Alright folks, today’s share comes straight from my own messy planning notebook – specifically, how I tackled fitting both Hanoi and Saigon into one trip without losing my mind or breaking the bank. Trust me, my first try was a total mess.
My starting point was pure frustration. Every travel guide and forum I checked treated Hanoi and Saigon like two completely different countries. Folks argued endlessly over which was “better,” forcing this impossible either/or choice. That just didn’t sit right with me. Both are massive parts of understanding Vietnam, right? So, I dug out my big map and calendar – old school style.
Tip 1 hit me when I was practically tearing my hair out over flight routes. I booked a cheap, late-night flight into Hanoi (HAN) as my starting point. After soaking up the history and street food chaos for a few days, I grabbed a domestic budget flight down to Saigon (SGN). But here’s the game-changer I discovered later: book the exit flight from Saigon back home. Why? Because flying out internationally from SGN was significantly cheaper than trying to loop back to Hanoi! I saved almost $200 USD just on that final leg because I wasn’t backtracking. Total lightbulb moment.
Tip 2 came from walking into a wall of humidity… literally. I landed in Hanoi early December thinking “it’s winter, how bad can it be?” Oh boy, Hanoi was chilly and grey. Packed sweaters. Jumped on my flight to Saigon 5 days later and walked out into… monsoon season. Muggy chaos! My carefully planned outfits were useless. So my hard-won advice? Forced myself to check the damn weather patterns separately for North (Hanoi) and South (Saigon) before stuffing my bag. Packed light layers for Hanoi and threw in extra quick-dry clothes for Saigon’s sweatbox reality. Simple, but saved me from sweating through everything on day one in the south.
Tip 3 was born from sheer cultural whiplash. Standing in Hanoi’s ancient, tree-lined French Quarter felt like stepping back centuries. Then 48 hours later, I’m dodging motorbikes in Saigon’s hyper-modern, neon-lit District 1. It was overwhelming! I almost retreated to my hotel for bubble baths. Instead, I scribbled a quick list each morning: Just pick one big Hanoi vibe (like wandering the Old Quarter alleys) and one big Saigon vibe (like chilling at a rooftop bar watching the insane traffic below). Trying to “do it all” in either city was exhausting and blurry. Focus on one distinct flavour per city each day. Made the switch between them feel exciting, not exhausting.
The result? Felt like I actually experienced the real Vietnam by seeing both ends. Dodged massive backtracking costs, packed like a (somewhat) sane person, and managed the brain shift without collapsing. Learned more from that messy attempt than any “perfect” single-city plan. Anyone thinking of going? Force these cities together!
