janntee3176

I'm planning a trip to Vietnam with my partner and 7 year old in April 2025. We're planning on Hanoi for a couple of nights, nimh binh/Mai Chau for a couple of nights, halong bay river cruise, hoi ann near the beach for approx 5 nights then HCMC for the last couple of nights. I've seeked help from a tour operator who's offering a tour package for about £6000 not including international flights. Tbh I've checked the accomodation suggestions on booking.com. They're quite high end but I reckon I could book all of them or similar and internal transfers for around £2000. Is a guide really worth it? Could we manage by ourselves? Obviously our priority with a 7 year old is to stay safe and to ensure minimal stress ITO getting smoothly between one place and another and not falling into tourist cons/harrasment whilst we're there. How do we ensure this as lone travellers? Or are we best just to pay the extra money and have a fully organised trip? Thanks

crellston

No tour guide! my wife and I have spent a lot of time been visiting Vietnam for many years. It is very easy to travel independently.

Accommodation
Book fully refundable accommodation via booking.com , Expedia or similar, is very easy. Read the reviews carefully and check the user ratings. I always filter to see ratings of 8 and above for booking and 4.5 and above for Expedia. This sorts out the wheat from the chaff and eases the decision making process. Vietnam has a terrific variety of good quality accomodation especially in the mid price range.

Transport
Booking transport is easily done online. I book direct with the airlines. I would avoid night buses completely (their safety record is not good and the comfort isn't great either)and only use buses during the daytime for shorter journeys. It is cheap to hire a private car and driver for short journeys or tours so it is unlikely you would need to use buses at all. You can easily arrange drivers with your accommodation.

Tours
If you do want totake a tour then these are best sourced locally where they will be vastly cheaper. Overseas tour operators or even the bigger Vietnamese operators will just outsource to local tour operators and add a significant margin. There are certain locations where a tour will make life easier. Of the places you mention, Mai Chau, Ninh Binh and Ha Long are certainly places where a tour could add value. We did one that took us from Mai Chau to Nin Binh through some mountainous areas in the north staying in small villages along the way. A terrific insight into rural Vietnamese life. I wrote about these in our blog @ https://accidentalnomads.com/category/vietnam/ scroll to the last page for the two entries "Ninh Binh"and" Mountain trekking in the north". For that tour we used https://ethnictravel.com.vn/. they were very good and have a wide range of options and will pretty much do whatever you want. They will tailor the tricot your requirements which is clearly important when travelling with your child. Halong Bay is usually done as a package from Hanoi. Easy to book online or via your accommodation. (Go for a tour covering Lan Ha bay or Bai Tu Long Bay as they are less crowded/touristy)

Cons , safety, harassment etc

Travelling there over the last few decades, I have never really encountered any problems. I have always felt very safe and the people have always been very friendly. There are a few who will try and engage you in conversation on the streets of Hanoi or Saigon. Some are genuinely friendly and just want to practice their English though some may being trying to sell you something. Some have experienced problems with rogue taxi drivers short changing and fixing meters etc. My advice is only use established companies like Mai Ninh and Vinasun in the big cities and elsewhere ask hotels and restaurant to call cabs for you.

The places you list are now on a well trodden tourist trail so you will find it easy to DIY . if you need any suggestions or help organising a itinerary just ask here or over on tripadvisor Vietnam forum which gets way more traffic. Here is a link to our blog of some of our travels in Vietnam which may help a little https://accidentalnomads.com/category/vietnam/

fodavidors

Vietnam has earned the distinction of being Asia’s safest country to visit in 2024, as per the Global Law & Order Index. However, it’s essential to note that Vietnam ranks #58 in terms of English proficiency, according to Wikipedia.

My personal experience touring Vietnam solo was smooth, despite the language challenge. However, when traveling with a 7-year-old, I recommend having the contact details of a reliable tour guide handy if your plans to tour by yourselves didn’t turn out as expected.

DinHo

You can hire a tour guide in each location you visit (Book with local agents).

Larsay

A guide is not indispensable except for two destinations : trekking in Sapa and Bac ha because of the complexity of the trail network, and Halong Bay because of frequent scams if you go solo. For Halong, see the excellent programs of
www.orientalbrigetravel.com
and Parfum d'Automne (www.parfumdauotmne.com)

offroad24

absolutely no need tour guide.
Vietnam is so easy

Larsay

You find THE BEST trails in Sapa and Bac Ha without a guide, and their best homestays, not the big very visible ones which take groups ( try to find the fantastic house of Olivier Sapa without a guide!) Good luck ! And you better make sure you are aware of EVERYTHING before you show up without a guide in Halong Bay !

KTtravel

My husband and I usually travel independently but we were glad to have a guide in Vietnam.

offroad24

be careful
when you see a link for an agency, the member is working for. an agency

Larsay

And if he mentions TWO agencies, he works for both !!!!! Hi, hi, hi ! Besides, though Larsay is 80-year old and has a diploma from HEC, one of the 5 best business schools in the world, he works for a Vietnamese travel agency at the usual miserable salary ! FU-NNY !