Vietnam On Tour

Vietnam packs a serious punch with cities that epitomise the term ‘lively’, dramatic landscapes such as Ha Long Bay and the rice paddy terraces of the mountainous Sa Pa region, and painful recent history mixed with a vibrant culture – and you will find it all in our tour comparison Vietnam’s extensive itineraries.

Vietnam tour packages offer lively cities, spectacular natural scenery and history

Vietnam tour packages start and end in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City – formerly known as Saigon, and include organised private and public transport across the country, all internal flights and pre-reserved sleeper train beds. Advice from tour leaders as well as the transport used ensure travellers are safe and free to enjoy their Vietnam travel while avoiding any scams or being ripped off when it comes to prices.

In tour comparison Vietnam, itineraries include entrance to the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Ha Long Bay with exclusive accommodation on traditional junk boats, Mekong Delta river cruises, visits to Rice Paper factories, overnight community-based homestays, dinners in social enterprise restaurants, pre-reserved tickets for water puppetry shows, and entrance to the War Remnants Museum.

Walking tours of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Hue are led by knowledgeable local guides, as are the war history tours of the Cu Chi Tunnels. Travellers also enjoy exclusive Cyclo tours to Hue’s Imperial Citadel, eye-opening tours with war veterans, and optional excursions such as mud baths, snorkelling and scuba diving trips, the My Son temples, Vietnamese cooking classes, motorbike trips and boat cruises.

For those looking to explore further afield there are Vietnam tour packages combined with Cambodia and Indochina, while foodies can choose from the dedicated Vietnam food market itineraries.

Ready to plan your trip? Visit our tour comparison Vietnam  to find the right tour for you.

Want a taste of that insider Vietnam tourism knowledge we mentioned before? We have collected the best facts from real life tour guides. Impress them on tour with how much you already know.

• Vietnam occupies a thin strip on the map of southeast Asia, and is the well-known subject of conflict between the north and south – which was a major force behind the Vietnam War from 1955 to 1975.
• The Mekong River empties into the sea by way of the 39,000 km2 Mekong Delta, which is home to over 1000 animal species.
• Most of Vietnam is bordered to the east by the South China Sea, while the Gulf of Tonkin forms a natural border for the country’s northeast.  
• The capital of Hanoi seduces with museums, markets, leafy streets and thousands upon thousands of motorbikes.
• UNESCO World Heritage Listed Ha Long Bay is a recognisable natural icon of Vietnam, and jungle-covered Cat Ba Island within the bay is an ideal base from which to explore the watery wonderland.
• The city of Bac Ha is home to colourful ethnic markets such as Bac Ha and Can Cau, which are great places to pick up some traditional souvenirs.

• Hue was the national capital from 1802 through to 1945, and boasts some serious history in the form of an expansive 19th century citadel that was home to emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty. Here you will find palaces, shrines, emperors’ tombs, and the Forbidden Purple City.
• The Sa Pa District and the town of Sa Pa are popular bases for trekking, with picturesque rice fields and mountains forming an incredible backdrop amid changing weather conditions – pack for all seasons!
• Lak Lake is the largest natural water body in the central highlands, and is a great place to explore by canoe.
• Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, played a crucial role in the Vietnam War, and is today home to a war museum well worth a visit, along with French colonial architecture and lively food markets.
• Nha Trang is one of Vietnam’s most visited beach resorts, with diving sites, offshore islands and a long promenade along the main beach.

• The national independence coalition Viet Minh was the primary opposition to South Vietnam and the United States during the Vietnam War.
• The Vietnam independence movement was led by Ho Chi Minh, who served as prime minister from 1945 to 1955, president from 1945 to 1969, and played a crucial role in founding the People’s Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong. The former capital of the Republic of Vietnam, Saigon, was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in his honour.
• Ngo Dinh Diem was a South Vietnamese politician who established the first Republic of Vietnam in 1955, and was assassinated in 1963.
• Southern Vietnam and Cambodia were represented in the Vietnam War by the Viet Cong, also known as the National Liberation Front.
• Vietnam underwent ‘đổi mới’ economic reform in the 1986 in order to create a socialist-oriented market economy.
• Herbicide and defoliant chemical Agent Orange was used by the US Army during the Vietnam War with devastating consequences – up to four million people were affected, one million carry disease, deformities have been passed down to the children of those affected, and even nature did not escape unscathed as more than 31,000 km2 of forest were defoliated.
• The Vietnamese flag is comprised of a solid red background with a single star to represent the Communist Party, along with the hammer and sickle that symbolise the unification and enlightenment of peasants and workers toward establishing communism.
  

• Some of Vietnam’s most notable musical contributions include composer Tring Cong Son and the đàn bầu – a kind of monochord zither.

• Vietnam is the subject of numerous war movies, including Platoon, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, Deer Hunter, Forest Gump and Good Morning, Vietnam.

• The book “Dragon House” by John Shors tells the story of two Americans who open a centre to educate and provide housing for Vietnamese street children.
• The Tower of Hanoi is a mathematical puzzle consisting of different sized discs that must be moved across three rods to recreate the neat tower seen at the game’s starting point.
• Badminton player Nguyễn Tiến Minh is one of Vietnam’s most celebrated athletes.
• Vietnamese inventions include the ATM and microcomputer, along with the Phong reflection model and the Phong shading interpolation method techniques used for computer graphics thanks to Bui Tuong Phong.

Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC