Planning a trip to Halong but still hasn’t decided where to go yet? You should surely know that there are a bunch of great things to do in Halong apart from cruising. From beautiful sightseeing spots to mighty mountain ranges, modern amusement complex, and traditional pagodas, Halong has it all. Thus, the article below will suggest several interesting itineraries for 2 days exploring the best parts of Halong.
This mini itinerary will give you plenty to see and do in four days around Northern Vietnam. Take in the historic charm of Hanoi before seeing the spectacular limestone karsts of Halong Bay and Ninh Binh.
There’s so much to see and do in Halong Bay. To make your trip a bit easier, we’ve compiled three different 3-day itineraries for a trip to Halong Bay.
If you’ve got 5 days to explore Northern Vietnam and you’re not quite sure what to do, we’ve got your back. This itinerary will take you from the ancient streets of Hanoi to the towering mountains of Halong Bay to come to an end in the hills and mountains of Sapa.
You could easily spend a week in Hanoi and Halong bay without feeling bored. However, for most people with limited time, a few days would be good. For example, a 3 days in Hanoi and 2 days in Halong bay itinerary would cover most of both destinations.
Seafood & Specialty
Restaurants
Accessibility to
Halong Bay Area
In Vietnam
DO'S AND DON'TS
Vietnam is a friendly country that is generally safe to travel. The Vietnamese are very appreciative if they see you trying to abide by their customs, and very forgiving when you get it wrong, but just in case, here is a quick list of Do’s and Don’ts for traveling in Vietnam.
Do's in vietnam
1
Keep your bag safe
Although the security in Vietnam is quite good, pickpocket and robbery are still existent. You should not hold your wallet and walk around the city. Moreover, always keep your pack in front of you, especially at crowded places like on the bus or at local markets.
2
Put your jewelry away
For some women, wearing sparkling jewelry makes them gorgeous. But they also become targets of robbers. Therefore, you should not bring precious things when travelling. Otherwise, you can bring something tiny that doesn’t draw the attention of others like a tiny ring, or a plain necklace.
3
Know where you stay at
Keep a card of your hotel or just mark the address on your phone. In case you don’t speak Vietnamese, just show the taxi driver the card and you can get back to your hotel easier.
4
Dress appropriately
In general, Vietnamese don’t have strict rules for dressing, particularly for travelers. You can wear whatever you want. However, dress politely if you tend to visit sacred places like temples, pagodas. Your clothes should cover your knees and your elbows too. You also can use a large scarf to cover them.
5
Know how to negotiate when shopping
Bargain is an essential skill when traveling in Vietnam because local vendors can take advantage of your confusion about Vietnamese currency to overcharge you. And the local shops are really attractive for most tourists because you can find anything here from named brands to local one. However, most of them are fake, which you don’t want to waste your money on. So, do some bargains and you can get what you want with cheap prices
6
Keep your body hydrated
The summer in Vietnam is unbearable for some with high humidity. But you might want to go around the city by foot and surely, you will be soaked by your sweat. Therefore, you should always keep your body hydrated. This is really necessary for your health.
7
Ask before buy any services
In some tourist sites, if someone in some special dress asks you for some photos, don’t do that. This is because afterwards, they can charge for photos you’ve taken. In addition, ask for the price of a taxi, cyclo,… before taking because they can overcharge you in some ways.
8
Go shopping in supermarket
In order to avoid being charged more when you go shopping, you should find a big supermarket where the price is fixed. You won’t be taken advantage of and you also have wide range of choice. Moreover, the goods in supermarkets are guaranteed of origin and quality.
9
Make friends with local
No one knows Vietnam better than Vietnamese. You should make friends with some locals. They are very friendly and welcoming, maybe some don’t speak fluent English. But in general, they can show you where you should go or which restaurant is the best one.
10
Try to tasteVietnamese street food
Vietnamese street food has persuaded lots of gastronomers in the world from famous chefs to food reviewers. Therefore, there is no reason for you to skip it. Plus, each region has its own cuisine, so you should go along the country and eat local food in each stop. You can buy a food tour or just ask locals and discover by yourself.
11
Be careful with money exchange
You should know the exchange rate for this day because it changes almost every day. And you should do the money exchange at banks. However, they only work from Monday to Friday. There are some other ways like ATMs in some major cities. Most of ATMs accept Mastercard and Visacard with quite high transaction fees.
Don'ts in vietnam
1.
Cross the road without looking
Crossing the road in Vietnam challenges most travelers. First of all, you should keep a cool mind, observe both ways of the road and walk slowly. You also make some signals to motorbikes to slow down, but do them with respect.
2.
Book accommodation with 5 dollar
There are lots of cheap hostels and hotels in Vietnam. You can easily find one in tourist cities. But with only 5$, you will be served with dirty bed linen and cockroaches. Therefore, you should choose the medium price which is more than 5$.
3.
Show affection in public
Vietnamese society is typically Asian, so some intimate actions with your partner are considered inappropriate like kissing or cuddling. That’s why you only see couples holding hands in the street. In some cases, you might come across some young couple showing their affection. They are part of a new generation in Vietnam who are affected by western culture through filming and are also open-minded.
4.
Ignore other travelers
On your trip in Vietnam, you have a chance to meet lots of travelers from all over the world. Don’t skip them because they can share their experiences like what things to do, where to stay and where to offer good food. That helps you save lots of time spent on finding a hotel or deciding what to eat.
5.
Mention the war
Wartime in Vietnam is a miserable period. Even though all Vietnamese are proud of their country, they don’t want to recall this time. Moreover, people from all over the world have different insights into this problem. Therefore, you shouldn’t mention Vietnam wars with your own opinion about them.
6.
Take photos of military installations or equipments
Military installations are a sensitive issue in any country. In Vietnam, taking photos of military things might be considered a violation of national security. You should just take a look outside at a military site and leave if any soldier asks you to.
7.
Get involved in illegal issues
Prostitution is legal in some countries even in Thailand – another Asian country. However, in Vietnam it’s undeniably illegal. If you like to enjoy nightlife, there are several interesting bars and clubs in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh for you. And you should always be careful and don’t play with the law.
Another problem is drugs. They are officially banned all over the world not only in Vietnam. And drug penalties in Vietnam are very strict. So stay away from drugs.