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Rice terraces, Vietnam
Vietnam your way

Tailor-made Vietnam vacations shaped around your passions

From the French-colonial architecture of Hanoi and the karst scenery of Halong Bay to the mercantile history of Hoi An, our Vietnam specialists will use their personal experience of the country to plan your vacation to Vietnam in detail. That might include arranging for you to view fast-paced Ho Chi Minh City from the back of a Vespa, or spend languid days cruising the Mekong Delta or by the beach in Ninh Van Bay. Or, it might be as part of a wider Asian voyage, sailing from Bali to Bangkok and stopping in Ho Chi Minh City along the way.

Travel in Vietnam is often based around a journey between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, taking in the highlights of the central region between the two. Our Vietnam specialists can also suggest the country’s often overlooked, lesser-known sights and experiences, such as discovering brightly dressed hill-tribe communities in the Tonkinese Alps or the remote markets of Ha Giang — places and people we’ve come to know over 20 years of research and return visits.

Creating tailor-made tours for over 25 years

Suggested tours for Vietnam

Drift among the karst scenery on a traditional junk in Lan Ha Bay, explore bustling Ho Chi Minh on the back of a Vespa, and learn to make traditional dishes at a private home in Hue — our range of suggested itineraries is a great starting point as you begin to plan your trip to Vietnam.

Suggested activities for Vietnam

Enjoy a guided tour of Ho Chi Minh City on the back of a Vespa, sample Hanoi’s best street food with a local guide, or cruise along the Mekong on a wooden boat. Whatever your interests, our specialists will suggest experiences designed to enhance your trip to Vietnam.

  • Cruise on a traditional junk
    Heritage Line Violet Junior Suite

    Cruise on a traditional junk

    Halong Bay

    Cruise on a traditional junk

    The junk sets sail into the bay area and you can enjoy the stunning scenery from the sundeck or the balcony of your private cabin.

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  • Ho Chi Minh City tour
    Street market seller in Ho Chi Minh City

    Ho Chi Minh City tour

    Ho Chi Minh City

    Ho Chi Minh City tour

    This half-day tour will take in the main sites of Ho Chi Minh City including Rue Catinat, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Reunification Palace and the Museum of War Remnants.

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  • Cruise in Halong Bay on the Princess junk
    Views over the Gulf of Tonkin

    Cruise in Halong Bay on the Princess junk

    Halong Bay

    Cruise in Halong Bay on the Princess junk

    One of the smaller junks available for private hire in Halong Bay, the Princess consists of one en suite cabin which can sleep two people.

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Why travel with Audley?

  • 100% tailor-made tours
  • Fully protected travel
  • Established for over 25 years
  • 98% of our clients would recommend us

Best time to visit

Our specialists advise on the best months to visit Vietnam, including information about climate, events and festivals.

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Useful information for planning your vacation in Vietnam

What language is spoken in Vietnam?

Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam, but there is a huge variety of regional dialects that are spoken in casual conversation. You may also hear other languages, including Chinese, Khmer, and Lao as you travel across the country. English is also widely understood and spoken, and older generations still speak French as a result of the French colonial period.

What's the currency of Vietnam?

The currency of Vietnam is the Vietnamese dong (₫), and the notes come in denominations of 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000, 20,000 50,000, and 100,000 dong. However, it can be difficult to change high denomination notes in shops.

You can withdraw local currency at ATMs in all major cities, and credit cards are accepted in most larger shops and hotels, too.

What food and drink should I try in Vietnam?

We recommend trying Vietnam’s national dish, pho, which is a hearty noodle soup made with fresh vegetables, as well as trying juicy spring rolls wrapped in wafer-thin rice paper. Traditional Vietnamese food balances five key tastes — sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy — and for an even deeper aroma, each dish comes with nuoc mam, a potent fish sauce, or mam tom, shrimp sauce.

We also recommend sampling ‘royal cuisine’ in Hue, a cuisine that harks back to the elaborate dishes created to impress the former Imperial court. We can arrange for you to visit the home of a local artisan chef there who’ll prepare a Vietnamese feast for you.

To drink, you can indulge in local coffee sweetened with a glug of condensed milk, a guaranteed pick-me-up after a morning of exploring. There are also a handful of local beers to try.

How much should I tip in Vietnam?

Tipping in Vietnam has become part of the culture, so we advise leaving a 10% tip at restaurants for good service in addition to any service charges. You should also tip guides, porters, drivers, and other service workers in Vietnam, preferably in local currency. The amount varies depending on how many people you travel with and the level of service provided, but we can go into more detail before you travel.

Where can I find the latest travel advice for Vietnam?

For the latest travel advice for Vietnam, including entry requirements, health information, and the safety and security situation, please refer to the State Department Website.

What can I experience in Vietnam?

A trip to Vietnam blends dramatic forest-draped mountain scenery with historical towns and cities whose architecture showcases the country’s tangle of cultures. There are several UNESCO World Heritage Sites here, including the former imperial citadel of Hue and Champa Kingdom ruins at My Son, as well as a handful of jungle-blanketed national parks ideal for hiking and caving.

While Vietnam’s most notable sights might already be familiar to you, our specialists can help you get to know them more intimately. You could learn how to tend to one of Vietnam’s quintessential rice paddies with a local farmer, take a cooking class in an ornate pagoda on the outskirts of Hue’s royal monuments, or take a peek into a previously covert location in Ho Chi Minh City used to store the Viet Cong’s weapons during the Vietnam War.

Where can I stay in Vietnam?

There are a wide range of places to retreat to after a day of exploring in Vietnam, including beach resorts, heritage hotels, traditional junks, and city boutiques. For example, you could spend a night in a wooden merchant’s house in Hoi An, experience remote rural living at a homestay along the Mekong Delta, or rest your head at one of Vietnam’s most exclusive coastal resorts in Quy Nhon. There are also numerous boutique hotels right in the heart of Vietnam’s cities, so you can get up and go without needing to travel far.

Our specialists hand-pick every hotel in Vietnam, so they can help you explore and rest in a setting that suits you.

Where should I go in Vietnam?

For a classic snapshot of Vietnam’s striking scenery and interlocking cultures, travel from Hanoi in the north down the coast to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south. Along the way, you can cruise around the limestone karst pillars jutting out of Halong Bay, gaze at the vibrant mosaiced roofs of Hue’s old town, wander in and out of the eclectic buildings of Hoi An, and zip around Hoi Chi Minh City on a Vespa.

If you want to go further from the traditional path, our specialists can craft a more intrepid route for you. You could trek the village-dotted Tonkinese Alps, share a home-cooked meal with a Tay family in their thatched-roof stilted house, or camp on the underground sands of a cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

How long does it take to fly to Vietnam from the US?

It takes around 22 hours to fly from either New York or Los Angeles to Hanoi in Vietnam. We recommend flying with Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific, and a few other airlines, which we can advise on.

What's the time zone in Vietnam?

The time zone in Vietnam is UTC+7, and there’s no daylight saving time in the country, so the clocks stay the same all year round.

What's the best way of getting around in Vietnam?

Vietnam is expansive, stretching from China in the north to the Gulf of Thailand in the south, so we recommend going longer distances by air and taking private cars for shorter hops between cities. You can also take a traditional Vietnamese junk to cruise around the uninhabited karst islands of Halong Bay in the north, a luxury train through Central Vietnam’s forested countryside to the coast, or a private wooden sampan along the Mekong.

Do I need a visa to visit Vietnam, and what do I need to check with my passport?

Use our travel tool to find up-to-date visa and passport requirements for Vietnam. Enter where you’re traveling to and from (including any stopover destinations en route or flight layovers), along with your intended travel dates and passport details, for a full list of requirements.

Do I need vaccinations to visit Vietnam?

Your doctor can provide you with immunization and antimalarial advice for Vietnam. You can also check the recommended vaccinations by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Just note that there’s a risk of Zika virus transmission in Vietnam, so if you’re pregnant or trying to conceive, please consult with your doctor for advice.

What should I wear in Vietnam?

We recommend wearing light, loose clothing in Vietnam to keep cool and respect the culture because, in general, Vietnamese people dress very conservatively, especially in areas away from the main towns and cities.

How can I visit Vietnam’s temples and altars respectfully?

When visiting Vietnam’s temples, you should dress conservatively, covering your knees and shoulders out of respect. In some temples, you will also need to remove your shoes before entering, but never point the soles of your feet toward Buddha images or other people. What’s more, you should never sit with your back to an altar, point at anything or anyone, or touch statues. It’s also respectful to refrain from talking while inside, but occasional whispering is fine.

Are there any other customs I should be aware of in Vietnam?

There are many customs in Vietnam that will be different from your home country, but, thankfully, your expert guides will be there to help you navigate and understand them. For example, they might teach you how to greet local people in the traditional way, take part in festivities respectfully, or even how to avoid things that are considered back luck, like leaving your chopsticks sticking straight up in a bowl of rice.

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