13-day Vietnam Family Tour

Welcome to Vietnam, and the start of your family group tour! You’ll meet the rest of your group and your Adventure Leader at your hotel at around 5pm today, where you’ll get an introduction to what the next 13 days have in store, along with key safety information and tips on adjusting to life in Vietnam.

After that, we’ll take you out to dinner at a local restaurant to welcome you officially to this beautiful country. Here, you’ll have a chance to try some delicious regional cuisine, while acting as the perfect opportunity to get to know the other families on your tour.

We’re up bright and early today, heading off after breakfast to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Located outside the city itself, these tunnels were constructed during the Vietnam War to help combat better supplied American and South Vietnamese forces. Today, they’re a fascinating visit and an important commemoration of a key period in Vietnamese history.

You’ll arrive back at your hotel in the mid-afternoon, just in time to freshen up before you head out on a walking tour of the city, where you’ll get a chance to grab a view of all the city’s best landmarks.

This evening, if you’d like you can opt to join your group for a dinner – and if you’re not full after that, you can head out to a local night market to grab yourself a snack to end the evening.

Today is a free day for you to explore Ho Chi Minh as you see fit, but we’ve got a number of optional activities that we can help you book if you’d like:

• If you’d like to explore a more off-the-beaten-track area of Vietnam, opt to take a day trip out to the Mekong Delta. You’ll be out from early morning to mid-afternoon, and while you’re there you’ll row sampan boats down beautiful canals, take a walking visit to a small local village, discover local workshops, taste some beautiful fresh fruit and honey tea, and grab lunch at a garden restaurant by the Delta, with stunning countryside views.
• This morning, if you’d like a taste of Vietnamese culture, you can opt to join a drawing workshop. In this, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about traditional Vietnamese art, and try your hand at making a beautiful souvenir of your time here.
• If you’re a family of foodies, why not join us for a cooking class? Led by a local head chef, this class introduces you to flavours, spices, and cooking techniques that span Vietnam’s cultural heritage as you cook 4 courses – and take a market tour.
• This evening, opt to join us for a cruise down the Saigon River, where you’ll get a chance to spot the city’s most iconic landmarks from the water.

Alternatively, feel free to ask your Adventure Leader for ideas on how to spend your day.

This morning, it’s time to transfer to the next destination on our Vietnam family group tour – Hoi An! We’ll head to the airport, with the aim of touching down and transferring to our hotel by the early afternoon.

Once you’re settled, we’ll take you for a beautiful Vietnamese cultural workshop – a lantern-making experience. Hoi An’s famed the world over for the city’s stunning lanterns, and today you’ve got the chance to make your own.

Following this, we’ll orient you with your new city with a tour of the Ancient Town. Head to the old town with your Adventure Leader, and spend some time exploring at your own pace.

This evening, you can opt to join us for the stunning Hoi An Memories show. This performance explores the 400-year story of Hoi An, and features incredible lighting and sound effects that create an immersive experience.

Today, you have another free day – but as ever, we’ve got some options for you. If you’d like a day off from sightseeing, you can spend a day on the beach taking in the incredible views and catching up on some much-needed R&R. Alternatively:

• You can take a full day tour of Ba Na Hills. Over the course of your tour, you’ll take a cable car from the foot of Ba Na Mountain, visit Le Jardin, old wineries, the remains of French villas, and the beautiful Linh Ung Pagoda – complete with 27m high Buddha! You’ll also conquer the peak of Chua Mountain, where you can see the whole of nearby Da Nang city.
• You can take a tour from Hoi An out to the Cu Lao Cham islands, which lie around 20km off the coast of Hoi An and are a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
• You can head out to the local area for a coconut basket boating experience – these circular boats are an enduring image of Vietnam, and you can take a trip down beautiful verdant rivers before heading to get a taste of what a local farm looks like.

Back in the city this evening, if you’d like you can opt to join your group for dinner.

This morning, you’ve got some free time to get a leisurely breakfast before we depart for our next destination: Phong Nha.

We’re heading for a truly unmissable stay – a local farmstay in Chay Lap, where you’ll get to live in and amongst the local community. Once you’ve checked in and settled, we’ll have dinner in the farmstay’s restaurant.

Today, you’ve got a couple of fantastic options for how to spend your day. However, if you’re after a quieter day, you can take advantage of the farmstay’s outdoor pool and lounge area. Alternatively:

• Join us for a one-day tour of the Phong Nha National Park, complete with visits to Paradise Cave and Dark Cave. Be sure to bring your swimsuits! There’s plenty of opportunity for adventure here, including a zip line or a kayaking experience.
• This evening, join us on a night safari, where you’ll head out into the local jungle in an electric car to spot rare animals and insects.

If you’d like, this evening you can opt to have dinner at the farmstay’s restaurant.

Tonight we’ll transfer to Hanoi, the next stop on our Vietnam family group tour – but not before we have some fun in Phong Nha!

After breakfast, we’ll grab some bikes to take a 2-hour cycle tour of Chay Lap farm. Still full of energy? No trouble – next up, we’re heading to the local watersports centre to grab some kayaks and head out onto the water.

Before we depart, bound for Hanoi, there’s time for you to opt to join us for a boat ride on the Chay River, where you can get an amazing view of Golden Hour and the sunset.

This evening, we’ll depart the farmstay as we head overnight to Hanoi by train.

(Note: there is a flight alternative available – contact us for more information.)

This morning, you’ll arrive and check in to your next accommodation in Hanoi. Spend the morning catching up on a little bit of sleep, before we take you out in the mid-afternoon to explore Hoan Kiem Lake and the surrounding Old Quarter.

If you’d like, you can opt to join your group for dinner and drinks at the Old Quarter’s night market. Alternatively, for a dose of local culture, we’d recommend heading to the local Water Puppet Show for an amazing display of Vietnam’s cultural heritage.

Today is yours to spend as you see fit. However, we’ve got some options for you:

• You can take a full day trip of Ninh Binh. Along the way, you’ll see the towering limestone karsts of Trang An, the Bai Dinh Pagoda, get a group lunch, and head to the grottoes and caves of the local area by traditional wooden boat.
• You can head into the Old Quarter for a pottery workshop, where you’ll learn to make traditional Bat Trang ceramics – and make a piece to take home with you.
• In the afternoon, you can take a Jeep tour around Hanoi, where you’ll be able to see all the city’s most beautiful sites like the French Quarter, the Opera House, and the West Lake. Along the way, there’ll also be a chance to sample some of Hanoi’s best regional cuisine.

If you’re spending your day at your own leisure, be sure to ask your Adventure Leader for all their best recommendations!

We’re away bright and early this morning, bound for one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam – Halong Bay! Once we’ve arrived, we’ll jump on a boat (which we’re staying on overnight!) and grab some lunch as we cruise our way towards Cap La Island.

This afternoon, you’ll canoe over the emerald waters and grab a tender out to the island. It’s here that you’ll have a party with your group while the sun goes down, before heading back to your boat for dinner before you retire for the night.

Wake up this morning to the gentle rocking of your boat in Halong Bay, just in time to take a tai chi session on the sundeck – or just take in the sunrise over the bay’s incredible landscapes.

After a quick snack, we’ll take you out to Thien Canh Son Cave – a beautiful hidden feature that’s yours to explore in the morning. However, don’t worry about staving off the hunger pangs – because we’ll have you back on board by the mid-morning, ready for a traditional Vietnamese brunch. We’ll then begin to cruise back to port, ready to transfer back to Hanoi.

This evening, you’ve got some time to yourselves, before we take you and the rest of your group out to dinner to bid you a fond farewell.

Sadly, this morning marks the end of your Vietnam family tour. If you’d like assistance with getting back to the airport – or you’re planning on staying another night – let us know and we can assist you with your booking.

Alternatively, if you’d like to stay on, you can book an additional 3-day, 2-night loop of Ha Giang! Find out more on this below:

**Day 13: Hanoi to Ha Giang **

After a busy 2 weeks, today is a (well-earned) free day for you to explore Ha Noi Old Quarter at your own, leisurely pace. Still up for more adventure? Your Adventure Leader will be at the ready for ideas on how to spend your day!

After enjoying some dinner, you’ll jump on a sleeper bus that transfers you to Ha Giang, arriving in the early morning.

Day 14: Ha Giang Loop

Kick back in Ha Giang City for a chilled-out morning, before the real adventure begins. Over the next three days, we’ll be cruising (by jeep, no less) along one of the most jaw-dropping roads on the planet. Think wild mountain passes, endless views, and proper main-character energy. First up: Bac Sum Pass, Heaven’s Gate, and the epic landscapes of the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark.

Day 15: Ma Pi Leng Pass

Ready to have your jaw permanently dropped? Today we take on Ma Pi Leng Pass – aka the main event of Vietnam’s mountain roads. Prepare for cliff-edge twists, views for actual days, and that ‘am I in a postcard?’ feeling. We’ll hike the legendary Sky Path (spoiler: the name doesn’t lie), before heading down to earth (quite literally) to a cosy little village where you and your group will settle for the evening in your homestay. Your camera roll’s about to get busy

Day 16: Ha Giang Loop

It’s our final day on the loop – but we’re not winding down just yet. First up: a refreshing dip in a waterfall (yes, it’s as dreamy as it sounds), followed by a visit to a traditional Hmong village. Then it’s back on the road for a last dose of winding mountain magic through the Nui Doi passes, with a few familiar favourites on the way – Sky Gate and Bac Sum Pass.

We’ll roll back into Ha Giang City, say our goodbyes to this epic route, and hop into a comfy limo van headed for Hanoi, arriving late evening.