Vietnam · HIKING & TREKKING
The good hiking & trekking tours go early and the cheap ones go earlier. Below: 15 to sort out ahead of time, what each includes and how they differ.
Cruise Halong Bay from Hanoi for $38 with lunch, kayaking, Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island hiking, swimming, and sunset tea.
“Had a wonderful experience at Ha Long bay. Such unrealistically beautiful views. Me and my friends had a lot of fun. The whole guided tour was very a very culture rixh experience for us.”
Trek Sa Pa’s Muong Hoa Valley through rice terraces, Hmong and Red Dao villages, bamboo forest, rock carvings, and a local lunch.
“Really good Way to explore the valley and how people live there. The path is slippery sometimes and requires attention but no problem for avarge trekkers. Wonderful scenes and authentic experience. What was a bit sad to see was how much rubbish is accumulated sometimes both on land and on the river.”
Trek through Sapa’s rice terraces, stay with a local family, cook dinner, and explore mountain villages on this well-priced trip from Hanoi.
“It was amazing! Mama Zuzu was so hospitable and such a lovely family! Mama Little is also an icon, drinking ‘happy water’ with us and joining in on karaoke! An amazing trip!!”
Trek through Sapa’s rice terraces, Cat Cat, Y Linh Ho, and Ta Van with local guides, one hotel night, one village bungalow, and bus transfers from Hanoi.
“The hikes were great, very beautiful! Our tour guide, Sú, was extremely helpful, and very knowledgeable. Hikes were very muddy, so bring poles / very good hiking shoes/boots. Locals will try to help you along the way, and then ask that you buy their goods / tip them. The sleeper bus was actually very comfortable. Definitely try to leave the luggage you don’t need back at your hotel.”
Trek Sapa’s rice terraces and Hmong and Dzay villages with a local guide, home-cooked lunch, mountain views, and a 10 to 12 km route.
“Great day out. would recommend saving for when less misty as couldn't see heaps in the morning. but by afternoon cleared! guide chi was lovely and super helpful on all the slippery down climbs”
Trek Sapa’s rice terraces and mountain villages from Ta Van, with local guides, a homestay, seven meals, and Hanoi bus transfers.
“Had a wonderful experience trekking from Sapa to various villages. Trekking through rice paddies and jungles to hidden waterfalls will be a lifelong memory. The homestay in the village was amazing. My accommodations were basic, but comfortable. I had everything I needed for 2 comfortable nights in the bungalow. Our tour guide, Mu, was so so great. She guided us without incident to our various destinations, and she answered all of the various questions about the area, people and culture. She provided a depth to the experience that I wouldn’t have had if I had done the same trekking on my own. Overall, highly recommended.”
Explore Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba by Vega junk, with kayaking, jungle trekking, Viet Hai village, cave history, meals, and Hanoi transfers.
“We were lucky to have sunny weather as November is the rainy season. Ha Long Bay was beautiful. The thing that people don't realize is you do little to no cruising on the ship that you sleep in. Everything is done through tenders. We diRead more”
Trek through Sapa’s rice terraces, villages, and bamboo forests, then share a homestay with a local family on this private ETHOS tour.
“We had a brilliant time on our 2 day Sapa trip with Ethos. Our Hmong guide was friendly and considerate, and she told us interesting things about the plants we saw and way of life. The hikes took us through beautiful areas that we wouldn’t haRead more”
Trek Sa Pa rice terraces with a Hmong guide, sleep in Ta Van, share local meals, and travel from Hanoi by comfortable limousine bus.
“We loved visiting SaPa with Sha as our guide, she was so fun and knowledgeable and we loved exploring the villages and hiking trails with her! We particularly enjoyed the homestay and would recommend doing that instead of staying in a hotel in SaPa city. Highly recommend”
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!”
Review of Sapa’s $25 full-day trek through Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai, and Ta Van, with rice terraces, local lunch, guides, and muddy trail advice.
“All in all the experience was nice, love the trekking to hilly terrain and muddy trek, the guide was also nice. They could actually provide bottle water to each participant at least to anticipate hidration. Thankfully i brought my own. From the beginning we were followed by mong ladies which wasnt part of their trip but yah... It happened. Nothing bad or super negative but they can be chatty.”
Trek Sapa’s villages, rice terraces, and waterfalls on a 3-day small-group trip from Hanoi with hotel, homestay, meals, and bus travel.
“1. check the weather first, if possible. if it's not sunny, you are losing a lot of beutiful photo chances. 2. it's relaxing, but not challenging nor exciting 3. homestay isnt "home stay" in a strict sense. it's just another name for a lodge. 4. foods at hotel was great, but foods at homestay wasnt. 5. important information is not given often. you have to ask.”
Review of the Can Gio Monkey Island tour from Ho Chi Minh City, with mangroves, crocodiles, war history, lunch, transport, and practical tips.
“Family of 5: Sam was a fabulous guide. Definitely had interactions with the monkeys. I could believe that the king monkey came up and took a bottle of water, opened the lid and drank the whole thing!”
Trek from Sapa to Sa Seng, Hang Da, and Hau Thao for Fansipan views, rice terraces, Hmong villages, local lunch, and a full day outdoors.
“I enjoyes every moment of the hike. the guide was very friendly and informative. lunch wass excellente”
Explore Cuc Phuong National Park from Ninh Binh with a primate rescue visit, rainforest hike, ancient cave, old tree, and Vietnamese lunch.
“Guide was great, worked in the park for 30 years, lots of info. We spent a lot of time taking breaks vs actually seeing the park but it was still enjoyable. Expect more of a stroll than a hike. The monkeys were cool.”
Pick a bay, a mountain pass or a plastic stool.
