The highlights of Vietnam, planned day by day

A highlights trip to Vietnam draws on all three: Japanese Bridge, Nguon Spa & Massage Experience in Da Nang. Choose laid-back for two things a day, or packed for four.

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Price bands are thirds of what Vietnam itself charges, not a fixed dollar figure - the cheapest third in Vietnam and in Norway are nowhere near the same number. Flights and accommodation are not included.

Your 5-day highlights plan for Vietnam

Where you stayDa Nang 3 nightsHue 2 nightsabout 80 km between them

5 days · packed · 11 of 19 bookable now · activities from about $416

  1. Day 1 Da Nang

    1. Japanese Bridge in Hoi An, Vietnam

      morning

      Japanese Bridge

      Hoi An

      Bridge in Hoi An, Vietnam.

      Just turn up
    2. Nguon Spa & Massage Experience in Da Nang in Da Nang, Vietnam

      afternoon

      Nguon Spa & Massage Experience in Da Nang

      4.91,765 reviewsDa Nang · from $35

    3. Trees Spa: Hair Wash & Massage Experience in Da Nang in Da Nang, Vietnam

      evening

      Trees Spa: Hair Wash & Massage Experience in Da Nang

      4.81,049 reviewsDa Nang · from $9

    4. Coconut Forest Basket Boat Ride Experience in Hoi An in Hoi An, Vietnam

      evening

      Coconut Forest Basket Boat Ride Experience in Hoi An

      4.77,159 reviewsHoi An · from $5

    Where to eat

    • Breakfast

      Ba Le Market

      A daily market, open 5am to 7pm.

      Hoi An · 2.6 km away

    • Lunch

      Hoi An Food Court

      Stalls selling Thai and Vietnamese.

      Hoi An · 0.3 km away

  2. Day 2 Da Nang

    1. Blue Gift Spa Experience in Hoi An in Hoi An, Vietnam

      morning

      Blue Gift Spa Experience in Hoi An

      4.9117 reviewsHoi An · from $13

    2. Hoi An lantern & street food tour in Hoi An, Vietnam

      afternoon

      Hoi An lantern & street food tour

      Hoi An · from $45

    3. Nightlife Experience At Sky36 Rooftop Nightclub In Da Nang in Da Nang, Vietnam

      evening

      Nightlife Experience At Sky36 Rooftop Nightclub In Da Nang

      4.2126 reviewsDa Nang · from $14

    4. Charm Spa Grand Experience in Da Nang in Da Nang, Vietnam

      evening

      Charm Spa Grand Experience in Da Nang

      4.6161 reviewsDa Nang · from $27

    Where to eat

    • Breakfast

      Phước Mỹ market

      A daily market, open 5am to 6pm.

      Da Nang

    • Lunch

      Chợ Nam Phước market

      A daily market, open 4am to 9pm.

      Hoi An

    • Dinner

      Son Tra Night Market

      An evening market, open 6pm to 11pm.

      Da Nang

  3. Day 3 Da Nang

    1. Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum in Hoi An, Vietnam

      morning

      Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum

      Hoi An

      Museum located in Hoi An, Vietnam.

    2. My Khe Beach in Da Nang, Vietnam

      afternoon

      My Khe Beach

      Da Nang · 23.5 km from Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum

      Beach in Da Nang.

      Just turn up
    3. Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang, Vietnam

      evening

      Museum of Cham Sculpture

      Da Nang · 2.8 km from My Khe Beach

      Museum in Da Nang, Vietnam.

      Just turn up
    4. Boat Ride Ticket and Release Lantern at Hoai river in Hoi An in Hoi An, Vietnam

      evening

      Boat Ride Ticket and Release Lantern at Hoai river in Hoi An

      4.44,390 reviewsHoi An · from $7

  4. Day 4 Hue

    1. Travel day

      Da Nang to Hue

      About 80 km by road · allow around 2h

      Journey time is an estimate rather than a timetable - check the operator before you book anything tight on either side of it.

      Book direct
    2. Phủ Cam Cathedral in Hue, Vietnam

      afternoon

      Phủ Cam Cathedral

      Hue

      Church in Huế, Vietnam.

      Just turn up
    3. Thiên Mụ Temple in Hue, Vietnam

      evening

      Thiên Mụ Temple

      Hue · 4.6 km from Phủ Cam Cathedral

      Historical temple in Vietnam. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

      Just turn up
    4. Vegetarian Dining Experience at An Nhien Garden in Hue, Vietnam

      evening

      Vegetarian Dining Experience at An Nhien Garden

      Hue · from $81

    Where to eat

    • Breakfast

      Đông Ba Market

      A traditional market in Huế, Vietnam.

      Hue · 2.2 km away

    • Lunch

      Chợ An Cựu

      A daily market, open 8am to 6pm.

      Hue · 1.5 km away

  5. Day 5 Hue

    1. Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts in Hue, Vietnam

      morning

      Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts

      Hue

      Museum in Vietnam.

      Just turn up
    2. Imperial City of Hue in Hue, Vietnam

      afternoon

      Imperial City of Hue

      Hue · 0.5 km from Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts

      Walled enclosure within the citadel of Huế, Vietnam. Dates from 1833.

      Just turn up
    3. Perfume River Dining Cruise Experience By Hueritage Cruise in Hue, Vietnam

      evening

      Hue: Perfume River Dining Cruise Experience By Hueritage Cruise

      Hue · from $155

    4. Vietnamese Royal Dining Experience at Royal Park Restaurant in Hue, Vietnam

      evening

      Vietnamese Royal Dining Experience at Royal Park Restaurant

      Hue · from $24

    Where to eat

    • Breakfast

      Chợ Thuận Hoà

      A daily market, open 5am to 5pm.

      Hue · 0.4 km away

    • Lunch

      Cống Market

      A daily market, open 5am to 9pm.

      Hue · 1.9 km away

Prices are indicative and in Australian dollars. Flights and accommodation are not included. Distances between stops are straight-line, so a walking or driving route will be longer, and they are shown only where both stops have a known location. Items marked also worth doing sit outside the highlights theme and are there because they are among the best things to do in Vietnam.

Before you fly to Vietnam

The part an itinerary app leaves out. These are Vietnam's rules for Australian passport holders, re-read from the official source and dated below.

Entry

Yes - Australians need a visa for Vietnam.

Vietnam visa and entry rules

Passport

Vietnam wants 6 months of validity beyond the day you arrive. A fare is non-refundable long before a passport renewal is.

Check your passport against this rule

Your checklist

21 things to sort for Vietnam, built from these same rules, 3 of them essential.

Vietnam travel checklist

  • Passport valid - at least 6 months from your date of arrival
  • Apply for your Vietnam E-visa (single or multiple entry)
  • Take out travel insurance

Last reviewed 2026-10-24. Entry requirements change without notice. Always confirm with the official sources below before you book or fly.

Sort these before you go

The two things worth having arranged before a highlights trip to Vietnam, compared on price.

Vietnam travel insurance

EKTA

Gold

2k
Overseas medical expenses to US$150,000No excess to pay on a claimSold per day, so a long trip costs proportionally
$36.48 AUD

Klook

Travel insurance

Priced per destinationMedical, cancellation and baggageAdventure cover options
Set at quote

Fast Cover Best value

Standard Saver

9k
Overseas medical expensesTrip cancellationLuggage & personal items
$19 AUD
Compare only

Vietnam eSIM plans

Airalo

1GB · 7 days

32k
Works in Vietnam1GB of data7 days validity
$4.50 AUD

Saily Cheapest 10GB

10GB · 15 days

6k
Works in Vietnam10GB of data15 days validity
$8 AUD

Airalo Recommended

10GB · 15 days

32k
Works in Vietnam10GB of data15 days validity
$9 AUD

Prices are indicative, shown in AUD and refreshed from provider APIs where available. Always confirm the final price on the provider's site - it is the price that applies. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never changes what you pay. Partners are listed before providers who pay us nothing, as our terms set out; sorting by price ignores all of that and orders on the number alone. How we make money.

Highlights trip questions

What goes into a highlights plan?

It rotates between wellness, sightseeing and food items rather than clustering them, so no single day is three museums or three meals. If you would rather lean one way, switch the theme at the top of the page and the plan rebuilds.

Can I change the plan once it is built?

Yes. Pace and length are controls on the page, and changing either rebuilds the plan instantly. The itinerary is deterministic, so the same choices always produce the same plan - you can send someone the link and they will see what you see.

Other ways to do Vietnam

Highlights trips in other countries

Still deciding where to go? These are built the same way - real activities, in an order that works, with the entry rules for Australians attached.

All highlights itineraries

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