Enjoy Asia Today

14-day trip

Two weeks in northern Vietnam: Hanoi, Sapa, Ninh Binh and Ha Long

A focused northern loop from Hanoi that trades map pins for usable days, with a mountain trek, a river valley and one overnight on the bay.

Planning budget

≈ €986(₫30,000,000 original)Rate snapshot 2026-08-26

This route keeps Hanoi as a hub and reaches out to one mountain region, one river valley and the bay, rather than circling the whole country in a fortnight. The budget shown is a mid-range figure for two weeks on the ground, excluding your international flights, and it flexes down easily if you sleep in homestays and eat on the street.

Book the Sapa transport and the Ha Long cruise a week or two ahead, since those are the two legs where the good options sell out and the cheap ones are a false economy. Everything else you can arrange a day or two in advance once you see how the weather and your energy are holding up.

The route

Day-by-day route

  1. Day 01

    Arrive in Hanoi

    Settle into the Old Quarter and keep the first evening to a short walk and a bowl of phở nearby.

    Hanoi

  2. Day 02

    Hanoi Old Quarter

    Walk the dense central streets and the lake, and eat bún chả where the lunchtime queue is local.

    Hanoi

  3. Day 03

    Hanoi at a slower pace

    Pair one museum with a long café afternoon, and revisit a street that looked different in the morning.

    Hanoi

  4. Day 04

    Travel to Sapa

    Take a day train or sleeper bus northwest and arrive ready to walk rather than to shop the town.

    Sapa

  5. Day 05

    Sapa valley trek

    Walk village to village with a local guide and stay the night in a homestay below the town.

    Sapa

  6. Day 06

    Second Sapa walk

    Take a quieter route back through the terraces, then ride the night transport towards Hanoi.

    Sapa

  7. Day 07

    Reset in Hanoi

    Use a flexible day for laundry, a haircut and the food stops you missed the first time.

    Hanoi

  8. Day 08

    Ninh Binh by boat

    Head two hours south and take the rowed Trang An boat through flooded caves and film sets.

    Ninh Binh

  9. Day 09

    Ninh Binh fields

    Climb the Hang Mua steps early, then cycle the paddies before the afternoon heat builds.

    Ninh Binh

  10. Day 10

    Board the Ha Long cruise

    Travel east and join a one-night boat, timing the deck for the quiet late-afternoon light.

    Ha Long Bay

  11. Day 11

    Ha Long by kayak

    Kayak into a lagoon and visit a cave before the cruise returns you to shore and back to Hanoi.

    Ha Long Bay

  12. Day 12

    Flexible Hanoi day

    Choose the ceramics village, a day spa or simply more of the food you liked most.

    Hanoi

  13. Day 13

    Buffer day

    Keep one day loose for a delayed train, a missed sight or an afternoon doing very little.

    Hanoi

  14. Day 14

    Depart Hanoi

    Match the final morning to your flight and the airport transfer you booked the night before.

    Hanoi

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Where to sleep

Find a place to stay

Compare options after choosing the neighbourhood that fits your evenings and transport plan.

Getting there

Compare flight options

Check dates and departure airports without tying the editorial route to one partner.

Sources