Tours out of Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam
The length of Vietnam
Two weeks with children, no long drives
Children decide how a family trip goes, and they decide mostly in the back of the car. So this route starts from one rule: no drive longer than three hours, and most under one. Everything else follows from that.
Overview
Built around the back seat
There is no delta homestay, no night train and no 05:30 start. Each day has one proper outing, usually in the morning, and an afternoon near water, because Vietnam at 14:00 is hot and children run out of patience before adults admit to it. The middle of the trip is five nights in one hotel near the beach outside Hoi An, where nobody has to pack.
The route suits children from about five to fourteen best: old enough to walk a morning and remember it, young enough to find a basket boat funny. Under-fives are fine with a slower version; tell us about naps and we will move the outings. Teenagers who want more than this should look at the cycling route, which is built on a similar calendar.
- Length
- 14 days, 13 nights
- Longest drive
- About 2.5 hours, to the bay
- Beach
- Five nights near Hoi An
- Flights
- Saigon–Da Nang, Da Nang–Hanoi
- Suits ages
- Roughly 5 to 14
- Pace
- One outing a day, pool after
Nights
Where you sleep
Day by day
Day by day
Day 1
Arrive in Saigon
The pool
Pick-up with the child seats you asked for. Nothing planned: a swim and an early dinner.
Day 2
A city morning
The palace bunker
The post office, the market and the Independence Palace, where the basement bunker and the old radio rooms go down better with children than anything else in the city. Back by 12:30.
Day 3
A delta day on bicycles
Cycling the lanes
Two hours to Ben Tre, then flat coconut lanes by bicycle (child seats and small bikes available), a boat across the wide river and lunch in a garden. Back at the hotel by 16:00.
Day 4
Fly to Da Nang
First swim in the sea
A late-morning flight of about 1 hour 20 minutes, and forty-five minutes to the hotel. Beach in the afternoon.
Day 5
Lanterns and the old town
Their own lantern
The old town at 07:30 before it fills, then a lantern-making workshop where every child leaves with one that folds flat for the flight home.
Day 6
A beach day
Nothing at all
Nothing planned. Your guide is off; the driver is on call if you want to go anywhere.
Day 7
Basket boats and a cooking lesson
Spinning the basket boat
The round bamboo boats in the coconut palms at Cam Thanh, which children enjoy, then a short family cooking class. Beach afternoon.
Day 8
Bicycles or another beach day
Watering the herb beds with the farmers
A flat morning ride to the vegetable village at Tra Que, or a second lazy day. You decide on the day.
Day 9
Fly to Hanoi
Water puppets
A flight of about 1 hour 15 minutes. Late afternoon at Hoan Kiem lake and a water puppet show, which is forty-odd minutes and just right for children.
Day 10
The Museum of Ethnology
The longhouse in the garden
The best museum in the country for children: full-size stilt houses and tomb houses in the garden to climb into. The Old Quarter by cyclo in the afternoon.
Day 11
To the bay
Swimming off the boat, weather allowing
Two and a half hours on the expressway, the longest drive of the trip, with a stop halfway. Aboard by midday, then kayaks and a cave.
Day 12
Back to Hanoi
The bay at breakfast
Morning on deck, brunch, and Hanoi by mid-afternoon.
Day 13
Bat Trang pottery village
A wonky bowl to take home
Forty-five minutes out to the ceramic village where children throw their own pot on a wheel. Back by lunch and a free afternoon.
Day 14
Departure
Going home with a lantern and a pot
Transfer to Noi Bai. We keep a room for families on late flights where the hotel allows.
Price
Price
| Travellers | Tier 1 — simple | Tier 2 — comfortable | Tier 3 — the good ones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 travelling | from 1795 | from 2245 | from 3410 |
| 4 travelling | from 1470 | from 1840 | from 2795 |
| 6 travelling | from 1330 | from 1660 | from 2525 |
Children under 12 sharing their parents’ room usually cost much less than the adult rate, depending on the hotel; your quote itemises it. Connecting or family rooms push some hotels up a tier. Summer and Easter holiday weeks are high season for family rooms in Hoi An and need booking early.
Included
What is included
What the price includes
- Private car and driver with the child seats you ask for, and all transfers
- Guides chosen for patience with children: ours in Saigon, partners in Hoi An and Hanoi
- Thirteen nights with family or connecting rooms, one of them on the bay
- Both internal flights in economy
- Lantern workshop, cooking class, pottery, water puppets, bicycles and boats as listed
What it does not include
- International flights and visas
- Travel insurance, which for families should include medical evacuation
- Drinks, tips and meals not listed
- Babysitting and hotel kids’ club fees
Timing
School holidays and the weather
● ideal · ◐ workable · ○ poor.
Easter and the spring holidays are the best fit: the south is hot but dry, the Hoi An sea is calm from April, and Hanoi is warm. July and August, the long summer holiday, works better than people expect, with the Hoi An beach at its best and Saigon rainy only in the afternoons. The weak point is the bay, which can close at short notice for storms; we keep Hanoi nights either side so a cancelled night is easy to replace.
At Christmas the plan changes: Hoi An is cool and often wet and the sea is rough, so we swap the beach week for Phu Quoc or Nha Trang.
Practical
Practical things parents ask
- Car seats: we supply them on request for the vehicles we run and our partners do the same; tell us ages and weights.
- Food: rice, noodles, grilled chicken and fruit are everywhere. Fussy eaters survive very well.
- Health: bring rehydration salts and a sun hat, and talk to your travel clinic about vaccinations well ahead. Hanoi and Saigon both have international clinics.
- Traffic: hold hands crossing the road in the cities, every time.
Not for everyone
Who this does not suit
Families who want a resort holiday with a kids’ club and a few outings should book five nights in one place instead. Phu Quoc does that better. It also does not suit families with teenagers who want adventure, who will find it tame, or anyone hoping to see the delta properly. The Ben Tre day is a gentle version, chosen because it is two hours from the hotel, not because it is the best of the delta.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Is Vietnam safe for young children?
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.
What about babies under two?
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.
Can grandparents come too?
Yes. Six travellers usually fit in one larger vehicle, and the price per person falls as the table shows.
Related
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Example journey
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Day trips, regional routes and full-length itineraries.
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Start planning
Tell us about the trip you have in mind
Dates, party size and the places you care about are enough to start. You get a draft route and an indicative price, not a brochure.
Or talk to us:+84 766 045 399