The natural beauty of Vietnam is something which more people are starting to appreciate.
Shaped somewhat by its past history of war, Vietnam has emerged from those darker periods as an exciting, vibrant, and breathtakingly beautiful country for tourists to spend time exploring.
And what better way to do that than as part of an escorted tour?
Cruise the emerald waters of Halong Bay, visit the bustling floating markets of Can Tho, go island hopping among the islets of picturesque Nha Trang, and explore the historic monuments and buildings of Saigon.
With escorted tours of Vietnam ranging in length from nine to twenty days, there’s something to suit every traveller.
We’ll match you up with a professional guide, as well as a host of fellow holidaymakers, who want to see things at the same pace as yourself.
Savour the culinary delights of Southeast Asian cuisine, as you discover every corner of a country whose history stretches back thousands of years.
Each of our escorted tours is handcrafted to suit your specific needs – meaning you’ll get everything you want out of your exciting journey to Vietnam.
Vietnam Travel Guides
- Hoi An
- Saigon
- Cai Rang Floating Market
- Cu Chi Tunnels
1. Hoi An
Granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999, Hoi An has a traditional, laid-back and almost dream-like atmosphere that makes it a magnetic attraction in Vietnam.
And yet, despite its popularity, it retains a peaceful old-world charm thanks to concerted efforts to prevent the 21st Century curses of traffic and pollution.
For example, it’s the only place in Vietnam that restricts motorcycle use. And the face of the Old Town has preserved its amazing legacy of tottering Japanese merchant houses, Chinese temples, and ancient tea warehouses.
2. Saigon
Perched on the banks of the Saigon River and still known as Saigon to its eight million inhabitants, Ho Chi Minh City (its official name) has changed from a war-torn city into a thriving metropolis up there with Singapore, Bangkok and Beijing.
Into the hotchpotch of French colonial architecture, ancient pagodas and austere communist housing blocks have now been added all the trappings of economic boom – fine restaurants, shiny hotels, glitzy bars and luxury goods shops.
3.Cai Rang Floating Market
No trip on the Mekong Delta is complete without a visit to Cai Rang Floating Market, 6km by small boat from Can Tho.
This is the largest wholesale market on the Delta, literally floating in the middle of a large river confluence far from the riverbanks.
4. Cu Chi Tunnels
Nothing could symbolise the tenacity of Vietnamese people more than the iconic Cu Chi Tunnels.
Located 75km northwest of Ho Chi Min City, it is an elaborate 121km network of tunnels and chambers under the town of Cu Chi.
Astoundingly, they were dug with bare hands or very simple tools during the French occupation in the 1940s, and further expanded during the Vietnam War in the 1960s.
The network, parts of which were several storeys deep, included countless trapdoors, living areas, storage facilities, weapon factories, field hospitals, command centres and kitchens.
The tunnels were preserved after the war and have been converted into a large war memorial complex.
Today the complex consists of two main display sites that are open to the public, at Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc.
The Ben Dinh site has tunnel reconstructions and some tunnels have been made larger to accommodate tourists, but they provide an accurate idea of what life must have been like in the tunnels.
Here the Viet Cong ate, slept, planned attacks, healed their sick and educated their children in the chambers of the Cu Chi Tunnels.
Some even wed and gave birth here. Underground conference rooms where campaigns such as the Tet Offensive in 1968 were planned have been restored.
There’s even a restaurant serving simple meals that Viet Cong fighters would have eaten.
Even if you prefer to stay above ground there’s still much of interest, such as learning about the ingenious resistance tactics and how the tunnels provided a defensive advantage over the Americal soldiers.
Both sites have gun ranges where you can get to assault rifles such as the AK47! But be warned, you pay per bullet, and an automatic weapon spits them out very rapidly!