Vietnam · GUIDED
The 15 guided tours below are the ones worth clearing a day for, with what each costs, how long it runs and who it suits. Start at number one.
Review of the $18 Mekong Delta day tour from Ho Chi Minh City, with temple visits, river boats, canals, lunch, practical tips, and honest drawbacks.
“We had a wonderful day trip and absolutely loved the experience. Our tour guide was a truly kind and personable individual — friendly, knowledgeable, and always attentive to our needs. We highly recommend this tour!”
Sample Hanoi classics, sip egg coffee, and watch a train pass inches away on a guided Old Quarter food tour for $19.
“Had a fantastic night! The food was great and our guide Selena was fantastic! So friendly and very knowledgeable!”
Taste Hanoi’s best street food, learn local stories, and finish with a drink beside the famous Train Street for just $17.
“Food was excellent and the guide, Ceri, was great, too!”
Review of the $85 Ninh Binh day tour from Hanoi, with Mua Cave views, countryside cycling, Tam Coc boating, Hoa Lu, lunch, and a small group.
“The Ning Binh Full Day Tour was an e collection tour to see life outside of Hanoi. What a beautiful land!!! Each activity was a not to miss while in Vietnam. Our guide, Minh was excellent!!!”
Spend a full day in the Mekong Delta with temple visits, boat rides, local food, music, and village life for about $18.
“We loved seeing the Buddhas and riding in a canoe. Tommy is an excellent guide and was very informative.”
Taste Michelin-mentioned Hanoi dishes, egg coffee, and Old Quarter culture on a 3-hour walking tour with a local English-speaking guide.
“Most iconic dishes with explanations of a local, very cool and everything in walking distance”
Eat seven or more Hanoi specialties with a local guide, from bun cha and banh mi to egg coffee, in a small Old Quarter group.
“My group had an excellent night with Ha. She's so knowledgable, kind, and easy to talk to. She was prompt for pick up, went over dietary restrictions/allergies/what we already ate and anything in particular that we wanted to try. She navigated confidently (you'll have no problem crossing the busy roads with her leading the way) and picked excellent spots, many of which were smaller restaurants with many locals eating that we would've never spotted ourselves. She gave us a pre-warning about the fact it would be drizzling out and even had a spare umbrella in case we needed it. She taught us the history behind the dishes, showed us how…”
Review of Phu Quoc’s $31 three-island boat tour, with coral snorkeling, local lunch, hotel pickup, practical tips, and honest drawbacks.
“It was a very good day with a very good people!!!! Food was delicious and the snorkeling was also great”
Ride Ha Giang’s great mountain roads over three days with an English-speaking guide, easy riders, local meals, and a group capped at 10.
“Disappointing. We booked through odyssey as they had great reviews. Our trip was actually operated by a company called lotus and they were poor. The company were unaware of our booking so never received confirmation of booking. Tried 3times to get hold of the tRead more”
Explore Hanoi’s Old Quarter with a student guide, from Hoan Kiem Lake and ancient temples to local food and water puppets.
“Mia & Stepanie were great guides with excellent English skills. Despite the rainy chilly weather they took us everywhere we wanted and had good suggestions about where to visit. We are so appreciative that they spent a weekend day with us despite their busy schedules and despite having to travel far to meet us.”
Ride Ha Giang’s mountain loop with an English-speaking guide, easy riders, local meals, homestays, caves, passes, and small-group support.
“I had a great loop with Tom and Tien. They had lots of activities planned along the way and made the loop enjoyable for our small group. The home stays were great as well as lunches and dinners. This will be one of the heights of my trip and something you don’t want to miss out on.”
Taste eight Hanoi street foods, sip egg coffee and beer, and watch the train pass through Old Quarter Train Street with a local guide.
“Great introduction to the Hanoi food scene! Nice mix of street vendors, sit-down meals, and drinking beers with new friends while awaiting the train. Note that our tour ended at a different spot than where we started, which I very much appreciated but if your'e directionally challenged be sure to clarify!”
Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City on a budget-friendly guided tour with hotel pickup, local food, and wartime history.
“Really good tour, our guide Kevin was amazing, he is funny and very knowledgeable, 5 stars alone just for him. The place itself is a must visit and really hits home to how shocking this war was. I would advise doing atleast the 20 max people toRead more”
Explore the Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City with a local guide, small group, hotel pickup, wartime sites, and a practical half-day schedule.
“Informative tour, great to see the unusual tunnels, the guide was well informed. Overall we loved great value for money.”
Trek Sapa’s rice terraces from Lao Chai to Ta Van, enjoy a local lunch, meet Hmong and Zay communities, and learn to make herbal incense.
“The trek to the villages in Sapa was great! We were led by Toan who was very fun and informative. He even treated us to guava with specialty local salt. He is very knowledgeable as it’s his hometown and full of energy. I would do it again even though it was tiring!”
Pick a bay, a mountain pass or a plastic stool.
