Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City sit 1,726 km apart by rail and the express train takes 33 hours or more, so Vietnam tour packages longer than a week live or die on their domestic flights. What the price changes is concrete: flights in or excluded, a night on a boat in Ha Long Bay, meals covered or not, hotels named or not stated, refund terms and the number of days.
Vietnam tour packages run from short trips like a 3-day Sapa trek from $98 or a Ha Giang Loop tour from $137, and 7 to 14 day grand tours from $450 to $1,998 per person. The pick of the grand tours is a 9-day south to north trip at $999.
Key takeaways
Each price is per person and is the lowest adult rate on the listing. Several listings sell options at different prices, durations or hotel classes, so the price shown is the starting point. International flights are never included, the platform handles payment and the operator runs the tour on the ground.
A 9-day Vietnam tour from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi via the Mekong Delta, Da Nang and a Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay cruise night. It lists 2 domestic flights, private rooms and all entrance fees.
A 14-day Vietnam tour from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City with a Sapa trek, a Ha Long Bay cruise night, Hoi An, Hue and 2 domestic flights. All sales are final, and hotels are 3-star or similar.
A 12-day tour from Hanoi to Siem Reap with an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise, Hoi An, My Son, Cu Chi, the Mekong Delta and Angkor Wat, with three flights. Dinner is excluded on most days.
A 10-day Vietnam tour from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City via Sapa, a Ha Long Bay cruise night, Hoi An and Ba Na Hills. It includes 2 domestic flights, private rooms and all entrance fees.
An 8-day Vietnam tour from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi with the Mekong Delta, Cu Chi, Hoi An and a Ha Long Bay cruise night, with 2 economy flights. All sales are final, and hotels are 3-star or similar.
A 7-day, 6-night Vietnam package through Hanoi, a Ha Long Bay cruise night, Ninh Binh, Da Nang, Ba Na Hills and Hoi An. Meals and entrance fees are included, and the Hanoi to Da Nang air ticket is not.
A 6-day, 5-night south Vietnam tour with Cu Chi, the Mekong Delta, a Mui Ne day trip and a flight to Phu Quoc for snorkelling. Hotels are 3-star, and the flights are not listed in the inclusions.
A 6-day, 5-night northern Vietnam tour with a Ha Long Bay day trip, a Ninh Binh day trip and 2 days in Sapa with a village trek. The listing is short on inclusions, so confirm the vehicle and hotels.
A 3-day trip from Hanoi with Hoa Lu, Trang An and Mua Cave, a Ninh Binh bungalow night and a night on a Lan Ha Bay cruise. Meals and entrance fees are included, but VAT and a peak season surcharge are extra.
A 2-day trip from Hanoi with Bai Dinh, Trang An and Mua Caves, a Ninh Binh homestay night and a full day on a Ha Long Bay cruise. Meals and entrance fees are included. It has 19 reviews at 4.8.
A 4-day Ha Giang Loop with Easy Rider drivers, an extra hostel night, meals, gear and a bus to Ha Giang from Hanoi. Groups are capped at 8 people. It has 463 reviews at 4.9 and the border permit is extra.
A 3-day small-group Ha Giang Loop with a sleeper bus from Hanoi, a free Day 0 homestay night, bike, fuel, meals and a guide. It has 808 reviews at 5.0 and the border permit costs $10 extra.
A 3-day small-group Sapa trek from Hanoi with a Sapa hotel night, a homestay night in Ta Van, meals and entrance tickets. It has 335 reviews at 4.6 and a 40% holiday surcharge applies on listed dates.
A 2 or 3-day Sapa trip from Hanoi in groups of up to 9, with a Dcar limousine, a Sapa hotel and a local guide. It has 111 reviews at 4.5 and the Fansipan cable car ticket is not included.
A 3-day Mekong Delta tour from Ho Chi Minh City with floating markets, the Tra Su forest, Chau Doc and two nights in 3-star hotels. It has 296 reviews at 4.7 and the Phnom Penh exit is optional.
Vietnam tour packages side by side: the listed price per person in US dollars, the length, what the listing says about domestic flights and how late you can cancel for a full refund.
| Tour | Price | Days | Flights | Refund | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9-Day South to North | $999 | 9 days | 2 included | 24h free | Check Availability Details |
| 14-Day Hanoi to Saigon | $1,544 | 14 days | 2 included | Non-refundable | Check Availability Details |
| 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia | $1,998 | 12 days | 3 included | 6 days free | Check Availability Details |
| 10-Day North to South | $1,099 | 10 days | 2 included | 24h free | Check Availability Details |
| 8-Day Saigon to Ha Long | $929 | 8 days | 2 included | Non-refundable | Check Availability Details |
| 7-Day Package Tour | $450 | 7 days | Excluded | 24h free | Check Availability Details |
| 6-Day South and Island | $639 | 6 days | Not listed | 24h free | Check Availability Details |
| 6-Day Ha Long, Ninh Binh, Sapa | $279 | 6 days | By road | 24h free | Check Availability Details |
| 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha | $261 | 3 days | By road | 24h free | Check Availability Details |
| 2-Day Ninh Binh and Ha Long | $168 | 2 days | By road | 24h free | Check Availability Details |
| 4-Day Ha Giang Loop | $230 | 4 days | By road | 24h free | Check Availability Details |
| 3-Day Ha Giang Small Group | $137 | 3 days | By road | 24h free | Check Availability Details |
| 3-Day Sapa Trek | $98 | 3 days | By road | 24h free | Check Availability Details |
| 2-3 Day Sapa Limousine | $104 | 2-3 days | By road | 24h free | Check Availability Details |
| 3-Day Mekong Delta | $261 | 3 days | By road | 24h free | Check Availability Details |
The price is the lowest adult rate on the listing. Figures current in Q4 2026.
The 9-day south to north tour runs on set departure dates and can sell out in high season. Check your dates before you book flights or anything else.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Three things decide most purchases here: how many days you have, whether the domestic flights are in the price, and what happens if you cancel. A day-by-day plan for 10 days and two weeks is on the Vietnam itinerary.
Ha Long Bay from the hill above the town. Most grand tours sleep one night on the water here. Photo: Trideep Dutta Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Vietnam is long and thin, so the first question is how much of the country you can realistically see. A 2 to 4 day trip covers one region from Hanoi such as Ninh Binh with Ha Long, the Ha Giang Loop or Sapa. Three days is enough for the Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City.
Six days covers one half of the country, either the north loop or the south with Phu Quoc. Seven to ten days runs the full length with flights, and 12 to 14 days adds Cambodia or the mountains at an easier pace. The prices below are the catalog starting rates per person.
| Length | What it covers | Catalog prices | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-4 days | One region from Hanoi: Ninh Binh and Ha Long, Ha Giang, Sapa | $98 to $261 | Short trips and add-ons |
| 3 days | The Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City | $261 | A southern add-on |
| 6 days | One half of the country: north loop, or the south and Phu Quoc | $279 to $639 | One week off work |
| 7-10 days | North to south with flights | $450 to $1,099 | The full route in one go |
| 12-14 days | The full length, or adding Cambodia | $1,544 to $1,998 | The deepest itinerary |
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are about 1,726 km apart by rail, just under 1,600 km by road, roughly two hours by plane, and the express trains take 33 to 34.7 hours. So every north to south package relies on domestic flights. The 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North, the 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, the 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South and the 8-Day Vietnam Tour, Saigon to Ha Long Bay each fly 2 domestic legs, into Da Nang for Hoi An and Hue and then on to the other end.
The 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour has three flights including Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap. The 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour at $450 is the cheapest grand tour because its Hanoi to Da Nang air ticket is excluded, so add it to your budget. The 6-Day South Vietnam and Island Tour has a flight to Phu Quoc on the itinerary that no inclusion lists, so confirm who pays.
The main airports are Hanoi Noi Bai (HAN), Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat (SGN), Da Nang (DAD), Hue Phu Bai (HUI) and Phu Quoc (PQC). Between Hoi An and Hue the tours drive, over the Hai Van Pass, about 21 km of road that climbs to 496 m.
Two grand tours are non-refundable once booked: the 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and the 8-Day Vietnam Tour, Saigon to Ha Long Bay. The 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour is tiered, with a full refund 6 full days before departure and nothing inside 2 days. Everything else refunds in full up to 24 hours before, including every GetYourGuide listing.
Group sizes differ too: up to 8 on the 4-Day Ha Giang Loop Tour, 9 on the 2-3 Day Sapa Tour with Limousine, 10 on 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North, 6-Day South Vietnam and Island Tour and 3-Day Ha Giang Loop Small Group, 12 on 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour and 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South, 15 on 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, 8-Day Vietnam Tour, Saigon to Ha Long Bay and 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour, and up to 35 on the 6-Day Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa Tour.
The accommodation lines are not equal, so read them item by item. 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North and 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South promise a private room but name no hotels and no star class. 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour lists 3-star hotels against a boutique description, and the 6-Day South Vietnam and Island Tour has 3-star hotels with an upgrade option. 3-star hotels appear on the 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour, the Sapa night of the 3-Day Sapa Trekking and Homestay Tour and the 3-Day Mekong Delta Tour from Saigon. The 2-3 Day Sapa Tour with Limousine lets you pick 3, 4 or 5-star. Homestays feature on 2-Day Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay Tour, 4-Day Ha Giang Loop Tour, 3-Day Ha Giang Loop Small Group and 3-Day Sapa Trekking and Homestay Tour.
For 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, 8-Day Vietnam Tour, Saigon to Ha Long Bay and 6-Day Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa Tour the listing is not stated on accommodation or itemises nothing, so confirm with the operator before booking.
Seven listings run the full length of the country or close to it, from $450 to $1,998 per person. The table shows what each one covers and what travelers rate it.
The Japanese Covered Bridge in Hoi An, on every grand tour that flies into Da Nang. Photo: Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Most routes below run between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, one continues to Siem Reap and two cover only part of the country. Days are the listing duration and the price is the lowest adult rate.
| Tour | Price | Days | Route | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North | $999 | 9 days | Saigon to Hanoi | 5.0 from 45 |
| 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City | $1,544 | 14 days | Hanoi to Saigon | 5.0 from 60 |
| 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour | $1,998 | 12 days | Hanoi to Siem Reap | 5.0 from 26 |
| 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South | $1,099 | 10 days | Hanoi to Saigon | 5.0 from 25 |
| 8-Day Vietnam Tour, Saigon to Ha Long Bay | $929 | 8 days | Saigon to Hanoi | 5.0 from 26 |
| 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour | $450 | 7 days | Hanoi to Hoi An | 5.0 from 29 |
| 6-Day South Vietnam and Island Tour | $639 | 6 days | Saigon to Phu Quoc | 5.0 from 33 |
The classic route stacks the north, the centre and the south. In the north you get Hanoi, a night on a boat in Ha Long Bay, and Ninh Binh or Sapa. Then a flight to Da Nang serves Hoi An, about 28 km south of the airport city, and Hue, reached by road over the 21 km Hai Van Pass.
A second flight reaches Ho Chi Minh City for Cu Chi and the Mekong Delta. Hanoi to Ha Long is roughly 150 to 170 km and 2 to 2.5 hours by road, Hanoi to Ninh Binh about 90 to 95 km, and Hanoi to Sapa is 319 km with 4 to 5.5 hours by car on the expressway. Direction matters: the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North runs Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, the 14-Day Vietnam Tour, 10-Day Vietnam Tour and 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour start in Hanoi, and the 8-Day Vietnam Tour runs south to north like the pick.
At the bottom, the 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour at $450 fits travelers who will buy their own Hanoi to Da Nang ticket and want meals, entrance fees and a Ha Long cruise night included. The 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North at $999 is the pick: 2 domestic flights on the itinerary, a night on the boat in Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay, all entrance fees, groups of up to 10 and free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The 10-Day Vietnam Tour at $1,099 runs the same idea north to south with Sapa and Fansipan added.
The 14-Day Vietnam Tour at $1,544 covers the longest route with Sapa trekking and names Phong Nha in its description, but no itinerary day visits Phong Nha, and all sales are final, so only book it when the dates are certain. The 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour at $1,998 adds Angkor Wat, though dinners on most days are excluded at about $4 to $10 per person per meal. The 6-Day South Vietnam and Island Tour at $639 skips the centre entirely and ends on a Phu Quoc beach.
Not every Vietnam trip needs two weeks. The short trips, from $98 to $279 per person cover one region each, most from Hanoi and one from Ho Chi Minh City. How the loop works, town by town, is on Ha Giang Loop tours.
Boats at Trang An. The ticket is 250,000 VND for adults. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Each trip below stays in one region, so no domestic flights are involved. Ratings and review counts come from the verified booking platforms.
| Tour | Price | Days | Region | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-Day Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa Tour | $279 | 6 days | North loop | 5.0 from 27 |
| 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay Cruise | $261 | 3 days | North | 5.0 from 11 |
| 2-Day Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay Tour | $168 | 2 days | North | 4.8 from 19 |
| 4-Day Ha Giang Loop Tour | $230 | 4 days | Mountains | 4.9 from 463 |
| 3-Day Ha Giang Loop Small Group | $137 | 3 days | Mountains | 5.0 from 808 |
| 3-Day Sapa Trekking and Homestay Tour | $98 | 3 days | Mountains | 4.6 from 335 |
| 2-3 Day Sapa Tour with Limousine | $104 | 2-3 days | Mountains | 4.5 from 111 |
| 3-Day Mekong Delta Tour from Saigon | $261 | 3 days | South | 4.7 from 296 |
Three listings combine the limestone country south of Hanoi with the coast. The 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay Cruise puts a bungalow night in Ninh Binh before a night on a cruise in Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay, with all meals and entrance fees, but adds a government VAT of $35 and a $12 peak surcharge per person. The 2-Day Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay Tour at $168 swaps the boat night for a homestay in Ninh Binh and a full-day Ha Long cruise.
The 6-Day Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa Tour is the cheap way to link all three regions at $279, though its description says a 2-day cruise while the itinerary has a day trip, so confirm the night on board before booking. On the ground, a Trang An boat ticket costs 250,000 VND for visitors over 1.3 m, Mua Cave is 100,000 VND on the official Ninh Binh price list, though some guides report 150,000 VND. Ha Long Bay covers about 1,553 km2 and was first inscribed by UNESCO in 1994.
The Ha Giang Loop runs about 310 to 450 km depending on the route, with a standard loop of about 370 km by one count and 350 km by another. The 4-Day Ha Giang Loop Tour at $230 caps groups at 8 and puts you behind an Easy Rider driver, with the border permit excluded. The 3-Day Ha Giang Loop Small Group at $137 is the most reviewed tour in the catalog at 808 reviews, and lets you ride yourself or behind an Easy Rider, with a $10 border permit.
The loop crosses the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, a UNESCO Global Geopark since 2010, and the 11 km Ma Pi Leng Pass above the Nho Que River, where a boat trip costs 120,000 VND. Self-riders should know the licence rule: the UK FCDO says you need a 1968 international driving permit with your national licence, the Ha Giang guides add a Category A licence, and helmets are compulsory. In Sapa, the 3-Day Sapa Trekking and Homestay Tour at $98 mixes a 3-star hotel night in Sapa with a homestay night in Ta Van, and carries a 40% holiday surcharge on listed peak dates.
The 2-3 Day Sapa Tour with Limousine at $104 rides a Dcar limousine with a 3, 4 or 5-star hotel by choice, but leaves the Fansipan cable car ticket out, which runs 850,000 VND for adults round trip to Vietnam's highest peak, 3,147.3 m by one count and 3,143 m by another. In the south, the 3-Day Mekong Delta Tour from Saigon at $261 covers Cai Be, Can Tho and the Cai Rang floating market, the largest in the delta with 100 to 200 boats on a good day and peak trading from 5:30 to 7:30 AM, plus Tra Su and Chau Doc, with an optional boat exit to Phnom Penh where the Cambodian visa on arrival is your cost.
Three films before you book: two full routes from one end of the country to the other, and a two-week plan with the costs.
The south to north direction the pick runs.
Video: Nicole & RyanTwo weeks over the length of the 14-day tour.
Video: LaisA two-week route with what each stop costs.
Video: Isi & AdamThird-party videos, embedded from YouTube. This site did not shoot them and has no relationship with the creators.
Vietnam runs about 1,600 km of road from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, so most Vietnam tour packages stitch the country together with domestic flights. These are the stops the listings build their routes around, north to south.
Temple of Literature · founded 1070 Hanoi's old quarter sits around Hoan Kiem Lake, and most northern routes start here. The Temple of Literature nearby charges 70,000 VND for adults per Vietnam Tourism, older listings say 30,000 VND, and holds 82 doctoral stelae on UNESCO's Memory of the World register. Grand tours that begin in Hanoi include the 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and the 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour. Photo: Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
UNESCO 1994 · day or overnight Ha Long Bay covers about 1,553 km2 with roughly 1,969 islets by one count and 775 inside the UNESCO area and was inscribed by UNESCO in 1994. Almost every Vietnam tour package makes it an overnight or a day cruise. See the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North for a night in Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay. Photo: Trideep Dutta Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
UNESCO 2014 · boat 250,000 VND Trang An Landscape Complex was inscribed in 2014 and a boat ticket costs 250,000 VND for adults, with routes running 2 to 4.5 hours through caves. The wharf sits 3 km south of Hoa Lu. The 2-Day Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay Tour pairs Trang An with a Ha Long day cruise. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
319 km from Hanoi · terraces gold September Sapa is 319 km from Hanoi by road, and Fansipan, Vietnam's highest peak at 3,147.3 m by one count and 3,143 m by another, rises above the Muong Hoa valley. One guide says the terraces turn golden in September, another gives harvest colour from September to November. The 3-Day Sapa Trekking and Homestay Tour treks Y Linh Ho to Ta Van. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
UNESCO Geopark 2010 · 11 km climb Ma Pi Leng Pass climbs 11 km above the Nho Que river inside the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, a UNESCO Global Geopark since 2010. A boat on the river below costs 120,000 VND and lasts about an hour. The 3-Day Ha Giang Loop Small Group crosses the pass with a guide and 808 reviews at 5.0. Photo: NKSTTSSHNVN, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
UNESCO 1993 · Nguyen capital 1802 The Complex of Hue Monuments was inscribed by UNESCO in 1993 and holds the Citadel, the Imperial City and the Purple Forbidden City of the Nguyen dynasty, established in 1802. Royal tombs such as Khai Dinh list tickets at 150,000 VND for adults. The 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City drives from Hoi An over the Hai Van Pass to reach Hue. Photo: Supanut Arunoprayote, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
UNESCO 1999 · ticket 120,000 VND Hoi An Ancient Town was inscribed in December 1999 and covers about 30 hectares, 28 km south of Da Nang. The town ticket costs 120,000 VND and stays valid up to 3 days, and children under 16 enter free. The 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South flies to Da Nang for Hoi An and Ba Na Hills. Photo: Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Peak 5:30 to 7:30 AM · 100 to 200 boats Cai Rang near Can Tho is the largest floating market in the Mekong Delta, with 100 to 200 boats on a good day and peak trading from 5:30 to 7:30 AM. A private boat costs 400,000 to 600,000 VND for 2 to 3 hours. The 3-Day Mekong Delta Tour from Saigon visits Cai Rang and can exit by boat to Phnom Penh. Photo: Jean-Marc Astesana from Voisins le Bretonneux, France, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Two packages at the same price can cover very different ground. The table compares what each catalog record actually states about seven items, tour by tour. What the rest of the trip costs is on Vietnam trip cost.
The Meridian Gate of the Hue Imperial City. Photo: Supanut Arunoprayote, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
These figures come from each tour's own listing record. Domestic flights are the biggest swing item. The 9-Day Vietnam Tour South to North lists 2 domestic flights on the itinerary, while the 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour at $450 excludes its Hanoi to Da Nang air ticket.
Hotels are named or similar on some tours and simply not stated on others, and only some records guarantee a night on a boat.
| Item | Usually in | Check the listing |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic flights | In the price on the 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South with 2 domestic flights, and on the 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour with three flights including Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap | The 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour excludes its Hanoi to Da Nang ticket, and the 6-Day South Vietnam and Island Tour lists no flight in its inclusions. On the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North the itinerary shows 2 domestic flights while the inclusions say one, so confirm both are covered |
| Hotels | Private room on the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North and the 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South, 3-star hotels on the 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour and the 3-Day Mekong Delta Tour from Saigon | Hotel names and star class are not stated on the 9-day and 10-day tours. The 14-day and 8-day tours name 3-star hotels on the itinerary but their inclusions lists do not mention accommodation, so read them as "or similar" |
| Cruise night | One night on a boat in Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay on the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North, in Ha Long Bay on the 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour | The 6-Day Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa Tour has a Ha Long day trip, yet its description claims a 2-day cruise, so ask the operator which is true before booking |
| Meals | All meals on the 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay Cruise, breakfast plus lunch on most days on the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North | Dinner is on your own most nights on the 9-day and 10-day tours. The 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour excludes dinner on most days at about $4 to $10 per person per meal per its record |
| Entrance fees | All entrance fees on the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North, the 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South and the 2-Day Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay Tour | Not itemised on the 6-Day Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa Tour. The Cu Chi shooting range fee is excluded on the 9-day tour, and the Fansipan cable car is not included on the 2-3 Day Sapa Tour with Limousine |
| The guide | English-speaking guide stated on the 6-Day South Vietnam and Island Tour and the 3-Day Mekong Delta Tour from Saigon | The guide is listed as tour guide or expert guide on most grand tours and not described at all on the 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour. Private guides are not stated in any catalog record |
| Transfers | Airport pickup and drop off on the 6-Day South Vietnam and Island Tour, private car transfers on the 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City | Airport transfer is not stated on the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North or the 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South, and on the 9-day tour the day 9 airport transfer runs without a guide |
International flights are excluded on every tour in the catalog, and so is the Vietnam e-visa, which costs $25 for single entry or $50 for multiple entry and allows a stay of up to 90 days. Travel insurance is named as excluded on the 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour and the 8-Day Vietnam Tour Saigon to Ha Long Bay, and the 4-Day Ha Giang Loop Tour is the only record that states travel insurance is included. Tips and drinks are excluded across the board.
Vietnamese restaurants do not expect tips, and a service charge of usually 5 percent may already be on the bill. Suggested tips for group tour guides run 50,000 to 100,000 VND per person per day and for private tours 100,000 to 200,000 VND, with group drivers at 25,000 to 50,000 VND per day.
The 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay Cruise adds government VAT of $35 per person and a peak season surcharge of $12 per person on top of its $261 price. The 3-Day Sapa Trekking and Homestay Tour charges a 40 percent public holiday surcharge on the total price around Tet and other listed dates. The 2-3 Day Sapa Tour with Limousine collects peak-date hotel surcharges on site of 950,000 VND for 3-star, 1,450,000 VND for 4-star or 1,950,000 VND for 5-star hotels.
The 14-Day Vietnam Tour Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and the 8-Day Vietnam Tour Saigon to Ha Long Bay are both non-refundable, all sales final, and both add compulsory gala dinners on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and the Tet date. The 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour refunds in full 6 full days before, 50 percent from 2 to 6 days and nothing inside 2 days, and its excluded dinners run about $4 to $10 per person per meal. The 3-Day Ha Giang Loop Small Group needs a border permit of $10 per person.
The 3-Day Mekong Delta Tour from Saigon leaves the Cambodian visa, paid in USD cash at the waterway checkpoint, at your cost if you continue to Phnom Penh.
The bay is the centrepiece of most Vietnam tour packages, but listings differ on whether you sleep on the water or just pass through. Here is what each record says.
A cruise night is confirmed on the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North in Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay, the 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City on a shared 3-star cruise, the 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour, the 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South, the 8-Day Vietnam Tour, Saigon to Ha Long Bay, the 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour and the 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay Cruise with a private balcony cabin. Day cruise only, sleeping on land: the 2-Day Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay Tour spends its night in a Ninh Binh homestay, and the 6-Day Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa Tour has a Ha Long day trip in its itinerary even though its description claims a 2-day cruise, so confirm before booking.
Ha Long Bay was inscribed by UNESCO in 1994 for aesthetic value and again in 2000 for geological value. It covers about 1,553 km2 with roughly 1,969 islets by one count, some 1,600 or about 2,000 by others, and 775 inside the UNESCO-designated area. The bay has about 120 km of coastline in Quang Ninh province.
Lan Ha Bay borders Ha Long to the south and southeast, with Cat Ba Island to the southwest, and cruises there leave from Cat Ba via GOT Port. Bai Tu Long Bay lies northeast toward Van Don, is about 165 to 180 km from Hanoi and is described as the least crowded of the three bays, with Lan Ha moderate and Ha Long the most crowded. Plastic single-use products have been banned in the Ha Long Bay area since 1 September 2019.
The typhoon season normally runs from May to November, mainly affecting the eastern coastal regions, and Vietnam Tourism lists the central typhoon peak as September to November. Tour records note that schedules can change with weather, tide and operating conditions, and the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North and the 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South can be cancelled for bad weather. Tet and Christmas to New Year can raise cruise prices by 30 to 40 percent in Bai Tu Long.
Ask the operator three things before paying: which bay the boat actually sleeps in, whether the cabin is private or shared, and what happens to your refund if a storm grounds the boat. Signal is patchy on Lan Ha Bay cruises, so download anything you need before boarding.
Vietnam is long and thin, and Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City sit about 1,150 km apart by one count and just under 1,600 km by road by another. The table shows each leg the catalog and research cover, and which tours use it.
Paddy fields near Sa Pa, 319 km from Hanoi by road. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Times and distances below come from published route research and the tour records. The key pattern: grand tours fly the two long legs, Hanoi to Da Nang and Da Nang or Hue to Ho Chi Minh City, and drive the shorter northern hops. The mountain trips use sleeper buses and limousine vans, and the overnight train to Lao Cai is the rail option for Sapa.
| Leg | By air | By road or rail | Used on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City | About 2 hours 15 minutes by plane, roughly two hours by another source | Just under 1,600 km by road, about 36 hours by bus, and express trains take about 33 to 34.7 hours or 34 to 35 by another source | No catalog tour flies this leg direct. The grand tours stop in Da Nang on the way |
| Hanoi to Da Nang | Not stated | Not stated for road or rail | Flown on the 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South, the 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (to Da Nang for Hoi An), the 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour, and in reverse on the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North and the 8-Day Vietnam Tour, Saigon to Ha Long Bay |
| Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City | Not stated | Not stated for road or rail | Flown on the 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South and the 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour, and in reverse on the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North and the 8-Day Vietnam Tour, Saigon to Ha Long Bay |
| Hanoi to Ha Long Bay | No airport | Roughly 150 to 170 km, about 150 km of expressway takes 2 to 2.5 hours by car or limousine, by bus 2.5 to 3 hours at 150,000 to 380,000 VND | By road on every tour that visits the bay, by limousine bus on the 2-Day Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay Tour |
| Hanoi to Sapa | No airport | 319 km by road, 4 to 5.5 hours by car or 5.5 to 6 hours by bus from about 400,000 VND, or the overnight train to Lao Cai takes 8 hours then 35 km by road | Sleeper bus or Dcar limousine on the 3-Day Sapa Trekking and Homestay Tour, Dcar limousine on the 2-3 Day Sapa Tour with Limousine, bus out and limousine bus back on the 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City |
| Hanoi to Ha Giang | No airport | About 280 km by road, about 4 hours by car or 5 hours by bus, sleeper bus about 7 hours at roughly 250,000 VND | Sleeper or limousine bus on the 4-Day Ha Giang Loop Tour and the 3-Day Ha Giang Loop Small Group |
The main airports on package routes are Hanoi Noi Bai (HAN), about 35 km northeast of downtown with Terminal 1 for domestic flights, Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat (SGN), which handled about 39.9 million passengers and opened Terminal 3 for domestic flights, Da Nang (DAD) and Hue Phu Bai (HUI), plus Phu Quoc (PQC), which the 6-Day South Vietnam and Island Tour itinerary flies into. Airlines listed on the Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City route include Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, Bamboo Airways and Sun PhuQuoc Airways. On the northern mountain trips no plane is involved.
The 4-Day Ha Giang Loop Tour uses a VIP sleeper bus, sleeper bus or VIP limousine bus to Ha Giang from pickups in Hanoi, Sapa, Ninh Binh, Cat Ba or Ha Long Bay. The 3-Day Ha Giang Loop Small Group runs a cabin VIP sleeper bus at 11:00 or 20:00 or a limousine seat at 16:00. The 2-3 Day Sapa Tour with Limousine sends a Dcar limousine from the Hanoi Old Quarter at 06:00 to 06:30, with no guide on board.
Vietnam stretches from latitude 8 N to 24 N, so the north, the centre and the south rarely have the same weather in the same month. Match your tour dates to the region you care about most. Month by month figures are on the best time to visit Vietnam.
The Nho Que River below the Ma Pi Leng Pass. October, November, March and April are the loop's best months. Photo: NKSTTSSHNVN, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The figures below are daily mean temperatures in °C from climate records for Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, with the rainfall pattern each region is known for. The north has four seasons and its heaviest rain from June to August. The centre gets most of its rain from September to December. The south has a dry season from December to April and a wet season from May to November with afternoon downpours. Sapa in the mountains runs much cooler than Hanoi, and winters there can fall below freezing.
Use the table to see why a single month can suit one end of the country and not the other, then check the tour you like in the catalog.
| Months | North (Hanoi, Sapa) | Centre (Hue, Hoi An) | South (Saigon, Mekong) |
|---|---|---|---|
| December to February | Cool and dry, daily mean about 16 to 18 °C in Hanoi, colder in Sapa | Mild and mostly dry, about 21 to 22 °C in Da Nang | Dry season, about 27 °C |
| March to April | Warming, about 20 to 24 °C, one of the north's best windows | Warm and dry, about 24 to 27 °C | Dry season, about 28 to 29 °C |
| May to August | Hot with the heaviest rain of the year, about 27 to 29 °C | Hot, about 28 to 29 °C, typhoons possible from July | Wet season with afternoon downpours, about 28 to 30 °C |
| September to November | Cooler and clearer, about 22 to 28 °C | Wettest months of the year, with flooding risk around Hue | Wet season tailing off, about 28 °C |
Tet, the Lunar New Year, is the biggest holiday in Vietnam. Most small restaurants, street stalls, museums, banks and family shops close for several days, while hotels, chain restaurants and pagodas stay open. Around Tet in 2026, domestic flights, trains and sleeper buses sold out four to six weeks ahead at two to three times normal fares. In 2027 Tet falls on 6 February, and the official break was still undecided between 4 to 10 February and 5 to 14 February.
Several listings in the catalog pass holiday costs on to you. The 14-Day Vietnam Tour and the 8-Day Vietnam Tour each add a compulsory gala dinner on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and the Tet date, plus a public holiday surcharge with amounts not stated. The 3-Day Sapa Trekking and Homestay Tour adds a 40 percent surcharge on the total price on peak dates. The 2-3 Day Sapa Tour with Limousine charges an on-site peak surcharge of 950,000 VND for a 3-star hotel, 1,450,000 VND for 4-star and 1,950,000 VND for 5-star. Reunification Day on 30 April and National Day on 2 September also bring domestic travel crowds.
For the north, Vietnam Tourism names March to May and September to November as the best months. For the south, the dry season runs from December to April. For the centre and beaches, aim for the early part of the year, because the rain there falls hardest from September to December.
Phu Quoc and Con Dao are best from November to March. If the mountains are the point of your trip, the best months for the Ha Giang Loop are October, November, March and April, while June to September is its rainy season.
A package price rarely covers everything the border, the ATM and the road demand. These are the entry rules, the cash facts and the safety basics that sit outside your tour price. The advisories and everyday risks in full are on is Vietnam safe.
Hoan Kiem Lake in central Hanoi. Photo: Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Most travelers need a visa. The Vietnam e-visa allows single or multiple entry with a stay of up to 90 days and costs $25 for single entry or $50 for multiple entry. It is available to citizens of all countries and territories, and you apply through the official government portal before you fly. Confirm the fee and processing time on the official portal before you apply.
Some passports skip the visa. Ordinary passport holders from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and Hungary get 45 days visa-free, and Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland have a temporary 45-day regime running to 14 August 2028. Citizens of the United States and Canada are on no exemption list and need an e-visa. Visitors arriving directly by air or sea in Phu Quoc get a 30-day exemption. Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months after arrival with at least 2 blank pages, and you must enter and exit on the same passport.
Vietnam's currency is the dong (VND). Banknotes in daily use run from 1,000 to 500,000 VND and there are no coins. Cards work mainly at hotels, travel agencies and upscale restaurants, and some places add a 2 to 4 percent card fee. ATMs dispense only VND, most banks charge about 55,000 VND per withdrawal, while VPBank and ACB are described as having no withdrawal fee for foreign cards. The dong is non-convertible, so exchange what is left before you leave. Bargaining is expected at markets.
Tipping is not expected in restaurants, where a service charge of 5 percent, sometimes 10 percent, may already be on the bill. For tours, suggested tips are 50,000 to 100,000 VND per person per day for group guides and 100,000 to 200,000 VND for private tours, with drivers at 25,000 to 50,000 VND per day. Ticket prices are set in dong: the Trang An boat is 250,000 VND, the Hoi An Ancient Town ticket is 120,000 VND and the Fansipan cable car round trip is 850,000 VND for adults. Check whether your tour already includes these, as the pick includes all entrance fees for its sights.
The US State Department placed Vietnam at Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions, when its four-level system launched, so check travel.state.gov for the current level. The UK FCDO describes violent crime against foreigners as rare but says petty theft and pickpocketing are common, especially in crowds and during Christmas and Tet, and warns of motorcycle bag-snatching, so carry bags on the side away from traffic. It recommends licensed taxis or apps such as Grab or XanhSM and notes drink spiking and methanol poisoning have occurred in licensed venues. Typhoon season normally runs from May to November, mainly hitting eastern coastal regions.
Traffic is the real risk. Road law compliance is poor according to the FCDO. To ride a motorbike yourself you need a 1968 international driving permit plus your licence, riding without a helmet is illegal for drivers and passengers, and driving without third-party insurance is illegal. That matters on the Ha Giang Loop, though the Easy Rider options in the 4-day Ha Giang Loop Tour put a local driver on the bike. Emergency numbers are police 113, fire 114 and ambulance 115.
Do not drink tap water. The CDC advises avoiding freshwater swimming and floodwater in Vietnam because of leptospirosis and other water-borne diseases, which covers kayaking and river stops on some itineraries. Dengue is a year-round risk, so use repellent with 20 percent or more DEET.
The CDC recommends hepatitis A, hepatitis B and typhoid vaccines for most travelers and MMR for all, and Japanese encephalitis vaccine for longer stays. Vietnamese cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang have no malaria transmission, and the deltas need no preventive tablets. Yellow fever vaccination is not required for entry.
The FCDO lists air pollution as a health risk and advises insurance covering air ambulance and repatriation, and the ambulance number is 115.
Sources: UK FCDO travel advice, Vietnam e-visa portal, CDC travel health
Leo was a great guide and the trip was all around well organized. The private rooms were very nice and luxurious. I felt safe with my driver and he was very friendly even though he could hardly speak English.
It was an incredible 3 days! Everything was well organized. The scenery, the food, the transportation, and the accommodations were perfect. Thanks again, Jacky, for your great sense of humor!
We had an amazing time with our guide Ly Thi Xa! She was so happy and very knowledgeable about the area. The homestay is beautiful and the food at the homestay was very good. Highly recommended this tour!
This was such a well organised tour, with the most amazing views & activities. Elise was extremely helpful and set everything up for our last minute booking - thankyou again lovely! Would highly recommend to see the best of Sapa :) Make sure you do the village trek!
This was incredible! I had reservations booking as I was unsure what to expect but both of the tours were amazing and the boat was spectacular! Everything was beyond our expectations.
Our guide Trung (Henry) was fabulous, he was very knowledgeable and attentive. The accomodation and activities were excellent. Great value for money Would highly recommend this trip.
In the catalog, grand tours run from $450 for the 7-day Vietnam Package Tour up to $1,998 for the 12-day Vietnam and Cambodia tour, per person. Shorter trips cost less, from $98 for a 3-day Sapa trek to $279 for a 6-day north loop. What the price changes is concrete: flights, the cruise night, hotel class, meals and refund terms all differ between listings.
About two weeks covers the whole country from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, which is what the 14-Day Vietnam Tour does with Sapa, a Ha Long Bay cruise night, Hoi An, Hue and the Mekong Delta. With about a week, the 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour covers Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An, or a 6-day trip covers one end of the country.
It depends entirely on the listing. The 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North lists 2 domestic flights on its itinerary, the 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour includes three flights, while the 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour excludes the Hanoi to Da Nang air ticket and the 6-Day South Vietnam and Island Tour does not list its Phu Quoc flights in the inclusions. Read the inclusions and the itinerary together, because at least one listing contradicts itself on the flight count.
It buys a shorter trip rather than two weeks in the catalog. Just under $1,000 gets the 9-day South to North tour at $999 with 2 domestic flights on the itinerary, a Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay cruise night, all entrance fees and most breakfasts and lunches, though dinners are mostly on your own. The 10-day north to south tour at $1,099 adds Sapa. Two full weeks starts at $1,544, and no listing at any price covers international flights, the e-visa or tips.
Most listings in the catalog offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, including every GetYourGuide listing. The exceptions are the 14-Day Vietnam Tour and the 8-Day Vietnam Tour, where all sales are final. The 12-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Tour is tiered, with a full refund 6 days before, 50 percent from 2 to 6 days and nothing inside 2 days.
This site compares bookable listings by price, inclusions, refund terms, ratings and review counts, and it does not rank companies. The most reviewed tour overall is the 3-Day Ha Giang Loop Small Group with 808 reviews at 5.0, while the editorial pick for a grand tour is the 9-day south to north trip at 5.0 from 45 reviews. Judge each listing on what it includes, not on the brand name.
Yes, on the evidence of the listings. Grand tours include private room accommodation, such as the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North, cruise cabins on Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay are sold per cabin on the 3-day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay trip, which even offers a honeymoon cabin set-up on request, and small groups cap at 8 to 12 people on many tours.
Before you book
The route, the seasons, the costs, safety and the Ha Giang Loop, each on its own page.
Vietnam Tour Packages
