Looking for a tour of Vietnam that does everything but compromise? This 12-day Vietnam itinerary takes you through Ho Chi Minh, Hoi An, Hanoi & Halong Bay with a legendary bunch of 35-45s. There’s plenty of action to help you immerse yourself into this enchanting culture. Picture yourself relishing the rice region of Mekong Delta by taking a traditional boat through floating markets and local fruit farms, stopping in exciting iconic hot spots, and popular local foodie haunts for a true Vietnam travel experience.
  • 11 Breakfast (B)
  • 4 Lunch (L)
  • 2 Dinner (D)
  • Danang: The visa requirements for entering Vietnam will change depending on: - The length of your visit - The purpose of your visit - Your country of origin Visit https://www.contiki.comesources/visas-guide to find the visa requirements for your specific situation.
  • Danang: This will depend on what you want to do and which part of the country you plan to visit. Generally, April - May is thought to be the best time to visit Vietnam because of the weather. December - March is a slightly cooler period, so could be ideal for hiking trips or city-dwelling. July - August is classed as Vietnam’s high season and sees the largest number of tourists enter the country, while low season runs from April - June and September - November. Contiki operates trips to Vietnam all year round, so whichever time works best for you, you can always book a spot with us.
  • Danang: Vietnam is renowned for its food! You’ll find plenty of street food stop-offs, serving up freshly made gems including rice, noodle and battered pancake-based dishes, plus the world-famous Pho. Pork is a common feature of Vietnamese cuisine. Generally, Vietnamese food isn’t too spicy (except if your dish has fresh chillies in it!) Oh, and the best thing about the food here? It’s very very cheap.
  • Danang: When you travel with Contiki, your accommodation, in-country transport and breakfasts are all included with the cost of your trip – so when it comes to budgeting, you only need to worry about your spending money. Vietnam is heralded as an extremely affordable tourist destination too (depending on flights of course!) . As a rough guide, you should easily get by on $50-80 a day.
  • Danang: It’s customary for your shoulders to be covered in Vietnam – and this will be insisted on in some of the more traditional tourist spots. Local Vietnamese women tend to wear swimming costumes instead of bikinis, but it’s generally accepted for tourists to dress in the swimwear of their choice. The country also gets very hot and humid (especially during the summer), so make sure you pack lots of loose-fitting clothes made from a lightweight and breathable material. Big up the baggy shirts!
  • Danang: Tipping is pretty common in Vietnam’s tourism and hospitality sectors. Usually you’ll pay 10% of the total bill, which will amount to roughly $1-5.
  • Mekong River Delta: Grab your buddies and take a shot at catching an elephant ear fish for dinner. FYI: it tastes better than it looks.
  • Mekong River Delta: Watch and learn as local craftspeople make rice wine, tea, sweets and more local delicacies.
  • Ho Chi Minh City: Brave this subterranean world. The hand-dug tunnels were built by the Viet Cong to hide out during the war.
  • Ho Chi Minh City: Tick off all of the landmarks on your bucket list – Notre Dame Cathedral, General Post Office and the Presidential Palace.
  • Ho Chi Minh City: Passports at the ready folks.
  • Ho Chi Minh City: A meaningful reminder of the atrocities of the Vietnam War and its impact on local people and wildlife.
  • Nha Trang: Next stop, Hoi An. But before we hit the streets, it’s time to hit the sky one more time.
  • Hoi An: This 15th century port and UNESCO site is best explored on two wheels with a local expert. Don’t forget your Go-Pro!
  • Hue: Next stop, Hanoi. But before we hit the streets, it’s time to hit the sky one more time.
  • Hanoi: Listen up culture-lovers. This shrine – dedicated to ancient philosopher Confucius – is known as ‘Vietnam’s first university’.
  • Hanoi: Take a look at the resting place of Vietnamese revolutionary leader and President Ho Chi Minh. This is where he, along with his party, declared the independence of Vietnam.
  • Ninh Binh: Cool tropical breeze. Lush-green landscapes. And an unforgettable view of the sunrise over the shimmery silhouette.
  • Halong Bay: Grab your new BFFs and hang out in this mini paradise. The powdery sand and turquoise waters will bless you with #islandvibes
  • Halong Bay: The best way to drift off into dreamy sleep? Drifting along the Gulf of Tonkin in a traditional Chinese-style Junk Boat, of course!
  • Halong Bay: Yet another work of art from Mother Nature. These huge underground caves are made for exploring. But can you spot the ‘mammoth’?
  • Hanoi: Gorge on a delicious, high-quality meal crafted by trainees looking to fine-tune their hospitality skills. The KOTO Community provides guidance, training and career prospects to the underprivileged young people of Vietnam.
  • Danang: The currency used in Vietnam is the Vietnamese dong (?). 1 US dollar equates to around 23,585?.
  • Danang: Mostly not. Generally, most of our travellers don’t need to get a visa to visit Vietnam. But your visa requirements can change according to your citizenship (and also according to the length and purpose of your visit). We always recommend that you check out our visa guide to see if you need one.
  • Danang: Vietnam is wonderful to visit year-round. But the best time to visit depends on what you wanna do, and where in Vietnam you wanna go.Generally, April & May are thought to be the best months to visit Vietnam because of the beautifully bright weather. Between December and March is a slightly cooler period. So if hiking, or city-dwelling is what you want, that’s the best time to visit. And if you wanna avoid the crowds, off-season tends to be between April and June or September to November.
  • Danang: Planning to visit Vietnam to taste all the wholesome flavours? Aren’t we all?You’ll find plenty of street food stop-offs, serving up freshly made gems including rice, noodle and battered pancake-based dishes, plus the world-famous Pho. Pork is a common feature of Vietnamese cuisine. Generally, Vietnamese food isn’t too spicy (except if your dish has fresh chillies in it!) Oh, and the best thing about the food here? It’s very very cheap.
  • Danang: When you travel with Contiki, your accommodation, in-country transport and breakfasts are all included with the cost of your trip. So when it comes to budgeting, you only need to worry about your shopping! Luckily, Vietnam is heralded as an extremely affordable tourist destination too. As a rough guide, you should easily get by on US $50-80 a day.
  • Danang: We’ll be visiting some traditional tourist hotspots - so don’t forget to keep your shoulders covered (it's customary in Vietnam, and will probably be insisted). For all that beach exploration, it’s generally acceptable for tourists to dress in the swimwear of their choice.Vietnam tends to get very hot & humid, so make sure you pack lots of loose-fitting clothes made from a lightweight and breathable material. Big up the baggy shirts!
  • Danang: On some days, the Free Time Add-Ons will be during different times. So you’ll be able to do them all! But on some days, you might have to pick just one. Don’t worry, your Trip Manager will do their best to manage all of this for you, and will be able to give you all the details you might need.
  • Danang: You can bring one bag or suitcase of 73cm x 50cm x 25cm (29” x 20” x 10”), with a max weight of 20kg (44lbs) – plus one piece of hand luggage suitable as a carry-on for flights. Since our trips have included flights, your luggage needs to meet the weight & security restrictions imposed by airlines. On this trip, it’s necessary to use an overnight bag on the occasional nights when it’s not possible to access your luggage (overnight trips to Special Stays). It’s a good idea to bring an overnight bag, or hand luggage that’s big enough to double up as an overnighter when needed.
  • Danang: Currently, the Golden Hands Bridge isn’t included on our itinerary. But that means, you get a free day to explore Hoi An - which you REALLY don’t wanna miss out on.The Bridge is part of a theme park called ‘Sun World Ba Na Hills’ and is about a 2-hour drive away from where we stay in Hoi An (and tends to be incredibly crowded!). But if you really wanna visit the bridge, you can always ask your Trip Manager who’ll sort it out for you!
  • Da Nang: Next stop, Hanoi. But before we hit the streets, it’s time to hit the sky one more time.
  • Danang: The currency used in Vietnam (that can buy you a wholesome, delicious bowl of Pho) is the Vietnamese dong (?).