Vietnam road trip: from Saigon to Hoi An and Da Nang

The tour

This 21-day road trip starts in Ho Chi Minh City and works its way up the coast to Da Nang. It opens with a Vietnamese language and culture class and a karaoke night, followed by a week at a community kitchen. These kitchens serve up to 600 low-cost lunches a day to low-income workers and elderly people, and you help out in the mornings with cooking, serving and clearing up.

Then the travelling begins: the War Remnants Museum, Saigon’s cathedral and Central Post Office, the canals of the Mekong Delta by sampan, a cooking class, the Cu Chi Tunnels, dinner cooked with a local family and the mangroves of Monkey Island. Then the coast: the islands off Nha Trang, the Po Nagar Cham Towers, the lantern-lit old town of Hoi An and the Marble Mountains of Da Nang.

The tour is for adults who want to see Vietnam from the inside, through encounters, history and time by the sea, settling in properly before hitting the road.

Day by day

Day 1: Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City

Airport welcome by a local guide or driver and transfer to your hostel. Check in and take time to find your bearings.

Day 2: Language and culture

Meet the local team, explore the neighbourhood and join a Vietnamese language and culture class, followed by dinner and a karaoke night.

Days 3 to 7: The community kitchen

From 7am to 1pm, you are part of the team at a community kitchen: cooking, serving, clearing and cleaning up. Afternoons are free.

Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City

In the morning, the War Remnants Museum, devoted to the Vietnam War. In the afternoon, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, two colonial-era landmarks. In the evening, Ben Thanh Market and street food for dinner.

Days 9 and 10: Mekong Delta

A sampan ride along narrow canals, a village visit, local workshops, and a tasting of fresh fruit and honey tea. A visit to Vinh Trang Pagoda, which blends Vietnamese, Chinese and Cambodian architecture.

Day 11: Cooking and bracelets

In the morning, a fresh produce market followed by a Vietnamese cooking class. In the afternoon, a bracelet-making workshop.

Day 12: Cu Chi Tunnels

A full day at the Cu Chi Tunnels, the underground network used during the Vietnam War, to understand their history. In the evening, shop at the market, then cook and share dinner with a local family.

Day 13: Free day

Time to yourself in the country’s largest city, with suggested activities at your own expense: swimming, a massage, an art workshop, parks, markets and local food.

Day 14: Monkey Island

A visit to Monkey Island, home to more than 1,000 monkeys, the Hoa Ca crocodiles and other mangrove wildlife, then a canoe trip through the Sac mangrove forest.

Day 15: On to Nha Trang

Travel to Nha Trang, check in and take a first walk along the beach. In the evening, a seafood dinner or a night out, at your own expense.

Day 16: The islands of Nha Trang

A boat trip to four islands: snorkelling, swimming, sunbathing and lunch on board. In the evening, the night market.

Day 17: Po Nagar and the night bus

A visit to the Po Nagar Cham Towers, an ancient Hindu temple complex, and Long Son Temple with its great white Buddha. A mud bath at a spa (at your own expense) or time on the beach, then the overnight bus to Hoi An.

Day 18: Hoi An

A gentle morning after the journey, then the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its lantern-lit streets in the evening. Dinner at a restaurant in the old town.

Day 19: Hoi An by water

A ride in a basket boat, two people to a boat, along the river and through the coconut groves. In the evening, release a lantern on the Hoai River, then enjoy Hoi An’s lively streets.

Day 20: Da Nang

A bus to Da Nang, about an hour away. The Marble Mountains and their caves, the Museum of Cham Sculpture, the beach or the Son Tra peninsula, then a stroll along the Han River.

Day 21: End of the trip

Depending on your flight time, there may be time for a swim, a walk around the city or a visit to the local market.

On site

Accommodation

Participant accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City during the community kitchen week, then hostels all along the route.

Meals

Three meals a day up to day 7, then breakfast and lunch from day 8 to day 20, and breakfast on the last day. Some dinners and outings are marked as at your own expense in the itinerary.

Arrival

Arrive at Ho Chi Minh City airport on day 1, where a local guide or driver meets you and takes you to the hostel. The tour ends in Da Nang; the return transfer is not included.

Vietnam road trip tour