Printable Vietnam itinerary planner 2026: route grid, transport times and daily budget
This printable Vietnam itinerary planner has a weekly route grid, transport matrix, VND budget sheet and a 3-day Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long example. It covers e-visa rules, 2026 Tet dates and booking lead times so you can build your own Vietnam itinerary. Print it, fill it left to right, and verify transport with Vietnam Railways and Sinh Tourist.
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At a glance
- Best time
- Varies north to south; avoid Tet 2026 on 17 Feb
- How long
- Flexible; template fits 4, 5, 7, 10, or 14 days
- Budget
- 800k-1.5m VND daily, 1.8m-3.5m midrange, 4m+ comfort
- Getting there
- Flights to Hanoi or HCMC; trains and buses for routes
- Language
- Vietnamese; English in tourist areas
- Currency
- VND; carry small notes for meals and entries
What the printable Vietnam itinerary planner contains
The printable Vietnam itinerary planner has a weekly route grid, a transport matrix with a budget sheet, and a packing list plus visa checklist. Print one grid page per week, which is how the same template fits a 4, 5, 7, 10, or 14-day Vietnam itinerary. Nothing in the layout assumes a direction, so it works for a south-to-north Vietnam itinerary as well as a north-to-south one.
The weekly grid carries nine columns: Day/Date, Base, AM, PM, Transport + booking ref, Travel time, Opening hours, Meals/VND, and Daily total. You fill it left to right, so the morning plan is settled before you commit the afternoon. Travel time sits beside the booking reference for a reason: when the Hanoi to Hue train shows about 13 hours, the afternoon column is clearly unusable. The planner includes a 3-day Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long example, filled in line by line, so you can see what a working row looks like.
Page two holds the transport matrix, where each leg is logged against its alternatives, and the budget sheet. The sheet's three daily bands are budget at 800k to 1.5m VND, midrange at 1.8m to 3.5m, and comfort at 4m and above. Item lines cover pho at 40k to 70k, banh mi at 20k to 35k, coffee at 25k to 45k, beer at 15k to 25k, and museum entry at 40k to 100k, with separate rows for a SIM or eSIM at 150k to 300k and an airport transfer at 150k to 500k.
Page three is the north-to-south packing list and the visa checklist, which points to evisa.gov.vn: 90-day single or multiple entry, about USD25 single and USD50 multiple, applied for at least 3 working days before travel. Photograph each page once you add a booking reference. In high season, book trains 3 to 7 days ahead and buses 1 to 2 days ahead; around Tet on 17 Feb 2026, book 3 to 4 weeks ahead.
| Line item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Daily budget | 800k to 1.5m VND |
| Midrange day | 1.8m to 3.5m VND |
| Comfort day | 4m VND and above |
| Pho | 40k to 70k VND |
| Banh mi | 20k to 35k VND |
| Coffee | 25k to 45k VND |
| Beer | 15k to 25k VND |
| Museum entry | 40k to 100k VND |
| SIM or eSIM | 150k to 300k VND |
| Airport transfer | 150k to 500k VND |
Check the visa and entry page first
The last page carries the checklist. Vietnam's e-visa at evisa.gov.vn is valid for 90-day single or multiple entry, costs about USD25 single and USD50 multiple, and needs applying for at least 3 working days before travel. Missing that window is the most common way a departure date breaks.
Print three A4 pages
Page one is the weekly route grid, page two the transport matrix and budget sheet, page three the packing list and visa checklist. Print one grid per week of travel. A4 is the standard paper size in Vietnam and a copy shop turns it around in minutes.
Fill each weekly grid left to right
Day/Date, Base, AM, PM, Transport + booking ref, Travel time, Opening hours, Meals/VND, Daily total. Writing travel time next to the booking reference shows when a 13-hour Hanoi to Hue train leaves no usable afternoon.
Add booking references as you confirm
In high season, book trains 3 to 7 days ahead and buses 1 to 2 days ahead. Around Tet on 17 Feb 2026, trains and buses sell out 3 to 4 weeks ahead and many shops close.
Photograph every completed page
A phone photo of each page after you write in a booking reference covers you if the paper goes missing. Prices move with season and 2026 fuel surcharges, so confirm transport and opening hours before printing.
Before you print: e-visa, 2026 dates and booking lead times
Vietnam's e-visa is the first box to fill, and it goes at evisa.gov.vn: 90-day single or multiple entry, USD25 for single, USD50 for multiple, applied for at least 3 working days before travel. A 5-day trip and a 14-day trip both fit inside the same 90-day window, so choose between single and multiple entry on how many times you plan to cross a border, not on trip length. Print the approval and keep a digital photo of it.
Tet 2026 falls on 17 Feb, the single most disruptive date on the sheet. Trains and buses sell out 3-4 weeks ahead and many shops close, so a route that works in March can stall in mid-February. Write 17 Feb into the Day/Date column before anything else, then plan around it. Reunification Day 30 Apr and National Day 2 Sep bring crowds to the same corridors, and both dates belong in that column before you fill in activities.
Booking lead times follow from the calendar. In high season, book trains 3-7 days ahead and buses 1-2 days ahead; for Tet, book earlier than that. The 3 working days for the e-visa skip weekends and public holidays, so a Thursday application can clear the following Tuesday. Vietnam Railways and Sinh Tourist are the two operators to check for seasonal schedules, and the booking reference belongs in the Transport column.
Confirm two costs on the day you print: e-visa fees and Ha Long cruise rates, because both can change. Prices also move with season and 2026 fuel surcharges, and a north-south high-speed rail line is not operating in 2026, so don't hold a slot for it. Fill the visa and date columns first, then build the transport matrix and the daily budget sheet on top of them.
Prerequisites: passport details and fixed dates
Have your passport number, entry and exit dates, and intended entry point ready before you open the form. The e-visa is tied to the passport you apply with, so check that the passport you will travel on is the one on the application.
Apply for the e-visa at evisa.gov.vn
90-day single or multiple entry, USD25 single and USD50 multiple, applied for at least 3 working days before travel. Those 3 days exclude weekends and public holidays, so a Thursday application can clear the following Tuesday. Apply only at evisa.gov.vn, print the approval, and keep a digital photo of it.
Write Tet 2026 into the Day/Date column
Tet falls on 17 Feb 2026. Trains and buses sell out 3-4 weeks ahead and many shops close. Either book that window 3-4 weeks out or shift the route off it before you commit to any transport.
Add 30 Apr and 2 Sep
Reunification Day 30 Apr and National Day 2 Sep bring crowds. Put both dates in the Day/Date column before you plan activities, then check seat availability on the routes running through them.
Book transport after the dates are set
In high season, book trains 3-7 days ahead and buses 1-2 days ahead. For Tet, book earlier than both windows. Verify seasonal schedules with Vietnam Railways and Sinh Tourist, and copy the booking reference into the Transport column.
Verify changeable costs before printing
E-visa fees and Ha Long cruise rates can change, and 2026 fuel surcharges move transport prices with the season. Recheck both on evisa.gov.vn and with the cruise operator on the day you print the planner.
How to use the Vietnam itinerary template
Work the page left to right, beginning with Day/Date and Base, because travel time between towns decides the shape of a trip before any sight does. The template holds a 4, 5, 7, 10, or 14-day Vietnam itinerary on one A4 page per week, with columns for Day/Date, Base, AM, PM, Transport and booking reference, Travel time, Opening hours, Meals in VND, and Daily total. Write bases first. Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long suit a first visit, with a train south afterward. With 5 days, three bases already means most of the trip is spent moving.
Dates come next, before activities. Check Tet 2026 on 17 Feb, when trains and buses sell out 3-4 weeks ahead and many shops close, plus Reunification Day on 30 Apr and National Day on 2 Sep. Then add one anchor for each half day: a museum, a boat trip or a walk. Opening hours decide placement, since the War Remnants Museum runs 7:30-17:30 and the Temple of Literature 8:00-17:00, while many temples close 12:00-13:30. Museum entry costs 40-100k VND.
Page two carries the transport matrix and budget sheet. Copy realistic travel times onto page one: Hanoi to Ninh Binh by train 2-2.5h, Hanoi to Da Nang about 16h, Da Nang to Hoi An by bus 45-60m, Hanoi to Ha Long 2.5-3h, HCMC to Mui Ne by bus 4-5h. Tally meals and daily spend in VND, using 800k-1.5m for budget travel, 1.8m-3.5m midrange and 4m+ comfort.
Book trains 3-7 days ahead and buses 1-2 days ahead in high season, then write the booking reference in the Transport column so the page doubles as your record. Photograph the filled sheets and store them on your phone. Prices move with season and 2026 fuel surcharges, and a north-south high-speed rail is not operating, so confirm schedules with Vietnam Railways and Sinh Tourist before printing.
Prerequisites: e-visa and fixed dates
Apply at evisa.gov.vn before you fill anything in. The e-visa gives 90-day single or multiple entry at roughly USD25 single and USD50 multiple, submitted at least 3 working days before travel. Cost: USD25-50. Time: one sitting, plus the 3-working-day lead. What can go wrong: leaving the application until the week of departure, when the 3-working-day minimum has already passed.
Choose your bases and trip length
Write the towns where you will sleep. The template fits a 4, 5, 7, 10, or 14-day Vietnam itinerary. A first-timer start is Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long, then a train south. Cost: nothing. Time: one planning session. What can go wrong: too many bases for the days you have turns the trip into transport.
Fill Day/Date and Base first
Enter fixed dates before activities. Check Tet 2026 on 17 Feb, Reunification Day 30 Apr and National Day 2 Sep. Cost: nothing. Time: one sitting. What can go wrong: moving dates later forces you to rewrite the whole page.
Add one anchor per AM and PM
Put a museum, boat trip or walk in each half day instead of packing five stops into one. Use the opening hours columns: War Remnants Museum 7:30-17:30, Temple of Literature 8:00-17:00, and many temples close 12:00-13:30. Cost: museum entry 40-100k VND. Time: half a day per anchor. What can go wrong: scheduling a temple visit between 12:00 and 13:30, when many are shut.
Copy travel times from the transport matrix
Page two lists times you can transfer straight across: Hanoi to Ninh Binh by train 2-2.5h, Hanoi to Hue about 13h, Hanoi to Da Nang about 16h, Da Nang to Hoi An by bus 45-60m, Hanoi to Ha Long 2.5-3h, HCMC to Mui Ne by bus 4-5h, HCMC to Da Lat 6-7h by bus or 1h by flight. Cost: nothing. Time: 20 minutes. What can go wrong: copying an unverified timetable; confirm seasonal services with Vietnam Railways and Sinh Tourist.
Tally the budget sheet
Add meals in VND (pho 40-70k, banh mi 20-35k, coffee 25-45k, beer 15-25k), museum entry 40-100k, SIM or eSIM 150k-300k and an airport transfer 150k-500k. Set a daily ceiling: 800k-1.5m budget, 1.8m-3.5m midrange, 4m+ comfort. Cost: nothing. Time: 15 minutes per page. What can go wrong: leaving the daily total blank, which hides overspending until the last days of the trip.
Book transport, log references, save a digital copy
Book trains 3-7 days ahead and buses 1-2 days ahead in high season, and 3-4 weeks ahead around Tet 2026 on 17 Feb. Write each booking reference in the Transport column. Photograph every filled page and keep a copy in cloud storage. Cost: nothing. Time: one hour. What can go wrong: a lost paper page with no backup, and no reference number when you reach the station.
Transport matrix for a Vietnam itinerary: train, bus and flight times
Hanoi to Ninh Binh by train takes 2 to 2.5 hours, and it is one of eight figures you copy straight into the transport matrix rather than estimating. Hanoi to Hue by train is about 13 hours, and Hanoi to Da Nang about 16 hours. On the road, Da Nang to Hoi An is 45 to 60 minutes by bus, HCMC to Mui Ne 4 to 5 hours, and Hanoi to Ha Long 2.5 to 3 hours. Fill the Travel time column from this list, not from memory.
Booking lead time belongs in the same row, because a departure you cannot reserve is not a plan. In high season, book trains 3 to 7 days ahead and buses 1 to 2 days ahead. Tet 2026 falls on 17 Feb, which resets those numbers: trains and buses sell out 3 to 4 weeks ahead, and many shops close. If your dates touch Tet, book before you print the page, and keep the booking reference in the Transport + booking ref column.
The 2 to 2.5 hour train makes Ninh Binh work as an overnight or a day trip from Hanoi. A day trip gets tight once the Tam Coc boat and Mua Cave are in it, so an overnight leaves room for both. HCMC to Da Lat is the one row with a real choice: 6 to 7 hours by bus or 1 hour by flight. The flight figure covers only the air, so add the airport transfers at each end separately.
The new north to south high-speed rail is not operating yet, so build the matrix around existing trains, buses and flights. Verify seasonal schedules with Vietnam Railways and Sinh Tourist before printing, since timetables thin out outside peak weeks. Fares move with season and 2026 fuel surcharges; the travel times above do not.
| Route | Time | Booking lead in high season | Verify with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi to Ninh Binh train | 2-2.5 hours | 3-7 days | Vietnam Railways |
| Hanoi to Hue train | about 13 hours | 3-7 days | Vietnam Railways |
| Hanoi to Da Nang train | about 16 hours | 3-7 days | Vietnam Railways |
| Da Nang to Hoi An bus | 45-60 minutes | 1-2 days | Sinh Tourist |
| HCMC to Mui Ne bus | 4-5 hours | 1-2 days | Sinh Tourist |
| Hanoi to Ha Long | 2.5-3 hours | 1-2 days | Sinh Tourist or limousine operator |
| HCMC to Da Lat bus | 6-7 hours | 1-2 days | Sinh Tourist |
| HCMC to Da Lat flight | 1 hour | Confirm with airline | airline |
Set prerequisites before you fill a single row
Fix your travel dates and check them against Tet on 17 Feb 2026. Apply for the e-visa at evisa.gov.vn at least 3 working days before travel: 90-day single entry costs about USD25, multiple entry about USD50. What can go wrong: an e-visa lodged too close to departure, or dates that overlap Tet, when transport sells out 3 to 4 weeks ahead.
Copy the eight 2026 times into the Travel time column
Use the table above exactly as printed: Hanoi to Ninh Binh 2 to 2.5 hours, Hanoi to Hue about 13 hours, Hanoi to Da Nang about 16 hours, Da Nang to Hoi An 45 to 60 minutes, HCMC to Mui Ne 4 to 5 hours, Hanoi to Ha Long 2.5 to 3 hours, HCMC to Da Lat 6 to 7 hours by bus or 1 hour by flight. What can go wrong: guessing a leg, then losing a whole afternoon to a bus you thought took three hours.
Add the booking lead next to every leg
In high season, trains go 3 to 7 days ahead and buses 1 to 2 days ahead. Around Tet 2026, book trains and buses 3 to 4 weeks ahead. Costs vary by route and seat class; the example Hanoi to Ninh Binh train runs 150k VND and a Hanoi to Ha Long limousine 350k VND, so treat both as a guide and confirm the fare when booking. What can go wrong: leaving a Tet leg to the week before, when nothing is left.
Verify seasonal schedules with the operator before printing
Check Vietnam Railways for trains and Sinh Tourist for buses, since timetables thin out outside peak weeks and a printed matrix goes stale fast. Fares shift with season and 2026 fuel surcharges, not the times. What can go wrong: a printed page with a departure that no longer runs, and no digital copy of the ticket to fall back on.
Daily budget sheet: what to write in the VND columns
Start by choosing one daily tier for the whole trip: budget at 800k-1.5m VND, midrange at 1.8m-3.5m VND, or comfort at 4m+ VND. Use that tier as your target when you check the Daily total column. For a 4, 5, 7, 10, or 14 day Vietnam itinerary, the tier sets whether the trip is realistic on your budget. A 7-day Vietnam itinerary at 1.2m VND per day has a different shape from one at 4m VND, and seeing the tier at the top of the page stops small purchases from drifting out of view.
The Meals/VND column takes most daily entries. Record each meal and drink separately: pho 40-70k, banh mi 20-35k, coffee 25-45k, beer 15-25k. Museum entry 40-100k also goes in this column. The completed example shows the method: Day 1 Hanoi lists 7:30 pho 50k, 8:30 Temple of Literature 70k, 12:00 Hoan Kiem, 18:00 water puppet 100k, 20:00 bia hoi 20k. The example does not list a fee for Hoan Kiem, so leave it blank or write 0 instead of guessing.
Add one-off costs to Daily total when you buy them. SIM/eSIM 150k-300k and airport transfer 150k-500k belong in Daily total, not in Meals/VND. After the day ends, add the day's entries in Daily total. Start the next day's Daily total from zero and repeat. Prices vary by season and 2026 fuel surcharges, so confirm before printing. The budget sheet lists the usual amounts and where each one fits.
The budget sheet sits on the second page of the template, after the weekly route grid. Keep the Meals/VND column for food, drinks, and museum entry, then use Daily total for SIM/eSIM and airport transfer. If a temple closes 12:00-13:30, you may move the visit, but record the entry fee on the day you pay it. A digital photo of the filled sheet is enough backup if you lose the paper copy.
| Category | Typical cost in VND | Where to record |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budget low | 800k-1.5m | Daily total |
| Daily budget midrange | 1.8m-3.5m | Daily total |
| Daily budget comfort | 4m+ | Daily total |
| Pho | 40-70k | Meals/VND |
| Banh mi | 20-35k | Meals/VND |
| Coffee | 25-45k | Meals/VND |
| Beer | 15-25k | Meals/VND |
| Museum entry | 40-100k | Meals/VND |
| SIM/eSIM | 150k-300k | Daily total |
| Airport transfer | 150k-500k | Daily total |
Choose one daily tier
Before you print, pick 800k-1.5m VND for simple travel, 1.8m-3.5m VND for midrange, or 4m+ VND for comfort. Write it in the Daily total column. Cost: none. Time: once before the trip. What can go wrong: a tier that is too low makes the daily total look broken when one museum ticket or transfer lands.
Fill the Meals/VND column
Record each meal and drink as a separate line: pho 40-70k, banh mi 20-35k, coffee 25-45k, beer 15-25k. Add museum entry 40-100k here too. Cost: varies by day. Time: at each meal. What can go wrong: putting SIM/eSIM 150k-300k or airport transfer 150k-500k here mixes one-off costs with meals.
Move one-off costs to Daily total
When you buy a SIM/eSIM 150k-300k or airport transfer 150k-500k, write it in Daily total, not Meals/VND. Cost: those amounts. Time: on the day of purchase. What can go wrong: forgetting them makes the trip look cheaper than it is.
Carry the daily total forward
At the end of each day, total the Meals/VND column plus any Daily total items and carry the number to the next line. Start the next day from zero. Cost: none. Time: each night. What can go wrong: if you skip it, the next day's budget starts from the wrong base. Prices vary by season and 2026 fuel surcharges, so confirm before printing.
Example filled in: 3 days in Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long
The completed three-day example in the planner covers Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Ha Long. It uses the same columns as the blank pages: Day/Date, Base, AM, PM, Transport + booking ref, Travel time, Opening hours, Meals/VND, and Daily total.
Day 1 stays in Hanoi. At 7:30, pho costs 50k VND. At 8:30, Temple of Literature entry is 70k. At 12:00, Hoan Kiem is the midday stop; the example leaves the fee blank or writes 0. At 18:00, the water puppet show is 100k. At 20:00, bia hoi is 20k.
Day 2 moves to Ninh Binh. The 7:00 train takes 2 hours and costs 150k. At 10:00, the Tam Coc boat is 250k. At 13:00, goat meat lunch is 80k. At 16:00, Mua Cave entry is 100k.
Day 3 goes to Ha Long. The 8:00 limousine takes 2.5 hours and costs 350k. Cruise check-in is at 12:00. Kayaking is at 15:00. The 18:00 seafood dinner is included in the cruise rate. Record each amount in the Meals/VND or Daily total column as it applies, and keep booking references in the Transport + booking ref column.
| Day | Base | Transport | Entry and activities | Meals | Timed notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Hanoi | None listed | Temple of Literature 70k VND; water puppet 100k VND | Pho 50k VND; bia hoi 20k VND | 7:30 pho; 8:30 Temple (hours 8:00-17:00); 12:00 Hoan Kiem; 18:00 water puppet; 20:00 bia hoi |
| Day 2 | Ninh Binh | Train 150k VND, 2-2.5h | Tam Coc boat 250k VND; Mua Cave 100k VND | Goat meat lunch 80k VND | 7:00 train; 10:00 Tam Coc; 13:00 lunch; 16:00 Mua Cave; book train 3-7 days ahead in high season |
| Day 3 | Ha Long | Limousine 350k VND, 2.5h | Kayak included in cruise | Seafood dinner included | 8:00 limousine; 12:00 cruise check-in; 15:00 kayak; 18:00 dinner; confirm cruise rate |
Check entry and booking prerequisites
Confirm your e-visa at evisa.gov.vn at least 3 working days before travel. A 90-day single-entry e-visa costs USD25; multiple entry costs USD50. Book trains 3-7 days ahead in high season and buses 1-2 days ahead. For Tet on 17 Feb 2026, book 3-4 weeks ahead. Print the blank template and keep a digital photo. What can go wrong: applying less than 3 working days before travel can delay entry.
Fill Day 1 Hanoi
Use Hanoi as the base. 7:30 pho 50k VND, 8:30 Temple of Literature 70k VND (hours 8:00-17:00), 12:00 Hoan Kiem, 18:00 water puppet 100k VND, 20:00 bia hoi 20k VND. Log each item in the Day/Date, Base, AM, PM, Transport + booking ref, Travel time, Opening hours, Meals/VND and Daily total columns. What can go wrong: the Temple of Literature closes at 17:00, so a late start can cut the visit.
Fill Day 2 Ninh Binh
Take the 7:00 train (2-2.5h, 150k VND). At 10:00, Tam Coc boat 250k VND. At 13:00, goat meat lunch 80k VND. At 16:00, Mua Cave 100k VND. Book the train 3-7 days ahead in high season. What can go wrong: around Tet 2026 on 17 Feb 2026, trains and buses sell out 3-4 weeks ahead and many shops close.
Fill Day 3 Ha Long
8:00 limousine to Ha Long (2.5h, 350k VND). 12:00 cruise check-in, 15:00 kayak, 18:00 seafood dinner included. Confirm the cruise rate because 2026 fuel surcharges and seasonal prices change. What can go wrong: if the limousine is late, you can miss cruise check-in; leave a buffer.
Adapt for the rest of the Vietnam itinerary
Replace each base and row with your own stops. If you add Ho Chi Minh City, the War Remnants Museum is open 7:30-17:30. Reunification Day is 30 Apr and National Day is 2 Sep, with crowds at major sites. The new north-south high-speed rail is not yet operating, so use existing trains and buses. Confirm all transport and opening hours before printing. What can go wrong: printing before checking seasonal schedules can leave you with sold-out transport or closed sites.
Printing, packing and final checks
## Printing, packing and final checks for your vietnam itinerary
The template prints as three A4 pages. The weekly route grid takes one sheet per week, so a 10-day vietnam itinerary needs two grid pages, plus the transport matrix and budget sheet on page two and the packing list with the visa checklist on page three. Fill the completed 3-day Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long example first if the blank cells look intimidating. It shows how much detail each row holds, from a 2h, 150k train to Ninh Binh to a 250k Tam Coc boat trip. Confirm every transport time and opening hour before you print, because a wasted sheet of paper costs less than a missed booking.
The third page carries the packing list, and the route decides what goes on it. Closed shoes and a rain shell earn their space in Hanoi and Ha Long; breathable clothes and a sun hat suit the central coast; mosquito repellent and a refillable water bottle matter most in the south. Long train legs (13h Hanoi to Hue, 16h Hanoi to Da Nang) make a light jacket worth packing. Add prescription medicine and a basic kit for stomach issues, then tick off the visa checklist on the same page.
Photograph every filled page and every booking reference, then email the images to yourself. Paper gets lost on overnight buses; a phone copy survives. Check the e-visa at evisa.gov.vn before printing: 90-day single or multiple entry, USD25 for single and USD50 for multiple, applied for at least 3 working days before travel. Tet 2026 falls on 17 Feb, when trains and buses sell out 3-4 weeks ahead and many shops close.
Run the final verification pass last. Seasonal schedules change, so check Vietnam Railways and Sinh Tourist directly. E-visa fees and Ha Long cruise rates may change, prices vary with 2026 fuel surcharges, and no north-south high-speed rail is operating yet. Reunification Day on 30 Apr and National Day on 2 Sep fill both transport and museums.
Check the prerequisites
Confirm your passport details and get the e-visa approved before you print anything. Apply at evisa.gov.vn at least 3 working days before travel; the 90-day visa costs USD25 for single entry and USD50 for multiple entry. Carry the approval printout, since that is what you show on arrival.
Verify transport before printing
Open Vietnam Railways and Sinh Tourist and check seasonal schedules rather than times you copied weeks ago. In high season, book trains 3-7 days ahead and buses 1-2 days ahead. Around Tet on 17 Feb 2026, book 3-4 weeks ahead or the seats go to someone else.
Print the pages in order
Weekly route grid first (one A4 page per week), then the transport matrix and budget sheet, then the packing list and visa checklist. Printing before transport is booked means reprinting later. A copy shop in Hanoi charges a few thousand VND per page if you print after arrival.
Fill each grid left to right
Start with Day/Date and Base, then AM, PM, and Transport plus booking ref. Add travel time and opening hours last, because those numbers change most. Budget 15-20 minutes per week of the trip.
Photograph every filled page
Take one photo of each completed sheet and each booking reference, then email them to yourself. Losing paper on an overnight bus is common; losing a phone photo is not.
Re-run the number check
Opening hours shift: War Remnants Museum runs 7:30-17:30, Temple of Literature 8:00-17:00, and many temples close 12:00-13:30. E-visa fees and Ha Long cruise rates may change, 2026 fuel surcharges move bus prices, and the north-south high-speed rail is not operating yet.
1.North Vietnam
Light layers, a rain shell and closed shoes for Hanoi and Ha Long.
2.Central Vietnam
Breathable clothes, a sun hat and a light jacket for trains and buses.
3.South Vietnam
Light clothes, mosquito repellent and a refillable water bottle.
4.Documents
Passport, e-visa printout, booking references and a digital photo of each page.
5.Health
Prescription medicine and a basic kit for stomach issues.
Frequently asked questions
Most visitors use the e-visa at evisa.gov.vn. It gives 90-day single or multiple entry, costs about USD25 or USD50, and you should apply at least 3 working days before travel. Fees can change, so confirm on the official site.
Tet 2026 falls on 17 Feb. Trains and buses sell out 3-4 weeks ahead, and many shops close. Book trains 3-7 days ahead and buses 1-2 days ahead in high season, then earlier for Tet.
Yes. The weekly grid fits a 4, 5, 7, 10, or 14-day Vietnam itinerary. Add or remove rows, and use the 3-day Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long example as a formatting guide.
No, a new north-south high-speed rail is not operating yet. Use existing trains, buses and flights, and check Vietnam Railways and Sinh Tourist for schedules.
Travel details change — opening hours, prices, and schedules can vary by season. Please verify current information on official websites before your visit.
Watch: related videos
Printable Vietnam itinerary planner 2026: route grid, transport times and daily budget — Video by khanhhoangminh on Pexels
Printable Vietnam itinerary planner 2026: route grid, transport times and daily budget — Video by Sandeep Kumar on Pexels · silent stock clip
Sources
- evisa.gov.vn — Primary source
- seat61.com — From research brief
- thesinhtourist.vn — From research brief
- nomadicmatt.com — From research brief
- neverendingfootsteps.com — From research brief
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About the author
Lê Minh Đức
Routes & Itineraries Editor
Minh Đức plans Vietpeep's itineraries, transport guides, and practical tips with a surveyor's care for distances, timings, and connections. He believes a route is only as good as its smallest detail — the last ferry, the right train class, the turn travelers miss.
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Vietnam Travel Cost 2026: A Printable Daily Budget Sheet in VND and USD
This printable Vietnam travel cost sheet for 2026 gives you the fill-in rows, the benchmark VND and USD prices, and a worked 14-day north-to-south example totalling USD 705–885 per person. Print it before booking, price each day, and compare your total against the low, mid, and comfort tiers.
Vietnam itinerary 3 weeks: Classic Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi route and 2026 costs
This 21-day Vietnam itinerary links Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Hoi An, Hue, Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay and Hanoi in one practical south-to-north route. It includes 2026 e-visa rules, bus and train timelines, daily budget ranges and a full day-by-day plan for first-time visitors.