Vietnam from north to south: weather, pace and what to leave out

Three regions, three climates

The north – Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh and the mountains – has a real winter: December to February is often cool, grey and drizzly, and cold in the mountains. Summer is hot, humid and wet. The most pleasant months are usually October–November and March–April.

The central coast – Hue, Hoi An, Da Nang – runs the other way: from about February or March to August it's generally dry and increasingly hot, while September to December brings rain, typhoons and sometimes floods; Hoi An's old town regularly floods in heavy rain.

The south – Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta – is warm all year. The dry season usually runs from December to April, while May to November brings frequent short, heavy afternoon downpours, which disrupt travel less than you'd expect.

The north: karsts, mountains and Hanoi's streets

Hanoi is more than a starting point. The old-quarter lanes are best at dawn, when older residents exercise by Hoan Kiem Lake, and in the evening it's worth following the smells of street food: bun cha, pho, egg coffee. From here, the two classic trips. In Ha Long and the quieter Lan Ha Bay it's worth spending a night on board, because a day trip there and back spends most of its time on the road. Ninh Binh's limestone karsts rise from rice fields, with rowing boats slipping through caves – Ha Long on land – and it deserves at least two nights.

Further north are the mountains. Sapa is known for its rice terraces but is also the most visited; the far-northern Ha Giang region, with its passes and ethnic-minority markets, is wilder but needs several days and long hours on winding roads. It's a direction for a second trip or for three weeks, not the first two.

The centre: emperors, lanterns and the sea

Hue, capital of Vietnam's last dynasty, is slower and quieter than its famous neighbour: a citadel laced with moats and lotus ponds, royal tombs along the river and a spicier food of its own. From Hue to Hoi An, take the Hai Van Pass rather than the tunnel road: it winds above the sea, and on a clear day it's one of the loveliest hours of the trip.

Hoi An is an old trading port of yellow houses, tailors' workshops and lanterns over the river. It can be very busy by day, so it's worth staying among the rice fields or by the sea and coming into the old town early or in the evening. Cycling through the fields to the beach, a cooking class, a day by the sea: Hoi An is a place to stop, not just pass through.

In Vietnam, the best part of the trip is often the one you give an extra night.

The south: the city, the delta and the road to Angkor

Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many, is Vietnam's fastest, most modern face: cafés in old French-era buildings, markets, and museums that tell the story of the war without softening it. After a couple of days, head into the Mekong Delta – not on a day trip, but for two nights among canals, orchards and floating markets, where fruit and vegetables change hands from boats in the morning.

This is also where Cambodia opens up as a natural continuation. From the delta you can travel upriver to Phnom Penh, then on to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor. The route links two countries without backtracking, and is a fine alternative to the north for those who have been to Vietnam before or want a different rhythm.

How long, and how to get around

For two weeks we'd suggest choosing two regions out of three. North and centre is the classic first-trip pairing: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, a night on the bay, Hue and Hoi An. Centre and south with Cambodia makes a different, warmer journey. All three regions, unhurried, need about three weeks.

The longest distances – Hanoi to Hue, or Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City – are best covered by domestic flight, an hour or so in the air instead of a whole day on the ground. The overnight train on the North–South railway has its romance and suits those who want to feel the scale of the country, but the full length takes more than a day. Shorter stretches are best by car with a driver, so you can stop where it's worth stopping.

Three kitchens in one country

Travelling from north to south, the plate changes as much as the weather. Hanoi's cooking is restrained and clear: pho, broth simmered for hours, bun cha with herbs, fish with dill and turmeric. In Hue, the old imperial capital, dishes are spicier and more delicate – small plates of rice-flour cakes once made for the palace kitchen. In Hoi An there's cao lau, whose true flavour is said to depend on water from a local well. The south is sweeter, more abundant and greener: Mekong fruit, coconut, fish sauces and a pile of fresh herbs with every dish.

So an evening food walk with a guide in each region isn't a tourist diversion; it's one of the best ways to understand how Vietnam's north, centre and south differ.

What to leave out

• A day trip to Ha Long from Hanoi – a night on board, or Ninh Binh, is better.
• Sapa or Ha Giang 'for just one night' on a two-week trip – mountains need time.
• The beach resorts between Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City, unless you've planned rest days – they deserve their own part of the trip, not a stopover.
• The Mekong Delta as a day trip – two nights, or leave it out.
• Trying to see all three regions in ten days.

Vietnam rewards those who let it be different in every region and don't try to take it all in at once. Tell us when you can travel, how much time you have and what draws you most – food, history, mountains or water. Together we'll decide which regions to choose this time, and which to keep for the next.