Hanoi at 6am, the slow glide through Ha Long Bay on a proper junk, a bespoke tailor in Hoi An, pho where the locals eat, and a Mekong dawn most travellers miss.
North is mountains, mist, and a capital that moves to its own rhythm. Centre is heritage, lanterns, and the best food country in Asia. South is energy, the delta, and the beaches of Phu Quoc. The magic is doing all three — slowly, with a driver who knows you by name.
Arrive HAN, private transfer to Hanoi Old Quarter boutique. Day 2: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, private cyclo through the 36 streets. Dinner: bun cha where Obama and Bourdain ate.
Private car to Ha Long (2.5 hrs). Board a Bhaya Legend junk. Sunset tai chi, kayak through Dark & Bright Cave, overnight on the water. Day 4: pearl farm, cave swim, back to Hanoi by late afternoon.
Fly to Hue. Dragon-boat ride on the Perfume River. Imperial Citadel with licensed historian guide. Tu Duc and Khai Dinh tombs.
Private car over Hai Van Pass (2 hrs of the best coastal drive in Asia). 3 nights in Hoi An. Cooking class, tailor fitting for a custom suit/dress, night market.
Fly to HCMC. Half-day war-history tour (Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum — heavy but essential). Day 11: Cu Chi Tunnels morning, street food scooter tour at night.
Private car to Cai Be, boat to a floating market, homestay-style lunch with a local family. Overnight in a Mekong eco-lodge.
Morning at leisure. Afternoon transfer to SGN for your overnight flight back to AU.
Australians need an eVisa — $25 AUD, applied 5 working days out. We'll walk you through the form or do it for you ($40 fee).
Whole country is best Mar–Apr and Oct–Nov. North is cold Dec–Feb. Centre floods Sep–Oct. South is hot & wet Jun–Aug but still travellable.
Vietnamese Dong. $100 AUD ≈ 1.6 million VND — enjoy feeling like a millionaire. Card accepted in cities, cash for markets & countryside.
Walk at a steady pace, don't stop, don't sprint. Scooters flow around you. Seriously, it works. The first time is the scariest.
Tap water — no. Ice in cities — fine. Street food — yes, and eat it joyfully; follow the locals to the busy stalls.
Drivers & guides: $8–$10 USD/day is the standard. Restaurants: round up or 5–10%. Hotel porters: 20,000 VND per bag.
"Best holiday I've ever had, and I've done Italy, Japan and South America. The overnight junk on Ha Long was magic. Our Hoi An tailor shirts still fit 18 months later. Priya built something perfect."
"Private driver-guides were the single best call. We ate at places we'd never have found. And when Saigon hit 38°C they quietly upgraded us to a pool hotel for the last 2 nights. No charge."
"Did Sapa with two teenagers — worried it'd be too hard. Our guide pitched it exactly right. Homestay night was the highlight of their year, and they now eat pho at home."
Honest answer: do both with a flight in the middle. Hanoi + Ha Long (4 nights), internal flight to Hoi An (4 nights), internal flight to Saigon (2 nights). You'll see the real variety of the country.
100%. Pay up for Bhaya Legend, Paradise Elegance or Emperor Cruises — the cheaper ones are crowded and noisy. A decent junk is $300–$500 pp. We include it in our packages.
You won't get one. Every package on this page is private — just your family in a car with a driver and a licensed guide. Group tours are a different product and we don't sell them for Vietnam.
Grades from "gentle village stroll" to "full-day mountain trek". We'll match to your fitness honestly. Saying yes to too much here ruins the trip — we'd rather build in an extra rest day.
Yes. Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) adds 3 nights easily from Saigon. Luang Prabang adds 4 from Hanoi. Just tell us you're keen and we'll work it in.
Very — one of our most popular solo destinations. Private driver-guide gives you a safe anchor. We match solo female travellers with female guides where they'd prefer.
We'll give you a "classic" and an "off the beaten track" — with real hotel names and private guide-included pricing. Deposit only once you love one.