10 Day Tour in Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi

The big draw here is variety: in ten days, you move from Ho Chi Minh City’s fast street life to the Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong waterways, Hoi An’s old lanes, and Halong Bay’s limestone islands. You get a useful first look at Vietnam without having to plan every transfer yourself.

I like the small maximum group of 20 and the number of included meals, tickets, airport transfers, and local guides. I also like that the route runs south to north, so you see several distinct parts of the country instead of staying in one region.

The tradeoff is a busy schedule. The two domestic flights are not included in the $720 price, and Day 2 packs the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta into one long outing. If you prefer slow mornings and long stays, this tour may feel rushed.

Key points to know before booking

• Cu Chi and the Mekong Delta in one day: You visit both major Ho Chi Minh City area sights, but expect a full schedule with driving.
• A south-to-north route: The plan covers Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Halong Bay.
• Two domestic flights cost extra: Air travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang and Da Nang to Hanoi is not included.
• Halong Bay includes an overnight cruise: You spend about 18 hours on the water, with meals and activities during the cruise.
• Ba Na Hills takes a full day: The Golden Bridge and cable car ride are part of an eight-hour visit.
• Group size is capped at 20: That is more manageable than a large coach, though this is still a shared tour.

What the $720 price really covers

At $720 per person, this is a mid-range package built around transportation and sightseeing rather than luxury. The price includes air-conditioned vehicles, entrance fees, English-speaking local guides, tissues and water on the coach, taxes, service charges, nine breakfasts, five lunches, and two dinners.

The important catch is the two domestic flights. You pay separately for the flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang and from Da Nang to Hanoi. International airfare, visa costs if required, travel insurance, tips, personal purchases, extra drinks, and meals not listed are also outside the price.

So I would not compare $720 with a land-only tour that includes every train and flight. Add the domestic airfares before deciding if the package fits your budget. Even so, the included transfers and sightseeing can be useful if you want one company handling hotels, airport pickups, day tours, and the Halong Bay cruise.

The tour is generally booked well ahead, with an average booking lead time of about 122 days. That makes sense for a route involving hotels, internal flights, and a cruise. I would book early if your dates are fixed, especially around holiday periods, when extra dinners or gala charges may apply.

Day 1: A simple arrival in Ho Chi Minh City

Your arrival day is deliberately light. A driver meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. Check-in begins from 2:00 PM, so an early arrival may leave you with time before your room is ready.

There is no sightseeing listed for this day. That is useful after a long international flight, since you can settle in without rushing straight into a museum or walking tour. It also means you should not expect a guided introduction to the city on arrival day.

Ho Chi Minh City is the southern starting point and one of the most energetic places on the route. You have free time here, but the main scheduled sightseeing begins the next day.

Day 2: Cu Chi tunnels and Mekong waterways

Day 2 delivers two of the best-known outings from Ho Chi Minh City. The drive to the Cu Chi area takes about an hour and a half. At the site, you explore the remaining tunnel system and special living areas, with admission included.

The tunnels offer a direct look at how people lived and worked underground during wartime. Expect narrow spaces, uneven ground, and a site that explains military life through physical remains rather than polished city attractions. If enclosed spaces or walking on rough surfaces are difficult for you, keep that in mind.

The tour then continues to My Tho in the Mekong Delta. You take a boat on the Tien River and pass islands named Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, and Tortoise. The river trip gives you a different side of southern Vietnam, with water traffic and broad views replacing the tight city streets of Ho Chi Minh City.

The timing is the main concern. Each stop is listed at about three hours, but you also have the road journey between them and the return to Ho Chi Minh City. You should expect a long day, and dinner is on your own after returning to the hotel.

Still, this pairing works well for a first visit. Cu Chi explains a major part of Vietnam’s modern past, while My Tho shows the importance of the Mekong to daily life and transport. You get two very different settings in a single day.

Day 3: Moving from the south to Da Nang

After breakfast, you have free time until a driver takes you to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The flight to Da Nang is not included in the tour price, so you need to account for that cost when planning.

A driver meets you at Da Nang Airport and transfers you to your hotel. This is mainly a travel day, with no major attraction listed. That pause is welcome after the packed schedule in Ho Chi Minh City, though your actual free time depends on your flight schedule.

Da Nang gives the tour a change of pace. The city is a base for the coast, Marble Mountains, Hoi An, and Ba Na Hills. One supplied comment describes Da Nang as clean, modern, and relaxing, which fits its role here as a short break between southern and northern sightseeing.

Day 4: Linh Ung Pagoda, Marble Mountains, and Hoi An

The afternoon begins with pickup from your Da Nang hotel around 2:00 to 2:15 PM. At Linh Ung Pagoda, you see the 70-meter Lady Buddha statue, one of the area’s best-known religious landmarks. The stop lasts about two hours and includes admission.

The setting gives you a chance to slow down and look beyond the tour’s historic sites. Treat the pagoda as a place of worship, not simply a photo stop. Dress and behave respectfully, especially around religious buildings.

The schedule then moves toward Marble Mountains. You explore Tang Chon Cave and visit Non Nuoc Stone Carving Village, known for stone sculptures and handicrafts. The cave adds a physical element to the afternoon, while the carving village shows a local craft tradition.

The day ends in Hoi An Ancient Town. Hoi An is one of the most atmospheric places on this route, with older architecture and a more intimate feel than Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang. The timing gives you an introduction rather than a full, unhurried study of the town, so pay attention to the return schedule.

This is one of the tour’s strongest combinations. Religious art, a cave, local stonework, and Hoi An’s old center all fit into one afternoon and evening. The drawback is that the schedule is tightly timed, with about three hours assigned to the Hoi An portion.

Day 5: A full day at Ba Na Hills

Your minivan and guide collect you between 7:30 and 8:00 AM for the ride to Ba Na Hills. The visit lasts about eight hours, and you reach the site by cable car.

The best-known sight is the Golden Bridge, along with Le Jardin d’Amour. The cable car ride is part of the experience, and admission is included. This is a very different kind of day from the Cu Chi Tunnels or Hoi An. You are visiting a large hilltop attraction built around views, gardens, and dramatic design.

Ba Na Hills suits people who enjoy major visitor attractions and striking architecture. It may not appeal as much if you are looking only for old neighborhoods, local markets, or quiet countryside. The full-day length also means you should be ready for a busy attraction rather than a short scenic stop.

The tour description refers to this visit as Pop Mart Bana Hill Vietnam, but the key experiences listed are the cable car, Golden Bridge, and gardens at Ba Na Hills. Those are the parts to focus on when judging the day.

Day 6: Flight to Hanoi

You have free time in Da Nang before your driver takes you to the airport. The short flight to Hanoi is again paid separately. On arrival, a guide meets you at Noi Bai International Airport and transfers you to your hotel.

This is another transition day, but the airport pickups make it easier than arranging separate taxis in two unfamiliar cities. Your free time depends on flight timing, and no sightseeing is scheduled for Hanoi until the following day.

Hanoi brings a different mood to the route, with older streets and a strong cultural identity. A supplied comment specifically praises Hanoi for its culture and charm, while also calling Ho Chi Minh City energetic and the food throughout Vietnam excellent. Those impressions point to the tour’s strongest feature: contrast between regions.

Day 7: Hoa Lu and the Trang An river route

The day begins early, with hotel pickup at 7:00 AM. Ninh Binh is about 120 kilometers from Hanoi, and the drive takes you out of the capital toward a quieter part of northern Vietnam.

At Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, you spend about two hours with an included entrance ticket. The site connects the day to Vietnam’s early royal past and gives you a historical counterpoint to the modern cities on the route.

After a short break, you continue to Trang An. The boat trip lasts about three hours and passes through caves including Sang Cave. The scenery is the star here: limestone formations, waterways, and cave passages create a calm change from city traffic.

Trang An was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2014. The boat is the best way to see it because the route lets you move through the water and into the caves rather than viewing the area from one roadside stop.

This is a long day because of the distance from Hanoi, but it is well chosen. Hoa Lu supplies context, and Trang An supplies the memorable scenery. Bring patience for the early start and road travel. The reward is one of the most visually distinct days on the itinerary.

Day 8: From Hanoi to an overnight Halong Bay cruise

Pickup from Hanoi’s Old Quarter begins at about 8:00 AM. The shuttle ride to Halong Bay takes roughly two and a half hours, followed by arrival at Tuan Chau Harbor around late morning.

You board the Dragon Bay Cruise around midday. The cruise is listed at about 18 hours, with meals and activities during the overnight portion. The included meals are important here because the cruise forms a self-contained part of the trip, rather than a quick harbor excursion.

Halong Bay is the tour’s main scenic finale. Limestone islets rise from the water, creating a setting unlike the Mekong Delta or Trang An. A supplied comment calls the bay breathtaking and unforgettable, and it is easy to see why this stop receives the strongest emphasis.

An overnight cruise also gives you more time than a short day boat. You can see the bay in changing light and have a morning on the water before returning. Conditions can affect the exact feel of the cruise, so keep your expectations flexible, but the schedule gives this destination proper time.

Day 9: Morning on the bay and return to Hanoi

Breakfast is served from about 7:00 to 7:45 AM, with time to look out over the bay with tea or coffee. The morning continues among the limestone islets, and the program includes a visit to Frog Pond.

This is a gentler morning than the early road departure to Ninh Binh. You are still on a schedule, but the focus is scenery and the cruise itself. After the morning activities, you return toward Hanoi.

The overnight cruise is one of the better-value inclusions in the package because it combines transport, meals, lodging for the night, and access to a major natural sight. Check exactly what your cruise cabin and onboard activities include when booking, since the broad tour details do not list every cabin feature.

Day 10: Airport transfer and a quiet finish

The final day is unstructured. You can rest until it is time to go to Noi Bai International Airport for your flight home. No guide accompanies you during this free time, and meals are your responsibility.

That open ending is practical if your flight leaves later in the day. It is less useful if you have a morning departure, since you will have little time to enjoy Hanoi. The listed meeting information says the activity ends back at the original meeting point, while the day-by-day plan describes an airport transfer, so confirm the exact final drop-off arrangement before departure.

Who should book this Vietnam route?

I would choose this tour if you are visiting Vietnam for the first time and want the major highlights without arranging every hotel transfer, day trip, and domestic connection yourself. The English-speaking guides, included tickets, airport pickups, and group limit of 20 remove much of the planning work.

It also suits you if you want a mix of history, religious sites, city time, river scenery, caves, and an overnight bay cruise. The route gives you a broad introduction rather than a slow, specialist look at one region.

I would hesitate if you dislike early starts, shared transport, or frequent hotel changes. Day 2 is especially full, Day 7 begins at 7:00 AM, and the two flights add both cost and airport time. You should also budget for tips, drinks, extra meals, insurance, visa expenses, and personal purchases.

Cancellation is flexible up to three full days before the start time for a full refund. After that cutoff, the amount paid is not refunded and late changes are not accepted.

Should you book it?

Book this $720 tour if breadth matters more than free time. Its best features are the south-to-north route, the small group cap, included entrance fees, and the overnight Halong Bay cruise. The Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong Delta, Hoi An, Trang An, and Halong Bay give you a strong first taste of Vietnam.

Before paying, price the two domestic flights and check the hotel and cruise details. If the final total still works for you, this is a sensible way to see the country’s main regions in ten days. If you want long café mornings, independent food hunting, or several nights in each city, plan your own slower trip instead.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

The tour lasts approximately 10 days, beginning in Ho Chi Minh City and ending with transfer arrangements toward Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport.

Are domestic flights included?

No. Flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang and from Da Nang to Hanoi are not included in the tour price.

What is included in the $720 price?

The price includes air-conditioned vehicles, entrance fees, English-speaking local guides, tissues and water on the coach, taxes, service charges, nine breakfasts, five lunches, and two dinners.

What is the maximum group size?

The group can include up to 20 people.

Does the tour include an overnight Halong Bay cruise?

Yes. The Halong Bay program includes an overnight cruise lasting about 18 hours, with breakfast and other listed meals during the cruise.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least three full days before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made later are not accepted for a refund.