Getting there & around

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Where to land

Our shortlist leans north (Ha Giang, Sapa, Pu Luong, Ninh Binh, Cat Ba) with a central stretch (Phong Nha, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Quy Nhon). The clean way to do it without backtracking:

Fly into Hanoi (HAN) — gateway to the whole north.
Travel south through the trip.
Fly out of Da Nang (DAD) or Ho Chi Minh City (SGN).

Book it as a multi-city ticket — fly into one city, fly out of another. A single-entry e-visa is fine; you only leave Vietnam once, at the end.

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On arrival — visa & check-in

Indians need a visa; the easy route is the e-visa from the official portal evisa.gov.vn.

Valid up to 90 days — single entry $25 (~₹2,100), multiple $50.
Processed in 3–5 working days; apply 10+ days before flying.
Passport valid 6+ months, 2 blank pages. Works at Hanoi, Da Nang & HCMC airports.

At the airport: clear immigration with the printed e-visa, grab cash/withdraw VND, then take a Grab or airport taxi to the first hotel. Keep the first night near the city centre (Hanoi Old Quarter) to recover from the flight.

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Flying from India

Direct flights run about 4.5–5 hours (~3,100 km). From Bengaluru, Vietjet flies direct to Hanoi, HCMC and Da Nang; Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata add Air India, IndiGo and Vietnam Airlines non-stops. Round-trip economy is typically ₹18,000–30,000 depending on city, season and how early you book.

From	Direct to	Airlines (direct)	~ Round trip
Bengaluru (BLR)	Hanoi, HCMC, Da Nang	Vietjet (+ connecting IndiGo/AirAsia)	₹18k–30k
Delhi (DEL)	Hanoi, HCMC	Air India, IndiGo, Vietjet, Vietnam Airlines	₹18k–28k
Mumbai (BOM)	Hanoi, HCMC	Air India, IndiGo, Vietjet	₹19k–30k
Chennai (MAA)	HCMC (seasonal direct), most via 1-stop	Vietjet (seasonal), IndiGo / AirAsia (via BKK / KL)	₹19k–32k
Kolkata (CCU)	Hanoi, HCMC	IndiGo, Vietjet	₹17k–27k

Cheapest fares are usually 1-stop (via Bangkok/KL/Singapore) but add 3–6 hrs. For your group, lock dates early — fares climb close to departure.

Your best-case route

Pick the cities you're most likely to fly in and out from.

Flying in from

Exiting via

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Getting around — distances & times

Vietnam is long and thin — about 1,650 km top to bottom, so you cover ground with a mix of short domestic flights, the odd overnight train/bus, and private cars for the mountains. Rough legs between our shortlisted places:

Leg	Best way	~ Time
Hanoi → Ninh Binh	Train / car (~95 km)	2 hrs
Hanoi → Pu Luong	Private car (~160 km)	3.5–4 hrs
Hanoi → Cat Ba / Lan Ha	Car + ferry	3–4 hrs
Hanoi → Sapa	Expressway bus / night train	5–6 hrs
Hanoi → Ha Giang	Sleeper bus / car (~300 km)	6–7 hrs
Ha Giang loop	Motorbike / easy-rider (~350 km)	3–4 days
Hanoi → Phong Nha	Flight to Dong Hoi + 45 min, or night train	2–3 hrs (fly)
Phong Nha → Hue	Car / train (~210 km)	4–4.5 hrs
Hue → Da Nang	Car over Hai Van Pass / scenic train	2–2.5 hrs
Da Nang ↔ Hoi An	Car / Grab (~30 km)	45 min
Da Nang → Quy Nhon	Short flight / car (~300 km)	1 hr (fly)
Hanoi → Da Nang	Domestic flight (~760 km)	1.5 hrs

Rule of thumb: anything over ~6 hrs by road, fly it. Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Bamboo & Pacific connect Hanoi, Da Nang, HCMC and smaller airports (Dong Hoi for Phong Nha, Quy Nhon) cheaply.

Soon A detailed page on distances & times — per-leg costs, scenic-vs-fast options, where to book each mode — is in progress. Coming next phase.