Budget·9 min read·
Vietnam 3-Week Itinerary & Budget for 2026
Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh in 21 days — route, transport, daily costs, best time to go, and what to skip.
Daily budget
- Backpacker: $28/day
- Mid-range: $70/day
- Comfort: $160/day
The classic North → South route
- Hanoi (3 nights) — Old Quarter, egg coffee, day trip Ninh Binh
- Ha Long Bay / Cat Ba (2 nights) — cruise or kayak
- Sapa (2 nights) — homestay trek
- Hue (2 nights) — imperial city, DMZ tour
- Hoi An (3 nights) — tailored clothes, lantern town
- Da Nang (1 night) — Marble Mountains, beach
- Da Lat (2 nights) — waterfalls, canyoning
- Mui Ne (2 nights) — sand dunes, kitesurf
- Ho Chi Minh (3 nights) — Cu Chi tunnels, Mekong
Transport
- Overnight sleeper train Hanoi → Hue: $30
- Sleeper bus Hue → Hoi An: $9
- Domestic flight (Vietjet, Bamboo): $35–60
- Grab everywhere (Uber equivalent)
When to go
- North: Oct–Apr (cool, dry)
- Central: Feb–Aug (avoid Sep–Nov typhoons)
- South: Dec–Apr (dry season) A March trip hits all three well.
Visa
Most nationalities now get e-visa, 90 days, multiple entry for $25.