One Month Vietnam Family Travel Itinerary (Pre-Covid)

A One Month Vietnam Family Travel Itinerary

In February, 2020 we booked our flights out of New Zealand. At the time, we were planning a six week Asia adventure to meet our business class flight from Singapore to Istanbul on 13 April, 2020.

In our original plan, we’d hoped to visit Turkey for ANZAC day, then head to Germany, followed by my bucket list travel adventure, the Camino across Spain.

As you can probably guess, our plan did not go to plan. If you’re curious, you can see our original round the world with kids plan here.

I’d created an epic one month Vietnam family travel itinerary.

This was the plan for our adventure through Vietnam.

Below are the details of our original plan for our one month itinerary through Vietnam.

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Table of Contents

• Our One Month Vietnam Itinerary Overview
• Week 1: Ho Chi Minh City & Cu Chi Tunnels
• Week 2: Central Vietnam - Da Nang Base
• Week 3: Hoi An & Central Coast
• Week 4: South Central Coast & Highlands
• What Really Happened vs Our Plan

Our One Month Vietnam Itinerary Overview

Here’s our itinerary for traveling Vietnam from Central to South:

We started in Auckland, New Zealand and our flight departed at 11.55pm on 5th March 2020. I think we were very lucky to make the flight!

Our kids didn’t sleep on the 10.5 hour flight as we’d hoped. Let’s just say, our six hour layover in Manila, with no playground, and not very good seating, was painful.

We departed Manila as planned on the 6th March about mid day. It was a nice, short flight, and of course everyone slept.

Week 1: Ho Chi Minh City & Cu Chi Tunnels

Ho Chi Minh City (Days 1-4)

We arrived to Saigon on 6 March, 2020 and stayed at Funny Guesthouse for four nights - a great family-friendly accommodation in the city center.

For us, we didn’t need much longer. We’re just not city people. If you like cities, you can easily stay longer.

Family Activities in Ho Chi Minh City:

• Day 1: Arrival and settle in. If you’re staying at Funny Guesthouse or nearby, check out walking street.
• Day 2: War Remnants Museum - Educational but intense, best for families with teenagers or older children. However, we did take Elijah (3 at the time) and just skipped past the more confronting parts.
• Day 3: Cu Chi Tunnels - A must-visit for families. Elijah was 3 during our visit and he was very excited to go down into the dark tunnels with his head light. These tunnels offer a fascinating glimpse into Vietnam’s history during the war.
• Day 4: Ben Thanh Market and Saigon Skydeck - Perfect for family shopping and trying local street food, plus great views of the city from the 49th floor.
• Day 5: A tour I would recommend (but I’m yet to do myself and kick myself all the time that we didn’t stay a couple of days longer to fit this in) was a Mekong Delta tour. It’s probably worth it if you’re already in Saigon!

While we didn’t enjoy our visit at Ben Thanh Markets, it’s often a place others enjoy. Maybe it is worth trying for yourself!

Transportation: We used Grab (Vietnam’s Uber) for getting around the city with kids.

Week 2: Central Vietnam - Da Nang Base

Da Nang (Days 6-11)

On the 10th March we flew to Danang. We didn’t realise how lucky we were to get that flight until after we landed. Travel was about to change for next two years, and we had no idea!

We opted for ten nights in Da Nang, staying at Richico Apartments because we love a beach, and we needed a bit of space. Back then we didn’t know about An Bang Beach in Hoi An.

We had hoped to get lucky find some waves for Rimaha (we didn’t - and you probably won’t unless you’re travelling during times of storms, generally from September to February).

From Da Nang, we planned to visit Hue, Ba Na Hills, Son Tra and My Son Temples. Of these, we mainly spent time at the beach, did catch Ba Na Hills, and watched the Dragon Bridge. For those looking to explore Vietnam’s incredible cave systems, consider adding Phong Nha to your itinerary with our Ultimate 7-Day Phong Nha Itinerary.

Family Activities from Da Nang:

• Day 6: Arrive, settle in and find the local spots to eat (link to Da Nang Family food guide). Work out which day would be best to visit the Dragon Bridge and watch the dragon breathing fire and water. Shuffle days below as needed.
• Day 7: Take a tour to Son Tra or self guided visit to Son Tra.
• Day 8: Walk the local streets wherever you’re staying and enjoy the beach / pool if you are travelling in the warm to hot seasons.
• Day 9: Take a trip out to Ba Na Hills. Either hire a tour, or just book a Grab car.
• Day 10: Read a book by the pool, go for a walk in the city or along the beach.
• Day 11: If you are on a strict time frame and want to squeeze in another central Vietnam adventure, you can book a day tour to Hue.

Additional Activities:

• Ba Na Hills - The famous Golden Bridge and French Village (great for families)
• Marble Mountains - Easy hiking with kids, beautiful caves to explore
• My Son Temples - UNESCO World Heritage site, accessible for families
• Son Tra Peninsula - Nature walks and the famous Lady Buddha statue
• Hue Day Trip - Imperial City and Thien Mu Pagoda

Related: Check out our detailed Da Nang Family Travel Guide for more family-friendly activities and our Da Nang Family Food Guide for the best local eats. For cave adventures, don’t miss our Ultimate 7-Day Phong Nha Itinerary.

Week 3: Central Vietnam - Hoi An

Hoi An (Days 12-20)

On the 19th March we travelled down to Hoi An. At this stage, countries were beginning to shut down, left right and centre. We realized that the rest of our travel plan was going out the window pretty quickly.

Our plan had been to walk through the old town, visit some of the markets and perhaps spend a day on An Bang Beach.

Family Activities in Hoi An:

• Day 12: Pack up a Grab Car (or book Same, Same, But Better transport) and head to An Bang Beach. Stop at Marble Mountain on the way down!
• Day 13: Relax at the beach. Almost everywhere near the beach has good food, but if you want my local recommendations, you can find them in my An Bang Family Food Guide.
• Day 14: Take a very early in the morning tour to My Son temples if you haven’t already done this from Da Nang.
• Day 15: It’s always a good day to visit The Basket Boat Cafe for brunch and a basket boat ride.
• Day 16: Take a tour to Cham Islands. You can even stay a couple of nights if you have enough time in Hoi An!
• Day 17: Take a lantern making workshop or class. After your lantern workshop, you could also try out a coffee making class. There’s nothing quite like a coconut coffee!!
• Day 18: Check out the Hoi An Memories show. My oldest son visited this show during 2023 and says it was great. I still need to do this. I guess I really settled in to the point I avoid old town all the time these days!!
• Day 19: You can either relax by the beach, or head out to the markets. I recommend checking out the morning markets locally at An Bang Market, or if you’re closer to town, Ba Le Market. If you’d like a guided tour and to throw in a cooking class, you could take a look at this guided tour and cooking class.
• Day 20: I generally don’t recommend staying in the Old Town itself. Most people don’t enjoy the busy, touristy and noisy experience. I do recommend staying near town, maybe 2-4 days of your stay could be around Cam Chau or Cam Thanh, and the rest by the beach. One day you can set aside to ride bicycles through the rice fields. If you’re taking toddlers, make sure to check out everything-you-need-to-know-about-travelling-to-hoi-an-the-ultimate-family-guide for tips on bike safety that could save your childs foot / leg.

Additional Activities

• Old Town Walking Tour - Easy to navigate with kids, beautiful architecture
• An Bang Beach - Perfect family beach with calm waters
• Tra Que Vegetable Village - Kids loved learning about organic farming
• Lantern Making Workshop - Fun family activity
• Bike Rides Through Rice Fields - Safe and scenic for families

Related: For detailed information, check our Ultimate Hoi An Family Guide, Best Family Stays in Hoi An, and Hoi An Family Food Guide.

Week 4: South Central Coast & Highlands

Quy Nhon (Days 20-25)

We’d planned to head back to Da Nang for a train to Quy Nhon on 22nd March 2020. By that time, we’d made a decision to work out how we could stay longer to wait and see what would happen. We knew flights were being cancelled and people were getting stuck in airports. It seemed a pretty bad time to travel. We opted to extend our stay in Hoi An and chose a month at CIC Boutique Villa Hoi An. Then moved out to An Bang Beach for another six weeks.

Here’s what we would’ve done (and still need to do) if we had continued as planned:

A friend of mine recommended Quy Nhon as a more authentic location compared with Nha Trang. We had no plans for this stop, just hang out on the beach for six nights and possibly write some blog content.

Why Quy Nhon is perfect for families:

• Less touristy than Nha Trang - more authentic Vietnamese experience
• Beautiful beaches with calm waters perfect for families
• Great seafood and local cuisine
• Relaxed pace - perfect for unwinding after busy weeks
• Cultural sites - ancient Cham towers and historical landmarks
• Affordable accommodation - great value for families

Family Activities in Quy Nhon:

• Ky Co Beach - stunning white sand beach with pristine waters
• Eo Gio - dramatic coastal cliffs and rock formations with stunning views
• Bai Xep Beach - quiet, family-friendly beach with calm waters
• Thap Doi Cham Towers - ancient Cham architecture
• Quy Nhon Market - local food and shopping for authentic Vietnamese culture
• Hon Kho Island - day trip to beautiful island

Da Lat (Days 25-30)

We keep hearing why Da Lat is amazing for families:

• Cool mountain climate - relief from Vietnam’s heat
• Beautiful scenery - lakes, waterfalls, and flower gardens
• Family-friendly activities - cable cars, gardens, and outdoor adventures
• Unique architecture - French colonial buildings and quirky “Crazy House”

Family Activities in Da Lat:

• Cable Car to Robin Hill - stunning views and fun for kids
• Datanla Waterfall - easy hiking with beautiful waterfall
• Valley of Love - beautiful gardens and lake activities
• Crazy House (Hang Nga Guesthouse) - unique, maze-like architecture kids love
• Flower Gardens - colorful and fragrant gardens
• Elephant Waterfall - impressive waterfall with easy access

Return to Ho Chi Minh City (Days 31-32)

To wrap up our one month Vietnam family travel itinerary, we planned to fly back to Ho Chi Minh on the 2nd April as our one month e-visas ended on 4th April, 2020.

In our final couple of days, we planned to travel back to Saigon, likely by rail and then planned to head overland to Cambodia. Instead, we remained in Vietnam until August 2021!

Transportation between cities:

• Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang: Flight (1.5 hours)
• Da Nang to Hoi An: Private car or bus (45 minutes)
• Hoi An to Quy Nhon: Train or bus (4-5 hours)
• Quy Nhon to Da Lat: Bus (6-7 hours) or flight
• Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh City: Flight (1 hour) or bus (6-7 hours)

One Month Vietnam Family Travel Plan vs Reality: What Really Happened?

Covid-19 hit the world after only a week in Vietnam. We made the decision to stay and see the country during this different time. Here are some of our posts from Vietnam.