Madison spent almost 2 weeks in Vietnam, one of the most underrated countries we've visited and here's a suggested itinerary! 

Vietnam Travel Guide

We stayed at the ICON Saigon, rooms were small, but it’s in a good area.

Vietnam Google Map to save

When we got in we went right to Bánh Mì Huynh Hoa which is said to be a top banh mi spot in town - you order it one way it’s 65,000 dong aka $2.74 and it comes piled high with maybe 7 kinds of pork, sliced meats, pate, pork floss, and a baggie of veggies on the side. Honestly, it scared me at first but it was FIRE so many flavors, the bread was so crispy crunchy on the french baguette and really special. 

Then here’s where it gets crazy, Bui Vien Walking Street is like nothing I’ve seen before. Tourist central and electric club after club with ladies dancing. Recommend going toward the end, sitting and having a drink while people watching. Be careful here with pickpocketers and children trying to sell you things.

Most hotels offer free breakfast so we enjoyed that then did a later brunch. Fun spot, P'Ti Sagion which is about ~$40 a person

All the malls in Asia have great food and some food courts so we love exploring them. This one had a Xing Fu Tang has a bunch of locations and they offer a mini bubble tea so grabbed one for $2.74.

Dinner was at Anan, Saigon which has been rated #1 in Veitnam and on the 100 best restaurants in Asia list multipe times. You can pre-order an $100 pho or banh mi but we liked the wagyu banh mi that's on the menu. You can do a $68 or $100 tasting or order a la carte.

We started the day exploring the Ben Thanh Market, you can get some designer bag knock offs but be sure to haggle, they offer a bunch of food stalls but we chose not to eat there since there were a lot of strong scents and we were trying to be careful.

Everything we ate in Saigon video!

We headed down the street to Pho 2000 that a follower recommended, nice inside and lots of recipes, it was solid for sure. We tried the pho, spring rolls, and donuts which are best served in your soup!

MAJOR REC!! XO Food Tours Motorbike tour and must do in Saigon

Yes, we were scared at first to go on the motorbike but it’s actually not so bad, it’s kind of peaceful yet hectic at the same time.

They take you to food spots that are local, you won’t be eating pho and banh mi but we tried 1. Beef noodle soup 2. Goat breast at an outdoor BBQ spot and 3. Seafood joint (Oc Oanh) with fresh crab, scallops and here is where I tried a Balut aka a fertilized duck embryo. 

It’s about ~$70 a person and goes from 5-10pm

XO Foor Tour Video

Da Nang is the place you fly into to go to Hoi An. It's a beach town with lots of seafood restaurants but can be cold and not too busy if it's not the middle of summer.

Restaurants in Da Nang (not the best food but here are options and they are saved on the map)

SunWorld at Ba Na Hills, what is it? = $35 per person to get up on gondola and enter

SunWorld in Ba Na Hills is one of the wackiest places we've been. It's an amusement park but reminds us of Epcot + Hogwarts + Jarrassic Park

-Mix between Epcot, Hogwarts, and Jurassic World or Disney Land in the Sky *must take gondola to get there

-Known for the Golden Bridge with massive hands

-Different areas with gardens, rides are on the top so you must take two gondolas to get here

-Food is meh but DO NOT BUY THE BUFFETS, $15 and just meh - we got bites around the park and try the vietnamese donuts

-How to get here: Grab for 40 minutes, driver will likely offer to wait for you

Headed to Hoi An from there which is about 45 minutes away

Dinner at the famous banh mi place Anthony Bourdain love, Banh Mi Phuong, it’s CHEAP ike $2 a sandwich → sit upstairs on the balcony 

Then we had 2nd dinner because we ate early, Vy's market is a cool food hall.

Explore the gate, night market, and get on a lantern boat if you'd like!

Headed to the beach, our hotel had bikes and it was a few kilometers away, a little scary but really pretty!

Get chairs ont he beach and then went to Soul Kitchen, it was fine but walked town to Thom’s Sourdough for a yogurt bowl and that was pretty

Dinner that night was Cao lầu Không Gian Xanh, which specializes in the signature fish Cao Lau which is noodles with lettuce, pork, wontons, and a little bit of broth - it was OK.

We liked the chicken noodle soup more and try white rose dumplings while in Hoi An

You will be close to many bars by the gate. We went to Wanderlust which was nice and had a yummy coconut coffee and live music. There's also some nearby Irish bars.

Next day we needed to try more banh mi at the Banh Mi Queen Madame Khanh, still a super cheap option but we like Banh Mi Phuong more

ICON Saigon - LifeStyle Design Hotel

Bánh Mì Huynh Hoa

Bui Vien Walking Street