Eating Vietnam from Hanoi to Saigon

Vietnam eats differently from north to south, and this ten-day route lets you taste each kitchen where it began. Plan one big meal and one light tasting a day, and rest between. That is how you still enjoy dinner on Day 9.

Who is this route for?

It suits people who plan a holiday around meals, from first-timers to return visitors. It also suits friends who want to share plates and compare notes.

Hanoi is served from Kuala Lumpur by AirAsia, Batik Air Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines and VietJet Air¹. You can fly home from Ho Chi Minh City, listed with Malaysia Airlines, VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines and AirAsia².

The route at a glance

• Days 1 to 3: Hanoi, for noodle soups, grilled dishes and coffee.
• Days 4 and 5: Hue, for small royal plates.
• Days 6 to 8: Hoi An, for its signature local dishes.
• Days 9 and 10: Ho Chi Minh City, for variety and late nights, then fly home.

What should you eat in each city?

Hanoi

The north favours clear broths, subtle seasoning and fresh herbs. Look for:

• Beef noodle soup (pho): also in chicken versions.
• Grilled pork with noodles (bun cha): leans on pork; a poor choice if you avoid it.
• Rice rolls (banh cuon): thin steamed sheets, sometimes with a pork filling, so ask.
• Egg coffee: a sweet, thick coffee, best as a small treat.
• Fresh spring rolls with herbs: easy to order pork-free.

Hue

Hue’s food is small, delicate and spicy. Look for:

• Spicy beef noodle soup (bun bo Hue): a bold broth with beef and, in some bowls, pork.
• Steamed rice cakes (banh beo): small dishes eaten in sets.
• Savoury rice dumplings: with shrimp or pork, so ask.
• Vegetarian royal dishes: a gentle option near the temples.

Hoi An

Hoi An has a short list of dishes it does well. Look for:

• Cao lau: thick noodles with herbs and, traditionally, pork.
• White rose dumplings: delicate shrimp dumplings.
• Chicken rice: a simple, safe choice for families.
• Banh mi: a baguette sandwich that can be made with chicken or egg.

Ho Chi Minh City

The south is sweeter, more varied and open late. Look for:

• Broken rice (com tam): served with grilled pork; ask for chicken or egg.
• Crispy pancakes (banh xeo): with prawns or beef.
• Southern-style noodle soups: plenty of choices, including seafood.
• Fresh fruit and sugarcane juice: a cooling break between meals.

Day by day

Days 1 to 3: Hanoi

Go early for your first bowl, as soup is best fresh. Hanoi’s hottest month is July, with a mean of 29.2 C³, so rest through midday. Visit the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, whose central sector was inscribed in 2010⁴, between meals to burn off breakfast.

For prayer or a halal anchor, Al-Noor Mosque on Hang Luoc Street holds about 200 people⁵. Confirm prayer times with the mosque.

Days 4 and 5: Hue

Hue was established as capital in 1802⁶. That royal past shaped its small, refined dishes.

Reach Hue on Day 4 by a domestic flight, or by train or car from Da Nang. If you drive from Da Nang, the Hai Van tunnel opened in 2005 and is 6.28 km long⁷.

Spend Day 5 at the market and the Imperial City, with a long lunch.

Days 6 to 8: Hoi An

Hoi An Ancient Town joined the World Heritage List in 1999⁸. Eat the signature dishes in the morning and at lunch, then rest. On Day 7, take a cooking class or a market walk. Day 8 can be a slow day by the beach before you fly south.

Days 9 and 10: Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City has a tropical savanna climate, with a rainy season roughly May to November and a dry season from December to April⁹. Eat late here, when the street food comes alive. Saigon Central Mosque, completed in 1935¹⁰, is useful as an anchor for prayer.

How do you pace the meals?

Plan one big meal and one light one. Walk between meals, drink water and skip dessert when you are full. Share plates so you taste more. Leave the evening before a travel day light.

Where should you base yourself?

Choose areas, not hotel names.

• Hanoi: the Old Quarter, for walkable food.
• Hue: the river side, near the citadel.
• Hoi An: close to the old town.
• Ho Chi Minh City: the central district.

How can you adjust it?

For eight days, drop one night each in Hanoi and Hoi An. For more time, add a Mekong day for fruit and river markets. Our South Vietnam for food lovers guide helps with that.

What should you book ahead?

• Flights, and the legs between cities.
• A cooking class in Hoi An, at least a few days ahead.
• Halal or pork-free meals, checked with the meal and prayer checks guide.

What will it cost?

Price it in lines: flights, internal flights, four bases, a car, meals and classes. Prices change by season, so put current quotes in the trip budget builder. Browse more itineraries, and open Hanoi, Hue and Hoi An for the stops.