Vietnam Explorer

This 20-night escorted tour with Explore Worldwide takes a measured route through Vietnam, starting in the lively lanes around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi and including time in the quieter corners of the Old Quarter. Early days include two full days cruising among limestone islands in Halong Bay, where you can paddle a kayak and pause at floating fishing villages.

From there, the tour travels south by train and road through Hue’s Imperial Citadel and along the twisting Hai Van Pass to Hoi An’s layered streets and My Son’s centuries-old temple towers. The tour then moves inland through Central Highlands villages, with walks among Bahnar tribal communities and boat trips on Lak Lake, followed by a short stay in the coastal town of Nha Trang.

The final days are a deeper dive into southern Vietnam, from Saigon’s colonial buildings and war relics to the backwaters and floating markets of the Mekong Delta. The pace is steady; long drives are punctuated with stops to stretch or explore, and there’s enough free time to take in places as an independent traveller might.

Halong Bay, and the dragon that explains nothing

3 min read

These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.