INDEX
Vietnam is one of the most visited countries in Southeast Asia. Why? It has pretty much everything a traveller could want: stunning history, rich culture, spectacular food, beaches, mountains, adventure, relaxation…. After being able to visit this incredible country for almost 3 weeks, we believe we did enough research and got into its culture to be able to bring you this complete itinerary of 20 days in Vietnam.
What can you expect from our itinerary?
- Adventure
- Tours as local as possible
- The best way to do the Ha Giang Loop
- Learn about the history of the country
- Sightseeing that’s really worthwhile
- Tight budget
With all this, we hope that you have been a little bit curious and that you will stay to discover with us the itinerary of 20 days in Vietnam.
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Check out our other posts in Asia to inspire you in finding your perfect trip:
Advice before going to Vietnam
- If you go out of season (it varies depending on the area, but usually from May to August), it can get quite cold, especially in the north and in Ha Giang. If you don’t want to carry a suitcase, you can buy cheap warm clothes in Hanoi’s Old Quarter – that’s where we did it, and you can get great prices by bargaining.
- The distances between cities are long. You’ll see that in the itinerary, we lost a few days travelling. It’s unavoidable, you won’t be able to optimise it much more, since, unless you take a flight, buses are always several hours long. To avoid losing hours of sightseeing and paying for a few nights, we recommend night buses, which are not bad at all. You can take them with 12GoAsia, it’s the best way if you want to avoid complications.
- It’s a VERY cheap country, so you’ll always have quality options at a good price for sleeping and eating. If your intention is to travel cheap like us, don’t overpay, analyze all the options you have because you are sure to find good value for money.
- Do the Ha Giang Loop. Yes, there are options if you don’t drive a motorbike, but don’t miss this part of the country as it is one of the best things we did. Adventure, scenery, local people and good vibes, what more do you want?
- For us it’s the best country in Southeast Asia when it comes to food. Try the Pho, pancakes and bahn mi, you’ll thank us for it :).
Mobile connectivity in Vietnam
Before we start our 20-day tour of Vietnam, one of the biggest concerns for a traveller before starting a trip this far away is about mobile connectivity. For us, the best option is always Holafly, as it offers the best connectivity (we have actually tested it with cards bought physically in countries), unlimited data and the best customer service.
Also, as a reader of our blog, you get a 5% discount on your eSim if you buy through the following link (and you help us by the way if you find our content useful :)).
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh (20 days in Vietnam)
We started our itinerary of 20 days in Vietnam in the most important city in the south of the country, Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon. We arrived the day before from Cambodia, as we had gone earlier to visit the temples of Angkor.
After a relaxing day, we started our stay in Ho Chi Minh to discover the most recent history of the country in the War Remnants Museum, a museum dedicated to explain the vision of the Vietnamese civil war of the last century, its effects and the barbarities that the United States did in the country. Honestly, it is a must visit, as it is so serious what happened that it is important for everyone to understand the context from which this country came not so long ago.
After this visit, we headed to Ben Tahn Market for lunch. As you will know if you have read our other posts, we believe that you know a city by its markets. It is also the best place to eat, as you get to try local food at the best price.
Ho Chi Minh has a brutal fact. It is the city with the most motorbikes in the world, almost 7,4 million in a city of 9 million inhabitants! That’s why we wanted to go to one of the busiest intersections in the city at rush hour. There are no traffic lights, so you have to practically throw yourself down to try to get through. We leave you a reel we created to illustrate it.
To end the day, we did one of the top activities of the day, an 11-course Gastronomic Tour with university students. They take you on their motorbikes to different local markets and places mostly frequented by Vietnamese people, where you try 11 different dishes of the country’s gastronomy. You end up full, they are very nice and they tell you a lot of historical and cultural things we didn’t know. It’s one of the things we highly recommend. We leave you the link to the tour here, we took it with GetYourGuide.
Where to sleep
We slept in a place that we liked a lot. It was a well located flat with all the facilities (kitchen, washing machine…) at a good price. In addition, they were very attentive to us and to all the requests we had. It’s called Zenhouse.
Where to eat
As specified, we ate at one of the stalls in the Ben Tahn market. Recommended if you want to eat local food at the best price. You can easily get full for €3-4 per person. Eating in markets is one of the best recommendations we can make in this 20 days in Vietnam post.
For dinner we did the TOP activity of the 11-course gastronomic tour that took us to almost every market in the middle of Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 2: Cu Chi Tunnels (20 days in Vietnam)
On the second day of our 20 days in Vietnam, we wanted to spend it discovering even more of the history of the war, and decided to take a tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels.
These tunnels are a place where many of the Viet Cong, who fought against the Americans in the south, had their base and hideouts. One of their characteristics is that they dug underground tunnels to move quickly without being seen, had bunkers for bombing and created ingenious traps in the woods to hurt the Americans. Nowadays, you can visit this area, where you can see all these elements, crawl through the tunnels, see the traps…
Our honest opinion of the tour is that it is not worth it. It took us more than two hours to go and two hours to return to Cu Chi from Ho Chi Minh for a 1h30 visit, where you only visit two tunnels and see elements such as tanks, bunkers and reproductions of the camps and traps that were used.
In addition, they have set up a shooting range in the area to test the weapons used in the war. It seems to us totally out of place since something very serious happened and many people died and we were uncomfortable to be visiting the place with the sound of gunshots.
If you want to go, I would take the combined tour with the Mekong Delta, as this way you get more out of the trip and you don’t spend the whole morning on the bus. Here is the link to the combined tour, which some guys we met told us was good!
In the afternoon, we just strolled along the Mekong River and went to Bui Vien Street to see it, but if you’re not looking for a party, you won’t miss anything (it’s a Vietnamese Khao San Road, Bangkok’s backpacker, party and alcohol street).
Where to eat
We went back to eat at Ben Tahn market and ordered Grab food to the room in the evening (which was a comfortable alternative in these 20 days in Vietnam).
Day 3: Transfer to Hoi An (20 days in Vietnam)
This day was practically a day of travel. As we said, it’s not easy to get around in Vietnam. The cheapest option is usually by bus, which are usually night buses and take quite a few hours.
We wanted to go directly to Hoi An because the weather was very bad on the coast and we included it in our 20 days in Vietnam, but if this is not your case, this would be the time to include beaches in the itinerary if you are looking for that. We leave you the most recommended ones, all of them have a bus route in 12Go Asia from Ho Chi Minh City:
- Mui Ne, relaxation and lots of windsurfing and kitesurfing. It is also known for its famous dunes.
- Nha Trang, one of the most famous and crowded, ideal for nightlife and entertainment.
- Bai Xep, tranquillity and good views.
- An Bang, more like Nha Trang, services and atmosphere.
After spending the morning packing our bags and eating in a cafeteria in Ho Chi Minh City (vegetarian and very TOP, we recommend it), we took a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang, which is right next to Hoi An and arrived around 7 pm.
We spent this evening seeing the centre of Hoi An at night, one of the main attractions, with all the boats and lanterns, and had a quiet dinner in the area.
Where to sleep
We highly recommend our hotel in Hoi An, one of the best on our 20 days in Vietnam. A hotel run by a very nice family that helps you with everything, super spacious, with a very cool pool and breakfast included. It is also a 10-minute walk from the river area. It’s called Alley Garden Homestay Hoi An.
Where to eat
We ate at the Ho Chi Minh City cafeteria called Bep Chai Café.
We had dinner in a slightly expensive but VERY tasty place in the centre of Hoi An called 188 Hoa Vang.
Day 4: Hoi An
Hoi An is said to be the most beautiful town in the country, and after our 20 days in Vietnam, we can understand why. It’s a small riverside town surrounded by rice fields and farmland. It’s a very rural area, ideal for discovering another part of the country.
Although Hoi An is famous for its lanterns and the nightlife in the city centre, we think we discovered it in a totally different way than what people normally do, as we wanted to focus more on the surroundings and the local life than on the whole centre.
In the morning of this day, we took some bikes to explore the surrounding area and get into the local villages. There are two areas where you can do this by bike, the Cam Kim area and the one on the way to Cua Dai beach. We went to Cam Kim. The reality is that the setting is super rural and authentic, but we went during the rainy season and all the rice fields were flooded, so we didn’t see it in all its splendour. We spent most of the morning walking around the villages quietly, filming and taking videos.
Then we went for lunch in the centre and booked a super top tour through GetYourGuide, a company of local guides who are super committed to the environment and cultural preservation of Hoi An, Momo Travel. This company is one of the discoveries of our 20 days in Vietnam. The tour takes you to the lesser known areas of the city to see the other side of the city. You visit garment factories (Hoi An is known for that), a Vietnamese Civil War prison, local bakeries and other places that show you what life is like in the area and what day to day life in the city is like. This tour is very worthwhile and we recommend it 100%.
Finally, we went back to the centre of Hoi An at night to have dinner and see the illuminated streets and lanterns, a must in your stay in Hoi An and in 20 days in Vietnam.
Where to eat
We had lunch at a place on the main street of Hoi An and it was very interesting because everyone was taking pictures of the place. It was very nice and the food was good, so we highly recommend it. It’s called Mot Hoi An.
For dinner, we wanted to try one of the best Bahn Mi in the city and…. IT WAS REALLY GOOD! It’s called Tiem Bahn Mi. One of the best of our 20 days in Vietnam.
Day 5: Hoi An (20 days in Vietnam)
We liked the previous day’s tour so much that on the 5th day of our 20 days in Vietnam, we decided to take another tour with the same company through GetYourGuide. And what a success!
As we have already mentioned, Vietnamese cuisine is one of the best in Southeast Asia. And that’s why we wanted to try a tour with a cooking class by bike that visits the areas around Hoi An, takes you to a local farm, a market and gives you a cooking class. This is a top tour, one of the best we did in the country, you will have a great time discovering the real Hoi An and cooking a spectacular menu of Vietnamese food with local produce.
After returning to the city after lunch, we wanted to buy the city centre pass, which gives you access to 5 tourist attractions in the old town. You can buy it in the old town itself at the tourist office. The truth is that we didn’t like this, I think it is better to do a free tour of the centre if you are interested in visiting it, it is much better with an explanation. We saw that the company we took the two tours with also covered this one, so you might want to ask them about it.
Where to eat
We cooked our own food on the gastronomic tour. We repeat, experience 10, the best of our 20 days in Vietnam.
We had dinner at a place that was recommended to us for the typical Vietnamese noodle soup. Quality price a 10, highly recommended. It’s a family-run place, super simple, not glamorous, but it’s a great place to eat. It’s called My Quang 92.
Day 6: Heritage Train to Hué
We had many doubts this day about what to do, as you have several options to go from Hoi An to Hué. You can go by motorbike, on a famous route that goes along the cliffs overlooking the beach (very top), you can go by bus directly or you can take the Heritage Train, which goes through the mountains with amazing views.
After thinking about it, we decided to go by train for convenience. We hired a shuttle from Hoi An to Da Nang train station to catch the train there. The truth is that it’s worth it, it’s super nice and relaxing and it takes 3 hours. You can book the trip here, for 12GO.
If you prefer to do it by motorbike, here you have the option of a motorbike tour from Hoi An – Da Nang to Hué.
Once in Hué, we went for a bit of running along the riverbank (on a 20 days in Vietnam, a bit of sport is appreciated in between the beating), which we recommend doing at night and we had dinner near the hotel.
Where to sleep
We stayed in the centre of Hue and to be honest, we chose the right hotel (again, weird thing hahaha). It was called Saphia Hotel Hue 2. Good location, clean, very new bathrooms…
Where to eat
We ate next to Da Nang station, we leave you the restaurant in case you go, as it was nothing spectacular but hey, it saves you from a hurry. Mi Quang Que Xua.
For dinner, we dined at a place with a very good rating in Hué, but we didn’t like it. The food was pretty bland, one of the worst we tried during our 20 days in Vietnam where we ate incredible food. It’s called Maison Trang.
Day 7: Hue (20 days in Vietnam)
On this day of our 20 days in Vietnam we had planned to do a bike tour in Hue to see the Thien Mu Pagoda and the Imperial Tombs, as it is a perfect activity to do in one morning if the weather is good, but it rained a lot and we had to cancel.
We decided to take the day easy. We went to eat at Dong Ba market, which is nothing special, but you can eat very well and super cheap and go to see the Imperial Citadel and the surrounding area which is very cool. We were able to see the surrounding area as the day was not good and we were too lazy to go inside when it was raining.
In the evening, we took another leisurely stroll to have dinner.
Where to eat
We ate at Dong Ba Market.
We had dinner in a good value for money place. We ordered a Bahn Mi and it was very tasty. It’s called Madam Thu.
Day 8: Transfer day
And sure enough, the first full day of our 20 days in Vietnam arrived. We had to move from Hué to Ninh Binh and we booked a full day transport in a sleeper bus (quite comfortable it must be said).
We took it (as all the transports in the country) for 12GO and, to be honest, very good service and customer service.
We can’t say much about this day as we spent it inside a bus 🙂
Where to sleep
Again, we got the accommodation right, although this time we give it a little lower marks as the breakfast was not very good and we had a problem with the room on arrival. However, the family that runs it is very nice, they helped us with everything and they have motorbike and bike rentals and can organise transport to any place. It’s called Tam Cuoc Tuong Vy Homestay.
Where to eat
We ate on the way on the bus.
We had dinner at our favourite place in Ninh Binh, where we went all 3 nights and tried many dishes. It is outside the centre and opened 3 months ago. It’s called Mami Restaurant.
Day 9: Ninh Binh
On this day of our 20 days in Vietnam, we arrived at one of our favourite areas of the trip and one of the total surprises, Ninh Bing.
This area is called the Halong Bay on earth, as it is a beautiful area of karst mountains where you can do many adventure activities, see viewpoints and discover beautiful places.
We decided to stay in Tam Coc, one of its main towns. To get around on your own, you can opt for a bike or motorbike. On the first day we decided to take bicycles to explore the surrounding area as everything we wanted to do was within easy cycling distance.
The first stop was the Hang Mua viewpoint, one of its most famous places, and rightly so, what a great place! It’s a brutal viewpoint with a dragon on top and views of the countryside and mountains on one side and the river between the mountains on the other. A must if you’re in the area.
At the bottom of the viewpoint there are also some walkways with water lilies on the sides where you can take great pictures.
Then, around 2 o’clock, we went to do the star activity of the area, a boat ride on the rivers between the mountains. There are two places to do this: Tam Coc or Trang An. Both are very touristy, but we decided to try the Trang An one. When you get there, you can choose between 4 different tours, each with its own attractions. Ours was the first one and we think we got it right, as it went into very long and very narrow caves, we visited 4 very remote temples and we spent the 3 hours practically alone (probably because of the time we did it). We highly recommend this activity, the nature and the environment are absolutely breathtaking.
Once we left the 3 hour tour, we went back to Tam Coc to relax.
Below you will find a combined option to visit Trang An and Mua in the same tour. It’s the best seller on GetYourGuide, so it’s a great option with hotel pick-up on a 20 days in Vietnam.
Dónde comer
We ate before boarding at Trang An, as there are food stalls right there where you buy your tickets.
Dinner at Mami Restaurant.
Day 10: Ninh Binh
On this second day in Ninh Bing and 10th day of our 20 days in Vietnam, we wanted to visit one of the largest Buddhist complexes in Southeast Asia, the Bai Dinh Pagoda. To get there, you either need to hire a tour or go by motorbike, it’s quite far to cycle.
We chose to go by motorbike, but the truth is that after doing it, we think it is a very good option to do it by tour, as it is a bit far away and with a tour they will explain you much better the whole complex, which is quite big. We would recommend you to take this complete tour with Get Your Guide, which combines the visit with other top tourist attractions in the area such as Trang An or the Mua Cave.
This is one of the places that surprised us the most, as we were expecting almost nothing and we liked it a lot. It is the largest Buddhist temple complex in the country and one of the largest in Southeast Asia. You will be able to see the biggest Buddha in Vietnam (our favourite of the complex) or the giant Bell Tower (brutal). The visit lasts about 2 hours.
The intention when we left this place was to go to Hoa Lu, the old capital of Vietnam in the 10th century but it rained again and it was very cold so we preferred to go back to Tam Coc to take shelter.
We also leave you the place where we ate on the way, as we liked it very much. Oh, and the way back by motorbike is VERY cool, in the middle of nature and karst mountains.
Day 11: Trip to Hanoi (20 days in Vietnam)
On day 11 of our 20 days in Vietnam, we started by catching a bus on our way to the country’s capital, the out-of-control Hanoi.
Once we left all our stuff in our hotel (super well located, by the way), we went to see the centre of Hanoi, the Old Quarter and to see the thousand and one shops it has and bargain to buy warm clothes for the Ha Giang Loop. In that time, we were able to see:
- Old Quarter
- Hoan Kiem Lake
- Dong Xuan Market
We liked Hanoi quite a lot, but it seemed to us a place to wander around in its chaos, without any major tourist attractions. And that’s a bit of what we did during this day and a half in the city.
Where to sleep
After going back and forth with our accommodation (full of anecdotes that we might tell you sometime on Instagram…), we ended up staying the same day we arrived in a centrally located accommodation that is very well looked after, they organise all kinds of tours and help for your trip and we liked it a lot. Now, Hanoi is the most expensive place in Vietnam, prices easily double. The accommodation was Hanoi Old Town.
Dónde comer
For lunch, we went to a place of pure battle that was GOOD. It’s called Nha Hang Ngoc Linh and it’s called Nha Hang Ngoc Linh.
For dinner, we amade a big mistake, as we were going to try one of the typical dishes called Bun Cha and a lady who ran the restaurant in front of us told us that they were the same and we had a bite. Just look at the Google reviews. Don’t fall for it, the famous one is the one in front (although we have to say that it didn’t look the best and neither did the reviews…). It’s called Bun Cha So 1 Hang Manh. In front is the one recommended by the Michelin Guide, called Bun Cha Dac Kim.
Day 12: Hanoi
This day was marked by the fact that we had to go to the Lao embassy to get our visa and it took us a while, so we couldn’t take 100% advantage of it to see everything the city has to offer.
We started the day by visiting the famous railway street. Keep in mind that the train passes every day at specific times, so coordinate well to be able to see it (unlike us). We leave you a post that explains it fantastically.
However, we were able to walk along Hanoi’s Beer Street to taste the famous Hanoi beer and go to see the Night Market, which is held from Friday to Sunday from 18:00 on Hang Ngang Street.
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If we were you, we’d take the opportunity to see Hoa Lo Prison and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, two of the city’s must-sees.
Where to eat
Lunch was in the Old Quarter, near Beer Street, at the V-Cuisine restaurant. Very good value for money.
For dinner, we went to a halal burger restaurant near our hotel that surprised us very well. The name is Halal Food Station.
Day 13: Arrival to Ha Giang
And we’re off to our favourite day of our 20 days in Vietnam, the Ha Giang Loop.
The Ha Giang Loop is the famous 4-day motorbike loop through the mountains of Vietnam that takes you through some of the country’s most spectacular scenery and through the lands of the Hmong people. It has become popular in recent years as it is known to be a route that many young people do in groups and is party oriented. However, we experienced the other side of the coin, one of the most beautiful places we have seen on a 4-day self-drive adventure. Without a doubt, one of the highlights of our trip. Please DO THE HA GIANG LOOP (there are options for everyone).
We are not going to give you all the details of the Ha Giang Loop in this post, we will bring you soon a post dedicated to how to do the Ha Giang Loop on your own.
This day we didn’t start yet, as it was a transfer day to Ha Giang from Hanoi. We arrived at noon and had time to rest, select and test the motorbike we would take the next day and walk around the village.
Where to sleep
One of the top recommendations in this 20 days in Vietnam post is the Ha Giang Loop accommodation. And not because of the hotel, which is very simple, but because of the motorbike service they have and how helpful they are. Just tell you that they have tricked out motorbikes to avoid problems with the police and fines (one of the great fears of the people in Ha Hiang). It’s called Yolo Ha Giang Adventures.
Dónde comer
We ate at a very good restaurant near the hotel, the Phout House Restaurant.
For dinner we indulged ourselves and had pizza at a pizzeria in the city. It is called PIZZA HERE. Correct and not very expensive for a pizza.
Day 14: Ha Giang (#1)
Tip if you want to avoid overcrowding: On the recommendation of the hotel, we did the Loop in a counter-clockwise direction, different from what people usually do. This allowed us to do it with far fewer tourists and in a much quieter way.
The Ha Giang Loop begins. This first day took us from Ha Giang to Du Gia, a small village in a valley.
We passed and visited the A Boong waterfall, the Lung Ho Viewpoint and the Du Gia Waterfall, but we would say that one of the highlights of the day was driving through a valley between mountains passing through remote Hmong villages with virtually no tourists. A very emotional experience and one that invites you to reflect on how beautiful it is to travel and experience these things (and how lucky we are to be able to do so).
Where to sleep
Du Gia Field View Homestay. TOP. A beautiful place, a super nice family, a spectacular dinner and very well kept rooms. Go here if you make the loop, you won’t regret it.
Where to eat
We ate in Du Gia village at the Ngan Trang Restaurant. Correct and cheap.
For dinner, we chose the hotel dinner, which was very good.
Day 15: Ha Giang Loop (#2)
In the end, we can’t tell you many places, because the trick is to see the landscapes and stop in places where there is no one and where you like to take pictures. For us, that’s the magic of the loop, everyone does it in their own way and with freedom.
Where to sleep
As mentioned above, we slept in the village of Dong Van, in a homestay that wasn’t bad, but it was very cold in the room (you’ll find it everywhere in the loop if you go in the cold season). It’s called Nha Nghi Ahn Van.
Where to eat
We had a sandwich in a cafeteria in Meo Vac.
We had dinner in the village in a really GOOD pizzeria, it looked like Italian pizzas. It’s called Gac Bep.
Day 16: Ha Giang Loop (#3)
The hardest day of the Ha Giang and of the 20 days in Vietnam, as we had to go up to the border with China and it was a very cold day. It was quite hard and we had a hard time, as we had no warm clothes and it was really VERY cold. We did not enjoy it very much. For this reason it was the day we made the fewest stops. Basically, we went by the Lung Cu Flag Point, the point where the border between Vietnam and China is. It is a viewpoint that didn’t look like anything special to us, but maybe it was because we were hot and it was foggy.
We used the rest of the day to rush to our next hotel and warm up. We were in our room by 14:00.
Where to sleep
We slept in a guesthouse in the middle of the road that we loved. Because it was very cold and we couldn’t take advantage of it, but the views were amazing and the dinner they served us was brutal. In summer it must be a delight. It’s called Homestay Hoang Vu.
Dormimos en una guesthouse en medio de la carretera que nos encantó. Porque hacía mucho frío y no pudimos aprovechar, pero las vistas eran de escándalo y la cena que nos pusieron fue brutal. En verano debe ser una delicia. Se llama Homestay Hoang Vu.
Dónde comer
Comimos un sandwich en una cafetería de Meo Vac.
Cenamos en el pueblo en una pizzería BUENISIMA, parecían pizzas italianas. Se llama Gac Bep.
Día 17: Ha Giang Loop (#4)
End of the Ha Giang. We enjoyed this day a lot, as it was less cold and we were able to go more relaxed. If you go in the opposite direction, this last day is the one with the least scenery, but it is pleasant, as it is less mountainous. We were able to stop at some points of interest (we would include Khau Lan Waterfall, which we didn’t have time for):
- Hmong Royal Palace
- Yen Minh
- Quan Ba
- Heaven Gate
At the end of the day we ended up in Ha Giang, returning the motorbike at Yolo Ha Giang Adventure from where we took a night bus to Cat Ba.
Dónde comer
We ate in Yen Minh in a restaurant that we did not write down, but which was nothing remarkable.
We had dinner in the same hostel at a Pho.
Day 18: Cat Ba (20 days in Vietnam)
One good tip we could give you is that there is a cheaper way to visit the Halong Bay area. And that is to go to the island of Cat Ba, located right next to the famous bay and where the price of tours and accommodation is quite low and whose bay, Lan Ha, is practically the same as Halong Bay but less crowded. That’s what we wanted to do and that’s what we came to the island for.
We took this 18th day to relax and rest, as we needed it after the thrashing of Ha Giang. So we just strolled around the village and stayed at the hotel. The town itself doesn’t have much to offer, it is like a coastal town where there is a lot of construction work (end of 2024), as we have the feeling that it will soon be a very touristy place and they are preparing the town’s beach for it.
Where to sleep
In Cat Ba we stayed in a hotel that was very good, close to the city centre. It’s family-run and has breakfast and a restaurant. They also rent out motorbikes and organise tours, so it’s a great option. It’s called Ahn Nhu Hotel.
En Cat Ba nos alojamos en un hotel que estaba muy bien, cerca del centro de la ciudad. Está regentado por una familia y tiene desayuno y restaurante. Además, alquilan motos y te organizan tours, por lo que es una gran opción. Se llama Ahn Nhu Hotel.
Where to eat
In Cat Ba we took two reliable restaurants, one where we had dinner and one where we had lunch :D.
Lunch was at one of the best Bahn Mis we tried in Vietnam, the Bahn Mi Hoi An 1999.
Dinner was at Start Up Café and Restaurant. Very good.
Day 19: Cat Ba (Tour to Halong Bay)
The highlight. We booked a full day boat tour to sail and kayak around the karst mountains that make up Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay. It was a total success, as the excursion was very well organised and allows you to visit the two bays in a very relaxed way on a boat trip, apart from being able to do a kayak excursion for quite a while, so you can enjoy a lot of varied activities and a very complete day.
We took it with Cat Ba Local, a small agency in the village and that, the truth, has a 10 in organization of the day, highly recommended. The activity consisted of:
- Pick up
- Boat trip around the area
- Kayak for an hour and a half
- Lunch
- Sailing
- Swimming and beach time
- Sunset
The duration is from 9am to 6pm so you spend the whole day enjoying the sea and it cost us 30 € per person.
Below is another boat tour option (there are hundreds) in case you don’t want to risk taking it there.
Where to eat
Lunch was on the tour boat, a menu of typical Vietnamese food which was quite good.
Dinner was, again, at Start Up Café and Restaurant with some new Moroccan friends we made on the boat 🙂
Day 20: Cat Ba
We decided to take a motorbike to visit other points of interest on the island (we got a taste for this in our 20 days in Vietnam). The truth is that it doesn’t have too many things to do, but there is a very cool visit to a viewpoint with some amazing views. The viewpoint is inside the Cat Ba National Park (in the middle of the island), the entrance fee is 4,5€ pp and it will take you 1 hour and 30 minutes to visit it. It’s not an overly strenuous walk. For us, as lovers of viewpoints, it is highly recommended.
On the way back, we recommend you enjoy its quiet beaches (if you go in low season like us). We loved Bai Tam Thung Tu beach where we spent some time relaxing. It is true that the reviews are not good because of the cleanliness, but I understand that since it was low season and there were 5 people on the beach, it didn’t affect us. The beach has a huge potential as the views are amazing, so if this is real, it’s a shame :(.
You have other beaches in the Cat Ba village area, but they didn’t give us the feeling of being spectacular. We think, having visited it, that it is not a beach destination, we would use it to visit Halong Bay and Lan Ha.
And with this day and a lot of sadness to say goodbye to the country, the itinerary of 20 days in Vietnam comes to an end, as the next day we move to Hanoi to go to Laos and continue our adventure of travelling without a return ticket.
Where to eat
We are big fans of Bahn Mi, so we went back to Bahn Mi Hoi An for lunch.
For dinner we changed, as we were in the mood for a burger after so many days of Vietnamese food, but we couldn’t remember the name 🙁
Map of our 20 days in Vietnam
We leave you a map of our 20 days in Vietnam with all the tourist sites we visited, hotels and restaurants. Inside you will also see links to activities and hotel reservations.
In 20 days in Vietnam, you can do practically everything. It’s a country that offers so many different possibilities that it’s almost impossible for anyone to get bored. We enjoyed it very much and would love to come back to see areas that we couldn’t, as the north, especially, is amazing.
If you have any questions about the route, don’t hesitate to leave us a comment or write to us on social media.
