Vietnam Tour Packages8 Day Vietnam Tour: Ho Chi Minh City to Ha Long Bay
This 8 day Vietnam tour from Realistic Asia runs south to north in one week, from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, with the Mekong Delta, the Cu Chi Tunnels, a boating and cooking day in Hoi An and a shared cruise night in Ha Long Bay. Two economy domestic flights are in the price of $929, along with entrance tickets, private airport transfers and most lunches. Before you book, know this: all sales are final and no refund is available for cancellations. This page breaks down the itinerary, the inclusions and the catches, and compares it with the rest of the Vietnam tour packages on the site so you can see if it fits. Compare it with the other Vietnam Tour Packages.
About This Tour
Realistic Asia sells this as the 8-Days Glimpse of Vietnam, an 8 day Vietnam tour from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi rated 5.0 from 26 reviews. It runs the country south to north with the Mekong Delta, Cu Chi, Hoi An and a Ha Long Bay cruise night. The link slug says 9 days, but the title and the itinerary confirm 8 days and 7 nights.
Days 2, 3, 4 and 6 join group tours or a shared cruise with up to 15 people, and airport transfers use a private driver. Accommodation is in named 3-star hotels or similar, though the inclusions list itself does not mention accommodation. All sales are final: there is no refund for cancellations, so book only when your dates are certain.
$929 per person, sold on Viator, rated 5.0 from 26 reviews.
8 days and 7 nights. The link slug says 9 days, the itinerary confirms 8.
Tan Son Nhat International Airport on arrival in Vietnam. The guide meets you and a private car transfers you to the hotel.
Up to 15 on the shared days. The guide language is English. Airport transfers are private.
2 economy domestic flights, Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang and Hoi An to Hanoi. 3-star hotels or similar: Queen Ann in Ho Chi Minh City, Kim An in Hoi An, San Premium in Hanoi, plus one night on The Journey Cruise or similar in Ha Long Bay.
Breakfast on days 2 to 8, lunch on days 2, 4, 6 and 7, dinner only on day 6 on the cruise.
International flights, e-visa, drinks, tips, insurance, early check-in, and a compulsory gala dinner on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and the Tet date plus a public holiday surcharge, amounts not stated.
All sales are final, no refund is available for cancellations. The tour can be cancelled for bad weather.
Check Dates and Availability
Departure times are confirmed when you check availability. Viator lists age bands from infants 0 to 2, children 3 to 11 and adults 12 to 99 for pricing, not as limits.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short answer
This 8 day Vietnam tour costs $929 per person and covers Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, Cu Chi, Hoi An and a Ha Long Bay cruise night with 2 economy domestic flights. Days 2, 3, 4 and 6 are group tours with up to 15 people. All sales are final, so there is no refund.
Key takeaways
- The cruise night is on a shared 3-star boat, The Journey Cruise or similar, in Ha Long Bay.
- Flights and most meals are in, drinks and tips are not, and the hotel nights are not on the inclusion list. See what the price covers.
- If you want free cancellation and one more day, compare the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North.
- The lowest-priced grand tour is the 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour at $450, though its Hanoi to Da Nang flight ticket is excluded.
What the Price Actually Covers
The listing's own inclusion list is generous on tickets and transport but quiet on hotels. Here is the split, taken only from what Realistic Asia states.
Included in the $929
The inclusions name door-to-door pick-up and drop-off by private car, all sightseeing tickets according to the itinerary, an air-conditioned bus between Hanoi and Ha Long Bay return, air-conditioned bus or private cars for excursions, both economy domestic flights, breakfast, lunch, dinner, tissues and water on the coach, 24/7 hotline support, and service charges and government tax. The cruise night carries its own dinner and breakfast.
Note the gap: accommodation is not on the inclusion list even though the itinerary names 3-star hotels and a 3-star cruise each night. Confirm with the operator that the hotel nights are covered before paying, because the inclusion list gives you no written claim to them.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 domestic flights | Yes | Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang day 3, Hoi An to Hanoi day 5, both economy |
| Airport transfers | Yes | Private car, guide meets you at Tan Son Nhat |
| Sightseeing tickets | Yes | All according to the itinerary |
| Hotels and cruise cabin | Not listed | Itinerary names 3-star properties or similar, inclusions silent |
| Breakfast | Yes | Days 2 to 8 |
| Lunch | Yes | Days 2, 4, 6 and 7 |
| Dinner | Day 6 only | On the cruise |
| Drinks | No | Tissues and water on the coach only |
| Tips and insurance | No | Your own cost |
| E-visa | No | Applied online, your cost |
What You May Pay on the Day
Beverages, personal expenses, tips and gratuities, early check-in and late check-out, and travel insurance are all excluded. The e-visa to Vietnam is your own cost. Around Christmas, New Year and Tet there is a compulsory gala dinner and a public holiday surcharge, amounts not stated by the listing, so ask the operator for the figures before booking over those dates.
Services not mentioned in the inclusion part are excluded by default. Budget for dinners too, since only one dinner in eight days is included.
Sources: Wikipedia: Vietnam, UK FCDO: Vietnam
Lanterns over a street in Hoi An. Photo: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The route runs south to north with two flights. Here is the itinerary day by day, with the times and durations the listing states.
Days 1 to 3: Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Cu Chi
Day 1 is arrival. Your private driver meets you at Tan Son Nhat airport with a name sign and takes you to the Queen Ann hotel or similar, with the rest of the day free. Day 2 is the Mekong Delta group tour: the guide meets you at the hotel lobby around 7:15 to 7:30 am for the 120 minute drive to My Tho. You board a sampan around the Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands, walk Unicorn Island's country lanes and orchards, take a hand-rowed sampan through the Thoi Son canal, visit family workshops and a honey-bee farm, taste honey tea and coconut candies, and have lunch. Overnight back in Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 3 starts with a drive of about one and a half hours to the Cu Chi Tunnels. An introduction and video runs for 60 minutes, then you explore the tunnel system for 300 minutes, with tea and cassava served afterwards. A flight takes you from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang for Hoi An, and a private transfer brings you to the Kim An Hotel or similar.
Days 4 to 5: Hoi An, Then the Flight to Hanoi
Day 4 is a group tour picked up around 8:30 am. You visit the Hoi An food market to buy ingredients, then head to Cam Thanh eco-village, cruise through the coconut palm forest in a round basket boat, try net fishing, and cook your own Vietnamese lunch. You are back at the hotel around 13:00 and the afternoon is free.
Day 5 you keep the morning in Hoi An, then a private driver takes you to the airport for the economy flight to Hanoi, where a driver meets you and transfers you to the San Premium Hotel or similar.
Days 6 to 8: Ha Long Bay Cruise and Hanoi Departure
Day 6 you check out and the cruise team picks you up for the scenic 240 minute drive across the Red River Delta to Ha Long Bay. You board The Journey Cruise or similar, have a seafood lunch, kayak or swim at a stop, return for an early dinner and spend the night on board. The listing notes the boat may not be allowed to push off in bad weather.
Day 7 starts early with sunrise, breakfast, a Tai Chi class on the sun deck and a limestone cave visit, then brunch while the boat sails back, a 360 minute stretch, and the 240 minute transfer to your Hanoi hotel. Day 8 is breakfast, check-out, free time for souvenirs and a private transfer to the airport. The tour ends in Hanoi.
7 Days in Vietnam: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An
A one-week route through the same three regions. Third-party video by Tanwi Dixit. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing is honest about some limits and silent on others. Read this before you commit a non-refundable $929.
No Refunds and Shared Groups
All sales are final. There is no refund for cancellations, so a change of plans costs you the whole booking. If you want an exit, the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North from Authentic Adventures adds a day and offers free cancellation 24 hours out for $999.
On the road, four of the sightseeing days are group tours or a shared cruise with up to 15 people, so you share a guide. Travellers wanting a private format throughout should look at a private option on the comparison page instead.
Early Starts and Long Road Legs
Day 2 leaves the hotel around 7:15 to 7:30 am, day 4 starts around 8:30 am, and the drive to Cu Chi takes about one and a half hours. The Ha Long Bay legs are 240 minutes out and 240 minutes back on an air-conditioned bus. The listing says the tour suits all physical fitness levels and wheelchair access is not stated, so confirm access needs directly with the operator.
Day 7 is a genuinely early rise for sunrise and Tai Chi on the deck.
Holiday Dates Cost More
A compulsory gala dinner applies on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and the Tet date, and a public holiday surcharge applies around Christmas, New Year and Tet, with amounts not stated. If you travel over those dates, ask for the surcharge in writing first. Travellers who want to see the north properly, with Sapa or Ninh Binh, will find neither here.
The 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City from the same operator adds Sapa, Hue and Ninh Binh for $1,544, and the 10-Day Vietnam Tour, North to South runs the reverse route with Ba Na Hills for $1,099.
The Saigon Central Post Office. Photo: Yesvn123, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
You fly yourself into Ho Chi Minh City and fly home from Hanoi. Both ends have room for extra days.
Reaching the Start
You arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City, which handles nearly half of Vietnam's international arrivals. The tour's own pickup covers you here: the guide meets you on arrival and a private car takes you to the hotel, so there is no transfer to arrange. The tour ends in Hanoi, so book your international flight home from Noi Bai Airport (HAN) rather than a round trip to Ho Chi Minh City.
Give yourself a buffer day at the end, because a missed connection is your problem on a no-refund booking.
What the Tour Skips
Eight days leaves no room for Ninh Binh, Hue or Sapa. In Hanoi the Temple of Literature opens 8:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:30, an easy add-on in the free time on day 5. In Ho Chi Minh City the War Remnants Museum on Vo Van Tan Street opens daily 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, with one source listing 40,000 VND and another 60,000 VND, so check the gate price on arrival.
If the north is your priority, the 6-Day Ha Long, Ninh Binh and Sapa Tour covers it as a loop from Hanoi for $279. For costs beyond the tour price, see the guide to your Vietnam trip cost and the practical advice on whether Vietnam is safe.
Day by Day Itinerary
Eight days, seven nights, two flights and one cruise night. Times are those the listing states.
-
Start
Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City
A private driver meets you at Tan Son Nhat airport with a name sign and transfers you to the Queen Ann hotel or similar. Rest of the day free.
-
Around 7:15-7:30 am
Mekong Delta group tour
Guide meets you at the hotel lobby for the 120 minute drive to My Tho. Sampan around the four islands, Unicorn Island walk, Thoi Son canal by hand-rowed sampan, honey-bee farm and lunch. Second night in Ho Chi Minh City.
-
After breakfast
Cu Chi Tunnels and flight to Hoi An
About one and a half hours drive to Cu Chi. 60 minute introduction and video, then 300 minutes in the tunnels with tea and cassava. Economy flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang, then private transfer to the Kim An Hotel in Hoi An.
-
Around 8:30 am
Hoi An boating and cooking
Group tour: Hoi An food market, Cam Thanh eco-village, a basket boat ride through the coconut palms, net fishing, then a cooking lesson and the meal as lunch. Back at the hotel around 13:00.
-
Morning
Flight to Hanoi
Free morning in Hoi An, then a private driver takes you to the airport for the economy flight to Hanoi. Transfer to the San Premium Hotel, rest of the day at leisure.
-
Morning
Ha Long Bay cruise night
The cruise team picks you up for the 240 minute drive across the Red River Delta. Board The Journey Cruise or similar, seafood lunch, kayaking or swimming, early dinner, night on board.
-
Early
Sunrise, cave and return to Hanoi
Sunrise on deck, breakfast, Tai Chi class, a limestone cave visit, brunch while sailing back, a 360 minute stretch, then the 240 minute transfer to your Hanoi hotel. Lunch included.
-
Last half day
Hanoi departure
Breakfast, check-out, free time for markets and souvenirs, then a private transfer to the airport. Trip ends in Hanoi.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of the listing, not a sales pitch.
What we genuinely like
- Both domestic flights are included in the $929
- The route covers the south, centre and Ha Long Bay in 8 days with flights between the main regions
- All sightseeing tickets and private airport transfers at both ends are in the price
- Named 3-star hotels and a 3-star cruise night, with dinner and breakfast on board
- 5.0 rating from 26 verified reviews
The honest downsides
- All sales are final, no refund at all for cancellations
- Accommodation is missing from the inclusion list even though hotels are named in the itinerary
- Only one dinner is included in 8 days, and drinks are never included
- A compulsory gala dinner and holiday surcharge apply around Christmas, New Year and Tet, with amounts not stated
- Four days are shared group tours with up to 15 people, and the link slug says 9 days while the itinerary confirms 8
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers who need a refundable booking, want Sapa, Hue or Ninh Binh included, or expect every dinner covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 8 days enough for this 8 day Vietnam tour route?
Eight days covers the south, Hoi An and Ha Long Bay comfortably because the included flights replace a long overland journey between the ends of the country. If you also want Hue, Sapa or Ninh Binh, look at the 14-Day Vietnam Tour, Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City instead.
Does the price include the domestic flights?
Yes, two economy flights are listed: Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang on day 3 and Hoi An to Hanoi on day 5. That is a real difference from the 7-Day Vietnam Package Tour, where the Hanoi to Da Nang air ticket is excluded from its $450 price.
What happens if I need to cancel?
All sales are final and no refund is available for cancellations, and the operator can also cancel for bad weather such as a storm closing Ha Long Bay. If you want flexibility, the 9-Day Vietnam Tour, South to North offers free cancellation 24 hours ahead for $999.
Where do I sleep and what standard are the hotels?
Seven nights: Queen Ann hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Kim An Hotel in Hoi An, San Premium Hotel in Hanoi twice and one night on The Journey Cruise, all or similar at 3-star level. The inclusions list does not mention accommodation, so confirm the rooms with the operator. Details are on the 8 day tour page.
Which meals are included?
Breakfast on days 2 to 8, lunch on days 2, 4, 6 and 7, and dinner only on day 6 on the cruise. All other dinners and all drinks are your own cost. For budgeting outside the tour, see the guide to your Vietnam trip cost.
Is the Ha Long Bay cruise private?
No, day 6 is a shared cruise, The Journey Cruise or similar, a 3-star boat with dinner and breakfast included. If you want a smaller boat with a balcony cabin, the 3-Day Ninh Binh and Lan Ha Bay Cruise is the cruise-focused option, though VAT and a peak season surcharge are extra.
Do I need a visa before joining the tour in Ho Chi Minh City?
Yes, the e-visa is excluded from the price and applied for online. The Vietnam e-visa allows single or multiple entry with a stay of up to 90 days and is available to citizens of all countries. The general rules are on the Vietnam Tour Packages.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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