Vietnam & Thailand / Family itinerary
Vietnam and Thailand with children: our January route plan
A family route through Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An, followed by Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Chiang Mai and Bangkok.
Our January 2025 trip combined Vietnam and Thailand with our children. The plan began in Hanoi, continued through Ha Long Bay and Hoi An, then crossed to the Thai islands before finishing in Chiang Mai and Bangkok.
The rhythm changes along the way: short stops in central Vietnam, then four nights on Koh Samui and five on Koh Tao. If you are considering both countries, those longer island stays are worth keeping in view before adding another city.
Our overnight plan
This is the route we planned for 3–29 January 2025, with 26 nights between Hanoi and Bangkok.
| Stop | Nights planned | Accommodation in the plan |
|---|---|---|
| Hanoi | 3 | Hanoi Center Silk Hotel & Travel |
| Ha Long Bay | 2 | Cruise |
| Hoi An | 3 | Lion King Hotel |
| Hue | 1 | Hue |
| Da Nang | 1 | Da Nang |
| Koh Samui | 4 | Holiday Inn Resort Samui Bophut Beach |
| Koh Tao | 5 | Koh Tao |
| Koh Samui | 1 | Before the onward flight |
| Chiang Mai | 4 | Chiang Mai |
| Bangkok | 2 | Bangkok |
Hoi An: the people at Lion King
The owners at Lion King Hotel helped us with trips and breakfast rolls. They looked after us, and we even joined their son's birthday celebration.
We also spent time around the rice fields at Cam Chau and the gardens at Cam Ha. For more about the stay itself, read our Lion King Hotel review.
The busiest stretch is in central Vietnam
After the two-night cruise and three nights in Hoi An, we planned one night each in Hue and Da Nang before Thailand. That means several arrival and departure days close together.
If your family prefers more time in one place, compare those one-night stops with a longer stay in Hoi An. Choose the places you most want to see before committing to each extra hotel.
Longer stays on Samui, Tao and in Chiang Mai
Koh Samui and Koh Tao have nine nights between them in the plan. A return night on Samui comes before the flight north. Chiang Mai then has four nights, followed by two in Bangkok.
If you shorten the holiday, consider choosing fewer bases while keeping several nights in the ones that matter most to you.
The full plan suits a family looking for several kinds of stay in one trip: city hotels, a cruise and time on islands. If one of those is the main reason for your journey, give it the nights first and build the rest around it. Our hotel notes are a place to start when choosing the stays.