YPT Tours to Vietnam
Young Pioneer Tours are pleased to announce our Vietnam Tours and Travel Packages for 2024-2025, with YPT offering our unique take on travel here.
After decades of almost constant conflict Vietnam has now risen from the ashes to offer not just great travel opportunities far from the beaten track, but also a superb blend of ancient, communist and contemporary history that make this very much a key YPT destination.
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Group Tours to Vietnam
YPT are currently arranging a Vietnam Group Tour for April 2025, as well as offering it as part of Ultimate South-East Asia Tour.
Ultimate South East Asia Adventure – July 15th-26th 2024 – $1195
Independent Tours to Vietnam
Having ran tours to Vietnam since 2015 YPT are not only experts in the country, but can take you very much off of the beaten track, particularly with regards to the war, communist and dark tourism aspects of the country.
Below is our example Vietnam Reunification Tour, which can be in done in full, in part, or combined with not just other destinations in Vietnam, but also the rest of South-East Asia.
Example Vietnam Itinerary
Day 1– Ho Chi Minh City
- Arrive at your own leisure at Ho Chi Minh City – Saigon, those coming from the Dark Tourism Cambodia Tour will arrive early afternoon
- Meet your YPT guide at our centrally located hotel at 2:00pm
- Head straight into history with a walk past South Vietnam’s Presidential Palace, now the Reunification Palace, to the War Remnants Museum, complete with scenes from the French occupation of Indochina, US military equipment from tanks to planes and vivid descriptions of the effects of Agent Orange and other leftovers from the war on Vietnam still today
- Dinner of Vietnamese pho – rice noodles – and other dishes before we grab a cold Saigon beer, a plastic stool and sit on the street for some refreshment and people watching, before seeing where the night takes us!
- Overnight in Saigon
Day 2 – Ho Chi Minh City
Morning
- Head out after breakfast to the Cu Chi Tunnels, where we see and experience the tunnel warfare carried out by the Viet Cong against the US military in South Vietnam
- Drive back into the city for some street food, we’re particularly fond of the famous Banh Mi thit pork sandwich!
Afternoon
- Visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum
- Head to the old American Embassy and see if we can climb up to “that place” where the last evacuations happened!
- Check out the war surplus market. YPT does love a good Soviet market but we’ll make do with looking for Vietnam War trinkets!
- Gather supplies for the train and head for our farewell dinner in the notorious District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City – The original Saigon
- Our first major train journey, the relatively short trip from Saigon to Nha Trang, in our 4 berth private cabins
- Overnight on the HCMC – Nha Trang train
Day 3– Nha Trang
Morning
- Morning arrival in Nha Trang – have an early check-in into our hotel, so will have some time to relax and freshen up before heading out for the day.
- Breakfast in the hotel before we go for a walk through the backstreets of Nha Trang – the best place to see the real city far from its beachfront – up to the Po Nagar Cham Towers, built in the Cham Civilisation between the 7th and 12th centuries and which is located on a hill with good views
- Walk back through a traditional Vietnamese fishing village, and remind ourselves that fish definitely does smell like fish
Afternoon
- After lunch walk past Nha Trang Cathedral and visit the Thanh Dien Khanh Fortress, an old citadel designed by a French officer in the late 18th century
- Dinner and drinks — we might just head to Crazy Kim bar, because we like the place and the name!
- Overnight in Nha Trang
Day 4 – Nha Trang
Morning
- After a relatively late rise, we will head out on a short drive to Bai Dai beach, getting away from the city and into one of the best coastal areas of Vietnam.
- Stop on the way for a jungle walk and a dip in a waterfall pool
Afternoon
- Swim in the sea or relax on the beach with a cocktail or two
- Head back to Nha Trang, grab supplies and head for dinner by the sea, before heading up to pick up our bags and supplies
- We are treated to another relaxing, and beautiful train journey with our overnight trip in private 4 berth cabins from Nha Trang to Hue
- Drinks and overnight on the train to Hue
Day 5 – Hue
Morning
- Morning arrival in Hue, the old imperial capital of Vietnam where we transfer to the Jade Hotel
- After a bite to eat we head to Hue’s main attraction – the Imperial Citadel. It’s huge, and we’ll wander around the rooms and gardens for a few hours taking in different parts of ancient Vietnamese history
Afternoon
- After lunch, we head out for a slice of more modern history, hiring motorbikes and heading to Phu Bai Airport, built and garrisoned by the Americans in this key part of former South Vietnam
- Grab our motorbikes again for some countryside exploration. It just wouldn’t be Vietnam without motorbikes and rice paddies, and the countryside around Hue is some of the most beautiful in the country, and its people the most welcoming
- Head back in Hue and go for dinner and drinks in this bustling Vietnamese town, starting of course and unavoidably at The DMZ Bar
- Overnight in Hue
Day 6 – The DMZ
Morning
- Early rise and drive out to the old Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between North and South Vietnam, at the 17th parallel. The journey takes 2 hours, with us stopping at a war memorial on the way, as well as various other places.
- Lunch on the way to the DMZ
Afternoon
- Visit the Hien Luong Bridge that was the official border crossing for much of the war, with classic halfway point selfies a must.
- Vinh Moc Tunnels and museum, the main part of the DMZ Tour
- See Khe Sanh Combat Base, Camp Carroll, and The Rockpile, former US military bases and outposts
- Before driving back to Hue, we stop for dinner at a quiet seaside village for fish BBQ, and an amazing sunset.
- Stop back at the hotel for a freshen up and to pick up supplies for our last train journey.
- Night train to Hanoi in our private 4 berth rooms. This truly is one of the most stunning train journeys you can take in Vietnam, as we witness the countryside roll into what is the bustling capital city of Hanoi
- Overnight on the train
Day 7– Hanoi
Morning
- Morning arrival in Hanoi
- Transfer to hotel and a super quick transfer to the highlight of our trip to Vietnam, by joining the hordes of people that line up daily to see the father of the nation, Ho Chi Minh, lying in state. People still take this very seriously, and it is a big deal
- Head straight to the Ho Chi Minh Museum for an in-depth look at his life
Afternoon
- Lunch of Pho Ha Noi – more savoury than Saigon’s version
- Visit the Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution, detailing history going right back to the struggle against the French
- We head to Lenin Park, complete with statue, before some people-watching then go for dinner and drinks in the Old Quarter, our last Vietnamese night out!
- Overnight in Hanoi
Day 8 – Hanoi
- Free morning to sleep in or go out for some last-minute shopping in Vietnam
- Lunch at a local restaurant
- Head out to Hoa Lo Prison, otherwise known as the Hanoi Hilton, where the French imprisoned and executed Vietnamese revolutionaries during the colonial period, and in which the US POWs captured by the North Vietnamese were kept, including a certain John McCain
- End of tour, or continue on to Laos
Bespoke Vietnamese Tours
As part of our travel packages to Vietnam, we are able to offer the following bespoke trips alongside our standard Reunification Tour.
For more formation on the following bespoke Vietnam Tour programs simply get in touch.
Vietnamese Political Interest Tour
As well as our reunification tour YPT also offer Vietnam political interest tours which deal more with the contemporary communist government within the country. You can see the itinerary here
Vietnam By Train Tour
With one of the best train networks within the region it is possible to visit almost the entirety of the country using the train network. YPT can arrange these tours with 1st class sleeper cabins, as well as accompaniment by one of our expert local Vietnamese guides. Aside from trains within Vietnam we can also offer international trains from Vietnam to Beijing and thus connect with the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Charter Railway Tours in Vietnam
As well as tours that utilize the train network of Vietnam and much like Cambodia and Thailand it is also possible to charter our own trains in Vietnam for bespoke tours. As such these can also be combined with railway tours to the wider region.
Vietnamese Street Food Tours
With some of the best street food in the world YPT can arrange culinary tours to Vietnam, as well as regular tours that have more emphasis on the wonderful food of this country.
Vietnam – Cambodia Tours
With these two countries both sharing a large border Young Pioneer Tours can arrange tours that combine these two countries. This is principally done by utilizing the Phnom Penh – Ho Chi Ming City route, but also by using the Ha Tien border crossing near Kampot, which opens up the chance to travel to Phu Quoc
Whole Vietnam Tours
While our reunification and political interest tours take in much of Vietnam, there are still many other places worth seeing that we can offer either bespoke tours to, or as extensions to our Vietnam tours. These include, but are not limited to the following;
- Da Lat Tours – Famous as the winter town up in the mountains of southern Vietnam, tours to Da Lat (link) can easily be arranged to combine with both Nha Trang and Saigon.
- Cao Bang Tours – While being not very well known on the tour circuit Cao Bang offers a real off the beaten track experience, as well as being a gateway to southern China.
- Son Doing Cave Tours – YPT can offer tours to this fabulous cave, the biggest in the world that was only discovered in 2013.
- Khmer Krom Tours – For those interested in Khmer history within southern Vietnam YPT can offer tours specifically themed Khmer From tours to places such as Soc Trang and Tea Vinh.
- Phu Quoc Tours – Young Pioneer Tours can arrange Phu Quoc Tours either Vietnam or through Kampot and our tours to Cambodia.
- South Vietnam Tours – YPT can arrange tours that concentrate on the history of the former State of Vietnam/Republic of Vietnam AKA South Vietnam. This of course counts as visiting a former country.
Vietnam and Southern China Tour
Utilizing the Hanoi – Nanning train YPT can take you off of the beaten track to Northern Vietnam, before transferring to one of the most beautiful regions of mainland China. This includes Yangshuo where the old DMZ bar used to be. And while we can’t exactly provide the private train, we can in some ways reenact the Trump-Kim summit.
South-East Asian overland tours
YPT can arrange overland tours throughout South-East Asia that can combine Vietnam with travel to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and China directly, as well as linking further to Burma, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and beyond.
Vietnam to North Korea by train
Can you travel to North Korea by train from Vietnam? Well, yes you can as was demonstrated by Chairman Kim Jong-Un. Alas we do via the Hanoi – Beijing train, before transferring to the Beijing – Pyongyang train.
Vietnam tours to Moscow and beyond
Through the extensive train network. of Vietnam, China and Russia YPT are able to arrange tours to Vietnam that continue through China, before transferring to the Trans-Siberian Railway, which of course leads to Russia and beyond.
Football tours to Vietnam
While Vietnam might not be renowned for its football, there is a vibrant scene here, with domestically and internationally. YPT can arrange tours designed to watch live Vietnamese Premier League matches, as well as for touring teams to play matches within the country.
School trips to Vietnam
In 2019 YPT arranged our first school trip to Vietnam, with a focus on Vietnamese history and culture. These can be combined with Thailand, Cambodia and Laos among others, with us having full adaptability deepening on your schedule.
Filming in Vietnam
Through our media arm Pioneer Media we can make arrangements for productions, journalists, or others to film within Vietnam from big budget to guerrilla productions. We can also arrange meetings in country, as well as correct visas for journalist wishing to do projects within Vietnam and the wider south-east Asian regio.
Frequently asked Questions about travel to Vietnam
For temples, it is sometimes required to have legs and shoulders covered and for jungle treks, it is best to keep skin covered with long trousers and sleeves to avoid mosquito or other insect bites. Remember to bring sunscreen and insect repellent!
Likewise for solo women (and travellers in general) it is a safe country but it is always best to avoid walking around cities in sparsely populated areas alone at night.
In general, violent crime is more rare then petty crime such as pickpocketing and theft. Ensure you have your important documents and devices in a safe place at all times.
The mosquito-borne diseases Malaria, Dengue Fever, Japanese Encephalitis, Zika Virus and Filariasis are endemic in many areas of Vietnam. We recommend you take measures to avoid mosquito bites, including using insect repellent at all times and wearing long, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing.
Of course, such situations are rare, but accidents or medical conditions can happen anywhere and it’s best to be prepared since medical facilities are very basic. Theft and other crimes against foreigners do happen, so it’s best to have your valuables insured. The right policy can also help you recover some of the cost if you need to cancel your trip at late notice, protect your valuable equipment, protect you from personal liability, provide emergency dental coverage and more. It’s mandatory on YPT tours to have travel medical insurance to cover the unlikely event of illness or injury.
You should always do your own research about insurance, but we at YPT use IATI. Using our referral link below will give you a 5% discount off their usual price: here
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