Which popular Vietnamese places and cuisine should be included in your Vietnam itinerary 7 days? See the best recommendations in this article right away!
It is not difficult to have a wonderful experience in your Vietnam itinerary 7 days. 1 week is enough to explore all the most famous places and enjoy the most delicious food. All you need is a good plan before starting the trip.
Not everyone has experience making a reasonable travel plan, especially when it is the first time you have visited Vietnam. But don’t worry too much as this article shows you the best itinerary! Scroll down and find out right now!
Day 1 – 2: Hanoi – Ha Long Bay
Your Vietnam itinerary 7 days should start from Hanoi and then move to Halong Bay, Quang Ninh. The 2 places are located in the north of Vietnam. They are about 106 miles from each other, so you can easily travel between them by car or train.
Places To Visit In Hanoi
First, you should spend a day visiting all the beautiful places in Hanoi.
Hanoi – Hoan Kiem Lake (Ho Guom)
Hoan Kiem Lake is in the center of Vietnam’s capital. The place is full of locals and tourists every day. There are many beautiful things to see and fun activities to join.
The best tourist attraction in Hoan Kiem Lake is the small tower known as Turtle Tower, located on an island in the middle of the lake. Visitors can keep the best memories by taking photos here. Also, on one side of the lake, there is a red bridge named The Huc. Go through it, and you will enter the Ngoc Son temple, where people pray for luck, success, peace, and happiness.
If your trip starts on weekends, you should visit the walking street. All vehicles are not allowed to go into Hoan Kiem Lake streets on Saturday and Sunday. During this time, visitors can walk around the lake to view the peaceful beauty of Hanoi’s center and join many interesting activities, such as dancing, drawing, and singing.
Hanoi – Temple of Literature (Van Mieu)
The Temple of Literature was established in the 11th century, known as the very first university in Vietnam. Nowadays, Van Mieu is where Vietnamese people pay tribute to the most intelligent scholars.
Enter inside, and you will be impressed by manicured gardens. The most attractive things are turtle statues with steles on their backs. The words on the steles are the names of the nation’s famous scholars.
If you visit Van Mieu on the second day of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, don’t forget to watch the human chess competition(Co Nguoi)! It is a Chinese chess game, with humans playing the role of chessmen.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (Lang Bac)
It is a miss if you don’t visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. This place is a sprawling complex set, including large gardens and the Ho Chi Minh tomb. The most outstanding feature of the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum is an austere marble building in which the body of Ho Chi Minh is embalmed and stored in a glass case.
What catches the eyes of tourists are soldiers wearing white uniforms. They take responsibility for guarding the Ho Chi Minh tomb every day. When visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum at 6 a.m, you may see these soldiers raising the national flag (Thuong Co). The flag will be lowered at 9 p.m (Ha Co). The record of Ho Chi Minh’s voice will be played during the event.
What To Eat In Hanoi
Most travel agencies and websites on the Internet can only recommend the most common Vietnamese food like Pho, Bun Cha, Banh Mi, Bun Rieu Cua, etc. Any tourist who visits Vietnam should not miss these dishes. However, this article recommends other specialties you may only know by asking the locals in Hanoi.
Cha Ca Ha Noi
Cha Ca Ha Noi has a different name, Cha Ca La Vong. The food is so famous that there is even a street named after it (Cha Ca street).
When ordering the food, you will receive a hot pan to grill some pieces of turmeric fish. The traditional taste is a match between Bun (rice noodles) and shrimp paste. In case you don’t get used to the smell of shrimp paste, just request a fish sauce as an alternative.
Pho Cuon – Rolled Pho
Pho is a famous Vietnamese food that most people around the world know. But have you ever heard about Pho Cuon – a special version of Pho? What makes this food different from the other popular dish is the way that it is prepared and enjoyed. To eat Pho Cuon, you will roll vegetables and thin slices of beef in flat pieces of Pho.
A special sauce (Nuoc Cham) with a sweet taste will be served along with Pho Cuon. It is recommended to drip the roll into the sauce to make it tastier.
Places To Visit In Ha Long Bay
The second day of the itinerary is ideal for a trip to Ha Long Bay.
Ha Long Bay – Hang Sung Sot Cave
A must-visit place in Ha Long Bay to visit is the Hang Sung Sot Cave. You will need to arrive at Bon Hon Island and hike up on a path of 50 stone steps before entering the cave. It needs a little effort, but the inner views are worth it.
Hang Sung Sot cave includes 2 chambers that soar at a 30-meter height. The area size is about 12.200mᒾ. Most tourists choose to get inside these chambers to have a great view of multiple natural stone formations.
On the top of the cave, visitors can admire a great view of a massive large garden with beautiful lakes, rare plants, and lovely birds. You may also notice many monkeys climbing around.
Ha Long Bay – Three Peach Island (Ba Trai Dao)
The Three Peach Island resembles 3 small mountains. When you see these mountains from a far distance, they look like 3 peaches. This location is in the southeast of Ha Long Bay. To reach the Island, tourists will have to go on a boat.
The island has a beautiful coast that attracts many visitors. The sea level is not too deep, therefore you can safely and freely swim. Besides enjoying the cool and transparent water, visitors can view many cliffs surrounding the island with impressive shapes. The background of this scene will be perfect for your photos.
What To Eat In Ha Long Bay
Below are the top dishes you should not miss when visiting Ha Long Bay.
Cha Muc – Grilled Chopped Squid
In Ha Long Bay, you definitely must try Cha Muc. Even Vietnamese tourists are impressed by the tasteful flavor of this food when visiting Quang Ninh. The squid will be grounded, mixed with flour, and grilled or fried on medium heat.
A piece of Cha Muc has a golden brown color and tastes crispy outside and soft inside. You can enjoy the dish with sticky steamed rice.
Sam Bien – The Horseshoe Crab
You may also want to try horseshoe crab. This delicious seafood can be prepared in different dishes. The most common versions are grilled horseshoe crab with a crispy flavor and stirred crab that combines sour and sweet tastes.
Day 3 – 5: Danang – Hoi An – Hue
The first 2 days of your Vietnam itinerary 7 days have been done. We recommend you spend your next 3 days visiting the middle region of Vietnam, which consists of Danang, Hoi An, and Hue.
Places To Visit In Danang
It is quick to travel from Quang Ninh to Danang by plane. The flight will last about 1 hour and 20 minutes. There are 2 famous places you should visit in Danang.
Danang – The Golden Bridge Hands
The Golden Bridge Hands is a new spot in Danang, Vietnam. The architecture is designed at the height of 4.600 feet above sea level.
When visiting the place, you will be amazed by 2 giant stone hands holding a delicate bridge. Tourists can get on this bridge to take photos and enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views of the valley surrounding.
Da Nang – Ba Na Hills SunWorld
The Golden Bridge Hands is located near Ba Na Hills. This is another great place that any tourist should not miss in Danang. You should pay for a sky tram to get on top of the fairytale-like Ba Na hill and purchase a ticket to enter the SunWorld theme park. This place mimics a luxury European city with castles, courtyards, and cobblestone roads.
There is also a corner with interesting, thrilling games, as well as 4D and 5D movies. This hill is quite large that visitors have to spend a full day exploring it completely.
What To Eat In Danang
Danang is famous for Mi Quang, and Nem Lui, which have pleased thousands of visitors. Other than these popular dishes, our special recommendation is Banh Xeo, great street food that many locals choose to eat.
Banh Xeo – Thin And Crispy Fried Pancake
Banh Xeo – the Vietnamese pancake version will give you a totally new experience. It is made of a thin and crispy rice flour layer soaked in a mixture of turmeric and coconut milk. As the pancake is fried, many toppings are put on it, such as beansprouts, ground meat, mushrooms, and onions.
Place To Visit In Hoi An
The most beautiful place in Hoi An is the Ancient Town. You can spend the entire day just visiting this town.
Hoi An – Ancient Town
Hoi An Ancient Town is recognized as a Heritage Site of UNESCO World. This place is a combination of cultures, architecture, and monuments.
When visiting Hoi An, tourists will feel like they are returning to the past. You can walk through the old streets and have a look at all the rooftops with Chinese characters, pagoda-style buildings, and beautiful lanterns in different colors.
There are a lot of shops and vendors on the old streets in Hoi An. You should consider trying some delicious street food and buying souvenirs to keep the best memory of your trip.
What To Eat In Hoi An
The most famous food in Hoi An is Cao Lau. As you visit this ancient town, don’t forget to try this cool dish!
Cao Lau – Pork Rice Noodle
Cao Lau is a version of rice noodles served with roast slices of pork. This food is unlike other types of noodles which you may have heard of (Pho, Bun, My, Mien, etc.). In fact, Cao Lau is so unique to Hoi An that visitors may not be able to find a restaurant serving this food in other provinces or cities.
Place To Visit In Hue
As you are in Hue, don’t forget to visit a walled area – Imperial City. This city had been the capital of Vietnam before it was moved to Thang Long (Hanoi).
Hue – Imperial City Hue
The imperial city attracts tourists through its old tower walls, temples, gardens, residences, and palaces. You may also notice many remnants, as a lot of buildings were destroyed due to bombings in the Vietnam War.
What To Eat In Hue
Hue is well known for delicious dishes, including Banh Da Hen, Banh Bot Loc, Bun Bo, etc. If you need street food that is not advertised popularly on the Internet, Nem Lui is our recommendation.
Nem Lui Hue – Hue’s Grilled Lean Pork In The Lemongrass Stick
You can easily find a vendor that sells Nem Lui, even when traveling in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city. However, the taste of Nem Lui Hue is somehow very special. It is charcoal-grilled ground meat seasoned with spices. When eating it, you have to roll the meat in rice paper, combined with vegetables, sprouts, starfruit, green bananas, and many other aromatic herbs. Nem Lui is usually served with delicious meat sauce.
Day 6 – 7: Ho Chi Minh City
You should spend the last 2 days of your Vietnam itinerary 7 days visiting the biggest city in the south of Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
Places To Visit
Ho Chi Minh city is well known for big markets, theaters, and nightlife. Besides the common places like Nguyen Hue walking street, War Remnants museum, etc., you should try going to the following places.
Saigon Opera House
Saigon Opera House is also known as The Municipal Theater of Ho Chi Minh City. This theater was established in 1987 by the French architect Ferret, with the very first purpose to help French colonists entertain.
Till now, the Opera house is still used for shows and musical performances. You can buy a ticket not only to watch shows but also to enjoy the impressive interior design.
Bui Vien Street
If you want to experience the nightlife in Saigon, visit Bui Vien street! This place is full of bars, cafe hubs, and restaurants in the city. Visitors will find a lot of locals and foreigners here, especially at night.
There are several rooftop bars where people have great drinks and admire the overview of the glittering Ho Chi Minh city. We are sure that you will have an unforgettable experience here.
Ben Thanh Market
Any visitor to Saigon must go to this place. There are vendors that sell not only street food but also souvenirs, ingredients, clothes, and many items. If you want to buy something to keep as a memory, Ben Thanh market is an ideal place. Just keep in mind that the price in the Ben Thanh market is not high. You should make negotiations before deciding to buy anything.
What To Eat
Assuming that you have researched and found out the popular Saigon food, such as Che, Bun Thit Nuong, Com Chay, and so on, this section recommends some other special dishes.
Banh Trang Nuong – Grilled Rice Paper
Banh Trang Nuong is known as a Vietnamese pizza. It is rice paper grilled on the fire and filled with toppings like egg yolks, sausages, small shrimps, green onions, ground meat, chili sauce, etc.
Banh Trang Nuong is commonly sold in other cities in Vietnam. But many locals agree that this food is the best in Ho Chi Minh city. You can buy Banh Trang Nuong in Ben Thanh Market or any vendor while walking around the city.
Bun Mam
Bun Mam is white noodles served with a cool broth. What makes the dish delicious is the smelly and sweet broth. The food is served with toppings like shrimp, pieces of sliced squid, and pork belly.
Bun Mam is one of the top main dishes in Saigon. Visitors may not find this food in other cities like Hanoi or Danang. Even when you have found a place in other provinces that sell this type of rice noodle, it may not taste as good as the ones sold in Ho Chi Minh city. So when visiting this city, why don’t you give Bun Mam a try?
Goi cuon – Fresh Roll Salad
If you want a healthy dish, Goi Cuon is the best recommendation. It is perfect to eat this food on hot days. Visitors feel pleased with its fresh ingredients, including carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, onion, vermicelli rolled, and rice paper. You can also add boiled pork or shrimp to make the food tastier. There is no need to fry or grill this roll. That’s why the food is super healthy.
Vietnam 1 Week Trip Cost: How Much Is It?
Vietnam’s 1 week trip cost is not high. Any visitor can experience all the most wonderful places and try all the best dishes in Vietnam with a low budget.
We assume that you go on tour every day, buy a lot of souvenirs, and spend time at clubs, bars, rooftop bars, etc. The cost will be $2100 and more on the total count. If you go sightseeing, buy a small number of souvenirs, but not go to a bar, the price is about $630.
Remember that the price may not include hotel fees. But rest assured that the cost of a hotel for 1 night in Vietnam is not high about $34 for a 3-star, $56 for a 4-star, and $113 for a 5-star hotel. Meanwhile, the price is lower, from $5 – $10 if you stay in a local motel.
Conclusion
Above is the best plan for the Vietnam itinerary 7 days. You will be able to visit all the most beautiful cities in 3 regions of Vietnam (north, central, and south). Besides, this article has also recommended special dishes. Make sure that you try them besides the popular food recommended on the Internet.
For more recommendations of places in Vietnam, don’t hesitate to follow our website. We will update new posts and share the great places that you may be interested in!
Wish you have a great trip!
>> Read more: Vietnam Itinerary 3 Weeks – Places and Dishes Suggestions
