Travel Agencies & Tour Operators in Vietnam

Vietnam Travel Guide: Ha Long, Hoi An, Mekong Delta & North–South Rail #

Vietnam (Việt Nam) is a long Southeast Asian country of about 100 million people, with Hanoi as capital and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) as the largest and most cosmopolitan city. It remains less developed as a tourist product than Thailand (12.9 million arrivals in 2017; about 5% of visitors return, versus about 50% in Thailand). Professional operators who work here plan around a Hanoi–Hue–Hoi An–Nha Trang–Saigon spine on the 1,723 km Reunification Express or a two-hour HAN–SGN flight (€30–40), Tết closures, an e-visa that must match the entry port, and motorbike traffic that does not yield to pedestrians — not a copy of a Thai beach brochure.

Why Choose Vietnam for Your Next Trip #

The country was an imperial monarchy until 1945 and a one-party socialist state after reunification in 1976. Market đổi mới reforms from 1986 produced fast growth. Food sits at the centre of social life; phở is the national dish. Landscapes run from Sa Pa rice terraces and Ha Long limestone to Phong Nha caves, Central Highlands hills and the Mekong Delta rice basket. Most of the population was born after 1975; American visitors are often welcomed. It is not a destination that rewards insulting Hồ Chí Minh or Vo Nguyen Giap — that is illegal.

Superlatives worth building an itinerary around:

• Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park: UNESCO World Heritage cave system, Quang Binh; underground rivers, grottos, cave beaches
• Ha Long Bay: Thousands of limestone pillars and jungle islands; floating villages; neighbouring Lan Ha Bay is quieter
• Hoi An: Preserved ancient port with canals; My Son ruins nearby
• Hue: Nguyễn emperors’ capital 1802–1945; citadel and tombs on the Perfume River
• Mekong Delta: Half of the country’s farm output; floating markets
• Reunification Express: 1,723 km Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City, more than 30 hours
• Phu Quoc: Largest island; beaches, fish sauce, seafood; 30-day visa-free stay in the special economic zone

Geography & Natural Wonders #

Four traveller regions: Northern Vietnam (cradle of the civilisation, capital, hill peoples), Central Coast (Hue, Hoi An, Da Nang), Central Highlands (forest hills, indigenous peoples, occasional elephant), Southern Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta).

Landscapes:

• North: Ha Long and Lan Ha bays; Ninh Binh / Tam Coc karst by boat; Sa Pa and the Muong Hoa valley on the Chinese border; Cuc Phuong National Park (rare wildlife, Muong people); Dien Bien Phu
• Centre: Hai Van Pass weather split; Hue tombs; Hoi An beaches; Nha Trang; Phong Nha caves; DMZ ruins and jungle
• Highlands: Da Lat French hill station; Pleiku; Buon Ma Thuot
• South: Saigon urban sprawl; Cu Chi tunnels; Mekong streams; Phu Quoc off Cambodia; Con Dao islands

Natural landmarks:

• Ha Long limestone and island lakes
• Ninh Binh karst, rice and caves
• Phong Nha caves and grottos
• Cuc Phuong wildlife
• Phu Quoc palm beaches and forest
• Mekong maze emptying to the South China Sea (called the East Sea, Biển Đông, in Vietnam)

Popular Destinations & Attractions #

Hanoi:

• Capital; Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, Bach Ma Temple
• Vietnam Museum of Ethnology; Fine Arts Museum
• Overnight train to Lao Cai for Sa Pa
• Egg coffee (cà phê trứng) is a local speciality

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon):

• Largest city; Reunification Palace; Giac Lam Pagoda; War Remnants Museum; History Museum; HCMC Museum
• Chinatown Vietnamese-Chinese food
• Cu Chi tunnels as a day trip
• 90-minute hydrofoil to Vung Tau about 250,000 dong

Hue and Hoi An:

• Hue: citadel, imperial tombs, slow family boats on the Perfume River (~4 hours one way)
• Hoi An: old port, alleys, beach, tailoring, spas; My Son nearby
• Da Nang is the largest central city and a convenient international entry for these sites

Coast, highlands, islands:

• Nha Trang beach resort; Cam Ranh airport
• Da Lat hill station
• Phu Quoc beaches and seafood
• Sa Pa hill peoples by the Chinese border
• Ninh Binh boat karst
• Vinh and Cua Lo Beach

Regions of Vietnam #

Northern Vietnam #

Hanoi, Haiphong, Ha Long, Ninh Binh, Sa Pa, Cuc Phuong. Four seasons; Hanoi winters can drop below 15°C; highlands can snow and also hit 40°C in summer.

Central Coast #

Hue (1802–1945 imperial home), Hoi An, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Vinh. Hai Van Pass: north of Lang Co is hotter in summer and cooler in winter; Da Nang south is milder. Northeast monsoon September–February: strong wind, swell, rain — a miserable time to motorbike this coast.

Central Highlands #

Da Lat, Pleiku, Buon Ma Thuot. Lush hills, indigenous communities, occasional elephant. Oyadav–Lệ Thanh from Banlung (Cambodia) does not take e-visas.

Southern Vietnam #

Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, described as little-visited relative to Saigon. Chau Doc boat from Phnom Penh (4–5 hours). Con Dao, Phu Quoc, Can Tho.

Activities & Experiences #

Boats, bays and rivers #

• Ha Long one- to three-day cruises: many boats hit the same islands; corkage about US$10; onboard drinks priced like Europe; mist hides the view — pick a clear day
• Hue tomb boats; Mekong floating markets; Hoi An / Nha Trang / Phu Quoc snorkel and lunch islands (central sea tours limited Sep–Feb)
• Charter boats about US$20/day if registered with life jackets; agents often mark up 30–40%
• Phnom Penh–Chau Doc Mekong boat; 2-night/3-day “delta tours” from about US$60–100 are mostly bus after the first river leg

Trekking, motorbikes and parks #

• Sa Pa terraces; Central Highlands; Mekong by bike or boat
• Hoi An, Hue, Ninh Binh and Da Lat suit bicycle hire; Hanoi and Saigon traffic is described as near-suicidal without local experience
• Motorbike day trips or Hoi An–Hue luggage-forward rides priced like a bus; multi-day adventure tours with petrol, helmets, drivers and tickets
• Legal: temporary Vietnamese motorbike licence or IDP plus home motorbike licence; most rentals are 110 cc+, so riding without a stamped IDP is illegal. Insurance often will not cover unlicensed riding. Rain poncho from 10,000 dong. Parking giu xe. Cambodia plate crossing was described as fine as of December 2023

Culture #

• Water puppetry; AO Show (cirque nouveau) in Ho Chi Minh City
• Chinese chess in parks; human chess (cờ người) at temple festivals at Tết
• War Remnants Museum (English labels, not a neutral tone); Cu Chi; DMZ
• Spa and yoga hub in Hoi An

Cultural Heritage & History #

China occupied the country four times; Vietnam remained a Chinese tributary until French colonisation. Nguyễn emperors ruled from Hue 1802–1945; France colonised in practice after 1884. Confucian etiquette and French bread and coffee are the lasting layers. After Japanese occupation in World War II, Hồ Chí Minh’s Viet Minh fought the French to Dien Bien Phu (1954). Geneva split the country at the 17th parallel. The war the West calls Vietnam War is the American War here; peak US troops 549,000 by April 1969; cease-fire 1973; a North Vietnamese tank entered Saigon’s Presidential Palace on 30 April 1975. About 3 million Vietnamese and over 57,000 Americans died.

Reunification 1976, đổi mới 1986, US defence ties re-established 2016. Ethnic Chinese were hit hard after 1975 then regained a business role once discriminatory laws were repealed. Northerners tend to be more ideological; southerners more commercial. Champa and Khmer Hindu influence is stronger on the southern and central coast. Mahayana Buddhism (syncretised with Taoism, Confucianism and folk religion) is practised by over 80%; Christianity about 11%; Cao Dai, Islam (Cham) and Hinduism smaller. Remove shoes in homes and many temples.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites #

The source labels one site as UNESCO / World Heritage:

• Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park (Phong Nha caves, Quang Binh)

Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Hue and My Son are major sights in the wikitext but are not labelled World Heritage there.

Travel Tips #

Language #

Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt), tonal, Latin alphabet with diacritics. Five main dialects (Hanoi prestige; southern everyday speech in Ho Chi Minh City). Chinese loanwords; French and English loans. Cantonese in Saigon’s Chinese community. English is taught but proficiency is generally poor except hotel and airline staff; phone Translate apps are widely used. French survives among some seniors and in medicine and law. Russian among people who worked in the USSR. Luxury hotels and Temple of Literature-style sites may have Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, German, Spanish guides.

Climate and seasons #

• South: hot dry Mar–Apr (April often 33°C+); rain May–Nov; cool dry Dec–Feb (evenings ~20°C). Mosquitoes worst in the rains
• North: four seasons; Hanoi winter below 15°C; pleasant Mar–Apr and Oct–Dec
• Highlands: both extremes — occasional snow, summer 40°C
• Centre: monsoon Sep–Feb

Tết (Lunar New Year, late January–March) empties cities, shuts most shops and restaurants for three days (some up to two weeks), and jams transport beforehand. 1 May, 2 September National Day, Hung Kings (10th lunar month day), and 30 April Reunification Day also sell out trains, planes and beach/Da Lat beds.

Safety #

Petty theft and motorbike snatching in tourist cities; keep bags inboard. Hotel-room theft happens even in upmarket properties. Overnight buses: lock bags; phones with headphones disappear. UXO and landmines off-path in the countryside — use a local guide. Drug penalties: mandatory death above 15 g heroin, 30 g morphine, 30 g cocaine, 500 g cannabis, 200 g cannabis resin or 1.2 kg opium; traces in the body can mean a consumption charge even if used abroad.

Land-border bribes (Bavet–Moc Bai 100,000–200,000 dong reported for some e-visa stamps as of 2023); bus “service fees” often include them. Traffic police may fine foreigners about US$20 (locals US$5–10); pay at the station with a receipt. Fake monks asking for cash are imposters (Mahayana monks do not alms-round). Two-menu restaurants; hotel dong vs dollar tricks have largely ended as of 2019. Do not leave a passport as hostel collateral.

Crossing streets: walk slowly and predictably; vehicles turn right on red; motorbikes use opposing lanes. Highways average 30 deaths a day. If injured, say you will pay the ambulance (115) or take a taxi — hospitals admit when you can pay. Insulting national heroes is a jailable offence. LGBT activity is legal; relationships are not recognised; violence is described as extremely rare. Public affection is frowned on. China / “South China Sea” vs “East Sea” is a sensitive topic; maps with the nine-dash line provoke reactions.

Currency #

Vietnamese đồng (VND). As of January 2026: USD = 26,000; EUR = 31,000; GBP = 36,000. Notes 1,000–500,000. “100k” means 100,000. Card purchases must be charged in dong. Gold/jewellery shops often give the closest rate (vaguely illegal, little enforcement). Airport desks after customs in Hanoi (Nov 2024) were 4–6% off. Dong is hard to spend abroad except Singapore or Bangkok — dump leftovers before the departure hall (no changers airside in Hanoi). US$2 bills are considered lucky. Tipping is not a local custom.

ATM: no-fee machines at VP Bank (max 8 million, 15 million/day), TP Bank (5 million), ACB (European Visa/JCB), HDBank (Visa), EXIMBANK. Others 20,000–100,000 dong or 1.5% (Vietcombank, Sacombank). Withdraw 4.9 million to get smaller notes.

Street prices as of Nov 2023: bánh mì 12–25,000; noodle soup 20–50,000; cơm 30–70,000; coffee 15–20,000; beer can 10–13,000; hostels 100–250,000. A bare month about €300–350. Foreigners and out-of-region Vietnamese are routinely overcharged; south will often bargain to the local price, north often will not. Insist on the Vietnamese menu.

Transport #

Air: HAN and SGN are the main gateways; Da Nang, Vinh, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc take regional (and some European) flights. Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Bamboo, Pacific Airlines. Domestic HAN–SGN about 2 hours from €30–40.

Rail: Reunification Express Hanoi–HCMC via Vinh, Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang. Book dsvn.vn with a QR e-ticket; third-party sites often double the fare and can switch a day seat to a berth. Soft/hard AC sleepers overnight; smoke at carriage ends. Hanoi–Lao Cai overnight for Sa Pa. China: Nanning–Hanoi 12 hours including 2+2 at the border; Kunming via Nanning or walk Hekou–Lao Cai. No rails to Laos or Cambodia.

Road: Public buses from city stations; open-tour tourist buses with hop-on; sleeper and VIP sleeper. Mekong–Saigon 276 km can take 8 hours. FUTA and similar can be as cheap as a rail seat. Grab dominates ride-hailing; Xanh SM EV fleet as of 2023. Xe ôm about 10,000 dong for 10 minutes in the centre if you avoid street touts. Cyclo ~20,000 dong up to 2 km. Cars are hired with driver. Right-hand traffic. Bike parking 2,000 dong, motorbike 5,000.

Planning Your Vietnam Trip #

Look for an operator who:

• Chooses HAN, SGN or Da Nang to match the first cluster (north / Mekong / Hue–Hoi An) and prints two e-visa copies with the correct entry port
• Does not sell Tết as a normal hotel week
• Books the Reunification Express on the railway site, not a dollar-priced clone
• Puts Ha Long on a clear-weather day and treats Phong Nha as the cave UNESCO product
• Briefs motorbike IDP rules, UXO, 115 vs taxi, and the Ho Chi Minh insult law
• Uses Grab/Xanh SM quotes instead of airport taxi cartels (Dalat, Hoi An, Nha Trang airports 30–40 km; meter 500,000–650,000 vs negotiated 200,000–300,000)
• Does not dump a Phnom Penh–Saigon “boat tour” that is actually one river leg plus buses

Hostels 100–250,000 dong; cheap doubles from about 250,000 with towels and soap; 300,000+ usually adds en-suite, AC, TV. Hotels must register foreigners with police and will take the passport for a few minutes — or keep it until checkout if they fear a skip. Carry photocopies. Rooms can be loud from 06:00.

Popular Vietnam Tours & Itineraries #

Classic north to south #

• Hanoi Old Quarter and a Ha Long or Ninh Binh day
• Overnight to Hue, citadel and tombs
• Hoi An and My Son (Da Nang air or rail)
• Optional Nha Trang beach
• Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi, Mekong day

North only #

• Hanoi, Ha Long or Lan Ha, Ninh Binh, Sa Pa via Lao Cai
• Cuc Phuong if wildlife is the brief

Centre and caves #

• Da Nang entry, Hue, Hoi An, Phong Nha–Ke Bang, DMZ

South and islands #

• Saigon, Mekong, Phu Quoc (30-day visa-free zone), Con Dao, Vung Tau hydrofoil

Multi-country #

• China: Nanning train; Friendship Pass; Dongxing–Mong Cai toward Ha Long; Hekou–Lao Cai
• Laos: six foreigner posts including Lao Bao–Dansavan and Cau Treo; night buses wait for 07:00 and touts offer exit stamps for about US$2–5
• Cambodia: Bavet–Moc Bai buses US$22–25, 6–7 hours; Xa Xia–Ha Tien toward Phu Quoc; Chau Doc Mekong boat; Oyadav–Lệ Thanh no e-visa

Vietnamese Cuisine & Dining #

Food is how holidays, deals and families happen. Foody is the local rating app; TripAdvisor is mostly tourists. North = subtle, centre = spicy, south = sweet. Central signatures: mì Quảng, bánh canh cua, bún bò Huế. The most local food is plastic-stool street stalls; high-end rooms often serve “Asian fusion.” Nước mắm (fish sauce) and nước chấm (lime, sugar, water, spices) sit on the table. Herbs: cilantro, mint, basil.

• Phở: Beef (phở bò, long-simmered), chicken, pork, shrimp, fish or vegetarian. South: herbs, lime, chilli, bean sprouts, sauces. North: quẩy fritters and chilli. Locals often eat phở chay at breakfast. Famous shops in Hanoi; street bowls beat fancy rooms
• Cơm: Rice plate with meat or fish and vegetables
• Bánh mì: Baguette with pâté, grilled meat, herbs, pickles, 12–25,000 dong
• Gỏi cuốn, cao lầu (Hoi An)
• Seafood at southern beaches if you follow locals (stocks are overfished)

Street stalls are generally safe if busy and you skip undercooked food. Ask the price when none is posted. Moist towelettes 2,000–4,000 dong if opened; nuts on the table are not free. 24-hour places double prices 22:00–06:00 by government rule (e.g. rice 10,000 then 20,000). Hours often 10:00–22:00.

Vegetarian: Mahayana monks are vegetarian; look for chay (cơm chay, phở chay, quán chay). Buddhist cooking skips onion, garlic, shallot, leek and chive. Say ăn chay. Fish sauce can hide in “vegetable” dishes. Dairy is uncommon so vegan is often possible if eggs are checked. Halal is scarce except Saigon, Hanoi, Cham Mekong stalls. Kosher almost unknown.

Drink: Factory ice (hollow cylinder) is the safer ice. Beer 4.5–4.9%: Saigon Do in the south, Bia Hanoi in the north, Larue (Da Nang) and Huda (Hue) in the centre; supermarket can from 10,000 dong; bar from ~20,000; drunk with ice; toast một, hai, ba, dô. Coffee beans are fried, not roasted: cà phê đen/sữa đá, egg coffee, salted and coconut coffees; takeaway 10–12,000. Coconut water, nước mía, sinh tố. Dalat wine: Classic ~80,000 supermarket / 120,000–150,000 restaurant; Premium ~120,000 / ~200,000. Local vodka US$2–4 per 0.75 L. Rượu đế rice liquor is not recommended for tourists. Nha Trang all-you-can-drink boats about US$10–15.

Practical Information for Travellers #

Entry Requirements #

• Passport valid 6 months from entry
• Visa-free as of 2025: 14 days Brunei; 21 Philippines; 30 Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand; 45 days until 14 March 2028 for listed EU states plus Japan, South Korea, UK, Russia, Switzerland, Norway, etc.; 90 Chile, Panama. Recalculated on every entry; no wait between visits
• Phu Quoc (and similar coastal/special zones): up to 30 days without a visa, including transit via SGN or boat; apply onward at immigration if leaving the island
• Border economic zones such as Ha Tien: up to 15 days
• Everyone else: e-visa US$25 single / US$50 multiple, up to 90 days, usually 3 working days (up to 15 if police check). Print two copies. Enter at the port named on the form. Not valid at every land crossing (not Oyadav–Lệ Thanh). Typos can mean denial. Paying is a separate step; keep the application number
• Visa on arrival is terminated except rare agent letters (US$100–300)
• Embassy visas if you need a remote crossing; Cambodia posts from about US$40 (2019) same-day possible
• Dual-national: stamp the passport that holds the Vietnamese visa or visa-free right

Electricity #

200 V, 50 Hz. Most sockets take US Type A two-pin and European Type C, E, F; some take Type B three-pin.

Health #

Malaria, dengue and Japanese encephalitis in rural areas; malaria less in Hanoi and Saigon. Tap water is not safe. Street food is mostly fine with ordinary diarrhoea care. Hospitals below Western standard; English rare outside Hanoi, HCMC, Da Nang. Private/expat clinics first; Vinmec chain named. Serious cases evacuate to Singapore or Thailand. Ambulance 115, often no English — a taxi is usually faster. Pharmacies sell most drugs without prescription; check expiry.

Communication #

Country code +84. Hanoi 24, HCMC 28. Police 113, fire 114, hospital 115. SIM/eSIM at the airport (markup) or in town: Viettel, MobiFone (free one-day tourist eSIM with 8 GB plus Facebook/YouTube/TikTok named), Vinaphone, Vietnamobile. 4G strong on tourist routes; 5G growing; mountains slower. Prepaid 890–1,600 dong/minute. Wi-Fi in most tourist hotels, restaurants and bars; cafés 2,000–10,000 dong/hour. Censorship is light compared with China; a VPN is still useful around political dates.

Etiquette & Respect #

Address people by title + given name, not the family name (Nguyen Xuan Phuc is Mr Phuc). Defer to elders. Age and marital questions are normal. Cover shoulders and knees at temples; HCMC street shorts are common as of 2026. Both hands for business cards. Shoes off indoors. Do not stand chopsticks in rice, photograph odd-numbered groups, sit with your back to a shrine, or climb altars. Enter temples by the right gate, exit left; step over thresholds.

Shopping #

Street markets for produce; Big C, WinMart, Circle K, Family Mart, Bách Hóa XANH. VAT refund at participating shops and specified exit ports. Clusters of the same trade sit on one block.

Onward Travel #

China by train and three road posts; Laos six posts; Cambodia road and Mekong boat. No rail to Laos or Cambodia.

Sleep #

See Planning. Earplugs for 06:00 room-maid volume and building sites.

Vietnam is a north–south food and limestone country sold on trains, two-hour flights and Tết calendars. Operators who match the e-visa port, keep Ha Long for a clear day, and treat Phong Nha as the only UNESCO cave the source names will match the country the wikitext describes; a same-week Tết hotel hop and an unlicensed 110 cc scooter will not.