15-Day Vietnam Exploration Tour: Leisure and Soft Adventures with In-Depth Discovery

21 Ratings

Save

View Gallery (25)

Embark on a 15-day Vietnam exploration tour filled with leisure, soft adventures, and in-depth discovery. Experience the country’s natural beauty, culture, and fascinating cities and countryside.

Duration: 15 days

Cancellation: 6 days

learn more

Highlights

Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi - Xin chao Vietnam!

Hanoi - Arrive today in Hanoi, Vietnam’s vibrant 1000-year-old colonial capital. A warm welcome awaits from your local tour guide at the airport, followed by a briefing about your holiday journey on the bus to Hanoi city. After checking into your hotel room, enjoy some free time to refresh and relax….

Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi - Xin chao Vietnam!

Hanoi City Tour – Night train to Lao Cai.

Lào Cai - Today, discover Vietnam’s charming capital. With its wide tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, serene lakes, and ancient oriental pagodas, Hanoi offers a delightful mix for everyone. Your city tour includes key sites: the Ho Chi Minh Complex (Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and stilt house), the nearby One Pillar Pagoda, the Presidential Palace, the Temple of Literature, the Quan Thanh Temple, the tranquil Tran Quoc Pagoda & West Lake, and one of the city’s museums (choose between the History Museum and the Ethnology Museum). In the late afternoon, enjoy a cyclo ride, a traditional human-powered vehicle, ending at the Water Puppet Theater for a show depicting daily Vietnamese life in the countryside. In the evening, transfer to the train station for your night train to Sapa.

Lao Cai – Sapa – Overnight in local homestay

Sapa - Late morning, embark on a two-hour trek through terraced rice fields to visit the villages of Cat Cat and Sin Chai. Here, learn about local traditions and daily life. The rest of the day is yours to explore the town, perhaps visiting the night market and the Stone Church.

Sapa trekking – Visit hill tribe villages – Homestay

Sapa - Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before setting out on a full day’s trek through terraced rice fields and tribe villages. Marvel at the stunning terraces, learn about local traditions, and daily life. Continue hiking to capture more photos and arrive at our homestay family, where we will spend the night. Enjoy a local home-cooked dinner with the family hosts for a unique experience! We will stay at an Ethnic People Family’s house, offering a basic and simple yet authentic local experience. Tonight’s homestay is shared accommodation, with our group sharing a single large room in a House on Stilts. Separate beds with clean linen, blankets, and mosquito nets are provided. The homestay host also offers towels, hot water for showers, and sandals. Please bring walking or trekking shoes, sunscreen, and mosquito spray. Embrace the unique experience!

Sapa - Return to Hanoi

Sapa - After breakfast, bid farewell to the host family and walk to a nearby village to board a bus back to Sapa. Enjoy the last moments of fresh Sapa air and stunning scenery before traveling onward to Hanoi by bus, a wonderful way to see the beautiful and peaceful countryside! Arrive back in Hanoi city in the afternoon and check into the hotel. Enjoy a free evening in Hanoi’s colonial capital and explore to your heart’s content.

Hanoi - Travel onward to Hanoi by bus, a wonderful way to see the beautiful and peaceful countryside! Check into your hotel and enjoy a free evening in Hanoi’s vibrant city life.

Hanoi - Halong Bay - Overnight cruise

Halong Bay - After breakfast, drive 2.5 hours to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The scenery of Halong Bay, with thousands of limestone islands jutting out of the emerald sea, sculpted into bizarre shapes, is truly iconic for Vietnam. Upon arrival at the jetty in Halong City around noon, proceed with check-in formalities. In the afternoon, enjoy activities such as swimming or kayaking (not included in the cruise package) or cave visits on the vast sea, and participate in a cooking class onboard to challenge your skills in preparing a famous Vietnamese dish (depending on each boat’s itinerary). Towards the end of the day, the boat sets anchor for the night among the karst formations. Overnight on Halong Bay. Note: The cruise itinerary is subject to change, depending on the chosen cruise. Please review the cruise website for full details or contact your travel consultant for further information!

Halong Bay Cruise - Hanoi - Fly to Hue

Halong Bay - As the sun rises on Halong, enjoy a light breakfast on board (or brunch on some boats) while cruising slowly back to the shore. Take advantage of the sundeck to admire the amazing rock formations of the bay as you navigate back to Halong City.

Hue - Disembark and meet your driver at the dock to drive to Noi Bai Airport for your flight to Hue. Upon arrival, meet your local guide and driver at Hue airport and transfer to your hotel for some free time.

Exploring Hue with the Top Gear Tour

Hue - Spend the day touring Vietnam’s former ancient capital with the Top Gear Tour. Experience a motorbike tour sitting on the back of a motorbike, enjoying the peaceful Hue countryside with its local markets, conical hats, incense-making villages, an old tiger arena, and a romantic view of the hills down to the Perfume River. Visit the Kings’ tombs, the Imperial Citadel, home to the Imperial City, and Forbidden Purple City. Conclude with a visit to Thien Mu Pagoda.

Special Information: The motorbike tour is a fantastic adventure showcasing the countryside and real-life experiences in Vietnam. It’s highly recommended! The motorbike tour has been assessed for safety and is closely monitored. Ensure your travel insurance covers riding a pillion on a motorbike up to 125cc. If you prefer not to participate in motorbike riding, inform your Tour Leader, and they will arrange car transportation at no extra cost.

Hue – Hoi An’s Ancient Town. Walking city tour

Hoi An - After breakfast, drive to enjoy some of Vietnam’s most stunning scenery along the Hai Van Pass en route to Hoi An ancient town. After lunch, take a couple of hours walking tour through the narrow winding streets of the ancient town center, visiting Chua Ong Pagoda, the Chinese Assembly Hall, the 200-year-old Tan Ky ancestral house, and the famous Japanese Bridge.

Enjoy a free evening to explore the ancient town, try local foods, and enjoy the colorful lanterns or meet a talented tailor for customized suits within 24 hours! What an amazing service in Hoi An. Optional tour (with extra cost): We offer a unique optional Hoi An Street Eats add-on, exploring the city’s most popular local haunts. Cruise the city like a local on foot and enjoy lots of tasty Vietnamese cuisine. Book early with your reservation consultant, as numbers are limited.

Hoi An – Easy Rider Biking Tour half day

Hoi An - In the morning, prepare for the Easy Rider tour, cycling from the hotel to the peaceful countryside in Hoi An with local men, visiting vegetable villages, farms, and interacting with locals. Continue biking to see buffalo, local animals, and duck farms, then visit the Coconut farm with a round bamboo basket boat, lots of fun. Continue cycling further to the local area, stop for a river cruise, enjoy fresh fruit, and great scenery on the way back to the Ancient town. Enjoy a free afternoon and evening to continue exploring on your own.

Hoi An - Danang - Fly to Saigon/ HCMC

Ho Chi Minh City - Enjoy free time until your group transfers to the airport for your flight to Saigon/ HCMC. Upon arrival in Saigon, meet your local guide before driving to the hotel for check-in. Ho Chi Minh City, a modern dynamic city, is the largest in Vietnam and is informally referred to as Saigon. It is remarkable for blending traditional values with northern and western cultural features. Skyscrapers dot the city, and signs of growing status include cars, mobile phones, upscale cafés, fine dining, and trendy nightlife. Yet, the city retains a unique Vietnamese feel with the hustle and bustle of local markets, incessant horns, and local vendors on every street corner. Enjoy leisure time. Optional activities in Saigon (with extra cost): 1. Ho Chi Minh City – A O show, an amazing show to understand authentic Vietnamese culture - VND1050000 2. Cyclo tour or Ristraw wandering to local market and highlights of Saigon as this city is bustling.

Saigon/ HCMC - Cu Chi Tunnels - City tour half day

Ho Chi Minh City - After breakfast, drive to explore the incredible network of underground tunnels at Cu Chi, showcasing the Viet Cong’s strategy to victory in the Vietnam War. Known as tunnel rats and the headquarters of VC to attack Saigon during the Tet Offensive 1968. Traveling not only allows you to see the world but also to learn more about it. In the afternoon, return to the city to explore Saigon on a walking tour, visiting the city’s most impressive sites and landmarks, including the War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace, or Reunification Palace - Headquarters of the South Republic of Vietnam during wartime. Wander around the French Quarter with Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post Office, Opera House, and Ben Thanh Market.

Saigon - Mekong Delta (My Tho, Can Tho)

Mekong Delta - From Saigon, travel south to the Mekong Delta, enjoying the beautiful and peaceful countryside scenery, and explore tributaries in your private boat. Start with a visit to the local market, then gain insight into the main local industries by visiting a tropical fruit garden with traditional music, a local workshop to see how rice paper, coconut, and pop-rice are made, along with beautiful coconut canals, motor carts, and lots of fun. Later, experience leisure biking/walking on village paths to see local daily life: orchard, school, church, pagoda, and traditional houses.

Can Tho - Floating market – Saigon

Can Tho - Enjoy an early breakfast at the hotel before visiting the famous Cai Rang floating market by motorized boat. Continue the boat ride to visit the Mekong Delta’s famous fruit orchards and sample fresh, exotic fruit, then venture deeper into the countryside, passing traditional houses made of wood and palm leaves. Here, observe local activities and visit a local family to see how noodles and rice paper used in fresh spring rolls are made!

Ho Chi Minh City - Afterward, collect your belongings at the hotel and drive back to Saigon, where you’ll have the rest of the day to explore the wonders of this metropolitan city.

Saigon Departure

Ho Chi Minh City - Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then a free morning before driving to the airport for your departure flight home or to continue your travels!

What's Included

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Additional Information

This 15-day adventure is ideal for those who appreciate a blend of relaxation and mild exploration while thoroughly exploring Vietnam. The tour follows a unique path from the north to the south of Vietnam, providing an extensive view of the nation’s breathtaking natural scenery, diverse culture, and lively urban and rural areas. With all-inclusive…

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Customer Ratings

5.0

(21 Ratings)

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

848tracym

Feb 28, 2026

Trip of a lifetime. Can I give a six star rating? Exceptional - Holiday of a Lifetime – Exceptional from Start to Finish We have just completed a 19-day tour of Vietnam organised by Tiam at Asia Vietnam Travel — and it truly was the trip of a lifetime. Our journey began in Hanoi with a fascinating city tour that gave us a real insight into Vietnam’s history and culture. From there we travelled to Mai Chau, where the peaceful countryside and our homestay experience were absolute highlights. Staying with a local family and cycling through the surrounding villages was incredibly special — authentic, unspoilt and something we will never forget. Halong Bay was breathtaking, and the overnight cruise was beautifully organised. The staff made me feel like a VIP, thoughtfully catering for my vegetarian diet with beautifully prepared dishes at every meal. Nothing was too much trouble, and the level of service was exceptional. Travelling on the overnight train to Hue (in a private cabin) added a real sense of adventure. In Hue, the Top Gear motorbike tour was one of the standout moments of the entire holiday — exhilarating, informative and such a unique way to experience the area. Hoi An was utterly charming. After our orientation walking tour and a wonderful morning cycling through the countryside, we enjoyed an excellent afternoon cooking class which was both fun and delicious. We also had a free day to relax at our own pace and soak up the atmosphere during Tet, which made our time there feel even more special and authentic. We stayed at the Bliss Hotel, which was exceptional — beautifully presented, high standards throughout and wonderful staff. In the south, our time in Saigon and the Mekong Delta gave us a completely different perspective of Vietnam — vibrant, energetic and full of life. We also spent time in Phu Quoc. While it was interesting to see another side of the country, we personally preferred the character, charm and authenticity of mainland Vietnam. Phu Quoc felt more developed and beach-focused than our usual travel style — though we readily admit we are not natural beach lovers, so this may simply reflect our own preferences. Our stay arranged via Tiam was then rounded off in Bangkok, which was vibrant, fascinating and a wonderful contrast — an exciting way to conclude such a varied and memorable journey. What truly made this trip exceptional were the guides. Every single one was superb — knowledgeable, warm, enthusiastic and genuinely passionate about sharing their country. They went above and beyond to ensure we experienced not just the key sights, but the real Vietnam — its people, food and traditions. Nothing was ever too much trouble. Vietnam itself is a joy: the people are incredibly friendly, the food is outstanding (and remarkably good value), and the scenery is simply stunning. If you appreciate attention to detail, high standards, seamless organisation and excellent value for money, this is the tour company for you. We travelled on a friend’s recommendation and were not disappointed — and this certainly will not be our last trip with Tiam.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Deborah_s

Mar 22, 2025

AVT Tours are awesome - It’s a full on experience from landing to leaving but you do get some downtime. We packed in so many memories and the guides we had were so enthusiastic and full of information about their amazing country. Due to weather 1 planned trip was slightly changed but we still did what was planned and more! The last few days in Saigon with Ben (our guide) was absolutely brilliant seeing the Cu Chi tunnels, Mekong Delta etc and I got to go crocodile fishing! Diving from the boat in Halong bay was a welcome break from the gazzilion motorbikes🤣🤣 all in all this trip was amazing, too many things to mention to be honest. Loved it!

Review provided by Viator

Climber63640341412

Jun 1, 2024

The trip of a lifetime for our family! - I simply cannot say enough, good things about this company based on our experience. This was by far the biggest trip we have ever taken and it was the most incredible experience! We were so fortunate to have a friend make the connection to organize and invite us on the trip of lifetime exploring Vietnam and it far exceeded any expectations we could have had! The whole experience was so well organized yet flexible to our needs as they came up and truly flowed so incredibly I still can’t even believe it to be honest. Vietnam is a stunning country with so much rich history and such pride in their culture. We enjoyed everything that was organized for us immensely. We were a group of 15 people ages 7-70+ and it was an incredible experience for all that we will never forget. Can’t wait for our next adventure with ATV tourism! Thank you for such a mind blowing and unforgettable adventure. We’ll definitely be back and highly recommend!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Ngot871

Jun 14, 2023

Local life experiences - We took recommendation from our friends who had used AVT Travel and booked our holiday in the north of Vietnam. The trip was amazing, we had a lot of fun and great memories after our trip was over. Our tour guide Dat was very informative, enthusiastic, professional and took care of us so well. Everything AVT arranged for us was just perfect and we highly recommend you guys to book this trip once you come.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

768saeedk

Jun 2, 2023

Amazing experience - We had a wonderful time in northern Vietnam thanks to the knowledge and attention to detail by Tim. He took care of all logistics and made sure we were treated well by tour operators and by various hotels we stayed. He even came to my rescue and sorted out unexpected visa issue. Tim is friendly and caring person and I thank him for a memorable time in Vietnam. We even got to meet his wonderful family. Thank you so much Tim.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

577wanders

Apr 11, 2023

Great opportunity to commune with natural and historical Vietnam. - Our customized tour with AVT (Asia Vietnam Travel) to northwest Vietnam offered many occasions to commune with nature and to meet Vietnamese people in their authentic villages and homesteads. We enjoyed relaxed-paced exploration in parks, rivers, lakes and historical sites. There was a healthy variety of walking, boat riding and road traveling. There were also some opportunities for cycling in the countryside. Our guide Pham Thien a.k.a. Tim is enthusiastic, knowledgeable and patient with questions of all kinds. He also has a good sense of humor. Tim has visited Canada, speaks good English and is familiar with North American culture. He shares great local knowledge for dining, shopping and extra excursions. He is also very knowledgeable about the history of areas we visited and the history of Vietnam. Our bus driver, Huan, negotiated a variety of road and traffic conditions while maintaining a smooth cabin experience and remaining courteous with other drivers. I would highly recommend a tour with AVT Travel during a visit in Vietnam.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Eagen51

Feb 17, 2023

Our favourite country to travel - Vietnam is one of the most beautiful and interesting countries we have ever traveled . From Ho Chi Min City , Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong Delta, Lang Co Beach, Hue, Sapa villages and Halong Bay! Amazing scenery and wonderful people. ATV was everything we could have imagined in a tour guide from their hotels, historical sites, immersing ourselves into their everyday lives and being welcomed into their homes and culture. A must see for sure!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Ngat

Jan 8, 2023

I have unforgettable memories with my family in Sapa, Thank you AVT Travel. - I wish I could come to Sapa earlier with my family rather than until May 2022. We have decided to travel to Vietnam to relax the working stress of the project months. I was extremely satisfied with the service, food and work of AVT Travel, one of the most professional tour operators in Vietnam. I hope to be able to come back to Vietnam again.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Jan 3, 2023

My family booked a day trip with AVT company, it surpassed our expectations. - After many days of hard work, our family decided to book a long trip in Vietnam by AVT Travel company. The company team worked very professionally and wonderfully. In particular, I was very impressed with Ninh Binh, a wild and wonderful land. We hope to be able to come back to Vietnam again, thank you very much AVT Travel.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Haiproffesor

Jan 3, 2023

I went to visit Ha Long Bay with my classmates, it was so majestic. - I went to visit Ha Long Bay with my classmates, it was so majestic.I have no words to describe my feelings at that time because this is my first time to Vietnam, Ha Long Bay has given us an indescribable and overwhelming feeling before nature, people. here. In it, we would like to thank AVT Travel for providing a professional and enthusiastic tour on each journey. Wish the company more and more development.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Check Availability

From $1,798

up to 15 guests

1 - Adult