- Tour code
VNMADV03
- Start
Hanoi
- End
Hoi An
- Min. age
16 years old
- Group size
Max 6-16 travellers
- Trip style
Classic
- Trip pace
Relaxed
- Language
English
This trip is for travelers who want real connection with Vietnam without early starts and long hikes every day. It mixes hands-on experiences with room to breathe.
In Hanoi you'll shop a local market with your host and cook lunch in their Old Quarter home, hearing about family life over tea first. Ninh Binh brings limestone peaks and rice paddies, and Cuc Phuong National Park adds rescued primates, jungle trails and a cave where prehistoric human remains were found.
Out on Bai Tu Long Bay, a calmer neighbor of Ha Long, you'll kayak, swim, cook on board and try squid fishing after dark, then wake to tai chi on deck and a visit to a floating fishing village.
The trip ends in Hoi An, with a coracle boat, village artisans and lantern-lit lanes, and a farewell dinner with the group. Your Soca Islands Host is with the group throughout, so the logistics are covered.
Why This Journey
Vietnam's north and center can easily turn into a checklist of viewpoints. This route trades some of that for time with people: a family who invites you into their kitchen, rangers caring for endangered primates, the craftspeople and fishermen outside Hoi An. Between those moments you have free afternoons to wander at your own pace.
It suits curious travelers who like good food and a mix of city, countryside and water, and who'd rather sleep on a quiet bay than join the crowds on Ha Long. You'll finish the week with a sense of how daily life works here, not just how it looks.
Where You'll Stay
Hanoi (2 nights): La Siesta Premium Hang Be, in the Old Quarter. Ninh Binh (2 nights): Tam Coc Garden Resort, among the rice paddies near Tam Coc. Bai Tu Long Bay (1 night): on board the cruise boat. Hoi An (2 nights): Anantara Hoi An Resort, on the river a short walk from the Ancient Town. Proposed accommodation (or similar), subject to confirmation. Rooms are based on two people sharing a double room with two beds.
Getting There
International Flights Not Included. International airfare to and from the destination is not included in the package price. Travellers are responsible for arranging their own flights and ensuring their arrival and departure align with the trip itinerary. Fly into Hanoi International Airport (HAN) and out of Da Nang International Airport (DAD). Arrival and departure airport transfers are included. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
What you will see and do
Shop Dong Xuan Market, then cook a Vietnamese lunch in a Hanoi family home
Meet incense makers, rice wine brewers and other craftspeople in their village homes
Kayak the calm, uncrowded waters of Bai Tu Long Bay
What's included
All activities mentioned on the itinerary
Accommodations in double rooms
Experienced Soca Islands Host with you throughout the trip
One farewell group activity when possible
Max 16 travellers per group
Arrival and departure airport transfers
Group transportation
What's excluded
- International flights (travellers arrange their own)
- Travel insurance (required)
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Optional activities, such as the Trang An boat-and-bike outing and Hoa Lu visit
- Single room supplement (single rooms on request, subject to availability)
- Extra hotel nights before or after the trip
Group itinerary
Touch down in the capital and a private transfer takes you to your boutique hotel in the middle of town, where motorbikes, street stalls and old shophouses crowd every lane.
This evening you meet your Soca Islands Host and the group over dinner at a local favorite that's easy to miss if you don't know where to look.
Today you're a guest in an Old Quarter home. Over tea, your host talks about family life and the customs that shape everyday Hanoi.
Then it's off to the market together to buy herbs, greens and everything else on the list, and back to the kitchen to cook classic dishes side by side before sitting down to lunch. After lunch, you're free to explore the streets, cafés and markets on your own.
Leave the city for Ninh Binh, where jagged karst peaks rise straight out of the rice paddies and the river winds between them.
The afternoon is yours to relax or explore. If you're keen, there's an optional boat-and-bike outing through Trang An combined with a visit to Hoa Lu, Vietnam's ancient capital.
Spend today in Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam's oldest national park. At a primate rescue center you'll learn about the endangered langurs, gibbons and lorises cared for there and the work to return them to the wild.
A guide then leads you on a hike through thick forest, and you finish in a cave where remains of early humans were discovered.
Step aboard for a cruise through Bai Tu Long Bay, where the limestone scenery rivals Ha Long's with far fewer boats around.
The day is for kayaking, swimming and lazing on deck, with a cooking session on board. After dark, try your luck at squid fishing, then sleep out on the water.
Greet the morning with tai chi on deck as the sun comes up over the bay, then visit a traditional floating fishing village to see how families live and work on the water.
Later, you fly to Da Nang and transfer to Hoi An, the old trading town on the Thu Bon River.
Head into the countryside around Hoi An to meet local artisans and see traditional crafts up close. Then climb into a round bamboo coracle boat and have a go at fishing.
The afternoon is free for strolling the lantern-lined streets of the Ancient Town, and in the evening the group shares a farewell dinner.
After breakfast, say goodbye to the group and transfer to Da Nang International Airport (DAD) for your next flight, with a deeper feel for Vietnam's culture and everyday life.
Accommodations
Here's a glimpse of the hotels we selected for this adventure.
La Siesta Premium Hang Be
A boutique hotel on Hang Be Street in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter, a few minutes on foot from Hoan Kiem Lake, the night market streets and the old guild lanes.
It has an on-site restaurant and spa, and its central position means the cafés, street-food stalls and markets of the Old Quarter start at the front door.
Hotel websiteTam Coc Garden Resort
A small garden resort in Hai Nham hamlet near Tam Coc, surrounded by rice paddies and karst peaks, with stone bungalows set around gardens and lotus ponds.
The Table restaurant serves seasonal dishes, and a wellness area has a pool, sauna and jacuzzi. Trang An, Hoa Lu and the Tam Coc boat landings are a short drive away.
Hotel websiteAnantara Hoi An Resort
A 93-room riverside resort on Pham Hong Thai Street on the banks of the Thu Bon River, a short stroll from the lantern-lit lanes of Hoi An's UNESCO-listed Ancient Town.
Rooms are set around gardens and a pool with a pool bar, and there's a riverside café, a breakfast restaurant and a spa on site.
Rooms are 42 m² (452 ft²), with a queen bed or twin beds.
Hotel websiteRooms
You'll stay at Trip Hotel.
- Included
Shared double
Shared with the person you book with, or a fellow traveller of the same sex.
- +$692 per person
Single room
A room to yourself, subject to availability.
Room prices are per person for the Apr 17, 2027 departure and can differ on other dates. You choose your room when you book.
Tour FAQS
Fly into Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi (HAN), and out of Da Nang International Airport (DAD).
Proposed accommodation is La Siesta Premium Hang Be in Hanoi, Tam Coc Garden Resort in Ninh Binh and Anantara Hoi An Resort in Hoi An (or similar hotels), subject to confirmation. Night 5 is spent on board the cruise boat in Bai Tu Long Bay.
International Flights Not Included. International airfare to and from the destination is not included in the package price. Travellers are responsible for arranging their own flights and ensuring their arrival and departure align with the trip itinerary. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
Yes. Arrival and departure airport transfers are included. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
7 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 3 dinners are included, as described in the itinerary. Other meals are at your own cost.
Extra nights can be requested, subject to hotel availability; contact our Customer Experience team for a quote.
There are no scheduled activities on the final day, so feel free to book your departure at your own convenience.
We recommend arriving before 3 pm on Day 1 to make it in time for the welcome event. But don’t worry no matter when you land, we’ll have an airport transfer ready for you.
Please Refer to your government’s travel advice or consult your local consulate. Remember, passport and visa requirements can change, so make sure to stay updated.
Excluding alcohol, we suggest budgeting around USD $40.00 per day for extras.
While we’re not medical professionals, we want to help you prepare for a safe and healthy adventure. Here are some tips:
- Consult with a healthcare professional: Schedule an appointment with your travel nurse or doctor at least eight weeks before your adventure to get any necessary vaccines or medications.
- Up-to-date medical advice:
- US residents: Check the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
- UK residents: Visit the NHS Fit For Travel website.
- Australian residents: Refer to the Smart Traveler Health website.
3. Government travel advice:
- US residents: Consult the US Department of State Travel Advice.
- UK residents: Check the FCDO Travel Advice.
- Australian residents: Visit the Smart Traveler website.
4. Medication tips: If you take prescription medication, bring enough to last the entire trip, plus a few extra days in case of delays. Carry a copy of your prescription in case you need to visit a clinic abroad.
We hope this helps you prepare for a safe and enjoyable adventure.
Please keep in mind that our itinerary, activities, and hotels might change. These adjustments could happen with little notice due to factors like availability, weather conditions, seasonal shifts, or other circumstances beyond our control. Rest assured, we always aim to minimise any impact on your experience. Occasionally, we may tweak the itinerary to try out fresh ideas and keep the adventure exciting.
We believe solo travelers shouldn’t have to pay extra to explore the world. That’s why our group trips are designed around shared accommodation and do not include a single supplement. Solo travelers joining our group trips are paired in twin or multi-share rooms with another traveler of the same sex for the duration of the trip.
Some of our Independent trips are structured differently. For these itineraries, solo travelers will need to book at the single occupancy rate.
Tips are not included in the cost of this tour. Remember, tipping is entirely at your discretion and based on what you feel comfortable with.
Would you like to learn more or customise our Vietnam: Hanoi to Hoi An trip?
Have questions about accommodations, accessibility, group preferences, or dietary needs? Complete the form below and our team will get back to you shortly.
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