Tours out of Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam
The length of Vietnam
Late starts, a boat of your own, an island
A honeymoon in Vietnam goes wrong in one familiar way: too many early alarms and too many places. This route has neither. It moves four times in fourteen days, rarely asks you to be anywhere before nine, and ends with five nights where the only plan is the sunset.
Overview
What we changed for two people
Three things. First, the hotels: small places with character in Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Hoi An, and a beach hotel on a quiet part of Phu Quoc. Tier 2 or Tier 3 suits this trip, and the table below shows the difference. Second, the bay night is on a small boat chartered for the two of you, so dinner, the route and the time you get up are yours to decide. Third, the guided days are short, and there are more free days here than on any other route in this group.
It runs north to south so that the island comes last. Nothing drains a honeymoon like a big-city finish and a long-haul flight the next morning; here the last thing you do is swim.
- Length
- 14 days, 13 nights
- Moves
- Four
- Bay night
- A small boat for you alone
- Island
- Five nights on Phu Quoc
- Earliest start
- 08:30, once
- Pace
- Unhurried
Nights
Where you sleep
Day by day
Day by day
Day 1
Arrive in Hanoi
The first evening
Pick-up at Noi Bai. Dinner, if you want it, somewhere quiet on West Lake.
Day 2
Hanoi, late start
Coffee above the traffic
Meet your guide at 10:00 for the Old Quarter, lunch and the Temple of Literature. Egg coffee on a balcony. Evening free.
Day 3
To Ninh Binh
The caves on the water
Two hours south. A rowing boat through the caves at Trang An in the afternoon, when the morning groups have gone.
Day 4
Bicycles, then the boat
Dinner with nobody else on board
An early ride on the valley lanes if you want it, then two and a half to three hours to the harbour and aboard your own boat. Kayaks, a lagoon, and dinner on deck.
Day 5
Off the boat, fly to Da Nang
The lagoon at 07:00
Get up when you like. Back at the harbour by late morning, to Noi Bai, and a flight of about 1 hour 15 minutes. In Hoi An by evening.
Day 6
Hoi An with a guide
The river at dusk
The old town from 08:30, and a boat on the Thu Bon at dusk when the lanterns go on.
Day 7
Free
No plan
The tailors, bicycles in the rice fields, or An Bang beach. The driver is on call.
Day 8
A cooking morning, or My Son
Whichever you chose
A private cooking lesson at a farm on the edge of town, or the Cham towers at My Son for those who want one early start.
Day 9
Fly to Phu Quoc
The first sunset on the west coast
Direct from Da Nang when the schedule runs, otherwise via Saigon. On the beach by late afternoon.
Day 10
The island’s north coast
Crab at Ham Ninh
A half day to the forested north and its empty beaches, and the fishing village at Ham Ninh for a late seafood lunch.
Day 11
Free
The sea
Nothing is booked.
Day 12
Free, or out to the southern islands
Clear water off the islands
A day boat to snorkel off the small islands to the south if the sea is calm, or another day of nothing.
Day 13
Free
The last sunset
A last full day. We book a table on the sand for the evening if you ask.
Day 14
Departure
A late check-out, where we can get one
Transfer to Phu Quoc airport, then Saigon (about 1 hour) for your international flight, or a direct flight home where one exists.
Price
Price
| Travellers | Tier 1 — simple | Tier 2 — comfortable | Tier 3 — the good ones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 travelling | from 2195 | from 2745 | from 4170 |
| 4 travelling | from 1800 | from 2250 | from 3420 |
| 6 travelling | from 1625 | from 2030 | from 3085 |
Most couples choose Tier 2 or Tier 3 for this trip, and the gap between them is mainly Hoi An and Phu Quoc. The private boat costs more than a shared cabin; if you would rather save, a small shared boat with private cabins is the alternative. Phu Quoc prices rise sharply over Christmas and Tet.
Included
What is included
What the price includes
- Private car and driver throughout
- Partner guides in Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Hoi An on the guided days only
- Thirteen nights in your chosen tier, including a small private boat on Lan Ha Bay
- Hanoi–Da Nang and Da Nang–Phu Quoc flights in economy
- Meals as listed, the dusk river boat, kayaks, and entrance fees
What it does not include
- International flights and visas
- Travel insurance
- Drinks, tips, spa treatments and the table on the sand
- The southern island boat day, which we book locally on a calm day
Timing
The right months for this route
● ideal · ◐ workable · ○ poor.
February to April is the clear window: Hanoi is warming, Hoi An is dry and not too hot, and Phu Quoc has calm, clear water on the west coast. December and January are good for the island and fine in Hanoi, but Hoi An can be grey and wet, so we would move a night from Hoi An to Phu Quoc.
We would not book this route from July to November. The west coast of Phu Quoc gets the south-west monsoon from about June to September, and the sea there turns rough and murky. After that comes the central storm season in Hoi An. If your wedding is in the summer, we would change the island for Con Dao in May or June, or build a different route.
Not for everyone
Who this does not suit
Couples who want to see a great deal: there is no Saigon, no delta and no Hue, and five island nights is a lot if you get restless. Couples who want nightlife will find the Phu Quoc coast we choose quiet after ten. And if you want a big international resort with every facility, tell us. We can book one, but the route is built around smaller places, and the character of the trip changes.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Can we start in Saigon and finish in the north instead?
You can, but you would end in Hanoi or on the bay rather than on a beach. We think the island finish is the whole point.
Do hotels do anything for honeymooners?
Most will add something small if we tell them. We do not promise upgrades, because we cannot guarantee them.
Is the private boat safe and comfortable?
It is a small licensed overnight boat with one or two cabins, crew and a cook, and it follows the same routes and weather rules as the larger boats.
Related
Read next
Northern Vietnam
Hanoi
The capital: Old Quarter, food, and the northern base.
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Northern Vietnam
Lan Ha Bay
Same karst, fewer boats, and Cat Ba alongside.
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Central Vietnam
Hoi An
Old town, beach, tailors and the honest timing.
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Southern Vietnam
Phu Quoc
Beaches, timing and where on the island to stay.
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Example journey
Highlights and beaches
Hanoi, the bay, Hoi An with beach days, Con Dao and Saigon.
View this journey
Tours
Tours
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