VIETNAM
Vietnam's standout days.
The 15 most popular cruises & boat tours in Vietnam. What each day is actually like, who runs it, and what it costs.
Hanoi to Ha Long Bay day cruise: Sung Sot Cave, Luon kayaking, Titop swim, seafood lunch, and wine sunset party.
“Sunny was a great guide! We made the most out of the day and enjoyed a relaxing day with great tips and info. We also got vegetarian food on the ship. Highly recommend the tour with Sunny!”
Full-day Ha Long Bay cruise from Hanoi with Sung Sot Cave, Luon Cave kayaking, Titop Island swim and hike, plus a sunset party.
“Phong was a great tour guide. The views were amazing. The kayaking was a lot of fun!”
Full-day Ninh Binh tour from Hanoi with Hoa Lu history, Tam Coc bamboo-boat views, and a 500-step Mua Cave climb, plus optional biking.
“a great experience with a very knowledgeable guide, we highly recommend this tour of ninh binh and sonny was the best tour guide ever!”
Hoi An cooking class with market shopping, bamboo basket boats, net fishing, and a hands-on meal. Small groups, recipes included.
“This is a must do. Fabulous cooking class paired with a Coconut Boat ride. Cooking class was extremely well run. Quick trip to the market, enjoyable boat ride. Wasn’t on my to do list but was pleasantly surprised. Cooking was such fun. Great group of people and easy to follow instructions. Fabulous tasty food. What…”
One-day Ha Long Bay cruise from Hanoi with Suong Sot Cave, Titop Island, kayaking or bamboo boat, buffet lunch, and a sunset party.
“Great guides. Good transport on a very comfortable mini bus. Good activities. For the number of people on the boat they could have cooked more food for lunch and. Nowhere near enough even snacks. Many people didn’t even get to have any of the snacks due to there being only a small amount. This was…”
2-day Lan Ha and Ha Long Bay 5-star cruise with balcony cabin, kayaking, caves, spring-roll cooking class, tai chi, and squid fishing.
“Cruise was absolutely fabulous really enjoyed it all. Had to wait a while for transportation to Ninh Binh was worried that we weren’t going to be picked up after the cruise.”
Small-group day trip from Ho Chi Minh City covering Củ Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta, with boat rides, music, and lunch included.
“The tour is nice and you get to see the main points but it is a tour that everyone is going to try to sell you sth. It's kind of overwhelming sometimes. The guide that was in our group was not really "welcoming"”
Two-day Halong Bay cruise from Tuan Chau with air-conditioned private cabins, Sung Sot Cave, kayaking option, and included meals.
“What a different a day made. We had an amazing 24 hours during this overnight cruises. Good schedule, good food and good services.”
Mekong Delta day trip from Ho Chi Minh City: My Tho boat islands, coconut village tastings, Khot cake cooking, and Vinh Trang Pagoda.
“Was a very big day but interesting. Mekong is a busy tourist spot but you experience the local side of it. The private tour was amazing but I think going in a group would be just as good.”
2-day Doris Cruise from Hanoi with a private balcony, kayaking in Lan Ha Bay, tai chi, cave visits, and all meals included for $235.
“The whole experience was great . Specially Emily treated us very well . She took care the whole group , asked for well being and food and everything . Big thanks 😊”
Spend 9 hours in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta by motorboat, rowboat, and tuk-tuk, with fruit, honey tea, coconut candy, and folk music.
“Steve was a fantastic host and guide! Very knowledgeable about the history of Vietnam and cultural nuances. Only suggestion is not for the tour or the tour guides. It's for the foreigners coming on the tour. Please don't forget to tip Steve and the row boat operators in the canal. They are working so hard…”
Hoi An half-day market, bamboo basket boat through coconut palms, and a hands-on Vietnamese cooking class for about $17 with lunch or dinner.
“We had such a fantastic time on this tour! Thao was so kind and helpful, making it an experience we will remember for a long time & take the delicious recipes back to Ireland! Thank you again Thao 💗”
Small-group 2-day Ha Long Bay cruise from Hanoi with A/C cabin, kayaking, cave visits, cooking class, and onboard meals for $122.
“Value for money. We did everything the other boats did. The boat was nice, but can do with a bit of a facelift. The crew and host were lovely. The food on board was amazing. They serve a lot of food. We had a wonderful time and recommend it to all budget travellers.”
Hoi An night lantern boat trip on the Hoai/Thu Bồn River. Release a paper lantern from a private wooden boat with your group.
“Wow what a memorable experience! And our boat driver 🥹 (I asked his name but accidentally deleted it in my notes 🤦🏼♀️) he was spectacular a real professional! Took a whole bunch of amazing pictures and even brought a light to shine on us to get gpod light 😍. He also had a speaker and…”
2-day all-inclusive Halong Bay cruise from Hanoi with ocean-view junior cabin, Luon Cave kayaking, Ti Top Island, Sung Sot Cave, meals and Wi‑Fi.
“We had an amazing experience! The 3 days, 2 nights itinerary was perfect—so much better than just doing 1 night, as it gave us more time to relax and enjoy everything. Minh, our tour guide, was absolutely lovely—enthusiastic, entertaining, aRead more”
