Vietnam Express Southbound





Discover the karst-studded bays, bustling cities and bicycle-powered food carts of Vietnam
Uncover all the good bits of Vietnam on this ten-day adventure through backstreets, villages, cities and waterways, all with a local leader by your side. Trace the east coast and visit UNESCO World Heritage-listed landscapes while you fuel yourself with banh mi and condensed milk coffee. Try some authentic street food, wave to fishermen on the Mekong Delta and get the inside scoop on the best tailors of Hoi An. Take a motorbike through the ancient streets of Hue and spend a night on Halong Bay. This is an adventure full of life, colour and flavour that introduces you to the highlights of a fascinating nation with a small group of likeminded travellers.
5.0
2153 reviewsStart: Hanoi, Vietnam
End: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Duration
- 10 days
- Group size
- 1 to 16
- Minimum age
- 15 years old
- Style
Basix: Simple accommodation, local transport and lots of free time
Original: Tourist-class hotels, some meals included and a great mix of included activities and free time
Comfort: Comfortable accommodation, with a relaxed pace of travel and many included meals and activities
Premium: Our best accommodation, exclusive inclusions and our most experienced leaders
- Original
- Theme
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- Explorer
- Physical rating
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Why you'll love this trip
- Fall in love with Vietnam one bite at a time – slurp a bowl of pho on a busy street corner, crunch into a breakfast Bahn mi and sit down to a vegetarian feast in a Buddhist nunnery.
- Sail through Ha Long Bay's Heritage-listed limestone karsts and island caves, visit a centre that turns the bay's discarded trash into treasures and spend the night checking out the stars on an overnight cruise.
- Travel like a local on a motorbike tour, riding pillion and taking in the historical pagodas, bridges and villages of Hue.
- Embrace a slower pace during a private boat tour of the Mekong Delta and meet local craftspeople in the villages that line the river's myriad waterways.
- Wander through the remarkably well-preserved streets of Hoi An's Old Town on a guided tour, where elegant wooden buildings line the canals.
View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2026 - 31 December 2026
Itinerary
Xin chao! Welcome to Hanoi. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm at your hotel, followed by a group dinner at KOTO restaurant – this organisation is dedicated to developing the hospitality careers of disadvantaged youth. If you arrive early, there’s plenty to see and do in this gorgeous city. You could book the Hanoi Street Food Experience with Urban Adventures and sample some delicious Vietnamese cuisine like a true local, or chill by Hoan Kiem Lake. Maybe wander the Old Quarter to admire the city’s French architecture and shopping streets, then grab a cold beer and a Bahn mi on a bustling street corner.
- Hotel (1 night)
- Dinner
- Hanoi - KOTO dinner
- Hanoi - Women's Museum - VND30000
- Hanoi - Museum of Ethnology - VND40000
- Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh Complex - VND80000
- Hanoi - Hanoi Street Food Experience Urban Adventure - USD39
- Hanoi - Ninh Binh Mini Adventure (TVAN) - USD355
- Hiking in Sapa (TVAG) - USD432
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.
To book an Urban Adventure before you meet your trip leader, go to https://www.urbanadventures.com/en/hanoi
If you’re thinking of arriving a few days early to explore Northern Vietnam, check out our Ninh Binh Mini Adventure (TVAN) for an off-the-beaten-path discovery of Pu Long and Ninh Binh. Or you can try our Hiking In Sapa (TVAG) for dramatic mountain landscapes, crisp fresh air and colourful hilltribes.
Travel by private minibus to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ha Long Bay, which is dotted with sandy coves, grottoes and 1600 limestone islands, formed over millennia by wind and water erosion. Board a private boat and cruise the bay, exploring Surprise Cave and Ti Top Island Beach. If you like, you can also take on an optional kayaking tour of the bay and see the gorgeous natural scenery from a different perspective. Spend your evening aboard the boat beneath the night sky, watching as the stars come out and maybe grab a drink at the restaurant bar, getting to know your fellow travellers a little better.
- Overnight boat (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Halong Bay - Overnight Boat Cruise
- Halong Bay - Cave entry
- Halong Bay - Kayaking Tour - VND250000
Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.
Your wooden junk-style boat has twin-share cabins with air-conditioning and private facilities. There's also a dining room and bar to enjoy lunch, dinner and breakfast.
Access to Surprise Cave is via staircases. Once inside the cave, the pathways are a little uneven and slippery.
Kayaking and swimming is restricted to designated zones within the bay.
There are restrictions on the number of boats that are permitted to stay in the bay overnight, sometimes resulting in a shortage. To ensure all Intrepid travellers can enjoy the experience of a night on the water, occasionally you will stay on a larger boat (with approximately 12 cabins) and share your boat with another group. Or your group may be split across different vessels, in which case an Intrepid group leader will be present on each boat. The route taken and inclusions on board will remain the same.
Wake up on the waters of Ha Long Bay and maybe watch the sunrise as the eagles soar overhead. Then, you’ll visit The Green Life Centre, which is committed to turning the bay’s trash into treasure by collecting discarded items and skilfully turning them into handicrafts. Meet the team behind this important cause and learn how to transform rubbish into a reusable bag, a scrunchie or a makeup case. After return to Hanoi by bus. Arrive late this afternoon and enjoy a free afternoon until tonight’s train voyage. Be sure to grab a bowl of pho while you’re in town and slurp down this local specialty made from broth, noodles and meat. Maybe chill by Hoan Kiem Lake until you board an overnight train to Hue this evening.
- Overnight sleeper train (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Halong Bay - The Green Life Visit
Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours, then approximately 12 hours on your overnight train.
Shared day use hotel rooms are arranged in Hanoi if you would like to freshen up before the overnight train (one room for every six group members).
Sleeper trains typically have four or six berth compartments with bench seats that convert into sleeping bunks. A sheet, pillow and blanket are provided, although some travellers prefer to bring their own sleeping sheet. Depending on the configuration of the group, you may need to share with people of different genders or passengers who aren’t part of the group. Your leader will coordinate this and give further information about the train.
Arrive in Hue this morning and transfer to your hotel. Once the imperial capital of Vietnam, Hue holds the treasures of the country’s royal past. Enjoy free time in the morning to rest or explore – you could check out the bustling Dong Ba Market to sample some of the specialties that once graced the Nguyen emperors' tables. Reunite with the group to visit the war-damaged ruins of the Imperial Citadel – a sprawling city-within-a-city which contains the remains of temples, state houses and the emperor’s palace.
- Hotel (1 night)
There are no meals included on this day.
- Hue - Imperial City entrance and guided visit
See Hue like a local today – from the back of a motorbike! Straddle the saddle and whiz around town with a local guide, taking in historic and contemporary sights along the way. Stop at Thanh Toan to see the 18th-century covered bridge and villagers shopping at their local market. Visit the 17th-century active Buddhist monastery of Thien Mu Pagoda and see the car that belonged to Thich Quang Duc – the monk who self-immolated in 1963 in protest against the treatment of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese regime. For lunch, sit down to a vegetarian feast in a nunnery. Finish at the lakeside royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc before heading back to town.
- Hotel (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Hue - Royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc
- Hue - Highlights & back streets tour by motorbike
- Hue - Thien Mu Pagoda
- Hue - Vegetarian Lunch at Pagoda
The motorbike tour has been assessed for safety and is closely monitored. To participate please ensure your travel insurance covers riding pillion on a motorbike up to 125cc. If you prefer not to participate, please let your leader know and they will arrange car transportation (cost included).
This morning, take the bus through coastal rice paddies and the spectacular Hai Van Pass. After a photo stop on the way, arrive in Hoi An – recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, Hoi An was a major international trading port during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Today, parts of the beautifully preserved town retain the feel of centuries past. This is also a very popular town for shopping, famous for its many tailors. When you arrive, your leader will take you on a sightseeing walk through the Old Town to visit a handful of the city's major attractions. You’ll also be given a sightseeing pass so you can further explore select attractions at your leisure.
- Hotel (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Hoi An - Old Town walking tour
- Hoi An - Food Adventure Urban Adventure - USD39
Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours.
Today is a free day to explore Hoi An. Maybe browse the cobbled streets and art galleries or hire a bike and cycle through rice paddies out to Cua Dai Beach. Maybe browse for paintings, ceramics and colourful cloth lanterns in the town’s markets and preserved Chinese shophouses. If you’re craving a new look, you could visit to one of the hundreds of tailors and get an outfit custom made. Hoi An is also known for its delicious regional food, so you could have dinner a riverside restaurant or partake in a cooking class.
- Hotel (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Hoi An - Private Hoi An: My Son Discovery - USD73
Today, you’ll take a short, early morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City has a fascinating history and is arguably Vietnam’s capital of commerce and culture. After landing, take a sightseeing tour around the city by bus. Pass the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Opera House, then stop in at the War Remnants Museum to discover some of the sobering stories of the 20-year-long Vietnam/American War.
- Hotel (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Ho Chi Minh City - War Remnants Museum
- Ho Chi Minh City - City tour
- Ho Chi Minh City - Reunification Palace - VND40000
- Ho Chi Minh City - A O show - VND1050000
- Ho Chi Minh City - Saigon Street Food by Night Urban Adventure - USD29
Your travel time today will be approximately 1.5 hours.
This morning, head out on a daytrip to explore the Mekong Delta. Board a private boat to Ben Tre to visit the coconut gardens and stop at a local home to sample tropical fruits and coconut jams. After, paddle in sampans (small rowing boats) past coconut trees along the Mekong Delta. Take a tuk-tuk tour around the villages and learn about rural life and the industry created around coconut products like brooms and coconut fibre mats. Eat lunch at a restaurant in the heart of the Delta, sampling regional specialties like elephant ear fish. After, return to Ho Chi Minh City and maybe grab dinner with your fellow travellers to toast to a great adventure!
- Hotel (1 night)
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Mekong Delta - Mekong Delta Day Trip & Village Tuk-Tuk Tour
- Mekong Delta - Lunch
There are no activities included today and you’re free to depart your accommodation at any time, as long as you comply with check out time. If you would like to spend some more time in Ho Chi Minh City, just speak to your booking agent.
- Breakfast
- Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi Tunnel Experience Urban Adventure - USD39
Inclusions and activities
8 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
Boat, Motorbike, Overnight sleeper train, Plane, Private Minibus, Taxi, Sampan, Tuk-tuk
Hotel (7 nights), Overnight boat (1 night), Overnight sleeper train (1 night)
- Hanoi - KOTO dinner
- Halong Bay - Overnight Boat Cruise
- Halong Bay - Cave entry
- Halong Bay - The Green Life Visit
- Hue - Imperial City entrance and guided visit
- Hue - Royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc
- Hue - Highlights & back streets tour by motorbike
- Hue - Thien Mu Pagoda
- Hue - Vegetarian Lunch at Pagoda
- Hoi An - Old Town walking tour
- Ho Chi Minh City - War Remnants Museum
- Ho Chi Minh City - City tour
- Mekong Delta - Mekong Delta Day Trip & Village Tuk-Tuk Tour
- Mekong Delta - Lunch
- Hanoi - Women's Museum - VND30000
- Hanoi - Museum of Ethnology - VND40000
- Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh Complex - VND80000
- Hanoi - Hanoi Street Food Experience Urban Adventure - USD39
- Hanoi - Ninh Binh Mini Adventure (TVAN) - USD355
- Hiking in Sapa (TVAG) - USD432
- Halong Bay - Kayaking Tour - VND250000
- Hoi An - Food Adventure Urban Adventure - USD39
- Hoi An - Private Hoi An: My Son Discovery - USD73
- Ho Chi Minh City - Reunification Palace - VND40000
- Ho Chi Minh City - A O show - VND1050000
- Ho Chi Minh City - Saigon Street Food by Night Urban Adventure - USD29
- Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi Tunnel Experience Urban Adventure - USD39
This trip generates 79 kg of CO2-e per person per day
Learn more about our climate commitment.
When you travel with us, The Intrepid Foundation gives you more opportunities to support important causes in destinations you visit.
Before you book you should know
- To see as much as possible, this trip involves some long journeys, including by overnight train where the amenities are shared and basic. For more about what this experience is like, see our blog post here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/what-to-expect-on-an-overnight-train-in-vietnam/
- The motorbike tour of Hue has been assessed for safety and is closely monitored (helmets are provided). However, alternative transport can be arranged for those who would prefer not to travel by motorbike.
- Depending on where you come from, the weather in Vietnam might be hotter and more humid than what you are used to. Please consider your suitability for the season you wish to travel in. Check out https://www.intrepidtravel.com/vietnam/weather-in-vietnam for more info.
- Itinerary also runs in reverse, from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. Enter trip code TVSQ on our website for details.
- This trip is a great way to see a lot of Vietnam in a relatively short period of time. If you would like a longer tour in Vietnam, maybe check out Best of Vietnam (TVST). You may also want to check out our South East Asia Loop (TTSVC), or our Best of Vietnam & Cambodia (TVSKC) if you have longer time to explore in the region.
HOTELS:
Most of the accommodation on this trip is in hotels (mostly 2 to 3-star). Facilities are often basic, with some properties not having a continuous supply of hot water on occasion. All rooms are either fan cooled or with air conditioning and twin share with private facilities unless stated otherwise in the daily itinerary. Double beds are not widely available in South East Asia.
WINDOWLESS ROOMS:
Some hotels in South East Asia have windowless rooms, or windows that don't necessarily have a view. This is often due to high population density in large cities, however local building standards also do not require rooms to have windows. We do request rooms with windows, however they aren't always available.
DAY ROOMS & EARLY CHECK IN:
Please note in some destinations we will provide use of day rooms. These rooms are provided for shared group use before or after overnight train journeys. We have some days where we arrive at our destination before check in time and a day room is not included. If you have booked a Single Supplement for your trip, it will not apply to these day rooms. Your leader may be able to assist you in booking a room for your sole use (depending on availability) until our regular trip rooms become available for an additional charge. Please talk to your leader at the Welcome Meeting if this is a service you would like to request.
Minasi Hotel and Spa
61 Ngo Hue, Hai Ba Trung
Hanoi
VIETNAM
Phone: +84 24 3624 4488
Alternate joining points
Alternate joining point 1
For trips departing on the following dates, use this joining point.
22 Dec 2025 (TVSF2512222), 28 Dec 2025 (TVSF2512282)
Adonis Hotel Hanoi
55 Quang Trung Street, Nguyen Du Ward, Hai Ba Trung District,
Hanoi
VIETNAM
Alternate joining point 2
For trips departing on the following dates, use this joining point.
07 Oct 2025 (TVSF251007), 09 Oct 2025 (TVSF251009), 10 Oct 2025 (TVSF251010), 15 Oct 2025 (TVSF251015), 22 Oct 2025 (TVSF251022), 26 Oct 2025 (TVSF251026), 27 Oct 2025 (TVSF251027), 10 Nov 2025 (TVSF251110), 13 Nov 2025 (TVSF2511132), 15 Nov 2025 (TVSF251115), 17 Nov 2025 (TVSF251117), 17 Nov 2025 (TVSF2511172), 19 Nov 2025 (TVSF251119), 21 Nov 2025 (TVSF251121), 22 Nov 2025 (TVSF251122), 26 Nov 2025 (TVSF251126), 29 Nov 2025 (TVSF251129), 19 Dec 2025 (TVSF251219), 31 Dec 2025 (TVSF251231)
Hoa Binh Hotel
27Ly Thuong Kiet St, Hoan Kiem District
Hanoi
VIETNAM
Phone: 024 3825 3315
Instructions
Please make sure that you provide your flight details no later than 14 days before departure to book your arrival transfer with us.
For your confirmed arrival transfer, you’ll be met outside Hanoi Airport by a transfer representative holding an Intrepid sign. In case of flight cancellations, changes, if you experience severe delays at immigration, baggage collection or customs, or if you are not able to find the driver, please contact our local office on the number in the ‘Problems and emergency contact information’ section.
Alternate joining point 3
For trips departing on the following dates, use this joining point.
07 Nov 2025 (TVSF2511072), 14 Nov 2025 (TVSF251114), 13 Dec 2025 (TVSF2512132)
La Sante Hotel & Spa
42 Chau Long Street
Ba Dinh
Hanoi
VIETNAM
Phone: +84 24 38269898
Alternate joining point 4
For trips departing on the following dates, use this joining point.
23 Nov 2025 (TVSF251123)
Thang Long Espana Hotel
63 Nguyen Truong To Str., Ba Dinh Dist.
Hanoi
VIETNAM
Phone: +84 2437163233
Fax: +84 2437163232
Alternate joining point 5
For trips departing on the following dates, use this joining point.
13 Oct 2025 (TVSF251013), 21 Oct 2025 (TVSF251021), 23 Oct 2025 (TVSF251023), 05 Nov 2025 (TVSF251105), 06 Nov 2025 (TVSF2511062), 07 Nov 2025 (TVSF251107), 07 Dec 2025 (TVSF251207)
Hanoi Emotion Hotel
26- 28 Hang Bot St, Dong Da Dist
Hanoi
VIETNAM
Phone: 84 903363090
Description
Located next to the Temple of Literature, the Hanoi Emotion Hotel is situated 800 m from the One Pillar Pagoda, 850 m to the Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and 8 minutes drive to Hoan Kiem Lake.
There is free Wi-Fi througout the hotel. Superior rooms feature minibar, hair dryers and a private bathroom.
Instructions
Intrepid can assist with pre-booking an arrival transfer from the airport - enquire with your agent. Please advise your flight arrival details at least 14 days prior to your departure.
If you have pre-booked an airport transfer you will be met on as you exit the Customs Hall by a transfer representative holding an Intrepid sign with your name on it.
If you cannot find your transfer representative, or if your flight is delayed, please call our hotline at +84 903 117 770. Additionally please proceed to the Information Counter, your driver will wait here if you do not meet upon arrival.
Please note that neither the driver nor any representative should ask you for additional payment.
Metered taxi ranks are available outside the airport entrance. Go out of the customs hall and walk through the airport exit gates A4 and A5 on level 1, you will find Noi Bai Airport taxis (+84 4 3886 8888) readily available outside. Noi Bai Airport taxi drivers wear yellow uniform shirt. Taxi fare to your hotel in town will cost approx. US$18 (VND350000) in total. Please note these taxis are not on meter - but generally charge per trip. Please AVOID taxi touts who tell you that they have a metered taxi parked outside the airport.
Normal check in time at the hotel is after 14:00.
Alternate joining point 6
For trips departing on the following dates, use this joining point.
16 Oct 2025 (TVSF251016), 29 Oct 2025 (TVSF251029), 04 Nov 2025 (TVSF251104), 06 Nov 2025 (TVSF251106), 08 Nov 2025 (TVSF251108), 13 Nov 2025 (TVSF251113), 20 Nov 2025 (TVSF251120), 24 Nov 2025 (TVSF251124), 27 Nov 2025 (TVSF251127)
Mvillage Hotel Tho Nhuom
54 Phố Thợ Nhuộm, Hoan Kiem
Hanoi
100000
VIETNAM
Alternate joining point 7
For trips departing on the following dates, use this joining point.
18 Oct 2025 (TVSF251018), 25 Oct 2025 (TVSF251025), 30 Oct 2025 (TVSF2510302), 01 Nov 2025 (TVSF251101), 03 Nov 2025 (TVSF2511032), 08 Dec 2025 (TVSF251208), 11 Dec 2025 (TVSF251211), 15 Dec 2025 (TVSF251215), 18 Dec 2025 (TVSF251218), 20 Dec 2025 (TVSF251220), 22 Dec 2025 (TVSF251222), 25 Dec 2025 (TVSF251225), 27 Dec 2025 (TVSF251227)
Hanoi Larosa Hotel
36 Nguyen Khuyen Street,
Hanoi
VIETNAM
Alternate joining point 8
For trips departing on the following dates, use this joining point.
24 Oct 2025 (TVSF251024), 24 Nov 2025 (TVSF2511242), 28 Nov 2025 (TVSF251128), 04 Dec 2025 (TVSF251204), 06 Dec 2025 (TVSF251206)
Chalcedony Hotel
4 Nguyen Truong To Street Ba Dinh Dist.
Hanoi
VIETNAM
Phone: +84 439329999
Alternate joining point 9
For trips departing on the following dates, use this joining point.
09 Nov 2025 (TVSF251109), 16 Nov 2025 (TVSF251116)
Charmpearl Hotel & Suites
No. 25, Lane 36, Giang Van Minh, Ba Dinh Ward
Hanoi
VIETNAM
Alternate joining point 10
For trips departing on the following dates, use this joining point.
18 Nov 2025 (TVSF251118)
Grand Cititel Hanoi Hotel
13B Tong Dan Street, Trang Tien Ward,Hoan Kiem District
Hanoi
Hanoi
VIETNAM
Dates and prices
Important notes
1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Day 2 (Overnight boat) and Day 3 (Sleeper train) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information. Day use rooms are also excluded.
2. Please provide your full name exactly as per passport at the time of booking (including any middle names listed on your passport) for train and flight tickets. Fees may apply for amendments to details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases you will be required to cover the cost of issuing new tickets.
3. This trip includes a domestic flight. Checked luggage allowance is a maximum of 20 kilograms, plus up to 7 kilograms carry on luggage. Any excess luggage charges will need to be paid directly to the airline at check-in.
Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.
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