Backpacking through Vietnam
(25 Reviews)
100% Recommended
Samantha Magante
Chicago, IL
Group Travel Specialist
I wanted to work for myself. I left the corporate world as a management consultant of nearly a decade to pursue my true dreams and passions, and I want to help you live yours. Today, I’m a licensed real estate agent with EXIT Realty and the owner ...
I wanted to work for myself. I left the corporate world as a management consultant of nearly a decade to pursue my true dreams and passions, and I want to help you live yours. Today, I’m a licensed real estate agent with EXIT Realty and the owner of VS1 Travels, a travel planning company specializing in group travel and destination weddings.
Basically, if you go on vacation and you really like it…I can help you stay there!
I have experience planning travel in various capacities all over the world, i.e., destination weddings, honeymoons/romance travel, groups, bucket list travel
FUN FACTS ABOUT ME:
- I took a gap year in 2017 to travel the world and it was absolutely life changing - I love helping people find their own change through travel!
- I’ve been to 6 continents, 54 countries and 36 states so far…would love to experience it all - and I love helping others do the same!
- I started investing in property and currently house hack in my first 4-flat building - let’s talk about creating your own portfolio!
- I want to help you live the life you want, where you want!
Can Be Reached At
1-847-722-5999
Vietnam was the first Southeast Asia country that I backpacked through during my four month trip in 2017. It took me three weeks to do the itinerary below, if you have two weeks or less, skip cities that do not appeal to you or stick to either the north or south.
Hanoi (2 or 3 days) The capital of Vietnam! Extremely walkable city full of culture, food, and streets filled with shops, people, and history. Make sure it hit up Hoan Kiem Lake, walk around the Old Quarter, enjoy the nightlife, and have a cup of egg coffee. Still dreaming of when I go back and have a cup of egg coffee. It’s sooo good!
Sapa (2 or 3 days) A 5.5 hour bus ride from Hanoi, but well worth the trip. The views of the rice paddies and mountains are stunning on a clear day. I recommend staying in the valley and doing your own trekking around the area. I stayed at My Tra Homestay and LOVED it. You can see the highest mountain in Indochina, Fansipan via cable car or by trek. If you go, make sure there is good visibility – I went on a cloudy day and didn’t see much when I was at the top except other clouds.
Halong Bay (2 or 3 days) Head back to Hanoi and take a trip to Halong Bay. I did an organized tour through my hostel – Hanoi Backpackers Hostel – Downtown. They arranged round trip transportation from Hanoi (bus/ferry), meals, tubing/wakeboarding, rock climbing, and a booze cruise with kayaking. Catch is that alcohol is not included and it’s pretty pricey for Vietnam – around $200+, but it’s a fun experience and you get pretty close to the group you are traveling with.There are other organized tours to Halong Bay that you can do that are cheaper and less boozy or you can head to Halong Bay on your own and book a day tour with a boat once you get there. Whichever method you choose, I highly recommend exploring the bay – the views are incredible.
Ninh Binh (1 or 2 days) Known as the inland Halong Bay, Ninh Binh is about a 3.5 hour bus ride from Hanoi. Go on a scenic boat trip in Tam Coc to see the caves, mountains, and green fields along the stream. We rented a bike for a day and explored the paths and saw some temples along the way.
Phong Nha (2 days) 5+ hour bus ride from Ninh Binh, Phong Nha is one of my favorite cities in Vietnam due to how amazing the caves are and how small the town is…literally one street with everything on it. Definitely hit up Paradise Cave, Phong Nha Cave, and Dark Cave. Also eat at Omar’s Namaste Indian Restaurant – one of the best meals I had in Vietnam.
Hoi An (2 -3 days) A 2+ hour bus ride from Hue, Hoi An is the other city in Vietnam that I fell in love with. If you want to go on a real adventure, take an Easy Rider (ride on the back of a motorcycle) and travel this route while stopping at various landmarks along the way such as Elephant Spring and driving through Hai Van Pass, the highest pass in Vietnam. Highly recommend doing this!!Hoi An’s streets are lined with restaurants and professional clothing tailors that will make you anything you heart desires. You can literally pull up a photo of something you want made, they will take your measurements, and you can pick it up within the next day or two. Besides the shopping and custom made clothing, you can take a day trip to Cham Island, take a cooking class, or enjoy the nightlife.
Dalat (2 days) 11+ bus ride from Hoi An so if you do not like sleeping in buses, you can fly to Dalat as well. I went on a red-eye bus and slept like a baby, so it is based on your personal preference. Dalat is known for canyoneering where you traverse through canyons and rappel down waterfalls. I opted not to do canyoneering because I had just done it while in Cebu a couple months prior, but mainly because my big toenail was about to fall off and I didn’t want it to rip off doing a high impact activity, lol. My friends that did end up going absolutely loved it, so go ahead and give it a whirl!So instead of canyoneering, I opted for a countryside tour and visited various landmarks such as Elephant Falls, Dalat Railway Station, Linh Phuoc Pagoda, Crazy House, Van Thanh Flower Village, and visited a weasel coffee plantation, a cricket farm, and a minority village. Pretty good tour!
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) (2 or 3 days) Formally known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam. Many things to do and see here with rich history and culture. Streets are filled with crazy traffic and mopeds going every direction – you won’t believe you can cross the street without getting hit!I highly recommend visiting the War Remnants Museum. I learned a great deal about the Vietnam War here as they provide a very different perspective of the war that they don’t teach you in the U.S. Make sure to take a trip to see Cu Chi Tunnels as well.The FOOD is amazing. I highly recommend going on a food tour. I visited the Mekong Delta as well…however I wasn’t really wowed by the experience. It was extremely touristy, but if you have time, check it out for yourself.