Vietnam Adventure
Sierra Club Outings Trip | International, Bicycle, Kayak, Hiking (1 review)
Highlights
- Hike in two of Vietnam's national parks
- Swim in Nha Trang Bay
- Kayak in spectacular Ha Long Bay
Includes
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All in-country transportation, including two flights
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All accommodations, entry fees, and gratuities
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An experienced, English-speaking Vietnamese guide
Overview
The Trip
You are invited to join us for our Vietnam journey, which travels the length of Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) to Hanoi. We will be exploring the many facets of this mystical country with its rich and varied history. "S"-shaped Vietnam is inhabited by 54 ethnic groups, each with a unique culture. The Viet are the established ancestral ethnic group, making up more than 70% of the Vietnamese population. Constantly under the threat of invasion and occupation in the past, the Vietnamese are now working industriously to improve the quality of life for all citizens as they also honor their cultural traditions
The Trip
You are invited to join us for our Vietnam journey, which travels the length of Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) to Hanoi. We will be exploring the many facets of this mystical country with its rich and varied history. "S"-shaped Vietnam is inhabited by 54 ethnic groups, each with a unique culture. The Viet are the established ancestral ethnic group, making up more than 70% of the Vietnamese population. Constantly under the threat of invasion and occupation in the past, the Vietnamese are now working industriously to improve the quality of life for all citizens as they also honor their cultural traditions.
We'll visit many of the most beautiful and famous of Vietnam's cultural and historical sites, which will provide insight into the history and character of Vietnam. We will overnight in a rural village and be entertained with traditional Vietnamese music and dance, including (in Hanoi) the famous water puppet theater. We will also visit some of the most dramatically beautiful Vietnamese natural areas, including two national parks and renowned Ha Long Bay.
This fast-paced trip is planned for anyone who wants to experience the very best of Vietnam in a single visit. Our sightseeing involves a lot of walking, plus swimming in Nha Trang Bay, bicycling in Hoi An, hiking in national parks, and kayaking in Ha Long Bay. We'll have two moderate hikes in the national parks of about two to three hours each. We will stay in well-located hotels in the cities, in a headman’s house in a Muong village, and in cabins in Cuc Phuong National Park. In Ha Long Bay we will overnight on a yacht with comfortable accommodations and great food.
Most of our meals will feature delicious Vietnamese cuisine; we may also have some non-Vietnamese meals and some meals will be on your own in case you want to taste some of the other international cuisines. We'll have fluent English-speaking guides who will interpret Vietnam's rich history, culture, and nature for us. We'll learn about the Vietnam War (referred to as the "American War" by Vietnamese) from their perspective by visiting some of their museums and famous sites, including China Beach. The Vietnamese harbor no anger from the war and warmly welcome American tourists to their beautiful country.
Itinerary
Although we'll pack a lot of activities in our Vietnam adventure, we will also have free time for relaxation, shopping, and sightseeing. Here's a day-by-day itinerary of what we'll be exploring in Vietnam.
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): You will be met at the airport and transferred to our central hotel downtown. Please keep in mind that if you fly west, you will lose a day as you cross the International Date Line. You should plan to arrive no later than mid-afternoon on day 1. We'll have a late-afternoon trip orientation meeting at our hotel and then enjoy our first delicious dinner in Vietnam
Although we'll pack a lot of activities in our Vietnam adventure, we will also have free time for relaxation, shopping, and sightseeing. Here's a day-by-day itinerary of what we'll be exploring in Vietnam.
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): You will be met at the airport and transferred to our central hotel downtown. Please keep in mind that if you fly west, you will lose a day as you cross the International Date Line. You should plan to arrive no later than mid-afternoon on day 1. We'll have a late-afternoon trip orientation meeting at our hotel and then enjoy our first delicious dinner in Vietnam.
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City: After breakfast, we'll spend the day touring Vietnam's largest and perhaps most dynamic city. We'll visit the historic post office (where you can purchase beautiful Vietnamese stamps), the interesting War Remnants Museum, and the imposing Reunification Palace. Then we will end the day walking through the huge downtown market where you can shop and witness daily street life.
Day 3: Da Lat: Today we'll "head for the hills" and drive to the former French hill station of Da Lat. Hill stations were towns founded by colonial rulers to escape from the heat of the lowlands. We will walk around the town to enjoy its French-style buildings, lakes, and local food and wine.
Day 4: Da Lat/Nha Trang: In the morning, we’ll visit King Bao Dai’s Summer Palace and the Truc Lam Meditation Pagoda. After lunch, we'll make our way to Nha Trang on the coast and visit the Cham Po Nagar Towers.
Day 5: Nha Trang: Today will be our first opportunity to explore the beauty of offshore Vietnam. First, we'll tour the fascinating Oceanographic Institute to learn about Vietnam’s marine biology and their efforts to preserve the marine environment. Then we'll board a boat that will take us to an island in Nha Trang Bay where we’ll have a chance to swim. For lunch, we will visit a popular fish restaurant on another island and relax along the beach before returning to our hotel.
Day 6: Da Nang/Hoi An: This morning we’ll take the first of our two in-country flights, this one to Da Nang, an important airport during the war. Then we'll head to beautiful Hoi An, stopping at China Beach and then hiking up Marble Mountain to see the pagoda and cave there. We'll spend our next two nights in Hoi An.
Day 7: Hoi An: We'll spend the entire day exploring Hoi An, one of the most beautiful and interesting cities in all of Vietnam. In the morning, we’ll bicycle out to one of the farming villages to visit with a family, and then we'll return to town to tour the covered bridge, an ancient historical home, and the Chinese assembly hall. Hoi An features hundreds of shops that will tempt you to bring back inexpensive clothing (custom tailored) and other souvenirs. In the evening, we’ll have dinner on our own.
Day 8: Bach Ma/Hue: Today will be a long day as we drive north toward the ancient capital of Hue. We'll see boats along Da Nang Bay as we drive up the coastal highway to view Hai Van (Cloud) Pass. Then we'll drive into the mountains to explore our first Vietnamese national park: Bach Ma. Sometimes referred to as the "Da Lat of central Vietnam," Bach Ma was also a French-era hill station that has been restored to its previous natural wonder.
Bach Ma is a popular bird-watching area and boasts more than 40 different mammal species. After touring the visitor center, we'll take a one- to two-hour hike and then head to historical Hue, where we'll stay for the next two nights.
Day 9: Hue: Located on the banks of the Perfume River, Hue is famous for its art and architecture, and in 1993 Hue was honored as a UNESCO World Heritage site. We'll spend the entire day exploring some of its temples, tombs, pagodas, and palaces: the Thien Ma pagoda, the tomb of King Minh Mang, and the famous Hue Citadel. The Hue tour will take most of the day here. You will have time in the late afternoon for shopping and sightseeing. In the evening, we’ll have dinner on our own.
Day 10: Cuc Phuong National Park: Today we'll take our second in-country flight to Hanoi. Upon arriving in this capital city, we'll immediately head southward to Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam's first national park. After settling into our cabins, we’ll visit the Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Center to hear a presentation by representatives of Save Vietnam’s Wildlife and see their animals.
Day 11: Cuc Phuong National Park/Ban Khanh: We’ll take an early morning birding walk and then tour the fascinating Endangered Primate Rescue Center. Not only does this center rescue injured primates, it provides an up-close opportunity to see and hear these rare and endangered mammals. If we have time, we’ll also see the Asian Turtle Center before taking our second hike to the Big Tree, and a park guide/naturalist will describe the different plants/trees and explain the complex ecosystem there.
Depending on the groups' interest, we can also hike to the Cave of Prehistoric Man, where remains dating back 7,500 years have been found. After lunch, we'll drive to the Muong village of Ban Khanh where we'll stay overnight with the villagers and experience Vietnamese rural village life, including a performance of traditional Vietnamese music and dance.
Day 12: Hanoi: After breakfast in Ban Khanh, we'll head back to Hanoi and visit the fascinating Ethnology Museum before checking into our hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
Day 13: Hanoi: This will be a full day of touring the best of Vietnam's capital city, including Ho Chi Minh’s simple home, the One-Pillar Pagoda, and the Hoa Lo Prison. Perhaps one of the highlights of today will be attending the famous water puppet theater. The action and the beauty of the music and singing transcend language to transport the audience, regardless of whether they speak Vietnamese. We'll spend a second night in our Old Quarter hotel.
Day 14: Ha Long Bay: After breakfast, we'll board our bus and travel through the vast Red River delta to Ha Long Bay, one of Vietnam's greatest natural wonders and another UNESCO World Heritage site. The bay, part of the Gulf of Tonkin, is filled with limestone/karst islands and caverns, which we will explore this afternoon and tomorrow morning. We'll board our large boat and sail out into Ha Long Bay among the thousands of islands. Depending on weather/water conditions, we'll likely have an afternoon kayaking adventure and visit Ban Chan Beach. We'll have lunch and dinner and overnight aboard our boat.
Day 15: Ha Long Bay/Hanoi: We awake aboard our boat on beautiful Ha Long Bay. After breakfast we'll board our water taxi to explore Thien Canh Son Cave. We'll eat lunch onboard, then disembark to the mainland and drive back to Hanoi for our farewell dinner.
Day 16: Departure: With some sadness and many wonderful memories, our Sierra Club Vietnam Adventure ends. Unless you choose to extend your stay in Vietnam/Hanoi, you will be transported from our Hanoi hotel to the airport for your departing flight.
Logistics
Getting There
Our trip officially begins with your arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on or before day 1. You will need to get a Vietnam visa in advance (not included in the trip price), and we will tell you how to get it. The trip ends in Hanoi, so be sure to get an “open jaw,” or multi-city, airline ticket -- into Ho Chi Minh City and out of Hanoi.
We highly recommend arriving at least a day early to catch up on sleep after your long flight or in case one of your flights is delayed/cancelled along the way. If you would like to arrive early, the trip leader can make arrangements for you to be met at the airport and stay extra nights at our hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
Getting There
Our trip officially begins with your arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on or before day 1. You will need to get a Vietnam visa in advance (not included in the trip price), and we will tell you how to get it. The trip ends in Hanoi, so be sure to get an “open jaw,” or multi-city, airline ticket -- into Ho Chi Minh City and out of Hanoi.
We highly recommend arriving at least a day early to catch up on sleep after your long flight or in case one of your flights is delayed/cancelled along the way. If you would like to arrive early, the trip leader can make arrangements for you to be met at the airport and stay extra nights at our hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. For those interested in the war, there are day tours to the Cu Chi tunnels near Ho Chi Minh City where you can experience those claustrophobia-inducing tunnels and see the elaborate systems of underground tunnels and fortifications that the Viet Cong established in the "backyard" of Saigon during the war. Likewise, if you'd like to extend your stay, please let the trip leader know so they can help facilitate your plans with our Vietnam concessionaire.
Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.
Accommodations and Food
We'll be staying in a variety of accommodations -- during most of our trip we'll be in cities with very nice, comfortable hotels and in Ha Long Bay we'll have very comfortable cabins on our boat. Our overnight stay in Cuc Phuong National Park will be in clean, but much more rustic rooms. And our overnight stay in the rural village of Ban Khanh will be with local families in their simple homes, sleeping on the floor on padded mats with sheets, blankets, pillows and mosquito nets.
Accommodations will be two people per room. Singles will be paired up according to gender. If you want a single room, please let the trip leader know, and we will see if this is possible. There will be an additional charge for requested single accommodations.
Trip Difficulty
This trip involves a lot of walking around towns, museums, and special sights, so you should be prepared for at least this type of activity. Our two moderate hikes in national parks last approximately two to three hours. For the biking, we will use normal street bikes for a couple of hours on flat roads or paths to visit a local village near Hoi An. Kayaking in Ha Long Bay will be in double-seated kayaks as we follow our guides on a course through sheltered waters for about an hour and a half.
Medical care in VIetnam is not as accessible or convenient as in the United States, making medical emergencies considerably more hazardous than they might be at home. Please take care of any potential medical problems before leaving home and bring adequate amounts of all medications you might need. If you have any questions about the medical form included in your trip application packet, or about whether or not our trip will be appropriate for you, please contact the leader. Your safety and that of our group depend on your candid responses on the medical form.
Equipment and Clothing
We'll be traveling from southern to northern Vietnam and from tropical coastal areas to higher mountainous regions, so you should bring a variety of clothing for different temperatures. The easiest/lightest way to do this is to bring layers of clothing. You'll want to have well broken-in footwear -- sturdy tennis shoes or light hiking boots. Our trip leader will provide you with a list of recommended clothing/equipment.
References
TV/Movies:
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The Vietnam War. Ken Burns’ and Lynn Novick’s 2017 TV documentary. A comprehensive, even-handed exploration of the war, using firsthand accounts from nearly 80 witnesses, including Americans who fought in the war and some who opposed it, as well as Vietnamese combatants and civilians from both sides.
Books:
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Jamieson, Neil, Understanding Vietnam.
Websites:
- Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) (an NGO specializing in increasing young people's awareness of environment concerns; mainly active in Hanoi): http://www.envietnam.org
- People for Pangolins: http://www.peopleforpangolins.org/save-vietnam-s-wildlife.html
- Endangered Primate Rescue Center: http://www.eprc.asia/
Additional reading and viewing recommendations will be provided in pre-trip communication.
Conservation
One of the benefits and unique aspects of Sierra Club Outings is our focus on the environment and conservation issues. Pre-trip literature will highlight some of the environmental challenges and accomplishments of Vietnam, and both the leader and our Vietnamese tour guide will discuss environmental issues during the trip. If possible, a presentation by a Vietnamese environmental NGO will be included to provide their perspective on these important issues.
Evacuation and Travel Insurance
The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.
Staff
What Our Travelers Say
Debbie B, Albuquerque NM
Good overview of Vietnam
I completed this trip in 2024. If you would like to learn a lot about many aspects and areas of Vietnam this trip is for you there are many museum and cultural visits. The snorkeling and kayaking is very light touch. The bicycling in hoi an is really cool but be aware that this is done to Vietnamese safety standards so participants need to be aware of surroundings and should also make sure they keep up. Also We only stayed one night on the boat in Ha long bay and I would like to hope that future trips would stay 2 so that the boat could go to an area where the marine life still exists....
Debbie B, Albuquerque NM
Good overview of Vietnam
How was the quality of the volunteer leadership?
The trip leader was very pleasant and easy to talk to. She worked very well with the paid guides
What was the highlight of your trip? Any advice for potential travelers?
It’s hard to pick just one highlight. We did cover a lot of ground. The hiking in the jungle was awesome and is not to be missed. It wouldn’t hurt to do a bit of walking to get in shape for it before hand as there are a few hills.
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Important Notes
- Carbon Offsets
- Carpooling
- Electronic Billing and Forms
- Electronic Devices
- Equipment
- Essential Eligibility Criteria
- How to Apply for a Trip
- Leader Gratuities
- Medical Issues
- Non-discrimination Statement
- Participant Agreement
- Seller of Travel Disclosure
- Single Supplements
- Terms and Conditions
- Travel Insurance
- Trip Feedback
- Trip Price
- Wilderness Manners