Vietnam Itinerary for Indians: 9 Days Personal Experience in Hanoi, Phong Nha, Da Nang, Hoi An & HCMC

I genuinely can’t pick a favourite in Southeast Asia. I thought Phuket had sealed the deal for Thailand, and then I went to Vietnam.

This Vietnam itinerary for Indians covers 9 days and 8 nights, from 24th December 2022 to 1st January 2023. The country somehow packs in modern cities, ancient towns, sandy beaches, limestone bays, natural cave systems, and man-made war tunnels, all in one trip. Honestly, one visit isn’t enough.

It was a New Year’s trip with a close friend, and trust me, we had an amazing time. Here’s how our Vietnam itinerary looked:

About Vietnam: The Basics Before You Go

On a map, Vietnam is this thin, long country (kind of like Chile) that looks like it deliberately boxed Laos in as landlocked. It’s got a massive coastline along the South China Sea. Hanoi, up north, is the political capital; Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), down south, is the financial one.

These two cities are so far apart that we needed sweaters in Hanoi on 24th December and had the AC on a week later in HCMC. Latitude-wise, Hanoi roughly lines up with Raipur, and HCMC with Kochi, that’s how much north-south spread this “small” country actually has.

Communism, But the Lighter Version

Vietnam’s been communist since the Cold War, cemented when Ho Chi Minh’s forces held their own against the US in the Vietnam War. But travelling here as a tourist, it felt like a much lighter version of that ideology in practice, private businesses everywhere, no real curbs on consumption or movement, and what looked like genuine private property ownership too.

You Can Be a Millionaire Here

1 INR is roughly 300 VND (Vietnamese Dong), so around ₹3,500 makes you a dong millionaire. Doesn’t mean much for actual cost of living though, in PPP terms, Vietnam runs about 10% pricier than India.

The Vegetarian Food Surprise

Both of us were vegetarian, and honestly, we went in worried. Turned out to be completely unfounded. On every single one of the 8 days, at least one meal genuinely blew our minds. Vegan food isn’t just available here, it’s excellent. Keep reading for the specific spots, they’re all named in the day-by-day below. Vegetarian food isn’t the issue in Vietnam, finding Indian vegetarian food is.

Safety and Vibe

Not once during the whole trip did we feel even slightly uneasy, no molestation concerns, no mugging worries. People dress however they want without a second thought. Traffic in Ho Chi Minh City, though, genuinely sucked. Grab (their version of Uber/Ola) is everywhere and works well throughout the country.

Mapping Tourist Sites Along a Vietnam Itinerary

Vietnam’s long, thin shape means it’s spread heavily along a north-south axis, so even though the total landmass is small, getting around still eats up time. That’s exactly why the country has so many airports, all connected through Hanoi and HCMC if not directly.
Here’s a quick north-to-south rundown of the country’s main draws:

Sa Pa hills & Rice terraces– Hilly rice-growing region with a rustic, small-town charm
Hanoi– The capital, packed with history and home to the famous Train Street
Halong Bay– Limestone islands wrapped in tropical forest across the South China Sea
Ninh Binh– A river delta running through rural Vietnam
Phong Nha Caves– One of the world’s largest hollow-mountain cave networks
Hue– The country’s historical epicentre
Da Nang– Home to Ba Na Hills, Hoi An’s nearest airport, and a beach
Hoi An– Lantern-lit rivers and overnight tailor-made clothing in an old Vietnamese setting
Nha Trang– Popular for its beaches
Ho Chi Minh City– The country’s largest city and financial hub
Phu Quoc– Vietnam’s resort island

Airports in Vietnam

Vietnam’s airport connectivity is honestly kind of nuts. The country covers 3,31,690 sq km, actually smaller than Rajasthan (3,42,239 sq km). Rajasthan runs just 6 functional airports (Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Udaipur, Kishangarh). Vietnam? Over 21 airports with daily flights.

Key airports to know: Hanoi, Haiphong, Hue, Dong Hoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang, HCMC, and Phu Quoc. Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways, and Vietjet (the low-cost option) are the three big players, Vietnam Airlines being the best of the lot.

The Visa for This Vietnam Itinerary

Indians do need a visa, but it’s a genuinely simple process, I applied from my phone. From what I remember, you just need a photo, a passport upload, and a fee of around ₹5,000.

Approval comes in 3-5 business days via email. I’d printed mine out, but it wasn’t even needed at immigration.

Cost of the Trip

Our 8D8N Vietnam Itinerary for Indians

24th December, Saturday- Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Coffee & a Disappointing Train Street

Landed early morning and hit the airport money exchange to convert my USD to VND. Surprisingly, the airport rate beat the online one. I figured I’d find something even better in the city, so I only exchanged a little, big mistake, that airport rate turned out to be the best I saw on the entire trip.

We cabbed it to the Old Quarter/Hoan Kiem neighbourhood, hands down the best place to base yourself for this Vietnam itinerary. Kicked things off at a cute café with both hot and cold brews, coffee culture here is massive, keep trying different spots as you go, it’s genuinely great almost everywhere. From there, a manual rickshaw took us to our BnB. Checked in, showered, got ready for the day.

Sightseeing, the Touristy Way

Started with a hop-on, hop-off double-decker bus tour, covers the major landmarks. Rode it for a while, then hopped off to explore more freely on foot.

The Quang An neighbourhood turned out to be full of cute, unique cafés lining a lake. Grabbed a cab there for lunch, and like I said, veg/vegan food genuinely isn’t a problem here. Quiet lanes too, cycling or renting a two-wheeler to explore around would be a fun way to do it, plus a few shops scattered around the area itself.

Back at the Old Quarter, we just strolled, they’ve built huge pedestrian-friendly walking spaces with little to no motorised traffic, so you can wander freely, snap photos, grab street food, and pop into souvenir shops without dodging bikes every two seconds.

Train Street: Skip It

By 6-6:30 pm, dark had set in, and we headed to the famous Train Street. Back in December 2022, you could only get in if you were with someone who owned a shop on the street, and these restaurant owners basically wait around for tourists like us to escort in. No entry fee, but you’re expected to order something, nothing expensive though. Most options were non-veg, we settled for some genuinely unpalatable spring rolls. Waited about an hour, the lady kept insisting the train was “coming soon,” it never showed. Honestly underwhelming, feel free to skip it entirely.

A Surprise Street Concert & the Best Meal Yet

We wandered back to the big walking area around the Old Quarter, where, on some Saturdays and holidays, you’ll stumble onto street concerts. We got lucky, 4 performances happening within a single km, packed with young crowds vibing to Vietnamese-English music. Genuinely lovely energy.

By now we were starving and went hunting for vegan food, landing at UU Dam Chay, an entirely vegetarian restaurant. Gorgeous space, great staff, incredible food. We ordered a hot pot, and unlike back home, it comes with an actual stove built into your table, boiling broth with vegetables, leaves, mushrooms, tofu, and sauces you add in as you go. Heavenly, genuinely one of the best meals of the whole trip

A quick tip: the weather’s cold, layer up properly if you’re planning to be outdoors. Grab two-wheelers are common here too, and drivers will usually take three people if you tip a little extra. Hanoi, in general, will remind you a lot of Indian cities.

Day 1 ratings (out of -5 to +5): Old Quarter/Hoan Kiem: +4 | Coffee culture: +4.5 | Hop-on hop-off bus: -1 | Quang An neighbourhood: +2 | Train Street: 0 | UU Dam Chay: +5

25th & 26th December, Sunday & Monday- Halong Bay Cruise & Arriving in Phong Nha

Woke up early, got ready, and squeezed in a quick breakfast at our stay before our pickup for the Ha Long Bay cruise. Our driver rolled up around 8 am, packed our bags into his big car, picked up a few other travellers along the way, and got us to the departure point in about 2-2.5 hours.

Day Cruise vs. Overnight: Go Overnight

Check-in happens on land, your suitcases get collected and handed back once you’re on the boat. Quick breakdown of the options: day cruises run 3-4 hours and can get tiring since you’re seated the whole time, factor in the 2+2 hour drive from Hanoi, and it turns into a long, frustrating day of just sitting.

We went with an overnight cruise instead, and honestly, best call we made. These come in three tiers, basic, mid-tier, and premium, all offering rooms, meals, kayaking, and a cave tour as part of a 2D1N package. We picked mid-tier, and it delivered, paid around ₹14,000 per person for it.

Here’s how the day flowed: pickup van to the meeting point → land check-in → 30-40 minute transfer boat through the limestone islands to reach our cruise → straight to lunch (a proper vegetarian menu, genuinely delicious) → settle into our rooms → kayaking a couple of hours later → free time on deck (karaoke, hot tub, the works) → barbecue dinner on deck (limited veg options, but manageable) → sleep → early morning cave visit on one of the islands → back to the boat, bathe, checkout → brunch (decent veg options) → transfer boat back to land → drop-off van straight to Noi Bai International Airport.

Even on the mid-tier package, the hospitality, room interiors, and amenities all felt genuinely top-grade. Only real complaint: weak internet throughout.

Flying to Dong Hoi and Reaching Phong Nha

From there, we caught our flight to Dong Hoi. Hanoi’s domestic airport has a lounge that accepts both Diners and Priority Pass, we had both, and feasted on one of the best airport lounge meals I’ve had (though nothing beats BLR T2, still my favourite). Landed in Dong Hoi, a small, already-dark town by the time we arrived.

We’d pre-booked a pickup with our stay for that night, our driver was waiting and took us 45 minutes further to Phong Nha, a village tucked among hollow cave mountains.

We’d booked a homestay with Jungle Boss, a genuinely cute little place with its own restaurant attached. Dinner there was great. Being a village, there’s basically nothing else around, so plan your meals ahead if you’re arriving late like we did. Crashed early for an adventure-packed morning ahead.

Day 2 ratings: Cruise interiors: +4 | Cruise lunch: +5 | Cruise overall: +3 (weak internet, and Halong Bay honestly photographs better than it feels in person) | Kayaking: +2 | Cave visit: +1 | Airport lounge food: +3.5 | Jungle Boss homestay & dinner: +3.5

27th December, Tuesday- The Best Day of the Trip: Elephant Cave & Tra Ang Cave

This was, hands down, the best day of the entire trip. Started at 7 am with a full-day Elephant Cave and Ma Da Lake experience, booked directly through Jungle Boss (contact@junglebosstours.com). Quick context: Vietnam’s government has split up the discovered cave and jungle routes among just 5-6 agencies, so no one else can commercially sell the same route.

Elephant Cave

After a basic briefing, a van dropped us at the starting point, about 15 minutes away. An hour’s walk got us to Elephant Cave, a huge opening but not particularly long, and it opens on both ends, so you can walk in one side and come out the other. Here’s the thing about caves, though: the real beauty isn’t looking in from outside, it’s looking out from within. Genuinely breathtaking.

Ma Da Lake

Another hour through the jungle brought us to Ma Da Lake, stunning blue water, with two cliff-jumping spots (neither too high). We jumped in, swam around, water was cold but refreshing. Lunch was packed Vietnamese rice paper spring rolls, no heating needed, we assembled them ourselves right on the bank. Absolute delight.

Tra Ang Cave: The Real Highlight

Then came the best part of the whole trek: swimming inside Tra Ang Cave. Pitch black, genuinely spooky swimming through deep water where you can’t see a thing. Life jackets and head torches on, we swam against the current for about 500 metres before stopping at a small inner bank. That’s when they had us switch off our torches, and that’s when it really hit us how enormous the cave was, how small we were against it. Properly scary, in the best way. The cave stretches for kilometres, but 500 metres gave us more than enough thrill. An absolute must-do. Swam back out afterward.

Another 40-minute walk got us back to our stay. Completely wiped, we just ordered dinner at the homestay and passed out.

Day 3 ratings: Elephant Cave: +2.5 | Ma Da Lake: +3 | Spring rolls: +3.5 | Tra Ang Cave: +5

28th December, Wednesday- A Sleeper Bus to Hoi An’s Lantern-Lit Streets

Woke up comfortably, had a car pre-booked to the bus stand at Phong Nha, and caught an instant sleeper bus to Da Nang, 6 hours away. Boarded around 8 am, reached by 2 pm. Starving by then, the bus had stopped once en route, but zero veg options, we settled for packed peanuts instead. Grabbed a Grab straight to Hoi An, 45 minutes further south, where we’d booked our stay for the next two days.

Hoi An After Dark

Still starving, but we checked in, showered, got ready, and picked up the free bicycles every stay in Hoi An seems to offer. Here’s the thing about Hoi An: it’s an entirely post-sunset place. By day, it’s just an ordinary town with old Vietnamese charm, but come evening, the lanterns and candles transform the entire place into something magical.

We hit up a coffee café first, then my personal favourite Banh Mi spot in the whole country, Phi Banh Mi. Banh Mi’s usually a meat sub, but vegetarian versions with tofu and avocado exist too, and honestly, I can’t praise this place enough.

Spent the next 2-3 hours just walking the well-lit streets, even took a boat ride to release paper lanterns into the stream. A few things make Hoi An genuinely unique:

• Tailor-made clothes shops everywhere: Give your measurements and an advance at night, come back by noon the next day, and your custom suit or dress is ready.
• Lantern photo shops: Hundreds of lanterns hung up, not to sell, just for photos, for around ₹34 per person.
• Consistent warm lighting throughout: The whole town runs on the same low Kelvin (roughly 2000K) yellow light you see in candles and lanterns, tying everything together beautifully.

Found a cute dinner spot afterward, most places here have a solid veg section on the menu. Weather-wise, cold, a thin layer’s advisable, but nowhere near as brutal as Hanoi. Slept cosy.

Day 4 ratings: Hoi An post-sunset: +4.5 | Cycling in Hoi An: +5 | Phi Banh Mi: +5 | Boat ride: -1 | Lantern photo shop: +1

29th December, Thursday- Ba Na Hills in the Rain

We’d negotiated a pickup-and-drop to Ba Na Hills with a Grab driver the day before, 1.2 million VND (~₹4,000) for both of us, plus a breakfast stop in Da Nang. That stop turned out to be I-vegan restaurant, delicious smoothie bowls, before heading onward. Takes about 90 minutes from Hoi An to reach the base. Our driver stopped somewhere en route to grab our tickets, no idea if we overpaid or underpaid on those.

The Cable Car and the Hand Bridge

Ba Na Hills is a hilltop theme park and resort west of Da Nang, home to one of the world’s longest cable cars, and it genuinely felt that way, the ride seemed never-ending. At the top, the famous hand bridge greets you, along with multiple venues, experiences, and food stalls.

We got unlucky with weather though, thick clouds and heavy rain the entire time, barely got any decent photos. Grabbed some disposable raincoats being sold up top and made do. The sheer scale of what’s been built on this remote hilltop is still genuinely impressive, even soaked.

Da Nang Beach and a Mixed Bag for Dinner

From Ba Na Hills, we headed to Da Nang Beach, only to find swimming banned due to rough waters that time of year. Just strolled around instead and did some shopping, X70, a Westside-style clothing chain, was a solid find. Grabbed a bite at An’s vegetarian restaurant, food was just okay.

Back in Hoi An, we explored more by bicycle and found a popular Greek restaurant. The veg food didn’t quite land for us, but the free desserts at the end genuinely redeemed the meal.

Day 5 ratings: Ba Na Hills: +3 | I-vegan: +3 | An’s vegetarian restaurant: +0.5 | Greek restaurant: -3

30th December, Friday- Coconut Village & Flying to Ho Chi Minh City

Cycled 7 km one way to reach the Coconut Village near Hoi An, home to a small river stream with round coconut-shell boats. The boat operator does little tricks with the oar if you tip a bit extra, short ride, but genuinely fun, they’ve even set up small DJ stations to keep it entertaining.

Back to our stay, checked out, and headed to Da Nang Airport for our flight to HCMC. Unlike Hanoi, the Da Nang domestic airport’s lounge didn’t accept Diners or Priority Pass, so no free food this time. Landed in HCMC, and the luggage took forever to show up.

Once sorted, we headed to our BnB in the Ben Thanh area, genuinely recommend basing yourself here. Rested up before heading out for the evening.From here we headed to the Saigon Skydeck. It is the highest tower in Vietnam. It was a bad decision. Please avoid. End of Day.

4P’s Pizza and a Skip-Worthy Skydeck

Dinner at 4P’s Pizza had a 45-minute wait, worth every minute. 4-5 veg options on the menu, and you can even get half-and-half of two variants on one pizza. Mamma mia, genuinely. There are two locations close to each other, one in a mall, one near Ben Thanh market, go with the latter for better ambience.

Day 6 ratings: Coconut Village: +1.5 | 4P’s Pizza: +5 | Saigon Skydeck: -5

31st December, Saturday- New Year’s Eve on Bui Vien Street

We’d planned to do the Cu Chi Tunnels, but by day 8 of the trip, we were too exhausted to even book it.

Slept in, then hit Godmother’s Café, way too pricey, barely ate. Redeemed ourselves at Be An Vegetarian, easily the best vegetarian restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. Genuinely wish I could have that lunch on repeat forever.

Shopping and a Disappointing Indian Meal

Did some shopping at a few independent budget stores you won’t find back home, X70, Onways, and a couple others. Swung by the classic Old Post Office and Ben Thanh Market too, the post office was forgettable, and the market felt too touristy and pedestrian for our taste, nothing worth buying there.

Craving Indian food after so long, we found an Indian restaurant that evening, and it missed the mark, very meat-forward, felt like those Arabic restaurants starting with “Al,” not the vibe we were going for.

Ringing in NYE on Bui Vien Street

It was NYE, and we strolled Bui Vien Street, the party strip of the city. Vietnam has this whole culture of tiny street-side tables and stools serving hot pots, coffee, and spring rolls, and here, people were doing the same but with beer and snacks. Popped into one of the clubs and raised a toast to the New Year.

Day 7 ratings: Godmother’s Café: -3 | Be An Vegetarian: +5 | X70 & other stores: +3 | Old Post Office: 0 | Ben Thanh Market: -4 | Indian restaurants on Bui Vien: -4 | Bui Vien Street itself: +3

1st January, Sunday- Flying Home

One last great smoothie bowl before heading to HCMC International Airport. The lounge here took both Diners and Priority Pass too, another hearty meal, and then we flew back to India, closing out this Vietnam itinerary for Indians on a properly satisfying note.

FAQ Section

Q: How many days do you need for a Vietnam itinerary?
9 days works well for a Vietnam itinerary covering Hanoi, an overnight Halong Bay cruise, Phong Nha’s caves, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City, though the country genuinely has enough for a second trip covering Sa Pa, Hue, and Phu Quoc.

Q: Is Vietnam vegetarian-friendly for Indian travellers?
Yes, surprisingly so. Vegan and vegetarian food is widely available and genuinely excellent across the country, the harder part is finding specifically Indian vegetarian food, not vegetarian food in general.

Q: Do Indians need a visa for Vietnam?
Yes, but it’s simple. Apply online with a passport photo and copy, pay around ₹5,000, and approval comes through in 3-5 business days via email.

Q: Is an overnight Halong Bay cruise worth it over a day cruise?
Yes. Day cruises run 3-4 hours plus a long drive from Hanoi, making for a tiring day of sitting. Overnight cruises spread the experience across kayaking, a cave tour, and proper meals, genuinely worth the extra cost.

Q: What’s the best area to stay in for a Vietnam itinerary?
The Old Quarter/Hoan Kiem neighbourhood in Hanoi and the Ben Thanh area in Ho Chi Minh City are both well-located, walkable bases with easy access to food, sights, and transport.

Q: Is Vietnam safe for tourists?
Yes, very. There wasn’t a single moment across the entire trip where safety felt like a concern, whether from theft or harassment.

End Note

Vietnam genuinely snuck up on us. We went in expecting Thailand to remain the Southeast Asia favourite, and came out unable to pick between the two. A cave swim in complete darkness, a lantern-lit Hoi An evening, and a hot pot dinner that outclassed most restaurants back home, nine days barely scratched the surface.

If you’re building your own Vietnam itinerary, go overnight on the Halong Bay cruise, don’t skip Phong Nha even though it’s out of the way, and trust the vegetarian food scene more than you expect to.