Cities and villages, mountains and a stunning coastline, religion and culture, stunning cuisine and friendly people; Vietnam has it all.  The biggest problem is what to fit into your first holiday in this wonderful country, first because we feel sure you will want to return! Vietnam packages have been designed to suit people of all ages, religions and interests. The country is 1650 kilometres north to south and as a consequence there are significant climatic differences by region and season. However whatever month of the year you wish to travel you will be made very welcome.

Experience counts for a great deal when you decide whom to talk to about a holiday in a faraway country. A good Vietnam tour operator with extensive knowledge of the country, and indeed the whole of Indochina, we will answer any questions you have. We will advise you from our extensive list of tours on what we feel will suit your particular interest. Time is a constraint but the internal transport infrastructure is excellent so north to south is no major problem with regular domestic flights between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Danang in Central Vietnam has more limited international flights but plenty of connections with Vietnam’s top two cities.

As an illustration of the Vietnam holiday packages that are standard, here are a few that vary in location, duration, cost and emphasis:

•    Vietnam Classic Tours begin with an 8 day introduction to Vietnam, covering the two main population areas, Ho Chi Minh with a visit to the Mekong and the Cu Chi Tunnels while you’re in the South, then a flight up to Hanoi with time spent in Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Other ‘’Classics’’ extend to 20 days with time in the Northern Highlands, the Imperial City of Hue in Central Vietnam as well as time to relax on the beach; Phu Quoc Island in the South China Sea offshore from Cambodia. We feel it is important to put our ideas into the best general content for people who may have limited time as well as those who may have up to three weeks.

•    Vietnam Family Tours vary in length with the aim to include more activities for the younger members of the party. They will spend time on the Coast as well as having the chance to sample street food which is so popular in the Country. We can tailor a tour to meet the wishes of clients, whether the children are fairly young, teenage or young adults. There are several activities that children will enjoy and all will be under the guidance of experienced people.

•    Vietnam Luxury Tours offer 5 star accommodation with comfortable rooms and wonderful cuisine. Vietnam has become more and more popular by the year as an exotic holiday destination and as a result there have been significant improvements in the tourist infrastructure and that includes hotels and resorts. If you decide you want to see some of the remote regions of Vietnam, visiting the hill tribes then you won’t expect 5 star luxury at that time. You can have your own guide and car if you wish and travel wherever you want within reason.

•    Vietnam Budget Tours allow those on a limited budget to enjoy the delights of Vietnam without worrying about any of the costs involved. Vietnam is not an expensive country by any means but we are happy to arrange tours for those who want the longest possible holiday without facing prohibitive expense.

•    Vietnam Honeymoon Vacations balance the attractions of Vietnam with some of the most romantic and relaxing locations.  That will include overnight on a boat in Halong Bay, Nha Trang with its great beach and the lovely island of Phu Quoc in the South China Sea off the coastline of Cambodia. The Hollywood movie, ‘’The Beach’’ with Leonardo DiCaprio gave audiences a glimpse of the stunning coastal regions within Vietnam and it is our wish to show those on honeymoon more.

•    Vietnam Beach Breaks are available for just a few days or as long as 16 days. The coastline of Vietnam has received increasing attention and has been used for many films. You can select from Mui Ne. Nha Trang or Phu Quoc for just four days up to a long holiday travelling from north to south enjoying several different beaches. There are few better places to relax on holiday away from the pressures of everyday life that a sandy beach and a clear blue sea. Vietnam can offer both.

•    Vietnam North East and North West Tours offer the chance for tourists on Vietnam tours to experience the rural highland regions. Fanispan, the highest mountain in Vietnam stands above a region where rice is grown. Green vegetation offers plenty of colour and the cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh seems a world away. Sapa Terraces are a treat, colour changing as the flooded terraces see the shoots of rice come through and finally look golden just before the harvest. Ba Be Lake and the Ban Gioc Waterfall are the highlights of the north east. The memories and the photographs that a few days in this northern region of Vietnam will provide are magical.

•    Saigon & Mekong Tours vary from a single day to a few days. Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) is the biggest city in Vietnam and its commercial hub. It is interesting in itself but also a good base for visiting the Mekong Delta to cruise its narrow channels and observe rural life. Few rivers in the world offer the experience the Mekong provides; village activity, fishermen, farmers and floating markets are just part of the scenario. The Cu Chi Tunnels used so effectively by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War are just a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City. You may be too big to go down into them but the kids will love them.

•    Vietnam Adventure Tours offer a real experience for those that have three weeks for a Vietnam holiday. The adventure can be by road or rail, visiting all parts of the country. Road and rail run parallel to the coastline with plenty of time to enjoy that coast as well as visit the major tourist locations, cultural, religious and historical. You may want to try kayaking in Halong Bay; you can do that with a guide, no problem.

•    Vietnam Homestay Tours allow visitors to have a unique experience, living in the community. There are a number of different locations within Vietnam where you can do this; the Mekong, Sapa Terraces, Ba Be Lake, Hue or Hoi An in Central Vietnam. The contrast between a ‘’homestay’’ and modern life with smartphone and internet is quite astonishing.

•    Sapa Trekking Tours combine homestay with the chance of trekking around this beautiful highland region in the North of Vietnam close to the Chinese border. A few days in these highlands can be combined with extensive tours that cover the rest of the country.

•    Halong Bay Cruise options vary from a single day in the wonderful setting to spending 3 days and two nights. You have the choice of luxury but it need not cost a lot to enjoy the Bay. You can explore, kayaking with a guide and there is the opportunity to land and explore; Cat Ba is the largest of the huge number of islands in the Bay and there is overnight accommodation on the island as an alternative to sleeping on a boat.

Already you will begin to see the possibilities when it comes to enjoying Vietnam. Tourists visit every month of the year but there are reasons for selecting a particular time of the year over another depending upon what you want to see and where you want to go. There are two monsoons to consider but what you shouldn’t do is assume that monsoon means constant rain every day. Sometimes it just means an afternoon shower each day which can actually be refreshing and certainly do not spoil the day’s activities.

Between October and April Central Vietnam is hit by the monsoons while shortly afterwards the North and South ‘’suffer’’ the monsoon until September. It can be very hot at times but in the Northern especially in the higher areas it can get cold, especially at night. The upshot is that it will be difficult to avoid rain completely if you are covering the whole of the country and likewise there will always be some sun somewhere. Central Vietnam has some excellent beaches and May to August are probably the times to visit them while the stunning Halong Bay probably gets its best weather in the autumn. It is rare that there is any disruption because of the weather. However, if you wish to go trekking in either the Northern or Central Highlands you should pick a month when rainfall is limited so that the trails will be accessible.

Some people are limited as to when they can take their major annual holiday. Others seek to travel when the weather at home is poor. Whatever their choice Vietnam awaits. There is plenty of information online to help you decide on what you would really like to see and do. You may need to reduce your ‘’wish list’’ if it is too long and such are the attractions of Vietnam that it is likely to be. There are some practicalities you may have to consider and this is where we can be particularly useful to you in advising you and putting together suggestions about your intended holiday.

The obvious starting points for all the tours are Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City which are the two main international airports for travellers coming to Vietnam. It IS possible to take a single tour over the next three weeks or so or alternatively put together two, even three shorter ones to include the things you especially want to see. For example, a few days on one of the organised North East or North West tours can be combined with a tour leaving Hanoi to explore the rest of Vietnam. A short beach break is a great way to finish off a holiday before returning home, relaxing after a hectic schedule visiting the main landmarks of the country. Time to reflect and who knows, start to think about your next visit?

First Time visitors to Vietnam may not feel confident enough initially to look at some of the other tour alternatives. There are motor cycling and cycling tours that give you real independence though obviously under the guidance of a local. There’s always the next time after you have seen the roads and the routes that such tours will take. Read more: Reasons for first time visitors to tour Vietnam

When you use us, you can be certain that all the guides that we use have passed our stringent quality checks; they will understand the importance we place upon providing our clients with a great experience while they are in Vietnam. English speaking guides are the norm but we will be able to arrange for speakers of other common languages as well. In remote regions we do not directly employ the guides but we have vetted those that we use to ensure they work to our standards.

Summary
Vietnam has overtaken some previously popular destinations in the tourist numbers that it attracts. There are many reasons for that and we like to think that we can add to the Country’s popularity by offering a quality service to clients who wish to visit this little corner of South East Asia.  We offer you a country full of smiling people despite some of their experiences and struggles. You will enjoy a country of contrasts, natural environments where life has changed little for generations but also bustling cities and a stunning coastline. It is unlikely that you will be able to see everything the country has to offer in a single visit but there is always the next time and we will be waiting for your call.

Read more: Top 10 destinations to visit in Vietnam