Constantly tipped as a traveller favourite, Vietnam offers everything a visitor could want; stunning landscapes, frenetic cities, quaint villages, friendly people and delicious food โ all ingredients for an epic trip!
Independent travel is the best way to see โthe Land of the Ascending Dragonโ but getting off the well-worn tourist trail can be time-consuming and complicated, especially when you donโt speak the language.
The following tours in Vietnam allow you to explore in a more meaningful way. With the help of local experts, you can uncover hidden gems, experience traditions, and see beyond the usual tourist spots, forging a deeper connection to the people and country!
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South East Asia Backpacker’s Most Popular Tours in Vietnam!
Ha Giang Loop True North by Flipside | 3 or 4 Days | from HANOI, VIETNAM
From $195.00-
Hai Van Pass Jeep Tour | Full Day | from HUE or HOI AN, VIETNAM
From $84.00 -
Hai Van Pass Motorbike Easy Rider Tour | Full Day | from HUE or HOI AN, VIETNAM
From $60.00 -
Halong Hideaway Tour | 2 or 3 Days | from HANOI, VIETNAM
From $117.65 -
Real Hanoi Street Food Experience | 3 Hours | HANOI, VIETNAM
$19.00 -
Real Lan Ha Bay Cruise | 3 Days | from HANOI, VIETNAM
From $379.00
The Best Tours in Vietnam! ๐ป๐ณ
What Makes These Tours Different? ๐คฉ
All the Vietnam tours in this article have been tried and tested by our writers or members of our backpacking community. By working with trusted local partners, weโre able to provide you access to some of the best tours in Vietnam โ many of which youโre unable to book elsewhere online!
Whatโs more, booking these tours means youโre giving back to small, locally owned and operated businesses โ allowing them to thrive in the ever-competitive world of tourism. With smaller operating budgets, many of the companies we work with are unable to compete with the big, international conglomerates in terms of advertising. But here, they get the recognition they deserve!
Halong Bay/Lan Ha Bay Tours ๐ณ๏ธ
One of Vietnamโs most popular destinations, the dreamlike Halong and Lan Ha Bay attract travellers from across the world. Karst limestone formations slice through azure waters creating a landscape worthy of a fantasy film โ youโd be forgiven for thinking youโve stumbled onto the set of Avatar!
Halong Bay is more popular than the neighbouring Lan Ha Bay but thatโs by circumstance rather than anything else. Both bays are stunningly beautiful, itโs just that Halong Bay was first to the tourism party and is well served by cruises ranging from budget-friendly party boats to 5-star luxury!
Lan Ha Bay is a little more sedate and sees fewer visitors. But as word of Lan Ha Bay seeps out, its popularity among those looking for a less touristic experience is growing fast. Most Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay tours depart from Hanoi.
Halong Hideaway
Visit some of the most beautiful and untouched parts of both Halong and Lan Ha Bay on this budget-friendly party cruise. By day, youโll explore under-visited areas by kayak, bicycle and hiking. At night, expect a great atmosphere as you share stories with your fellow backpackers over a drink (or six)!
- Sociable party tour
- Private or shared rooms available
- All meals included – dietary requirements can be catered for
Very fun cruise and the rooms were very clean
top tour ! good people..
the two guide boy and girl were amazing !! perfect place to stay and sleep and wake ou in the middle of the nature ! with the monkey boss of the Isla keef !
for sure place to visit and tour to do !
Real Lan Ha Bay Cruise
Board a three-star boutique junk boat and sail over to the beautiful Lan Ha Bay on this fantastic cruise. This is the only Lan Ha Bay cruise that gives you one night on the water and one night in a homestay on Cat Ba Island! Spend your days kayaking in secluded bays, hiking through the jungle and exploring a mysterious cave system โ youโll even experience a Vietnamese cooking class on the boat!
- Three-star cruise ship with private ensuite accommodation
- Homestay on Cat Ba Island
- Hiking, kayaking and caving all included
Halong Bay Oasis Bay Party Cruise
Another party boat, this luxury Halong Bay cruise sees you spend one night on the five-star boat and another on the amazing โParadise Islandโ โ a private island for just you and your group! Enjoy gourmet food prepared by top Vietnamese chefs and drink to your heartโs content at the well-stocked bar. Prepare for open-air jacuzzis, water trampolines and a bonfire thatโll leave Guy Fawkes envious!
- One night on the boat and one night on Paradise Island
- Shared accommodation
- Five-star cruise with open-air jacuzzis, gourmet food and a well-stocked bar
5* Yacht Cruise of Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay
If youโre looking for five-star opulence, youโve found it with the Genesis Regal Cruise Yacht. Built in 2019, this modern boat takes visitors to hidden corners of Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay. The rooms are divine, the food to die for and the onboard facilities, second to none. Coupled with daily excursions and plenty of activities, this trip is one for travellers looking for something a bit extra on their Halong and Lan Ha Bay trip!
- Five-star yacht
- Luxurious private accommodation
- Swimming pool, jacuzzis, bars and restaurants all onboard
Motorbike Tours in Vietnam ๐๏ธ
Motorcycles are the most popular form of transport in Vietnam and motorcycle ownership rates are among the highest in the world. When you visit, youโll see why โ the city streets are clogged with bikes and scooters, making getting around in any other type of vehicle a real challenge!
But itโs outside of cities that motorcycling in Vietnam stops being a necessity and becomes a real joy โ at least for travellers. Long winding roads, gorgeous vistas and tracks so tight only motorcycles can traverse them make Vietnam a motorcyclistโs dream destination.
The following motorcycle tours in Vietnam take you through some of the most breathtaking scenery the country offers. Whether youโre an experienced rider or have never slung your leg over a bike, thereโs a motorbike trip for you! Confident riders will revel in the freedom of the open road while novices can opt to ride pillion (on the back of the bike) and let an experienced local rider take control โ these are known as easy rider tours in Vietnam!
The Ha Giang Loop
Motorbike trips in Vietnam donโt come any more famous than the Ha Giang Loop. Only appearing on the tourist radar in the early noughties, it was initially the domain of hardened long-distance motorcycle tourers. But in recent years, tours around the Ha Giang Loop have drawn in travellers with promises of mystical mountain ranges, deep gorges, welcoming locals and views of the Vietnamese/Chinese border.ย
Ha Giang Loop tours in Vietnam can generally be undertaken in three ways; by riding a motorbike yourself, riding pillion with an experienced local guide or in a 4×4 with a local driver. The routes vary slightly depending on which option you choose and who the tour provider is. The best tours all involve local guides who grew up in the area and know the route like the back of their hand!
True North by Flipside
The original Ha Giang Loop tour, Flipsideโs True North motorcycle journey is an unbeatable adventure. Available as a three or four-day trip and with self-drive or easy rider options, this amazing experience takes you over the epic Ma Pi Leng Pass and through authentic Vietnamese villages โ prepare for unrivalled hospitality and plenty of local rice wine in the evenings!
But this tour isnโt all gallivanting on motorcycles, thereโs a charitable aspect to it too. Throughout the journey youโll drop food packages and supplies to those most in need of help in the region. This allows you to meet people and experience parts of Ha Giang rarely seen by tourists! This isnโt just another motorcycle trip โ itโs an enriching journey that has a positive impact!
This tour is also available to do via 4×4 โ perfect for families or travellers not wanting to use a motorbike!
- Accommodation in quaint homestays along the route
- Enjoy Vietnam's most breathtaking scenery
- Easy rider, self-drive and 4x4 options available
Ha Giang Loop Buffalo Tour
The Ha Giang Loop Buffalo tour delivers backpacker vibes from start to finish. Expect the same amazing scenery with a large group of like-minded travellers. Accommodation is simple but clean. Dorms keep costs down, allowing you to experience Ha Giang on a budget! But donโt worry, budget-friendly doesnโt mean unsafe โ all bikes are good quality and well maintained โ and the guides take things slow to ensure no one is riding beyond their limits!
- Budget-friendly Ha Giang Loop experience with shared accommodation
- Party with your fellow backpackers
- Self-drive and easy rider options available
Combine Your Tours! ๐ต ๐ฅ๏ธ
A cost-effective way to see both Halong Bay and the Ha Giang Loop is on this combined tour. All the logistics are arranged for you, so all you need to do is turn up on the first day and get ready for six days of adventure!
The Hai Van Pass
While the Ha Giang Loop is by far and away the most popular motorcycle trip in Vietnam, the stunning Hai Van Pass is hard to top. Stretching from Hoi An to Hue via Da Nang, itโs one of the most scenic coastal roads in the world, let alone in Vietnam, and was named by The Guardian as one of the โten great scenic drives around the world.โ
The Hai Van Pass itself is only a short 20-kilometre stretch of this epic road trip that will leave you smiling mile after mile!
Hai Van Pass Motorbike Tour
With lush jungle on one side and epic coastline along the other, this Hai Van Pass motorbike tour is a day-long adventure youโll remember for a lifetime. Climbing up the Hai Van Pass itself is a true joy and the views just get better and better โtil you reach the top! Itโs hard to believe this winding section of road used to be one of the only routes connecting North and South Vietnam. For this tour, you can start in either Hue or Hoi An, depending on your direction of travel. Itโs available as a self-drive or easy rider trip.
You can also experience the route on a 4×4 tour if two wheels arenโt your style!
- Experience one of the world's best coastal roads
- See remnants of the Vietnam War
- Can be done by motorbike or 4x4
Food Tours in Vietnam ๐
Vietnam is synonymous with fantastic food and thereโs no better way to get a taste for the range of amazing dishes on offer than on a food tour. These will take you around some hidden culinary gems, allowing you to try dishes youโd never find on your own!
Hoi An Street Food Walking Tour
Thereโs no better way to explore a new city than by walking between its culinary hotspots. Running three times a day, no matter the weather, this tour introduces you to Hoi Anโs vibrant street food scene. Whether you opt for the morning, afternoon or evening tour, youโll experience a whopping four hours of gastronomic glee and get an in-depth history of each dish, as well as learn more about the city from your guide.
- Explore Hoi An's street food scene
- Tours run every day – no matter the weather
- $2USD from each tour goes to Hoi An food charities
Hanoi Street Food Tour
An amazing introduction to one of the worldโs most frenetic cities, this Hanoi street food tour offers a flavourful distraction from the intensity of Vietnamโs capital. Explore little-known eateries and sample some of the countryโs most iconic dishes โ as well as more underrated snacks that you may have never heard of! Finally, wash it all down with a glass of Hanoiโs most popular beverage โ Bia Hoi!
- Enjoy 15 local delicacies – come hungry
- Learn about the history of Hanoi through its food
- Wash it all down with a glass of Bia Hoi
This food tour was amazing!! We got to try so many foods that we would never have known to order for ourselves and we loved all of them! Our guide Cherry was so great and we had an amazing time, would definitely recommend!
Our guide was amazing and so lovely. We were shown good we otherwise would have had no idea about and all the best spots to get it from. Highly recommend this tour if you are unsure about which food you will like/want to try new things.
Coffee Lovers Walking Tour Hanoi
For coffee lovers, a Vietnam trip offers the chance to try some of the worldโs finest cups of joe! But aside from the traditional egg coffee served in overpriced tourist cafรฉs, itโs hard to take a deep dive into the coffee scene unless youโve got a local to show you the best spots โ thatโs where this trip comes in! Lasting four hours and visiting some of the best-kept local spots, this coffee tour will get you buzzing as you learn all about coffee in Vietnam and even try your hand at crafting your very own egg coffee from scratch!
- Dive into Vietnam's bustling coffee scene
- Enjoy local snacks
- Make your own egg coffee
Cooking Classes in Vietnam ๐งโ๐ณ
If thereโs anything better than sampling the gastronomic delights a country has to offer, itโs learning to cook them for yourself! Sure, souvenirs are a good way to remember your trip but taking home the knowledge of how to prepare traditional local food is much more impressive. Wow your friends and family as you retell the stories from your trip over dinner!
Sabirama Cooking Class Hoi An
More than just a cooking class, this half-day experience delivers a unique combination of cooking lessons and cultural experiences! Visit a local market, cruise on the river, have a go in a traditional Vietnamese basket boat, learn how to cook four unique dishes and finish off the day with a traditional head, foot and shoulder massage!
- Visit a local market to fetch ingredients
- Learn how to cook four local dishes
- Take a boat trip down the river and experience a head massage
Bicycle Tours in Vietnam ๐ด
As you traverse city streets and pootle along winding back alleys, youโre inundated with the sights, sounds and smells of a place. Bicycle tours in Vietnam offer the perfect combination of speed and immersion. They allow you to cover more ground than walking while still being fully a part of the environment, unlike travelling by car or motorbike!
Real Hanoi Half-Day Bicycle Tour
In just half a day, youโll cover almost 15 kilometres of Hanoiโs side streets, markets and back alleys. If youโre intimidated by Hanoiโs bustling roads (and letโs face it, you should be), this cycling tour is for you. With two licensed guides, youโll have perfect instruction on how to tackle the more challenging parts of the city and visit off-the-beaten-track spots youโd never find on your own! This is a great introduction to Hanoi, so pencil it in for your first few days in the city!
- Discover the history of Hanoi
- Navigate atmospheric alleys
- Experience street life and local food
Diving Courses in Vietnam ๐คฟ
Unlike some of its neighbours, Vietnam isnโt known for being a diving hotspot. But if youโre looking to get an open water diving certificate for far less money than youโd spend at home, Vietnam is a good place to start!
Open Water Diving Course
Learn to dive in calm seas and explore beautiful coral reefs in the process. With Nha Trang Fun Divers, youโll learn the basics of diving over a 3-day open water course. Complete the course and youโll leave with an SSI Open Water Certificate which allows you to dive up to 18 metres anywhere in the world. Over the three days, youโll take on six dives as you learn the vital skills needed to explore the underwater world!
- Learn to dive among beautiful coral reefs
- Get your SSI Open Water certificate
- Dive down to 18 metres
Trekking in Vietnam ๐ฅพ
Vietnam is home to some of the most dramatic scenery in the world and while you can zip through much of it by road, experiencing quaint villages, epic mountains and huge valleys on foot is a wonderfully immersive experience!
Real Sapa Trek & Homestay
Sapa offers some of the most popular treks in Vietnam but with this trip, youโll take the path less travelled. Your local, ethnic minority, guide will lead you through parts of Sapa rarely visited by tourists. Along the way, youโll experience local hospitality, spend the night at a local family homestay, skirt along rice paddies and use buffalo paths to cross expansive valleys. Youโll even get a cooking class and herbal foot massage chucked in!
- Explore Sapa with local experts
- Small group sizes
- Stay with an ethnic minority family
Other Tours in Vietnam โฐ๏ธ
Some tours in Vietnam donโt fit into easy categories but that doesnโt mean they should be missed. In fact, some of these tours are so off the beaten track youโll have a hard time finding them anywhere else!
Mai Chau Valley Tour
Skip the crowds and enter Mai Chau Valley โ an under-visited gem in Northern Vietnam. This tour takes you to a local homestay, where youโll spend two nights getting to know the small village and wider valley. Cycling, trekking and motorbiking are all on offer, allowing you to explore much of the area with your local guide. Meals are all prepared by your hosts and served at the homestay, giving you a glimpse of life in this rural part of the country!
- Spend two nights in a homestay in a small local village
- Explore the valley by foot, bicycle and boat
- Visit Pu Luong Nature Reserve
Ban Gioc Waterfalls and Ba Be Lake Tour
Once a true off-the-beaten-track gem, Ban Gioc Waterfall on the Vietnamese/Chinese border has become something of a Mecca for waterfall-loving travellers. The astounding multi-tier falls rival waterfalls anywhere in the world and you can visit them on this multi-day tour! But before reaching the falls, youโll experience the serenity of Ba Be Lake and National Park. A boat trip will take you across the lake and along the mighty Nang River towards epic cave systems and through astounding scenery! Youโll overnight in beautiful homestays with local people and enjoy learning about life in Northern Vietnam!
- Visit the breathtaking Ban Gioc Falls
- Explore Ba Be Lake
- Enter the incredible Nguom Ngao Cave and Puong Grotto
Huu Lien Tour
Tourism to Huu Lien is in its infancy but this up-and-coming destination is just begging to be explored. This tour will take you off the established tourist trail and into some of Vietnamโs most breathtaking landscapes as you explore nearby lakes, waterfalls, caves and mountains. Enjoy epic sunsets, BBQs under the stars and drinks with locals before settling in with a local family each night. Go now, before Huu Lien becomes as popular as it deserves to be!
- Experience areas untouched by tourism
- Climb mountain peaks and explore cave systems
- Hike and bike to the most picturesque locations
What are your favourite tours in Vietnam? Let us know in the comments below!
Tim Ashdown | Gear Specialist
After a life-changing motorcycle accident, Tim decided life was too short to stay cooped up in his home county of Norfolk, UK. Since then, he has travelled Southeast Asia, walked the Camino de Santiago and backpacked South America. His first book, From Paralysis to Santiago, chronicles his struggle to recover from the motorcycle accident and will be released later this year.
