7-Day Vietnam Itinerary: Veg-Friendly Trip Plan

Vietnam was one of those trips where everything just clicked — the food, the people, the prices. Here is exactly how I did it in 7 days, north to south, with veg food sorted at every stop.

If you’re stuck between going North-to-South or South-to-North, my answer is always North-to-South. Hanoi is intense — it eats your energy with full-day trips like Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh. By Day 6-7 you’ll be tired, and Ho Chi Minh City is the perfect place to slow down before the flight home.

Weather warning: Vietnam is vertically long. If you’re travelling between December and February, carry a jacket for Hanoi / Ha Long Bay (it drops to 10-15°C), but pack summer clothes for Ho Chi Minh — it stays a sweaty 35°C down there.

Before you go: visa, money, transport

The e-visa process

The visa process for Indians is entirely online, but the details matter. My first application got rejected because the background of my passport photo wasn’t pure white.

• Where to apply: the official Vietnam National Electronic Visa System only. Avoid third-party agents — they charge extra for the same form.
• Cost: $25 USD (~₹2,100).
• Processing time: 5–10 working days. Apply at least 2 weeks in advance.
• Photo rule: strict white background. This is where my first attempt got bounced — fix this before you submit.
• Entry / exit airports: list them accurately on the form (e.g., Hanoi – Noi Bai in, HCMC – Tan Son Nhat out).

Grab + SIM card

• Transport: download the Grab app (the Asian Uber) and link your Indian credit card before you leave India — it doesn’t always link smoothly on arrival. For solo travel, Grab Bike is much cheaper than Grab Car.
• SIM: pick up a Viettel or Vinaphone SIM at the airport (~₹500).

Money and the “zero trap”

• Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND). 1 INR ≈ 300 VND. You’ll feel like a millionaire, but the bills look almost identical — easy to hand over a 100,000 note thinking it’s a 10,000.
• Mental math: drop the last 3 zeros, multiply by 3 → INR price. So 50,000 VND → 50 × 3 = ₹150.
• What I carried: USD cash from India, exchanged in the Old Quarter, Hanoi. The small forex shops there gave a noticeably better rate than the airport counters or hotel desks.

What it costs (INR)

A realistic 7-day budget for one person, comfortable mid-range.

Day-by-day: north to south

Day 1 — Hanoi & the Old Quarter

• Stay: book your hotel in the Old Quarter. It’s the most happening area, and most tour pickups from here are free.
• Afternoon: visit Train Street. Technically free to walk in, but you have to buy a drink at one of the cafés to sit and watch the trains pass.
• Evening: we took the Hop-On Hop-Off Double Decker Bus around sunset — touristy, yes, but a fast way to get oriented in the city when you’ve just landed.
• Night: Night Market (best after 8 PM) and then Ta Hien Street (Beer Street) for cheap beer and street food.

Day 2 — Ha Long Bay cruise

• Pickup: shared limousine bus from the hotel, 8 AM.
• The cruise: a full-day boat trip through the limestone karsts. Stops we made:
  1. Ti Top Island — short hike for the view, or swim at the beach.
  2. Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave — massive cave with stunning formations.
• Food: lunch is served on board. Request vegetarian when you book the tour, otherwise they’ll just give you the same set meal minus the protein.

Day 3 — Ninh Binh

• Pickup: 7:30 AM. Drive is about 2.5 hours.
• Trang An boat tour — a 40-minute scenic ride through river caves. Most peaceful part of my trip.
• Tam Coc cycling — flat ride between golden rice paddies and limestone cliffs. Bike usually comes with the tour package.
• Hang Mua (Dragon Mountain) — 500 steps to the top for the dragon statue and the panoramic photo everyone has of Ninh Binh.

Day 4 — Da Nang & Hoi An

• Morning: fly Hanoi → Da Nang (1 hr 20 min). Don’t take the train — it eats a whole day.
• Afternoon: rent a scooty (~₹400–500/day) and ride to My Khe Beach and the giant Lady Buddha.
• Evening: ride to Hoi An (~30 km / 45 min) and do the lantern boat ride — you release a paper lantern on the river, it’s the Hoi An experience.
• Late night: if it’s a Saturday or Sunday, get back to Da Nang’s Dragon Bridge by 9 PM. The bridge literally breathes fire and shoots water — we caught it and it’s worth staying out for.

Day 5 — Ba Na Hills & the Golden Bridge

• Morning: book a tour bus to Ba Na Hills from your hotel — easier than figuring out the route yourself. The cable car up is one of the world’s longest, about 20 minutes through the mist.
• Up top: the famous Golden Bridge (held by two giant stone hands) and the European-style French Village. It’s a theme-park vibe, but the bridge itself is genuinely worth the photo in person.

Day 6 — Ho Chi Minh City highlights

• Morning: fly Da Nang → Ho Chi Minh City.
• Afternoon: the Bitexco Financial Tower Skydeck (~₹800) for the city view, then Ben Thanh Market for souvenirs and Vietnamese drip coffee.
• Evening: walk Nguyen Hue Walking Street, then end the night at Bui Vien Walking Street — Saigon’s nightlife strip.

Day 7 — Cu Chi Tunnels & departure

• Morning: half-day tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels. You can actually crawl inside the tiny tunnels used during the Vietnam War — claustrophobic but unforgettable.
• Afternoon: head to Tan Son Nhat Airport for your flight home.

If Vietnam is part of a longer Southeast Asia trip, it pairs well with my 3 days in Kuala Lumpur (now visa-free for Indians) and 5 days in Bali — flights between the three are short and cheap.

Watch the Vietnam series

▶ Watch full Vietnam playlist on YouTube →