entry ticket are in the package.
Day 4. Sunrise on deck, breakfast, then a small boat to Sung Sot, the Surprise Cave, usually described as the largest cave in the bay. After you disembark, a coach takes you to Hanoi airport for the domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City, which the package covers, and a transfer to the hotel.
Days 5 to 7: Cu Chi, Saigon, the Mekong and home
Day 5. Drive 1.5 to 2 hours to the Cu Chi Tunnels, the wartime network where you can crawl through a widened section. Back in the city, a half-day tour covers the Independence Palace, the War Remnants Museum, the Notre Dame Cathedral, whose restoration is due to run into 2027, so expect to see it mainly from outside, and the colonial post office.
Day 6. Head into the Mekong Delta for Vinh Trang Pagoda, a boat ride along the river's side channels, and stops at My Tho and Tortoise Islet, then drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 7. Breakfast and a private transfer to the airport. VietJet flies non-stop from Ho Chi Minh City to Hyderabad and Bengaluru a few days a week, so fix your dates around the flight days; from Chennai you connect once.
Where to stay
- Hanoi, two nights: the Old Quarter or near Hoan Kiem Lake, for the street food, the water puppets and the lake.
- Halong Bay, one night: a cabin on the cruise boat, the highlight of most first trips.
- Ho Chi Minh City, three nights: District 1, for Ben Thanh Market, the post office, rooftop bars and Indian restaurants. Bus 49 runs there from the airport for VND 40,000, about ₹150.
Our packages use handpicked city hotels with breakfast; booking yourself, a mid-range or boutique hotel costs about ₹3,500 to ₹7,000 a night.
Getting between places
- Hanoi to Ninh Binh: about 2 hours by road.
- Hanoi to Halong Bay: 2.5 to 3 hours on the expressway; a coach brings you from the pier to Hanoi airport.
- Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City: a domestic flight, part of this trip.
- Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi: 1.5 to 2 hours by road.
- In the cities: Grab or metered company taxis.
- From India: international flights are not in the package; we quote them separately on request.
The other 7-day route: Saigon to Hanoi via Hoi An
The 7 Days Vietnam Highlights Saigon Hanoi Bliss, from ₹61,499 per person on twin sharing, runs the other way and swaps the Mekong and the cruise night for the centre. Days 1 and 2 are Ho Chi Minh City and the Cu Chi Tunnels. Day 3 flies to Da Nang for a walk through Hoi An's old town from the Japanese Covered Bridge and a boat on the Thu Bon River at dusk. Day 4 is Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge, then a flight to Hanoi. Day 5 is Ninh Binh, Day 6 a Halong Bay day cruise with Sung Sot Grotto and Titop Island, and Day 7 the flight home from Hanoi.
The trade-offs: you see Halong Bay on a day cruise instead of sleeping on it, and you pay on top for the Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang and Da Nang to Hanoi flights, any peak-date surcharge and a compulsory tip of US$3 per person per tour. Hoi An floods most years in October and November, so avoid those months for this route.
Which of our trips follow this plan, and when to go
- 7 Days Vietnam Halong Saigon Mekong Bliss: this exact route, from ₹59,950 per person on twin sharing, domestic flight in the price.
- 7 Days Vietnam Halong Saigon Mekong Honeymoon: the same route with room decoration and a candlelight dinner, from ₹61,950.
- 5 Days Hanoi Halong Bay Ninh Binh Escape: the northern half only, from ₹38,990.
- 9 Days Vietnam Grand Tour Hanoi Saigon: adds Da Nang and Ba Na Hills, from ₹78,990.
March and April suit this route best, with the north clearing and the south still dry. October and November give the clearest Halong Bay, but the south stays wet until late November, and summer storms can cancel the cruise. The trips exclude international flights, the US$25 e-visa fee (paid separately; we help with the paperwork), travel insurance, meals not listed and the taxes on the package.
Questions we are asked most
Is 7 days enough for Vietnam?
It is enough for one end-to-end route if you fly into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, a night on Halong Bay, the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta, with one domestic flight. Adding Hoi An means a faster pace, as on our other 7-day route, or eight days.
Should a Vietnam trip start in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?
Either works, so start where your non-stop lands. From Hyderabad and Bengaluru, Vietnam Airlines flies to Hanoi and VietJet to Ho Chi Minh City, each a few days a week, so pick the direction that matches the flight days.
How much does a 7-day Vietnam trip cost from India?
Our 7-day land packages start at ₹59,950 per person on twin sharing as of September 2026. Add a return flight of about ₹20,000 to ₹55,000, the US$25 e-visa, meals beyond breakfast, spending money and the taxes on the package.
The whole budget, with the flight and visa counted, is in Vietnam trip cost from India, and the season-by-season weather in the best time to visit Vietnam. To book the route, start from the Vietnam tour packages or the page for your city, Hyderabad, Bengaluru or Chennai, and tell the planner your dates and who is travelling.
