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Updated: 25 May 2026

Vietnam Luxury Round Trip: 12 Days with Amex Platinum Benefits

Honestly: I had Vietnam on my list for a long time, but it always felt like a "backpacker destination". Rice paddies, night trains, street food for 40 cents. Beautiful, but not exactly what you associate with the Fine Hotels + Resorts programme of your credit card.

That was a misconception. Vietnam has made an incredible leap in the luxury segment over the past five years. There are now more FHR hotels in Vietnam than in, say, Portugal or Greece. And the price-quality ratio is, frankly, better than anything I've experienced in Southeast Asia. For Belgian travellers planning a 12-day Vietnam luxury round trip, the Amex Platinum ticks off a surprising number of benefits.

Let me walk you through the route, the numbers and the pitfalls.

The route: 12 days from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City

There are dozens of ways to cross Vietnam, but for a 12-day luxury round trip the classic north-to-south route works best. You start in Hanoi (3 nights), fly to Da Nang for Hoi An (4 nights), and end in Ho Chi Minh City (4 nights, including a day trip to the Mekong Delta). Those twelve days are enough to explore each part at your leisure, without constantly being in transit.

Why north to south and not the other way around? Two reasons. Most flights from Brussels Airport to Vietnam land in Hanoi, and it's easier to book domestic flights Hanoi–Da Nang and Da Nang–Ho Chi Minh City than to solve the reverse puzzle. Plus: you end up in the busiest and most cosmopolitan city, for which you'll still have plenty of energy at the end of the trip.

As for domestic flights: expect €40 to €80 per person per leg with Vietnam Airlines or Bamboo Airways. That's negligible. The real costs are in the hotels and experiences, and that's where the Amex Platinum comes in handy.

Fine Hotels + Resorts in Vietnam: what does it actually deliver?

The Fine Hotels + Resorts programme is, for me, the strongest argument for the Amex Platinum on a long-haul trip. In Vietnam there are strong hotels in the programme: the Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi, the Four Seasons The Nam Hai near Hoi An, the Park Hyatt Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City, to name three.

Per FHR booking you receive as an Amex Platinum cardholder: a room upgrade (subject to availability, but in Vietnam this works out surprisingly often), daily breakfast for two, early check-in, late check-out until 4 PM, and a welcome gift worth approximately €100. This can be a spa treatment, a dinner voucher, or a hotel concierge who explains everything upon arrival.

So in the best case that's more than the full annual fee of the card (€780 per year). And I'm not even counting the lounge access and travel insurance yet. Admittedly: you only hit the lower end of €780 if the room upgrades actually come through and you genuinely use the breakfast every morning. In practice, on a 12-day holiday, that's quite realistic.

An honest nuance: you always book FHR via the Amex portal at the "best available rate" (BAR). That's not necessarily the cheapest price on the internet. Sometimes you'll find a slightly lower rate on Booking.com or directly with the hotel, but then without all the extras. In Vietnam I've noticed the difference is small, and the extras more than compensate. But always do the maths before you book.

Booking flights with Membership Rewards points from Brussels

Vietnam is one of those destinations where transfer partners become interesting. From Brussels Airport there's no direct flight to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, but via Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), Paris (Air France), Frankfurt (Lufthansa) or Dubai (Emirates) you're there with one stopover.

You can transfer the Membership Rewards points from your Amex Platinum to all those airlines. It's 1-to-1 with most partners: 1,000 MR points = 1,000 miles. For a return economy Brussels–Hanoi via Turkish Airlines you pay around 60,000 to 75,000 miles, depending on the date. Business class: 100,000 to 140,000 miles. With Air France-KLM (Flying Blue) the rates are comparable, sometimes slightly better when there are promo awards.

How do you collect enough points? The welcome bonus via the TravelLux.be referral link earns you up to 250,000 Membership Rewards points. That's the maximum bonus, more than with a direct application on americanexpress.com/be. Those 250,000 points are in themselves already enough for two return tickets in economy, or almost enough for two return tickets in business class. Note: the welcome bonus is a one-time offer and you need to reach a minimum spend of approximately €4,000 to €6,000 in the first 3 months.

I also receive points if you apply via that link. That's why I stick to one rule: only recommend it if the numbers make sense for you. If you only fly a weekend trip to London once a year, this is not your card. I'm honest about that.

Day by day: what the Vietnam luxury round trip looks like

Here's the route I would suggest, based on personal experience and what I hear from fellow travellers. This isn't a rigid schedule, more of a framework you can adapt to your own pace.

Days 1-3: Hanoi

Hanoi is chaotic, loud, and at the same time incredibly charming. The Old Quarter is a maze of streets where every alley sells something different. Honestly, I was overwhelmed by the traffic the first morning, but after half a day you get used to it. The Sofitel Legend Metropole is the FHR choice par excellence here: a colonial building right in the centre, with a spa that makes the welcome gift more than worthwhile.

What you shouldn't miss: a street food tour (yes, even on a luxury round trip), the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, and an evening at a water puppet show. The latter sounds touristy, and it is, but it's genuinely special.

On day 3 you take a domestic flight to Da Nang. Flight time: just over an hour.

Days 4-7: Hoi An (via Da Nang)

Hoi An is the restful part of the trip. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lit up with lanterns, and has the best food in the entire country. That's not just my opinion—everyone who's been there says the same. The Four Seasons The Nam Hai is a fifteen-minute drive from the old town and is one of the most beautiful resorts in all of Southeast Asia. FHR benefits included.

Four nights sounds long for a small town, but you fill them easily. A cooking class (truly worthwhile), a cycling tour through the rice paddies, half a day at An Bang beach, the Marble Mountains as a day trip, and at least three evenings in the old town for dinner. I would have wanted five nights, honestly.

One disappointment to mention: the month of November can still be quite wet in central Vietnam. I had two days of rain in Hoi An. Not dramatic, but keep it in mind when planning.

Days 8-11: Ho Chi Minh City and Mekong Delta

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon to the locals) is the dynamic south. This is where you notice Vietnam's economic boom. Skyscrapers next to pagodas, rooftop bars next to street kitchens. The Park Hyatt Saigon is the top FHR pick here: centrally located, and the room upgrade got us a suite with a view of the opera house.

You can reach the Mekong Delta in an hour and a half by car. A day trip is enough for the highlights: a boat ride through the canals, a visit to a floating market, lunch with a local family. You can organise this privately through the hotel (more expensive, more comfortable) or via a local agency (cheaper, rougher around the edges).

The War Remnants Museum is a must-visit, though it's emotionally heavy. The Reunification Palace and the Notre-Dame Cathedral are within walking distance of the Park Hyatt.

Day 12: departure

Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City is busy, especially in the morning. Plan at least three hours before departure. With Priority Pass you have access to lounges there, which makes the wait much more bearable.

Lounge access and other Amex Platinum benefits along the way

Besides FHR, there are a few Amex Platinum benefits that are particularly useful on a Vietnam trip.

Lounge access via Priority Pass: as a cardholder you have free access to 1,550+ lounges worldwide, including one guest. At Brussels Airport you start the trip relaxed in a lounge instead of in the crowds. During a layover in Istanbul, Paris or Dubai there's always a Priority Pass lounge available. And at the Vietnamese airports themselves too: both Hanoi (Noi Bai) and Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat) have Priority Pass lounges.

Travel insurance: the Amex Platinum automatically includes travel insurance (via Chubb and Europe Assistance) when you pay for the trip with the card. Trip cancellation, flight delay insurance, baggage insurance, and medical expenses abroad. Vietnam is a country where medical costs add up quickly if you end up in an international hospital. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have good private hospitals, but the bill can run into thousands of euros. The insurance via Amex covers this, saving you a separate travel insurance policy (expect €50 to €120 per person for a standard policy to Asia).

No currency conversion fees: for every payment in Vietnamese dong the Amex Platinum charges no currency conversion fees. That saves 1.5% to 2% compared to most Belgian debit cards. On a total spend of €3,000 in Vietnam that's €45 to €60 in savings. Not spectacular, but it adds up.

The full picture: who is this worthwhile for?

Let me summarise the savings for a couple doing this 12-day Vietnam luxury round trip with the Amex Platinum.

That range is wide, and that's intentional. The lower end (€245) is what you get if the room upgrades don't come through and you would have had the insurance separately anyway. The upper end (€830) is realistic if everything goes your way. For most Belgian travellers doing this route, the actual saving falls somewhere in the middle: around €500 net.

And I'm not even counting the Membership Rewards points for the flights. If you use the welcome bonus of 250,000 points for two return tickets in economy (value approximately €1,200 to €1,600), then the full picture becomes even more favourable.

Who is this not worthwhile for?

If you mainly stay in hostels and guesthouses in Vietnam, never use a lounge, and fly with a low-cost carrier via Kuala Lumpur: then the Amex Platinum won't earn back its costs. Honestly, the card simply isn't for you in that case. And that's fine. There are plenty of good credit cards for budget-conscious travellers. The Amex Platinum pays for itself when you actively use the benefits, not by letting it sit in your wallet.

Also, if you earn less than €30,000 gross per year, you cannot apply for the card. That's a requirement from American Express. More details can be found on the official Amex page.

Practical tips for your Vietnam luxury round trip

A few things I learned myself that you won't find in any travel guide.

Visa: Belgian travellers need an e-visa for Vietnam. It costs approximately €25 and can be applied for online via the official Vietnamese government website. Don't use intermediaries who charge €60 to €80 for the same form. You'll have the visa within 3 working days.

Transport: Grab (the Uber of Southeast Asia) works flawlessly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Much better than taxis, which regularly take detours. In Hoi An you rent a bicycle or scooter, or have the hotel arrange a driver.

Money: Vietnam is a cash society. Even in the cities you pay market vendors, street sellers and small restaurants in dong. Don't exchange money at the airport (poor rate), but withdraw from an ATM in the city instead. The rate is better.

Food: the street food in Vietnam is phenomenal. Pho in Hanoi, banh mi in Hoi An, broken rice in Saigon. I wouldn't eat at the hotel restaurant every evening, no matter how good it is. The best meal of the entire trip cost €2.50 on a plastic stool in Hanoi.

Health: don't drink tap water, not even in luxury hotels (they provide bottled water in the room). Stomach issues are not uncommon in the first few days—bring imodium and ORS.