Three adults travelling together at a relaxed, culture-and-food-first pace — comfort over rush, meaningful stops over box-ticking.
| Who | Route | Return target |
|---|---|---|
| All 3 adults | BOM → HAN (Hanoi) · IndiGo/Air India codeshare via Bangkok or Singapore, or Vietnam Airlines via SGN | Return BOM–HAN target ~USD 420–580 pp booked 8–10 weeks out; open-jaw BOM→HAN / DAD→BOM saves backtracking |
| Internal (mid-trip) | HAN → DAD (Da Nang) · Vietnam Airlines or Bamboo Airways domestic | Target ~USD 35–55 pp one-way; book same time as international flights |
Prices above are Feb–Mar economy targets from Mumbai. Open-jaw routing (fly into Hanoi, out of Da Nang) eliminates a 16-hour backtrack and is strongly recommended.
| Nights | Base | Why | Target/nt | Leg total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Hanoi Old Quarter | Compact, walkable, packed with temples, street food and the Hoan Kiem lakefront — perfect orientation base | $55–90 | $110–180 (room for 3) |
| 3 | Ninh Binh (Tam Coc / Trang An area) | The 'dry Ha Long Bay' — rowing boats through karst caves, rice paddies, Bich Dong Pagoda; deeply peaceful | $40–70 | $120–210 (room for 3) |
| 5 | Hoi An Ancient Town | Vietnam's most charming UNESCO town; vegetarian-friendly, lantern-lit streets, tailors, cooking classes, My Son ruins nearby | $60–100 | $300–500 (room for 3) |
| 8 | Phu Quoc Island (Long Beach / Ong Lang area) | Vietnam's finest beach destination — clear water, lush interior, cable car, snorkelling, relaxed pace; 8 nights lets you decompress | $50–95 | $400–760 (room for 3) |
| Lodging total | $930–1,650 total for 18 nights (shared room/suite for 3 adults) | |||
Book via Booking.com or Agoda — both have strong Vietnam inventory with free cancellation options up to 30 days out. Look for 'superior twin + extra bed' or family rooms rather than 3 separate rooms to control costs.
| Service | Contact / note |
|---|---|
| Vietnam Emergency (Police/Fire/Ambulance) | 113 / 114 / 115 |
| Tourist Police Hotline (Vietnam) | 1800 599 920 (toll-free) |
| Indian Embassy Hanoi | +84-24-3823-4018 |
| Indian Consulate Ho Chi Minh City | +84-28-3822-6803 |
| Grab Vietnam (ride-hailing) | App: grab.com — download before travel |
| Vietnam e-Visa portal | evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn |
| Vietnam Airlines customer care (India) | +91-22-6127-4600 |
| OTATTS Leisures booking desk | hello@otatts.com |
February–March delivers Vietnam's sweet spot: Hanoi is cool and clear (18–24°C), Hoi An is dry and breezy, and Phu Quoc sits in its best beach season before April heat arrives. The route covers roughly 2,000 km south by air and transfer — never by motorbike — with four unhurried bases and zero back-tracking.
| Dates | Base | Travel | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1–2 2 nights | Hanoi Old Quarter | Fly BOM → HAN (6–9 hrs depending on connection); Grab car from Noi Bai Airport to Old Quarter ~45 min, ~$12–15 | Hoan Kiem Lake morning walk; Ngoc Son Temple; Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) — Vietnam's first university; vegetarian lunch at Loving Hut chain or Com Chay Nang Tam (famous Vietnamese Buddhist vegetarian restaurant, Tran Hung Dao St); Old Quarter street exploration; Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre evening show; try banh mi chay (vegetarian baguette) and che (sweet bean dessert) |
| Day 3–5 3 nights | Ninh Binh (Tam Coc or Trang An village) | Private hired car Hanoi → Ninh Binh, ~2.5 hrs, ~$40–50 for the car | Trang An Landscape Complex boat tour (UNESCO — 3 hrs, rowboat through karst caves, no motorbikes, serene); Bich Dong Pagoda hike; Hoa Lu ancient capital ruins; Mua Caves hilltop climb (400 steps, panoramic rice-paddy views); cycle hire at hotel for flat village loops; vegetarian meals at hotel restaurants (most Ninh Binh guesthouses serve com chay readily on request); bun rieu chay (vegetarian crab-noodle soup variant) |
| Day 6 travel day | Return to Hanoi → fly to Da Nang | Private car Ninh Binh → Noi Bai Airport ~2.5 hrs; domestic flight HAN → DAD ~75 min; Grab car Da Nang Airport → Hoi An ~30 min, ~$8–10 | Arrive Hoi An afternoon; settle in, evening wander to the Ancient Town lantern district; vegetarian pho and white rose dumplings (banh bao vac chay) at riverside restaurants |
| Day 7–11 5 nights | Hoi An Ancient Town | Based in town — Grab cars or hotel shuttle for day trips | Ancient Town morning walks before crowds (pre-9am); Japanese Covered Bridge; Phuc Kien Assembly Hall; half-day vegetarian cooking class (Hoi An has several excellent options — Green Bamboo Cooking School praised for veg options); An Bang Beach day (10 min by bicycle or Grab — calm, non-commercial); My Son Sanctuary Hindu-Cham ruins day trip (~40 km, half day — profound history, UNESCO); Marble Mountains half-day (Da Nang, 30 min away — caves, shrines, panoramic lift); cao lau chay (vegetarian version of Hoi An's signature noodle dish); com ga chay (vegetarian chicken rice); full-moon lantern festival if dates align (15th of lunar month) |
| Day 12 travel day | Hoi An → Da Nang Airport → fly Phu Quoc | Grab car to Da Nang Airport ~35 min; domestic flight DAD → PQC via SGN on Vietnam Airlines or VietJet, ~2.5 hrs with connection; target ~$55–80 pp | Arrive Phu Quoc afternoon; check in to Long Beach or Ong Lang area resort; sunset at Dinh Cau Night Market for vegetarian snacks and fresh fruit |
| Day 13–19 7 nights | Phu Quoc Island | Island taxis and Grab; no driving required | Long Beach and Bai Sao Beach (the island's two finest — turquoise water, powdery sand); Phu Quoc National Park interior forest walk (southern third of island, UNESCO biosphere); Hon Thom cable car — world's longest over-water gondola, 8 km across the bay, spectacular; snorkelling day trip to the An Thoi Archipelago (clear water, coral — arrange through hotel, ~$20–30 pp); Phu Quoc pepper plantation tour (Kampot-style pepper grown here — culture + food interest); VinWonders theme park optional (families-oriented but impressive if mood suits); Dinh Cau Temple sunset ritual; vegetarian dishes: bun quay chay, banh trang nuong chay, goi cuon chay (fresh spring rolls); fresh tropical fruit platters; rest, pool, beach — this is the decompression anchor of the trip |
| Day 20 (departure) fly home | Phu Quoc → Mumbai | Taxi to Phu Quoc International Airport (PQC); direct or via SGN to BOM — check open-jaw routing booked at start | Early departure recommended; airport has good fruit and light vegetarian options airside |
Skip Ha Long Bay in this trip: it adds a full extra travel day from Hanoi, the bay is genuinely crowded in Feb–Mar, and Ninh Binh (Trang An) delivers 90% of the karst drama with zero boat-party chaos. Also skip Sapa in February unless you love cold fog — it's beautiful in April–May. Ho Chi Minh City can be a half-day layover on the way home if curiosity strikes, but 18 nights is already full.
3 adults · 18 nights · all figures in USD · 1 USD ≈ 25,000 VND (Feb 2025 rate); Indian Rupee conversions: 1 USD ≈ INR 83
| Line item | Lean | Comfort | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Flights (BOM → HAN / DAD or PQC → BOM) | $1,260 | $1,740 | $420–580 pp return, economy, booked 8–10 weeks ahead; open-jaw BOM→HAN / PQC→BOM |
| Domestic Flights (HAN→DAD + DAD→PQC, 3 pax) | $270 | $420 | $30–70 pp per leg x2 legs x3 pax; book with international flights |
| Lodging (18 nights, shared room/family room for 3) | $930 | $1,650 | See hotel section; Lean = budget guesthouses; Comfort = 3-star boutiques |
| Ground Transport (Grab cars, airport transfers, Ninh Binh car hire) | $120 | $210 | Grab is very cheap; Ninh Binh car ~$50 return split 3 ways |
| Food & Drink (18 days, 3 adults, vegetarian-friendly) | $486 | $810 | Lean = $9 pp/day (street food + local restaurants); Comfort = $15 pp/day (sit-down, cooking class meals) |
| Activities & Entrance Fees (UNESCO sites, boat tours, cable car, snorkelling, cooking class) | $210 | $390 | Trang An boat $8pp, My Son $15pp, cooking class $25–45pp, cable car $25pp, snorkel trip $25pp — selective vs full menu |
| Vietnam e-Visa (3 adults) | $75 | $75 | $25 pp; non-negotiable; apply online 2–3 weeks before travel |
| Travel Insurance (3 adults, 20 days) | $90 | $150 | ~$30–50 pp; medical + cancellation cover essential; do NOT skip |
| Miscellaneous (SIM cards, laundry, tips, souvenirs, pharmacy) | $120 | $210 | Vietnam SIM ~$5 for 20 days data; tipping modest but appreciated |
| ALL-IN TOTAL | $3,561 | $5,655 | Full trip total for 3 adults · 18 nights · per-person Lean ~$1,187 · per-person Comfort ~$1,885 |
| # | Item | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apply for Vietnam e-Visa (all 3 adults) | You | Apply 6–8 weeks before departure at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn |
| 2 | Book international flights BOM → HAN (open-jaw out of DAD or PQC) | You | Book immediately — 8–10 weeks ahead for Feb–Mar departure |
| 3 | Book domestic flights HAN → DAD and DAD → PQC (or via SGN) | You | Book simultaneously with international — Vietnam Airlines or Bamboo Airways |
| 4 | Book hotels — especially Hoi An (fills fast in Feb–Mar) | You | Book Hoi An first, then Phu Quoc, then Hanoi and Ninh Binh |
| 5 | Purchase travel insurance for all 3 adults | You | Book within 2 weeks of flight purchase; compare Bajaj Allianz/HDFC Ergo India travel plans |
| 6 | Download Grab app and register Indian mobile number | You | Do before departure; add international roaming or buy Vietnam SIM on arrival |
| 7 | Book Hoi An vegetarian cooking class | You | Book 4–6 weeks ahead — popular classes fill in Feb–Mar peak; Green Bamboo or Red Bridge recommended |
| 8 | Trang An boat tour booking (Ninh Binh) | You | Can book day-before via hotel or at the site gate — no advance booking strictly needed but go early (8am) |
| 9 | Hon Thom cable car + snorkelling day trip (Phu Quoc) | You | Book through hotel or VinWonders official site once in Phu Quoc |
| When | Action |
|---|---|
| 12–10 weeks before travel | Book international flights BOM–HAN (open-jaw back from DAD or PQC); simultaneously book domestic HAN→DAD and DAD→PQC segments |
| 10 weeks before | Apply Vietnam e-Visa for all 3 adults online; pay $25 pp |
| 10–8 weeks before | Book all hotels — prioritise Hoi An first (scarce in peak season), then Phu Quoc beachfront, then Hanoi and Ninh Binh |
| 8 weeks before | Purchase comprehensive travel insurance (medical + trip cancellation) for all 3 adults |
| 6 weeks before | Book Hoi An cooking class; reserve My Son Sanctuary tour through hotel or local operator |
| 4 weeks before | Reconfirm e-Visa status; check Vietnam entry requirements for any policy updates; notify your Indian bank of international travel |
| 2 weeks before | Download Grab app; set up international mobile roaming or research Vietnamese SIM (Viettel recommended, ~$5 for 20 days data); print e-Visa approval letters |
| 1 week before | Check in online for all flights where available; confirm first hotel transfer; repack to under 7 kg carry-on for domestic legs if possible |
| On arrival Hanoi | Buy Viettel SIM at Noi Bai Airport arrivals hall; activate Grab; exchange small amount of VND (ATMs also widely available) |