Vietnam (Hanoi, Ha Long Bay & the North)

Everything starts in Hanoi, and almost everything is within a half-day of it. The classic circuit runs Hanoi, then Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay for a night on a boat, then Ninh Binh for river rowing between karsts, and finally Sapa or Ha Giang for mountains and rice terraces.

Ten days covers the loop comfortably. Two weeks lets you add the Ha Giang motorbike loop, which is the single most spectacular thing in the north and still relatively untouristed compared with Sapa.

The Old Quarter is the point: narrow streets organised by trade, plastic stools on pavements, motorbikes threading through gaps that do not exist. Walk it without a plan. Set-piece sights worth the detour are the Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake at dawn when the city does tai chi, and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology for context on the hill tribes you will meet up north.

Food is the main event. Pho for breakfast, bun cha (grilled pork with noodles) at lunch, banh mi whenever, and egg coffee as a mid-afternoon reset. Eat where locals queue; the best places are single-dish specialists with no menu.

Ha Long is genuinely staggering and genuinely busy. Two ways to dodge the crush: sail from Lan Ha Bay near Cat Ba island instead of Ha Long City, or book a two-night cruise so you spend a day in the quieter outer bays rather than the day-trip corridor.

Ninh Binh is the cheaper, quieter alternative and doubles as a base: rowboat trips through the caves at Trang An, the temple stairs at Hang Mua for the view, and a countryside of limestone spikes rising out of flooded paddies. Many people end up preferring it to the bay.

Sapa has the famous terraces and the easiest access, but the town itself has been built up hard. Sleep in a homestay in a valley village such as Ta Van or Lao Chai rather than the centre, and hike between villages with a local guide.

Ha Giang is the next step up: a 3-4 day loop of hairpin passes, the Ma Pi Leng viewpoint above the Nho Que river, and almost no tour buses. Ride pillion with an easy rider driver if you are not confident on a bike, and never assume travel insurance covers you on a motorbike without the right licence.

Strong for solo travellers: the north is on a well-worn backpacker route, hostels run social trips, and it is easy to fall in with people on a cruise or a Sapa trek. Equally strong for couples, thanks to boat nights and valley homestays.

Good for families with teenagers, who tend to love the kayaking, caves and motorbike-adjacent chaos. Harder with young children: long minibus transfers on winding roads, busy traffic and limited pavements make it a stretch. Multi-generational groups can do it, but should stay on the Hanoi, Ha Long and Ninh Binh triangle and skip the mountain loops.

The north has a real winter, unlike the south. October and November are the pick: dry, clear, warm days and the terraces still green or freshly golden. March and April are the second window.

December to February can be grey, drizzly and surprisingly cold in Sapa, occasionally near freezing. May to September is hot, humid and the wet season, with typhoon risk over the bay that can cancel cruises at short notice.

One of the cheapest long-haul trips available. Street meals run $2-4, good guesthouses $20-40 a night, and a two-night bay cruise $150-350 per person depending on the boat.

Budget roughly $50-80 a day per person for comfortable mid-range travel including transport. The flight is the expensive part; once you land, money goes a long way.

Fly into Hanoi (HAN). Most nationalities need an e-visa, applied for online in advance; check the current validity and entry rules before booking, as they change often.

Cash is still king outside cities, so carry dong. Use Grab for taxis and bikes in Hanoi. Tap water is not drinkable. Cross the road slowly and steadily rather than waiting for a gap, because the traffic flows around you.