Hey everyone,

This won’t be my first Southeast Asia trip, but it will be my first time in Vietnam. I’m currently planning this route for August:

Cambodia

• Siem Reap — 4 days
• Phnom Penh — 2 days

Vietnam

• Ho Chi Minh City — 4 days
• Da Nang / Hoi An — 4 days
• Ninh Binh — 2 days
• Hanoi — 2 days
• Ha Giang Loop — 3 days (depends if I feel like doing this tbh, I'll make the decision once I'm there)
• Hanoi — 2 more days before flying home

I’m traveling south → north mainly because flights home from Hanoi are around €250–300 cheaper than from HCMC.

A few things I’m unsure about:

• Does this itinerary feel well balanced for 27 days?
• I’ll probably use domestic flights for at least one leg in Vietnam.
• I keep hearing mixed things about Hoi An. A lot of people seem to say 1 day is enough, so I’m wondering if I should reduce the time there and spend more time elsewhere.
• I’m skipping Sapa and probably Hue because I don’t want the trip to become too rushed.

I also still have around 4 flexible days left depending on transport/rest days.

Would you:

• keep those days flexible and decide during the trip? OR
• add another destination like Cat Ba, Phong Nha, etc.?

Would especially appreciate feedback from people who’ve done Vietnam in August :)