14 days Thailand and Vietnam: first-timer city itinerary
Two Thai cities, one Vietnam city. The BKK to SGN hop is about 90 minutes if you route south; HAN is a different ticket. Do not add Phuket on this first dual-country trip.
Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and one Vietnam capital make the first dual-country trip. Sleep four nights in Bangkok on Sukhumvit so the old-city river temples get a full morning. File the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC).
Fly to Chiang Mai in about 70 to 75 minutes. Four nights. Then hop to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh (about 90 minutes BKK to SGN if you route via Bangkok). Book the international hop on Trip.com or with your airline. Vietnam notes sit on Hanoi on Vietnam TravelGuide.
Day by day
1 Bangkok tickets
Palace 500 THB, Wat Pho 300 THB, Wat Arun 200 THB plus 5 THB ferry.
2 Market night
Chatuchak or Or Tor Kor, then Yaowarat.
3 City buffer
Jim Thompson or a canal hour.
4 Fly Chiang Mai
About 70 to 75 minutes.
5 Doi Suthep 07:00
30 THB plus songthaew 60 to 100 THB.
6 Sanctuary or Mae Rim
Named ethical half-day or terraces.
7 CM buffer
Pack. Confirm official Vietnam entry.
8 Hop to one Vietnam city
Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh. About 90 minutes if you use BKK to SGN.
9 City day one
Walk Hoan Kiem Lake or District 1. Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
10 City day two
Food and one ticketed hall.
11 Day trip
Pick one: a Ha Long Bay cruise, a ruins day, or a Mekong Delta trip.
12 Buffer
Laundry. Confirm the long-haul.
13 Second buffer or museum
Keep the last full day light.
14 Exit
Do not add a same-day third country.
Two Thai cities, one Vietnam capital
Pick Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh, not both, on a first 14. For coasts see the 16-day page. Official entry steps beat any blog summary.
| Block | Sleep | Move |
|---|---|---|
| Nights 1 to 4 | Bangkok | BTS 17 to 62 THB |
| Nights 5 to 8 | Chiang Mai | 70 to 75 minutes |
| Nights 9 to 13 | Hanoi or HCMC | Ticket search; Hanoi on Vietnam TravelGuide |
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Search flights Chiang Mai to HanoiCommon questions
- Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh on 14 days?
- No. Pick one Vietnam city after Chiang Mai.
- Where do I check entry rules?
- File TDAC, read Thai Immigration, and use the Vietnam e-visa portal dated for your travel month.
- Add Phuket after Hanoi?
- Not on a first 14. That stacks a third climate and a third airport day.