Vietnam Highlights

Vietnam Highlights Trip Notes

Ways to Travel: Guided Group
Destination: Vietnam
Programmes: Culture
Activity Level:
2 out of 7 - Easy & Moderate
8 Days: Land Only
Ages: 16+
Trip Code: AOY

Trip Overview

The best of Vietnam, cherry-picked to showcase the heart and soul of the nation in just over a week

Vietnam, a land of countless adventures. If you’ve only got a week, this highlights-packed trip gets to the heart and soul of the country with authentic experiences chosen by our local experts. Under the guidance of our local tour leader, you’ll explore Hanoi, Hue and Hoi An, cruise among the incredible limestone peaks of Ha Long Bay, and, of course, tuck into the world-famous street food. Better yet, the itinerary normally connects with other Southeast Asia trips we run, allowing you to continue your adventure across the borders.

At a Glance

Accommodation: 7 Classic nights (6 hotel, 1 boat)

Highlights

Capture the essence of Vietnam, visiting must-see sites and meeting the people
Tour the highlights of Hanoi with your expert tour leader
Stay on a traditional junk boat among the otherworldly peaks of Ha Long Bay
Uncover the life of a Nguyễn ruler in Hue’s Imperial Citadel and Forbidden Purple City
Explore Hoi An, a living museum and the original European trading port in Vietnam
Discover the secrets of Vietnamese cuisine in a locally led cooking class

Is This Trip for You?

This trip is rated Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Travel: We travel by private minibus and take one internal flight. There are some long travelling days, which can be tiring.

Climate: The weather can be hot and humid and cold in winter in the north around Hanoi and Ha Long Bay.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Adult min age: 16

Min group size: 4

Max group size: 16

Itinerary

Land Only

Start City: Hanoi
End City: Hoi An

Land Only Itinerary

Begin your adventure in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, where street food reigns supreme and the history of the city can be read in the architecture.

You’re met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. At 6pm, say xin chào to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.

Your tour leader then ensures a big Vietnamese welcome by arranging dinner at a great local restaurant.

Want to explore Hanoi further? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Accommodation: Minasi Premium Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Dinner

Explore the best of Hanoi after breakfast, travelling by minibus with some walking involved.

Guided by our tour leader, we visit the Temple of Literature (built in 1070, it’s home to the first university in Vietnam) and walk around the atmospheric Old Quarter. We also visit the historic Long Bien Bridge and Station, where we enjoy a drink in a repurposed railway building as the trains roll just past us. The rest of the day is free to enjoy at leisure.

Accommodation: Minasi Premium Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast

Visit an icon of Vietnam today: Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage site where some 3,000 limestone peaks break through emerald waters to create a mystical landscape. To get there, we rise early for the approximately four-hour drive; upon arrival, board a traditional junk sailing boat, which is also our home for tonight.

After launching, we enjoy a seafood lunch on deck and drift among the forested pinnacles. We also stop at a beach where we can hike up to a viewpoint (it’s quite steep but the views are worth it), plus there’s time for a swim in a small sectioned-off area. Additionally, an optional kayaking trip (extra cost) may be available depending on weather conditions.

Back on board, pull up a chair on the top deck and watch the sunset together, perhaps with a cold drink from the bar. When it’s time for bed, we have the comforts of twin-share cabins with private bathrooms.

Accommodation: Overnight boat

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Continue to cruise around Ha Long Bay, admiring those limestone pinnacles, before returning to port mid-morning.

We then have a three to four-hour drive to Hanoi Airport, where we check in for our afternoon flight (approximately 1hr 15min) to Hue.

Upon arrival, we check into our centrally located hotel and have the evening free to relax or wander around Hue.

Accommodation: Cherish Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast

Visit the Imperial Citadel this morning, home to the palaces and halls of the Mandarins, plus the remains of the Forbidden Purple City. Then visit the tomb of Tu Duc, one of the most extravagant mausoleums of the great Nguyen emperors.

After the tour, we head to the historic An Nhien Garden, which has been owned by the same family for 22 generations, to enjoy a delicious plant-based lunch. The restaurant has a well-deserved reputation for creativity and excellent service, making it a highlight for many.

After, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. You may want to join an optional afternoon cruise along the Perfume River, admiring the historic sites of the city, as you listen to traditional Hue music.

Accommodation: Cherish Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Leaving Hue, our 81mi (130km) drive passes through the beautiful Lang Co peninsula, between a crystalline lagoon and the Eastern Sea, and then passes over the Hai Van pass (Pass of the Ocean Clouds) where the views are stunning. We stop for a short climb at Marble Mountain to explore large caves used by the Viet Cong as a hospital base during the war. From the mountain peak, there are fantastic views over My Khe beach and the countryside leading to Hoi An, where we spend the final two nights of the tour.

Arriving in Hoi An, we enjoy a walking tour of the Old Town, the original European trading port in Vietnam. It’s now a living museum with wooden merchants’ houses and pagoda-style temples. It is also a marvellous place to wander and enjoy the thriving riverside market and great silk clothes shopping.

After, explore Hoi An at leisure or join an optional tour to the 10^th-century Ba Le Well for lunch.

Accommodation: My Son Boutique Hotel & Spa (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast

Head to Tra Que after breakfast, an agricultural village on the outskirts of Hoi An. Here, the villagers adopted a community-based approach to tourism, in which visitors are invited to engage in hands-on activities.

We enjoy one of those today, taking part in a cooking class led by a local chef in the village’s extensive herb gardens. After, we eat our creations for lunch!

The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at leisure, before you tour leader organises our final meal of the trip, a chance to relive our favourite moments together.

Accommodation: My Son Boutique Hotel & Spa (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

The trip ends today after breakfast and there’s a free transfer for you to the airport. If you’d like to extend your adventure, speak to your sales representative about booking additional hotel nights in Hoi An or joining one of our other adventures in Southeast Asia, perhaps Discover Laos in Comfort or Treasures of Northern Thailand.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation

Hotels and Ha Long Bay boat cruise

We aim to secure locally owned accommodation that is well located, offers good value for money, and plenty of comfort. To help you find your ideal adventure, each trip is given a Comfort Level rating, which indicates the overall standard of accommodation. For more on our ratings, see our Comfort Level guidelines.

Ha Long Bay: Overnight junk boat (night 3)

Board an authentic junk boat to cruise among the magnificent limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay. Each of the twin-share cabins has air conditioning and a window out to sea, while the boat has a rooftop deck with chairs – this is where our groups tend to gather for views over the bay. There’s also a dining room with glass windows so we can continue to admire this extraordinary landscape during lunch and dinner.

Tailor your trip: Extend your adventure by securing extra hotel nights before or after the main itinerary. Speak to your sales representative to book.

Private rooms: Like most tour operators, we room solo passengers together. If you’d prefer to have a private room, it’s normally possible to do this for a supplement. Speak to your sales representative to book.

Single supplement from £ 215

Food & Drink

Thanks to the tropical climate, the long coast and mountain ranges, Vietnam is blessed with a variety of culinary offerings and maintains a reputation as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world that still packs a punch.

Vietnamese food relies on fresh fish, vegetables, rice and a myriad of verdant herbs and spices. Also seek out the national drinks: Vietnamese coffee is served iced and sweet with condensed milk, and beer hoi (local beer, brewed daily) is served on most street corners in the north out of large plastic jugs that are perfect for sharing.

Food is cheap in Vietnam, and you can generally avoid the spicier food if you wish. Western food is readily available almost everywhere.

Vegetarian food is widely available; however, the offering is fairly similar in most places. Please advise at time of booking if you have any dietary requirements.

Transport

We travel by private minibus, usually with air-conditioning. Road conditions are generally good and improving all the time in Vietnam. However, progress can be slow in the main cities due to traffic. There is also one flight from Hanoi to Hue.

Tet (Vietnamese New Year)

During the Tet holiday period, 16-21 February 2026, and two weeks either side, our itinerary is subject to minor change as, despite booking hotels and trains in advance, rooms and seats are difficult to obtain during this busy festive period when people are travelling home to celebrate with their families. It is unlikely that changes will occur; if they do, it is likely we just need to use alternative accommodation.

Weather & Seasonality

The weather is mostly hot and humid with daytime temperatures of 28C-34C (82F-93F). It is only a little cooler at nights. Hanoi is cool from August to October and even gets chilly between November and February (with drizzly rain).

Please note, the Ha Long Bay boat trip can be subject to short-notice change if certain adverse weather conditions develop. These could occur year-round, but especially in monsoon season (October-April). Ha Long Bay boat trips are governed by local authorities. If your Ha Long Bay trip is affected by adverse weather, this could either result in a reduced excursion on Ha Long Bay or, less likely, the need to re-arrange the itinerary. While this is not a frequent occurrence, our local team are well equipped to handle such situations and have long offered appropriate options to groups in the instances where this may occur.

Joining Instructions

Key information

Start hotel: Minasi Premium Hotel, 61 Ngo Hue, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
Phone: +84 24 3205 7227
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There is a welcome briefing at 6pm
Airport: Hanoi Airport (HAN)

Getting to the start hotel

We provide free transfers to the start hotel from the airport for everyone. If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.

Catching your return flight

We provide free departure transfers for everyone to Da Nang International Airport (DAD) from the end hotel.

Please note, unless specified otherwise, the transfers will be to the start (or pre-tour) hotel and from the end (or post-tour) hotel and will be on the date on which the tour starts/ends; transfers to other hotels in the same city and/or on different dates may attract an extra charge. Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts.

Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.

Location start: Hanoi
Location end: Hoi An

What To Take

Essential Equipment

Casual clothes. Light cotton clothing is recommended for most of the trip, though it will be cold in Hanoi between November and early March, and you should bring a warm jacket, woolly hat and trousers (pants) if you are travelling at that time.
A first-aid kit is carried on each trip, but you should bring your own with diarrhoea treatment, painkillers, rehydration sachets, plasters (band-aids) and a blister-treatment kit.
Insect repellent. Repellent containing DEET is thought to be highly effective.

Internal flights are subject to a weight limit of 44lb (20kg). As advice about luggage allowances for both hand and hold luggage is subject to change, we suggest you check the airline website for the latest information prior to your departure.

Water included

Plastic bottles are a big issue in many countries where recycling isn’t yet widely available; they often end up in landfill or get burned. Both processes are harmful to the environment and we would like to reduce our impact here. For your trip, we provide an alternative to single-use plastic bottles to reduce the plastic used. This means that safe drinking water will be available throughout; all you need to do is bring a bottle to refill along the way. Please add this to your packing list.

Practical Information

Passport

To enter Vietnam, your passport must have:

An expiry date at least six months after the day you arrive
A minimum of two blank pages
No water damage

Visa

Vietnam

UK passport holders normally do not need a visa to enter Vietnam for visits up to 45 days, while those with a US or Irish passport normally do need a visa to enter. Visa requirements for EU citizens vary by country.

Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/vietnam
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/vietnam
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Vietnam.html

Vaccinations and Health

Vietnam

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to speak to your doctor or travel clinic about vaccinations for hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies and tuberculosis. The risk of malaria is slight, but you may want to consult your doctor or travel clinic for further advice.

Similarly, dengue and zika, both viral diseases spread by mosquitoes, are known risks in Vietnam. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so we strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Local Time

Vietnam's time zone: Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh (UTC +07:00)

Electricity

Vietnam's electricity: Plug types A (two flat pins, US standard), C (two round pins, European standard) and F (two round pins) – 220V, 50Hz

Money

Vietnam's currency: Vietnamese dong (VND)

ATM Availability

ATMs are widespread in Vietnam and are the easiest way of obtaining money. It is generally only possible to withdraw a maximum of 2m dong (US$80) in major cities in one go, though some ATMs now allow 4m dong (US$160). Credit card acceptance is widespread at city restaurants and shops catering to tourists.

If you would like to bring cash, there is ample opportunity for you to change this. British pounds and US dollars are both easily exchanged. As you will probably be carrying much of your money in cash, we strongly recommend using a money belt.

Extra Expenses & Spending Money

You need about 3.1m-3.85m dong (US$120‐US$150) for all other meals, which allows you to eat well. Also allow money to cover drinks (more if you like a beer/alcohol) and souvenirs.

Tipping

Tipping is at your discretion but is customary in Vietnam. To take the hassle out of tipping, the tour leader will suggest you contribute to a tipping kitty of approximately 975,000 dong (US$38) per person. This is used by the leader to tip drivers, hotel staff, boat staff etc but not restaurant staff. In addition (entirely at your discretion), a tip for the tour leader at the end of the trip is greatly appreciated. As a guideline, we recommend a contribution of 100,000-180,000 dong (US$4-US$7) per day for your tour leader.

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony though practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Important Information

Water safety

This trip includes time by a lake, river or sea, where there may be opportunities to swim. You should always seek local advice before deciding whether to swim. Open-water or wild swim spots should be treated with extreme caution. Information on how to keep yourself safe while swimming is shown here.

Important Information

Your safe participation

When booking this trip, you should be confident in your ability to participate in all activities described in these Trip Notes. If you have any doubt about your suitability, please call us and ask to speak to one of the experts on this itinerary.

Although our leaders are well trained to deal with different capabilities, if they have any concerns about someone’s ability to safely take part in an activity, or their impact on other people’s enjoyment, we authorise them to take necessary action which, in some circumstances, may involve asking someone to miss that activity.

By booking this trip you agree to our Booking Conditions which clearly state that our leaders have the authority to do this. In these rare instances we will ensure anyone sitting out is safely provided for and offered alternative options where possible. Refunds will not be provided for activities missed and customers may be liable for additional costs incurred.

Seatbelts

All vehicles used by us should be equipped with working seatbelts, except where approved by us based on the vehicle type or journey. Wherever seatbelts are available, we require our customers to use them for their own safety, even where it may not be a legal requirement.

How to Book

Check availability: Go online to check availability, or contact us by phone or email.
Secure your place: You can provisionally hold a place on this trip, usually for between three and seven days.
Complete your booking and payment

When you’re ready to book, go to our website for online bookings, book over the phone or you can complete a booking form (available online or on request by calling us). We accept all major credit and debit cards, or you can pay be cheque.

After booking

You will receive your booking confirmation letter and invoice, which includes extra information and guidance about your travel arrangements.

Full joining instructions, including local emergency numbers and details of how to reach the start point, will be sent to you approximately two to three weeks prior to departure. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier, please contact our office or your travel agent.

Trip Note validity

These Trip Notes are valid from the “Current as” date on page one. They will occasionally be updated after booking and before departure; if there are any updates that significantly impact the inclusions or itinerary, customers will be written to separately. They will also receive a link to the most up-to-date Trip Notes with their Final Joining Instructions before travelling.

The information in these Trip Notes is given in good faith. Where differences exist between the Trip Notes and our current brochure or website, the Trip Notes supersede the brochure and website. All holidays can be subject to unexpected changes; to enjoy them you should be prepared to be flexible where necessary. Occasionally, it may not be possible to follow the itinerary as planned. This may be for a variety of reasons – climatic, political, physical or other. In these circumstances we will make the best-possible alternative arrangements that maintain the integrity of the original itinerary.

Licensing

Exodus is fully licensed and bonded as a tour operator. We hold Air Traffic Organisers Licence (ATOL) number 2582, issued and bonded with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). We are also bonded to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and we are members of the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) and ABTA – The Travel Association. This means you can book your Exodus holiday with confidence, as all money paid to us for your trip is fully protected.