Vietnam in 10 Days: A Food-Only Itinerary

Ten days is enough time to eat seriously in Vietnam (베트남 / 越南 / ベトナム) — not to tick off every dish on a list, but to actually understand how differently the country cooks from one end to the other. This itinerary runs Hanoi to Saigon, with stops in Hue, Hoi An, and Da Nang. Flights connect the cities cheaply (budget 800,000–1,200,000 VND per leg on Vietjet or Bamboo). Pack light. Eat heavy.

Day 1–3 — Hanoi: The North's Quiet Precision

Hanoi (하노이 / 河内 / ハノイ) rewards patience. The food here is less aggressive than the south — lighter broths, less sugar, more restraint.

Day 1 starts before 7am. Walk to any corner of the Old Quarter and find a plastic-stool spot serving "pho". The broth in Hanoi pho is cleaner and less sweet than what you'll find later in Saigon (사이공 / 西贡 / サイゴン) — star anise and charred ginger, not a drop of hoisin unless you ask. Pho Thin on Lo Duc (around 60,000 VND a bowl) is the classic reference point.

Day 2 is for "bun cha (분짜 / 烤肉米粉 / ブンチャー)" at lunch. This is the dish Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain made famous when they sat down at Bun cha Huong Lien in 2016 — and yes, the restaurant still draws a crowd because of it. Grilled pork patties in a light dipping broth, rice vermicelli on the side, a plate of raw herbs. Order "nem chua ran" (fried fermented pork rolls) as a side. Around 50,000–70,000 VND per person.

For dinner, find a "banh cuon (반꾸온 / 蒸米卷 / バインクオン)" stall — steamed rice rolls filled with minced pork and wood-ear mushroom, topped with fried shallots and a thin dipping sauce. It's a breakfast food technically, but no one will stop you eating it at night.

End day 2 with "egg coffee (에그커피 / 蛋咖啡 / エッグコーヒー)" at Cafe Giang on Nguyen Huu Huan. It's thick, sweet, and slightly absurd in the best way — whipped egg yolk beaten with condensed milk over strong drip coffee.

Day 3 — spend the morning at Dong Xuan Market eating "bun rieu (분지에우 / 蟹肉米粉汤 / ブンリュウ)" (crab and tomato noodle soup) from one of the stalls on the ground floor, then use the afternoon to snack through the Old Quarter. "Banh mi" here is decent but not the form's peak — save your enthusiasm for Hoi An.

Day 4 — Hue: Everything Comes with a Story

Hue (후에 / 顺化 / フエ) cooking is ceremonial. Even the street food has layers. One day isn't enough, but it's enough to understand what you're missing.

Breakfast: "bun bo Hue" — the dish that makes a strong case for being Vietnam's most complex noodle soup. Thick round noodles, lemongrass-forward beef broth with a faint shrimp paste funk, cubes of congealed blood, sliced pork hock. Find it on Nguyen Chi Thanh street from about 40,000 VND.

Lunch: "banh xeo" — the Hue version is smaller and crispier than the southern style, wrapped in rice paper and fresh herbs before you eat it. Follow it with "banh canh cua" (thick udon-like noodles in crab broth) if you have room.

Evening: walk the area near the Imperial Citadel and find a vendor selling "nem chua" — Hue's fermented pork is tangier than the northern version, wrapped in banana leaf. Eat it with a beer.

Photo by Pragyan Bezbaruah on Pexels

Day 5–6 — Hoi An: Where Banh Mi Peaks

Hoi An has two signature dishes that belong specifically to this town and nowhere else.

Day 5: "cao lau" for lunch — thick chewy noodles with char-grilled pork, bean sprouts, and crispy croutons made from the same dough. The noodles are traditionally made with water from a specific local well, which sounds like tourism myth until you eat it somewhere else and notice the difference. Find it at any of the market stalls inside Hoi An Central Market for around 35,000–50,000 VND.

For "banh mi", Phuong is the name everyone says — and the hype is mostly deserved. The bread shatters when you bite it. The pate-to-filling ratio is calibrated. Around 35,000 VND. Go before 11am or queue.

Day 6: "mi quang" — turmeric-tinted noodles with shrimp, pork, peanuts, and just enough broth to coat everything. It's not a soup; it's closer to a dressed noodle salad. Eat it with the stack of fresh herbs and rice crackers that come with it.

Spend the evening eating "goi cuon" (fresh spring rolls with shrimp and pork) and drinking "bia hoi" if you want to keep it cheap, or order a white rose dumpling from one of the sit-down restaurants if you want to eat something uniquely Hoi An.

Day 7 — Da Nang: One Day, Eat Fast

Da Nang is a city people pass through, but its food scene is underrated. Focus on "banh xeo" — the central Vietnamese version here is larger than Hue's and served with a mountain of herbs and a fermented soybean dipping sauce. Quan Bao on Hoang Dieu is a reliable address.

For lunch, find "mi quang" again — the Da Nang version runs slightly different from Hoi An's, with more broth and sometimes quail eggs. Good for comparison.

Photo by Vuong on Pexels

Day 8–10 — Saigon: Volume and Variety

Saigon doesn't slow down for meals. Everything is louder, sweeter, and faster.

Day 8: "com tam" for breakfast — broken rice with grilled pork chop, a fried egg, shredded pork skin, and a small bowl of broth on the side. This is the city's default morning plate. Any sidewalk stall around Districts 1 or 3, 40,000–60,000 VND.

Day 9: spend the morning eating "hu tieu" — a southern noodle soup with cleaner, sweeter broth than pho, often served dry (ask for "kho") with the broth on the side. Follow with "banh canh" (thick tapioca noodles in crab or pork broth) in the afternoon.

For coffee, "ca phe sua da" — iced coffee with condensed milk — is the standard. Strong, sweet, slow to finish. Drink it at a sidewalk plastic chair like everyone else.

Day 10: morning at Ben Thanh Market for "cha gio" (deep-fried spring rolls) and a last bowl of pho before departure. Southern pho is sweeter and served with bean sprouts and fresh basil — different from Hanoi's, not lesser.

Practical Notes

Budget 200,000–400,000 VND per day on food if you're eating mostly street-level — you can eat extraordinarily well at that number. Domestic flights between cities run 800,000–1,500,000 VND booked a week or more ahead. Carry cash; most street stalls don't take cards.