Curated by EZYaan · 7 days · 19 places
Vietnam in 7 Days: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay & Hoi An Itinerary for Indian Travellers
Vietnam has become India's favourite value destination: easy e-Visas, direct flights, gorgeous landscapes and low prices. This 7-day route covers Hanoi's Old Quarter, an overnight cruise among Ha Long Bay's limestone islands, Ba Na Hills' Golden Bridge and lantern-lit Hoi An — with a realistic pace, pure-veg and Jain restaurants in every city, and the local tricks that save money and avoid common tourist traps.
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- Trip length
- 7 days · 6 nights
- Best time to go
- Mar – May, Sep – Nov
- Budget per person
- ₹55k – 85k
- Visa for Indians
- e-Visa for Indians (apply online before travel)
Hanoi, Ha Long & Da Nang itinerary: day by day
Day 1: Hoan Kiem
Moderate paceOld Quarter walking; cross roads slowly and steadily — scooters flow around you.
Hoan Kiem Lake & Ngoc Son Temple
Hanoi’s beloved lake with a temple reached by a red wooden bridge.
Hanoi Old Quarter
A maze of narrow streets, each once dedicated to a single trade.
Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
Wooden puppets dance across water in this centuries-old tradition.
Heads up: Book a day ahead; shows sell out
Day 2: Ba Dinh
Active paceMausoleum queues and museum visits add up to about 12,000 steps; use Grab between sights.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & Ba Dinh Square
The solemn granite mausoleum of Vietnam’s founding father.
Heads up: Closed Mondays and Friday afternoons; modest dress, no photos inside
Temple of Literature
Serene Confucian temple that housed Vietnam’s first university.
Bun Cha Huong Lien
The simple eatery made famous when Obama and Anthony Bourdain dined here.
Hoa Lo Prison Museum
Former French colonial prison, later the “Hanoi Hilton” for US pilots.
Hanoi Train Street
A narrow residential lane where trains squeeze past café tables.
Heads up: Access is sometimes restricted by police; follow café owners’ safety instructions
Day 3: Ha Long Bay
Easy paceBus to the bay, then relaxing on deck; Ti Top Island has about 400 optional steps.
Ha Long Bay cruise – Sung Sot Cave
Board your overnight cruise among 1,600 limestone islands.
Heads up: Cruises may change routes in bad weather
Ti Top Island
Climb to a summit pavilion with the classic Ha Long panorama.
Day 4: Ha Long Bay
Moderate paceMorning kayaking (optional), a bus back and an evening flight.
Luon Cave kayaking
Kayak through a low cave into a lagoon enclosed by cliffs.
Dragon Bridge
A golden dragon-shaped bridge that breathes fire and water on weekends.
Day 5: Ba Na Hills
Moderate paceBa Na Hills is spread out but linked by cable cars and funiculars.
Ba Na Hills & the Golden Bridge
Mountain-top resort famous for the Golden Bridge held by giant stone hands.
Heads up: Go early; weekends and holidays get very crowded
My Khe Beach
Da Nang’s long, clean city beach, perfect in the late afternoon.
Day 6: Ngu Hanh Son
Moderate paceMarble Mountains have stairs (or a lift); Hoi An's old town is flat and car-free.
Marble Mountains
Five marble hills hiding Buddhist caves and pagodas.
Hoi An Ancient Town
UNESCO-listed trading port of mustard-yellow houses and lanterns.
Lantern boat on the Thu Bon River
Float a candle lantern on the river from a little wooden boat.
Day 7: Hoi An
Easy paceCycling in Tra Que is gentle and flat; beach time after.
Tra Que Vegetable Village
Organic herb village where you can farm and cook with local families.
An Bang Beach
Laid-back beach of thatched bars, a short ride from the old town.
Where to stay in Hanoi, Ha Long & Da Nang
Days 1 – 3
Old Quarter, Hanoi
Our pick: Hanoi La Siesta Hotel & Spa
Days 3 – 4
Ha Long Bay (on board)
Our pick: Paradise Elegance Cruise
Days 4 – 7
Hoi An
Our pick: Hotel Royal Hoi An – MGallery
Vegetarian & Jain food in Hanoi, Ha Long & Da Nang
Indian vegetarian food is available in all three cities, and Vietnamese "chay" restaurants (often near pagodas) are fully vegetarian.
Hanoi HaveliJain food
Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
North Indian restaurant with vegetarian and Jain-friendly dishes near the Old Quarter.
Gujarat Indian RestaurantJain food
Hanoi & Do Ba St, Da Nang
Pure-veg Gujarati, Kathiyawadi and Punjabi thalis with Jain-friendly cooking.
Flavours of IndiaJain food
108 Mai Thuc Lan, Da Nang
Pure-veg Indian kitchen known for taking care of strict Jain requirements.
Rasoi Indian RestaurantJain food
Cao Hong Lanh St, Hoi An
Vegetarian and vegan Indian food with a dedicated Jain menu.
How to ask: Say "an chay" (I eat vegetarian) and "khong nuoc mam" (no fish sauce). For Jain food, stick to the Indian restaurants above.
Visa, flights & money: Hanoi, Ha Long & Da Nang from India
- Visa for Indians
- Apply for the e-Visa only on the official portal evisa.gov.vn (about USD 25 single entry); print the approval letter. Allow at least a week before travel.
- Flights from India
- Direct flights to Hanoi from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata on VietJet and IndiGo (4–5 hours). Fly home from Da Nang via Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, or check seasonal direct routes.
- Money & payments
- Currency is the dong (VND; ₹1 is about VND 300). Cash rules in markets and small eateries; use bank ATMs (TPBank, Vietcombank) for low fees. Watch the zeros — 10,000 and 100,000 notes look similar.
- SIM & apps
- Viettel or Vinaphone tourist SIMs are cheap at the airport, or buy an eSIM before flying. Grab works in all three cities.
- Plugs & power
- Types A/C/F, 220V. Indian two-pin plugs usually fit; carry a universal adapter for three-pin chargers.
- Time difference
- Vietnam is 1 hour 30 minutes ahead of India.
Visa and entry rules change. Always confirm with the official embassy or government website before booking.
Hanoi, Ha Long & Da Nang insider tips: money savers, local secrets & what to avoid
Save money
Buy one Hoi An heritage ticket
A single VND 120,000 ticket covers entry to five old-town sights; keep it handy, as guards check it at the Japanese Bridge.
Save money
Get clothes tailored in 24 hours
Hoi An tailors make suits and dresses overnight for a fraction of Indian prices. Order on Day 6 for a fitting before you leave.
Save money
Withdraw from bank ATMs
TPBank and VPBank ATMs often have low or no fees for foreign cards, compared with fees of VND 50,000+ elsewhere.
Local secret
Egg coffee is the Hanoi ritual
Café Giang near Hoan Kiem Lake claims to have invented it in 1946 — a creamy, vegetarian-friendly treat.
Local secret
Dragon Bridge breathes fire on weekends
The Da Nang Dragon Bridge breathes fire and water at 9 PM on Saturdays and Sundays — plan your Da Nang evening accordingly.
Best timing
Golden Bridge at opening time
Take the first cable car up Ba Na Hills to photograph the Golden Bridge before the crowds pour in after 10 AM.
Best timing
Mausoleum closes early
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is closed on Mondays and Fridays and only opens in the morning — go first thing.
Avoid this
Fake e-Visa websites
Many sites look official but charge double. Only use evisa.gov.vn.
Avoid this
Train Street safety
Police sometimes close Hanoi Train Street. Only sit at cafés that let you in, and follow staff instructions when trains approach.
Avoid this
Overcharging cyclos and taxis
Agree cyclo prices before boarding, and prefer Grab over street taxis, which sometimes use rigged meters.
Hanoi, Ha Long & Da Nang trip FAQs for Indian travellers
Do Indians need a visa for Vietnam?
Yes. Indians apply online for a Vietnam e-Visa (up to 90 days, single or multiple entry) on the official government portal, evisa.gov.vn. It usually takes 3–5 working days; avoid look-alike websites that charge extra.
How much does a 7-day Vietnam trip cost?
About ₹55,000–85,000 per person excluding international flights, including hotels, an overnight Ha Long cruise, a domestic flight to Da Nang and Ba Na Hills. Flights from India are usually ₹18,000–35,000 return.
Is it easy to find vegetarian and Jain food in Vietnam?
Easier than you might expect. Hanoi Haveli and Gujarat Indian Restaurant serve Jain-friendly food in Hanoi, and Da Nang and Hoi An have pure-veg places like Flavours of India and Rasoi. Vietnamese "chay" restaurants are fully vegetarian.
Is an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise worth it?
Yes. Day trips spend most of the time on the bus. An overnight cruise lets you see sunset and sunrise on the bay, kayak through caves and visit Ti Top Island without the crowds.
What is the best time to visit Vietnam?
March to May and September to November suit this north-to-central route. Hanoi is chilly from December to February, and central Vietnam has heavy rain from October to December.
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