Vietnam Honeymoon: Our perfect Itinerary
Trying Vietnamese Mud Creeper Snails (Ốc Len) on our first night in Saigon.
We touched down in Ho Chi Minh City full of energy and wedding-afterglow, ready to dive into the heat, chaos, and incredible food. A few days here were the perfect intro — motorbike-packed streets, late-night pho, bustling markets, and that electric city rhythm that makes you want to wander. We soaked up the culture, ate our way through neighborhoods, and planned the next leg of our trip.
Next stop: Hoi An. We flew in and immediately fell for the ancient town’s lantern-lit charm and winding lanes lined with tailor shops and market stalls. Rain followed us for most of the stay, but on the first clear morning we rented bikes for a 10K ride to An Bang Beach. There we tried coconut coffee for the first time — sweet, creamy and oddly addictive — before pedaling back past rice paddies. On the way home we stopped at Bánh Mì Phượng, the famous banh mi place Tony Bourdain loved; the sandwich lived up to the hype.
From Hoi An we flew north to Hanoi and checked into a budget Airbnb we used as our base. After a quick city loop, we caught the overnight train into Sapa. Mountain air, terraced rice fields, and quieter villages felt like a different world. In Sapa we warmed up with bowls of hot pork noodles, rented motorcycles, and spent days exploring backroads and viewpoints at our own pace — the freedom to pull over whenever a vista called was unforgettable.
After a few slow, restorative days in Sapa we took the bus back to Hanoi. The very next morning we set out on one of the trip’s highlights: a Halong Bay cruise — a generous wedding gift from my parents. For the next few days we cruised the UNESCO World Heritage seascape on a traditional Vietnamese junk boat, kayaking between limestone karsts, watching sunsets over still water, and sleeping under a sky full of stars.
Returning to Hanoi felt like coming full circle. Our final days were filled with food pilgrimages and small, meaningful moments: trying Bun Cha at the famous Bún chả Hương Liên (yes, the Obama/McCain spot), visiting the historical “Hanoi Hilton” where John McCain was detained, and sampling excellent local beers at several Vietnamese breweries. We capped the trip with a permanent passport stamp — tattoos at Silver Ant Tattoo Studio to commemorate the journey and the start of married life.
Tips we’d pass along: expect varied weather (pack a lightweight rain jacket), book the Halong cruise in advance if possible, and don’t be shy about renting bikes or motorcycles to explore off the beaten track. Most of all, leave room for unplanned detours — some of our best memories were the small, unexpected discoveries along the way.