The honest, up-to-date Vietnam travel advice we give our own guests: how long to go, when to visit, where to stay, which Ha Long Bay cruise to choose, and everything in between. Browse a section below, or tell us about your trip.
Vietnam rewards a little planning, and this is where we share what actually helps: how long to go for, when the weather turns, which Ha Long Bay cruise is worth it, where to base yourself, and the visa and transport details that catch people out.
Everything here is free, kept current for 2026, and written the way we’d explain it to a friend. Browse a section below, follow a ready-made itinerary, or read a few guides and then let us build the trip around you. We plan every journey privately, from arrival to departure, and carefully craft the whole trip around you.
Start here. These are the big decisions that shape every Vietnam trip: how many days you really need, what it costs, when to travel, and whether to go privately or in a group. Get these right and the rest falls into place.
Ready-made routes from five days to three weeks, north to south, each one road-tested and paced so you see the highlights without living out of a suitcase. Follow one as it stands, or use it as the backbone for a trip of your own.
Which neighbourhood, which bay, which side of town? Our area-by-area guides help you base yourself in the right place across Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh, Hoi An, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, so you spend less time in transit and more where you actually want to be.
Our home turf. How to choose the right cruise, how many nights to spend aboard, which bay stays quietest, what a trip really costs, and the mistakes worth sidestepping, written by the team who sail these waters every week.
Honest, first-hand write-ups of the boats we know inside out, covering cabins, decks, food and itinerary, so you can picture the experience clearly before you ever put down a deposit.
Deeper dives into the places worth your time, from Sapa and Ninh Binh to Ha Giang, Hoi An and the Mekong, with what to see, how many days to give each, and how they slot into a bigger journey.
Vietnam runs three climates at once, so timing is everything. Month-by-month weather for the north, centre and south, plus the festivals, golden windows and quieter shoulder seasons worth planning around.
Trains, private transfers, domestic flights, SIM cards and the practical how-to of moving between Vietnam’s highlights, with the logistics handled so the travelling stays easy.
Visas, e-visas, arrival cards and the small print, with the practical essentials sorted before you fly and kept current with the latest 2026 entry rules.
The quick answers to the questions we hear most, before you dive into the guides below.
How long to go
Ten to fourteen days covers the classic north-to-south route at a comfortable pace. Five to seven is plenty for the northern highlights of Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh.
When to visit
The north shines from October to April, the centre from February to August, and the south stays warm all year. Travel by region rather than a single season.
Getting around
Short domestic flights link the regions while private cars and boats handle the rest, so your days go on seeing places rather than logistics.
Ha Long Bay
One night gives a first taste of the karsts; two nights reach the quieter bays and feel far less rushed. It is the centrepiece of most northern trips.
Entry and visas
Many nationalities enter visa-free for a set period or apply for a simple online e-visa. The rules shift, so it is worth checking close to your travel dates.
How we help
We arrange every trip privately, from arrival to departure, so the advice here is the same we would give a friend.
Ten to fourteen days is the sweet spot for a first trip from north to south, though you can enjoy the north’s highlights (Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh) comfortably in five to seven. Our honest guide to trip length breaks it down by pace.
Vietnam spans several climates, so there is no single answer: the north is best from October to April, the centre from February to August, and the south is warm year-round. Our weather-by-month guide covers all three regions.
A comfortable private trip usually lands mid-range by Western standards, with the cruise and internal transfers the main variables. Our cost guide walks through where the money goes.
Many nationalities enter visa-free for a set period or use a straightforward e-visa, and the rules change from time to time. Our complete visa guide keeps the current exemptions and e-visa steps in one place.
One night suits a first taste; two nights reach the quieter corners of the bay and feel far less rushed. Our one-night-or-two guide compares them honestly.
We are biased, but a private trip means the pace, the route and the pauses are yours, and we plan it end to end, from arrival to departure. Our private-versus-group guide makes the case both ways.
It is one of the easiest places to start: the food is extraordinary, the welcome is warm, distances are manageable, and the highlights (Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An and the Mekong) pack real variety into one country. A private trip smooths the small frictions so a first-timer can simply enjoy it.
Either works, and most trips run the length of the country. North to south eases you in gently, from cooler Hanoi and Ha Long Bay down to the tropical Mekong; south to north does the reverse. We often let the season and your flights decide the direction.
Two to three months is comfortable for most trips, and worth it for the best cruises and boutique stays, which fill early around the peak months and Tet. That said, we can often arrange a well-planned trip at shorter notice, so it is always worth asking.
Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll build a private itinerary around it, carefully crafted from arrival to departure.
Start planning