Straying in Vietnam is an off-the-beaten track budget tour in Vietnam for families with kids older than 6 years old and independent travelers. The trip is for 18 days (17 nights) from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) to Hanoi.

Budget Adventure Holidays in Vietnam from Saigon to Hanoi Overview

Like other budget holiday packages by AdventureGreen, our company arranges the hassling services while you pay for most other services yourself. This is a way to save you from paying costs for the service charges and taxes.

The trip is for independent families and young travelers of less than 35 years of age. The pace of travel is mostly at your own pace. We travel by train for long distances. The train times are fairly ok, except for that from Tuy Hoa to Da Nang that we have to get up a bit early. For overnight trains, we book you onto soft sleepers and for day train you’ll get soft seats.

Hotels are in safe neighborhoods and with clean rooms and basic facilities. Daily breakfasts are included at the hotel, except for those days that we take overnight train and don’t stay at a hotel the previous night. We’ll have 1 lunch and 1 dinner included in the Mekong Delta; 2 lunches and 1 dinner included on the cruise on Halong Bay; the other meals are not included.

Tour guides are provided only when necessary such as for airport and train station pickups or see-offs, at important tourist sites; no tour guide on the last day when you depart Hanoi. All admission fees, except for Halong Bay that fees are included into the cruise package, are not included.

{Inclusions
English-speaking guide;
Transportation by private car within Vietnam as indicated on the tour program;
Air-con soft-sleeper train tickets for Saigon – Tuy Hoa and Dong Hoi - Hanoi, soft-Seat ticket for the day train from Tuy Hoa to Da Nang and Hue to Dong Hoi;
Junk cruise on Ha Long Bay with admission fees and pier fees;
Tourist boat for the cruise on the on the Mekong River as indicated on the tour program;
Accommodations at basic hotels on twin-shared basis as indicated on the tour program;
Meals as indicated on the tour program: B= Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner;}

{Exclusions
Insurance of any types;
International airfares and airport taxes;
All admission fees except for those on Halong Bay as part of the cruise package;
Drinks or personal expenses;
Others not clearly specified in the inclusions.}

Detailed itinerary

Day1 Arrive at Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon (car transfer with driver & guide, no included meals)

Arriving at Saigon Tan Son Nhat Airport, welcomed by our tour guide and driver, and transferred to the hotel.
Overnight in Saigon.

Included
Car transfer with guide.
Accommodation in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).

Not included
Meals: about USD10/person/lunch or dinner.
Drinks: USD0.5-1/beer.
Water: USD0.5/small bottle of water.

Day2 Saigon free day (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day at leisure.
Overnight in Saigon.

Included
Breakfast at the hotel.
Accommodation at a hotel in Saigon.

Not included
Lunch, dinner and drinks;
All activities;

 

Day3 Saigon – Vung Liem (Vinh Long, near Ben Tre) (with driver only, without guide) (B/L/D)

0800 A.M Picked up by our driver and transferred without guide to Vung Liem (Vinh Long).
Afternoon bicycle tour with local guide.
Evening cooking demonstrations and cultural exchange.
Overnight at the lodge.

Included:
Breakfast at the hotel;
Car transfer without guide from Saigon to Vung Liem;
Bicycle tour in Vung Liem;
Cooking demonstrations at the lodge;
Dinner at the lodge;
Accommodation at the lodge.

Not included:
Lunch, drinks.

Day4 Vung Liem – Saigon /Overnight Train for Tuy Hoa (SQ4: 1900-0541 A.M Day+1) (driver only for road transfers, guides for assistance to Saigon Train Station) (B)

Breakfast at the lodge.
Boat trip to a school and coconut processing factory. Chance to behold boats loaded with coconuts heading to markets and learn how coconuts are processed. Transfer without guide to Saigon. There is no room at the hotel you stayed previously but you can leave your luggage in the storage area of the hotel.
Our guide comes and assists you to Saigon Train Station. Overnight train for Tuy Hoa.
Overnight on board the train.

Included:
Breakfast at the lodge.
Boat tour in Vung Liem.
Transfer without guide from Vung Liem to Saigon.
Guide assistance to Saigon Train Station.
Soft-sleeper overnight train ticket for Saigon – Tuy Hoa.

Not included:
Lunch, dinner and drinks.
Accommodation at a hotel in Saigon.
Taxi from Saigon center to the train station (less than USD2/taxi).

 

Day5 Arrive at Tuy Hoa (0518 A.M)/Guide assistance to the hotel (with guide only)/Free time (no included meals)

Arriving at Tuy Hoa, welcomed by our local tour guide at the train station who will assist you to the hotel by taxi. Your room may not be ready yet, but you can leave your luggage in the storage area of the hotel.
Free time.
Overnight in Tuy Hoa.

Included
Guide assistance from the train station to the hotel.
Accommodation at a hotel in Tuy Hoa.

Not included
Early check-in room;
Breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks;
Taxi from the train station to the hotel (less than USD2/taxi).

Day6 Tuy Hoa free at leisure (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day at leisure.
Overnight in Tuy Hoa.

Included
Breakfast at the hotel.
Accommodation at a hotel in Tuy Hoa.

Not included
Lunch, dinner and drinks;
All activities;

Day7 Tuy Hoa – Da Nang (day train SE2: 0651-1335 or SE4: 0521-1229) – Hoi An (guide only at Tuy Hoa, guide and driver at Da Nang) (B)

Takeaway breakfast.
Guide assistance to the train station for the day train for Da Nang.
Arriving at Da Nang, picked up by our tour guide and driver and transferred to Hoi An.
Free time
Overnight in Hoi An.

 

Included
Takeaway breakfast;
Guide assistance to Tuy Hoa Train Station;
Soft-seat train ticket for Tuy Hoa – Da Nang;
Guide and car transfer from Da Nang to Hoi An.
Accommodation at a hotel in Hoi An.

Not included
Taxi to Tuy Hoa Train Station (less than USD2/taxi);
Lunch, dinner and drinks.
All activities.
Hoi An Old Town entrance fees: VND120,000/person.

Day8 Hoi An at leisure (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Full day at leisure.
Overnight in Hoi An.

Included
Breakfast at the hotel.
Accommodation at a hotel in Hoi An.

Not included
Lunch, dinner and drinks;
All activities;

Day9 Hoi An – Da Nang – Hue (with private car + tour guide)/Hue Walking Tour (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer by private car with tour guide to Hue. Visit the Hai Van Pass and Lang Co Beach en route.
Arriving at Hue, tour of Hue Imperial Citadel.
Overnight in Hue.

Included
Breakfast at the hotel.
Private transfer with guide from Hoi An to Hue
Accommodation at a hotel in Hue.

Not included
Lunch, dinner and drinks;
Admission fees for Hue Imperial Citadel: VND150,000/person.

Day10 Hue free day (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day at leisure.
Overnight in Hue.

Included
Breakfast at the hotel.
Accommodation at a hotel in Hue.

Not included
Lunch, dinner and drinks;
All activities;

 

Day11 Hue – Dong Hoi (day train SE10: 1305-1605) (guide only at both ends) (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Guide assistance to the train station by taxi for the day train for Dong Hoi. On arrival, welcomed by our local tour guide who assists you to the hotel on a taxi.
Overnight at Dong Hoi.

Included
Breakfast;
Guide assistance to Hue Train Station and from Dong Hoi Train Station;
Soft-seat train ticket for Hue – Dong Hoi;
Accommodation at a hotel in Dong Hoi.

Not included
Taxi to Hue Train Station and from Dong Hoi Train Station (less than USD2/taxi);
Lunch, dinner and drinks.
All activities.

Day12 Dong Hoi – Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park – Dong Hoi (with guide and car) (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day with car and guide to visit Phong Nha National Park: The Phong Nha Cave and the Tien Son Cave.
Travel back to Dong Hoi in the afternoon.
Overnight at Dong Hoi.

Included
Breakfast;
Guide and car for the trip to the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park;
Accommodation at a hotel in Dong Hoi.

Not included
Entrance fees to the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park: VND150,000 for the Phong Nha Cave, VND80,000VND for the Tien Son Cave;
Boat trip to the Phong Nha Cave: VND390,000/boat (not more than 12 persons/boat);
All other activities you may like to take part in the national park.
Lunch, dinner and drinks.

Day13 Dong Hoi at leisure/Overnight train for Hanoi (TN2: 1918-0828) (guide only) (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.
In late afternoon our tour guide comes and assists you to the train station for the overnight train journey bound for Hanoi.
Overnight on board the train.

Included
Breakfast at the hotel.
Guide assistance from the hotel to the train station.
Train ticket for shared soft-sleeper compartment.

Not included
Lunch, dinner and drinks;
Taxi from the hotel to the train station (less than USD2/taxi).
Late check-out room or accommodation in Dong Hoi.

Day14 Arrive at Hanoi (0828 A.M)/Guide assistance to the hotel/Walking Tour of Hanoi (no included meals)

Arriving at Hanoi, welcomed by our local tour guide at the train station who will assist you to the hotel by taxi.
Your room may be not ready but you can leave your luggage in the storage area.
Have a walking tour of Hanoi taking in: the Presidential Palace and the Temple of Literature.
Walk back to the hotel and have free time.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Included
Guide assistance from the train station to the hotel.
Guide for the walking tour of Hanoi for half a day.
Accommodation at a hotel in Hanoi.

Not included
Breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks;
Early check-in room;
Taxi from the train station to the hotel (less than USD2/taxi).
Entrance fees: the Presidential Complex (VND30,000/person), the Temple of Literature (VND30,000/person).

 

Day15 Ha Noi – Ha Long Bay (without guide) (B/L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer by shuttle bus to Halong Bay.
Overnight junk cruise to visit the bay, visit a cave and a beach.
Overnight on board the junk.

Included
Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer from Hanoi to Halong Bay by shuttle bus.
Entrance fees and pier fees for Halong Bay.
Lunch and dinner on board.
Accommodation in a cabin on the junk.

Not included
Guide for the road transfer.
Drinks on board.

Islands on Halong Bay, Vietnam

Day16 Ha Long Bay – Ha Noi (without guide) (B/L)

Breakfast on board the junk.
Visit a lagoon by rowing boat.
Cruise on Halong Bay and back to the pier at 11:00 A.M
Lunch at a restaurant by the pier.
Transfer back to Hanoi by shuttle bus.

Included
Breakfast on board the junk.
Visit to a lagoon by rowing boat.
Junk cruise on Halong Bay.
Lunch at a restaurant.
Transfer from Halong Bay to Hanoi by shuttle bus.

Not included
Drinks on board.
Guide for the road transfer from Halong to Hanoi.
Dinner.

Day17 Hanoi free day (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day at leisure.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Included
Breakfast at the hotel.
Accommodation at a hotel in Hanoi.

Not included
Lunch, dinner and drinks.
All activities.

Day18 Depart Hanoi (without guide) (B)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer without guide to the airport for your departure. We trust you had a great adventure trip in Vietnam with AdventureGreen.

Included:
Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer without guide from the hotel to the airport.

Not included:
Airfares, departure taxes.