Tours in Vietnam
Small-group tours, day trips, cooking classes and multi-day adventures. Every tour vetted for traveller reviews first.

Private Linocut Printmaking and Tote Bag Art Workshop in Hanoi
When Jake from our BugBitten team booked this private linocut workshop in Hanoi, we found ourselves in a tucked-away studio carving designs into soft rubber and stamping them onto a tote bag — no crowded group classes, no rushing. The 2.5-hour session walks you through sketching, carving technique, and printing, finishing with a finished bag and artwork you've actually made yourself. It's the kind of quiet, creative break you don't expect in a busy city, and the studio team keeps the pace relaxed with tea and snacks between steps.

Private Car Between Ho Chi Minh Saigon Airport and Phan Thiet
When Alex from our team booked a private car between Ho Chi Minh Airport and Phan Thiet, it beat the chaos of shared minivans hands down. You're looking at a 200km haul (roughly 2.5–3 hours depending on traffic) in an air-conditioned sedan with a driver holding a name sign at arrivals. The route cuts through southern Vietnam's coastal sprawl, busy highways, and eventually reaches the beachside town of Mui Ne—a decent way to arrive without the shuffle of airport touts or cramped shuttle vans. It's a transfer, not a tour, but done right it sets a solid tone for your trip.

Hanoi Bike Tour with Food - Highlights & Local Life
When Lily from our BugBitten team cycled through Hanoi's backstreets, she got the kind of tour that actually shows you how the city works — not just ticks off landmarks. You'll pedal past Hoa Lo Prison and around West Lake with a local guide who fills in the real history, stop for proper street food (Phở Cuốn, fried Phở), and pick up enough Vietnamese phrases to order your own breakfast. It's three hours of riding, eating, and conversations that stick with you longer than most sightseeing blurs. The mix feels deliberate: sights, stories, and the flavours that tell Hanoi's actual story.

2 Days Halong Bay from Hanoi Cruise
When Alex from our team booked this 2-day Halong Bay cruise out of Hanoi, we knew we were in for the classic Vietnam tick-box — and it largely delivered. You're sailing through a UNESCO World Heritage site dotted with limestone karsts, exploring caves and hidden coves, and sleeping aboard in a proper cabin. The cruise pulls together sightseeing, meals, a tai chi session at sunrise, and transport from Hanoi. It's a crowded bay and a crowded boat, but the sheer geology of the place makes up for it. Two nights gives you enough time to actually settle in rather than just snap photos and bolt.

Ho Chi Minh City Iconic & Local Hidden gems by Scooter
When Mia from our BugBitten team tackled this Ho Chi Minh City scooter tour, she got the proper local spin on the city—pillow-riding through chaotic streets with a student guide who actually lives here, not just a script. Four hours takes you past the colonial Post Office and Notre Dame, then the worthwhile bits: a flower wholesaler thick with blooms, a wet market that smells like real life, the oldest apartment block (cramped and fascinating), a temple, and Vietnamese coffee that tastes nothing like what you brew at home. It's peak-hours messiness mixed with genuine pockets of calm—the kind of tour where you're genuinely seeing how Saigonese move through their own city.

Hanoi Vegan & Vegetarian Street Food Tour
When Ben from our BugBitten team ran this three-hour Hanoi vegan street food tour, we found a genuinely thoughtful look at the city's plant-based eating culture—far beyond token salads. You're weaving through narrow, lively streets with a local guide who knows where the good stuff happens: crispy bánh xèo, fragrant phở done right, fresh spring rolls, and the sweet finish of chè chay and proper Vietnamese coffee. The stalls are real neighbourhood spots, not tourist traps, and the pace lets you actually taste what's in front of you rather than rushing through a checklist.

Cycle to Hue Via Hai Van Pass
When Charlie from our team cycled the Hai Van Pass route, we covered roughly 70–80 km across one of Vietnam's most dramatic stretches of road — the same piece of tarmac that caught Top Gear's eye. The day starts early (7am departure) from either Hoi An or Hue, threading through countryside, lagoon edges, and down to Lang Co Beach for a swim and seafood lunch. It's a proper day out for confident cyclists; the riding mixes flat sections with some genuine climbs, and the scenery shifts from rural villages to coastal views. You're on quality Trek bikes with a local English-speaking guide keeping the pace steady.

Saigon Street Food & Hidden Gems Tour: Live Like a Local
When Sarah from our team ran this 4-hour Saigon street food tour, she discovered what locals actually eat—not the sanitised versions served in tourist zones. You're picked up from central Saigon, bundled onto a motorbike, and threaded through the chaotic traffic and 7 million other bikes to four genuinely lived-in food stops. The energy is manic, the food is real, and you eat the way Saigonese do: standing, chatting, moving on. It's not a polished experience; it's Saigon unfiltered, best suited to travellers who thrive on organised chaos and aren't fussed about comfort.

5 Hours Guided Hanoi Old Quarter Private Walking Experience
When Em from our team did this five-hour Old Quarter walk in Hanoi, we got a properly guided tour through what locals actually call the city's beating heart. You're moving through narrow lanes packed with markets, temples tucked into alleyways, colonial architecture standing next to Vietnamese shop-houses, and constant street action. The guide meets you at Dong Xuan Market—the oldest in the city—and steers you through hidden pagodas, the ancient Bach Ma temple, and along streets where vendors set up the same way they have for centuries. There's a proper Vietnamese coffee moment built in too.

Bai Dinh pagoda & Trang An Grottoes Boating Full Day Trip
When Jake from our team ran this full-day trip from Hanoi, we found Bai Dinh and Trang An packed into a solid 11-hour loop. Bai Dinh is Vietnam's largest pagoda — a sprawling hilltop complex where an electric car hauls you up past thousands of Buddha statues. Trang An flips the script with a boat ride through karst scenery that earns its 'Halong Bay on land' nickname. The area draws a steady mix of Vietnamese families and tour groups, especially on weekends. You're covering a lot of ground and getting a decent slice of what makes Ninh Binh a drawcard, though the pace means it's more 'tick the boxes' than deeply exploring either site.

Small Group Halong Islands, Cave, Kayak. Seafood Lunch. Transfers
When Em from our team did this full-day Halong Bay cruise, we boarded a traditional junk boat from Hanoi for an 11-hour run through limestone karsts and hidden caves. The tour picks you up from your hotel and hauls you 175km north (about four hours by van) to the UNESCO site itself — a dramatic seascape dotted with islets where you'll paddle kayaks or bamboo sampans, spot local life on the water, and tuck into fresh seafood lunch. Small groups keep things intimate, and the whole vibe feels less theme-park than you'd expect from one of Vietnam's flagship attractions.

Gardening at Tra Que Vegetable Village and cooking class
When Mia from our team cycled out to Tra Que Vegetable Village, a 2km ride from Hoi An centre, we traded the tourist crowds for actual farm work and a proper cooking lesson. This is where Hoi An's upmarket restaurants source their veg — three centuries of cultivation have created soil so nutrient-rich the locals reckon some crops have medicinal properties. The half-day experience drops you straight into the routine: you'll cycle through the village, get your hands dirty planting and harvesting alongside locals, then return to cook lunch with what you've just picked. It's rural immersion without feeling forced, and beats the standard cooking-class setup where ingredients arrive pre-chopped.

Private Tour: Long Tan Nui Dat Battlefield from Ho Chi Minh City
When Ben from our team did this full-day tour from Ho Chi Minh City, we headed out to the Long Tan and Nui Dat battlefields — two pivotal sites from the Vietnam War. The eight-hour journey takes you across rubber plantations and scrub toward the heartland of the 1966 Long Tan battle and the Australian base at Nui Dat. Your guide (often a war veteran) walks the actual terrain where the fighting happened, points out the iconic Long Tan cross, the Horseshoe positions, and the Viet Cong tunnel systems nearby. It's heavy history delivered on the ground — not a museum tour.

Private Transfer From Ho Chi Minh To Mui Ne | Best Price
When Alex from our BugBitten team booked a private transfer from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne with Johnny Tours, we got a straightforward four-hour drive along Vietnam's coastal highway. It's the kind of journey you'll do at least once if you're heading to the beach town — flat, modern roads, chance to watch the landscape shift from urban sprawl to fishing villages and sand dunes. Johnny Tours has been running transfers around Vietnam since 2010, and they handle everything from solo travellers to families with kids. It's a no-frills point-to-point move, not a scenic tour with stops.

From Dawn to Dusk: Da Nang Private History and Cultural Tour
When Jake from our BugBitten team ran this private Da Nang tour, we got a proper sense of what the city's layered past looks like when you're not herded through spots with fifty other tourists. Ten to twelve hours of your own pace, your own guide, your own driver — hitting Marble Mountains, Son Tra Peninsula, and cultural pockets most day-trippers miss. The region's humid and lush, with a mix of spiritual sites, war history, and surprisingly accessible wildlife encounters. Breakfast and lunch included, plus all the permits and entry fees sorted. It's the kind of day where you move between locations comfortably and actually talk to your guide instead of shouting over a microphone.

Private tour for Australian Memorial to Long Tan Nui- Dat 1 day
When Lily from our BugBitten team did this private tour, we traced Australia's Vietnam War footprint across the Nui Dat battlefield, the Long Tan Cross Memorial, and tunnel systems south of Ho Chi Minh City. The full-day trip pulls together military history, coastal views, and a beach stop near Vung Tau—a quieter corner of Vietnam's war-tourism landscape where you'll mostly see Australian and ANZAC visitors reflecting on the conflict's legacy. The pace is unhurried, the guide contextualises each site well, and the 10-hour window gives real breathing room to absorb the terrain and stories.

Hue: Thuy Bieu Village Cycling Half-day Tour
When Em from our team cycled through Thuy Bieu Village on Hue's quieter side, we found ourselves pedalling through proper countryside—areca nut plantations, bamboo groves, riverside calm—in what felt like stepping sideways out of the city. The 3.5-hour half-day tour threads you past the Tiger Arena and Long Chau Temple, remnants of feudal-era Vietnam, with a local guide who actually knows the plants you're riding past. The real surprise: tasting Thanh Tra pomelo, the sweet fruit once reserved for royalty, grown right here. It's low-key and works for most fitness levels.

Elephant Cave and Ma Da Valley Jungle 1 Day Trek
When Jake from our team tackled this trek through Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, we found it a solid entry point for first-time jungle explorers after hiking experience isn't a prerequisite. The route cuts straight into dense jungle, scales a steep 20-minute push to the jaw-dropping 60-metre Elephant Cave, then drops into Ma Da Valley for river crossings, a freshwater swim, and lunch cooked on-site. The 9-hour day packs cave scrambling, cliff jumping, and afternoon swimming into tropical terrain that actually feels remote—no tour-coach crowds, proper leech territory. Mix of physical graft and genuine adventure payoff.

TALIYA Cruise The Best Experience in Halong Bay in One Day
When Alex from our team booked the Taliya Cruise, we found ourselves on one of Halong Bay's slicker day operations — a modern vessel designed to tick boxes without faffing about. The seven-to-twelve-hour window (depending on your pickup point) sweeps you from Hanoi or Tuan Chau Marina through the limestone archipelago with a mix of lounging, light activity, and eating. It's the kind of tour that appeals to travellers who want the postcard views without roughing it: sundeck time, pool access, a cooking class thrown in, and actual meals rather than snacks. The bay itself is genuinely striking — junks and limestone karsts everywhere — and the crowd tends toward families and couples after comfort over adventure.

Pho Noodle Soup Cooking Class
When Sarah from our BugBitten team signed up for this pho cooking class, she expected a quick lesson—instead, she got a proper apprenticeship in Vietnam's most iconic dish. Set in a family-run kitchen space, the two-hour session walks you through building an authentic broth from scratch: toasting spices, layering flavours, nailing the techniques locals have perfected over decades. You'll chop, simmer, and taste your way toward an understanding of how pho actually works, then sit down to eat what you've made. It's hands-on, unhurried, and genuinely focused on giving you the confidence to make it at home.

Coffee Making Workshop with Egg Coconut and Salt Recipes
When Tom from our BugBitten team tried this Hanoi coffee workshop, he discovered why locals queue for egg coffee as fiercely as we queue for flat whites. You'll spend an hour learning to brew three of Vietnam's signature drinks—Egg, Coconut, and Salt Coffee—using a traditional Phin filter under a local expert's watch. It's a tight, hands-on class that sits somewhere between a proper skill-share and a cultural deep-dive into how Hanoi actually caffeinates. The setup feels intimate rather than touristy, and you leave with actual techniques you can replicate at home.

Photo tour with Hue photographer in Vietnam
When Noah from our BugBitten team booked a photo tour around Hue, we got a local photographer who knew the city's best light and angles. You'll hit iconic spots like Trang Tien Bridge and wander the inner-city lanes with someone who actually shoots here regularly, then head home with edited files same-day. It's a solid choice if you want decent travel photos without the tourist-group feel, and the whole thing wraps in an hour. Private transport is included, so no hunting for taxis between locations.

Hands-On Wood Carving Workshop in Hanoi with Local Artisans
When Lily from our BugBitten team tried this Hanoi workshop, she carved a small wooden keepsake from reclaimed timber under the patient eye of local artisans at Mộc Thôn. The 3.5-hour session is refreshingly unrushed — you pick your wood block (each with its own grain and history), learn basic carving techniques with simple hand tools, then sand and finish your piece at your own pace. The studio itself feels like a working creative hub rather than a tourist funnel: Vietnamese tea flows, local music plays softly, and there's a small gallery of emerging artists' work to browse. You walk out with your carved board, coaster, or figure wrapped in a handmade cloth bag.

Hanoi Motorbike Adventure
When Ben from our team rode out to Perfume Pagoda on this motorbike day trip, it felt like stepping off the main tourist circuit entirely. The journey loops through rural Vietnamese countryside toward a sacred temple nestled in limestone karst—roughly 5–6 hours total, including lunch. You're trading the crowds of Ninh Binh or Ha Long Bay for something quieter: winding roads, local villages, and the kind of spiritual site that draws Vietnamese pilgrims year-round, not tour groups. It's raw, physical, and genuinely connected to how people actually live and worship here.

City Half Day by car
When Lily from our BugBitten team booked this private half-day tour in Saigon, we got a customised taste of how locals actually live—no tourist theatre. You're paired with a single English-speaking guide who steers you away from the postcard spots and into the neighbourhoods where vendors set up shop, families run errands, and the rhythm of the city feels genuine. The flexible start time and door-to-door pickup make it easy to slot in without reshuffling your whole day. Over 3–4 hours, you're seeing Vietnam through a resident's eyes rather than a guidebook's.

DA NANG AIRPORT To HOI AN HOTEL
When Em from our BugBitten team arrived at Da Nang Airport, we booked a private transfer to Hoi An rather than wrestling with taxis or shared shuttles. This is a straightforward airport-to-hotel run in an air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver who meets you at arrivals with a name sign. The journey takes roughly an hour depending on traffic, and the operator covers fuel, tolls, and parking upfront — no surprise charges. It's the kind of service that lets you decompress after a flight and start your Hoi An trip on the right foot.

Private Mekong Delta Tour – Boat Ride & Local Lunch
When Alex from our team ran this private Mekong Delta tour, we got the full slow-boat experience without the tourist rush. You're picked up in central Saigon, then it's an 8-hour blend of air-conditioned car rides, speedboat cuts through the main waterways, and peaceful rowing through narrow canals lined with fruit orchards and local life. Lunch is a proper riverside meal, and you'll taste fresh tropical fruit and honey tea along the way. It's the kind of tour where you set the pace—no herding, no set itinerary locks.

Half Day Hanoi City Tour by Bicycle
When Sarah from our BugBitten team pedalled this half-day Hanoi tour, she found it a smart way to cover ground without the stress of navigating the city solo. You'll cycle past the obvious draws—Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum, West Lake, the Opera House—but the real payoff comes on the quieter back streets and through local markets where most independent tourists don't venture. The small-group setup keeps things manageable, and with a guide handling the route, lunch sorted, and water on tap, you're free to actually absorb the place rather than squinting at a map.

Pu Luong Morning Hike, Rafting, Water Wheels & Culture
When Charlie from our team tried this half-day circuit around Pu Luong, we walked through working rice terraces and small villages, spotted the region's distinctive wooden water wheels in action, then paddled a bamboo raft downriver. It's a compact way to see rural northern Vietnam without the full-day commitment — think 3–4 hours of gentle movement through genuine farmland, not a polished heritage loop. Groups stay small (max 9 people), so you're not shuffling behind 40 other visitors. The guide handles translation and context; you handle the pace.

Hoi An Sunrise Fish Market Tour
When Noah from our BugBitten team hit the Duy Nghia Harbor at sunrise, the energy was already building—boats pulling in, vendors setting up, the smell of salt and fish sauce hitting hard. This 4-hour tour plunges you straight into the working rhythm of Hoi An's fishing community. You'll row traditional basket boats alongside locals, learn the handicraft behind fish sauce production at a family factory, and watch the morning catch being sorted and sold. It's less polished experience and more genuine glimpse into how the place actually runs.

Hoi An: Cooking Class, Market Tour & Coconut Forest Basket Boat
When Em from our team ran this Hoi An cooking class, we started at the local market picking fresh herbs and veg before heading to a traditional kitchen to cook alongside Vietnamese chefs. You choose between a meat-focused Salty Menu (pho, spring rolls, fish clay pot) or a Vegetarian option, and the 4.5-hour experience wraps up with a basket boat ride through the Bay Mau Coconut Forest. It's the kind of afternoon that genuinely teaches you how Vietnamese food comes together—and you eat what you make. The vibe is relaxed, the market bustle is real, and the coconut forest at the end feels like a bonus.

Thai Massage in Da Nang
When Ben from our team tried this 90-minute Thai massage session in Da Nang, we found it a genuinely solid way to unknot the shoulders after days of hiking or beach time. Thai massage works differently than Swedish or sports massage—therapists use their hands, elbows, knees, and feet to stretch you out and work pressure points in ways that feel part-physio, part-yoga. You're on a mat (not a table), and the whole thing is built around releasing tension, boosting circulation, and settling your nervous system. Da Nang's a laid-back beach town, so the vibe matches the pace of the treatment. Snacks are included.

Full Day Explore Bai Tu Long Bay With Cave And Kayaking From Hanoi
When Tom from our team took this full-day run out of Hanoi to Bai Tu Long Bay, we found ourselves paddling through limestone karsts that genuinely feel less trampled than Ha Long Bay proper. The 11-hour itinerary (12 with transfers) takes you into Thien Canh Son cave for the vistas, then out onto the bay itself where you're choosing between kayaking or bamboo-boat rowing depending on your mood. It's the kind of trip that works for most fitness levels, though the cave scramble and water time demand a bit of movement — not a bludge, but nothing extreme either.

Cha Loi Cave 2 day 1 night
When Noah from our BugBitten team did this 2-day cave expedition in Vietnam's karst landscape, it felt like stepping into a different world. You're camping in the Valley of Love, exploring stalactite formations millions of years old, and staying with local Bru-Van Kieu communities. The tour weaves in a visit to Long Dai ferry—a historically significant spot tied to the Vietnam War and the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail. It's a proper adventure: you're kitted out like a cave explorer, sleeping under canvas, eating communal meals cooked on-site, and getting a genuine sense of how people live in this remote region.

Sapa private: One day of funny Buffalo Ride & Trekking Tour
When Ben from our team ran this Sapa tour, we got a genuine mix of trekking through the mountains and riding water buffalo across the valleys — no gimmick about it. You're in the far northwest of Vietnam where the hills roll in terraces and minority villages nestle into the folds. The morning kicks off with an air-conditioned pickup, then you're on foot and on buffalo for five hours total, moving at a pace that lets you clock the landscape properly and chat with locals about how they actually farm and live up here. It's not a tourist factory; it feels like you've ducked into someone's working day.

Sapa Alpine Coaster & Best View Coffee Half-Day Tour
When Tom from our team ran this half-day tour around Sapa, we found a solid mix of adrenaline and views. The morning kicks off with a drive to Bản Mòng village, then you're strapped into the Alpine Coaster — a zipline-style descent through the misty hills that'll get your heart going. After that buzz fades, you settle into Best View Sapa café with a complimentary drink, watching the valleys roll out beneath you. It's a neat package: four hours, lunch included, and enough elevation change to feel like you've actually done something. The area itself is cool — steep terraced farms, Hmong villages scattered across the slopes, and that high-altitude quiet that makes you forget about the flatlands.

Making Mekong Style Bánh xèo Mekong Rustic Can Tho Hideaway
When Mia from our BugBitten team did this cooking class in Can Tho, we found ourselves picking vegetables straight from riverside orchards, then learning to make bánh xèo—those crispy, golden pancakes that define Mekong cooking. The setting is properly rural: fruit trees, wetland calm, the kind of place that feels a world away from tourist strips. You're working alongside a local chef in a traditional kitchen setup, getting your hands literally dirty and then into the batter. It's three hours that genuinely walks the line between cooking lesson and small cultural moment, without the forced-experience vibe.

Vietnam Signature 13 Days - Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay, Ho Chi Minh
When Em from our BugBitten team ran this 13-day loop, it ticked the major Vietnam boxes without cutting corners. You'll eat your way through Hanoi's street food lanes, trek rice terraces in Sapa, sleep on an overnight junk in Halong Bay, and drift down the Mekong in a sampan. It's a solid intro to the country—four cities, three regions, mix of nature and culture—and the pace lets you actually land somewhere rather than blur through. Hotels are 3-star mid-range; flights, meals, and guides are locked in. Fair shout for first-timers or anyone after a structured taste of north to south.

Da Nang Ao Dai Show Entry Ticket
When Alex from our team caught the Ao Dai Show in Da Nang, we found ourselves in a slick one-hour cultural performance that traces the Vietnamese tunic's evolution across three centuries. The theatre sits centrally, draws a mixed crowd of tourists and locals, and leans on visual storytelling—so language isn't a hurdle. It's a polished evening activity that moves at a decent clip; nothing dragging, nothing rushed. You'll see traditional dress, music, and a snapshot of Vietnamese wedding customs woven through the narrative. Book ahead and they'll email your ticket, so you skip the counter queue.
