About Vietnam Backpacking
The same country as the Explorer, done cheaper and looser. Beds in hostels and budget hotels, both domestic flights still included so no night buses, and whole evenings left unplanned on purpose — Hanoi’s Train Street and the street-food stalls are not something to schedule.
Halong Bay is the one splurge: the overnight cruise, with kayaking and a cave. Then Da Nang and the Marble Mountains, Hoi An under the lanterns, and Ho Chi Minh City with the Cu Chi Tunnels before you fly home.
Day by day
01Arrive Hanoi | Old Quarter and street food
- Met at Hanoi International Airport and transferred to the hostel.
- Check in and rest.
- Evening in the Old Quarter: the street-food stalls, Hoan Kiem Lake and the backpacker end of town.
- Overnight in Hanoi.
02Hanoi | A day on foot
- Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter, Train Street and the local markets.
- Vietnamese street food and the coffee, which is the real reason to spend a day here.
- Overnight in Hanoi.
03Hanoi to Halong Bay | Overnight cruise
- Breakfast, then the road to Halong Bay.
- Board the cruise and out among the limestone islands.
- Kayaking, a swim, a cave — depending on the boat and the day.
- Sunset from the deck; lunch and dinner on board.
- Overnight on the cruise.
04Halong Bay to Da Nang
- Sunrise over the bay, then the morning cruise activities.
- Disembark, return to Hanoi and fly to Da Nang.
- Check in, then the beach and the evening.
- Overnight in Da Nang.
05Marble Mountains and Hoi An by lantern light
- After breakfast, the Marble Mountains and the coast road.
- On to Hoi An Ancient Town in the afternoon.
- The evening in the lantern-lit streets, the riverside and the cafes.
- Overnight in Hoi An or Da Nang.
06Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City
- Breakfast, then the airport and the flight south.
- Check in and explore the city on foot: markets, cafes and the streets it is worth getting lost in.
- Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
07Cu Chi Tunnels and the last night
- Out to the Cu Chi Tunnels after breakfast.
- The tunnel network, and what it was for.
- Back to the city; the last evening for souvenirs and one more round of the food.
- Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.
08Ho Chi Minh City | Departure
- Breakfast and check out.
- Transfer to the airport for your flight.
On this trip
✓What’s included
- Seven nights’ accommodation in the selected budget hotels and hostels
- Two nights in Hanoi
- One night on the Halong Bay cruise
- One night in Da Nang
- One night in Hoi An or Da Nang
- Two nights in Ho Chi Minh City
- Breakfast as the itinerary sets it
- Full-board meals on the Halong Bay cruise, as the cruise itinerary sets them
- Airport pickup and drop
- Intercity transfers as in the itinerary
- Domestic flight, Hanoi to Da Nang
- Domestic flight, Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City
- The Halong Bay overnight cruise
- Kayaking and the cave visit on the cruise, as the cruise itinerary sets them
- Hanoi sightseeing as in the itinerary
- Marble Mountains sightseeing
- Hoi An Ancient Town
- Ho Chi Minh City sightseeing
- The Cu Chi Tunnels excursion
- Entrance fees for the sightseeing named in the itinerary
- A local English-speaking guide where one applies
- All applicable taxes and service charges
✕Not included
- International airfare to and from Vietnam
- Vietnam visa and visa-approval charges
- Lunch and dinner other than the meals named in the inclusions
- Personal expenses: shopping, laundry, telephone, room service and tips
- Optional activities and adventure experiences
- Water sports and activities not specifically named
- Travel insurance
- Camera and video charges where they apply
- Early check-in and late check-out charges
- Any sightseeing or transfer not named in the itinerary
- Costs arising from flight delays, bad weather, natural calamity or anything else outside our control
- Any rise in airfare, taxes, entrance fees or transport charges after the booking is confirmed
- Anything not specifically listed under inclusions
!Good to know
Accommodation is hostels and budget hotels, twin or dorm depending on the departure. The Day 5 night is in Hoi An or Da Nang, whichever the departure is booked into. Cruise activities depend on the boat and the weather.Other departures we run
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