Vietnam – 14-Day Itinerary 2027

Departure PRG

Sun, Apr 25

Arrival Hanoi

Mon, Apr 26

Depart Hanoi

Sun, May 9

Arrival PRG

Mon, May 10

Flight

Etihad · PRG–HAN

⚠️

Weather in late Apr–early May — hot and humid in Hanoi; Ninh Binh is similar lowland heat and humidity, with afternoon showers possible on the boat/cave days.

Hanoi

30–34° / 24–26°

~70–80% humidity

Ninh Binh

30–34° / 24–26°

~75–85% humidity

Saigon

32–35° / 26–27°

~75–85% humidity

Mekong Delta

31–34° / 25–27°

~80–85% humidity

// Northern Vietnam

Prague

Hanoi

Day 1–2

Ninh Binh

Day 3–7

Hanoi

Day 8

// Southern Vietnam

Hanoi

Day 9

Saigon

Day 9–10

Mekong Delta

Day 11–12

Saigon

Day 12

Hanoi

Day 13

Prague

Day 14

// Trip Map

// Day-by-Day Itinerary

── Northern Vietnam ──

Day

North

Hanoi — Arrival 🇻🇳 Mon, Apr 26

🕐 Start: ~6:40 AM (landing)

Arrival from Prague after the overnight flight (depart Sun 25 Apr 11:20, land Mon 26 Apr 06:40). Transfer to the Old Quarter, check in, rest. In the evening: a first wander around town, Hoan Kiem Lake, and the Bia Hoi Corner.

Grab taxi from the airport to the centre (~$5, 40 min)
Hoan Kiem Lake — evening stroll
Ta Hien Street — 30-cent beer, the Old Quarter at night

✈️ Etihad · PRG 25 Apr 11:20 → HAN 26 Apr 06:40 (via Abu Dhabi) · 14 h 20 m

🛏️ Old Quarter — mini-hotel for the group · $15–20/person (320–400 Kč/person)

MorningLand at Noi Bai, Grab to the Old Quarter, check in

AfternoonRest and recover from the flight

EveningHoan Kiem Lake, street food, Bia Hoi Corner

Day

North

Hanoi — City Day

🕐 Tue, Apr 27 · Start: ~9:00 AM

A cultural introduction to Vietnam. The historic centre in the morning, an evening on foot through the Old Quarter's food stalls — pho, bun cha, egg coffee, at your own pace.

Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison Museum
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum + Presidential Palace
Evening street food walk in the Old Quarter — pho, bun cha, egg coffee

🛏️ Old Quarter — 2nd night

MorningTemple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

AfternoonHoa Lo Prison, wander the Old Quarter

EveningOld Quarter street food walk

Day

Transit

Hanoi → Ninh Binh, Trang An 🚐

🕐 Wed, Apr 28 · Start: ~8:00 AM

Car (rent the whole vehicle for the group) south to Ninh Binh, about 2 hours. Check in, then straight into a boat ride through Trang An — limestone karsts, caves, and quiet rice paddies by rowboat. Everything from here is car or foot, no long transfers for the rest of the block.

Car Hanoi → Ninh Binh (~2 h)
Trang An boat ride — caves and karst scenery, ~2.5–3 h round trip
Check in to a hotel in Tam Coc/Ninh Binh town, used as base for the whole stay

🚐 Car Hanoi → Ninh Binh (~2 h)

🛏️ Ninh Binh — hotel, night 1 of 3

MorningDrive to Ninh Binh, check in

AfternoonTrang An boat ride

EveningDinner in Tam Coc/Ninh Binh town

Day

North

Tam Coc & Bich Dong Pagoda

🕐 Thu, Apr 29 · Start: ~8:30 AM

Tam Coc's boat ride is similar in style to Trang An but through a narrower, more open valley — a bicycle ride out to the boat dock is common and easy, flat terrain. Bich Dong Pagoda sits a short ride further on, built into limestone cliffs. Both stops sit within 10–15 minutes of the hotel.

Tam Coc boat ride — rice paddies, limestone caves
Bich Dong Pagoda — cliffside pagoda, short walk up
Easy bicycle rental available for getting around locally

🚲 Bicycle or short car hop between stops, all within ~15 min

🛏️ Ninh Binh — night 2

MorningTam Coc boat ride

AfternoonBich Dong Pagoda, free time

EveningFree in Tam Coc/Ninh Binh town

Day

North

Hang Mua Viewpoint & Mua Cave

🕐 Fri, Apr 30 · Start: ~7:30 AM (before the heat)

A 500-step climb up to the Hang Mua viewpoint — the best panoramic view of the whole Trang An/Tam Coc valley, worth doing early to avoid both the heat and the crowds. At the foot of the mountain is a large heart-shaped lotus pond with a wooden walkway through it (best in bloom May–July, just starting as you visit). Mua Cave sits at the base too. Afternoon free for easy village cycling or resting.

Hang Mua viewpoint — 500 steps, panoramic karst views
Lotus pond at the foot of the mountain, wooden walkway across it
Mua Cave at the base of the climb
Afternoon: easy village cycling or free time

🚶 Walking climb (steps), short car/bicycle hop to get there

🛏️ Ninh Binh — night 3

MorningHang Mua viewpoint climb, Mua Cave

AfternoonFree time / village cycling

EveningRest in Ninh Binh

Day

Transit

Ninh Binh → Pu Luong 🚐

🕐 Sat, May 1 · Start: ~9:00 AM

A genuinely longer drive out to Pu Luong — about 3–3.5 hours, since the road cuts back through provincial routes rather than a direct line. Worth it for a completely different landscape: terraced rice valleys and a much quieter, less touristy pace than Trang An/Tam Coc. Check in to a homestay, then an easy afternoon walk through the terraces before dinner.

Car Ninh Binh → Pu Luong (~3–3.5 h)
Check in to a valley-view homestay
Afternoon: easy walk through the rice terraces

🚐 Car Ninh Binh → Pu Luong (~3–3.5 h)

🛏️ Pu Luong — homestay, 1 night

MorningDrive to Pu Luong (~3–3.5 h)

AfternoonCheck in, walk through the rice terraces

EveningHomestay dinner

Day

Transit

Pu Luong → Hanoi 🚐

🕐 Sun, May 2 · Start: ~8:00 AM

A longer drive straight back to Hanoi, about 3.5–4 hours — skip the backtrack through Ninh Binh and take the direct road instead. No fixed activity for the rest of the day, just recovery time before the day 8 rest day already in the itinerary, so there's still a genuine buffer before the day 9 flight to Saigon.

Car Pu Luong → Hanoi direct (~3.5–4 h)
Free afternoon to recover before the day 8 rest day

🚐 Car Pu Luong → Hanoi (~3.5–4 h)

🛏️ Hanoi — hotel

MorningDrive Pu Luong → Hanoi direct (~3.5–4 h)

AfternoonCheck in, free time

EveningDinner, early night

Day

North

Hanoi — Rest Day

🕐 Mon, May 3 · Start: whenever you wake up

A genuinely free day in Hanoi, already checked in since yesterday. No arrival logistics — just rest, an easy walk, and time to recover before flying south. Keep it light: nothing more strenuous than a slow walk around West Lake.

Sleep in, no fixed plan for the morning
West Lake (Ho Tay) — an easy walk, coffee by the water, Tran Quoc Pagoda if you feel like it
Optional, low-key: a massage/spa session instead of sightseeing
Optional, only if there's energy left: Bat Trang ceramic village or the water puppet show

🛏️ Old Quarter — 4th night

MorningSleep in, free morning

AfternoonFree — West Lake walk, spa, or just resting

EveningRelaxed dinner, early night before flying south

── Southern Vietnam ──

Day

Flight

Hanoi → ✈️ → Saigon

🕐 Tue, May 4 · Start: ~9:00 AM

A relaxed morning in Hanoi, then a Grab to Noi Bai airport. Domestic flight straight to Saigon. Evening: a first walk around Pham Ngu Lao.

Late checkout, breakfast, last-minute Old Quarter shopping
Grab to the airport (~40 min)
Flight HAN → SGN: VietJet/Bamboo (~2 h, ~$40–65)
Pham Ngu Lao — an evening kick-off

✈️ Hanoi → Saigon · VietJet ~$40–65 (~850–1,350 Kč) · book ahead

🛏️ Saigon — Pham Ngu Lao district · $15–25/person (320–500 Kč/person)

MorningRelaxed morning in Hanoi, last shopping

AfternoonFly Hanoi → Saigon

EveningCheck in, Pham Ngu Lao nightlife

Day

South

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕐 Wed, May 5 · Start: ~9:00 AM

Vietnam's biggest city. War history and colonial architecture in the morning, then a genuinely free afternoon before an easy evening out — the only real downtime of the southern leg.

War Remnants Museum — the most powerful museum of the trip (~$2)
Reunification Palace — where the war ended in 1975
Free afternoon — nap, pool, spa, or wander at your own pace (Ben Thanh Market if you want it)
Bui Vien Walking Street — evening nightlife, low-key or not, your call

🛺 Grab taxi or xe om around the city

🛏️ Saigon — 2nd night

MorningWar Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace

AfternoonFree — rest, spa, or optional Ben Thanh Market

EveningBui Vien Walking Street

Day

South

Mekong Delta — Ben Tre / Can Tho ~135–170 km from Saigon

🕐 Thu, May 6 · Start: ~9:00 AM

A relaxed morning departure from Saigon down into the Mekong. Coconut country around Ben Tre, then on to Can Tho for the night — close to the floating market for an early start tomorrow.

Ben Tre — coconut orchards, candy and rice-paper workshops by boat
Cycling or small sampan through narrow canals, away from the big tour barges
Local riverside lunch
Overnight homestay or riverside guesthouse near Can Tho

🚐 Private car/van from Saigon (~$30–50/person, ~600–1,050 Kč incl. transport + boat)

🛏️ Mekong Delta — homestay/guesthouse, 1 night

MorningDrive south, Ben Tre coconut country

AfternoonCanals by sampan, workshops, on to Can Tho

EveningRiverside dinner, early night before the market

Day

South

Cai Rang Floating Market → Saigon ~170 km back to Saigon

🕐 Fri, May 7 · Start: ~6:00 AM (right at the market)

An early sampan out to Cai Rang around 7-9 AM, when boats are actually trading, not after the morning rush has thinned out. Optional stop at the smaller, quieter Phong Dien market. Drive back to Saigon in the afternoon.

Cai Rang Floating Market — during the actual morning trading, not a rushed day-trip arrival
Optional: Phong Dien market — smaller, far less touristy
Fresh Mekong river fish for breakfast/lunch
Afternoon drive back to Saigon

🚐 Sampan at market, then private car/van back to Saigon (~$25–40/person, ~500–800 Kč)

🛏️ Saigon — 3rd night

MorningCai Rang floating market, during actual trading hours

AfternoonDrive back to Saigon

EveningBack in Saigon — free time, spa or shopping

Day

Flight

Saigon → ✈️ → Hanoi Domestic flight ~2 h

🕐 Sat, May 8 · Start: ~9:00 AM

A last morning in Saigon. A flight back to Hanoi, and an evening in the Old Quarter — a final pho, an egg coffee, and Hoan Kiem at dusk.

Last-minute shopping at Ben Thanh — Vietnamese coffee, silk
Flight SGN → HAN: VietJet/Bamboo (~2 h, ~$35–60)
Cafe Giang — the birthplace of egg coffee, a farewell visit

✈️ Saigon (SGN) → Hanoi (HAN) · VietJet · ~$35–60/person (~700–1,300 Kč)

🛏️ Hanoi — 1 night near the airport or in the Old Quarter · $15–20/person (320–400 Kč/person)

MorningLast shopping at Ben Thanh

AfternoonFly Saigon → Hanoi

EveningOld Quarter, farewell egg coffee

Day

Departure

Hanoi → Prague Sun, May 9 evening · Noi Bai (HAN)

🕐 Sun, May 9 · Start: free morning, evening flight

A free morning in Hanoi. Departure from Noi Bai Airport at 20:40 on Etihad, via Abu Dhabi — arriving in Prague Monday, May 10 at 07:05.

Grab to the airport ~$5, 40 min from the centre
Terminal 2 for international departures
Arrive 3 hours before departure

✈️ Etihad · HAN 9 May 20:40 → PRG 10 May 07:05 (via Abu Dhabi) · 15 h 25 m

🛏️ On the plane :)

MorningFree morning in Hanoi

AfternoonPack up, Grab to the airport

EveningEvening flight home to Prague

// Estimated Budget per Person (USD)

🟢 14 days · full journey

✈️ Return flight Prague↔Hanoi (Etihad, direct)$68914,475 Kč

✈️ Domestic flights (HAN→SGN→HAN)$70–1251,500–2,600 Kč

🛏️ Accommodation (11 nights — excludes the Pu Luong and Mekong homestays, budgeted separately)$127–1912,650–4,000 Kč

🍜 Food (14 days)$140–2802,900–5,900 Kč

🚐 Car rental for the group (Hanoi ↔ Ninh Binh, Ninh Binh ↔ Pu Luong, Pu Luong → Hanoi) + boat rides (Trang An, Tam Coc) + Hang Mua entry$70–1051,500–2,200 Kč

🚐 Ground transport (minivan/bus/sleeper)$40–70800–1,500 Kč

⛵ Mekong Delta overnight (transport, boats, homestay)$55–901,100–1,850 Kč

🎟️ Entrance fees & activities$60–1201,300–2,500 Kč

🛡️ Travel insurance (14 days)$40–70800–1,500 Kč

💉 Vaccinations$65–1751,400–3,700 Kč

💸 Spending money / SIM / shopping$50–1101,000–2,300 Kč

Total / person$1,365–1,975≈ 28,650–41,500 Kč

Estimates assume a budget-to-mid-range style (guesthouses, dorms, a mix of street food and restaurants). International flight price is Etihad's own direct fare via Abu Dhabi (14,475 Kč) — third-party agents (Gotogate, Booking.com, eDreams) showed fares within about ±1,000 Kč of this at the time of checking, so shop around before booking. Vaccinations are a one-off cost only if you don't already have them. Other CZK figures converted at ~21 Kč/$1 (spot rate, June 2026) — the rate will drift before the trip.

// Flight Summary — All 4 Flights

✈️ International + Domestic

Day 1 · PRG → HAN · Etihad, via Abu DhabiSun 25 Apr 11:20 → Mon 26 Apr 06:4014 h 20 m14,475 Kč (~$689) round-trip, booked direct with Etihad

Day 9 · HAN → SGN · VietJet / BambooExact time TBC · book ahead~2 h~$40–65 (~850–1,350 Kč)

Day 13 · SGN → HAN · VietJet / BambooExact time TBC · book ahead~2 h~$35–60 (~700–1,300 Kč)

Day 14 · HAN → PRG · Etihad, via Abu DhabiSun 9 May 20:40 → Mon 10 May 07:0515 h 25 mincluded in the Day 1 round-trip fare above

The 2 domestic legs (Days 9 and 13) are separate one-way tickets — book both together, ~2–3 months ahead, see the Preparation timeline below. The international fare is a single round-trip cost already counted once in the budget above, not twice.

// Preparation — What to Do Before You Go

~4 months before departure (January 2027)

💉 Vaccinations — visit a travel clinic Don't delay

Some vaccines need 2–3 doses spread over weeks, so start early. Essential: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Tetanus (check your booster is current). Consider: Rabies if you're spending time in rural areas or near animals — Pu Luong's villages qualify. Malaria prophylaxis is generally not needed for this itinerary, but confirm with your doctor. Budget $65–175/person (~1,400–3,700 Kč) depending on which you already have.

~2–3 months before departure (February–March 2027)

🏍️ Arrange a car/driver for the Hanoi ↔ Ninh Binh legs Book ahead

Book a private car (or rent one with a driver) for the Hanoi ↔ Ninh Binh legs and the longer Ninh Binh ↔ Pu Luong ↔ Hanoi drives — for a group of 5–6 this is usually cheaper and far more convenient than public buses, and lets you stop for photos along the way. No overnight transit needed for this version — everything is a same-day drive, though the Pu Luong legs run 3–4 hours each.

✈️ Book domestic flights in Vietnam Book ahead

Two domestic flights: HAN→SGN (Day 9) and SGN→HAN (Day 13). Book on VietJet or Bamboo Airways — prices are ~$35–65 each if booked in advance, but they can more than double for last-minute seats. Book both together.

🛡️ Travel insurance — read the small print Critical

Get standard travel insurance with medical evacuation cover — hospitals in rural northern Vietnam are basic, and evacuation to Bangkok or back to Europe is expensive. Check AXA Assistance, ERV, or Allianz. Make sure you have at least $1M in medical evacuation cover. Cost: ~$40–70 (~800–1,500 Kč) for 14 days.

~1 month before departure (April 2027)

🏨 Book key accommodation Book ahead

For a group of 5–6, you want to lock in Hanoi (nights 1–2, plus nights 7–8 after returning from Ninh Binh/Pu Luong) and Saigon (nights 9, 10, and 12) at minimum, plus the Mekong homestay/guesthouse for night 11. Ninh Binh hotels (nights 3–5) are worth booking ahead too, since good ones in Tam Coc fill up on weekends, and the Pu Luong homestay (night 6) is worth booking well in advance since good ones are small and limited.

💰 Sort out money — USD and VND Practical

Vietnam is largely cash-based, especially in rural areas. Bring a mix: USD for large payments (some guesthouses and tours quote in USD and prefer it), and Vietnamese Dong (VND) for everything else — street food, local buses, market stalls. Get VND from ATMs on arrival (Vietcombank and Techcombank have the lowest fees). Revolut or Wise works well for ATM withdrawals. ATMs exist in Ninh Binh town, but boat operators and the Hang Mua entrance are cash-only.

📱 Apps to install before you go Practical

Grab (taxi and food across all cities), Maps.me with Vietnam downloaded offline, Google Translate with Vietnamese downloaded offline, XE Currency, and Splitwise or Settle Up for splitting group costs.

1–2 weeks before departure

🎒 Pack light — seriously Practical

You'll want a small daypack for the Hang Mua climb and the Pu Luong terrace walk — pack an overnight bag separately for the one Pu Luong homestay night, and leave the rest of your luggage at the Ninh Binh hotel. Key items: rain poncho or light waterproof jacket, sturdy walking shoes, sun hat, quick-dry clothes, reef-safe sunscreen, DEET repellent, and a basic first-aid kit.

📄 Documents — make copies of everything Practical

Passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond your return date, with at least 2 blank pages), international driving permit (issued on top of your Czech licence — get it from AutoKlub, takes a few days), travel insurance documents with the emergency number saved in your phone. Upload digital copies to Google Drive or iCloud so they're accessible even if your phone is stolen or lost.

On arrival in Hanoi

📡 Buy a local SIM card Immediate

Available at Noi Bai Airport arrivals. Viettel is the best network for rural coverage in northern Vietnam. A 30-day SIM with 20–30 GB of data costs around $3–5 (~60–100 Kč). Everyone in the group should get one. Coverage in Ninh Binh itself is generally solid; Pu Luong is more remote and can have patchy signal in the valley.

💵 Withdraw VND at the airport ATM Immediate

Use a Vietcombank ATM inside the terminal — lowest fees, most reliable. Withdraw enough for the first few days plus the Ninh Binh/Pu Luong leg (budget ~$130–180 (~2,700–3,800 Kč) in VND per person for the 5-day stretch including food, accommodation, boat rides, entry fees, and the Pu Luong homestay). The exchange rate at airport ATMs is fair; avoid cash exchange desks at the airport.