Tourist route and How to go from A to B

Most of tourists visit the following popular cities/sites:

North: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Sapa, Mai Chau, Ninh Binh

Central: Hue, DMZ, Hoi An, Da Lat

South: HCMC, Mekong Delta, Cu Chi Tunnels, Nha Trang, Mui Ne

My advice is that you should spend only one or two days in the big cities like Hanoi or HCMC then get out of it. There are way too many people with millions of motorbikes, plus the noise, air pollution and unorganized traffic in these cities. The beauty of Vietnam is the countryside area and natural landscape.Vietnam has a good transport system and you can easily move around by plane, train, bus, motorbike and cyclo. It takes time to travel on the highways, as the average speed is only 50 km per hour. Depending on your time and interest, you can choose to experience all 3 regions of Vietnam or just one of them.

If you have 7-10 days, I suggest you spend your time in one or two regions. If you have 2-3-4 weeks, you can see all the major sites. However, it takes much time to go from A to B, so you might spend much time on the road. My favorite destinations in Vietnam are Ha Giang, Con Dao islands, Ninh Binh, Mui Ne and Buon Me Thuot.

Following is the major tourist sites from north to south:

1. HANOI - The capital city with many museums, lakes, parks and old French buildings. On 10 October 2010, Hanoi celebrated the 1,000th year anniversary. From the Noi Bai international airport to the city's center (Hoan Kiem lake), the distance is 30km. You can go by taxi, Vietnam Airlines mini bus or public bus. The Old Quarter is the area where you can find cheap hotels, restaurants and travel agents, mainly on Luong Ngoc Quyen st., Hang Bac st., Ma May st., Hang Be st.

2. HA LONG BAY (UNESCO world heritage site with 1,969 islands in the bay): Most people book a 1-2-3 day tour to Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba island (beaches, caves, jungle, fishing villages). You also can go on your own but it's a little more complicated. Please read a separate paragraph below.

3. SAPA (mountain scenery, trekking to villages of the Black H'mong and Red Dzao ethnic minority people): Most people go by overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai. You also can go by bus, but it takes a full day. From Lao Cai train station, the distance is 38km to Sapa and 70km to Bac Ha. Most people spend 2 nights on train and 2 days for trekking. You also can book a trekking tour to the summit of the Fansipan mountain (9km from Sapa) with altitude 3,143m which is the highest peak in Indochina.

4. NINH BINH (beautiful countryside, streams, caves, mountains on the rice fields): You can go from Hanoito Ninh Binh by train or tourist bus. If you can afford the costs, then rent a car and driver. There are many sites to visit in this province: Phat Diem stone church, Bai Dinh pagoda,Van Long nature reserve, Trang An nature reserve, Hoa Lu temple, Bich Dong cave, Tam Coc cave, Kenh Ga, Hang Te, and Cuc Phuong national park.

5. MAI CHAU (Thai ethnic minority villages): You can book a 2 day tour to Mai Chau through the agents inHanoi and trek around villages of the Thai people, enjoy the musical and song performance in the evening and sleep on floor of stilt houses. You also can go by local bus from Hanoi (Ha Dong bus station).

6. HUE (the old capital of Vietnam in the 19th century, visit the Imperial Citadel, tombs, cruise along the Perfume river): It's possible to go from Hanoi/Sai Gon/Da Nang to Hue by train, tourist bus or plane (an hour flight). You should spend 2 days in this city, in which half day at the Imperial Citadel, one day to cruise along the Perfume river and visit 3 tombs of the Kings. Cheap hotels, restaurants and travel agents can be found on Hung Vuong street and the nearby area, which is very close to the Perfume river and Truong Tien bridge. You can walk to the citadel and Dong Ba market.

7. DMZ - Demilitarized Zone during the American War (Vinh Moc tunnels, Ben Hai river - the demarcation line from 1954 - 1975, Khe Sanh combat base): You can book this tour in Hue city. The bus leaves Hue city at 6am and you can go back to Hue city at 6pm, or head north from Dong Ha town.

8. HOI AN (UNESCO world heritage site, old town with ancient houses, Japanese bridge): You can travel by bus or train from Hue/Nha Trang to Hoi An. If you fly, the nearest airport is located in Da Nang city, then you go by taxi (30km) to Hoi An. Read my blog about Ba Na hills, Son Tra peninsula and Hoi An: Hội An - Tết 2011 (the Year of the Cat) The distance from Nha Trang to Hoi An is pretty far and it may take a day to travel by bus. Most tourist bus goes through the Hai Van pass tunnel to save time. If you can hire a car and driver and want to see the great view of the pass

9. MY SON Holy Land (UNESCO world heritage site, old brick temples of the Champa kingdom): You can book a half-day tour in Hoi An, or hire a car and driver to visit the site.

10. NHA TRANG (beaches, islands, scuba diving): The nearest airport is Cam Ranh (40km south of Nha Trang). It's possible to fly to Cam Ranh from Hanoi/Da Nang/HCMC, or go by train and by bus. You can book a one day tour to visit 4 islands or other sites like Monkey island or Yang Bay waterall. Other great sites are Doc Let beach (60km north of Nha Trang) and Thap Ba hotspring/mud bath.

11. MUI NE (beaches, sand dunes, fishing villages): Tourist bus can take you to Mui Ne from Sai Gon/Nha Trang/Da Lat. There are two sand dunes (yellow and white ones), Suoi Tien stream, kite surfing activity in Mui Ne. If you go by train, then the train station is located in Phan Thiet city.

12. DA LAT (Central Highlands, cool weather, waterfalls and lakes): Tourist bus from Sai Gon/Mui Ne/Nha Trang via Ninh Thuan with a short visit to Cham brick towers is a good choice. You also can fly from Hanoi/HCMC to Lien Khuong Airport (28km north of Da Lat city). If you spend a couple of days in this city, you can visit all the major sites (I made a list of must-sees with a local motorbike driver and we visited 16 sites).

13. HO CHI MINH CITY or SAI GON (the most developed city in Vietnam): People prefer calling "Sai Gon" as this name is short. You can fly from all major cities in Vietnam to HCMC. The airport is not far from the city's center, so you can go by taxi or public bus. De Tham and Pham Ngu Lao streets in District 1 are the area where you can find cheap hotels, travel agents, bars and restaurants.

14. MEKONG DELTA (floating villages & markets): Most people book tours (1-2-3 day tours) to this region. If you want to go to Can Tho on your own, there is Mai Linh mini bus service. Can Tho is the biggest city in the Mekong Delta. The airport is open recently, so you can fly from Hanoi to Can Tho. If you want to go toCambodia by the river way, you can book a tour from Sai Gon or Chau Doc to Phnom Penh.

15. CU CHI TUNNELS (used by the Vietnamese communists during the American War) & CAO DAITEMPLE: Both sites are located in Tay Ninh province. You can book a one day tour at the travel agents in HCMC.