Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City: how to combine both cities on a realistic budget

Hanoi smells of firewood, of coffee with condensed milk and of star anise broth at seven in the morning. Ho Chi Minh City, eighteen hundred kilometres to the south, smells of scooter petrol, of fresh bread from the bakeries inherited from the French protectorate and of air conditioning pouring out of the shopping centres in District 1. They are the same Vietnam and yet two different countries.

If you have between ten and fourteen days and want to understand the country rather than keep only a postcard image, combining both cities is the most logical choice. This guide is for you: an adult traveller who is looking neither for a resort nor for an extreme backpacking trip, who wants clear numbers, realistic timings and to know where it is worth spending and where it is not.

Why it makes sense to visit both cities

Vietnam reads from north to south the way its recent history does. Hanoi was the capital of the communist north and remains the political centre; it preserves the old quarter of the 36 guilds, the best-preserved French colonial architecture and a street life in which you eat seated on plastic stools. Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) was the capital of the south until 1975 and today is the economic engine: skyscrapers, chaotic traffic, markets such as Ben Thanh and a food scene that blends Khmer, Chinese and French influences.

Seeing them together gives you the contrast that makes the country comprehensible. Staying in only one is like visiting Spain by seeing only Madrid or only Barcelona.

How many days to devote to each

With 10-14 days in total, a realistic split would be:

• Hanoi: 3 nights. Enough for the old quarter, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature and a long dinner in the Old Quarter.
• Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh: 2 nights from Hanoi.
• Central Vietnam (Hoi An, Hue or Da Nang): 3 nights. It is the link that avoids an abrupt jump.
• Ho Chi Minh City: 3 nights. Two days for the city and an excursion to the Cu Chi tunnels or the Mekong Delta.

If you only have one week, sacrifice the centre and fly directly between the two cities, although you will lose a lot.

Transport between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City: options and prices

Three ways of moving between north and south, very different in time and price.

Mode	Duration	Approximate price (2026)
Domestic flight	2 h 10 min	40-90 USD
Reunification Express train	30-35 h	55-110 USD (soft sleeper)
Sleeper bus	30-40 h	25-45 USD

Domestic flights: Vietjet, Bamboo Airways and Vietnam Airlines

It is the most widely used option. Vietjet and Bamboo Airways are low cost, with fares from 40 USD if you book two or three weeks in advance. Vietnam Airlines is around 70-90 USD and includes luggage. There are more than twenty daily frequencies between Noi Bai (Hanoi) and Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City).

Practical tip: book with checked luggage included from the start. Adding it at the airport can double the price of the ticket.

The Reunification train: for those with time

The Reunification Express (Thống Nhất) has covered the route since 1976 and is an experience in itself, but it requires 30-35 hours. The interesting approach is to do it in sections: Hanoi-Hue, Hue-Da Nang (one of the most beautiful coastal stretches in Southeast Asia) and Da Nang-Ho Chi Minh City. The four-berth soft sleeper costs between 55 and 110 USD depending on category.

Sleeper buses: cheap but hard

Companies such as Futa Bus or The Sinh Tourist run night sleeper buses. They are cheap, but 30 hours in a reclined berth only pays off if your budget is very tight.

Realistic daily budget

Vietnam is still cheap, but not as cheap as it was ten years ago. Approximate figures per person per day in 2026:

• Backpacker: 25-35 USD (hostel, street food, public transport).
• Mid-range: 55-85 USD (3-star hotel, local restaurants, the occasional taxi).
• Comfort: 120-180 USD (4-star boutique hotel, dinners in chef-driven restaurants, private transport).

A pho bo on the street costs 40,000-60,000 dong (1.50-2.30 USD). A coffee with condensed milk, around 25,000 dong (1 USD). A dinner in a mid-range restaurant, 200,000-400,000 dong per person (8-16 USD).

What to see in Hanoi without repeating the obvious route

The Old Quarter (Hoan Kiem) is where you will spend most of your time. Each street is named after the guild that occupied it: Hang Bac (silver), Hang Ma (funerary paper), Hang Gai (silk). Walk without rushing in the mid-afternoon, when the metal shutters come down and the stools come out.

Worth understanding but not worshipping: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum opens Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 to 10:30. Entry is free, but the queue is long and the dress code is strict (shoulders and knees covered). The embalmed body travels to Russia each autumn for maintenance, so check beforehand.

The Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university (11th century), costs 70,000 dong to enter. For food, look for bun cha in Hang Manh: grilled pork with rice noodles and fish sauce. It is the dish that made the Old Quarter famous when Anthony Bourdain dined there with Obama in 2016.

What to see in Ho Chi Minh City and why it is so different

District 1 concentrates what you are looking for at first sight: the Notre Dame Cathedral (under restoration work for years, check its status), the Central Post Office designed by Gustave Eiffel, and the War Remnants Museum, harsh but necessary. Museum entry is 40,000 dong; it opens 7:30 to 18:00.

Cross to District 3 to escape the tourist trail and eat banh xeo (crispy rice crepe with prawns and bean sprouts) at Dinh Cong Trang. Go up the Bitexco Financial Tower at sunset to grasp the city’s vertical scale (around 200,000 dong).

For a day trip, the Cu Chi tunnels are about 2 hours by car. A less crowded alternative: the Mekong Delta independently from Ben Tre.

Best time to combine both cities

Here is the problem. Vietnam does not have a single climate: when the north is at its best, the south may be raining.

• March-April: the best window for doing both. Dry in the south, pleasant in the north.
• October-November: a good option, with less heat and fewer crowds.
• June-August: monsoon in the south, humid heat in the north. Avoid if you can.
• December-February: Hanoi can be cold (10-15 °C) with persistent drizzle. Pack a jacket.

How to organise the visit

International flights: the cheapest usually arrive in Hanoi via Doha, Istanbul or Bangkok. Return from Ho Chi Minh City to avoid repeating the journey (open-jaw). The price difference compared with a return to the same airport is minimal.

Visa: for Spanish citizens, an online e-visa costs 25 USD and is valid for 90 days. Apply at least one week in advance on the official Vietnamese government website (evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn), not through intermediaries.

Local SIM: Viettel or Mobifone, around 10 USD for 30 days with unlimited data. Buy it at the airport.

Payments: cash (dong) for the street and markets; cards work in hotels and mid-range restaurants. Beware of ATMs: high fees, withdraw large amounts.

What to take home from the trip

A packet of ground Trung Nguyen coffee and a phin filter (the individual metal drip filter) costs less than 10 USD in any supermarket and lets you recreate ca phe sua da at home. If the coast has caught your interest, take a look at the best beaches in Vietnam for 2026 to extend the trip with a few days by the sea.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a two-week trip to Vietnam combining Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City cost?

Average budget, not counting the international flight: between 900 and 1,400 USD per person. It includes accommodation in 3-star hotels, domestic flights, transport, meals and a couple of excursions. The flight from Europe usually adds 700-1,100 USD depending on the season.

Is it better to start in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?

Most travellers start in Hanoi and head south. It makes sense climatically (the north is cooler on arrival) and narratively (you move from the traditional to the modern). But if you fly with a stopover in Singapore or Bangkok, it is sometimes cheaper to start in Ho Chi Minh City.

Is the train worth it instead of the plane?

Only if you have time and are interested in the journey itself. To cover the full 1,700 km, it is not worth it. In sections (Hue-Da Nang, Nha Trang-Ho Chi Minh City), yes.

Can you pay by card in Vietnam?

In hotels, mid-to-upper-range restaurants and large shops, yes. At street stalls, markets, taxis and local transport, cash only. Always carry dong for day-to-day expenses.

Is it safe to travel independently between the two cities?

Yes. Vietnam is one of the safest countries in Southeast Asia for independent travellers. The usual problems are minor scams with taxis (use Grab) and dubious currency exchanges. Common sense and basic apps solve almost everything.

Tips Means of Transport #ciudades #consejos de viaje #Guía de viaje #presupuesto #Vietnam