- Overview
- Tour plan
- Hotel list
- FAQ
General Information
Duration: 12 Days / 11 Nights
Route: Hanoi → Ninh Binh → Ha Long Bay → Hoi An → Ho Chi Minh City → Cu Chi → Mekong Delta
Travel Style: Family, Culture, Nature & Hands-on Experiences
Ideal For: Families with children looking for a balanced first journey through Vietnam, combining sightseeing with interactive experiences, outdoor activities and time to relax
Recommended Age: Approximately 6 years and above
Start: Hanoi
Finish: Ho Chi Minh City
Designed with families in mind, this journey combines Vietnam’s essential highlights with activities that both adults and younger travellers can actively enjoy.
Private transfers and selected private experiences provide flexibility, while plenty of free time keeps the journey comfortable for families travelling at different rhythms.
Discover together. Learn together. Remember it together.
Introduction
Experience Vietnam together on a 12-day family journey filled with landscapes, local culture and hands-on adventures.
Begin in Hanoi, where history comes to life through the Old Quarter, traditional crafts and one of Vietnam’s most colourful performing arts. Escape into the limestone countryside of Ninh Binh for cycling and a gentle sampan journey before spending a night cruising among the spectacular islands of Ha Long Bay.
Continue to Hoi An, one of Vietnam’s most family-friendly destinations. Make traditional lanterns, explore village landscapes, travel through coconut waterways and discover Vietnamese food through an interactive countryside experience. A full day at leisure gives families time to slow down, enjoy the beach or simply relax together.
In southern Vietnam, uncover the remarkable story of the Cu Chi Tunnels before travelling into the Mekong Delta, where boats, orchards and riverside communities offer one final introduction to rural Vietnamese life.
Rather than filling every day with sightseeing, this itinerary balances discovery with downtime — creating a journey that is engaging for children while still offering the culture, history and local experiences adults have travelled to Vietnam to discover.
Day 1 — Welcome to Vietnam
Arrival in Hanoi
Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, meet your private driver and transfer comfortably to your hotel in Hanoi.
After check-in, the remainder of the day is free for the family to recover from the journey and adjust to the local time.
Depending on your arrival time and energy level, take a gentle walk through the surrounding neighbourhood, find your first bowl of Vietnamese noodles or simply relax at the hotel.
No activities are scheduled today, allowing everyone time to settle in before the adventure begins.
Service: Private airport transfer
Meals: None
Overnight: Hanoi
Day 2 — Hanoi for the Whole Family
Heritage, Old Quarter & Water Puppets
After breakfast, meet your private English-speaking guide for a relaxed introduction to Vietnam’s capital.
Begin at the Temple of Literature, where courtyards, stone tablets and stories of Vietnam’s early scholars provide an accessible introduction to the country’s long educational traditions.
Continue toward Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
Explore the neighbourhood on foot at an easy pace, walking through narrow streets traditionally associated with different crafts and trades.
Along the way, discover local snacks, colourful shops and everyday street life. Your guide can turn the walk into a more interactive experience for younger travellers, encouraging them to spot different street foods, traditional objects and architectural details.
Take a traditional cyclo ride through part of the Old Quarter before stopping for lunch at a family-friendly local restaurant.
In the afternoon, enjoy some free time before experiencing a traditional Vietnamese water-puppet performance.
The colourful puppets, live traditional music and stories inspired by rural Vietnamese life make this one of Hanoi’s most accessible cultural experiences for children and adults alike.
Return to your hotel after the performance.
Service: Private guided family experience
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hanoi
Day 3 — Family Adventure in Ninh Binh
Ancient History, Cycling & Tam Coc
After breakfast, leave Hanoi for a full-day journey into the landscapes of Ninh Binh.
Begin at Hoa Lu, Vietnam’s ancient capital during the Dinh and early Le dynasties.
Rather than spending too long on historical detail, your guide will introduce the site through stories about kings, dynasties and the dramatic limestone mountains that once provided natural protection for the capital.
Continue to a local restaurant for lunch.
In the afternoon, board a traditional sampan at Tam Coc.
Relax as a local rower guides your boat along the Ngo Dong River, passing beneath limestone cliffs, alongside rice fields and through natural caves.
After the boat journey, explore the countryside by bicycle.
Follow quiet village roads and agricultural landscapes at an easy pace. Families who prefer not to cycle can relax locally or arrange alternative transportation.
Return to Hanoi in the late afternoon.
Service: Guided family excursion
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hanoi
Day 4 — Family Cruise in Ha Long Bay
Islands, Kayaking & Life on the Water
After breakfast, check out from your hotel and travel toward Ha Long Bay.
Upon arrival at the cruise terminal, board your overnight cruise and settle into your cabin.
Enjoy lunch while the vessel begins sailing through the spectacular limestone landscape of the bay.
During the afternoon, participate in activities according to the selected cruise programme.
Depending on the cruise, weather and local conditions, family-friendly activities may include kayaking, swimming, cave visits or excursions by tender.
Return to the vessel later in the afternoon and enjoy the changing scenery from the deck.
Dinner is served on board.
Families can spend the evening relaxing together or joining the cruise’s scheduled activities.
Service: Shared transfer & shared overnight cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Ha Long Bay Cruise
Day 5 — Ha Long Bay to Hoi An
Morning Cruise & Flight to Central Vietnam
Wake to the quiet scenery of Ha Long Bay.
Depending on the cruise programme, families may join an early activity or simply enjoy breakfast while the vessel continues through the bay.
A final excursion may be included before breakfast or brunch is served and the cruise returns toward the harbour.
After disembarkation, transfer toward Noi Bai International Airport according to the confirmed flight schedule.
Fly to Da Nang.
Upon arrival, meet your private driver and transfer to Hoi An.
Check in to your hotel and spend the evening at leisure.
After a long travel day, no formal sightseeing is scheduled. Families may simply relax or take an easy evening walk through Hoi An’s lantern-lit streets.
Service: Shared cruise services, transfer, domestic flight & private arrival transfer
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch or Brunch depending on cruise programme
Overnight: Hoi An
Day 6 — Stories & Lanterns of Hoi An
Ancient Town & Lantern-Making Workshop
After breakfast, meet your guide for a relaxed exploration of Hoi An Ancient Town.
Walk through the UNESCO-listed historic centre and learn how merchants from Vietnam, China, Japan and other parts of Asia once met and traded here.
Visit selected landmarks such as the Japanese Covered Bridge, traditional merchant houses and assembly halls.
The experience is kept interactive and at an easy pace, leaving time to explore colourful shops and observe life around the river.
Later, visit a local workshop for one of Hoi An’s most recognisable traditions — lantern making.
With guidance from a local craftsperson, learn how the colourful lanterns that illuminate Hoi An are created and make one of your own to take home as a family souvenir.
Enjoy lunch before returning to your hotel.
The remainder of the afternoon is free.
Service: Private or small-group family experience
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hoi An
Day 7 — Hoi An Countryside Adventure
Village Life, Basket Boats & Family Cooking
After breakfast, travel beyond the Ancient Town into the countryside surrounding Hoi An.
Depending on family preferences and children’s ages, explore the rural landscape by bicycle or local transportation.
Pass rice fields, vegetable gardens and village homes while learning about everyday life outside the historic centre.
Continue toward the Cam Thanh area and board a traditional round bamboo basket boat.
Travel through the nipa palm waterways with local boatmen and learn about the relationship between the community and the surrounding river environment.
Depending on the confirmed programme, children and parents may also have the opportunity to learn simple traditional fishing techniques.
Continue to a local cooking venue or family home.
Rather than watching from the sidelines, work together to prepare a selection of Vietnamese dishes with guidance from your local host.
Sit down and enjoy the meal you have helped prepare.
Return to your hotel in the afternoon.
Service: Guided countryside & cooking experience
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hoi An
Day 8 — A Day to Enjoy Together
Free Day in Hoi An
Today is completely free.
After several days of activities, families can choose how they would like to spend the day.
Relax at the hotel pool, travel to nearby An Bang Beach, return to the Ancient Town, browse local shops or simply enjoy a slower morning together.
Optional activities can be arranged for families looking for more adventure, such as an additional cooking class, countryside experience, beach activity or cultural workshop.
Leaving the day unstructured also provides useful flexibility for families travelling with younger children.
Service: Day at leisure
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hoi An
Day 9 — Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City
Leisure Morning & Flight South
Enjoy a relaxed final morning in Hoi An.
At the scheduled time, meet your private driver and transfer to Da Nang International Airport.
Fly to Ho Chi Minh City.
Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, meet your private driver and transfer to your hotel.
The remainder of the afternoon and evening is free.
Families may wish to explore the city centre, visit a nearby pedestrian area, find a favourite Vietnamese dessert or simply relax at the hotel.
Service: Private airport transfers + domestic flight
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City
Day 10 — Underground Stories of Cu Chi
Cu Chi Tunnels
After breakfast, travel outside Ho Chi Minh City to the Cu Chi Tunnels.
The experience provides an introduction to an important period in Vietnam’s modern history through one of the country’s most unusual historical sites.
With your guide, learn how the underground network was constructed and how people used tunnels for shelter, communication, storage and daily life during wartime.
See hidden entrances, underground chambers and examples of the ingenious systems developed by those living in the area.
Family members who feel comfortable may enter a widened section of the tunnels, while those who prefer to remain above ground can continue exploring the surface exhibits.
Taste cassava, a simple food associated with life in the tunnels, before returning to Ho Chi Minh City.
The remainder of the afternoon is free.
Service: Guided Cu Chi excursion
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City
Day 11 — Family Discovery in the Mekong Delta
Ben Tre Waterways, Villages & Tropical Life
After breakfast, leave Ho Chi Minh City for a journey into the Mekong Delta.
Travel toward Ben Tre, where coconut groves, small canals and agricultural communities create a very different landscape from the city.
Board a local boat and explore sections of the waterways while learning how families live and work alongside the river.
Visit selected local producers or family workshops to see how everyday products are made using ingredients and materials from the delta.
Depending on seasonal conditions, there may also be opportunities to visit fruit gardens and taste tropical produce.
Continue by smaller rowing boat through narrow canals surrounded by palms and lush vegetation.
Enjoy lunch featuring southern Vietnamese dishes.
Depending on family preferences and local conditions, take a short countryside walk or bicycle ride before beginning the journey back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Arrive in the late afternoon and enjoy your final evening together at leisure.
Service: Guided Mekong Delta family experience
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City
Day 12 — Departure from Vietnam
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and free time until your scheduled departure.
Depending on your flight time, enjoy one final family walk, stop for Vietnamese coffee and fresh juice or pick up some souvenirs from your journey.
At the appropriate time, meet your private driver and transfer to Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
Your family journey with Oriva comes to an end.
Service: Private airport transfer
Meals: Breakfast
Suggested Accommodation
Accommodation is available in three categories. Final hotels and cruises are subject to availability and may be replaced with properties of a similar standard.
Room arrangements will be proposed according to the number and ages of children travelling. Depending on the property, these may include family rooms, connecting rooms, triple rooms or additional beds.
3-Star
Hanoi: Mina Hotel or similar
Ha Long Bay: Le Journey Cruise or similar
Hoi An: Kim An Hotel Hoi An or similar
Ho Chi Minh City: Acnos Hotel or similar
4-Star
Hanoi: Tirant Hotel or similar
Ha Long Bay: La Pandora Cruise or similar
Hoi An: Silkotel Hoi An or similar
Ho Chi Minh City: Alagon Saigon Hotel or similar
5-Star
Hanoi: Apricot Hotel or similar
Ha Long Bay: Doris Cruise or similar
Hoi An: Palm Garden Hoi An or similar
Ho Chi Minh City: The Myst Dong Khoi or similar
Standard check-in: From 14:00
Standard check-out: By 12:00 noon
Early check-in or late check-out is only included when specifically stated in the programme.
1. How is the tour priced?
2. What is included in the tour price?
What’s Included
- 11 nights’ accommodation based on the confirmed family room arrangement
- Daily breakfast and meals indicated in the itinerary
- Domestic economy-class flights:
- Hanoi → Da Nang
- Da Nang → Ho Chi Minh City
- Private airport transfers as specified
- Private guided Hanoi family sightseeing
- Cyclo experience in Hanoi
- Water-puppet performance
- Guided Ninh Binh excursion
- Tam Coc sampan journey
- Bicycle use during included cycling activities
- Transfer between Hanoi and Ha Long Bay
- 2-day/1-night shared Ha Long Bay cruise with scheduled meals and activities
- Guided Hoi An Ancient Town experience
- Lantern-making workshop
- Guided Hoi An countryside experience
- Basket boat experience in Cam Thanh
- Family cooking experience in Hoi An
- Guided Cu Chi Tunnels excursion
- Guided Ben Tre / Mekong Delta experience
- Boat and sampan experiences included in the Mekong programme
- Entrance fees for sightseeing included in the itinerary
- Local English-speaking guides during guided experiences
- Drinking water where provided by the operating supplier
- Applicable local taxes and service charges
- 24/7 local assistance from Oriva Journeys during the trip
3. What is not included in the tour price?
What’s Not Included
- International flights to and from Vietnam
- Vietnam visa or e-visa fees, where applicable
- Travel insurance
- Meals and beverages not specified in the itinerary
- Drinks during included meals unless stated otherwise
- Personal expenses such as laundry, minibar, spa treatments, shopping and telephone charges
- Optional family activities or excursions
- Early check-in and late check-out unless confirmed
- Excess baggage charges, seat selection and other optional airline services
- Tips and gratuities
- Shooting range activities at the Cu Chi Tunnels
- Child seats or specialised equipment unless specifically confirmed
- Expenses arising from flight disruptions, adverse weather, natural disasters or other circumstances beyond the operator’s reasonable control
- Any services not specifically mentioned under What’s Included
4. Why is the price higher for solo travellers?
Travelling solo usually costs more per person because many parts of a journey are normally shared between two or more travellers.
When travelling alone, costs such as accommodation, private transfers, vehicle, driver and private guide services are carried by one person rather than divided across a couple or small group.
Oriva does not normally pair solo travellers with other guests simply to reduce the price.
For travellers who prefer to travel independently while keeping costs more manageable, Oriva also offers selected solo-friendly journeys using shared or small-group services where appropriate.
5. What upgrades are available?
The journey can be personalised with a range of optional upgrades, subject to availability and additional charges.
Available options include:
- Connecting rooms or upgraded family accommodation where available
- A private Ninh Binh excursion
- A premium family-friendly Ha Long Bay cruise
- A private Hanoi–Ha Long Bay transfer
- Higher-category or connecting cruise cabins where available
- A private Hoi An family experience
- A beach resort upgrade in Hoi An
- An additional beach day in central Vietnam
- A private Cu Chi Tunnels excursion
- A private Ben Tre Mekong experience
- Additional nights in Hanoi, Hoi An or Ho Chi Minh City
- More flexible domestic airfare options
Speak with our team if you would like to make the journey more private, upgrade your accommodation or add extra time before or after the itinerary.
6. Can the itinerary be customised?
Yes. This journey is designed with families in mind and selected elements can be adjusted according to the children’s ages, interests and travel pace.
Cycling can be replaced with alternative transportation where possible, selected excursions can be made private, accommodation can be upgraded and extra beach or leisure time can be added.
Oriva can also review the itinerary for families travelling with younger children.
7. Is a deposit required to confirm the booking?
Yes. A 20% deposit is normally required to confirm your booking.
The remaining balance is generally due 45–60 days before departure. Bookings made closer to departure may require full payment at the time of confirmation.
Some services, such as flights, cruises or hotels, may require earlier or full payment depending on supplier conditions.
8. What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellation charges depend on how close to departure the booking is cancelled:
| Cancellation received | Charge |
|---|---|
| More than 60 days before departure | 20% |
| 45–60 days before departure | 30% |
| 30–44 days before departure | 50% |
| 15–29 days before departure | 75% |
| 14 days or less / No-show | 100% |
Domestic air tickets are non-refundable once issued.
Other prepaid services, such as cruises, hotel deposits or attraction tickets, may also have supplier-specific cancellation conditions.
No refund is normally provided for no-shows or voluntarily unused services after the trip has started.
9. Can children join this tour?
Yes. This itinerary is specifically designed for families and is generally recommended for children from approximately 6 years old and above.
Special child rates apply when sharing a room or cabin with two adults:
- Infants aged 0–2: 10% of the adult rate
- Children aged 3–11: 85% of the adult rate
- Children aged 12 and above: Adult rate
Child fares for flights and other ticketed transport are subject to the relevant airline or operator’s policy and will be confirmed at the time of booking.
Activities can also be adjusted for younger children on request.
10. Are there any important travel notes I should be aware of?
Yes. A few practical points are worth keeping in mind before confirming your journey.
- Family Accommodation: Room configurations depend on the number and ages of children. Connecting rooms and family rooms are subject to availability.
- Children’s Ages: The itinerary is generally recommended for children from approximately 6 years old. Activities can be adjusted for younger children on request.
- Cycling: Cycling is optional and subject to age, ability, bicycle availability and local conditions. Alternative transportation can be arranged where possible.
- Ha Long Bay Cruise: Cruise routes and activities may change due to weather, tidal conditions, safety requirements or local authority instructions. Minimum ages may apply to certain activities.
- Cu Chi Tunnels: The visit includes wartime history and exhibits that some parents may consider unsuitable for younger children. Alternative sightseeing can be arranged on request.
- Dietary Requirements: Children’s preferences, vegetarian diets and other dietary requirements can usually be accommodated when advised in advance.
- Domestic Flights: Flight schedules, airlines, fares and baggage allowances are subject to availability until ticketing.
- Itinerary: Activities may be adjusted according to children’s ages, weather and operational conditions while maintaining the overall character of the journey.
- Travel Documents: Travellers are responsible for valid passports, visas and applicable entry requirements for all family members.
- Travel Insurance: Comprehensive family travel insurance is strongly recommended.
