Vietnam has quietly become one of the best-value international trips from India — an easy e-visa, short one-stop flights, and a week that swings from limestone bays to lantern-lit old towns. Here is the route we plan most for first-timers: three nights in the north, three in the centre, seven days end to end.
Days 1–2: Hanoi
Land in Hanoi and dive into the old quarter — a thousand-year-old tangle of streets named for the trades once practised on them. Do the Hoan Kiem lake loop at dawn, the Temple of Literature, egg coffee in a hidden café, and a water-puppet show in the evening. Street food here is a reason to travel in itself.
Day 3: Ha Long Bay overnight cruise
The non-negotiable. Board a cruise boat by noon, sail among the karsts, kayak into lagoons, watch the sunset from the deck and wake to mist on the water. An overnight on the bay beats any day-trip — it is the difference between seeing Ha Long and experiencing it.
Days 4–5: Da Nang & the Golden Bridge
Fly south to Da Nang — Vietnam’s easiest city, all beach and bridges. Ride the cable car up Ba Na Hills to walk the Golden Bridge held aloft by two giant stone hands, then spend the evening on My Khe beach. The Marble Mountains and the Lady Buddha make a fine half-day.
Days 6–7: Hoi An
Thirty minutes from Da Nang lies Vietnam’s most photogenic town. A UNESCO old quarter of yellow shophouses, a river full of floating candles, tailors who stitch a suit in a day, and food you will still talk about — cao lau, banh mi, white-rose dumplings. Two nights minimum.
Visa, flights & budget
Indians get a 90-day e-visa online in 3–5 working days. One-stop flights from Mumbai/Ahmedabad via Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore reach Hanoi in 8–10 hours. A comfortable 7-day trip runs roughly ₹65,000–₹85,000 per person including flights, 4★ stays and the Ha Long cruise — meaningfully cheaper than most of Southeast Asia at this quality.
When to go
October–April is the sweet spot: dry and cool in the north, sunny in the centre. Avoid the September–October typhoon fringe for the central coast if you can. Tet (Vietnamese new year, late Jan–Feb) is magical but busy — book early.
Explera plans Vietnam end to end from Surat — e-visa, flights, hotels, the overnight cruise and every transfer, from ₹41,999 per person. WhatsApp us your dates and we’ll build your route.
