Journal · Southeast Asia · Thailand and Vietnam
Thailand and Vietnam in two weeks: Bangkok, Khao Lak, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi
Two countries fit in two weeks when the flights between them are short and each stop is different from the last. This route takes in a river capital, a quiet stretch of the Andaman coast, the south of Vietnam and then five unhurried nights in Hanoi.
Which Bangkok airport does your flight use?
Check every booking, because Bangkok has two, a long way apart. International flights generally arrive at Suvarnabhumi. Many low-cost domestic flights, including ones to Phuket, leave from Don Mueang in the north of the city. Arriving at one and leaving from the other a few days later is normal; turning up at the wrong one is the classic mistake. Allow generous time to reach Don Mueang from a city hotel.
In the city, stay along Sukhumvit, where the elevated and underground lines meet. The old city is best reached by water: the river boat north along the Chao Phraya stops within a walk of the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, and a ferry crosses to Wat Arun. Keep an evening for the food streets of Chinatown, and a weekend morning, if there is one, for Chatuchak market.
How do you get to Khao Lak?
Khao Lak has no airport. Fly to Phuket and take a booked car north over the bridge to the mainland; the drive is well over an hour, so ask the hotel to arrange it.
It is worth the transfer for the contrast with Phuket’s resort strips: long, quiet beaches backed by national park. In the dry season, Khao Lak is also where the day boats leave for snorkelling and diving in the Similan Islands.
Do you need a visa for Vietnam?
Most visitors do, and it has to be in hand before boarding the flight from Phuket. Vietnam issues electronic visas through its own immigration website. Apply there, not through an agent’s lookalike site, and well ahead, since processing takes working days.
Ho Chi Minh City is fast, dense with scooters and built around broad boulevards. Stay in one of the central districts. The War Remnants Museum is sobering and essential. The cathedral and the Central Post Office stand together from the French period, and the streets around Ben Thanh market are for pho, banh mi and egg coffee.
Why five nights in Hanoi?
Hanoi has a different temper from the south: narrow lanes, lakes ringed with trees, and far more of its old buildings. Five nights in the Old Quarter or by Hoan Kiem Lake leave room for the city and for one long day out.
- The city. The guild streets of the Old Quarter, the Temple of Literature, and the walk around Hoan Kiem Lake to Ngoc Son Temple.
- A day out. South to Ninh Binh, for a rowing boat through river caves between limestone cliffs, or east to Ha Long Bay for a day cruise.
- The last night. The flight home leaves in the small hours. Keep the hotel room for that final night, even though it will not be slept in through to morning: it is somewhere to rest, wash and pack before the taxi.
What should you know before you go?
- Crossing the road in Vietnam. Traffic rarely stops for people on foot. Walk at a steady, predictable pace without halting or stepping back, and the scooters steer around.
- Data and taxis. Buy a local SIM on arrival in each country, and book rides through the Grab app instead of hailing a cab in the street.
- Hanoi in winter. From December to February Hanoi is cool, damp and often misty. Pack a warm layer.
Quick answers
Can you see Thailand and Vietnam in two weeks?
Yes, with four stops joined by short flights: three nights in Bangkok, two in Khao Lak, three in Ho Chi Minh City and five in Hanoi.
Does Bangkok have two airports?
Yes. Suvarnabhumi handles most international flights and Don Mueang many low-cost ones. They are far apart, so check which one each booking names.
Do you need to book a hotel for the night of a flight in the small hours?
It is the simplest way. Hotel nights run to the morning after, so a room booked for that night can be used until it is time to leave for the airport.
Before you book: check the whole trip at once
Two countries, five flights and a departure in the small hours make this the easiest route on which to leave a night unbooked, and the last night in Hanoi is the usual one.
Trips by Manr.ai puts your hotels and transport on one timeline and checks for gaps, overlaps and missing legs. Type a booking in, drop in the PDF, or paste the confirmation email. With an account and sync switched on, you can also forward confirmations to trips@manr.ai from the address you signed in with. Nothing joins your trip until you have seen it and added it.