Banh mi and beyond in Vietnam

Pho-llow this two week itinerary for Vietnam’s highlights and best eats

If you’re a self-proclaimed foodie (*raises hand*), your travel bucket list will never be complete without a trip to Vietnam. Some of the most delicious, fresh meals you’ll ever eat can be enjoyed for less than $4 from the kind of plastic chair you probably sat in during kindergarten. And there’s never enough time to try it all – how…Hanoing. Beyond the incredible food, there’s also a ton of history and beautiful scenery. Vietnam War sites and a trip to Vietnam’s Phú Quốc island should also be on your list!

Vietnam Itinerary Overview

Days 1 – 3: Hanoi

Days 4 – 10: Phú Quốc

Days 11 – 16: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Note: there are plenty of other great cities to visit in Vietnam, but we combined this trip with stops in Thailand and Singapore and were running out of time. If I ever get the chance to go back, I would also visit Hội An, Hue, and Dalat.

Day 1: Hanoi

Stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Hanoi: It’s probably not shocking that we stayed at another Hilton property, but this one was very centrally located and only a four-minute walk from a must-not-miss restaurant, Bún Chả Hương Liên.

Dinner at Bún Chả Hương Liên: We arrived in Hanoi at dinner time, and we were starving. Being a “Parts Unknown” fan, I knew our first stop had to be Bún Chả Hương Liên. Bún chả is a Hanoi specialty that includes charcoal-grilled pork, rice noodles, and all the fresh herbs. Bún Chả Hương Liên is even more well known because Anthony Bourdain and President Obama shared a meal together here! You can even ask for Obama’s exact order (we did) and sit by the table they sat at (we also did). The best part? The total bill was 210.000 dong, or roughly $8 USD.

Day 2: Hanoi

Hanoi Old Quarter Walking Tour: By now, you know that walking tours with a local are one of my favorite ways to explore a new city and learn the history. This one covered the Old Quarter, Ancient House, Long Bien Bridge, Dong Xuan Market, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, and the Hoa Lo Prison. Admission to the prison wasn’t included, so we decided to return later for the full tour.

Lunch at Banh Mi 25: If I had to eat one sandwich for the rest of my life, it would be a banh mi. And the sammies at Banh Mi 25 were among my favorite from the trip. Watch out for copycats of this restaurant though – the original one is at No 25 Hang Ca street in the Hoan Kiem District.

Tour the Hoa Lo Prison (“Hanoi Hilton”): The Hoa Lo Prison is one of Hanoi’s top attractions. Known as the “Hanoi Hilton” by American prisoners of war during the Vietnam War, Hoa Lo began as a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners. Despite its nickname, Hoa Lo had incredibly inhumane conditions where prisoners (including US Senator John McCain) faced torture and solitary confinement. Today, you can take a full tour of the prison and read about the Vietnamese perspective on the treatment of prisoners.

Catch a performance at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater: The Thang Long Water Puppet performance is a unique Vietnamese artistic form dating back to the 11th century where puppets dance and seemingly walk on water. Performed in a waist-deep pool of water, the puppets are carved wooden figures operated by puppeteers behind a small screen. The theater is easy to get to when in the Old Quarter, near the lake, and the show is inexpensive and runs a few times a day.

Cocktails at Polite & Co: A great little cocktail bar with unique decor. It offers a cool selection of cocktails and is a great place to wind down after walking around the Old Quarter. When we went just weeks before COVID spread, they had a special virus-themed menu.

Dinner at Cau Go: Cau Go is right down the street from the Thang Long Theater, and the dishes here were very much old-style Vietnamese – no bells and whistles or fusion funny business. If you need a break from street stalls but still want more Vietnamese food, we enjoyed yummy pork steamed in coconut, fried tofu with lemongrass, and shrimp in chili sauce here.

Day 3: Hanoi

Do some self-guided sightseeing: We decided to hit a few more sights that weren’t covered in the walking tour on our own. We walked by the Imperial Citadel, the Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple, and the American War Memorial while on our way to visit Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. You aren’t missing huge attractions if you don’t visit these, but they’re worth checking out if you’re on your way.

Visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum: The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum houses the embalmed body of former Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh, the famous leader who led Vietnam’s fight for independence from French rule. Note there are very strict rules (no cameras, no lingering around the body, and no smiling)!

Lunch at Chả Cá Than Long (also known as Chả Cá Lã Vọng): For lunch, I wanted to check off another Vietnamese dish from my list: chả cá, Hanoi’s famous fried fish with turmeric and dill. The fish comes with rice noodles, peanuts, fresh dill, toasted sesame crackers, and a fermented shrimp dipping sauce. It’s served deconstructed, so it’s best enjoyed with a group for a more entertaining, DIY experience.

Visit the Vietnam Military History Museum: If you’re interested in military history, a visit to the Vietnam Military History Museum is a must. There are multiple buildings on the complex, each showcasing a different era of Vietnamese military history. There’s also a large collection of decommissioned, captured or destroyed military equipment and vehicles used by French, Viet Minh, North Vietnam, South Vietnam and the United States. A warning: the explanations / translations in English are spotty at best, so this is definitely more of a visual experience.

Dinner at Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn: Phở Gia Truyền, which loosely translates to family heirloom pho, is the most well-known pho restaurant in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Because its the most popular eatery on Bát Đàn street, it’s often also referred to as “Phở Bát Đàn.” The pho here is absolutely delicious and 100% worth the the noise, lack of seats, and long line.

Days 4 – 9: Phú Quốc

Normally, I am not a lay-on-the-beach-and-do-nothing type of traveler. But by this point in our larger Southeast Asia tour, I was exhausted and ready for a little break. Phú Quốc – Vietnam’s largest island in the Gulf of Thailand known for its beautiful beaches, pearl farms, and national parks – was the perfect place to unwind. We flew Vietnam Airlines from Hanoi to Phú Quốc for about $84 USD per person.

Stay at JW Marriott Phú Quốc Emerald Bay Resort and Spa: There’s no exaggeration when I say that this is my favorite hotel / resort that I have stayed in. Ever. Of all time.

The property’s concept is the work of famous hotel designer Bill Bensley. Bensley created an elaborate story of a former university-turned-hotel, complete with all sorts of characters and events that tie in with the island’s real history of French colonialism. On our tour of the hotel (aka Lamarck University), I found the theme to be so consistent and believable that I found myself thinking “is this part real or made up?” more than a few times.

The hotel sits on one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen, and in the rare event I found myself in need of a change of scenery, the hotel’s famous shell pool was even more lovely than the photos. The food and beverage offerings were also delicious and, since my partner has status with Marriott, we were upgraded to the Turquoise Suite (what a dream).

Explore the Phú Quốc Night Market: While the dinner options on the resort were certainly delicious, we spent more nights wandering around the sea food stalls of the Phú Quốc Night Market! The stalls start selling at about 3:00 – 4:00 PM, but the market really becomes vibrant starting at 8:00 PM. The market has more than 100 stalls divided into two zones, one for food stalls and local carts that sell seafood and other specialties (fish sauce, dried seafood) and one for souvenirs. Most resorts on the island offer guests a free shuttle to and from the market!

Suoi Tranh Waterfall: The most popular as well as one of the prettiest waterfalls to visit on the island! It’s about a 20-minute walk from the entrance of the Suoi Tranh Eco Park.

Tour a fish sauce factory: Something we didn’t get the chance to do and regret not doing is touring a fish sauce factory. Fun fact: Phú Quốc is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of fish sauce. If you turn over any bottle of fish sauce in the grocery store, odds are that it comes from Phú Quốc. There are a few fish sauce producers (listed here) that offer tours of their facilities. Might be a little smelly, but definitely interesting!

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City

Stay at Le Méridien Saigon: We flew Vietnam Airlines from Phú Quốc to Ho Chi Minh City and landed in the evening. Le Méridien Saigon was less than a 20 minute walk from many of the city’s highlights.

Dinner at Bánh Mì 37: Hard to find but well worth the visit! Instead of traditional pate and cold cuts, the banh mi’s here are stuffed with charcoal-grilled mini pork patties that are marinated in sweet soy sauce and garlic. It’s hidden in a tiny alley off Nguyen Trai Street, and I would recommend showing up to the alley entrance around 4:30 or 4:45 when the cart actually “opens.”

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City

Free City Tour in Saigon: Another great walking tour that covered all the highlights of Ho Chi Minh City, including Ben Thanh Market, Nguyen Hue Walking Street, the Opera House, Saigon Post Office, and Independence Palace.

Lunch at Bún Chả 145: Naturally, we had to compare Hanoi’s bún chả with Ho Chi Minh City’s. Hanoi’s won, but Bún Chả 145 was still delicious.

Dinner at Cục Gạch Quán: Full disclosure: the only reason I found out about this place is because Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt ate here on their Vietnam trip (hehe). It offers fine Vietnamese fare in a cozy setting that re-creates the French-colonial home of the owner’s grandmother. The menu is enormous (and slightly overwhelming) so we told our waiter what we liked and trusted our order to him. Still unsure of the exact dishes we got, but the deep-fried tofu was the standout.

Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City

Coffee in Tao Dan Park: No visit to Vietnam is complete with a Vietnamese coffee, and Tao Dan Park is the perfect place to enjoy it in the morning. There are a ton of coffee shops in the area, so we just picked one at random and got it to-go.

The War Remnants Museum: Once known as the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, the War Remnants Museum is one the most popular museums in Ho Chi Minh City. It houses several exhibitions of photographs, military equipment, and preserved remains that showcase the atrocities of the Vietnam War, particularly from the Vietnamese perspective.

Lunch at Banh Xeo 46A: Banh Xeo 46A is easily the most famous restaurant in Saigon to eat banh xeo, a crispy savory Vietnamese crepe, wrapped in herbs, stuffed with a mixture of pork, prawns and bean sprouts, and dipped in fish sauce (say that five times fast).

Explore Ben Thanh Market: Ben Thanh Market is one of the largest and oldest markets in Ho Chi Minh City, selling a wide variety of goods from fresh produce to souvenirs. Navigating the crowded aisles and haggling with the animated vendors is an essential experience!

Dinner at Le Corto: Since Vietnam is a former French colony, there’s still a strong French culinary influence in the city. As a quick break from Vietnamese street food, I wanted to check out one of the city’s iconic French restaurants. Le Corto’s chef is Cambodian-born Sakal Pheoung, who grew up in France’s Savoie. The menu reflects his dual heritage, with incredible dishes like pan-fried foie gras with port jus and mango or tofu parfait with salmon roe and micro-herbs grown in Dalat.

Day 14: Ho Chi Minh City

Take a Vietnamese cooking class: One of my favorite activities from Ho Chi Minh City was taking a Vietnamese cooking class. Make sure to book a multi-course class that also offers a market tour to get your ingredients. Since we went on a Saturday, our menu included goi cuon (fresh spring rolls with prawns and peanut dipping sauce), gỏi gà (green mango, pepper elder, and baby spinach salad with marinated chicken), and banh xeo (crisp rice flour pancake with pork and prawns).

Dinner at Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa: Another one of the city’s famous banh mi vendors! The banh mi here is massive, stacked with six types of Vietnamese-style cold cuts, as well as pate, chicken floss, and the usual vegetables, herbs, and seasonings (heads up that it also costs about 50 percent more than the average banh mi). It’s to-go only and you’ll inevitably have a decent wait but it’ll be worth every minute when you take that first bite.

Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City

Spend a day in the Mekong Delta: No trip to Vietnam is complete without a day trip to visit the Mekong Delta. We booked this private tour and had a great experience. We made a few quick stops at local markets along the way for fresh pineapple and juices for snacks. To say I envy their produce selections would be an understatement.

When we finally got to the river, we took a boat ride and spent the afternoon exploring some of the villages in the area, including tours of some local honey and candy producers.