In October, with the planner's pick for each leg; you can switch any leg in the plan.
Delhi → SapaFlight via Hanoi · 16h 12m · IndiGo (daily) / Air India (5 weekly) / VietJet / Vietnam Airlines to Hanoi, then bus
Sapa → HanoiTrain · 9h 30m · Overnight sleeper to Lao Cai + minivan to Sapa
Hanoi → Ninh Binh (Tam Coc & Trang An)Train · 2h 30m · Train from Hanoi station to Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh (Tam Coc & Trang An) → Ha Long BayBus · 3h 30m · Limousine van Tam Coc – Ha Long
Ha Long Bay → DelhiFlight via Hanoi · 12h 42m · Bus to Hanoi, then IndiGo (daily) / Air India (5 weekly) / VietJet / Vietnam Airlines
About this circuit
The north in nine days: up to Sapa first, for Hmong and Dao villages among the rice terraces and the cable car up Fansipan; the overnight train back to Hanoi's Old Quarter; two hours south to row through the limestone of Trang An and Tam Coc at Ninh Binh; and on to Ha Long Bay for a night on a cruise among the islands.
Why it matters
Two UNESCO landscapes in one loop: Trang An, "Ha Long Bay on land", and Ha Long Bay itself, with the thousand-year-old capital between them and Fansipan (3,143 m), the highest peak in Indochina, above Sapa.
Stop by stop
How the 9 days split across the 4 stops, and what each one costs on the ground for two.
A former French hill station at 1,500 m above the Muong Hoa valley, where Black Hmong and Red Dao villages sit among rice terraces. Trek between villages with a local guide and stay in a homestay, or take the cable car up Fansipan (3,143 m), the highest peak in Indochina. Reached by the overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai plus an hour's drive, or by bus on the expressway. Winters are cold: it can freeze in December and January.
Don't miss: Muong Hoa valley rice terraces · Trek to Lao Chai and Ta Van.
How long: 3 days, which is the recommended stay.
Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), 320 km
3 days for two from ₹19,551 · ₹38,291 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
Vietnam's capital and the arrival city for most flights from India (IndiGo, Air India, VietJet, Vietnam Airlines and Akasa Air). The 36 streets of the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and the Hoa Lo prison museum are all within a short ride; evenings are for water puppets, egg coffee and street food on low plastic stools. The base for Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh and the northern mountains. Indian and vegetarian ("chay") restaurants are easy to find around the Old Quarter.
Don't miss: Hoan Kiem Lake at dawn · Old Quarter street-food walk.
How long: 3 days, which is the recommended stay.
Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), 28 km
3 days for two from ₹15,126 · ₹36,288 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
Two hours south of Hanoi, limestone towers rise out of rice fields and rivers: "Ha Long Bay on land". Trang An (a UNESCO site since 2014) and Tam Coc are explored by rowing boat through caves, Mua Cave's 500 steps give the view over the valley, and Hoa Lu was Vietnam's capital a thousand years ago. Stay in Tam Coc to cycle the lanes at dawn; a day trip from Hanoi is possible but rushed.
Don't miss: Trang An boat through the caves · Tam Coc rowing boat (rowed with the feet).
How long: 1 day here; on its own Ninh Binh (Tam Coc & Trang An) is worth 2 — add a day if you can.
Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), 120 km
1 day for two from ₹4,708 · ₹8,709 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
The bay of limestone islands and caves that UNESCO lists with the Cat Ba archipelago. Almost everyone sees it from a boat: an overnight cruise from Tuan Chau or Bai Chay (kayaking, Sung Sot cave, Ti Top island, a sunrise on deck) is far better than a day trip, and the cruise lines pick up from Hanoi's Old Quarter. Boats are stopped when a storm warning is issued, most often from June to October.
Don't miss: Overnight cruise among the karsts · Kayaking through Luon Cave.
How long: 2 days, which is the recommended stay.
Van Don International Airport (VDO), 50 km
2 days for two from ₹10,482 · ₹35,188 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
What it costs
from ₹52,660 a person
The whole 9-day trip as the planner prices it in October, for two sharing at budget stays: flights from India and back, travel between the stops, stays, food, getting around, entry fees and the planner's buffer.
The visa for an Indian passport, about ₹2,380 a person, is on top.
When to go
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October to April suits Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long, and Sapa is best in spring and autumn (it can freeze there from December to February); when a storm is forecast, most often July to September, every Ha Long cruise is stopped
Entry rules
E-visa before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹2,380
At least a week before you fly, apply for the e-visa on the official portal, evisa.gov.vn: passport scan, a recent photo, your entry date and the airport you will land at. The fee is US$25 single entry or US$50 multiple entry (for a side trip to Cambodia or Laos), paid by card and not refunded if refused.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Make it yours
Opens in the planner with all 4 stops, suggested days and your home city pre-filled, in October. Swap anything.
