The trip
Vietnam is long and skinny, and the weather changes as you go. Early March is one of the few windows when the whole country is pleasant at once: the north has warmed up after winter, central Vietnam is past its rainy season, and the south hasn't hit the real heat of April yet. So that's when we go.
This is a food trip pretending to be a sightseeing trip. You'll eat bún chả in the alley where Hanoi's office workers have lunch, drink egg coffee (it tastes like tiramisu, trust us), slurp bún bò Huế in the old imperial capital, and eat cao lầu in Hội An, the noodle dish you can only really get in one town. Your guide will order for the table, and you'll eat things you can't pronounce.
We fly the long stretches inside the country, so you don't lose days on the road. The one exception is the drive over the Hai Van Pass, because some roads are worth the time.
Highlights
- An overnight cruise on Lan Ha Bay, the quieter neighbor of Ha Long
- Being rowed through the rice paddies of Tam Cốc by a woman steering with her feet
- The Hai Van Pass by private car, with a stop at the top
- Two days in Hội An with time for a tailor to make you something
- An evening Saigon food tour on the back of a motorbike (with professional drivers)
Day by day
Texas to Hanoi
A long flight with a connection in Asia. You'll lose a day crossing the date line and land in Hanoi in the evening. Transfer to our hotel on the edge of the Old Quarter.
Hanoi
Walk the Old Quarter with a local guide. Each street was once a guild of a single trade, and some still are. Lunch is bún chả, then egg coffee in a café up a staircase you'd never find alone. In the evening, the water puppets, a centuries-old art form that's stranger and more charming than it sounds.
Ninh Bình
A couple of hours south to the limestone karsts of Tam Cốc. A sampan ride through the paddies and caves, a bike ride through the villages, and the 500-step climb to the Hang Múa viewpoint for anyone who's up for it.
Lan Ha Bay
To the coast and onto a small cruise boat for a night on Lan Ha Bay, which has the same scenery as Ha Long with a fraction of the boats. Kayaking through the lagoons, swimming if it's warm enough, and squid fishing off the back after dinner.
Back to Hanoi
Tai chi on deck if you want it, a slow cruise back, and a free evening in Hanoi.
Fly to Huế
A short flight to the old imperial capital. The Imperial City, the Thiên Mụ Pagoda on the Perfume River, and bún bò Huế, a spicy beef noodle soup that some people say beats phở. (We're not getting involved.)
The Hai Van Pass to Hội An
Over the pass by private car, with a stop at the old fort at the top, then down past Da Nang and the Marble Mountains to Hội An. Evening stroll under the lanterns.
Hội An
Day 9: get measured by a tailor in the morning, then a cooking class that starts with a market run and a basket-boat paddle through the coconut palms. Day 10: your fitting, a bike ride out to the rice fields or the beach, and an evening by the river. Order on day 9 and it'll be ready, we promise.
Fly to Ho Chi Minh City
Afternoon at the War Remnants Museum. It's heavy, and we give people the option to skip it. In the evening, a street food tour by motorbike, with each of you riding on the back with an experienced driver.
Mekong Delta
Out to the delta for boats through the narrow canals, coconut candy workshops, fruit orchards and lunch on an island.
Cu Chi Tunnels
A morning at the Cu Chi tunnels, where you can try crawling through a section (it's tight) or just look. Free afternoon and farewell dinner.
Home
Flights home, landing in Texas the same day thanks to the date line.
What's included
✅ Included
- Round-trip international economy airfare from DFW or IAH, plus 2 domestic flights
- 11 nights in boutique hotels and 1 night on a Lan Ha Bay cruise
- Breakfast daily, 7 lunches and 6 dinners, including the cooking class and food tours
- Private transport and local guides throughout
- Entry fees, water puppets, the sampan ride and the cruise excursions
➖ Not included
- Vietnam e-visa fee (you apply online; we send step-by-step instructions)
- Tailoring, which is surprisingly cheap but adds up if you get carried away
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Single supplement (from $820) and travel insurance
Good to know
US citizens need a Vietnam e-visa, which you apply for online. Do it about a month ahead. Talk to a travel clinic about vaccines six to eight weeks before departure.
Crossing the street in Hanoi is a skill. Walk slowly and steadily, and don't stop or run. The motorbikes will flow around you. It feels insane for about a day, and then it feels normal.
