Every question, in one place

The days out of Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta are ours: our vehicles, our guides, our boats. Outside the south we work with the same partner operators in Hue, Hanoi and Ha Giang that we have used for years, and we say so on the page rather than implying we have offices everywhere.

Yes. Sixteen day tours on this site can be booked on their own, with a hotel pick-up anywhere in District 1, 3 or Binh Thanh. There is no minimum spend and no obligation to book anything else.

Day tours: a few days, or the night before if there is space. Private routes in high season (January to March, and July): two to three months, mainly because the hotels worth staying in on the coast fill first. Tet is the exception — book that months ahead or travel elsewhere in the country that week.

Day tours are per person. Private routes are quoted per group with the per-person figure shown at your party size, because a private car for two costs almost the same as a private car for four and you should be able to see that.

South to north is slightly better for most people: you start in the easiest city to land in, the weather usually improves as you go, and you finish near the bay. North to south suits a December or January trip, when Hanoi is at its greyest and you would rather end on a beach.

Fourteen nights is the honest minimum for south, centre and north without it feeling like a transfer marathon. Ten is possible if you drop either the far north or the delta. Twenty-one lets you add Ha Giang or Cambodia without cutting anything.

Most nationalities need one and apply online for an e-visa; some get a waiver for short stays. Rules change, so we send you the current link for your passport when you book rather than printing a list here that goes stale.

Usually Nha Trang and Da Lat, unless you specifically want a resort beach or cool mountain air. They are pleasant and they are not what most first-time visitors come this far for.

The visa, border and transport pages get checked every month and after any rule change we hear about from travellers. The rest are reviewed twice a year. Each page carries its own date at the top.

Yes, and we would rather you did. Questions that come up more than twice end up as a new section in one of these guides.

Independent travel here is straightforward in the cities and on the main coastal route, and genuinely harder in the far north and the delta backroads, mostly because of language and transport rather than safety. We will tell you which parts of your route do not need us.

At the same hotel tier and party size, usually within ten per cent either way. Private vehicles cost more than shared ones; cutting a night nobody wanted saves more than people expect.

Three months for high season, six weeks otherwise. The binding constraint is almost never us — it is the ten or twelve hotels in this country that are genuinely worth staying in and fill early.

Yes. Plenty of people book the delta and the far north through us and travel the middle independently. We will say which parts we think are worth handing over and which you can do yourself.

Very common, and it is mostly a vehicle problem rather than an itinerary problem. Two vehicles for one morning costs less than a compromise that suits nobody, and we will price both so you can choose.

We are in Ho Chi Minh City and we meet travellers by appointment rather than running a shopfront. If you are in town and would rather talk face to face, say so and we will arrange a time and a place near your hotel.

Yes — the sales number is on WhatsApp and it is the fastest way to get a short answer. Long planning conversations still work better by email, where an itinerary can be read properly.

Within one working day for enquiries, usually the same day. If you have not heard from us in 24 hours, something has gone wrong with the email — send it again or message the WhatsApp number.

English and Vietnamese in writing and by phone. We have guides who work in French, and we will say plainly when a language is not one we can staff well rather than promising and disappointing.

For a look, yes. For the delta people talk about, no — that needs a night at Can Tho or Chau Doc and a start before six.

Phu Quoc if you want resorts, restaurants and easy flights. Con Dao if you want an empty island with three good places to eat and almost nothing to do.

Two nights for the city itself; three if you want a delta day or Cu Chi without cutting into it.

Yes — Chau Doc to Phnom Penh by river is a genuinely good day, and Moc Bai by road is the fast way. Both need the right visa for the gate, which we arrange.

Lan Ha for most people: same limestone, far fewer boats, and Cat Ba adds a decent island to the trip. Ha Long if you specifically want the classic view and the bigger ships.

Sapa town is overbuilt and the valleys around it are not. Stay in Ta Van or Lao Chai rather than the town and the trip is entirely different.

Yes — by car with a driver, which is what we book unless you ask otherwise. The loop is spectacular from a car seat, and the roads are not the place to learn to ride.

Six covers Hanoi, a bay and Ninh Binh comfortably. Nine adds Sapa or the far north. Twelve does the far north properly without rushing the rest.

Five as a leg of a bigger trip: three in Luang Prabang and two elsewhere. Ten to twelve for the country on its own, north and south.

The two-day boat from the Thai border to Luang Prabang is a genuine journey and a hard wooden seat. Worth it if you want the river; skip it if two days of sitting is not your idea of a holiday.

Yes, and it is a long day on a mountain road with a visa-on-arrival at the gate. We will price both the overland and the flight so you can decide whether the day is worth it.

More than Vietnam for hotels, about the same for food. The good small hotels there are genuinely good and fill early in the dry season.

As a look at delta landscape, yes. As the Mekong Delta, no — the working floating market and the small canals need you to sleep in Can Tho and start before dawn.

Cai Rang at Can Tho, before eight in the morning. Cai Be is now mostly a stop for day boats.

Yes, and pick one on a small canal rather than a main channel. Expect a simple room, a shared bathroom, very good home cooking and roosters from about four.

Yes — Chau Doc to Phnom Penh by river is one of the better border days in the region. The gate matters for your visa type, and we check it against your passport before booking.

It is worth a night if you are crossing to Cambodia, or as the second delta night after Can Tho. On its own, from Saigon and back, it is a long drive for a short town.

Five to seven hours depending on the boat, including border formalities on the water. Morning departures only.

There is a road and there are steps. Most people drive up and walk down through the pagodas, which takes about an hour and is the better way round in the heat.

The farms are working businesses and the visit is short and unstaged. It is one of the more genuinely interesting fifteen minutes in the delta.

A one-hour flight from Saigon on a small aircraft with a strict baggage allowance, or a three to five hour ferry from Vung Tau or Soc Trang, which is rough outside the calm months.

March to June, when visibility is at its best and the sea is calm. Book with one of the two operators before you arrive.

Older children, with context and a guide who can pitch it. It is unflinching about what happened there.

A dozen or so places in town, seafood-led, simple and good. Your hotel is often the best option for dinner, which tells you something about the pace here.

About four hours by road, or five in Friday evening traffic. There is also a train to Phan Thiet and a half-hour transfer at the other end.

Leave at five for sunrise on the white dunes. By eight the sand is hot, the light is flat and the quad bikes have arrived.

Honestly, variable. The wind season makes the water choppy and some stretches of beach have eroded badly. We pick the hotel by how much sand it actually has.

Yes, and it is one of the better places in Asia to learn, with several schools and steady wind from November to April. Allow three to four days for a beginner course.

Three. One goes to the old town, one to the beach or the countryside, one to a cooking class and My Son. Four if you are having clothes made.

October and November, most years, for one to three days at a time. The town keeps functioning; the old town streets may be under water.

If you allow two fittings and pick by fabric rather than price, yes. Rushed overnight suits are the ones people complain about afterwards.

An Bang is a proper beach with real waves and it has eroded in places. April to August is the good window; in winter it is grey and choppy.

Hoi An for almost everyone. Da Nang for a late arrival, an early flight or a specific resort with a gym and a pool.

Forty-five minutes by road. Taxis and ride-hailing cars do it for a modest fixed fare.

In clear weather, yes — it is one of the best coastal roads in the country. In low cloud you see nothing, and the tunnel is the sensible alternative.

Very, from April to August: clean, wide, lifeguarded. In winter it is grey and the sea is rough.

Three to four hours from Hoi An including the drive. Two hours at the site is unhurried.

The opening slot, around half past six. The first coaches arrive at eight and the heat follows them.

No, and it is not trying to be. It is older, much smaller, and interesting for the brick technique and the setting rather than the scale.

Yes — by taxi or motorbike from Hoi An, about an hour. A guide at the site is still worth hiring; without one the chronology is invisible.

On a second Vietnam trip or a long overland route, yes. On a first two-week trip, no — there are better uses of two nights.

Fly to Phu Cat from Hanoi or Saigon, or drive five hours from Hoi An or four from Nha Trang. The coastal train also stops at Dieu Tri, fifteen minutes from town.

The coves north of town are cleaner and emptier. Nha Trang has better infrastructure, diving and island boats.

In the hotels, yes. In the restaurants, sometimes — bring a translation app and expect to point at things, which is half the fun.

Two, if you can. One night is roughly twenty hours on board with a long bus at each end; the second day is the quiet one and the reason people love this place.

Lan Ha for most people: the same limestone, far fewer boats, small beaches and Cat Ba island alongside. Ha Long for the classic view and the bigger ships.

The authorities close the bay in storms and nothing sails. Policies vary by operator; we book boats with terms we are willing to explain in advance and hold a dry-land alternative.

It is cold and often misty. The limestone in fog is atmospheric, the sun is not guaranteed for days at a time, and you should know that before you book.

If you have two nights for a cruise, do the bay. If you have one, Ninh Binh gives you more for the time and costs less.

Trang An for the longer route and the caves. Tam Coc in the rice harvest fortnight, when the fields are gold.

One full day covers a boat route and Mua Cave. Two nights lets you cycle, add Van Long or Cuc Phuong and avoid the crowded hours.

Yes, and it is a long day that puts you at the boats in the busiest hours. A night here is much better and cheap.

Three nights on the loop plus travel at each end — five days door to door from Hanoi. Four nights on the loop is the comfortable version.

Yes, and it is what we book unless you are an experienced rider. The views from a car are identical and the risk is a fraction.

Yes for the border zone, arranged in Ha Giang city. Bring your passport; there are checkpoints on the loop.

As landscape, clearly. Sapa is easier to reach and easier to walk. Ha Giang is the one people talk about for years afterwards.

About four hours by road, or two and a half from Ninh Binh, which is the natural way to combine them.

Gentler than Sapa. Two to four hour valley walks with some climbing, on paths that are muddy after rain.

Late September into October. Flooded and planted terraces are late May and June.

Yes — short walks, a stream to swim in, and lodges with pools. The drive from Hanoi is the hardest part of it.

Two nights. One morning for Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek, one for the palace and museum, and time on the river in between.

We think so, and so do most people who go. It is hard, it is presented with care, and it explains a great deal of modern Cambodia. It is not suitable for young children.

Yes, if you can spare the day. You cross the border on the river and arrive at the city’s front door. Check that your visa works at that crossing first.

Yes, with ordinary city care. Snatch theft from motorbikes is the one common problem; keep bags and phones on the side away from the road.

Kampot for a town to walk around and a choice of restaurants, Kep for sea views and quiet. They are forty minutes apart, so you see both either way.

Yes on a clear day, for the old church, the ruined hotel and the view. In the wet season the top is often in cloud; we check the forecast before going up.

You can, but the beach is small and the water is not the clear turquoise of the islands. Swimming is not the reason to come.

Yes, the crossing near Ha Tien is close to Kep. We check that your visa is valid there before we book the route.

One night, occasionally two. It is a pleasant small capital, and Luang Prabang is where to spend the extra time.

Yes. About two hours on a modern train, versus most of a day by road. Book ahead in busy months and bring your passport to the station.

A visitor centre for a rehabilitation organisation that provides prosthetics and support to people injured by unexploded bombs. It is the clearest introduction to that part of Lao history and it is free to visit.

Yes, over the Friendship Bridge to Nong Khai, about half an hour from the centre. Check the visa rules for both sides before you go.

Yes. It is smaller and quieter, and its hillside setting is unlike anything at Angkor. Allow two hours in the early morning.

Two: one day for Wat Phou and Champasak, one for the Bolaven plateau. Add a night on the plateau if you want to walk more.

Yes, and it is quieter and closer to Wat Phou. The choice of places to stay is smaller than in Pakse.

By road to the riverbank and a short boat ride, about two and a half to three hours in all.

Ben Dinh is closer and takes almost all the coach traffic, so it is crowded by mid-morning. Ben Duoc is about twenty minutes further, much quieter, and has the memorial temple. The tunnels themselves are part of the same network.

No. The crawl is optional and has exits every few metres. Many people walk the site and watch from the entrance.

Yes from about eight upwards, and children usually find the crawl easier than adults do. The subject matter is war, so talk to them about it first.

Yes, anywhere central on the way back — Ben Thanh market and the War Remnants Museum are popular, and the museum pairs well with the morning.

No. The working one is at Cai Rang, near Can Tho, and it is finished by eight in the morning. No day trip from Saigon arrives in time.

The route. We skip the island stall circuit and the crowded sampan channel and spend the day on the Ben Tre side, with our own boat and a family lunch.

Yes. Tell us when booking and the orchard kitchen will cook tofu, mushrooms and vegetables in place of fish.

On flat ground at an easy pace, it is about two and a half hours of riding spread over the day. Heat is the challenge, not distance.

Yes. The van meets us at each stage, and you can ride in it for any section.

Not as standard. For a private departure, ask us and we will try to source them locally.

The boat is more interesting and avoids traffic, but depends on the weather and the timetable. We suggest the boat out and the road back.

The grounds are open daily; access inside the statue closes at lunchtime and in bad weather. Your guide checks on the day.

Yes, at Back Beach, which has lifeguards and facilities. Swim between the flags.

Not at the moment. It has been under restoration for several years; we view it from the square and explain the building.

The ground floor and courtyard are. The upper floors include graphic photographs, and we suggest younger children skip them.

On the shared day, yes, at any point; your guide will point you back to your hotel. On a private day, we plan it that way from the start.

Our riders are licensed, experienced and ride slowly. Helmets are provided. Check that your travel insurance covers you as a passenger.

Enough that you will not want dinner afterwards. The portions are small, but seven stops add up.

Yes, a private version by car is possible, but it is slower and the side streets are harder to reach.

No. The dishes are chosen to be achievable, and the cook is at your station throughout.

Yes. The recipes use ingredients you can find in most Asian grocery shops, and we note substitutions.

Yes, every dish. Tell us when booking.

No. You ride pillion with a licensed rider. Self-drive is not something we offer in the city.

On a private tour, yes. We run the shared version in the afternoon to catch the canals at dusk.

Yes. Many guests go straight from one to the other; the riders are the same team.

Yes, if you are there by six. It is smaller than it was a decade ago because much of the produce now moves by road, but it is still a working wholesale market and the canals around it are as good as ever.

Not with the market in it. A day trip reaches Cai Rang around ten, when the trading is finished. Our one-day delta trips go to Cai Be, Vinh Long and Ben Tre instead.

Yes. It is a small wooden boat for your party with a local boat driver and your guide aboard.

Yes. Can Tho has flights to Hanoi, Da Nang and Phu Quoc, and we can end the trip at the airport after the market.

No. Everything important can be seen above ground, and the crawl is a choice you make on the spot.

Both are part of the same network. Ben Duoc is further out and gets fewer coach groups, which makes a real difference in the morning.

Yes, and some people prefer it. You lose the river night but keep your hotel. Ask and we will price both.

There is a land border near Ha Tien towards Kep and Kampot. Whether your visa works at that gate depends on your passport and the current rules, which change; we check before booking.

There are small beaches nearby and at Hon Chong, but this is not a beach trip. For proper swimming, add Phu Quoc by ferry.

You can, but it is seven hours or more. The flight from Rach Gia turns the last day into a morning on the coast and a short hop home.

For most first visitors two is enough. Three is right if you like food, history or cities, and it gives you Cu Chi without a rushed day.

Yes. We can replace it with a morning in District 4 and the canal side, or a cooking class.

The riders are experienced and ride slowly, and helmets are provided. If you are unsure, we can do the same stops by car.

Nights in December and January can fall to around 10 degrees. Days are usually mild. Bring a jumper.

Yes. The mountain road down to Nha Trang takes about three and a half hours; see our six-day route that does exactly that.

No. It is about three hours on forest paths with some gentle climbs. We can make it longer or shorter.

The west coast for sunsets and the dry-season sea. The north for quiet. The south for resorts and entertainment.

Yes. A fourth night makes the trip a real rest; we simply add a free day on the beach.

Often not on the west and south coasts. We replace it with a land day rather than put you on a rough sea.

Yes, it takes six to seven hours. It saves the airfare but costs most of a day, so we recommend the flight.

Yes. One or two more nights turns the end of the trip into a proper beach stay.

It is a good paved road with many bends. Our drivers take it slowly and stop whenever you want.

No. The car follows the whole route and you can ride in it for any part of the day, or for all of it. The tombs are the same either way.

Tu Duc, Khai Dinh and Minh Mang, which show three very different ideas of what an emperor’s tomb should be. If you want to swap one, tell us — Gia Long, further upriver, is the quietest.

Yes, as an extra day and night. Look at our DMZ and Hue trip, which is built around it, or ask us to add the day to this one.

Yes. Vinh Moc and the bridge sit on the road north, and dropping Khe Sanh makes it a comfortable day between Hue and Phong Nha. Our week-long central trip is built that way.

Most of the route is walkable with a stoop; a few sections are lower. Taller travellers find it hard work. There are exits at several points.

Yes, and we can include specific places such as former firebases if you tell us in advance. Some sites need extra time or a different road.

Sturdy hybrid or city bikes with gears, in several frame sizes, with helmets. Tell us your height when you book so the right frame is waiting.

Yes. They can travel in the support van and join the stops, or spend the mornings in town and meet you for lunch.

Most of the route is on lanes with very little traffic. Where you meet a main road, it is for a few hundred metres, with the guide leading.

By air to Phu Cat from Saigon or Hanoi, which takes a little over an hour, or by train on the coastal line to Dieu Tri station, twenty minutes from the city.

Yes, in the dry months. The city beach is long and clean; the coves on the Nhon Ly peninsula are clearer and quieter.

Yes, either with a five-hour drive or by train. Our coastal train trip does exactly that, from Dong Hoi down to Quy Nhon.

Air-conditioned soft seats as standard, or a four-berth sleeper compartment used by day if you prefer, which gives a group of four a private space.

Yes. The overnight train from Hanoi reaches Dong Hoi early in the morning, and day 1 works well from it.

A trolley passes with simple rice dishes, snacks and drinks. On the long leg we suggest buying a picnic in Hoi An.

For the core of the city, yes, if both walks happen. A second night adds the museums, a day trip or simply a slower morning.

Easily. We usually replace it with a longer walk through the French Quarter or a morning at the Museum of Ethnology, which is excellent and a short drive out.

The stops are places our guides eat at themselves, busy enough that nothing sits around. Anyone with allergies should tell us in advance so the guide can order.

Yes, and it usually is. The six-day northern trip on this site puts these two days in front of Ninh Binh and a night on the water.

Pu Luong has more dramatic terraces and fewer visitors. Mai Chau is closer, flatter and easier with young children. They are close enough to combine.

We book a room partitioned off for you, not a shared mattress floor. It is still a family house and you will hear the household.

Yes. The lanes are flat and quiet, and the family can find child seats or smaller bikes if you ask ahead.

For quiet, kayaking and swimming, yes. Ha Long has the classic view, more big boats and a shorter drive.

No. The paddles are about an hour on flat water in a double kayak, with the guide alongside.

Yes — that is a common extension. For two nights on the water, see our three-day Lan Ha cruise.

Yes. Short walks, the stream, bicycles and lodges that welcome children. The four-hour drive is the hardest part.

Sapa for bigger scenery and longer treks, Pu Luong for an easier, quieter version closer to Hanoi. In July and August Pu Luong is less often lost in cloud.

Yes, and we recommend it. The road from Pu Luong to Ninh Binh is about two and a half hours.

Both see the same road. The easy rider is more exposed and more memorable; the car is warmer, drier and better for anyone nervous on a bike. Either way you stop wherever you like.

Only with a motorbike licence valid in Vietnam. Without one, your insurance is almost certainly void. Riding pillion with a professional is the option we recommend.

Yes, for the border area. Our Ha Giang partner arranges it in Ha Giang city; bring your passport for the checkpoints.

Three days usually means the Ma Pi Leng pass in the midday glare and a night in the car. Four gives each stretch its own day.

Yes. The drive is about half an hour longer, the boats are fewer and there is swimming from April to October. We often recommend it.

For Hanoi, Ninh Binh and the bay, yes. Adding Sapa or Ha Giang needs three or four more days.

Yes — many of our travellers fly up from Ho Chi Minh City after the south. The flight is about two hours.

It is enough, at a brisk pace, with one six-to-seven-hour day between them. Nine days is the comfortable version.

Only with a motorbike licence valid in Vietnam; otherwise your insurance is almost certainly void. We recommend riding pillion with a professional.

September to October for both halves: clear skies on the plateau and water in the Ban Gioc falls.

You can, and it saves a night, but the day trip reaches the nearer delta around My Tho. Cai Rang only works as a market if you are on the water before seven, which means sleeping in Can Tho.

One night is the minimum that works. If you can find an eleventh day, the second night is the single best addition to this route.

Yes, with the same flights reversed. Between December and early February that is the better direction.

Busy stalls with a fast turnover are usually safer than quiet restaurants. Our guides choose places they eat at themselves. Most people have one unsettled day at most.

Yes. The same stops work by car or on foot with a taxi between districts. It is a little slower and you lose some of the fun.

Almost never. The usual problem is the opposite, which is why the afternoons are deliberately empty.

Yes, with two cautions: road traffic and heat. Neither is a reason not to go. Both are reasons to keep days short, which this route does.

Families do it and it works, but we would drop the bay night and the Ben Tre day, and add nights in the beach hotel.

Yes. Six travellers usually fit in one larger vehicle, and the price per person falls as the table shows.

Yes. They travel in the van and meet the riders at lunch and at the hotel. Some ride the easy days only.

In Hoi An and Ninh Binh, usually yes, if we arrange it early. In the delta the supply is patchy, and we will tell you honestly when you book.

The lanes are quiet by Vietnamese standards. Wherever the route would join a main highway, the van takes over.

Only in the sense that the flights from Saigon are small and fill early. The flight takes about an hour. There is also a boat, but in most months it is not a pleasant crossing.

Nesting runs roughly from May to October on the outer islands. It needs a permit and a night on the island with the rangers, and places are limited. We apply when you book.

In April to June the north is better early, before it gets humid, and ending on the islands would put the sea next to your flight home. We finish in Saigon because its international flights are the easiest.

Not usefully; there is no airport on the loop. The drive from Hanoi is the only practical way in.

Yes. Without it, Hue to Phong Nha is about four hours by road, and you gain a morning in Hue.

As days 20 and 21 instead of the free day, with a longer trip overall. Most people are tired enough by then to prefer the free day.

Because the temples are best early and late, and the middle of the day is too hot to enjoy them. Three nights gives you three good mornings and two good afternoons, which is roughly what the main group needs.

Yes. The flight runs both ways and the price does not change. Starting in Siem Reap means your Vietnam visa needs to be valid for entry from Cambodia, which we check.

It is about four hours in the car in total, split around a morning on the water. Most people find it the easiest day of the week.

Sihanoukville has been largely rebuilt around casinos and is not somewhere we send people. The islands off it are a separate trip with its own boat logistics; we can add them if you have three more nights.

The original line has gone; a short tourist version runs near town. We include it only if you ask, because the countryside by tuk-tuk is the better afternoon.

Yes. Start in Siem Reap and the trip becomes ten days in Cambodia alone, with the price adjusted.

Yes, but it is a very long day on mountain roads from Hanoi, and a Lao visa on arrival at the land gate. For fifteen days we would not give up two days to it.

Yes, on a weekday morning or late afternoon. On Sunday afternoons it is busy with local families, which is pleasant in a different way.

Yes. The Laos–China railway takes about two hours to Vientiane, and flights home from there are often easier. It adds a night.

Because Luang Prabang is an hour from Hanoi, and going there from the south later would mean a longer and costlier connection. The price is the double Vietnamese entry, which we sort out with you.

Yes, and put it on Angkor or on a free day in Hoi An. We include it because the floating market is only worth seeing at dawn.

Yes. There are no long drives, the flights are short and the steepest thing is the climb at Angkor Wat, which is optional.

No. You have a private cabin on a small shared boat. A whole boat can be chartered for a family or a group, and we will quote it if you ask.

Yes. Most boats take children of any age; the kayaks are for those old enough to wear a life jacket and paddle, usually from about six.

Usually, but coverage in the outer islands is patchy. Plan to be offline for the evening.

On some boats, yes: two-night guests spend the middle day on a smaller day boat and return to the same cabin in the evening. We tell you which applies when we confirm the boat.

Children who like water do well; kayaks and swimming fill the middle day. Very young children may find two nights long.

Yes. We can collect you at Noi Bai and drive straight to the pier if your flight lands early enough.

Yes, most boats sail both ways on alternate departures. Our eight-day trip from Siem Reap runs downstream to Saigon.

Yes. It is an official international crossing used by passenger boats every week. The crew handles the process with the officials.

Yes. From Phnom Penh, Siem Reap is a short flight or about six hours by road; we can add two or three nights at the temples.

We have planned trips for babies of a few months. The practical line is walking age for boats and treks; below that, we build a slower trip with one base per region and flights instead of long drives.

The better boats have railings and life jackets in children’s sizes, and we ask for a cabin near the stairs. We do not book boats that cannot confirm child life jackets in writing.

Yes, from about five years old, and they pay a child rate. Under five we suggest the private version so the day can stop when it needs to.

One night gives you a sunset and a sunrise, which is the heart of it. Two nights gives you a full day in the quieter parts of the bay, and most people who do it say it was the better choice.

Boats run from Chau Doc up the Mekong to Phnom Penh in about five hours, stopping at the border posts where you complete formalities on land. Visa rules change, so we confirm what your passport needs when you book.

Our sampans carry life jackets, including small sizes, and our drivers do not run the channels at speed. Children need to sit when the boat is moving, and our crews are firm about it.

Yes, and that is how most honeymoon trips are built. The guide takes you through the morning and hands over to your own afternoon.

Parts of it are. From May to September the south has short afternoon downpours and Phu Quoc’s west coast is rough, but the central coast is at its best. We match the route to the month.

Easily. Luang Prabang adds three or four quiet nights; Siem Reap adds the temples, with early starts that you can make optional.

Phu Quoc, usually, followed by Mui Ne if you do not mind wind. The central coast is often wet and rough in December.

In summer, from about May to September, at a few designated beaches and from some boats. In winter the water is too cold for most people.

If you want quiet water, forest and history in one place, yes. If you want restaurants and nightlife, no.

Yes. Many do each year, and the reception is overwhelmingly friendly. The museums are one-sided; the people you meet rarely are.

Often, if you have unit records or place names. Bases have mostly gone, but guides in the DMZ and around Saigon know the old sites and how to reach them.

Two full days for the citadel and the tombs, plus a day for the DMZ if you want it.

We choose from a small list of Tier 3 hotels we have stayed in or inspected, and we name them in your proposal. They change as hotels change, which is why we do not publish a fixed list.

For a whole-country trip, usually not: guides are licensed and know their own region. We can keep one guide for the south and Cambodia, and a single planner in Saigon throughout.

For two people it is expensive; for a family or a group of friends it is often the best money on the trip.

No. Visas are never included in our prices, and the e-visa is an application only you can make in your own name. What we do is send the correct portal link, tell you which ports to enter from your final itinerary, and check your plan against your passport when you book.

Not in the way many travellers remember. The old approval-letter system has been replaced by the e-visa for most purposes. Arrive with either an approved e-visa or a passport that qualifies for a visa-free stay.

The one that gives you the simplest entry for the length of your trip, and then use that same passport for flights, the e-visa and hotel check-ins throughout. Switching passports mid-trip causes more trouble than it saves.

Then you need the e-visa rather than the exemption. Staying past the date on your stamp is an overstay, with a fine and a delay at departure. Tell us your dates and we will say which one fits.

Enough for food, coffee, small entrance fees and a taxi or two, plus a reserve. Your hotel and larger meals can go on a card. In the far north and the delta, carry more, because ATMs are fewer.

There is no need. The airport has ATMs and exchange counters, and rates inside Vietnam are usually better than buying dong abroad.

At markets and souvenir stalls, gently, yes. Not in shops with printed prices, restaurants or supermarkets. Keep it friendly; the difference is usually small.

Mostly, with the same rules: busy stalls, cooked hot, no lukewarm leftovers. Children are often happiest with rice dishes, grilled meat and banh mi, all of which are easy to find.

Rest, drink plenty of water with rehydration salts, and eat plain rice for a day. Pharmacies sell rehydration salts cheaply. If it lasts more than a couple of days or comes with a high fever, see a doctor.

Yes, in Saigon on foot and by motorbike, and food is built into many of our routes. Ask us and we will suggest the right one for your dates.

Yes. Sensible precautions are the same as in any city: care at night in busy nightlife streets, a trusted ride home, and a drink you have watched being poured.

Carry a photocopy or a photo of it day to day, and the original when you check in to hotels, travel domestically or cross a border. Keep it in a hotel safe otherwise.

A small tourist premium at a market stall is normal and not a scam. Being charged many times the price after the fact is, and agreeing a price first stops it.

Yes, in towns, on the beach and on most tours. Cover shoulders and knees at temples, pagodas and some palace sites, and when visiting homes in the countryside.

Either, as long as it is not huge. On a private tour with us the car takes a suitcase easily. On trains, boats and mountain roads a soft bag is easier to handle.

Very. Almost every hotel offers it, and small laundries in every town wash, dry and fold by weight, usually the same or next day.

Crime against visitors is rare. The real risks are traffic, heat and stomach upsets. Hold hands crossing streets, plan around the heat, and be careful with water and uncooked food.

Some are, some set minimum ages, and railings and steep internal stairs vary a great deal. We check each boat against your children’s ages before we book it.

Yes, with care. Homestays sit beside water with open edges and steps down to the boats, so a toddler needs an adult within arm’s reach all the time. Many families prefer a riverside hotel near Can Tho instead.

Children usually pay less on day tours and on multi-day routes depending on age and whether they share a bed. The quote shows it line by line.

The first day of the lunar new year is 6 February 2027. The official holiday runs for about a week around it; the exact days are announced by the government in advance.

Not if you stay in one or two places. It is a bad idea to move around a lot in the week before the first day, when transport is sold out and prices peak.

Yes. Hotels, larger restaurants and convenience stores stay open. It is the small family places that close, some of them for a week.

Avoid booking late for 30 April to 1 May and the 2 September weekend, when the beaches and flights fill with domestic travellers.

Three nights is comfortable: order on arrival, fit the next day, collect after a second fitting. Two nights is possible for simple pieces but leaves no room for corrections.

Yes, and it is usually the best way to get a good result. Bring the garment and, if you can, a photograph of how you want it to look.

Most tailors will arrange shipping. It is convenient and adds time and cost; collecting in person lets you check the final fit.

Look at it, by all means, and compare it with two others before ordering. If anyone insists on one particular shop, ask why, and walk on if the answer is vague.

The Cambodian e-visa is accepted at some land gates and not others, and the list has changed over the years. We check the current position for your gate before booking.

Historically it has been valid at only a limited list of ports, and a visa on arrival has been the usual route at these gates. Check with us before applying; the list changes.

If your Vietnamese visa was single entry, yes. If it was multiple entry and still valid, no. We check this when you book a route that leaves and returns.

If you have the day, yes. It is slower than the road and far more interesting.