Road diary

Day 1

The flight from Beijing to Hanoi takes about six hours. China Southern Airlines usually has special offers, but the plane arrives late at night.

Day 2

Visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, greet Chairman Ho (his embalmed body) in person. Take a motorbike taxi to St. Joseph Cathedral and take a walk in the Old Quarter.

Enjoying a water puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater near Hoan Kiem Lake is a must-do for tourists. The performance is recognized as a national treasure. Puppeteers, hidden backstage and standing in a pool of waist-high water expertly maneuver long sticks to make lacquered wooden marionettes move smartly across a shallow pool.

Take the open tour sleeper-bus to Hue.

Day 3

Visit the Royal Citadel, a World Heritage site, which was the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty between 1802 and 1945. Take a Perfume River tour and visit one or two tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Day 4

Take the open tour bus to Hoi An. Walk or take a trishaw tour in Hoi An Old Town, visiting several Chinese assembly halls, Japanese Covered Bridge, the Museum of Trading Ceramics, and hundreds of handicraft shops. Order a tailor-made dress or a pair of shoes, which can be made within a day.

Day 5

Sign up for a one-day tour of My Son ruins at any guesthouse. Built between the 4th and the 14th century, these Hindu temples, now a World Heritage site, are considered to be the "Angkor Wat of Vietnam". Choose the tour that returns by boat. Take the open tour sleeper-bus to Nha Trang.

Day 6

Walk along the beach and enjoy BBQ seafood. Have a cup of freshly squeezed sugarcane juice or iced coffee at Dam Market. Take a taxi to Thap Ba Hot Spring Center and have a mud bath there. Visit Po Nagar Cham Towers and Long Son Pagoda on the way back. Another option is to take a one-day tour to four islands.

Day 7

Take the open tour bus to Dalat. Visit Quang Trung Reservoir and Datanla Waterfall. Take a motorbike taxi to the Crazy House, a fairytale-styled guesthouse that was once voted as one of the world's 10 most "bizarre" buildings. Walk to Hoa Binh Square and enjoy the nightlife.

Day 8, 9

Take the open tour bus to Mui Ne. Hire a motorbike taxi to the sand dunes. Karting on the sand dunes and watching the sunset are the two must-dos.

Take the open tour bus to Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 10

Take a walk around the city, visit Mariamman Hindu Temple, Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral and the General Post Office. The War Remnants Museum recounts the Vietnam War. Buy some souvenirs at Ben Thanh Market and enjoy the nightlife in Pham Ngu Lao area.

Day 11 and Day 12

Sign up for a two-day tour to Mekong Delta at any guesthouse, which includes visits to a bee farm, a coconut candy workshop, a rice noodle workshop, a tropical fruit plantation and Cai Rang floating market. Get a glimpse of the traditional Vietnamese way of life.

Day 13

Take a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. Walk around and buy some souvenirs in the Old Quarter and Dong Xuan Market. The coconut candy and green bean cake are great snacks to try out.

Day 14

Take a flight from Hanoi to Beijing.