Journeys: Explore Vietnam

G Adventures · 13 days

4.5

2 Reviews

Duration

13 days

Tour Type

Small Group

Accommodations

Moderate

Physical Rating

Light

Guide Language

English

Experience Overview

Immerse yourself in Vietnam’s mesmerizing culture and momentous history on a journey from the emerald mountains of the north to the sun-drenched beaches of the south.

Includes

Activities

Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Traditional Lantern Making Experience, Hoi An Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Oodles of Noodles Local Market Excursion, Hoi An Your G for Good Moment: Kym Viet Local Enterprise Visit, Hanoi Your G for Good Moment: Oodles of Noodles, Hoi An Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your Expedition Leader and Group Your Discover Moment: Kym Viet Craft & Lunch, Hanoi
Arrival transfer
Visit Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton) and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Mai Chau Countryside Hike
Cyclo tour of Hanoi's Old Quarter
Overnight on a junk boat on Halong Bay
Guided tour of Emperor's Tomb and Imperial Citadel Hue
Lunch at a Buddhist Nunnery
Walking tour of Hoi An Old Town
Guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels
Internal flights
All transport between destinations and to/from included activities

Accommodation

Hotels – 9 nts, junk boat – 1 nt, lodge – 2 nts.

12 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners

Transport

Private bus, boat, cyclo, plane, walking.

Group Leader

National Geographic Expedition Leader

Highlights

Learn to cook oodles of noodles at a G Adventures-supported youth-training school
Cruise along Halong Bay in a traditional junk boat
Learn how to make a traditional lantern in the lantern capital of Vietnam
Step back into history at the Cu Chi Tunnels and Hanoi Hilton
Enjoy lunch at Hoa Sua (a training restaurant for disadvantaged youth)

Trip Details

Duration

13 days

Transportation

Private bus, boat, cyclo, plane, walking.

Guide Language

English

Starts

Hanoi, Vietnam

Finishes

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Accommodations

Moderate

Travel Style

National Geographic Journey, Budget

Physical Rating

Light

Itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi

Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included.

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.Activity - Your opportunity to meet your National Geographic Expedition Leader and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.Accommodation - Golden Silk Boutique Hotel

Day 2: HANOI/MAI CHAU VALLEY

Spend the morning discovering the bustling Vietnamese capital and connecting to history on a guided tour. Visit the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, one of Vietnam's most influential political leaders. Learn more about his life at the Presidential Palace, a French colonial-style building that was designed to be his official residence. Gain insights into the Vietnam War at the Hoa Lo Prison, known by American POWs as the Hanoi Hilton; then jump on a cyclo, a three-wheel bicycle taxi, for a fun-filled ride through Hanoi's colourful Old Quarter. After, travel to the verdant Mai Chau Valley, a patchwork of rice paddies, emerald hills, and charming traditional villages. Settle in for a two night stay in this lush, green paradise.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is open until 11:00am and closed on Monday and Friday. Entry is dependent on what time the group arrives in Hanoi.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Take a guided tour of the mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body is housed in a glass case. During seasonal closures (see below), visit the Presidential Palace grounds for a short guided tour. Note: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is open until 11:00am and closed on Monday and Friday. Entry is dependent on what time the group arrives in Hanoi. The mausoleum will be close for 2 months every year for maintenance. It's usually from June 16th - August 16th every year, but this can vary.Activity - Tour the museum of Hoa Lo Prison, referred to as Hanoi Hilton by American prisoners, to learn more about the Vietnam War.Activity - Take a seat on a cyclo for a tour of Hanoi’s lively Old Quarter. Let the driver navigate through the bustling streets and start taking some photos or just use the tour to help get familiar with the area.Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Free_time - Spend the evening free in Mai Châu.Accommodation - Mai Chau Hideaway Lake Resort

Day 3: MAI CHAU VALLEY

Spend the day exploring the picturesque valley. Set out on a walk through the peaceful countryside, learning about the local tribes and customs, and visit a market for a fruit tasting. Choose to enjoy an authentic country lunch at a village home.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Enjoy an easy walk through rice paddies, terraces, and scenic green hills. Visit Na Phon village and a local traditional stilt house, continuing to Lac Village (White Tai ethnic group) or Mai Chau market for some exotic fruit tasting. Enjoy stunning natural landscapes while learning about the local ethnic tribes of the Mai Chau valley.Accommodation - Mai Chau Hideaway Lake Resort

Day 4: MAI CHAU VALLEY/HANOI

Return to Hanoi, stopping at KymViet Enterprise on the way. This G Adventures–supported program teaches stitching and sewing skills to local people with disabilities. Learn about KymViet meeting with the staff and make a small handicraft. Enjoy a tour of the workshop and interact with the team members by learning a few words in sign language. After, return to Hanoi and enjoy the rest of the day to explore exactly how you wish!

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Visit the staff and team at KymViet, a local enterprise supported by G Adventures. KymViet is a community organization that helps people with disabilities learn real life skills and create their own dignified source of income. With a focus on stitching and sewing, their team members lead travelers on handicraft workshops to make high quality products like stuffed animals and home decorations. Learn about the organization while having a regional refreshment, learning some sign language and enjoy a delicious lunch.Activity - Connect with some local people in Hanoi and make your very own souvenir to bring home during our visit to KymViet, a social enterprise supported by G Adventures. We’ll be welcomed with a regional beverage, meet the staff and learn about the KymViet story. Under their guidance, local people with disabilities have been trained in stitching and sewing. While there we’ll each make our own stuffed animals, getting to know our hosts and learning some sign language. We’ll have a delicious lunch before touring the property to get to know the organization even better. Before we leave, enjoy a visit to their cafe where we can buy snacks and other souvenirs made by the team members at Kym Viet.Free_time - Spend the afternoon at leisure to explore Hanoi exactly how you'd like!Accommodation - Golden Silk Boutique Hotel

Day 5: HANOI/HA LONG BAY

Settle into your cabin on a traditional-style wooden boat or junk, where we'll spend the night, and embark on a cruise of either Halong Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay (depending on boat availability) a more secluded section of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Continue to glide around the bay's stunning karst formations, and explore the fascinating Me Cung cave with our local guide
This traditional wooden sailing boat offers a unique way of navigating the lime karsts of Ha Long Bay with all the comforts of a motorized, floating hotel. The boat crew will prepare an included seafood lunch and dinner. All cabins are twin share and have an en-suite bathroom. The boat features an enclosed dining and sitting area and of course plenty of outside deck space to enjoy your beautiful surroundings.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Cruise through the stunning bay. Relax on board our comfortable traditional wooden junk boat. Enjoy your time afloat eating fresh seafood, admiring the magnificent karst formations, and exploring. Spend a peaceful night anchored in the bay under the stars.Accommodation - Halong Overnight Cruise

Day 6: HA LONG BAY/HUE

Enjoy an early lunch on board before returning to land and heading back to Hanoi to catch a short flight to Hue. A former imperial capital of Vietnam, this World Heritage-listed city boasts many architectural treasures; it was also the site of one of the Vietnam War's most dramatic battles.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Transport - Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.Accommodation - Romance Hotel

Day 7: HUE

Set out on a guided tour of Hue's imposing walled citadel, discovering lavish palaces, gardens, and courtyards. Visit the Forbidden Purple City, which served as the private quarters of the imperial family; then venture into the countryside to the magnificent tombs of Vietnam's emperors, located along the banks of the Perfume River. Visit a Buddhist nunnery and enjoy a leisurely lunch following the traditions of vegetarian cuisine.
Hue is the gateway to the treasures of Vietnam's royal past and remains one of Vietnam's major tourist attractions. This quiet city is widely known for the magnificent architecture of its citadel, royal tombs, pagodas, and temples built under the Nguyen dynasty on the lush banks of the Perfume River.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Tour this one-time capital city and UNESCO World Heritage site. See the walled fortress and former palace, which has many palaces, gateways, courtyards, and gardens to explore. The Forbidden Purple City (modelled on China's Forbidden City) inside the citadel was once home to the imperial family and was significantly damaged during the Vietnam War.Activity - Tour the tombs of Vietnam’s great emperors. Just outside of Hue, along the Perfume River are several impressive tombs dating back to the 1800s. Ranging in size and states of ruin, the ornate architecture and history make the sites a great place to learn more about the history of Hue.Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Visit a nunnery and enjoy a leisurely lunch following the traditions of Buddhist cuisine, which features fresh, local produce and fermented or preserved ingredients. Today, we'll sample a set menu of six to seven dishes, such as pumpkin soup with mushroom, tofu and green beans; crispy noodles with rice crackers; fresh spring rolls with soy sauce; steamed rice with eggplant and green beans; fried rolls with potato curry; and bread with potatoes, carrots and onion. (Please note: the menu is seasonal and may vary from what is mentioned above.)Accommodation - Romance Hotel

Day 8: HUE/HOI AN

Drive to Hoi An this morning, a remarkably well-preserved river port and UNESCO World Heritage site. Stroll the narrow, winding streets of the atmospheric old town, lined with quaint merchants' homes and decorated with colourful silk lanterns. Then try your hand at crafting a lantern of your own—a symbol of luck, wealth, and happiness—and leave with a beautiful souvenir. This afternoon, opt to visit a local tailor and be fitted for a custom-made shirt.
The journey to Hoi An, via the Hai Van Pass, is an incredibly scenic and mountainous stretch of highway with spectacular views of Lang Co Beach.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Stroll through the narrow winding streets of Hoi An’s old town to see Chinese assembly halls, ancestral homes, The Japanese Covered Bridge, and well-preserved pagodas on this self-guided tour. Opt to try local delicacies and fusion food at one of the restaurants for which Hoi An is becoming famous.Activity - In Hoi An, it's said that hanging a lantern in front of your home will bring luck, happiness, and wealth to your family. Learn how to make traditional lanterns, handicrafts that are found hanging all over the Old Town of Hoi An. First appearing in the 16th century when the Chinese came to Vietnam, lanterns are used for decoration and in traditional celebrations like the monthly Hoi An Lantern Festival, which marks the full moon.Accommodation - Belle Maison Hadana

Day 9: Hoi An

Delve into a local market this morning with guides from Oodles of Noodles, a G Adventures–supported program that trains local youth in the culinary arts. Taste dozens of varieties of noodles and pick out fresh ingredients at the market; then take your groceries to the Oodles of Noodles training kitchen, where you'll learn to prepare mouthwatering noodle dishes and enjoy your creations for lunch.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Take a walking tour of a Hoi An local market led by youths who have come to Oodles of Noodles, a G Adventures-supported program, to be trained in the culinary arts. This excursion will empower the kitchen youth to lead insider noodle tours in Hoi An. There are currently over 26 types of noodles in this city alone and we will go to the market with two students and their trainer, learn about the ingredients at the market, and do a tasting of the different noodles while supporting local small women enterprises. We then pick the ingredients and return with our youth guides to the training kitchen where you will learn to cook and prepare noodles. After we enjoy our noodles for lunch, watch a video to learn more about the organization.Activity - Try some of the oodles of noodles (more than 26 types!) available in the city in this tasty cooking class. Run by our G for Good partners, STREETS International, this class was developed exclusively for G Adventures. Former street youth that are part of this hospitality training program, will help you prepare and cook a number of different types of noodles. This program helps these youth practice their English, increasing their skill-set and opportunities available to them in the tourism industry. Enjoy your yummy creations while learning more about the local cuisine and this initiative which empowers street youth through skills and employment training.Free_time - Spend free time this afternoon visiting a tailor, wandering through the temples and tombs at a UNESCO World Heritage site, or take a bike ride to a nearby beach. Accommodation - Belle Maison Hadana

Day 10: Hoi An

The day is yours to explore enchanting Hoi An and its environs. Choose to take a day trip to World Heritage-listed My Son, a cluster of moss-covered Hindu temples dating between the 4th and 13th centuries. Alternatively, head to the nearby Cua Dai beach, or relax at your hotel by the pool.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Free_time - Numerous optional activities are available today.Accommodation - Belle Maison Hadana

Day 11: Hoi An/Ho Chi Minh City

Fly to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. Immerse yourself in this vibrant metropolis—Vietnam's economic hub—on a variety of optional activities. Discover the city on a cyclo tour, taking in iconic sites like the Notre Dame Cathedral and the ornate Central Post Office and City Hall. Visit the War Remnants Museum, a powerful reminder of the atrocities committed during the Vietnam War; or take a tour of the Reunification Palace, the site which marked the end of the war.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - 30 minute transfer from hotel in Hoi An to Da Nang airport. One hour transfer from Ho Chi Minh City airport to hotel.Free_time - Free time to enjoy the city. Accommodation - Continental Saigon Hotel

Day 12: Ho Chi Minh City

Venture to the legendary Cu Chi tunnels, a network of underground passageways that provided a base for Viet Cong soldiers during the Vietnam War. Visit subterranean hospitals and ammunition stores, and learn about the vital role that the tunnels played in the eventual victory of the North.

Meals included: Breakfast,Dinner

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle on the way to the Cu Chi tunnels and back.Activity - Take a guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels, a complex network of tunnels that the Viet Cong lived in to protect themselves from opposing forces during the Vietnam War. Try crawling through some of the tunnels (if you’re not claustrophobic). These tunnels stored ammunition, had underground hospitals, and served as a hidden base for attacking allied forces. Accommodation - Continental Saigon Hotel

Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City

Depart at any time.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Not ready to leave? Your Expedition Leader can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.

Exclusions

Flights to and from origin and destinations
Airport transfers (unless otherwise stated)
Anything else not explicitly listed in tour inclusions
Recommended gratuities/tipping
Optional activities/tours
Personal expenses
Travel insurance
Visas, meals and beverages not stated in the list of inclusions.

Important Information

Meals

When meals are not included, your tour leader (where available) will be happy to help with restaurant recommendations, bookings, and directions. Please let us know if you have any dietary needs or preferences. We will do our best to accommodate these, though we cannot guarantee that every request can be met.

Luggage

You are responsible for your personal belongings throughout the tour. You will need to carry your own bags between the vehicle and your hotel room. Drivers will assist with loading and unloading luggage from the vehicle.

Mobility

Travellers requiring wheelchair access should contact our sales and service team, who can make enquiries on your behalf.

Fitness Level

This tour requires an average level of fitness. Activities are paced gently and include leisure time. You may be expected to join guided walks of up to one hour, navigate short stairways and mild inclines, and manage your own luggage. You should also be able to board and exit all transport without assistance.

Travellers are expected to be self-sufficient and capable of handling all aspects of their journey. Please discuss your circumstances and support needs with your booking agent to confirm this trip is suitable.

If you are unsure, we recommend consulting your doctor before booking or travelling.

Sightseeing

If a planned site visit is unavailable due to changes in operating hours or holiday closures, the itinerary may be altered, or a comparable activity will be substituted where possible and subject to availability.

Visas

Visa conditions can change. Once you receive your travel documents, check with the relevant embassy, consulate, or immigration office of your destination for the latest information.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct and valid travel documents and to comply with all entry requirements.
Non-Australian citizens must also confirm visa and identification requirements with the appropriate consulate or visa agency.
Certain occupations (for example, journalists, government officials, or those working in charities) may face additional restrictions when applying for visas, which could affect the type of application required.

Departure Dates & Surcharges: See checkout for live dates and availability.

From
AUD $3599

AUD $2,411

(Tour only)

Offer ends 26 Mar, 2026 Per Person Standard

Duration: 13 days

Trip Type: Small Group

Activity Level: Light

Immerse yourself in Vietnam’s mesmerizing culture and momentous history on a journey from the emerald mountains of the north to the sun-drenched beaches of the south.

Check Availability Brochure

Price based on per person in Double Room for departure 25 Mar 2026

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Customer Reviews

Overall Rating

Excellent

4.5

Guide

Excellent

4.5

Itinerary

Excellent

4.5

Accommodations

Excellent

4.5

Transportation

Excellent

4.5

Tour Operator

Excellent

4.5

Food

Excellent

4.5

Brett

Traveled, November 2018

12/08/2018

Excellent tour, fantastic itinerary well planned.

4.5

Debbie

Traveled, April 2018

05/09/2018

The motor bike tour in Hue. This tour encompassed all of what Vietnam has to offer.

Tour Operator

G Adventures, founded in 1990 by Bruce Poon Tip, is a global adventure travel company specializing in small-group tours that emphasize authentic, sustainable, and culturally immersive experiences. Originally launched as GAP Adventures (“Great Adventure People”), the company pioneered the concept of community-driven travel by offering affordable trips that connect travelers with local communities while minimizing environmental impact. Today, G Adventures operates in more than 100 countries, offering a wide range of itineraries across themes such as active adventures, wildlife, wellness, family, and National Geographic–partnered tours, while maintaining a strong commitment to responsible tourism and social enterprise through its Planeterra Foundation.

In Business Since 1990

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