8 Day Vietnam North to South: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Sapa & Halong Bay (Self-Launched)

Land at Noi Bai (HAN) and skip the private transfer: take the Vietjet/Vietnam Airlines shuttle bus (No. 86 express bus, ~£1.20) or a Grab car (~£8-10, 45 mins) to the Old Quarter. Check into a hostel or budget hotel near Ma May or Hang Bac street and spend the afternoon walking the 36 Streets loop — Hoan Kiem Lake, the red Huc Bridge, and a strong Vietnamese iced coffee at Cafe Giang. In the evening, join a small-group street food walking tour (bookable on Klook/GetYourGuide, ~£18) or DIY it: bun cha, banh cuon and bia hoi on Ta Hien corner for under £6. Pick up a local SIM/eSIM (Viettel or Vinaphone, ~£5 for 30GB) at the airport or a Viettel shop in town.

🚌Airport bus #86 ~£1.20 or Grab ~£9; walking in the Old Quarter

🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget guesthouse, private room or 4-bed dorm (£8-15/night)

• →Self-guided Old Quarter & Hoan Kiem Lake walk
• →Optional Klook/GetYourGuide Hanoi street food tour ~£18
• →Buy local SIM/eSIM ~£5

Do the classic Hanoi circuit on foot and by Grab bike. Start early (7:30am) at the Ho Chi Minh Complex — the Mausoleum is free but closed Mon/Fri and has strict dress rules; the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh's stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda are all in the same compound (combined ticket ~£1.50). Walk 15 minutes to the Temple of Literature (~£1.20), then lunch on bun cha near Hang Manh. In the afternoon visit Saint Joseph's Cathedral and wander the French Quarter; book a Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre ticket directly online or at the box office (~£4-6). Evening: egg coffee and a rooftop beer overlooking Hoan Kiem.

🚌Walking plus occasional Grab bike (~£1-2 per ride)

🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget guesthouse (£8-15/night)

• →Ho Chi Minh Complex & Mausoleum (free/£1.50)
• →Temple of Literature ~£1.20
• →Saint Joseph's Cathedral (free)
• →Thang Long Water Puppet Show ~£5

Book a small-group Ninh Binh day tour on Klook or GetYourGuide (~£35-45 incl. transport, boat and lunch) or DIY it: catch a limousine minibus from Hanoi to Ninh Binh (~£7, 2 hrs), hire a bicycle (~£2) and ride to Hoa Lu, the 10th-century Dinh–Le capital (~£1 entry). Afternoon: the Tam Coc rowboat through the limestone grottoes along the Ngo Dong river (~£10 boat ticket, ~1.5 hrs, tip the rower ~£1-2 — they row with their feet). Return to Hanoi by ~6pm. Tonight take the sleeper train from Hanoi to Lao Cai (SP3 or SP1, departs ~9-10pm, soft sleeper ~£22-28 booked on Vietnam Railways or baolau.com); the private cabin replaces a hotel night.

🚌Limousine minibus Hanoi–Ninh Binh–Hanoi ~£14; sleeper train Hanoi–Lao Cai ~£25

🛏Overnight soft-sleeper train to Lao Cai (4-berth cabin, ~£25)

• →Hoa Lu ancient capital ~£1
• →Tam Coc rowboat through grottoes ~£10
• →Bicycle hire ~£2

Arrive in Lao Cai around 6am and take the shared minibus up the mountain to Sapa (~£3, 1 hr) — grab a bowl of pho for breakfast at the station. Check into a Sapa guesthouse or hostel with valley views (£10-18). Morning: browse the Sapa market and central square where H'Mong and Red Dao women sell indigo textiles. Afternoon: walk downhill to Cat Cat village (~£2 entry), a Black H'Mong hamlet with a waterfall and traditional hemp-weaving demonstrations — go independently and you'll be free to linger and buy directly from weavers. Evening: hotpot or grilled salmon at a local restaurant and an early night after the train.

🚌Shared minibus Lao Cai–Sapa ~£3; walking in Sapa

🛏Sapa guesthouse/hostel, private room with valley view (£10-18/night)

• →Sapa market (free)
• →Cat Cat village entry ~£2
• →Optional half-day H'Mong village trek via local guide ~£15

Do the signature Sapa valley walk self-launched. Either hire a local H'Mong guide at the market (~£15-20 for a half day — supports the community directly) or follow the well-marked trail down from Sapa through Lao Chai (Black H'Mong) to Ta Van (Giay), crossing wooden suspension bridges and terraced rice fields. It's roughly 8-10km, 3-4 hours, mostly downhill — bring water and decent shoes, and expect mud after rain. Lunch at a family-run homestay in Ta Van (~£4). Take a Grab or shared van back up to Sapa (~£4), shower at the guesthouse, then catch the evening minibus to Lao Cai and the overnight sleeper train back to Hanoi (~£25).

🚌Local H'Mong guide walk; shared van Ta Van–Sapa ~£4; minibus to Lao Cai ~£3; sleeper train ~£25

🛏Overnight soft-sleeper train to Hanoi (~£25)

• →Lao Chai & Ta Van valley trek (self-guided or local guide ~£17)
• →Terraced fields and wooden bridges
• →Homestay lunch ~£4

Arrive in Hanoi around 5am; a shuttle from your Halong cruise operator picks you up from the station area or a central meeting point around 8am. Book a 2-day/1-night Halong cruise directly with an operator (or via Klook/GetYourGuide) — a solid mid-range junk with cabin, all meals and kayaking runs ~£90-120 per person; 5-star luxury boats cost more. Board at Tuan Chau or Hon Gai marina, cruise among the karst pillars, visit Titop Island for the beach and a climb to the viewpoint over the bay, and kayak into a lagoon. Dinner on the boat's deck and a sunset over the limestone — the cruise includes lunch, dinner and your cabin, so daily spend is low.

🚌Cruise shuttle bus Hanoi–Halong–Hanoi ~£12 (usually included in cruise price)

🛏Private cabin on a mid-range Halong Bay junk cruise (~£90-120 incl. meals)

• →Halong Bay overnight cruise
• →Titop Island swim and viewpoint climb
• →Kayaking among the karst islands

Wake early for tai chi on the sundeck as the bay fills with light, then take the tender to Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave — one of the largest in the bay (~£2 entry, usually included in cruise). Brunch buffet on board before disembarking around 11am and shuttling back to Hanoi by mid-afternoon. Check into an Old Quarter hotel, then spend a relaxed evening: a bia hoi corner, banh mi dinner (~£3), and a nightcap at a rooftop bar. If you skipped it earlier, this is the window for the Water Puppet Theatre or a spa massage (~£8-12).

🚌Cruise shuttle back to Hanoi (included); walking

🛏Old Quarter budget hotel or hostel (£9-15/night)

• →Sunrise tai chi on sundeck
• →Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave
• →Evening Old Quarter wander

Last morning in Hanoi — coffee and banh cuon for breakfast, then take airport bus #86 (~£1.20) or a Grab (~£9) to Noi Bai for your flight. If you have a late departure, drop your bag at the hotel and do a final lap of Dong Xuan market for souvenirs and Vietnamese coffee beans. Note: Vietnam's e-visa (if required for your passport, ~£20-25) should be applied for at least a week ahead on the official evisa.gov.vn site — never use third-party visa sites.

🚌Airport bus #86 ~£1.20 or Grab ~£9

🛏None (departure day)

• →Dong Xuan market souvenir shopping
• →Optional Vietnamese coffee beans / textiles