The Route: Hanoi Down to Ho Chi Minh City
The north-to-south direction works better than the reverse for one simple reason: Hanoi is quieter, cooler, and easier to land in without sensory overload. You get your bearings in the Old Quarter, then the route gradually opens up as you move south.A workable two-week itinerary looks like this: three nights in Hanoi, two nights in Ninh Binh (often skipped, always regretted when it is), three nights in Hoi An, two nights in Da Nang, and four nights in Ho Chi Minh City. Fly into Hanoi on IndiGo or Vietnam Airlines from Delhi or Mumbai, and fly home from Ho Chi Minh City. The open-jaw ticket usually costs between ₹28,000 and ₹45,000 depending on how far in advance you book.Ninh Binh earns its place because it is what people imagine Halong Bay will be, limestone karsts rising out of flat water, without the party boats and the tourist density. Halong Bay is worth doing if you have a third week, but it should not replace Ninh Binh on a two-week trip.Hoi An is the centrepiece. The ancient town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and genuinely looks the way the photographs promise. Arrive by evening train from Da Nang, walk the lantern-lit streets before 9 AM when the tour groups arrive, and book a tailor if you want clothes made, the town has hundreds of them and quality varies enormously, so ask your hotel for a specific name rather than walking in blind.
Getting the e-Visa as an Indian Passport Holder
Indian passport holders are eligible for the Vietnam e-visa. The application is handled through the official Vietnam Immigration Department portal at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn, use only this site. Third-party services charge two to three times the official fee for the same result.The fee is around USD 25 for a single-entry visa valid for 90 days. You upload a passport photo, a scan of your passport's bio page, and fill in your travel details. Processing takes three business days, though most applicants receive approval within 24 to 48 hours. Print the e-visa approval and carry it with your passport, immigration officers at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi will ask for the physical copy.One detail Indian travellers miss: the e-visa lists a specific port of entry. If you enter through Hanoi but listed Ho Chi Minh City, you will be turned back. Select the correct entry point when applying.
Getting Between Cities Without Losing Two Days to Buses
Vietnam has a functional domestic flight network and the fares are low enough that flying between major cities makes more sense than overnight buses for most travellers on a two-week schedule. VietJet and Bamboo Airways run Hanoi to Da Nang for roughly ₹2,500 to ₹5,000 if booked three to four weeks out. Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City runs similar fares.The exception is the Hanoi to Ninh Binh leg, take the train or hire a car. It is a two-hour drive and the scenery on the road south is worth watching.Within Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Grab (the Southeast Asian equivalent of Ola) works reliably and the fare is displayed before you confirm. Do not negotiate with standalone tuk-tuk drivers at airports, the Grab fare from Noi Bai Airport to central Hanoi is around ₹400 to ₹600 depending on traffic.
What Two Weeks Actually Costs
Vietnam is cheap relative to most long-haul destinations from India, but the costs stack up faster than first-time visitors expect because the country is long and internal travel adds up.Here is a realistic per-person breakdown in Indian rupees for a mid-range trip (not budget backpacker, not luxury resort):- Flights (Delhi or Mumbai, open-jaw): ₹30,000 to ₹45,000- Accommodation (14 nights, mid-range hotels or boutique guesthouses): ₹28,000 to ₹42,000- Internal flights (two legs): ₹7,000 to ₹12,000- Food (three meals a day, mix of street food and sit-down restaurants): ₹700 to ₹1,200 per day, so ₹10,000 to ₹17,000 total- Activities and entrance fees (Hoi An ancient town pass, boat rides, day tours): ₹8,000 to ₹14,000- e-Visa: approximately ₹2,100- Miscellaneous (SIM card, Grab rides, shopping): ₹5,000 to ₹10,000Total: ₹90,000 to ₹1,42,000 per person for two weeks. A couple travelling together will pay slightly less per head on accommodation. Solo travellers pay more per night for equivalent rooms.Food deserves a specific note. Pho in Hanoi costs between ₹120 and ₹200 at a street stall. Banh mi runs ₹80 to ₹150. A sit-down meal with beer at a mid-range restaurant in Hoi An costs around ₹600 to ₹900 per person. The Vietnamese dong is the local currency and the exchange rate from Indian rupees is roughly 1 INR to 290 VND, carry USD for the visa and initial expenses, then exchange to dong at local banks or ATMs.
What Indian Travellers Ask Most Often
Is Vietnam vegetarian-friendly? Partially. Hoi An has the best options, several restaurants cater specifically to vegetarian and vegan diners. In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, fish sauce appears in dishes that look vegetarian, so ask explicitly. Buddhist temples in all three cities have canteen-style vegetarian food that is both cheap and reliable.Is it safe? Vietnam has a low violent crime rate for tourists. Bag snatching from motorbikes is the most common incident reported in Ho Chi Minh City, keep bags on the side away from the road when walking.What about the heat? The north (Hanoi, Ninh Binh) is cooler and can be cold in December and January. Central Vietnam (Hoi An, Da Nang) is hot most of the year with a typhoon season between October and December. The south (Ho Chi Minh City) is consistently hot and humid. The best months for the full north-to-south route are February through April and late August through September.Do Indian credit cards work? Yes, Visa and Mastercard are accepted at most hotels and larger restaurants. Street stalls and markets are cash only. Carry some dong for daily expenses.The north-to-south route works because it is structured around contrast rather than repetition, the same country yields mountain fog in Hanoi, ancient lantern light in Hoi An, and the dense, caffeinated energy of Ho Chi Minh City. The budget, the visa, and the logistics are all manageable. What the itinerary actually demands is the decision to go.
