The entry point into Vietnam from Laos — the start of a long north-south (then back north) route that ended up covering most of the country's length.
The old imperial capital, reached heading south from Vinh — citadel, tombs, and the Perfume River.
A coastal stop between Hue and Hoi An — the Marble Mountains and China Beach are both right here.
The ancient trading port town, lantern-lit old quarter — usually the single most photographed stop on any Vietnam route, and this one was no exception.
The capital, visited more than once on this loop — a base for the run north to Sa Pa and Cat Ba Island, and the city the trip finally departed from on 20 January.
Deep in the northern mountains near the Chinese border — terraced rice fields and the trip's furthest point from the coast.
The largest island in Ha Long Bay's archipelago, and the last real stop before returning to Hanoi to fly out on 20 January.
February–May for the center is (Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An) avoiding the September–November typhoon season; the north (Hanoi, Sa Pa) is better cool and dry, October–April. This trip ran January, a reasonable window for both halves of the route.
Dong Hoi — Nhat Le Beach, and the region's two headline caves: Phong Nha Cave and Thiên Đường (Paradise) Cave, both inside the Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng UNESCO World Heritage Site. Not a party town — most things shut by 8pm. A real friendship made here, with a local named Taqi, including a memorable ride together.
Hue — the Imperial Citadel, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, dating to 1993's inscription. Traveled this stretch with a fellow traveler, Jens.
Da Nang — the Cham Sculpture Museum (Đà Nẵng Museum of Cham Sculpture), the first stop after arriving.
Hoi An — the Ancient Town, a well-preserved Southeast Asian trading port, plus My Son Sanctuary, another UNESCO World Heritage Site nearby.
Hanoi — including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, a name inseparable from the country itself.
Sa Pa — a mountain-region stay at "Ms Hoàng Diệu's place," described warmly as a highlight of the hospitality on this leg.
Cat Ba Island & Halong Bay — Ngự Lâm Peak (the island's highest point), Trung Trang Cave, and a boat stay in Halong Bay itself, complete with the "descending dragon" legend the bay is named for.
An overland bus across the Laos-Vietnam border, rather than flying the gap — the kind of route that gets called "an amazing journey" afterward specifically because it wasn't the easy option. Landing near Vinh in Nghệ An province put the border crossing itself right at the start of the whole Vietnam leg, before Hue, Da Nang, or Hanoi were even on the horizon — the first impression of the country came through a bus window, not an airport arrivals hall.
How much ground got covered without a single domestic flight. Vinh to Quảng Bình to Hue to Da Nang to Hoi An, then all the way north to Hanoi, Sa Pa, and Cat Ba Island — the entire spine of the country, done overland and by local transport (Grab rides through two provinces, buses, trains), bookended by one land border crossing on one end and a flight home from Hanoi on the other. Vietnam has an unusually long, narrow shape, and this route treated the whole length of it as one continuous corridor rather than a series of flights between highlights.
The approval process here bounced back once requesting more information — build in buffer time, you can't cross until it clears.
The $50 multiple-entry option wasn't needed for a route like this one.
One less thing to remember once the visa admin is already open on your screen.