Vietnam in 7 Days: A Focused Food Trip

Seven days is tight for Vietnam (베트남 / 越南 / ベトナム), but if you cut the beach days and commit to eating as the main activity, you can cover the three most distinct regional cuisines the country has to offer. This itinerary is Hanoi (3 nights) → Hoi An (1 day, overnight) → Saigon (3 nights). Fly between legs — no overnight trains on a trip this short.

Day 1 — Landing in Hanoi, Getting Your Bearings

Fly into Noi Bai. A metered taxi to the Old Quarter runs around 250,000–300,000 VND. Don't overthink where to stay — pick anything inside or directly adjacent to the Old Quarter so you can walk to breakfast.

Your first meal in Vietnam should be "pho". Go to Pho Bat Dan on Bat Dan Street. It opens at 6am and is cash-only, no English menu, and the queue moves fast. A bowl is around 60,000 VND. You order at the window, find a seat, and the broth arrives within two minutes. It is lean, clear, and deeply savory — this is the northern style, no hoisin, no bean sprouts.

In the afternoon, walk the Old Quarter. Stop into a "ca phe sua da" shop on any side street. Iced milk coffee costs 20,000–30,000 VND from a street cart. If you are near Dinh Tien Hoang, the Old Quarter's egg coffee shops are within a ten-minute walk — "egg coffee" is worth having at least once, preferably in the late afternoon sitting by a window.

Dinner: "bun cha" at Bun Cha Huong Lien on Le Van Huu. This is the restaurant Anthony Bourdain brought Barack Obama to in 2016. The set is around 80,000–100,000 VND and comes with grilled pork patties, vermicelli, fresh herbs, and a sweet fish-sauce broth for dipping. Order a side of "cha gio (짜조 / 炸春卷 / チャーゾー)" to add to the broth.

Day 2 — Hanoi Deep Dive

Breakfast: "banh cuon (반꾸온 / 蒸米卷 / バインクオン)" at Banh Cuon Gia Truyen on Hang Ga. Steamed rice rolls filled with pork and wood-ear mushroom, topped with fried shallots. Around 45,000 VND. Eat early — it fills up by 8am.

Mid-morning, walk to Hoan Kiem Lake and then up to Dong Xuan Market. It's not a food market — it's wholesale textiles — but the surrounding streets have good "bun rieu (분지에우 / 蟹肉米粉汤 / ブンリュウ)" and "banh mi" stalls worth pausing at.

Lunch: "mi quang (미꽝 / 广南面 / ミークアン)" might feel out of place in Hanoi (it is a Central dish), but a few northern spots do it well. Save it for Hoi An instead.

Afternoon: visit the Temple of Literature. It's a short walk or cheap Grab from the Old Quarter, and it takes about an hour without rushing.

Dinner: stay near the Old Quarter and eat "nem chua (넴쭈어 / 酸肉肠 / ネムチュア)" as a drinking snack at a "bia hoi" corner — specifically the junction of Luong Ngoc Quyen and Ta Hien. Draft beer is 10,000–15,000 VND a glass.

Day 3 — Final Hanoi Morning, Fly to Da Nang

Eat "pho" or "banh mi (반미 / 越式法包 / バインミー)" for a fast breakfast before checkout. Book a morning flight on VietJet or Bamboo to Da Nang (roughly 800,000–1,200,000 VND one way, booked a week ahead). You land by midday and take a taxi straight to Hoi An — about 30 km, 350,000–400,000 VND by metered cab.

Photo by Vietnam Hidden Light on Pexels

Day 4 — Hoi An: One Day, Maximum Coverage

Hoi An (호이안 / 会安 / ホイアン) is small. You can walk the Ancient Town end to end in 20 minutes, which means you can eat across it efficiently.

Breakfast: "banh xeo" at Ba Le Well, down a narrow alley off Tran Hung Dao. The sizzling crepe with shrimp and pork comes with a mountain of herbs and rice paper for wrapping. Around 65,000 VND.

Lunch: "cao lau" is the dish you eat in Hoi An and nowhere else — the thick wheat noodles are made with water from a specific local well, and the texture does not travel. Order it at any of the stalls inside the covered market on Tran Phu. Expect to pay 40,000–55,000 VND.

Snack: "mi quang" from a street cart near the market. The turmeric-tinted noodles with pork, shrimp, and toasted sesame crackers cost about 35,000 VND.

Evening: walk the lantern-lit Old Town after 6pm, then catch a flight or early-morning flight the next day to Saigon.

Day 5 — Arriving in Saigon

Fly into Tan Son Nhat. Grab to District 1 costs around 150,000–200,000 VND. Check into anything near Ben Thanh Market or Bui Vien if you want central access.

Lunch, if you land by midday: "com tam" at Com Tam Thuan Kieu on Vo Van Tan. Broken rice with grilled pork chop, shredded pork skin, and a fried egg. It is the working lunch of Saigon and costs around 55,000–70,000 VND.

Dinner: "hu tieu" at a street-side cart in District 5 or District 6. The Saigon version is lighter than the southern Mekong style — clear pork broth, thin rice noodles, prawns, and liver. Around 50,000–60,000 VND.

Photo by Pham Huan on Pexels

Day 6 — Saigon Eating Circuit

Breakfast: "banh mi" from Banh Mi Huynh Hoa on Le Thi Rieng. The queue is always there; move fast, order a sandwich loaded with pate, cold cuts, and pickled daikon. Around 45,000 VND.

Mid-morning: "goi cuon" from any streetside vendor — fresh spring rolls with shrimp and pork, dipped in peanut sauce. Light enough to eat before lunch.

Lunch: "bun bo hue" at a specialist shop in District 3. The spicy beef and lemongrass broth is the thing Hue does better than anyone but Saigon shops carry it well. Around 60,000–75,000 VND.

Evening: Ben Thanh Market area for street food grazing and a final "ca phe sua da" at a sidewalk plastic-stool cafe.

Day 7 — Last Morning, Fly Out

Eat whatever you missed. If you skipped "banh canh" all week, now is the time — thick udon-like noodles in a rich crab or pork broth, widely available in Saigon's outer districts for around 45,000 VND. Then head to the airport.

Practical Notes

Total domestic flights: two (Hanoi → Da Nang, Da Nang → Saigon) — budget 1,600,000–2,400,000 VND round trip if booked early. Most dishes mentioned here cost under 80,000 VND; a full day of eating well rarely exceeds 400,000 VND if you stay off tourist-facing menus. Bring cash in small bills — street food vendors rarely make change for 500,000 VND notes.