This is a truncated version of the 28-day itinerary. You can see quite a lot in a few weeks and catch the major sights along the coast.
Get settled somewhere cozy (I recommend the Sofitel Metropole), and then take a walk (or cyclo ride) around the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake.
Day 2: Hanoi to Lao Cai (Sapa)
Enjoy a morning of touring the main sights in the Hanoi Citadel, including
Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum (before 11am),
House, and
Museum, and the
One-Pillar Pagoda. In the early evening, catch the overnight train for Lao Cai (best on a
Victoriasleeper car).
Day 3: Lao Cai to Sapa
Arrive in Lao Cai at 6am and hop on a bus for transfer to Sapa. Check in to your hotel -- I recommend the
Topas Ecolodge -- and take an afternoon walk down into the valley lined with rice terraces to the
Cat Cat Village, or hire a guide for an all-day
hike (after a short jeep ride) from
Lao Cai to Ta Van. Alternatively, just take in the little town of Sapa, the rice-terraced valley below, and the central market crowded with
Hmong people.
Day 4: Sapa to Bac Ha and back to Hanoi
If it's a Sunday, take a day trip to the market town outside of Lao Cai called Bac Ha, the region's most colorful hilltribe market. Otherwise, plan to spend part of the day trekking (contact Topas or Handspan), and then catch an early evening overnight train from Lao Cai back to Hanoi (factor in the few hours from Bac Ha or Sapa to Lao Cai station).
Day 5: Lao Cai to Hanoi
Arrive at 6am in the capital and take some time to rest in comfy city digs. Explore the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem, and maybe do a bit of shopping. Catch a show at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater in the evening, or hit some of the town's fine-dining establishments or nightlife.
Day 6: Hanoi to Halong Bay
Leave early in the morning for a 3-hour drive to the pier at Halong City, and then board an overnight boat in the bay -- best aboard the luxury
Emeraude or
Halong Ginger;one notch down is Buffalo Tour's
Jewel of the Bay or Handspan Tour's
Dragon's Pearl. You'll lunch aboard the ship,
cruise for a few hours with stops at various cave sites, and then sleep aboard the boat moored in a quiet bay. Itineraries vary, and most include time for
kayaking to caves and island lagoons and swimming.
Day 7: Halong Bay to Hanoi and on to Hue
Awake to sunlight reflecting off the high limestone formations of stunning Halong Bay. Most trips include a morning kayak adventure and a few stops before returning to the pier and making the 3-hour road connection to Hanoi. Catch the afternoon (4:30pm) flight from Hanoi to Hue (or overnight in Hanoi and fly in the morning).
Day 8: Hue
Set out on a tour by bicycle or cyclo to the central
Hue Citadel and the ruins of the old
Imperial City. In the afternoon, you can ride a
bike -- though it's slightly far -- or arrange a car to a few sights on the outskirts of town. You can arrange a boat to see the likes of the
Thien Mu Pagoda and a few of Hue's many
imperial tombs -- best are the tombs of
Khai Dinh and
Minh Mang Tomb or
Tu Duc. In the evening, enjoy dinner at
Tropical Garden or
Club Garden, and then stroll along the
Perfume River near the
Trang Tien Bridge.
In the afternoon, leave by car or minivan for
Hoi An. Along the way, stop at
Lang Co Beach, the overlook at
Hai Van Pass, the
Cham Museum in
Danang, and, time permitting, the
Marble Mountains. Overnight in Hoi An. If you arrive before the shops close, place an order for your tailored clothes.
Day 10: Hoi An
Follow Day 13 in the 28-day itinerary, above, hitting the beach or exploring town.
Day 11: Hoi An to Nha Trang (via Danang)

Fly from Danang (via a trip to the
Marble Mountains in the morning if you've yet to go) and settle in Nha Trang for a few days of beach time. Rest and relax at the
Evason Ana Mandara Resort or one of the many good budget options around.
Day 12: Nha Trang

Enjoy the beach, take a scuba course, hop on an all-day boat trip to outlying islands, or hit the city's few nearby sights (the
Po Ngar Cham Towers or the
Alexandre Yersin Museum). Morning trips to the city market or the fish market near the
Po Ngar Cham Towers are popular for photographers. But don't feel pressed -- Nha Trang is a place to kick back, eat good seafood, and rest.
You might consider adding a few days at this point and scoot up to the temperate hill town of Dalat or tour part of the Central Highlands. Otherwise, fly to Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 14: Ho Chi Minh City

In the morning, get an early start at
Giac Lam Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City's oldest, and then tour
Chinatown and some temples, as well as the large Chinese market,
Binh Te Market (all in far-off District 5), before returning to the city center and
Ben Thanh Market -- a good place to wander and pick up a few ditties. Stop for lunch at
Pho 2000, just adjacent to the market. Time permitting, hit the
War Remnants Museum or the
Reunification Palace. Enjoy a meal at
Quan An Ngon Restaurant,
Vietnam's finest purveyor of authentic Vietnamese cuisine in an authentic local setting (there are lots of gussied-up high-end Vietnamese restaurants in town, but funky Ngon takes the cake). Depart.
Going South to North
Note: If arriving in the south (most likely in Ho Chi Minh City), you can reverse this 2-week itinerary. Many travelers include a trip to the Mekong Delta, staying 1 night inCan Tho and exploring the river markets in the area instead of going to Sapa in the far north
.
Source: The New York Times