Vietnam runs more than 1,600 kilometers north to south, and that shape drives both the classic itinerary and its complications. Hanoi and the northern highlands, the central coast, and Ho Chi Minh City with the Mekong Delta each have distinct food, architecture and weather — and the country has no single dry season shared by all three.
The guides here cover Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Vietnam overall. Most trips move along the country by domestic flight or overnight train rather than by road. Because regional climates are offset, checking conditions for each stop separately is more useful than picking one nationwide season, and coastal weather in the center can differ sharply from the north in the same week.