Honeymoon in Vietnam

Why Vietnam is good for a honeymoon

For a honeymoon, Vietnam is convenient because it is easy to combine different scenarios in one trip: the sea, ancient cities, beautiful views, a good level of service and a budget that is usually 30-40% lower than Bali for a comparable holiday format. This is especially important if you want to not just lie in a hotel, but change the picture every day without long journeys.

Central Vietnam is the most practical choice for your first romantic trip after your wedding. Da Nang gives modern infrastructure and long beaches, Hoi An gives the atmosphere of lanterns and the old city, Hue gives a quieter historical part of the route. There are about 30 km between Da Nang and Hoi An, the journey takes about 40 minutes, so you can live by the sea and go for evening walks into the city.

• —visa-free for citizens of the Russian Federation - up to 45 days
• —dry season in Central Vietnam - approximately from February to August
• —the best months for a couple are March, April and May
• —sunset on the coast is usually around 17:45
• —between the beach, old town and mountains - short transfers

Itinerary for 7 days: Da Nang and Hoi An without too much haste

It is better to build a seven-day honeymoon in Vietnam around one base - Da Nang. This saves time and effort: you check into a hotel by the sea, and spend a minimum of time traveling to Hoi An, the Son Tra Peninsula or the Marble Mountains. This is especially comfortable for a couple in the first days after the wedding.

The optimal scheme for 7 days looks like this: 4 nights in Da Nang and 3 nights in Hoi An or 7 nights in Da Nang with evening departures. The first option is more romantic if you want to live in the old city among the lanterns;the second is more practical if the beach and a hotel overlooking the ocean are more important.

• —Day 1: Arrive in Da Nang, dinner on the waterfront and watch the sunset at My Khe
• —Day 2: My Khe beach, spa for two, evening at the Dragon Bridge
• —Day 3: Hoi An, walk through the old town and dinner by the Thu Bon River
• —Day 4: Non Nuoc, Marble Mountains and evening cocktail at the hotel
• —Day 5: Son Tra Peninsula and viewpoints over the sea
• —Day 6: Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge
• —Day 7: free morning, photo on the beach and departure

Itinerary for 10 days: adding Hue and more romance

The ten-day format already allows you not only to relax, but also to alternate activity with solitude. On such a trip it is convenient to include Hue, the former imperial capital about 100 km from Da Nang. The road through the Hai Van Pass is beautiful in itself: this is one of those routes where you are not driving “from point A to point B”, but along a full-fledged view road.

For a 10 day honeymoon I would recommend 4 nights in Da Nang, 2 nights in Hoi An and 4 nights in Hue or 5/3/2 depending on what is more important to you. If you want more beaches and evening restaurants, focus on Da Nang;if you value history, palaces and a quieter atmosphere, increase Hue.

• —Da Nang: beaches, spas, restaurants, views of the Dragon Bridge
• —Hoi An: old town, lanterns, river walks, sunset photo shoot
• —Hue: Citadel, Imperial Tombs, Leisure Dinner at Hotel
• —Ba Na Hills: Cable Car and Golden Bridge
• —Son Tra: viewpoints and quieter beaches
• —Hai Van: a scenic drive between cities

Itinerary for 14 days: beaches, cities and island holidays

A two-week honeymoon in Vietnam is already a full-fledged trip without compromises. It can include both Central Vietnam and a separate beach finale in Phu Quoc. This option is good if you don’t want to pack your suitcase every day, but are ready to divide the trip into two parts: active and relaxed.

A practical 14-day format: 6 nights in Da Nang, 4 nights in Hoi An or Hue, then 4 nights in Phu Quoc. If you don't like domestic flights, you can leave Central Vietnam and divide your time between Da Nang, Hoi An and Hue, adding more slow days by the sea.

• —first week - Da Nang, Hoi An, Ba Na Hills, Marble Mountains
• —second week - Hue or Phu Quoc depending on the season and rhythm
• —2–3 days without excursions in a row for relaxation at the hotel
• —1-2 romantic dinners by the sea or by the river
• —photo session on the beach at sunrise or sunset
• —leave one evening only for spa and private time

Where to live as a couple: hotels and areas for a honeymoon

For a honeymoon, not only the star rating of the hotel is more important, but also its location. In Da Nang, it is best to choose the area near the My Khe or Non Nuoc beaches: it’s a couple of minutes walk to the sea, there are cafes, massages, bike rentals and excursions nearby. For a more secluded holiday, resorts to the south of the city, closer to Non Nuoc and the Marble Mountains, are suitable.

In Hoi An, it makes sense to live either in the old town if you want evening walks without a taxi, or in the coastal area of An Bang if the beach and tranquility are your priority. An-Bang is good because in the morning you have breakfast by the sea, and in the evening you reach the historical center in 15–20 minutes.

• —Da Nang near My Khe - the best balance between beach and urban infrastructure
• —Non Nuoc - quieter, more resorts and beautiful views of the coast
• —Hoi An old town - for atmosphere and evening walks
• —An Bang - for a beach holiday with access to Hoi An
• —Hue - for quiet hotels and a more intimate pace
• —Phu Quoc - if you need the final stage only for the sea and privacy

What to do together: romantic activities without banality

The most successful activities for a honeymoon are those where you don’t need to rush somewhere. There are plenty of them in Central Vietnam: morning walks on the beach, spa treatments for two, rooftop dinners, sunset trips to the sea and photography in Hoi An. Due to the short distances, all this can be easily assembled in one day without overload.

If you want an experience, and not just a beautiful hotel, plan to leave for Ba Na Hills with an early start in order to get to the Golden Bridge before the main wave of tourists. In Da Nang, a good option is to watch the sunset on the coast and in the evening go to the Dragon Bridge: on weekends there is a fire show, and this is a rare case when a city object really works for romance.

• —photo session on My Khe beach at dawn
• —walk through Old Hoi An after 17:30 when the lanterns come on
• —cruise or walk along the Thu Bon River
• —spa and massage for couples at the hotel
• —cable car to Ba Na Hills and photo on the Golden Bridge
• —evening at the Dragon Bridge on Friday, Saturday or Sunday

When to go: weather, season and sunsets

For a honeymoon in Vietnam, the dry season from February to August is best, but it has its own nuances. March, April and May are the most comfortable period for Central Vietnam: it is already warm, the sea is calmer, and overheating does not yet interfere with long walks and excursions. Summer in Da Nang is hotter, but the sea is often pleasant for swimming.

If a picture for two is important to you, focus on the time of sunset: on the coast at about 17:45 the light is soft, and the photos are obtained without hard shadows. This is convenient for evening walks on the beach, dinners on the roof and shooting near the water. This is especially useful for Hoi An and its embankments: the city beautifully “turns on” just in time for dusk.

• —February is already a good start to the season
• —March–May - the best balance of weather and comfort
• —June–August – hotter, but the sea and beaches remain in the scenario
• —sunset around 17:45 - the best time for photos and walks
• —autumn for Central Vietnam is less predictable in terms of rain

Route table: what to choose for 7, 10 and 14 days

In order not to overload the trip, it is easier to immediately correlate the duration and format of the route. Below is a working comparison: how many cities can you realistically include, where is the best place to live, and what kind of atmosphere you will get.