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; Sapa is much cooler and can be misty/rainy, walking trails may be muddy after rain.

Hanoi

30–34° / 24–26°

~70–80% humidity

Sapa

20–25° / 14–17°

~80–90% humidity, frequent mist

Saigon

32–35° / 26–27°

~75–85% humidity

Mekong Delta

31–34° / 25–27°

~80–85% humidity

// Northern Vietnam

Prague

Hanoi

Day 1–2

Sapa

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 → overnight train to Sapa 🚆

🕐 Wed, Apr 28 · Free day, board train in the evening

A relaxed day in Hanoi. In the evening, board the overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai (the gateway station for Sapa).

Free morning/afternoon in Hanoi — optional extra sightseeing or rest
Evening: board overnight sleeper train, Hanoi → Lao Cai

🚆 Overnight sleeper train Hanoi → Lao Cai (~8 h)

🛏️ On the overnight train

MorningFree time in Hanoi

AfternoonPack, rest before the overnight train

EveningBoard overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai

Day

North

Arrive Sapa → Cat Cat Village

🕐 Thu, Apr 29 · Arrive Lao Cai early AM

Train arrives in Lao Cai early morning; short car transfer to Sapa town, check in. Afternoon walking trail down through Cat Cat Village — an H'Mong village with a waterfall, easy to moderate, mostly stairs and paved paths, the most accessible walk of the trip.

Transfer Lao Cai → Sapa town (~45 min by car)
Cat Cat Village walking trail — waterfall, H'Mong village
Optional: Silver Waterfall (Thac Bac) + Heaven's Gate, ~30–40 min by car

🚐 Car transfer Lao Cai → Sapa (~45 min)

🛏️ Sapa town — hotel, night 1 of 2

MorningArrive Lao Cai, transfer to Sapa, check in

AfternoonWalk down to Cat Cat Village

EveningFree in Sapa town, dinner

Day

North

Ta Van & Lao Chai Trek

🕐 Fri, Apr 30 · Start: ~8:30 AM

The classic rice-terrace walking trail through Lao Chai and Ta Van villages, in the Muong Hoa Valley — moderate difficulty, half-day to full-day depending on pace. Best scenery of the trip; a local guide can be hired for the walk. Car back to Sapa town in the late afternoon.

Lao Chai → Ta Van trekking trail through rice-terrace valley
Optional local guide for the trek
Car transfer back to Sapa town, late afternoon

🚶 Walking trail, moderate difficulty, guide optional

🛏️ Sapa town — night 2

MorningTrek Lao Chai → Ta Van

AfternoonContinue trek / return by car

EveningRest in Sapa town

Day

North

Fansipan Cable Car → night train back 🚆

🕐 Sat, May 1 · Start: ~9:00 AM

Cable car up to the Fansipan summit complex — no trekking required, but a fair number of stairs at the top. Relaxed pace, panoramic views of the Muong Hoa Valley. Afternoon free in Sapa town for the market and last-minute shopping. Transfer to Lao Cai in the evening and board the overnight train back to Hanoi.

Sun World Fansipan Legend cable car — summit complex, viewpoints
Afternoon free in Sapa town / market
Evening: transfer to Lao Cai, board overnight train to Hanoi

🚆 Overnight sleeper train Lao Cai → Hanoi (~8 h)

🛏️ On the overnight train

MorningFansipan cable car and summit

AfternoonFree time / market in Sapa town

EveningTransfer to Lao Cai, board night train

Day

Transit

Arrive Hanoi 🚆

🕐 Sun, May 2 · Arrive early morning

Train arrives back in Hanoi early morning. Free rest of the day — check in, recover from two overnight trains, no activity planned. This leads straight into the existing Hanoi rest day (day 8) already in the itinerary, so there's a genuine buffer before the day 9 flight to Saigon.

Arrive Hanoi early AM, transfer to hotel
Free day to recover before the day 8 rest day

🛏️ Hanoi — hotel

MorningArrive Hanoi, check in, rest

AfternoonFree 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 (10 nights — excludes the two overnight-train nights and the Mekong homestay, budgeted separately)$115–1742,400–3,650 Kč

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

🚆 Overnight sleeper train Hanoi ↔ Lao Cai (×2, regular soft sleeper to tourist cabin) + Lao Cai↔Sapa transfers + Fansipan cable car ticket (~850,000 VND / ~$34 return)$90–1301,900–2,700 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 — the Sapa villages and treks qualify. Malaria prophylaxis is generally not needed for this itinerary (no deep jungle), 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)

🏍️ Book overnight sleeper train tickets (Hanoi ↔ Lao Cai) Book ahead

Book the Hanoi ↔ Lao Cai overnight sleeper train tickets ahead of time, both directions — sleeper cabins on the popular tourist-oriented services (Victoria Express, Chapa Express, Sapaly Express) sell out during peak season. Regular Vietnam Railways soft sleeper berths are the cheaper option.

✈️ 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 trekking cover (up to moderate altitude, non-technical trails) and medical evacuation — 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 Sapa) and Saigon (nights 9, 10, and 12) at minimum, plus the Mekong homestay/guesthouse for night 11. Sapa town hotels (nights 4–5) are worth booking ahead too, since good ones near the trekking trailheads fill up. Look for places that can accommodate the full group — a private apartment or whole guesthouse is often cheaper and more fun than individual dorms.

💰 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 Sapa town, but take enough cash for the trek days since villages along the trail are cash-only.

📱 Apps to install before you go Practical

Grab (taxi and food across all cities), Maps.me with Vietnam downloaded offline (useful on the Sapa trekking trails where signal is patchy), 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 20–30 L daypack for the trekking days (Cat Cat, Ta Van/Lao Chai) — leave the rest of your luggage at the Sapa hotel. Key items: rain poncho or light waterproof jacket (Sapa is misty and cooler than the rest of the trip), sturdy walking shoes (trails can be muddy), a warm layer for evenings, quick-dry clothes, 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. Note: signal can be patchy on the Ta Van/Lao Chai trekking trail — download offline maps before you leave Hanoi.

💵 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 Sapa leg (budget ~$150–200 (~3,200–4,200 Kč) in VND per person for the 4-day Sapa stretch including food, accommodation, trek guide, and the Fansipan cable car ticket). The exchange rate at airport ATMs is fair; avoid cash exchange desks at the airport.